A/N- Hi, everyone! I was hoping to have finished this chapter sooner—especially on Halloween—but I had writer's block on this, but I finally got it out! Man, this took me a lot of time to think over and write out, but I'm happy to say that I got it all worked out in this, and hopefully, it'll be the same for the following upcoming chapters. So, without further or do, grab your leftover candy from Halloween—or whatever you wish to snack on—and let's jump right into this story!
Chapter 53
A Promise
Kassidy didn't know what to say… What even was there to say? This breathtaking, beautiful woman spoke to them out of pure kindness and didn't scream danger to her ocean-blue eyes. There was no guessing, though, who that woman was.
"Is that…" Shade tried to word out, but he couldn't finish what he was going to say.
Yes, Lightning confirmed, that's Morgana.
"Holy shit," Holden breathed.
Lightning flew over to Morgana, and she had her arm held out to him, and as soon as his feet touched it, they pressed their heads to each other. The duo didn't say anything, but how they nuzzled each other seemed to indicate that they were very fond of each other, almost in a romantic way. Were they–
"Good to have you back, Lightning," Morgana gently said.
It's good to be back, Lightning mellowly replied.
Morgana looked back at the group of different species, her expression never dropping. "I take it my mate guided you all here just fine?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Holden said, his expression more surprised like most of the others. "You two are… mates?"
"Indeed, and he's a very loyal one at that." Morgana then stroked Lightning's hackles.
"I can't understand a word she's saying," Shade said, looking a little embarrassed.
"Yeah, me neither," Marina chimed in, and Orestes and Helen seemed to agree.
When Kassidy looked at Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen, it was evident that they couldn't grasp Morgana's words clearly, and that was because they didn't have the human tongue spell cast on them. That spell was similar to another spell: the animal tongue spell. The human tongue was for animals, while the animal tongue was for humans. Hence, conversations were better understood, like alphabet soups of different languages entered the brain instead of the stomach and translated the confusing words and sentences.
"Ah, allow us," Raymond said—which Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen didn't pick up on—as he, Sylvester, and Stella stood in front of them. The two human magic-user—with Stella still being a barn owl—held their hands/wings out near the sky-blue Silverwing and Brightwing's ears while Sylvester looked between the great horned owl and snowy owl as he sat on his haunches. The trio stared at them with deep concentration as if they were studying a painting carefully and trying to get the full story out. It wasn't long until Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella stopped what they were doing, earning bemused glances from Shade, Marina, Orestes, Helen, Holden, and even Goth and Throbb—the duo was back on the ground, but they were once more bound by magic. "That should do it."
The trio from the Spell Organization stepped aside, and Shade blurted out: "What was that?"
"I believe they just cast the human tongue spell on you guys," Kassidy stated rather than guessed.
"You are correct, Miss. Kimler," Raymond spoke up, acknowledging what the female Silverwing said. "It should now help you fathom Morgana's words."
To help her friends to test to see if the spell worked, Kassidy talked to Morgana. "So, you've been expecting us?"
"Yes," Morgana opened up, and as soon as those words left her mouth, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen gasped as the spell had worked. "I've been watching you and your friends for some time now." Kassidy and the others blinked in surprise and puzzlement—all except for Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella as if they knew. Had Morgana been observing them using the sight-seeing spell? That was the only explanation the gothic Silverwing could think of, but how did she know about them specifically? "I see you're confused; I will better explain myself once we get to our home." But, of course, as she said our home, she was referring to herself and Lightning.
Marina turned her head toward Lightning, the same expression staying in place. "Why didn't you tell us in the first place that she was your mate and that you lived with her?"
Lightning shrugged his shoulders. I guess I managed to leave that part out, he answered in their thoughts. And if you're wondering, no, we're not hiding anything dark.
Kassidy could believe that. For starters, Lightning and Morgana's facial expressions didn't seem off, nor did their voices, and if they were hiding something, she would've caught onto it instantly, like with the giant bats and Scirocco. So it was safe to say they would not make the list of enemies Kassidy and her friends made.
"Come, it's not too far," Morgana said as she began to lead the group toward the mountain wall.
"Uh, yeah, there's just one problem," Holden spoke. "That's a dead end."
"Ah-ah-ah." Morgana waved her finger as she said that. "Things are not as they always seem." To emphasize her point… she and Lightning went through the wall!
Almost everyone was taken aback, except for Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella of course.
"Di–Did they just go through that wall?!" Shade questioned.
"I… I think they did," Orestes stuttered. "I did not see that coming."
Helen started to rub her forehead. "All this magic is starting to give me a headache…"
Kassidy began to survey the wall, seeing if there was some trick Morgana used. If she could find Waldo in the Where's Waldo books, there was no reason why she couldn't find the source of the magic that was put in play. She finally noticed a couple of mossy stones placed across each other, a faint pentagram carved into them that looked like the ones on the palms of a couple of the magic users' hands. An entrance.
Hmm, interesting, Kassidy thought.
"So, shall we enter?" Stella asked.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do so," Sylvester commented. "But we still need to do what we came here to do."
"As we will," Raymond assured the black cat. "With everything that's happened so far with them, though–" He indicated to Kassidy, Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen, "–they most likely will need rest, and I'm sure Morgana will be able to provide that for them. We will figure out what to do next later. For now, we should get a move on." Raymond then directed his attention to Goth and Throbb and used his magic to make them float once more. "Alright, you two, let's go."
The trio from the Spell Organization made their way over to the invisible entrance of the mountain wall—with Raymond steering Goth and Throbb toward it—and it wasn't long until they disappeared through the wall. Kassidy, Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen looked at one another. Magic entrances were not something anyone witnessed nowadays, so flying through the mountain wall would be an intriguing experience for them. Kassidy could only imagine what they'd see once they passed through the wall.
"What will we possibly see once we enter?" Helen asked.
"Only one way to find out," Kassidy responded.
Without another word, the group took to the air and flew towards the mountain wall. Upon entry, Kassidy felt like she was crossing through a breathable liquid, and the magic was smooth as silk on her skin. It was warm, like entering a pool on a hot summer day, but that was all short-lived as the gothic Silverwing and the others had reached the other side where the other group was waiting for them. Kassidy could see that they were in some cavern, stalagmites sharp as ever with the occasional water drips from above.
Morgana led everyone down a path that only went straight—no turns, no spirals, no steps, nothing extreme. Only one bland direction. The noises some of the group made bounced off the walls, and their surroundings seemed calmer than usual. Usually, that was never the case for Kassidy and her friends since they could barely catch a break, which was very strange, but at the same time, it was like a breath of fresh air.
A few minutes later, an opening was ahead of them, and when they finally reached it, a breathtaking sight awaited them. There was no snow to be seen; instead, it looked like spring had come early, removing the dull colors and bringing back the beautiful, lavishing, and lively ones. An estate sprawled across a rolling green land. It was veiled in roses and ivy in the pouring moonlight, with balconies sprouting from its alabaster sides as many trees encased the grounds. There was so much color, movement, and texture that Kassidy could hardly drink it in fast enough. It was incredible.
Her cousins would've been jumping with excitement if they saw the view, especially as there was a huge garden and some hedges. Those two would've instantly played hide and seek or tag, and they never would've gotten bored—it was, after all, exploring worthy. Kassidy couldn't believe that there was no snow lying around or even some falling from the sky. What kind of magic did Morgana use? Whatever she did, this was beyond anything the gothic Silverwing could've ever pulled off. It must've taken a long time to perfect, especially as it looked like highly complex magic.
"Wow!" Shade exclaimed as he took in the view with the others. "This is amazing! But… how?"
"Let's just say it's due to intricate magic," Morgana said and then winked as she took her coat off. She began walking once more, and everyone followed suit. "You all must be hungry. Feel free to do some hunting."
"Really?" Marina asked, a smile spreading on her face.
"Of course, make yourselves at home."
"Alright!" Shade happily shouted. "I'm starving. Wonder what we'll find." He broke away from the group and went to catch some bugs.
"Right behind you, Shade," Marina called out to him and took off after him.
Orestes gazed at Helen, a shy-looking smile pinned to his face. "Wanna go see what we can find? Maybe something like fish?"
The Princess averted her gaze to the great horned owl, and when she did, she smiled weakly. "You know what? Fish sounds good." Orestes seemed happy with her answer, and together he and Helen tore away from the group and went to get some fish.
Before Kassidy and Holden could do some hunting themselves, Morgana got their attention. "I don't think you two had a real meal for quite some time now."
Kassidy tilted her head to the side. "Human food?"
Morgana nodded. "Why don't you two transform back into humans? I'll make you something to eat while you get cleaned up." She then looked to the trio from the Spell Organization. "Would you like me to make you three something to eat?"
"That's very kind of you," Raymond said, "but I think we'll pass for now. Plus, we got these two to keep an eye on." He pointed his head towards Goth and Throbb, still hovering by his magic.
Goth bared his teeth and looked like he was growling in his silent voice. Throbb, on the other hand, looked very tired—enough to not care about food even—but if there was one thing that they both shared, it was injuries. Wounds and crusted blood practically covered Goth's body as Throbb's wing had a nasty frostbite spreading on it—which Kassidy now just noticed. They were in poor condition.
"Are you going to tend to their wounds and give them some food?" Kassidy asked. "They look like Hell."
"That will be our priority," Raymond confirmed. "However, we won't unmute them—at least not yet—until they calm down."
"Man, I don't think Martin would've done something like that for them at all," Holden commented. "Well, technically, he did say that in a way back at the mines."
Goth's lip tightened, his brow furrowing more as he looked away as if trying to avoid the topic of Martin. Throbb stared at Holden with weary green eyes, almost like he was trying to say, 'that was true'. Martin took a toll on them as much as he did to the others, and Kassidy cursed at him in her head for what he has done.
"Alright, well," Raymond began, "we'll see you all later." With that, he, Sylvester, and Stella walked in another direction, taking Goth and Throbb with them, leaving Kassidy and Holden alone with Morgana and Lightning.
Morgana softly smiled at them. "If you two would still like to take up on my offer, I will lead you to your own bathrooms, and I can prep something delicious."
Kassidy and Holden looked at each other; they hadn't had any human food in a long time, let alone getting cleaned up as any human would. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to accept Morgana's offer? Kassidy looked down at her necklace. For nights now, she and Holden made it one of their missions to find a way to transform back into humans, and now that she had her necklace back, they finally could… but she suddenly felt hesitant.
With the nights that had passed, being a bat suddenly felt natural to her, almost as if she no longer cared whether or not she'd be able to turn back into a human. However, she knew that she and Holden were never meant to be bats in the first place. They were just humans disguised as bats like they could've been mascots, and their location was back in the human realm. Plus, this was what Holden wanted in the first place: revert into a human and go home.
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to return to their actual skins—for however long they wished. Kassidy didn't want to be rude to Morgana anyway, which was the least they could do since she was willing to help them out. The gothic Silverwing clutched her blue pendant, smooth as ever, and breathed. Even when they wouldn't be bats, it wasn't like it was a sin to be a human.
Kassidy shifted her eyes to Holden. "Wanna do it?"
Holden shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I don't mind."
That was not the answer Kassidy had expected. She'd have thought that Holden would've been thrilled to have his other form back, but he was neutral about it, if anything. Perhaps when they crossed through the mountain wall, some magic entered the openings on his body and changed his personality a little. Unless… he changed so much.
Seeing that Holden wasn't kidding, Kassidy looked back at Morgana. "I guess we'll take you up on that offer then." She then looked down at the necklace—once the two were on the ground—silent for a few seconds until she finally dared to say the exact words she hadn't spoken since the car crash (not precisely the same words, but still). "Transform Holden and me into humans."
At Kassidy's command, her pendant glowed, and she and Holden were in an aura of bright blue. The light traveled around their bodies, erasing the fur, mane, and leathery wings off their bodies, shrank their ears and snouts, and they began to grow. Kassidy closed her eyes, not because of the brightness but because she felt uncertain about looking at herself in her human form. She couldn't explain why that was.
Before long, the aura around them vanished, and when it did, Kassidy opened her ocean-blue eyes. She slowly lifted her hand, and when it was in view, it was no longer blue with fur or had a wing. Instead, it was back to a normal, slender hand. She looked down at herself, clad in her gothic clothes, and her skin had returned to a snow-white color. Kassidy was no longer a bat.
Kassidy looked over her shoulder at Holden, and seeing him back as a human felt weird. He was back in his attired clothes, and his once purple fur had faded away to show off his rich, tan skin. Like Kassidy, he no longer possessed the body of a bat. There was not even a hint of that on him.
They had accomplished their goal of getting their primary forms back… but why didn't Kassidy feel content about it?
"Wow… I almost forgot what it felt like to be a human," Holden spoke honestly. He then took a whiff of his shirt, and his brow furrowed, stumped. "Why don't my clothes smell of sweat and such? Shouldn't that be the case?"
"Since we've been bats, the clothes haven't been affected by anything around us," Kassidy explained. "It's due to the magic of my necklace."
"Huh… I guess there's a lot more to magic that I really don't know about."
"All this magic can indeed be a lot to process," Morgana admitted. "Especially for one who is not born with it." She then continued her trek toward the large house. "Come, the manor awaits."
Kassidy and Holden kept admiring their surroundings as they went with Morgana and Lightning. It felt peaceful, with no danger lurking about, and it was like walking through a fantasy dream. It was all wholly silent. Even the garden through which they walked, following a gravel path to the main doors of the old-looking house, seemed hushed and sleeping. Above them were an array of amethyst irises, pale snowdrops, and butter-yellow daffodils swaying in the balmy breeze.
Morgana swung open the doors on silent hinges with her magic, and she and Lightning entered the large house along with Kassidy and Holden. Inside, it was even more opulent. Black-and-white checkered marble shone at the humans' feet, flowing to countless doors and a sweeping staircase. A long hall stretched ahead to giant glass doors at the other end of the house, and through them, Kassidy glimpsed a second garden grander than the one out front.
Holden whistled, impressed. "Shit, this is nicer than my house. Incredible."
"Thank you," Morgana said, expressing her gratitude as she and Lightning guided them up the staircase. "My great Grandfather built this house, and when he died, it was passed down to my Grandfather, and so forth. So old this house is, but it still stands to this night strong as ever. It is easily one of my ancestors' greatest accomplishments."
When they reached the top of the stairs, they turned towards a corridor as Kassidy spoke up. "Your great Grandfather did an amazing job on this house. It's almost hard to believe he could accomplish something like this out here."
Morgana chuckled. "I was once told that he was full of surprises and that it was almost as if he wasn't human. He could make anything happen." They then stood in front of one of the corridor doors, and Morgana's eyes met Kassidy's. "You can use this bathroom, Kassidy. You can leave your clothes out here, and I'll have them washed and dried for you. I'll bring you something to wear in the meantime, and they'll be outside your door once you're done getting cleaned up. Food should be done by the time you come downstairs. " She then looked at Holden. "Holden, I'll show you to another bathroom, so if you'll now follow us…"
Morgana and Lightning continued down the corridor, and Kassidy and Holden looked at each other. "Well… I guess I'll see you on the other side," the gothic teenager said.
Holden slid his hands into his pockets. "Yeah… see you on the other side."
Without another word, Holden hurried to catch up with Morgana and Lightning, and as he did, Kassidy made her way inside the bathroom and closed the door behind her. The witch scanned the room, and it was no shock that it was nice-looking. The walls were egg-shell white, with a few white towels hanging on a rack and some bathroom decor hanging on the walls. The sink, toilet, and tub were white as well, and everything seemed polished just right, including the mirror.
Kassidy's reflection in the mirror looked back at her, and she couldn't help but touch her face. She looked different, but it wasn't her human self that was the cause of it—although it kind of was—it was the littlest details that she managed to catch onto. Her hair was a little longer, and she was thinner than usual. Her appearance didn't matter to her, though, especially with her situation.
Kassidy sighed but decided to get cleaned up and not waste so much time. She strode to the tub and turned the knobs, letting some water loose. While the tub was filling up, she forsook her clothes and plopped them outside the bathroom—except for her boots—before closing the door. The tub was almost full of water within a couple of minutes, and Kassidy turned the knobs once more until the faucet stopped spewing water.
Her foot reached towards the water, and when her big toe made contact with it, she felt a rush of warmth spread throughout her body. It wasn't long until the liquid enveloped her whole body, and Kassidy moaned, satisfied, as she rested her head against the tub. She had to admit that it felt relaxing. However, even though that was, it couldn't help her keep her mind off things like her family.
Thoughts spiraled out of control in her head, and the more she tried to block them out, the more they returned to her hard. Kassidy rubbed her temples very stressed. It was starting to toll her health, and closure seemed out of her reach. She wouldn't feel any happiness—fully, to be precise—until everything was pieced back together. How could she enjoy herself when all this drama was happening? Would she ever feel the same way again?
Before these thoughts could escalate further, Kassidy went underwater to get her whole body wet. Unfortunately, they would have to wait. For now, it was better that she hurried up, so she didn't keep anyone waiting.
When she was finally done with her bath, Kassidy dried off and wrapped a towel around her body, making it look like a short dress, and opened the door to find an outfit on the marbled floor folded neatly. That was quick, she thought as she picked it up.
Kassidy went back into the bathroom and shut the door, and she took a good look at her outfit—which made the side of her lip pull back a little. It was a thick, strapped black dress about knee length and came along with a black belt. Kassidy sighed with disappointment with the outfit choice, but she supposed it was better than nothing. She wasn't a fan of dresses due to how uncomfortable they felt and how easily the wind could pull up the skirt part most of the time, but with Morgana being charming to her, she didn't want to hurt her feelings.
It was time she got out of her comfort zone.
Kassidy slipped the dress on, and it fit her like a glove. She fastened the belt around her waist, and after slipping her boots on she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a vampire queen ready to suck someone's blood, and even though Kassidy wasn't pleased with a dress, it at least had her favorite color.
Let's do this, I guess, she spoke to herself in her thoughts.
Kassidy opened the door and made her way out as she pulled it shut, but before she could even head towards the stairs, she bumped into someone. She was about to say sorry, but she stopped short when she saw it was Holden. He was wearing a light blue formal shirt, khaki pants, a brown belt, and his shoes—which didn't match his clothes. However, he looked like one of those teenage movie stars, and he cleaned up rather nicely.
She swallowed a little of her saliva quietly, her heart beating faster than before. Holden's brown eyes widened as they were now observing every inch and curve of her body, and Kassidy felt like her cheeks were burning. Did she have something on her? The witch started to wish the ground would consume her now.
"Sorry," Kassidy managed to word out. "Umm… I didn't know I'd be wearing a dress, so…" she swore in her head as she felt like that sounded awkward.
"I think you look great in it," Holden complimented. "I didn't know that I'd be wearing this—" his hands showed off his outfit, "—so that makes two of us."
Kassidy couldn't help but smile a little. "Thanks, and you don't look bad yourself."
Holden rubbed his neck. "Heh… thanks."
Silence. The two were looking in random directions, one trying to start the next sentence. Kassidy cursed once more thoughtfully. Great… this again…
A minute later, the witch broke the ice. "We should… head downstairs."
"Right, yeah," Holden agreed, and together they went back the way they came up and went downstairs, all the while not exchanging words or glances.
As they came down the stairs, an aroma filled the air, and it was something Kassidy honestly missed: homemade food. She and Holden entered the room with that enticing smell, and there waiting at a long table were Morgana and Lightning. The red-tailed hawk was on a perch while his mate was seated on a gorgeous-looking chair, and they had been waiting patiently. The table was laden with food and wine—so much food, some of it wafting tendrils of steam, that Kassidy and Holden's mouths watered. There was chicken, bread, peas, asparagus… it was practically a feast. So how did Morgana cook all this so fast?
Kassidy and Holden lingered by the threshold, gazing at all that hot, glorious food. The spices were tempting and beckoning. Kassidy couldn't remember the last time she ate, but all this food made her feel hungry, her head unnervingly light.
"Hello, you two," Morgana greeted them. "You're right on time. Come, sit." Kassidy and Holden briefly looked at each other before taking their seats across from each other. "Help yourselves, don't be shy."
At first, the two hesitated, but when Morgana nodded that it was alright, they began to pile food on their plates. Kassidy felt like she was at a buffet, grabbing whatever she wished, and once her plate had no space left, she stabbed her fork into a piece of chicken and took a bite. It was an effort to keep from grunting, as it was the best chicken she had ever had. Kassidy hadn't had food this good in a long time. Even most of the meals she had before were little more than ashes compared to this.
"Oh my god," Holden said after he took a bite out of a baked potato. "This is so good. Thank you, Morgana."
"Yeah, thank you," Kassidy gratefully said to Morgana. "This is spectacular."
"You're very welcome," Morgana said, and then she and Lightning began to eat as well—with the red-tailed hawk eating some meat. "So, since it seems we'll be here a while, tell me about the journey you two have had so far. I'm curious to hear your sides of the story."
Kassidy spoke after she swallowed some peas. "How did you even know about us and where to find us in the first place?"
"Lightning and I saw you two on the news while we were in one of the towns, and one day Lightning told me he thought he saw you from the news while he was traveling." She then looked at her mate and nodded to him.
Lightning returned the nod and focussed his attention on the two teenagers. Kass, do you remember when you first saw me?
"Yes, I do," Kassidy replied. She would never forget when she first noticed Lightning out in daylight while meditating. But Kassidy never imagined that he'd come to her and her friends' aid.
Well, after I saw you—as Morgana said—I told her all about it, and then she suggested that I follow you and your friends to see if it was you and Holden from the news. After I took some time to do some observing, I confirmed that it was you two and that you were in grave danger. So, naturally, we had to help you in any way possible.
Kassidy took a moment to process that information as she savored some corn. That did explain a lot, and while it wasn't the workings of magic, she and Holden had been lucky that Lightning recognized them and even took the liberty of helping them and their friends. That was something only a reasonable person would do, after all.
"Without you, man, Martin would've likely had our heads," Holden spoke after finishing some of his chicken. "Literally…"
Kassidy nodded in agreement. They would've been dead nights ago had Lightning not come for them. The first time he saved her was the night that she gave him her complete trust.
"So, how about that story of your journey?" Morgana inquired.
Seeing as though they'd be here for a while, like Morgana said, the duo turned to each other as if agreeing they'd summarize their expedition to her, and Kassidy began. "It all started when we were on the road."
Kassidy and Holden each explained each event like epic storytellers while eating; as they did, Morgana listened with a lot of interest. There was so much to say that it was like they were trying to record an audiobook, and after some time, the two were eventually done recalling the recent events and were eating dessert. They were having chocolate torte while drinking some red wine, and the chocolate was very rich, and the wine had an excellent balance of sour, bitter, and sweet elements.
"My, my," Morgana commented, "you two have gone through quite a lot. Do not worry, though. I'm sure things will get better soon enough. When you feel like you're drowning in affliction, there will always be something to shine your way to the surface of hope. Never give up, you two, because there will always be a light in the darkest places."
Kassidy let that sink in as she finished the last of her dessert. She and Holden nodded as there was some truth to those words. Whatever would happen next, they would have to stay strong, no matter what.
After eating, Kassidy and Holden walked outside to find their friends. The garden was as lush as ever, perfuming the air with different scents as the plants vibrated with color. Any person with a green thumb would've killed to have a garden like this and the one out back.
Morgana and Lightning were still inside, cleaning the table and washing the dishes. Kassidy and Holden offered to help them out, but they insisted that the two go ahead and relax while they did the dirty work. While the teenagers were initially reluctant, they eventually gave in and let them do the cleaning.
Holden burped with his mouth closed as his fist pressed against his lips. "Man, I'm stuffed. Who knew food that good would be provided for us."
"Yeah, I don't think I'll be eating anything else for the rest of the night," Kassidy acknowledged. "This ought to be something interesting for our friends to hear."
"Definitely."
Before they could say anything else, they heard someone shouting: "Crap, what the hell?!"
Wondering what was going on, the two strode over to where the noise came from, and it wasn't long until they saw the commotion. Goth and Throbb were tethered to a tree like dogs by what looked like ropes, but they glowed as white as lightbulbs. They were snarling at Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella—still unable to make any sound—and were trying to attack them. The two looked very fed up at that point.
"That was unnecessary trying to bite me," Sylvester said bitterly towards Goth, but the giant bat didn't seem to care.
"What's going on here?" Kassidy questioned, getting everyone's attention.
"Oh, Miss. Kimler," Raymond said, a little surprised to see her and Holden in their human forms, "Mr. Brooks, I almost didn't recognize you two for a second there."
"Yeah, that's fair," Holden admitted. "I would've felt the same way."
Goth and Throbb seemed to have calmed down a little at Kassidy and Holden's presence—even though they were a little shocked to see them in their human forms, their furs still bristled. "So, what exactly happened?"
"Long story short," Stella began to explain, "Raymond used his magic to tie these two up to a tree, and when we tried to heal them and give them food, they tried to bite us and threw the food at us." She pointed to some chopped fish on the ground to emphasize her point.
"So, you guys didn't use magic on them?" Holden asked.
"We wanted to go easy on them," Raymond cleared up. "Given that they seemed to have been having a rough time lately as much as you and your friends."
"As you can imagine, though," Sylvester piped in with his brow furrowed at the two giant bats, "our tactic didn't work."
Goth and Throbb seemed to no longer pay any heed to the trio from the Spell Organization. As Kassidy eyed them up and down, she felt very terrible for them, if she was being honest. They had no one to go to, and they were alone in the north while their family was back south. Even though they still committed some unthinkable crimes, those were nothing compared to the one's Martin and Dianna committed throughout the years.
It wasn't like they had any other option as far as food went, anyway; meat was the only way Goth and Throbb could fill their empty stomachs. Herbs were not enough for them, and with their height, they needed to consume more. If Kassidy had been them, she supposed she would've done all she could to eat as well. But the fact that Goth and Throbb planned on eating the Silverwings was just barbaric, and if they had gotten their hands on the colony, they wouldn't have cared an inkling about their feelings, nor would they have spared any of them.
Stella peered between Kassidy, Holden, Goth, and Throbb, and her hazel eyes seemed to have lit up with an idea. "Say… do you think you two could try and feed and heal them?"
The duo was a little startled by Stella's suggestion. "Us?" Kassidy said, making sure she heard that correctly.
"It may be just me, but I think they have some sort of liking to you two."
"Pfft, yeah, I think Goth would much rather tear out my organs and eat them than take a liking to me," Holden said dryly. "Throbb, I can probably understand, though, since we seemed to have come to a truce back at the mines."
Kassidy cocked her eyebrow at Holden. "You know, you still haven't explained the whole situation with Throbb at the mines."
"Let's just say after I stood up for him, he turned against Dianna. As he stated back at the mines, he knocked out Dianna. By the way, you should've seen that punch; it was–"
"I hate to interrupt, but can we get back to the other topic?" Sylvester said, almost impatiently.
Seeming to realize he was talking too much, Holden quickly tried to redeem himself. "Oh, right, right." Goth rolled his eyes while Throbb looked like he wanted to thank Holden for mentioning that topic.
"Anyway…" Stella said, trying to make things at ease. "I think they should give it a go." Her head rotated to Raymond and Sylvester. "What do you guys think?"
Raymond hummed to himself in thought as he rubbed his stubbled chin. "Well… I suppose we can allow it. But if it doesn't work, we'll bind those two once more so they can get the treatment they need, but we won't force-feed them. They either eat, or they don't."
Sylvester shrugged his shoulders. "Works for me."
Stella directed her attention back to Kassidy and Holden. "What do you guys say? You up for the task?"
Kassidy's eyes landed on Goth and Throbb. Their wounds would likely get infected if they weren't treated in time, and they needed to eat, if anything. But, on the other hand, if the trio from the Spell Organization couldn't get through to those two, maybe she and Holden could. After all, Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella were strangers to them, but with Goth and Throbb knowing the duo's faces, there was a chance they could convince them.
Plus, if they could get Goth and Throbb to trust them, they might be willing to confess everything to Orestes's and Helen's fathers and get a lighter punishment. So it was worth a try.
Determined, Kassidy looked back at Stella. "Yeah, I'm up for it."
Stella's eyes drifted to Holden. "Holden?"
He gazed at Kassidy briefly before giving the barn owl his answer. "If Kass does it, so do I."
Kassidy bit back a smile. She felt warm inside after what Holden said, but why? Only science—and maybe something else—could solve that mystery.
"Alright, it's settled," Stella declared.
The barn owl began to gather the food Goth and Throbb threw, and Raymond's eyes were pinned on Kassidy as she did. "You know the healing spell, right?"
The gothic teenager nodded. "Yes, it's a spell I can manage. But, of course, it's one of the easy ones, but if I'm being honest, I'm not very good with difficult spells like you guys."
"You seem like an intelligent young lady, though, and I would assume that someone taught you some of the spells you know, at least."
Kassidy pressed her lips into a thin line, but as she did, she nodded. "My parents were my teachers when it came to learning spells and other things related to magic. They didn't get to teach me anything else since they…" Her ocean blue eyes cast toward the ground as her parents were a sensitive topic for her. She quickly cleared her throat and continued. "Yeah, so… I had self-teach myself, but even as I do, it doesn't seem to get me anywhere."
Kassidy hurried to make her expression stone-faced while Holden stared at her sadly. Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella seemed to get the idea that she didn't want to talk about her parents and the gothic teenager was glad that they didn't seem like they wanted to pester her about it. Goth and Throbb were just staring at the group, wondering what the heck they were talking about.
"Well, if you'd like," Raymond began to offer, "we could help you learn to use more of the magic you're not used to."
Kassidy's eyes widened, flabbergasted. "R-Really? I wouldn't wanna waste any of your times–"
"It's no problem; we'd be happy to assist you. You look like you're a fast learner, so teaching you shouldn't be an issue."
Sylvester and Stella nodded in agreement.
Kassidy didn't know what to say. They'd be willing to help her with magic she didn't know how to do? The witch would never have seen this coming, but maybe this was an excellent opportunity for her. They seemed like some of the best in magic, and perhaps if she accepted, she'd get better with magic in no time. However, Kassidy didn't want to right away; it was too soon to decide anyway, and it was better that she thought it over and not be so rash about it.
"I'll think about it," Kassidy replied, giving her word.
"Take all the time you need," Stella assured. "If you guys are now ready…" She then indicted the chopped fish at Kassidy and Holden's feet.
The duo nodded, and then Kassidy said to Holden, "Let's turn back into bats. I think Goth and Throbb will take us seriously if we do."
"Works for me," Holden briefly said.
Kassidy touched her pendant once more and said: "Transform Holden and me into bats."
The piece of jewelry began to gleam that bright blue, and Kassidy and Holden were bathed in its light once more. Then, they began to shrink, their bodies changing with fur growing over their skin, their faces morphing, and membranes stretching out from their arms. The others watched as it all happened, and it wasn't long until that aura surrounding the two dimmed, welcoming them back as bats.
Being back in a bat body gave Kassidy some sense of solace for some reason, but she didn't pay any heed to that. Right now, it was time that she and Holden tried to chat and approach Goth and Throbb peacefully. So the duo picked up some fish they could carry and began advancing toward the giant bats. They seemed shocked by Kassidy and Holden's transformation, but Goth was trying not to show that, although he failed.
Kassidy stopped Holden at the length at which the giant bats wouldn't be able to touch them. She wanted Goth and Throbb to know that they weren't going to hurt them as Martin and Dianna did, and she wanted to take things one step at a time. For however long it took, she was willing to take that risk.
She placed the fish on the ground, as did Holden, and Kassidy started talking. "Goth, Throbb, you know you guys gotta eat and get your wounds mended, right?" Goth scowled at them while Throbb didn't really express anything. "If you guys don't let us help you, your health will only worsen. So make that easy for us, and we'll leave you alone."
Goth seemed unwilling to listen, while Throbb, on the other hand, looked like he was willing to take her word for it.
"I'd listen to her if I were you two," Holden advised.
"Look, you don't have to like us," Kassidy calmly spoke again, "but you must at least trust us. This is your chance to get cured, and you might not be able to get any more opportunities like this anytime soon. It's either now or never."
Goth and Throbb briefly glanced at each other. Kassidy waited for some reaction to denote that they'll agree to it or they won't change their minds. But, of course, if Sylvester hadn't muted their voices, Goth likely would've been insulting her and Holden, especially since he and Throbb now knew that they were humans like Martin and Dianna, so the black cat pretty much did the two Silverwings a favor.
After a minute flew by, Kassidy saw that Throbb seemed to have sighed in defeat. Then, tentative, he lifted his frostbitten wing toward her, allowing her to take care of it. Goth, however, was still stubborn as a mule.
"I had the feeling Throbb would've given in first," Holden whispered to Kassidy.
"Looks like you standing up for him did us a favor, then," Kassidy responded in a whisper.
The female Silverwing strode over to Throbb, and when she got to him, she gingerly took his dark blue wing and began concentrating on the healing spell. First, she imagined the frostbite disappearing out of existence, leaving nothing but a spot-free membrane that was back to normal. Then, once she felt like she got all the details right, Kassidy slowly brought her hand down the membrane, and as she did that, the frostbite was little by little fading like it was melting. Throbb watched, amazed as that was all happening, but Goth wasn't even paying attention as he pretended to be focussing on something else.
A little bit later, Kassidy eliminated the frostbite, and Throbb shook his wing with the same expression. A smile reached his face, and he mouthed her gracias. The female Silverwing slightly nodded and then faced Goth, ready to continue trying to tame the beast. Seeing that she was staring at him, the purple-winged Vampyrum gave her a dirty look as if to tell her to screw off. It would take more than that to get rid of her.
Kassidy tried to approach him at a slow pace, but when she got close, Goth bared his teeth at her as a warning not to come near, and if he had his voice, he likely would've been growling too. All the female Silverwing did, though, was rolling her eyes. "That's not going to work on me. Just let me help you." The giant bat crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "I can do this all night, so unless you want me out of your hair, I'll keep bugging you until you loosen the attitude and let me restore your body."
Kassidy crossed her arms and never blinked once as her ocean blue eyes were pinned on Goth's green ones. The purple Vampyrum looked like he wanted to attack her, but the female Silverwing could see that he was holding back from that, knowing that it was a stupid idea to do such a thing. No one said anything as the two bore into each other's eyes as if they were trying to blind the other. The only sound to be heard was the wind itself.
Goth was slowly starting to get more frustrated, and when it seemed he couldn't handle it anymore, he angrily flared his wing out while looking away, finally surrendering. Satisfied, Kassidy inspected his body to see where he needed to be tended to, and once she found all the wounds, she got to work on healing him with her magic. It was almost like she was erasing some art errors, and each damage seen was smoothly withdrawn, and not much effort was put into her spell. Goth seemed secretly impressed that Kassidy could handle all his injuries like a pro, especially the horrific-looking ones.
Sometime later, the female Silverwing was finally finished. Goth looked like himself again and no longer looked like he got physically beaten up. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
"Alright, since that's now taken care of, you two ought to eat now," Kassidy suggested, and she eyed Holden, nodding to him that it was time. Getting the hint, the purple Silverwing nodded in return, and he and the female Silverwing picked up some of the chopped fish and deposited them at the giant bats' feet, but they could only contemplate the food served. "Well? Go on."
The two didn't budge, and Kassidy sighed, annoyed. Time for Plan B. She ignited fire in her hand and brought it near the pile of chopped fish, cooking them to make them look more appetizing to Goth and Throbb. Minutes later, the female Silverwing extinguished the fire when the fish was opaque. A smoky flavor filled the air, and Kassidy had to admit that it smelled good, but it wasn't enough to make her want to eat it—she was still full from the meal Morgana had made. Throbb sniffed the smoke coming his and Goth's way, and it didn't take long until he licked his chops, more tempted to eat the fish now. The other giant bat tried to act like he wasn't interested in the slimy food.
"Hey, guys," the familiar voice of Marina's called out, and Kassidy and Holden tilted their heads up to see her and Shade waving to them from on top of the manor.
"You two should join them," Raymond recommended. "We'll take it from here."
Kassidy looked over her shoulder at the middle-aged man. "You sure?"
"Of course, we won't hold you back."
"Yeah, thanks for taking care of those two," Stella said with gratitude. "Now we won't have to worry about them trying to bite us—hopefully, at least."
"Don't jinx it," Sylvester said with a flat tone.
"No problem," Kassidy replied. "Glad to be of help."
"Yeah, for sure," Holden agreed and then drew his attention to the female Silverwing. "You ready?"
"Yeah, just give me a sec." Kassidy grabbed one of the cooked, chopped fish and slammed it into Goth's hand, taking him by surprise. "You're welcome, enjoy, and see ya later." She turned back to the purple Silverwing, readying her flight. "Let's roll."
Kassidy took off, and Holden quickly caught up with her as they made their way over to their friends, leaving the trio from the Spell Organization alone with Goth and Throbb.
Goth had no idea what just happened there. As he stood there stupefied with some fish in his hand—that Kassidy brought more color to with her magic—Throbb began to stuff his mouth with fish, not caring that he was making a mess. Why would she and that other human help them?
For as long as Goth could remember, he despised humans with all his soul. They were despicable creatures that could destroy anything their hands touched, poison the environment, and seem to not care about anything. Martin and Dianna were perfect examples. Kassidy and Holden on the other and, though…
Goth looked down at the fish in his hand, and as he stared at it, memories started to flood his consciousness, painfully reminding him of the things Martin did to him. That liar had been very controlling of him and Throbb, and he never once hesitated to bring them down in any given way. He and Dianna never gave a crap about them, and with the hints they've given them, it was clear that Goth and Throbb were nothing more than helpless animals trying to fend for themselves in their eyes. His hand gripped the fish a little tightly.
The two humans turned into Silverwings seemed nothing like Martin and Dianna, but Goth was disinterested in Holden. Instead, his mind was mainly on Kassidy. She was clever, intelligent, strong-willed, and very tough—that much was certain. Sure, she got on his nerves a lot, but… she took the time to help him. Martin and Dianna would never have done such a thing, but Kassidy was willing to do so, even when she could've refused. But she didn't.
Goth's expression softened a little. Kassidy wasn't all that bad, and even when she didn't show many emotions, she seemed to have a good heart. He forgot all about his irritability of losing his voice and feeling like a prisoner. That could come later.
Without a second thought, Goth took a bite out of his fish.
They reached their friends, and when Holden and Kassidy landed on the manor, Shade said, "Can you guys believe this place? The colony would've gaped at this."
"Anyone would've, Shade," Marina delightfully said. "We all pretty much did, anyway."
"This place is sick," Holden said as he folded his hands at the back of his head. "If I had a place like this, I would've been throwing parties a lot."
"I'm not surprised," Kassidy commented, joking a little. "I can already picture you hitting the floor and getting super intoxicated while being the host."
Holden snorted. "What can I say? I love a good party."
Kassidy gazed back at Shade and Marina. "Where are Orestes and Helen?"
The Brightwing pointed in a specific direction. "They're over there. They've been chatting with each other non-stop."
The humans turned Silverwings caught the two owls in their vision, and they seemed to enjoy each other's company. They never seemed bored with one another as they were perched on a limb of a tree lengths away from the four bats, and something slowly seemed to have been blossoming between them. Only fate would know where their friendship would head.
"Let's leave them be then," Kassidy said with consideration. "They probably have a lot to talk about anyway."
Holden, Shade, and Marina nodded in agreement, and without saying another word, they all sat down and admired the sky. It was as pretty as a picture, with the first quarter moon showing half of its graceful moonlight pouring onto parts of the earth while the stars looked like crushed diamonds shaken out onto the thick rug of night. The wind whistled through their fur, hair, and ears, and all seemed quiet for the most part—in a good way. The four of them would likely have to face danger again, but it felt pleasant for a change that they could relax and take their minds off of everything that had happened so far.
Holden breathed. He knew they couldn't stay; they had to get to the colony at any cost. It was unclear where Martin and Dianna were, but the purple Silverwing prayed to God that they wouldn't find them here. With whatever magic this area had, it seemed like some barrier to hide the manor and whoever was in it. So there was a good chance Martin and Dianna would never find them here.
"So, what have you guys done since we came here?" Marina asked curiously. "Shade and I caught many bugs; there's so many here."
"I'll say," Shade chipped in. "I ate so much that I'm practically full. If anything, I don't think I'll be eating anything else for a while."
"You and me both," Holden said, relating. "Morgana served Kassidy and me so much food. You should've seen it; you would've been blown away."
"She served you guys food?"
"Yeah, she did," Kassidy said, backing up Holden's claim. "We ate in our human forms. Not only that, but we also got to clean up the way a human would. After we ate, we came outside only to find Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella trying to heal and feed Goth and Throbb. So when those three weren't getting anywhere, Holden and I took it upon ourselves to help Goth and Throbb out, and believe it or not, those two allowed us to do so."
"Kass did most of the work," Holden truthfully said, "I just handled a little bit of the food part."
"Huh, I was wondering what you guys were doing over there," Shade said as he pointed to where the trio from the Spell Organization was with the giant bats. "But let me get this straight: Goth and Throbb actually let you guys help them?"
"That's something I never would've imagined hearing," Marina said; she and the sky-blue Silverwing a little surprised by what their friends revealed.
Holden and Kassidy nodded. "I'm not sure if they ate their food, though," the gothic Silverwing thoughtfully said. "But for the most part, yeah. So there might be a chance they'll confess everything to Orestes's and Helen's fathers even since we did.
"Wow," Shade said, easily impressed. "I don't think I would've been able to handle that well like you two." He then brought his eyes back up to the sky, and when he did, he seemed to be in deep thought about something as he sighed and his ears flattened against his head. It didn't take long for the others to notice it.
"Shade?" Marina asked with concern laced in her voice.
The small Silverwing was silent for a minute until he finally sighed quietly. "Do you guys think things will ever get better?"
"Why do you ask?" Holden inquired.
"I don't know, honestly… Ever since you, me, and Kass looked at the sun, everything's just changed. Being the hunted is the most exhausting thing I've ever been through." Shade cut his eyes downward as he continued speaking. "Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if we never broke the law… A part of me wishes I never went through with it, but another part of me is glad that I was brave enough to do something that not many bats would have dared to do. But it does beg the question: where will our lives take us in the future?"
Holden didn't know what to say. He never really thought of that. Where would they be in the future? Alive? Imprisoned? Tortured? Dead? These were questions that no one could answer. Holden didn't want to think of the worst to come, but if things weren't improved what then? Would this war ever end?
"Morgana told Holden and me something a while ago," Kassidy began to say when their silent conversation was like death. "When you feel like you're drowning in affliction, there will always be something to shine your way to the surface of hope. She told us never to give up because there will always be a light in the darkest places." She looked ahead, never once at the others, as her hair moved with the wind. "Maybe it's a sign that we still can restore what's been broken: peace. Not now, but when the time is right in wherever the wild calls."
Those words were like hope to his ears. It made Holden fall harder for Kassidy, especially as the moonlight glinted in her fur, bloody red hair, and ocean-blue eyes. She never looked lovelier than she did now.
After soaking in Kassidy's words, Shade suddenly stood up, eyeing the three bats with something in mind. "Let's make a promise then."
"A promise?" Marina repeated. "What kind of promise?"
"If we're alive when peace returns and bats can fly out in the sun again, let's promise each other to watch the sunrise together. It would be a great moment for us to remember as friends. Something that we can cherish as we get older."
"That's… a risky promise for us to try and keep Shade," Kassidy said, giving her input. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, this sounds like something that might not even happen," Marina agreed. "The only way a bat could see the sun is in their dreams. We may never even have the right to see the sun in our generation."
Shade had a resolute look in his eyes as he crossed his arms. "I've never been more sure in my life."
Holden and the girls looked at one another. Kassidy and Marina did have good points, but the bats might be able to see the sun one day in their timeline. It may be a long run, but it was a possibility. It was hard to say, though.
After some consideration, Holden finally answered as he said, "I can try and keep that promise." He then stood up next to Shade. "It would be nice for us to do something like that together—if all goes well, of course."
The girls were silent for a minute or two, thinking over what the boys had said. Then, when it looked like the two would still be hesitant, Marina suddenly stood near Holden and Shade. "If all goes well, I'll try to keep the promise too."
They then turned their gazes to Kassidy, waiting to see what she'd say. After a few more seconds of pondering, she finally sighed. "Oh, what the heck?" She stated and then stood up next to the others. "I'll try to do the same thing as well."
Seeing that everyone was on the same page, Holden lifted his fist. If he had a drink, he would've made a toast, but in this case scenario, this would have to do. "To our promise."
The others joined their fists with Holden's and repeated what he said.