Chapter 4: The Price
Kay sits back in her chair, gazing thoughtfully at Circe. "I was, um... just saying that...sigh" Kay started, not fully sure whether or not she should trust this woman; after all, she had thought that she could trust Hecuba, and look how that turned out! Circe seemed to understand what her guest was thinking: "Kay, you can confide in me, dear. I'm not trying to trick you, I'm trying to help you!" the witch smiled pleasantly. Kay sighed again, and finally vented all of her frustrations vocally. "I- I'm in love with Miguel, but he won't leave my cousin Charity long enough to see it! I mean, I've told him, and we made love, and I even had his baby, but he still insists that Charity is the woman he loves, not me! I hate her so much! I have tried everything to get rid of her, everything! But she's, she's got some special 'powers of goodness' or whatever, that seem to always get in the way, and nothing I do can get rid of her..." Kay felt so relieved after her little outburst of emotions, as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Nobody at home wanted to hear her side of the story, and now she finally had someone to listen to her. She watched the woman opposite of her, waiting to see her reaction. But Circe didn't move.
"So, is there anything you can do to help me?" Kay asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence surrounding the room. A smile slowly crossed the witch's face, and she answered simply: "We must dispose of this- Charity...." Kay rolled her eyes at the statement. "Obviously you weren't even listening to what I said; I've already tried everything! There's no getting rid of that girl!" Circe stood slowly, her devious smile lingering on her blood red lips. "My dear Kay, I have been in this business for centuries. I have my ways, and I can promise you, they have yet fail."
Kay was suddenly filled with hope; maybe she was telling the truth, maybe Circe could finally do what she herself had never been able to. She looked to the witch once more, her eyes glittering with potential glee. "They- they've never failed?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't about to embark on another empty promise. Circe smiled gently, softening her sharp features. "Never."
Kay smiled brightly. She was finally going to get everything she had ever wanted! "Alright, okay, please, get rid of her! I want Charity gone, and I want her gone for good!" she implored the woman standing before her. Circe's smile faded into a more neutral expression. "But, my dear, like all good things in life, my help will cost you..." Circe replied, turning her back to the girl and crossing back towards the immense fire. "Oh, I'll pay anything, anything you want!" Kay brushed off the comment, answering quickly. Circe turned her gaze to meet Kay's, her body still facing the inferno blazing in the center of the grand room. "Anything?" she asked, a fiendish sneer developing.
Kay was about to answer when she remembered her last deal with the witch Hecuba. She carefully stalled for a second. "Do- do you want my- my soul?" she asked gingerly. Circe threw her head back in baneful laughter. "Your soul?! Oh, my dear Kay, you amuse me so." the witch turned back to the girl, placing a gloved hand on Kay's shoulder. "That soul of yours is corrupt; it's worth about as much to me as the dirt you're standing on! No, my dear, my help is worth much, much more than your measly little soul..." Kay stepped back, insulted. "How dare you! My soul is worth just as much as the next person's! I may have, in the past, been-" she started, but seeing that this conversation was getting her nowhere, Kay halted mid-sentence. She sighed once more. "Then what? What do I have that's worth more than my soul?" Circe removed her hand from Kay's shoulder and brought both palms together in front of her; there was a bright flash of blue light. She slowly removed them, holding an incandescent orb in the empty space. The sphere glowed softly, a gentle blue light radiating from within. Kay stepped closer and peered inside; the image of a cradle slowly appeared. Circe smiled licentiously. "What's worth more to me than your soul? Why, your child, my dear. Your baby...."
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Kay sits back in her chair, gazing thoughtfully at Circe. "I was, um... just saying that...sigh" Kay started, not fully sure whether or not she should trust this woman; after all, she had thought that she could trust Hecuba, and look how that turned out! Circe seemed to understand what her guest was thinking: "Kay, you can confide in me, dear. I'm not trying to trick you, I'm trying to help you!" the witch smiled pleasantly. Kay sighed again, and finally vented all of her frustrations vocally. "I- I'm in love with Miguel, but he won't leave my cousin Charity long enough to see it! I mean, I've told him, and we made love, and I even had his baby, but he still insists that Charity is the woman he loves, not me! I hate her so much! I have tried everything to get rid of her, everything! But she's, she's got some special 'powers of goodness' or whatever, that seem to always get in the way, and nothing I do can get rid of her..." Kay felt so relieved after her little outburst of emotions, as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Nobody at home wanted to hear her side of the story, and now she finally had someone to listen to her. She watched the woman opposite of her, waiting to see her reaction. But Circe didn't move.
"So, is there anything you can do to help me?" Kay asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence surrounding the room. A smile slowly crossed the witch's face, and she answered simply: "We must dispose of this- Charity...." Kay rolled her eyes at the statement. "Obviously you weren't even listening to what I said; I've already tried everything! There's no getting rid of that girl!" Circe stood slowly, her devious smile lingering on her blood red lips. "My dear Kay, I have been in this business for centuries. I have my ways, and I can promise you, they have yet fail."
Kay was suddenly filled with hope; maybe she was telling the truth, maybe Circe could finally do what she herself had never been able to. She looked to the witch once more, her eyes glittering with potential glee. "They- they've never failed?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't about to embark on another empty promise. Circe smiled gently, softening her sharp features. "Never."
Kay smiled brightly. She was finally going to get everything she had ever wanted! "Alright, okay, please, get rid of her! I want Charity gone, and I want her gone for good!" she implored the woman standing before her. Circe's smile faded into a more neutral expression. "But, my dear, like all good things in life, my help will cost you..." Circe replied, turning her back to the girl and crossing back towards the immense fire. "Oh, I'll pay anything, anything you want!" Kay brushed off the comment, answering quickly. Circe turned her gaze to meet Kay's, her body still facing the inferno blazing in the center of the grand room. "Anything?" she asked, a fiendish sneer developing.
Kay was about to answer when she remembered her last deal with the witch Hecuba. She carefully stalled for a second. "Do- do you want my- my soul?" she asked gingerly. Circe threw her head back in baneful laughter. "Your soul?! Oh, my dear Kay, you amuse me so." the witch turned back to the girl, placing a gloved hand on Kay's shoulder. "That soul of yours is corrupt; it's worth about as much to me as the dirt you're standing on! No, my dear, my help is worth much, much more than your measly little soul..." Kay stepped back, insulted. "How dare you! My soul is worth just as much as the next person's! I may have, in the past, been-" she started, but seeing that this conversation was getting her nowhere, Kay halted mid-sentence. She sighed once more. "Then what? What do I have that's worth more than my soul?" Circe removed her hand from Kay's shoulder and brought both palms together in front of her; there was a bright flash of blue light. She slowly removed them, holding an incandescent orb in the empty space. The sphere glowed softly, a gentle blue light radiating from within. Kay stepped closer and peered inside; the image of a cradle slowly appeared. Circe smiled licentiously. "What's worth more to me than your soul? Why, your child, my dear. Your baby...."
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