Chapter 6: The Deal is Made
Kay wiped the tears from her eyes. "So young, so very... young..." she said, the image of a young Maria still dancing in her mind. Circe's gloved grip tightened on her shoulder, making Kay wince. "So, my dear..." she asked, leaning in closely, her red lips whispering in the girl's ear. "Do we have a deal?"
Kay turned to face the witch. Her lip quivered as she tried to speak. "So, my baby will survive, and- and I'll get Miguel?" Circe smiled deviously, a smile that Kay was not entirely sure she could trust. But if it was the only chance she had to save her daughter- and the only chance she had to be with Miguel- she decided that she had no choice but to put her faith in the witch.
"Alright." she replied simply. Circe raised a hand to her ear, indicating, with that same mocking smile, that she had not quite heard Kay's answer. "Alright. I agree. I'll make the deal to get rid of Charity." she answered louder. The woman smiled and brought her palms together in a bright burst of blue light; a scroll was produced from the flash. Circe pulled a feathered quill pen from the air. Kay reached for it, but the witch moved her hand out her reach. Kay's quizzical expression brought a smile to Circe's lips. "No, Kay, this isn't your average contract..." She answered, twirling the quill in her fingers; suddenly it became sharper, a blade rather than a pen. She handed the amended utensil to the girl. "You sign in blood."
Kay glanced down at the feathered dagger she held in her hand. She had always had a fear of knives, ever since she was a child. Never-the-less, she took a deep breath and moved the blade closer to her fingertip. "Okay, okay.... it's for Maria and Miguel.... to get rid of Charity... for them, for... my family.." she chanted, trying to give herself courage for the act. Kay carefully brought the edge upon the flesh of her index finger; she bit her lip and pushed the blade down, cutting the pad of her finger diagonally. The blood began to drip from her self-inflicted wound. Kay glanced upwards, her eyes meeting the witch's own. Circe held the scroll open, a line with an X at the bottom, indicating where Kay should sign. "Sh-shouldn't I re-read it first?" she stammered, suddenly remembering her father telling her, on her 18th birthday, to 'never sign anything that you haven't read first'. Kay suddenly wanted to be with her father very badly; he always knew what to do in bad situations. Circe shrugged. "Feel free. Just don't take too long, my dear... that wound won't hold out for long, and you wouldn't want to lose too much blood, now would you?" she smiled sweetly, despite her menacing comment.
Kay read as quickly as she could, as she became increasingly dizzier and more light-headed. "I...Kay, hearby.... grant the... the witch, Circe..... to take.... possession of my... my daughter, Ma-Maria... in... in return for... ridding me of.... of Charity, Miguel's... love interest." Kay tried to read aloud, as she glanced down at her finger; it was dripping blood much quicker than she had thought, as a small puddle of blood now formed at her feet. Kay returned her eyes to the scroll, found the indicated line, and shakily touched her finger to the paper. "There..." Circe purred, as the bloodstain on the scroll slowly warped into Kay's signature. Kay clasped her eyes together tightly, and then opened them once more. She turned her gaze back to her finger; there was no blood, no cut, nor any evidence of a wound. The blood on the ground had even vanished.
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Kay wiped the tears from her eyes. "So young, so very... young..." she said, the image of a young Maria still dancing in her mind. Circe's gloved grip tightened on her shoulder, making Kay wince. "So, my dear..." she asked, leaning in closely, her red lips whispering in the girl's ear. "Do we have a deal?"
Kay turned to face the witch. Her lip quivered as she tried to speak. "So, my baby will survive, and- and I'll get Miguel?" Circe smiled deviously, a smile that Kay was not entirely sure she could trust. But if it was the only chance she had to save her daughter- and the only chance she had to be with Miguel- she decided that she had no choice but to put her faith in the witch.
"Alright." she replied simply. Circe raised a hand to her ear, indicating, with that same mocking smile, that she had not quite heard Kay's answer. "Alright. I agree. I'll make the deal to get rid of Charity." she answered louder. The woman smiled and brought her palms together in a bright burst of blue light; a scroll was produced from the flash. Circe pulled a feathered quill pen from the air. Kay reached for it, but the witch moved her hand out her reach. Kay's quizzical expression brought a smile to Circe's lips. "No, Kay, this isn't your average contract..." She answered, twirling the quill in her fingers; suddenly it became sharper, a blade rather than a pen. She handed the amended utensil to the girl. "You sign in blood."
Kay glanced down at the feathered dagger she held in her hand. She had always had a fear of knives, ever since she was a child. Never-the-less, she took a deep breath and moved the blade closer to her fingertip. "Okay, okay.... it's for Maria and Miguel.... to get rid of Charity... for them, for... my family.." she chanted, trying to give herself courage for the act. Kay carefully brought the edge upon the flesh of her index finger; she bit her lip and pushed the blade down, cutting the pad of her finger diagonally. The blood began to drip from her self-inflicted wound. Kay glanced upwards, her eyes meeting the witch's own. Circe held the scroll open, a line with an X at the bottom, indicating where Kay should sign. "Sh-shouldn't I re-read it first?" she stammered, suddenly remembering her father telling her, on her 18th birthday, to 'never sign anything that you haven't read first'. Kay suddenly wanted to be with her father very badly; he always knew what to do in bad situations. Circe shrugged. "Feel free. Just don't take too long, my dear... that wound won't hold out for long, and you wouldn't want to lose too much blood, now would you?" she smiled sweetly, despite her menacing comment.
Kay read as quickly as she could, as she became increasingly dizzier and more light-headed. "I...Kay, hearby.... grant the... the witch, Circe..... to take.... possession of my... my daughter, Ma-Maria... in... in return for... ridding me of.... of Charity, Miguel's... love interest." Kay tried to read aloud, as she glanced down at her finger; it was dripping blood much quicker than she had thought, as a small puddle of blood now formed at her feet. Kay returned her eyes to the scroll, found the indicated line, and shakily touched her finger to the paper. "There..." Circe purred, as the bloodstain on the scroll slowly warped into Kay's signature. Kay clasped her eyes together tightly, and then opened them once more. She turned her gaze back to her finger; there was no blood, no cut, nor any evidence of a wound. The blood on the ground had even vanished.
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