Chapter 24 – Planned Destruction

Biscuit dropped the dark mass at Willow's knee. The pressure on her back and stomach disappeared instantly. Sighing in relief from the pain, Willow felt around for the edges of the dark mass and picked it up. She could tell, mostly from feel, it was something wrapped in old oilcloth tied with twine. She brushed off some of the wet sand. A sense of foreboding filled her.

Willow scrambled backward out of the waterfall carrying the dirty mass of cloth carefully. "I'll come back for you, Biscuit, once I get this outside." But the dog scrambled through the waterfall on its own right behind her. "Good boy, Biscuit, you brilliant dog." Her happy words for the dog rang hollow beside her fear.

Outside in the dim predawn light, Willow squatted down on the dry bank, set the wet mass down, and bent to hug the wet dog, scratching him all over. He gave a wet dog shake. Willow laughed but immediately felt like she shouldn't laugh with that thing so close. "Good boy, Biscuit. I wish I could do that." She squeezed a little water out of her clothes, but couldn't delay any longer. This has got to be the effigy, right?

She picked up the bundle and untied it. Inside was a crudely made, old cloth doll a little bigger than Willow's hands. The cloth of the doll felt a little greasy. She wanted to put it down and clean her hands. This was definitely a thing of dark magic.

It had several strands of human hair stitched onto its head. Willow recognized the color of the hair. "That's my hair. How'd that old hag get a lock of my hair?" There was a crude face stitched onto it. "I hope I look better than that." The joke sounded like empty bravado even to her. A piece of heart-shaped red fabric nearly ripped in two was stitched on its chest. "That's the key right there to all of my troubles." Willow was furious. She squeezed the doll in her anger and felt a sharp pain in her chest and sick to her stomach again. She loosened her grip. The pain and nausea went away. She felt nauseous from fear then instead of pain. "This is definitely the cursed effigy. What do I do with it now? If I destroy it, will that break the curse? How do I destroy it without hurting myself? Will I lose Merlin if I do destroy this?" Fear over losing him and guilt over wanting to keep him by her as long as she could even if it was because of a curse tied her stomach in knots. But a deep sense of loathing for the doll unsettled her to her core.

She guessed her current stomach upset wasn't from squeezing the doll. Just in case she held the doll without touching its stomach area. It's because I'm worried. She hardened her resolve. I have to destroy this curse and let Merlin make his own decisions. No one should be trapped by a curse! I can't do to him what Tock is doing to me with this doll. I'll just have to accept the truth if Merlin never loved me at all.

She wrapped the doll back in the oilcloth and loosely tied it again. She stood up and called the dog through her tears. "Come on, Biscuit. You brilliant dog!" She led him out of the secret clearing in the cliff and headed home. "I've got a nice piece of juicy steak with your name on it, pup."

Once she got home she rewarded Biscuit with the raw meat. As Biscuit gnawed with delight, Willow woke up Granny Mill. The old woman eagerly listened to the story of where Willow got the bundle. Granny shook her head. "That Acrea was always smaller than the rest of us. When we were younger, she liked poking around in places where others couldn't follow her. She'd disappear for days only to pop up when you least expected her, full of dark secrets. Well, I guess she found another way to use one of her secret spaces to hurt somebody one last time before she died."

Granny examined the effigy. She gave the doll a solid flick on the arm.

Willow felt a sharp pain in her elbow. "Ow!" A bruise started to form right away. "Don't do that."

Granny grinned. "It's crude but apparently effective. Who would have guessed Tock knew such powerful dark magic. I should keep it to keep you in line."

"Granny!" Willow was terrified. Once she reminded herself that Granny Mill loved her she was just indignant.

Granny grinned. "But I won't. We have to be careful, though. Anything we do to it could hurt you. Or even kill you."

Willow started to cry. She hated anything having that much power over her. It made her feel vulnerable, small, fragile. She wanted to grab it back from Granny to protect it. She managed to resist the urge only by reminding herself that she trusted Granny with her life.

"The problem is how do we destroy this?" Willow wiped a tear surreptitiously. "How do we undo the magic and especially not make it worse."

There was a knock at the door. Willow and Granny stared at each other. "What are you waiting for girl. A healer is always ready to help, day or night. Willow ran to the door while Granny wrapped the doll up again.

Arthur and Merlin stood outside in the early light. Still standing stiffly from his wound, Arthur said, "We're coming to thank you for all of your help and take our leave. Your men, Jordey and Joel, are both leaving with us within the hour. Merlin said you have an ointment to give him for my continued treatment."

Willow pleaded with her eyes. "Prince Arthur, could you spare Merlin for a moment. I have to ask him a question about Samo's treatment."

"Alright." Arthur half shrugged. "But make it quick. We need to get going before the troops get restless."

Willow grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him inside. Once out of Arthur's hearing she said, "I found it! I've got the effigy."

Merlin grinned. "That's great! Have you destroyed it yet?"

Willow sighed. "That's the problem."

"We don't know how to destroy it without hurting Willow." Granny Mill said as she came up the hall. "Send Arthur back to his soldiers. We have to prepare more Valerian for his journey."

Willow frowned. "We've plenty of Valerian. We prepared loads of that less than a month ago."

Granny poured out a bottle. "He doesn't know that now does he? We need Merlin. This is serious dark magic and it's going to take all of us to end this curse without destroying you in the process."

Merlin took the empty bottle and shrugged. "He doesn't really need the Valerian anyway. Willow and I healed him enough that he'd be fine without it."

They heard Bretty and Saran arguing over who would cook breakfast. Willow took the empty bottle from Merlin and called Bretty. "Could you take this to show Prince Arthur and tell him we need to grind up Valerian for his journey. We'll be as fast as we can."

Bretty beamed at Willow then threw Saran who'd followed her a smug sneer and left with the bottle.

Willow told Saran, "There's already gruel in the pot we can eat for breakfast. Just make sure it's warm and break up a loaf of bread into a basket for anyone who's hungry."

Saran beamed at her and ran to do it.

Willow led Granny and Merlin into the herb preparation room. After she shut the door, Granny took the bundle out again and unwrapped it. Merlin made a face and reached for it.

Willow pushed his hands away. "Don't."

Merlin raised an eyebrow and picked up the doll. He cocked his head. "Is this supposed to look like you?"

Willow shrugged, both ashamed and terrified. Granny tsked. "It's her hair and fingernails. And if I'm not mistaken the face is drawn with her blood."

Merlin whistled. "The ripped heart is pretty cruel. This woman really hates you."

Willow turned away. Granny snorted. "Tock hates everybody."

"Not Joel." Willow said flatly.

Granny snorted again. "Especially Joel. She can't control him and that scares her. I've stitched up more wounds on that boy from the things she's thrown at him than I can count. She a hateful old woman."

Willow took in a deep breath. "We've got to destroy this thing. Only… Merlin, once we destroy it you'll no longer have any feelings for me."

Merlin grinned at her. "I'll probably still have feelings for you." He shrugged. "They may be feelings of anger because you're getting me in such big trouble with Arthur. But I'll still have feelings for you."

Willow rolled her eyes at him.

Merlin sighed. "So what do we do? Pull the hair out? Cut the stitches?" He gave the lock of hair a tug.

Willow yelled grabbing her head. "Stop! You're ripping my scalp off." When she pulled her bloodied hands away from her head, she asked, "Next idea?"

Merlin's mouth dropped open. "I'm so sorry!" He dropped the doll to grab Willow. Before he could touch her though, she slammed sideways into a wall.

Willow groaned. "Be careful with that thing." A large bruise started to form on her arm.

Merlin took a deep breath and picked the doll up carefully. "Well, trying to destroy it by casting it into a fire is out."

Granny snorted again. Willow was too afraid to laugh.

"Tock may need to undo this since she made it." Granny mused.

Willow shook her head. "I'm not letting that old witch touch this with a ten-foot pole."

Merlin nodded. "Often dark magic must be undone by the person who cast the spell in the first place."

Willow whimpered. "She'll never cooperate. Would killing her undo her magic?"

"Sure." Merlin grinned. Then he stopped grinning. "You're serious."

Willow looked up at him desperate. "Not really."

Granny growled, "I am." She took the doll and rewrapped it. "It's time to go wake up Granny Tock."