Chapter Thirteen

DC: I don't own Howl or any other character…well I own Mathilda

Sophie coughed and wheezed. She saw from the green glow that the curse was coming out onto her hands with every attack. She wiped them on her dress, sighing. She winced again. Deep intakes of breath weren't helping the matters at all. It was when she patted her dress that she remembered that she had put the medicine in one of her pockets. She put her hand in it, but froze when Markl appeared before her.

He set down a tray of food, before making his way back into the darkness. He didn't say a word. Sophie relaxed, though it was just physically, and looked at the food. It wasn't harmful looking, it actually looked really good, but she decided to take some of the medicine before eating just to be cautious. The medicine was cool and made the pain go away.

Though, for how long, Sophie didn't know.

--

It was cold. There were no sounds. Howl opened his eyes. He pushed his hair from his face, rubbing his temples. A headache was coming on, he could feel it.

He paused after a moment. Even with his eyes open they still felt like they were closed. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the dark around him. He realized after a moment that the dark was going to stay. It wasn't his eyes, it was the environment. A groan escaped him as he lifted himself off the cold ground—if you could call the dark around him ground.

As he rubbed his arms to get some warmth in them, the memory of being sucked into the building came back into his head. He wondered where exactly he was, and what had enough dark magic to suck him in. It was when he was searching his head when he remembered the events of the day.

Vale End. The other wizards. The dark shooting energy. The shadow. He blinked. "It's been a long day." Howl rubbed his back. It hadn't been a soft landing. He went through the conversations and remembered what the shape shifting demon said to him. "Sophie!" he gasped.

Howl looked around. There wasn't any light, but there was a green glow coming from far away into the black. He decided he would follow the glow only because he couldn't see anything else around him. On the inside he was hoping that the glow would lead him somewhere good. The dark in this place didn't settle his thoughts, and neither did the glow that steadily got stronger.

Finally, Howl stepped into the green light. It took a moment for his senses to come back; but by the time they did, he was being pushed back and there were arms around his waist. He looked down seeing his wife. "Sophie." He sighed, relieved.

She pulled him into a tighter hug. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his head into her silver hair. "I shouldn't have left."

"It doesn't matter. All of it doesn't matter. Markl is here! He's here, but he's being controlled." Sophie looked up. Howl wiped a tear from her eye. "And I don't care what you say; I'm staying next to you. I—I don't want to be left again."

"I don't want to leave you, and I won't." Howl took her by the shoulders and pushed her away from him a little. He looked at her up and down, making sure she wasn't harmed. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. I just took some of the medicine and ate some food."

"I don't know how long it'll last," he whispered, thinking about the medicine. Howl looked around. "This place isn't good for your health. Who knows how much time is being lost by us just standing here. Let's move."

Howl wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her closer to him as they took a step out of the green glow. This time, though, the light went out. It was totally dark. He felt Sophie lean into him a little more. Frustration crossed through Howl. He wasn't a patient man. The dark wasn't scary to him, it was just exasperating. He felt his hand, that wasn't holding Sophie closer, ball up; a fiery burn going across his skin.

"Oh," Howl said, quietly. His anger flickered his little fire. He held it up in his palm.

He heard Sophie sigh. "I thought you were over that little problem."

"It's useful now, love." He brought it closer to Sophie, looking down at her face. She seemed pale even in the orange light. He frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I feel an awful cough coming on. Let's just try to get out of here." She took a deep breath. Howl held her closer, guiding them more into the dark. The flame kept its intensity and the both of them hoped it would stay like that.

They eventually didn't need the fire anymore. Howl pressed his fingers to his palm and the fire was smothered out. They came into a well lit area, or at least lighter than the dark, filled with silver. There was a throne, though no one sat on it. Sophie tucked herself into Howl. His arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder as his eyes took in what was around them.

"This is where I came first before Markl took me to that green place," she whispered, eyes wide searching. Howl gave her shoulder a squeeze.

Without warning a shadow appeared before them in front of the throne. Its mouth was spread into a wicked and wild sneer. They watched as the sneer stretched wider, curling it's misty lips up. "I will do anything for master. Yes, meaning my life will end." With a roar it leaped at them.

Howl covered Sophie with his body. An arctic sort of wind passed by them. Howl felt a little cold but grew worried as he could feel Sophie start to shiver uncontrollably. He opened his eyes, wondering how she was able to feel the wind, just to see hers closed. Her brow was furrowed, and despite the cold, sweat was beading on her face.

Howl knew she was in pain. Her breath started to come out in gasps as she struggled, with one shaking hand, to claw at her clothes on her chest. Howl lay her down on the floor, moving the folds of her clothing. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Above her heart there was a black mark that steadily started to grow on her skin. It was covering her chest, shoulder and a part of her neck within seconds. He quickly found the rest of the medicine Mathida gave to her and forced it into her mouth. She took it, but the curse didn't go away easily like it had the times before. Only a little of the black was moved back.

There came a cold laugh. Howl covered Sophie back up before twisting his head behind him. Someone was sitting at the throne now. He wore a black suit that showed just how pale he was. His hands were interlaced and sat on his lap, as if waiting for someone. His long black hair fell around his face, shadowing his eyes. Howl could still see the red glint.

"A wizard who threw himself into the dark," Howl stated, slowly getting up. "Who are you and what have you done to my wife?"

"My name is Ethan Davies, a Wizard of Ingary." He almost bowed a little in his seat, but Howl supposed the man didn't want to bow in his presence. Already he was being very disrespectful. "And it is a simple curse, really." Davies was on his feet now. "There is nothing to worry about, that is, if you can kill me." An evil grin came to his features, his eyes grew darker.

"What do you want with me?" Howl was trying not to look into his eyes. It was hard not to; almost as if they had a hypnotic kind of power to them. "Why do you hurt Sophie instead of me?"

A laugh escaped the evil man's mouth. "What do you mean? You stupid fool!" He was getting serious now. The air seemed to chill even more. Howl heard Sophie's breathing still for a moment before gasping again. "You'd better watch your mouth Howell Jenkins."

Davies stepped closer. Howl stood his ground. "You've caused enough grief in my life," the man continued on saying. "I won't forgive what you've done to me."

"I've never even met you before!" Howl exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. He wasn't sure if he really met him before. There were a lot of Wizards out there. Most he knew, but Davies face wasn't bringing up any memories. "How could I have even messed up your life?"

The man was close now. Too close for Howl's comfort. His eyes flickered to his wife before staring straight into the red eyes. He blinked away, forgetting the intensity of it. "There is no need to do this—," he started.

The man held up his hand, pointing at him. "There is a reason I hurt your wife." Davies was glaring now. "I did this to get to you. You took away my happiness, the only person I loved."

"I've never killed a woman!" Howl stated crossing his arms. "That is a horrible thing to even think of—!"

"You didn't kill her!" Davies hands suddenly glowed dark. It looked to Howl that he was taking in a lot of self control. Howl wasn't helping with all of his comments, so he let the man speak. "You are a disgusting, foul Wizard. You took the ladies hearts; ate them; crushed them. You did all you wanted. You took my woman's heart." He hissed the last words. "Now she dreams of nothing but you. She has rejected me and left me alone."

Howl never really took a woman's heart. He never ate them or crushed them either as the man in front of him claimed. He always made the girls fall in love with him, and then he left them heartbroken. He stopped doing that once he met Sophie and she broke his curse. He felt his face heat up though, from anger not anything else. "Because of some stupid mistakes I did when I was cursed, you think it right to curse my wife? That does not solve anything!"

"It gives me a good conscious." Davies looked a little at ease. "Or it makes it even. By the looks of it your wife won't see the light of day." He pointed to Sophie. Howl turned to look at her. Her breathing was very slow and the dark marks were spreading across her body, the medicine already taken its course. "Maybe we're not so even after all. It looks like your child is in the exact same situation."

That tipped Howl over the edge. He felt enraged. Not only was he losing his wife, but his child too. The baby wasn't even fully formed. Sophie hadn't even reached the best part of her pregnancy, and he didn't want to miss it either. He felt a little guilty for having forgotten all about her condition during the whole thing here, but now he would risk anything to save the both of them from the curse that consumed her body.

Howl did something he never thought he would, or could, actually do. He curled his fingers into a fist and took a punch at the man. The knock connected with Davies chin and he fell back, holding his mouth. Howl shook his fingers out, never having before used physical pain to get him anywhere.

Davies laughed and wiped away the blood from his busted lip. He then licked his lips and held his hands to his sides. "Markl Fisher."

Howl instantly turned his head to where the boy stepped from the shadows. His hood was drawn up. "You know what to do."

Markl nodded once, his own eyes turning blood red.

--

Lala Rue here, and I'm trying to finish this story before my summer (and my life as I know it before college time) ends.

This turned out a little different then what I originally thought of, but I like it. One or two chapters left, depending on how I write it out.

I hope everyone likes! There will be more updates in the next two weeks! I'll update soon!

Love, Lala Rue!