Ch 15: Ignus
Later that day, Ana found herself back out on the balcony garden Diane and Sophie had taken her to earlier. Two chaises looked out over the groomed grass of the lawn that shimmered gently as the castle made its ponderous way west. Ana had been rendered speechless when she'd first watched the castle creak to its spindly, bird-like feet and start to stride across the terrain. She couldn't really describe the sheer magic of it even hours later, and had blushed at Sophie's proud, delighted laugh at her blatant amazement.
After a light, energetic lunch, the family again fractured, Markl following the children patiently until they dropped into reluctant naps. Diane left through a door that still wildly confused Ana, saying cheerfully that she had some errands to run. Felix had glared with molten intensity, but was duly ignored by the young woman, who strolled out without a qualm after pressing a mischievous kiss to Felix's cheek. Howl returned to his mysterious library; Ana sensed something of a recluse in him. Felix eventually followed, murmuring quietly that he had something to discuss with his father. A gentle brush of his hand on her shoulder as he passed left Ana puzzled and warm, thinking awkwardly of Diane's prediction. Sophie settled before the fire to knit, carrying on a congenial conversation with a tired Calcifer.
Which left Ana feeling bored, and still very curious of her expansive surroundings. Ana pardoned herself, limping up the stairs under Sophie's covert watch. As if to test herself, Ana made her way back to the balcony. It scored her pride to stop and rest four times during the journey, but she eventually arrived at the sturdy wooden door that guarded the entrance to the garden. As she stepped out into the open air, Ana drew a deep breath into her hesitant lungs, forcing the expansion despite the pain that rippled along her ribs. Tilting her face up, Ana squinted against the ivory light of the sun glowing behind pearly clouds. In the distance, picturesque violet mountains were laced with clouds, their hearts just blue enough to threaten rain. Or maybe it would snow. Ana couldn't begin to guess, as the current season behaved in a very vague manner.
Bringing her eyes back to the garden, a smile spread across her face as she inspected Sophie's domain more closely than she had this morning. Little star-shaped blooms with the coloring pattern of pansies bobbed cheerfully along most of the garden's perimeter. The railing was coated with a sort of curling ivy that had a faint bluish tone, like a blue fir tree. Walking on wavering knees and ankles prone to giving out from under her weight, Ana slowly approached the rail. As she grasped the railing with a tight grip and leaned forward, the wind suddenly kicked up, tugging at the wisps of hair that wriggled free of her loose braid, the tail of it stirring against her spine. As she drew another breath of the cleansing air, Ana let her eyes slide close as peace settled and spread like a warm blanket. In all honesty, she had never been this happy on Earth.
She had slept in some of the worse conditions in her life. She had been chased by ruthless soldiers for reasons she still didn't quite comprehend. Not to mention that little episode when she had courted death with fatal earnestness. But despite all of this, or maybe because of it, she had begun to unlock parts of her spirit left cold and untouched her entire life. Perhaps that explained the controlling and logical tendencies Ana had adopted on Earth—because she had known, deep in her blood and bones, that something wild and magical and true within her was just waiting to be unleashed.
Ana's quiet musings were interrupted when she heard the door open quietly. Felix emerged from the dimly lit innards of the castle, the wind ruffling his short midnight hair and the blaze of light catching the blue irises of his eyes. The smile that lit Ana's face was instant, and warm. She noticed Felix's perusal of her perch, and the worry that wove along the silver streaks in his eyes. The worry warmed Ana, who stepped back to mollify the wizard. As he stepped up next to her, carefully avoiding his mother's flowers, Felix allowed his brows to relax as he laced his fingers and braced his forearms against the railing.
"You needn't worry, Felix," Ana said, a smile almost tangible in her voice. "I'm doing better." Felix glanced over at her, a small grin tilting one side of his well-shaped mouth.
"I admit, you're recovering faster than any of us had hoped. But that doesn't mean it's wise to push yourself." Swallowing back the bashful grin that bubbled, Ana sharpened it before aiming it at Felix.
"You sound like my mother, Felix," Ana murmured, smiling more deeply at the embarrassed lift to Felix's dark brows.
"I do not!" he muttered indignantly. Ana hummed noncommittally, enjoying the wizard's brief discomfiture. Now he knew a fraction of what she felt entirely too often during a day. Clearing his throat, Felix tried to regain his composure and focus. He had something important to discuss with Ana, something that he found himself strangely reluctant to bring up. Her return to her own world.
"Ana… come. Let's sit," he said quietly, leading the way to the white pine chaises, settling stiffly on the old wood. He could faintly remember the days when the Witch of the Waste, who insisted that he call her Grandma Lauren, would settle creakily onto one of these chairs, watching the world fly by as Heen lay snoozing at her feet. The little dog had outlived her, with the wise light in his droopy eyes until his last day.
Watching Ana closely as she settled onto the old wood, Felix's gaze was close enough to catch the small wince in her emerald eyes as she stressed her major joints, but just as closely noted the lack of noise. She said not a word, even as she loosed a sigh, relaxing her tight spine back. Ana was in pain, even now. She was getting better, but not fast enough to ease the guilt and worry weighing at Felix's shoulders. He didn't notice his brows draw together, nor the way his blue eyes darkened in concern.
Lacing his fingers tightly together in a stance that his father often adopted, Felix regained Ana's gaze before continuing. "I—I spoke with my father," he began, aghast that he stuttered. Tightening his jaw, Felix continued, the lines of his face fierce and, under the forbidding air, a little sad. "We researched the best days to return you to your world. It depends on the alignment of a certain set of stars. Anyway, we found that the next time you can leave is… well, it's tonight." Felix paused as Ana slowly blinked, clearly blindsided by the news. "If we wait, you won't be able to leave for another seven months," Felix quickly adding, noting the panic and, strangely enough, hurt in Ana's eyes. The emotion didn't really clear from her green irises, but she was quickly absorbing the news. Valiantly, she tried to smile.
"So eager to get rid of me already, Felix?" she teased, only her mouth smiling as her eyes accused. Resisting the urge to rub his chest, which felt as if it had been pierced with an arrow, Felix shook his head, allowing only a fraction of the fear for her sneak into his voice.
"Hardly. No, I'm worried for your safety, Ana. You'll be safer in your own world, away from Apollo." And me, Felix thought, gritting his teeth against the sensation that his heart was collapsing. Ana pursed her lips, leaving Felix bemused. She looked like she was wrestling with a difficult decision. He might have allowed her to make the decision regarding their friendship after his hellish dream, but this was another matter. He would brook no argument. She was going home, tonight. His father agreed, and had volunteered to perform the difficult ceremony tonight. It was only a matter of telling Ana.
Who wasn't taking the news very well, if truth be told. Her little globe of happiness and discovery had been shattered, and, of all people, the one wielding the club and nudging her out was Felix. That hurt, more than she cared to examine. And all to keep her safe. When her father had sent her here for the same exact reason. Could her father have possibly known what was waiting for her in this world? Could he have guessed that she would become hunted almost from the second she stepped foot on this plane's soil? And did his warnings still ring true?
Ana slipped her hand into the pocket of the gray dress where she had tucked her father's letter, trying to decide if she should show it to Felix. She didn't know if it would change his mind, but Ana could be certain that he wouldn't appreciate her hiding it from him. Just as she was about to slip the parchment from her pocket, the door to the balcony banged open, Tommy and Leena racing out into the sun, their father hot on their heels.
"Ana! Ana! Papa Howl told us that you're leaving tonight! Are you? Are you?" the children yelled as they closed in on Ana's chair, their words tumbling over one another's as their big brown eyes gazed up to Ana, brimming with emotion. With one final glance to Felix, who nodded almost imperceptibly, Ana smiled sadly, clearing her throat before speaking.
"I'm afraid so. But I'll miss you two so much," she said, running a gentle hand over Tommy's blond curls. The three soon engaged in an in-depth conversation about the nature of Ana's departure while Markl stepped up behind Felix. Clapping a hand on his honorary younger brother's shoulder, the elder man offered the younger one an understanding smile.
"It's for the best." Felix looked at Ana, carefully memorizing the curl of her dark fire hair against her skin, the dance to her green eyes as she smiled and spoke with the children. He had to believe it was true. For her sake. For her life.
"Yes. Yes, it is."
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That night, as the moon rose high and full amongst the velvet field of the sky sprinkled with stars, Ana stood before Calcifer's hearth in her Earth clothes, the pack at her feet, her hair braided tightly back and her eyes worried. Calcifer burned cheerfully in his grate, eyeing her with his small, cynical white eyes. The family was gathered around, more sorrowful than Ana had expected. Slinging her pack over her shoulder, Ana stepped over to Diane, who held her arms open wide in a warm hug. Folding Ana in closely, Diane whispered quietly in her ear, "Don't ever forget us." As the two women drew apart, Ana smiled valiantly, surprised at the sparkle of tears in Diane's violet eyes.
"Never. How could I?" Ana murmured in return, squeezing Diane's hands gently before turning to Sophie. The older woman also struggled with tears, drawing a surprised response from Ana. As the two embraced, Ana became aware of Sophie's steady heartbeat. So strong, so alive. The heartbeat of a mother. She would miss them all so much, and she would miss the mother she had found in Sophie.
"You'll always be welcome here," Sophie said quietly, her voice steady despite the quiver to her breath. Ana couldn't quite find her voice, and merely nodded in response before turning to the father and his two young children. Markl seriously shook her hand before pulling her laughingly into a bear hug. As he released her, he ruffled her hair, a move Ana swiftly ducked out from under.
"We'll miss you, darling. No one's livened up the scene the way you have in a long time." Ana laughed as she knelt to shake hands maturely with the children as they murmured proper goodbyes. However, like their father, Tommy and Leena quickly drew Ana in a little hug, Leena hesitating a mere second after her brother before following him into Ana's arms. As she stood, Ana turned to Felix, tears finally welling in her eyes.
For a moment, as the eyes of the family weighed heavy, the two stood apart, awkward and still. Hesitantly, Felix raised a hand to brush a strand of her curling hair back. As his fingers brushed her skin, light as the breath of a butterfly's wing, Ana choked back the pain of leaving him, melting into his arms. Felix caught her close, laying his cheek on the top of her head as both of them closed their eyes against the hurt of their parting. Silently, they slowly drew apart, their eyes speaking far louder than any words could manage. Gently running his thumbs along her upper arms, Felix finally stepped back, his Adam's apple bobbing as his teeth ground together. On a whim, Ana stepped forward, pressing a warm kiss to his cheek.
As she drew back, Felix whispered, "Be safe. Please." Nodding, she turned to Howl, the master of the household that had been patiently waiting as her farewells were completed. Shaking her hand, he flicked a finger along her cheek, smiling silently before leading her by the hand before Calcifer.
Only vaguely aware of what this crossing would entail, Ana turned to the little flame, murmuring earnestly, "Thank you, Calcifer, for your help." The little flame shrugged embarrassedly, shifting his eyes as his cheeks blazed a bright red. At her side silently like a phantom, Howl dipped his fingers into the ash collecting below Calcifer. He murmured gentle, strange words as he smoothed an ashen line across Ana's forehead, down her nose, then across each cheekbone. At the bemused furrow of her brows, Howl quietly explained as he captured a small ball of Calcifer's flame.
"This will not be like the crossing you experienced last time. A lightning crossing can be preserved in a spell for years, even decades. But such power draws a lot of attention, something we're trying to avoid. A fire crossing is a bit more challenging, but will ensure that you leave this plane covertly. Ash is material at its purest, and so smoothes the crossing. Come," he said, shifting Ana more truly in front of the fire, "we must prepare."
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Deep in the bowels of Black Cliffs Estate, Gabriel sat at his desk, a demonic tilt to his lips as his ebony eyes went foggy. Victoria materialized out of the shadows of the hallway silently, but still, Gabriel jolted out of his meditation. Victoria braced for a reprimand, but her master merely smiled his bone shivering grin.
"Victoria. Bring me a feather." The request was strange, but the young woman was too well trained to let surprise show.
"Of course, my lord. Any specifications?" she asked hesitantly. Gabriel pondered for a moment before answering.
"Yes. Bring me a green feather." Victoria blinked.
"Green, sir? But your aura isn't green," she blurted out, mentally horrified at her break in conduct. Gabriel merely grinned.
"I know. It's my prey's."
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With the ash streaked across her skin and her pupils tiny from watching Calcifer, Ana was already tired, on-edge, and nervous. Even if Howl had assured her that would be different, memories of the drop through the frozen field of stars flashed through her head like blinding flashes of a camera. Swallowing past her dry throat, Ana stretched out her hand to catch the ball of blue flame that coiled warmly in Howl's palm. Her sense told her it should burn as it plopped onto her skin; her heart told her it lived, a fragment of Calcifer offered to ferry her safely home.
Looking up, she caught Howl's encouraging nod. Glancing one final time to the other six people gathered to bid her farewell, Ana smiled tremulously, waving back at Tommy and Leena before cupping her hand under her other, taking a breath before raising her gathered hands to her throat. As the flame touched the sensitive skin of her neck, Ana gasped as the flames melted into her blood. It flowed under her skin like icy champagne, stealing her breath as it ebbed and bubbled under her skin.
Once her eyes fluttered open again, Ana glanced down at her hands, dumbstruck as a blue glow flowed along her skin, shining from within. Frantically looking back at Howl, Ana calmed a little as his passive, tranquil expression. This was normal. She was OK. Looking over at Felix, Ana relaxed a little more at his nod. His eyes were huge, but he had mentioned earlier that this was the first fire crossing he would actually witness.
Ana couldn't know that the ash streaks across her face were glowing white, and her shine was too bright to notice that Calcifer was now glowing so bright, he was almost silver. But she did remember the next step of the ceremony, and dipped her fingers in Calcifer's ash, kneeling to draw a circle around her on the hardwood floor. As she connected the two ends of the line, a column of white fire erupted, encompassing Ana completely as she straightened. She was startled, but felt no pain. Felix's jaw flexed, but he stood his ground. He didn't notice Markl and Howl's covert glances his way to make sure he held still. The line of ash couldn't be broken, not until Ana was home.
Inside the column of white fire, which was slowly growing brighter and brighter, Ana started as a lance of pain shot down her spine. Ever since the ceremony had begun, her pain had been wonderfully dim. It seemed strange that it would resurge so violently as such a random moment. Meanwhile, outside in the living room, Felix jolted as if someone had yanked on a nerve in his neck, his eyes flicking close against the pain as he twisted his head. It faded as quickly as it had blossomed, but left Felix uneasy. He plastered on a reassuring smile at his mother's concerned expression, but was still dogged by a sense of foreboding. This was wrong…
Ana was arrowed by shots of pain that fell faster and harder, fighting to keep control as something attacked her spine. She was supposed to fix an image of home in her mind, but every time she closed her eyes, wild visions flitted behind her eyelids. She could see a man, his soul rotting and his eyes an empty abyss, as he blew on an emerald feather resting in his palm, smiling wide enough to show a flash of wolf teeth. As Ana mentally turned from the vision, the feather followed, and suddenly a wolf, huge and black, stood snapping and snarling, familiar in its ferocity. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Through squinted eyes, she could see the blue glow on her skin turning slowly red…
Felix was becoming more and more uneasy as the seconds ticked past and the family held their breaths and their silence. The column of fire remained white, but Felix sensed something had been corrupted. His eyes flicked around nervously, his brows furrowing as the sense of foreboding rose like a wave, its fear choking him. The pain riding on the back of his neck seemed to be cutting off the blood to his head, dotting his vision with black. Blinking past the pain, Felix focused on the white fire enveloping Ana, his mouth going dry from the effort. Somehow, he sensed it before he even saw it. The flames were no longer a pure, cleansing white. Their tips were becoming stained, almost as if the fire was bleeding. Moving on pure instinct, Felix lunged forward.
"No, wait!" he cried, diving into the column of fire and crossing the line of ash.
"Felix, no! You can't do this!" his family called after him, moving just too slow to catch him. The fire swallowed Felix, then roared black, tipped in silver and smelling of blood. The family stood dumbstruck, gazing at the evil black fire.
"This is bad," Calcifer muttered. Markl glanced at the little fire, who shook his head.
"I sure hope Felix knew what he was doing," Markl muttered, kneeling to calm his upset children. Diane joined him and the children, while Sophie crossed the room, folding into Howl's arms, fear bright in her warm brown eyes. Howl's jaw was tight, and his eyes kept returning to the broken line of ash on the floor. Together, they gazed after their son's path to the fire that still roared like a tall mouth to hell. The seconds ticked by agonizingly. Suddenly, something popped out of the fire, floating slowly to the ground. It was a green feather.
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Hey folks, I'm alive!! I'm so sorry it took so long, but, well, things have been a wee bit crazy, and inspiration has been hard to come by. And you all have the movie The Princess and the Frog to thank for this chapter, as it hit that chord in me that sings, "I'm excited!! I'm inspired, and I have to write!!" If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. My new favorite Disney movie, which is saying a lot, considering I'm a Disney junkie. Anyway, onto the new chapter. I don't think it's all that confusing, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them. Cliffhanger, I know. But that's how it's been constructed in my head for, like, ever. Intense. Predict all you want, but I'm kinda tricky with my suggestions, so don't be too sure that this is going to go the way you think it will. I just wanted to freak you all out a bit. ;) Good to write for you all again. Don't forget the usual. Review. Fan Art. Cookie if you figure out what the chapter title means. All that good stuff. Hope you like it!! Love, Tango