It has been 5 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes, and 15 seconds since the King had sent his guards after Howl and his family.
It has also been 5 days, 6 hours and 30 minutes since Sophie had last been awake.
At first Howl thought she was just being stubborn, like she always was, but changed his mind when many things began to go wrong.
Instead of getting better, Sophie was getting worse!
Her wounds that refused to heal became infected, her blood poisoned, and she gained a fever that stayed steady at 106.
The poison, as Howl discovered, came from the hollowed out bullets that the King's guards used. No doubt commissioned by Madame Sullivan to house her poisonous powders and deadly potions.
The potion was, as Howl deduced after looking at the remains in the bullets, a deadly blend of Water Hemlock, Monkshood, and White Snakeroot.
Any one of those plants would have killed a man within a hour. All three and you were dead within minutes!
But, Angel's Mercy, Sophie was still alive!
If just barely.
Howl and Michael had spent the last 5 days giving her round the clock care, hoping, trying to help her get better. But what could they do?
Finding a cure for just one of those poisonous plants was hard enough, but all three?
They truly needed a miracle.
Howl found himself hunched over in his chair in front of Calcifer's fireplace, holding his head in his hands.
He thought about Sophie. Sweet caring Sophie practically knocking on Death's door, and he could do nothing to help her.
He needed a really good idea, fast!
Calcifer had one, but it was very dangerous.
He had to tell Howl Sophie's secret.
Sophie may not know it, but mermaids were known throughout the supernatural world as the ultimate healers. Their healing powers rivaled that of unicorns. But unlike unicorns, they could heal themselves as well as others.
However, with Sophie as sick as she is she would need to be completely submerged in water. Even if she wasn't conscious of what she was to do, her powers would work to save her on their own.
Now though, he had to do the hard part.
Convincing Howl to put her in a body of clean water.
The deadly part will come after Sophie gets better, then tries to kill him for breaking their deal.
Despite the risk however, Calcifer's desire for Sophie to live overcame his fear of knowing what she would do to him afterwards.
'Well here goes everything.' Calcifer thought as he opened his mouth.
"Master Howl?"
Both Howl and Calcifer looked up at the stairs to see an exhausted Michael coming down the stairs, then they looked at the clock on the far wall.
1 o'clock, time to switch shifts.
Michael went to the table to get something to eat, while Howl went upstairs to watch over Sophie.
As Calcifer watched the exchange he suddenly remembered.
Michael knew that Sophie was magic. She told him that she had magic and he hadn't told anybody that secret.
Maybe he didn't have to tell Howl after all. If he could just convince Michael that this was the right thing to do to get Sophie cured.
He looked around to see if there was anyone else in the room. Luna and that tom cat have been up in Howl's room with Sophie since she 'fell asleep'.
He and Michael were all alone.
"Hey Michael. Come here." he said trying to get Michael's attention, but still be quiet enough to avoid Howl's.
"Uhhh" groaned Michael exhausted, rubbing his eyes as he moved slowly to the chair in front of Calcifer.
"Michael, I know a way that we can save Sophie!"
Now he was wide awake.
"Really!"
"Yeah, remember when she told you about how she had a special kind of magic and asked that you keep it a secret?"
"Uh huh"
"Well, Sophie may not know it but she has amazing healing powers when she comes into contact with water. If we can get her submerged in it, she might be able to heal herself."
"How do you know that Calcifer?"
"Kid, I am a fire demon. I know powerful magic when I see it."
"Should I get Master Howl?"
"Naww. I don't think Sophie would like us telling Howl her secret."
"OK, so what do we do?"
"We wait till it is your shift tonight, you use a levitation spell, lift Sophie to a small lake that I am working on getting us to, we put her in the water, she gets better, we then put on a act for Howl's sake and then everything will be fine. No problem."
"Or you tell Howl the truth and let him take care of everything."
Calcifer and Michael cringed.
There at the top of the stairs was Howl!
He had been on his way to the bathroom to get new water for Sophie when he had overheard Calcifer talking.
'He KNOWS!' thought Calcifer trebbling with fear. Fear of Howl or of Sophie, he didn't know which yet.
"So, Sophie has healing magic. But only when she is in water, and she is unaware of this fact. You know this would have saved us a lot of grief if you had said something sooner Calcifer." Howl said coming down the stairs with a stern glare directed at frightened fire demon.
"I promised Sophie that I would let her tell you. If she decided she could ever trust you enough with her secret."
"So she knew she had magic. And she told you two but not me."
"Luna knew about it too." said Michael.
That really didn't make Howl feel any better.
"I see. Well change of plans then Calcifer. Today we will work on moving."
"What? Now? With Sophie the way she is? Can't we wait until after she is better?"
"She has already waited 5 days to get in the water. She can wait a bit longer."
And so Howl spent the next few hours drawing chalk drawing in the castle and on the ground outside, while Michael watched over Sophie.
When the magic diagrams were drawn and the castle was all lined up. Howl went to the main room and took Calcifer out of the fireplace.
Holding the fire demon over the center of the diagram on the floor, Howl gathered up his magic and concentrated.
In Howl's room, Michael could feel the whole Castle shake as Howl did some remodeling.
Luna and Thomas, the orange tabby that Michael had named, were curled up on opposite sides of the bed and growling quietly at all the noise.
Sophie didn't react at all.
Once the shaking stopped, the three of them heard Howl's footsteps coming up the stairs.
He opened the door, and approached the bed. His face still set in the grim, emotionless state it had been in since this morning.
He stopped at the bed's edge to get another look at Sophie.
She seemed to have gotten worse since this morning. Her breaths more shallow, her lips had turned a shade of blue and were now edged with blood.
"Calcifer better be right about this. This is her last chase to live!" Howl thought before he set to work.
A quick hand gesture and all of Sophie's bandages vanished.
Taking care with her and mindful of her injuries. Howl picked up the blanket covered Sophie, and carried her towards the door.
"Michael, you stay here and make sure those cats don't cause trouble." Howl said over his shoulder pausing for a moment.
"Yes Master Howl."
With that said, Howl continued walking towards the stairs, and then went down to the main room.
It was much larger than before. With a nicer kitchen and larger space for a couch and fancy dining table.
There were also more rooms as well, there was a door where Sophie's bed used to be that was now an entrance to her new room. But he would show it to her later if she survived.
Using magic he changed the new dial on the door to a new color, pink, and took Sophie through it.
On the other side of the door was his childhood home away from home.
A beautiful valley filled with thousands of different flowers. Mountains surrounded it from all sides, and near the center of the valley was a small, charming cottage nestled in the mouth of a small river.
It was the river that Howl needed and came here for.
This place would serve as a gift for Sophie, if she ever woke up, but for now.
Howl made his way to the river, and after removing the blanket, placed her gently in the clear cool waters.
For a moment nothing happened, but then Sophie's magic came to life.
The water gathered around her like a cocoon, then she began to glow as bright as a blue star.
Once the light dimmed, Howl saw something he had suspected but was still surprised to see.
Sophie was a Mermaid!
And not just any mermaid, but HIS mermaid!
He knew it wasn't a dream.
Howl was brought out of his musings by the most welcome sound of Sophie moaning.
Her magic had worked wonders. She looked as if she had never been sick at all!
Howl waited as her strength gradually returned to her, and at last opened her sapphire blue eyes.
A special thanks to Miss Hales for her support and poisonous idea.