Chapter 11

Breaking the Curse

Hana almost never called to tell Sombra she had a new mission for them. In fact, she had only called once before, because she'd thought she'd find a baby werewolf, which she hadn't. It had just been a puppy following her because he'd lost his owners. But this time, she seemed genuinely convinced that she'd find their next mission. Sombra, who had been at the grocery store when Hana had called, had told her to meet her home. She wasn't just about to leave a cart full of food in the middle of the supermarket just to run home. Plus, she'd given the key to Hana, and even if she forgot it, she'd taught her how to pick a lock a while ago.

Once Sombra had been done with the groceries, she'd driven home. Hana had texted her that she was waiting in the garden. Sombra parked in front of the house, sure that she would have to leave again soon, if not just to bring Hana home, and took as many plastic bags as she could. The door was unlocked, probably left like this by Hana. She stepped inside and placed all the bags on the counter. She quickly returned to get the rest, and once she was done she passed her head through the garden door. Hana was indeed there, seating on one of the old garden chairs the previous owner had left there, a cardboard box on her knees. The younger girl looked quickly at her when she heard the door opening.

"Hey, is it an emergency? Because I have a dozen bags to empty."

Hana stood up, mindful of the box.

"I'll help you, give me a minute."

Hana glanced quickly at the box then followed Sombra inside. She left the box on the dinner table, and the two huntresses made quick work of putting the groceries away. The box hadn't move one bit since Hana had left it, which prompted Sombra to believe that there was probably something inanimate, or dead, inside.

"So," Sombra started as she collected all the plastic bags and threw them inside one of the lower cabinets. "What's in the box? Our next mission?"

Hana nodded. She went to fetch the box on the table and looked inside.

"Oh, I think he's thirsty. Can you pour some water into a bowl?"

Sombra frowned but obeyed. Had Hana really find a werewolf pup this time? The box would have been too small for it. She placed the bowl on the counter, and Hana opened the box, placing her hand inside to pick up whatever was inside.

Soon enough, a big frog was dropping delicately into the bowl. Sombra had never seen a frog like this one, with a bright green skin, a few brown dots on its back and when it looked at her, vivid brown, human eyes. Sombra waited before asking anything, just in case with the water the frog would turn into something else. But nothing happened. It just swam around for a few seconds, then emerged, the bowl so deep only its head was poking out of the water.

"Oh, thanks! I never thought I would like water so much!" The frog said.

Sombra nodded and looked at Hana.

"A talking frog? Really?"

Hana seemed surprised.

"Talking? He hasn't said anything to me!"

"I mean, in my defense, I tried." the frog said.

Sombra shrugged.

"Only magical people can hear him, I suppose."

Hana pouted.

"Well, anyway, this is my friend Lucio. We were supposed to meet this afternoon and when he didn't show up I went to look for him."

"You've been turned into a frog?" Sombra asked.

"Yeah! Yesterday. I was minding my own business, working on my music, and suddenly pop! I was turned into a frog!"

Sombra nodded.

"Well, this is going to be fun. I assume you've been cursed, and unfortunately for you, this kind of curse isn't easy to break."

Hana crossed her arms.

"But it is breakable, right?"

"It is. By true love's kiss."

Both Hana and Lucio seemed stunned.

"Seriously, like in the fairy tales?"

"Yep."

"So all we have to do is find his true love?"

"We could, but go and try to ask around "do you want to break this frog's curse by kissing him?". I don't think you'll get a lot of results, conejita. But there is another way we could save him. Find the person who cursed him."

Hana crossed her arms.

"Really? Is it easier to find the spell caster? So what, do we use fairy dust?"

Sombra shook her head.

"It only works to find creatures or their creators. For a spellcaster, we need something much more powerful..."

Sombra thought for a second, then smirked.

"I already have an idea, but we'll need some help on this one."

Orisa was very happy to see them, mostly because she didn't have a lot of appointment this late in the school year. They had placed Lucio in the box Hana had been carrying him around in, and dropped him carefully on the counselor's desk once they'd introduced the situation to Orisa.

"Oh, Mister Frog, I don't know what you did to be cursed, but I think you are going to be stuck like this for a while."

Lucio's frog face managed to look sadden at the thought.

"So, can you track the spellcaster?" Hana asked.

Orisa nodded.

"I believe I can, but it will take some time. And I'll need some things. There has been a shortage of leprechaun coins. I'll need some if I have to track someone. Also, could you bring me back a Sunday?"

Sombra nodded.

"Can you keep the frog?"

"Of course. He can keep me company."

She looked down to Lucio who still hadn't move on her desk.

"Tell me, Mister Frog, are you a student here?"

"Yes, I am. I study musicology."

Orisa smiled.

"That does sound very interesting."

Sombra glanced at Hana, giving her the signal that they should leave the room and go on with their mission. Hana nodded, leaving her friend talking about music with the counselor.

"So, how are we going to get leprechaun gold? Don't we need a rainbow or something?"

Sombra shook her head as they climbed back into her car.

"Not when you know where to find some."

They drove out of the parking, and Hana waited until they were on the road to ask:

"So, do you think it's the Witch?"

Sombra smirked.

"You're catching up quickly, conejita. Congrats."

Hana smirked back at her.

"Yeah well, who else could it be, really? The only question is, why Lucio?"

"To get my attention."

Hana chuckled.

"Not everything revolves around you, you know?"

"She knows I've been looking for her ever since the first time we met. She attacked Mei, Angela's friend. She almost attacked all those girls Genji saved, among which were Lena's girlfriend, Angela and you. She attacked Angela again."

"Really, when?"

"The demon curse. I looked more into it after what Gabe told me. A real demon would have instantly taken the control of Angela. But this was a spell, which can be broken by true love's kiss, as it did."

"Didn't you tell me it didn't work?"

"It worked partially. I don't know why. Maybe Angela was too far from her, or she's getting weaker. Wouldn't that makes things easier for us?"

"So you think all of this was to attract your attention?"

Sombra nodded.

"If she's a powerful witch, she probably doesn't want a good hunter looking too closely at her business. Maybe she thought by attacking people around me I'll come looking for her. All she had to do was wait."

"Well, she's obviously done waiting."

"She made a mistake she hadn't made before. Leaving traces. With Mei and Angela the spell dispersed instantly, but since Lucio is still a frog, the spell is still active on him."

Hana smiled.

"Finally the end of the witch hunt!"

Sombra smirked.

"Don't be too happy. Once we're read of her I'll be able to take more missions, meaning less make-out session time."

Hana seemed shocked.

"Don't you dare!"

Sombra drove them to the old market. She parked across from the entrance, and they made their way through a labyrinth of small stone paved streets. They'd searched for the Witch through every corner of the place multiple times until the both of them knew the layout of it by heart. Hana remembered every small shop of the market, and she was pretty sure there weren't any leprechaun gold seller anywhere. However, Sombra moved forward with purpose, knowing exactly where she was going.

Hana followed her girlfriend inside a shop a bit larger than the others. Its windows were old and dirty, hiding most of what was inside. The sign above the building said "The Iris", and the few large pots placed in front of it made Hana believe that it was a flower shop. She pushed open the old wooden door, ringing the bell to announce their arrival.

The inside of the shop was just as old and dirty as the outside. Flower pots occupied most of the room: Placed on the floor, on shelves, on the counter or suspended in the air. Every type of flower imaginable: Climbing roses which looked more like someone at attached rose petals on thorns. Venus flytraps the size of small bushes, and gardenias the size of Hana's head, of a strange pale color. And ivy everywhere, climbing on the walls and the counter, encircling the windows and leaving barely enough light to pass through.

Sombra came up to the counter while Hana looked around, mindful to not touch anything. If she'd learn anything in the past few months, it was that touching could be very dangerous.

"See anything you like?" Sombra asked with an amused smirked.

"Well, I had never seen green roses, that's for sure..."

"That's because they aren't."

Hana took a quick step back which made Sombra grin even more before she came up to stand next to the counter.

A few seconds later, a man came passing through the curtain of ivy leading to the back of the shop. He was tall and thin, with bright red hair and a goatee. He was wearing a Guinness shirt covered with dirt.

"Good afternoon lassies'! What can I do for you today?"

Hana frowned. The man talked quickly and in a thick Irish accent.

"We're here to buy some gold." Sombra declared bluntly.

The man in front of them paled.

"I'm sorry, but we're a flower shop."

"Yeah, and I'm graduating in theology," Sombra replied instantly. "Let's cut the crap, we don't have the time. How much for two coins?"

The man shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but we're out of stock."

"Oh come on, who do you think I am? You guys always keep a stock. What? Do I have to wait for a rainbow or something?"

The man was about to walk back inside the back of the shop, saying:

"I sold all my stock to a single customer, I can't help you."

Sombra quickly took something out of her pocket and threw it on the glass counter. The sound of glass being hit rang around the shop, making the man stop instantly. He stared longly at what was now resting on his counter. It was a small velvet bag, containing something solid, probably made out of metal or stone. The man walked closer to it carefully and opened it. He almost dropped it when he saw what was inside.

"Where did you find this?"

"An old target. She didn't part with them easily."

"I bet she didn't."

"It's yours, for three coins."

"Two."

"Three, or I take the ring back."

The man seemed torn, grimacing until he looked back down into the small velvet bag.

"Alright three. But don't go telling around where you got them! I could be in a lot of trouble."

"Our lips are sealed."

The man returned to the back of the shop and came back a few moments later with a small leather pouch. Sombra took it, opening it just enough to count the gleam of three coins. She smirked.

"It was a pleasure dealing with you."

"Yeah, yeah. Now get out before you get me into more trouble!"

Sombra and Hana quickly left the shop, Sombra pocketing the pouch in her jacket pocket, and holding on to it with one hand. With the other, she caught Hana's hand. They walked back to the car with their finger entwined. Whether it was a cover or a simple gesture, Hana didn't mind either.

Once inside the car, Sombra checked once again their goods, before throwing the pouch on the dashboard and igniting the car.

"What did you gave him?" Hana asked as they drove away from the parking.

Sombra shrugged.

"Some old vampire jewels."

They returned to the counselor's office only to find Orisa and Lucio sharing stories over a slice of pizza. Hana didn't know whether pizza was very recommended for a frog, but this he used to be human, it should pass. Sombra instantly decided to cut to the chase. She threw the pouch on the desk, the coins ringing as they landed. This got the attention of the voodoo priestess, who smiled genuinely.

"Who got some? Amazing!"

"Can we get to it already? The sun is almost set and I'd like to find that Witch before the moon is up."

Orisa nodded. She took the coins and stood up. She opened the wardrobe to her right and began to prepare something. Though her sight was blocked by the opened door, Hana sneezed at the smell of spices and blood. Lucio seemed contempt with eating his slice of pizza for now.

While they waited, Sombra seemed to be deep in thought, her gaze lost on the desk in front of them. Suddenly, she asked:

"Do you know what gold coins are used for?"

"Well, to my knowledge, a lot of things. I don't know as much as I wish I knew in traditional magic, but locating spells, I am sure of. I think I heard someone one day telling me that you could use them for long distance spell, to extend the distance you wanted to throw your spell at. I never really understood what was the point of it anyway. Illusion spells too, if I recall."

Sombra nodded, then sent a glance at Hana. The younger girl hadn't quite caught up to what Sombra was trying to prove here, but she undoubtedly knew Sombra would catch her up later.

Soon enough the potion was ready. Orisa took a paper map of the city out of her desk drawer and placed it, half-open, on the table.

"Mister Frog, if you please?"

Lucio jumped to seat in the middle of the map.

"How cold is it going to be?"

Orisa took the small wooden mixing bowl in her hand.

"I don't know, I have never tried it on myself. I just know that it is pretty cold."

Lucio seemed to nod. Orisa emptied the golden liquid on him and he trembled.

"Oh man, it's cold!" Lucio shouted when the potion made contact with his skin.

The liquid, passing over him, seemed to be sucked in by the map as soon as it made contact. Once every drop of the potion had fallen off of Lucio, the paper began to glow, highlighting all of the streets. Lucio jumped off and back to his lunch. They all stared at the map until the glow disappeared, slowly but surely. Only a small series of streets were still highlighted, showing them the way to the spellcaster.

Sombra took the map and opened it until she could see the entire path.

"Goddamn it!" she let out once she'd seen their destination.

Hana looked over her shoulder. She followed the golden path from the campus ground and all the way to the old market.

"She was there this whole time! I was right!"

Sombra quickly closed the map and rushed to the door.

"Let's go!"

Hana looked at her girlfriend, then her frog friend.

"Shouldn't we take Lucio with us?"

Sombra only stopped by the door.

"Well yeah, what are you waiting for?!"

Hana sighed. At least now that they knew where the witch was, Sombra would stop obsessing, she hoped.

Sombra drove at top speed, Hana barely managing to hold onto Lucio's box. Once parked at the exact same spot as before, Sombra rushed through the streets, following the map and almost losing Hana. Most if not all shops were closed by now, but it didn't matter, as the map led them to a brick wall. When Sombra stopped in front of this old wall, on which an old add was still partially painted, but too erased to read, Hana thought they'd been led to the wrong place.

Sombra pocketed the map and passed quickly her hand over the bricks until she found what she was looking for. There, hidden in the stones, was a small hole, with a sharp piece of glass embedded inside. Sombra glanced back at Hana.

"If anything happens, don't forget to bring my body back with you."

Hana was shocked for a few seconds.

"Don't say that!"

Sombra smirked, and passed her finger over the glass, cutting her finger. She waited a good minute, making sure some of the blood had fallen into the hole, then pulled her hand out. She stared at the wall. She was sure this was the way to open the passage hidden there. Maybe she needed a different type of blood? She looked back, to ask Hana to do it as well when she realized she was alone. Hana was gone without a trace, replaced by white fog which prevented her from seeing farther than her nose.

"Hana?" she called out.

No answer. How had this fog sneaked up on them? She looked back at the wall. It still hadn't budged. She searched her pockets for her phone but found that it was gone as well. She decided to return to the car, hoping she would found Hana there. Thank goodness she knew her way in and out of the old market by heart.

With a hand on the left wall of the street, Sombra began her slow journey back. She felt eyes watching her, but decided to ignore them, and pretend she hadn't noticed. She took a turn, knowing the exit was at end of the street when she suddenly hit a wall. Sombra frowned. Fog and walls? Someone wanted her trap in here. She turned around, and unsheathed her sword and walked back. She stopped dead in her track, in the middle of the street.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!"

There was a laugh, oh so familiar to the Latina, and a dark figure hidden behind the fog, in front of her.

"As you wish."

The fog around them dispersed, just enough for her to see her target. Only, for the first time in forever, Sombra found herself stunned. This was the witch alright, dressed almost stereotypically, with a large pointed hat, a small red cape and a very short dress with a bat on it. Her spellbook was attached to her belt. Only, there was something utterly wrong with how the witch looked. Blond hair partially hidden by her hat. Steely blue eyes watching her with amusement. Sombra could recognize that face anywhere.

"Angela?"

The witch smirked.

"Close enough." she declared. "Does that mean I should call you Olivia?"

Sombra's eyes grew wide, so much so that they threatened to fall out of their orbit. How?

"You were the witch this whole time? It's impossible!"

"Why do you continue to stubbornly assume that I am her?"

"Because you look alike."

"A trick of the light."

"Because you sound like her."

"We all sound like someone else, don't we? Alright, let's assume that I am indeed Angela. What are you going to do about it, Olivia?"

"Don't call me that!"

"But it is your name, isn't it? So tell me, Olivia, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to kill her? You can't kill me, not anymore. What are you going to do, Olivia?"

Sombra felt her knees trembled. She had never been that afraid for a very very long time. She stared angrily at the Witch in front of her, who began to laugh.

"I'll see you soon, I assume. Goodbye, Olivia!"

Everything disappeared suddenly, and Sombra woke up. She was in the backseat of her car, driving away from the old market. Her head felt like an anvil, being hit repeatedly until she couldn't even move. She stayed on her back, her gaze fixing the ceiling, for a better part of the ride, processing what she'd just discovered.

Hana had been so focused on getting her girlfriend home that she hadn't even notice Sombra was awake until she glanced into the rear-view mirror and saw Sombra's eyes were wide open.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, using a red light to turn around and make sure Sombra looked okay.

"Like I just got shot into space and pulled back to Earth by an elastic band."

"I don't know what happened, but you just fainted, so I thought you were under a sleeping curse, and I wanted to bring you home before we could figure things out."

Sombra's mind seemed to be distant for a moment before she smiled sadly.

"Did you call Jesse?"

"Not yet, why?"

"Call him. I know who is the Witch, and we're going to need his help. Everyone's help, actually."

The light changed to green and Hana began to drive again, though less nervously than before.

"I wasn't under a sleeping curse. It was more of a hallucination, but the Witch could get directly into my brain. It was a trap. And now she knows my name."

A/N: What a twist! But seriously, I hope you are ready because there's only two chapters left, and it's two halves of a single chapter actually. Double-chapter! So, I'll see you guys tomorrow!