Another chapter of the tale of mystery.
FAMILY SECRETS
A HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE FANFIC
Chapter 19
I woke up next morning with a start. Something was very wrong. I could sense it. Someone was attacking the castle! I looked around but didn't find Howl. My guess was that he sensed it long before I did. I hurried out of bed then down the hall. I found Michael there. He was as just dazed and confused as I was. Instinctually, I grabbed my son and hurried downstairs. Calcifer's protection is strongest by the hearth. I was not going to take any chances with my son's life! We would stay there until this was over.
"Calcifer, what's going on?"
"Some wizards showed up and are attacking the castle. Howl is trying to drive them away now. He says to stay put and don't do anything stupid, Sophie. We'll take care of this."
That was the last that Calcifer said to me for a while. He had to focus on helping Howl defend the castle and me. I tried to focus on keeping Arthur calm. He could sense that something was wrong. He didn't understand what was going on, but he was scared. Not that I blamed him. I was scared too. I was no fighter. Even on my best day I couldn't really win against a powerful wizard. I just didn't have the head for battle. My magic was more instinctual. Which is fine in all, but it won't help me win against other wizards. Plus, right now I am not back up to a hundred percent. I would be dead weight out there. It was better that Howl and Calcifer took care of this on their own. They would not let anyone get in. Not so long as they were alive that is. I had to wait patiently for them to handle this. It was so nerve wracking to be helpless!
Slowly the battle slowed down. I hoped that it meant that Howl was starting to win. I didn't know for sure. Since I cannot see outside without compromising Calcifer's security. I could only rely on my other senses to tell me what was going on. They were deadened by the barrier existed around the castle. Only Calcifer could see outside the castle now. And he was too busy to tell me anything.
Arthur started to wail. I bounced him in an effort to quiet him down. Calcifer complained, 'Sophie! I can't concentrate! Please do something!"
I was already trying. The problem was that he was scared. Making Arthur harder to quiet down. I cooed, "Shhh . . . Shhh . . . Everything is alright. It's alright. Shh . . . Daddy's dealing with the bad men now. Everything will be okay. It's alright. Shh . . ."
Arthur started to calm down, but started back up moments later when there was a loud boom. Calcifer started to complain again, but was cut off. Howl had been sent flying into the room. He didn't move for several seconds and I thought for a moment that he was dead. He was bruised and battered. There were several deep gashes that oozed blood. My heart leaped into my throat when I saw him. It had been a long time since I've seen Howl this hurt. He was losing this battle. He needed help!
"Howl!" I screamed.
That seemed to wake him up. He sprung from the floor and sealed the hole in castle just as the enemy was trying to get inside. He smiled at me in a way that did not instill told me that he fully expected to die.
"Howl?" I asked hesitantly.
Howl tried to hide his limp as he walked over to us. I wasn't fooled. He was hurt fairly badly. Things were not going well and he wasn't telling me. He kissed me then touched Arthur. He cooed softly, "It's alright. Just sleep. It will be over soon."
I realized far too late that Howl was casting a sleeping spell. Arthur fell asleep first. Then I fell a moment later. I begged him, "Howl, please, no! Don't!" As the blackness took me.
I awoke sometime later in a room that I did not recognize. It was fancy but still respectable. It was certainly not Howl's castle. I thought for a second that I had been kidnapped but I found Arthur sleeping serenely in a crib nearby. A moment later Lettie entered the room. "Sophie, you're awake!"
"Lettie, where are we?"
She blushed a little. I wasn't sure why exactly. "This is Ben's home. Michael brought you here, after . . ." Her voice trailed off. It was as if she wanted to protect me from something. I had a bad feeling what that something was. I didn't want to hear it, but I had to know.
"After what, Lettie?"
She hesitated for a moment. "After the castle was destroyed. Howl knocked you and Arthur out then ordered Michael to bring you here. He barely had enough time to get you out before the portals collapsed and we lost contact. No one knows where Howl is."
There it was. My worst nightmare. I had lost Howl. Quite possibly for good. I was stunned. I didn't know what to do or what to think. It was like someone had slashed at my heart. Howl was gone. He was gone! What would I do now? Tears started to flow my eyes. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop crying. My husband was dead.
Next Chapter coming up!