Another chapter of the tale of mystery.
FAMILY SECRETS
A HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE FANFIC
Chapter 27
Living with a wizard was never easy. There was always something on the horizon that would disrupt our with Howl being with the most powerful and famous wizard of all Ignary it was even worse. One tended to be targeted simply for being associated with him. I knew this going in and I stand by decision. I love our life together. Marrying Howl was the right choice. I accepted the good with the bad. It was just part of life with him.
I realized recently that living with a witch could be just as difficult. Over the last few weeks I have dragged Howl straight through hell. I didn't want to do that, but that's what happens when you were being targeted. Bad things happened. People got hurt. Although I was typically the one getting hurt. I had a tendency to be out of commission a lot. Something that I was not proud of. I did not want to be one being nursed. I did not want to make him worry. I was the one who was supposed to be taking care of him! I had failed spectacularly in that regard. I placed too much of a burden upon him. This had gone too far. It had to end now.
Too bad that I had no idea how to do that. Grandfather was now sealed away. He couldn't harm me or my family ever again. Which was great, but Grandfather couldn't have been the only one after me. There was no way for him to get me. He was pulled from a time shortly after my birth. He needed me because I had the power to open doors in space and time. He lacked that power himself. He only had a rudimentary amount of control over them. He could see him being able to find doors but not open them. It seemed that only I had that power. There was no way for him to attack me or harm father. It simply was not possible.
There was only one answer: The culprit was someone else.
I did not know who that was. Nor I did not know why they were after me. I didn't even know if the one who killed father was the same as the one after me. I knew so little. My life was still very much in danger. This was not over.
We needed to find the ones responsible before they found me. If that happened then it might be too late. Even Howl may not be able to protect me. Last time he was barely able to fend off the attack. The main reason that he survived was that I pulled him into the future. I am not sure that I could do that next time. I am not even sure how I did it this time! It was all instinct. Just like all of my magic. It was as unpredictable and as it was wild. There were no guarantees. It was best to avoid having to use that power. Something told me that I shouldn't use it anyway. It should only be of last resort. It was too dangerous to use again.
It didn't hurt that opening doors also wiped me out. I wasn't sure how many I could open before I became bedridden again. The amount of magic required was enormous! I did not want to do that if I could help it. The last thing that I wanted to was increase Howl's burden! There had to be another way. I would do my best to find it.
I expected more attacks any day now. Yet, far we had been left alone but I don't know why. We were at our weakest when I was trapped in bed. I was easy prey. Of course, there were a lot of extra magicians around the castle. That might have been the reason why they stayed away. Now they were gone. I was still weak from sending everyone home. It would be the perfect opportunity to attack. Yet, still no attack came. It's possible that Howl had scared them away for the time being. They might have underestimated him. That was a fool's errand. My Howl may be both flaky and unpredictable but he was a force to be reckoned with. He would do anything to protect his family. It was wise not to test that. Maybe they got that message. Somehow though I doubt it.
I had asked Howl what happened that day when we were attacked. As expected, he didn't want to tell me. He simply avoided the question. Leaving me that much more in the dark. I had hoped that it would help me discover who was after me. I should have known that Howl would try to shield me. He always did that. I knew that it was because he loved me, but right now that wasn't helping. I needed answers. He had some of them. I needed him to tell me what he knew!
I hated the idea of sitting around doing nothing. So I decided to visit my stepmother again. I hoped that she might have something useful to add. It was worth a shot. I left Arthur with Michael and ventured back to her house. I hoped that she wasn't so angry anymore. That maybe she would speak to me. I needed to know more about father's death. She may not know everything, but she might give me a clue. She was with father when died. Maybe she saw something or heard something out of place? I didn't honestly believe that Fanny had anything to do with his death, but she might have a clue as to who did.
At the door I was turned away. This time it was because Fanny did not want to see me. I begged them to ask her to change her mind. I insisted that it was important. They wouldn't bulge. Eventually, I got so frustrated that I just used my magic to change their minds. I didn't feel good about it, but I was desperate! They let me in then guided me to Fanny. Who was surprised and annoyed by my appearance.
"You bewitched my servants?" Fanny did not look at me as she spoke. "My, what a perfect little witch you have become!"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that. I was just desperate! I need to speak to you."
She wheeled around to face me. "You need nothing! Your husband accused me of murdering your father! I do not wish to speak to either of you!"
I shook my head. "That's not what Howl meant." I quickly added. "Okay, so I know that it sounded that way, but that's not what he meant!"
"So he was lying?"
"No, he wasn't. Howl wouldn't lie about something like that. Not when it comes to magic."
"Then he was accusing me of murder." She said flatly.
I shook my head. "No, he wasn't. He only said that father was murdered by someone. He did not think that it was you."
She sighed. "Somehow that does not make me feel better."
"Howl would never say something so horrible to me unless it was true. I'm sorry, but it seems that father was murdered! I don't know how I feel about it." Fanny gestured for me to sit down. I took the chair next to her then continued. "However, after what happened last week I believe that it is possible."
She looked at worriedly, "What has happened?"
"No one told you?"
I told her everything. From the mysterious letter, all the way to my new found power to open doors in space and time. I told her I met father and mother again. I told her that both of them had powers. I told her that my Grandfather drove mother and father back to Ingary. They didn't want him to get a hold of me. I also mentioned that the one attacking me earlier was most likely not Grandfather. Since I sealed him away from a time shortly after when I was born. There was no way for him to send wizards against us. It had to be someone else. Who that was I have no idea. However, it was likely that person was also responsible for father's death. It's really hard to say. It was a chilling thought indeed.
When I was done Fanny stood up and started to pace. Clearly, the news had not been what she wanted. I honestly believe that Fanny knew none of this. Somehow I doubt that father told her any of this. It made me wonder why he married Fanny. She was not a witch by any stretch of the word. Nor was she a powerful woman like mother. She was your typical middle-class social climber. She wasn't part of our world. It wasn't right to drag her in on it. Yet, that's what father did. Now I had to drag her back in. For I needed any further information that she might have. She was there with father during his last days. She might know something useful or she may not. I had to burden her with this knowledge. I had to ask for her help.
"I'm sorry, Fanny, but I have to ask you again: What happened the last few days of father's life?"
Next Chapter coming up!