The wound on my shoulder was searing. Every move made it burn more and more. Even with the wrappings and healing spells, it hadn't calmed down since the day the basilisk bit me. Once again, I needed a distraction from my pain, and my only option this time was the crystal ball.
There wasn't much on, so I was stranded on the news channel. Unfortunately, it was a slow news day, a demon attack here and captured criminal there. I was just about to turn it off when something caught my eye. They were showing a story on Hexide, and the vicious basilisk who invaded it.
According to the reporter, it shape-shifted into the scheduled school inspector, took out principal Bump, and attacked the west side of the campus. What he didn't say was how it was defeated by a bunch of students, one of them human, who mixed magic to lure it into a giant trap. Or that, afterwards, the principal would allow them to continue to mix magic. That was a secret Hexide was desperate to keep hidden.
Though a few students were allowed to tell their story. Most had been drained by the basilisk while a couple had been able to escape. The last student to speak, one with a swollen nose and a scar over their eye, drew a growl from my throat. Without realizing it my ears flattened and I flashed my fangs.
"Not him again" I groaned silently.
"What happened to your nose?" the reporter asked.
"That actually happened earlier" Katif replied with a roll of his eyes. "The beast never touched me".
"But you saw it?".
"Yeah. It was huge, with giant fangs and a long tail!".
"How did you escape it?". The younger witch didn't want to answer that question either.
"Someone pushed me out of the way of its attack in time. Then I did what any smart witch would do and booked it".
"Who?" the reporter pressed, trying his hardest to squeeze a story from the injured witchling.
"Emira". His reluctant answer genuinely shocked me. If I didn't know better, it sounded like there was hidden gratitude behind it. "Emira Blight".
"Really?".
"Yeah. She hasn't been acting right ever since what happened to her family, but she saved my life".
For once, it seemed like that comment wasn't some cruel jab, yet it still hit me hard. What actually happened to my family would never be made public. They would never know that my mother was the one who bound Amity to the amulet. Or that my mother killed Edric, and Edric killed her back. They all thought that some criminal trapped my little sister, and poisoned my brother, and that mom was killed in a freak accident.
But the lies weren't what bothered me. That comment was just another harsh reminder of everything I'd lost. Though Amity and Edric were still here, Amity stayed away from the manor as much as ghostly possible. And Edric…he seemed to still have a sense of humor, thank titan, but he was still all alone.
I tried to think back to what Luz told me in detention. She was right. Our siblingly bond didn't die with him and that flashy dumbass would stay with a lot of witches for an entire lifetime. But that love she said to focus on came with worry. He wouldn't want me too, I know, but it had been my job to keep him safe ever since I was old enough to. The fact he was stuck here…
I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that the news ended until the crystal ball started to buzz. I answered it with a flick of my wrist, causing my sister's face to appear. As always, Luz was beside her.
"Did you see the news?" she asked before anyone could greet each other.
"I saw it". Despite my efforts I failed to hide my sadness. "I got a shout out".
"I think he's finally warming up to you guys". Luz nudged Amity on the arm. "I know what that's like".
The younger witch looked dazed, like the very sight of me fogged up her mind. She'd been like that around me ever since the morning before the basilisk attack. Did she know something I didn't?
"What's the matter, Mittens?" I asked as I pushed my feelings to the side for a moment.
"I should be asking you that," she responded. "You seem…despondent".
"I'm not "despondent". I just miss having my brother and sister around. It hasn't been the same without you two".
"But they're both still here" the human argued, confused.
"It's not the same," I admitted. "I'm not used to having this much time to myself".
"What about dad?".
Dad, he was a broken witch if I'd ever seen one. She had hurt him in more ways than one, but he missed his wife just as much as his two children. Not to mention that his workload had doubled. He now had to do all of mom's job too, while he struggled to find a replacement. Believe it or not but the murderous woman did some good for the family.
"He tries," I sighed. "But he's going through quite a lot right now. It's best not to bother him".
"Well, you've got us," Luz said optimistically. "If you ever need to talk, all you have to do is call and talk".
"I'll keep that in mind" I thanked. "I suppose I can always talk to Edric too. He just won't be able to say anything back…ever again".
"Is there really nothing we can do?".
"I'm not an oracle. But according to mom, yeah".
"Well maybe you should go talk to another oracle. Maybe your mom was wrong".
"I doubt that" Amity cut in. "Our mother knew a lot about oracle magic, she had to in order to bind me to the amulet".
"But your mom was pretty terrible". Believe me, I didn't need the reminder. "She could've lied".
She…she had a point! Mom also told us there was no way Amity could go to the spirit realm, but the book we found in the library told us something entirely different.
"That's actually a great idea," I said as my posture grew a little taller. "I should ask Gannet about that".
"Is that the oracle you found that hates mom?" Amity questioned unsurely. "Isn't he a little bit of a…wizard?".
"Just because he's got a long beard and wears a shroud does not mean he's one of those frauds" I scoffed. "He's legit".
"Hey!" the owl lady called from the background. "I thought you two had cleaning to do".
"We've gotta go, Em". Amity gave me a small wave. "Talk to you later".
"Talk to you later, sis. I'll tell you two how things go".
I was in a hurry to get to Gannet, but I had to tell dad where I was going first. Ever since we lost Edric, he panicked everytime I left the manor without him knowing.
Strangely, dad wasn't down in his lab, or in the kitchen, or the living room. I checked every room I could possibly think of, but he wasn't in any of them either. It was very unlike him these days, but he may have left without letting me know.
I was just about to forget about dad when I noticed one of the doors slightly cracked open. Of course, it was the door to the one room I avoided like the white-death: Mom's study. Why he was in there, I didn't know. Maybe he needed some documents from her desk, or maybe he wanted to soak in whatever presence mom had left in there.
With a timid knock, I slowly crept in. I found my father sitting at the large wooden desk, with his head in his hands. He usually looked a bit sickly, pallor skin, sunken eyes, but I had never seen him look so anguished. For a moment, I thought he wasn't breathing but then his ear flicked.
He sat up and faced me. Once it clicked in his head who he was looking at, my father gathered what little strength he could to address me.
"Hello, sweetheart. How is your shoulder?".
"It's fine" I shrugged before grimacing in pain. "I just wanted to let you know I was going to town".
"Why? What do you need from town? I could always fetch it for you". The urgency in his voice was heartbreaking.
"It's okay, dad" I soothed. "When we found out about the amulet, Ed and I consulted an oracle about freeing Mittens. I'm going to go speak with him".
"Should I come with you?".
"I don't need a baby-sitter. You stay here and try to focus".
My answer brought a solemn smile to my father's face. His sleep deprived eyes lit up for what seemed like the first time in years.
"You sound like your mother," he purred before his jaw suddenly dropped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it lik–".
"I get it, dad". I let out the anger stewing inside of me with a deep breath. "You loved her. I wish I could say the same".
Neither of us said anything for a few moments. We had nothing more to say on the topic, so we just sat there in the less awkward silence. Finally, I told him I'd be back in an hour or so and left for Gannet's. I could tell by the look on his face his slip up would haunt him for the rest of the evening. It would probably bother me just as much.
The marketplace wasn't busy in the slightest. The sun was almost done setting so no surprise there. By the time I made it to the pavilion in front of Gannet's store, the first couple stars for the night were in the sky.
It was a very large place filled with supplies like crystal balls, scrying mirrors, assortments of tea leaves, mainly anything an oracle would need. It was always open very late, since the witch who ran it was rather nocturnal. Reading the stars was one of his prowess after all.
He was sitting at a table in the corner. A cozy little work area, it had a nice, crocheted tabletop and a ton of scented candles surrounding it. In front of him was a purple crystal ball, made from the same stone as the amulet was.
"Emira," he greeted. His voice was pleasantly thunderous. "I was–".
"Expecting me?". He simply nodded, not minding my interruption.
"I foresaw you would come to me with a problem. What ails you?".
With an outstretched hand, he invited me to sit on the other side of him. I made my way to the table but did not take a seat. My nerves urged me to stand.
"I'm here to talk about Edric".
"Hmm, yes" he murmured as his jovial smile faltered. "He's a good witchling, a good brother I'm sure".
"So, you don't know what happened to him?". Dread clumped in my chest. I did not want to relive those awful memories by telling him the whole story.
"Of course, I do. Poor lad, struck down by his own flesh and blood".
"Not just struck down, exorcized".
"Ah yes, I knew that too. Also done by his mother I presume?".
"That's what I'm here to talk about" I continued, not daring to answer his question. "I was wondering if–".
"I could help bring his form back?". He took a second to laugh. "You're not the only one who can cut people off".
"So, can you? Mom said it was impossible, but you seem to know about spirits better than she did".
"Does" he corrected. "And I'm afraid she's right".
"There's no way that you know of? Maybe I should go to the head of the oracle coven. They might know how".
"Thousands of oracles have tried to undo exorcisms, but not a single one of them has succeeded. Death is for the hopeless, you know, swept into acceptance by a river of fate. Unlike us who get to decide where we go next".
"So, you're saying he's doomed to be the wind forever?" I asked incredulously.
"Not doomed, missy, destined. He will find his peace much easier than you will find yours. Like I said, you have to search for it".
I couldn't look at the witch. My saddened gaze wandered around in search of anything that would help with the pain growing inside of me. It kept finding the crystal balls on the wall, their purple shine slowly igniting an idea in me.
The thought made me sick to my stomach, but the more I mulled it over the less and less choice I had. Gannet said that Edric had no control of his destiny, but I did. I could find an answer, but I needed the help of a powerful oracle. And dad needed help to help manage finances, and no one knew how to run the company like she did.
I hated that witch with my very soul, but I needed her.
"I know what you're thinking, Emira, but Edric's death is not your life to live. You must keep traveling down your path instead of staying stopped at the edge of his".
"But this is my path, I didn't stop being his sister when he died." I pressed. "I'll make sure he'll get to rest in the spirit realm, but I need her help to do it".
"Is that really a witch you want here? Her leave from your life has been a blessing for you so far".
"Except it hasn't. It's not fair that she gets to ruin everything and then not face any consequences".
"What's fair is usually crueler than what's needed. You want to do the same horrible thing your mother did to your little sister".
That wasn't entirely true. I wouldn't ask my mother to kill anyone or use the writhe command when she refused to. I was not that cruel. I was not my mother!
I swallowed my anger again, taking more deep breaths. My nails dug into the table slightly, the tiny scratches it made grounding me. We could argue all night, but we'd just be repeating ourselves.
"She'll be under my control. What harm can she do?".
"Some good, a lot of pain, that's what will come from this". When my stare didn't break, he sighed, picked up the ball beside him, and smashed it into the ground. He picked up a small shard, only a sliver, and delicately laid it in front of me.
"It will take some time, and a connection between the deceased and the living". He showed me his palm, subtly asking me to do the same.
With the piece of stone he picked up, he drew a large cut in my palm. He squeezed the wound like he was milking a spider demon. My blood drenched the shard until it was completely red.
"Give me until dawn," Gannet said. "And then your mother will be in your control".
