Chapter 15

Colin looked at the clock again. Maddy still hadn’t come out of her room. He set the spell book down and went over to the coffee pot. He knew she’d been tired yesterday, but not this tired, yet the fact that it was two hours past the time she’d gotten up each day since his being here proved it.

He sat back down and looked at the clock. Unless she was still mad at him for last night. He hadn’t seen or spoken to her since she’d taken her dinner to her room.

Sarabi came in and sat just inside the door, looking at him.

-I hate to ask, but I have no thumbs. Can you open Maddy’s door for me?

"Do you think she’s still mad at me?” The cat didn’t move. “You could go in and smooth the way for me.” If only the animal understood him.

-Love to! Door?

“I should just go apologize.”

-And open the door. I could probably bounce it down, but then Maddy would yell.

Colin got up and walked slowly toward her room.

Sarabi quickly followed. He stood there looking at the door.

-She won’t bite you, go ahead.

He tapped on the door lightly. “Maddy?”

-Okay, I’m going to bite you if you don’t open the door!

Colin stepped back when the cat nudged him out of the way and placed one large black paw on the door. She looked up at him. “Why didn’t you just ask?” he mumbled. The cat looked up at him, and he swore the expression on her face said ‘asshole’. He opened the door a few inches, and Sarabi butted it with her head and darted into the room.

He stood to the side and looked into the darkened room. Maddy would have to come out at some point. He turned to leave and almost landed on his face as Sarabi plowed into him. He regained his balance and looked down at her. She circled around him and shoved him towards the room.

He stumbled into the room. “Maddy?” The cat kept pushing at him. He knelt by the side of her bed. “Maddy?” He whispered again. No response. With his brow furrowed, he felt around the lamp on the table, trying to find a switch. He got up, went to the window, and pulled the drapes back. Turning again, he looked at her.

Did she look paler than normal?Her hair was spread out across the pillow neatly. She must not move around much in her sleep, he thought, knowing he himself flipped all over the bed. “Maddy?” Colin spoke louder this time. Still no response. He was about to chalk it up to a deep sleeper when the large cat got up on the bed and looked down at her. He went over and touched her shoulder. “Maddy?”

He shook her shoulder. “Ramada.” Her eyes flickered but then closed again. Sitting down, he shook her again. Her eyes opened and looked at him without seeing him, and then they closed again.

Colin bolted up and ran out of the room, Sarabi right behind him. He ran into the study and picked up the phone. Who did he call? Certainly not the hospital. What if this had something to do with magic somehow? “Shit!” He slammed the phone back down. Leaning over, he touched the large book on the desk. “How do I use this?” He looked at the cat. Sarabi turned and looked at the mirror cabinets on the wall. “Yes!”

Colin made it to them in two strides. He flipped open both of them at once. As soon as the blur of images began to appear, he spoke quickly. “I can’t wake Maddy up.” He looked from one to the other. “Call the professors or someone.”

-Her father vanished from his mirror.

“Colin, calm down,” Katherine said quickly. “Go back to Maddy until someone gets there, and then let us know what is going on.”

He nodded and bolted from the room.

The cat ran by him to the back door and looked out it. “Bring them in when they get here, girl.”

~

Colin tried a few more times to bring Maddy around while waiting for someone. When Regina rushed breathlessly into the room, he sat there holding Maddy’s hand. He looked at her. “She went to bed early last night. I can’t get her to wake up.”

Regina nodded and went quickly around to the other side. “Alice, go get some wet clothes.”

Colin’s head snapped around, and then he spotted her standing at the door. Alice nodded and left quickly.

Regina checked Maddy’s pulse and lifted one of her eyelids as she spoke. “Alice was at the academy when Gerald called.”

Colin nodded. “Do you know what’s wrong?”

Regina glanced from Maddy to him briefly. “I have my suspicions.”

He looked from Maddy’s face to glare at her. “And they are?”

Regina sat back and looked at him. Slowly she moved her eyes to his hands holding Maddy’s. “The connection.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “The connection?” She nodded. “Meaning?”

She reached and brushed a hand over theirs. “How many hours have the two of you been apart?”

He scowled. “We haven’t. It’s not like one of us could go anywhere.”

She shook her head. “No. I mean, she went to bed early and alone, I’m presuming.”

He nodded slowly.

“How many hours ago?”

Colin glanced at the clock. It was almost ten now. “Roughly fourteen hours.”

Regina thought for a moment. “How long are you usually apart at night?”

Colin shrugged. “That’s varied. Six to eight hours, I suppose.” His eyebrows shot up. “The withering?” He looked down at Maddy and then back at her. He sighed and closed his eyes as he spoke, “Contact. There has to be contact between us.”

Regina nodded when he opened his eyes again.

“Regina?” Alice stood at the door holding clothes and a dish. “What is he talking about?”

Regina stood up and went over to her. She took the items from her hands and set them on the table. “I’ll explain in the study, Alice. Katherine and Gerald need to be informed.” She smiled at Colin and motioned to his hand holding Maddy’s. “Just stay with her, Mr. Gregor.”

Colin nodded and watched them leave.

“Colin?”

He looked down at Maddy. “You’re awake.”

Maddy rubbed a hand over her heavy eyes. “Why are you and Professor Galt in my room?”

Oh, he thought with a cringe, she’s not going to like this. “I’ll explain as soon as you’re completely awake.”

She gave him a wary glance and looked over at her clock. “Why did you let me sleep so late?” I wanted to start trying reversals today.”

He leaned down and touched her cheek. “You needed the rest.” He kissed her mouth softly. “I’m sorry about last night,” he whispered against her lips.

She gave him a groggy smile. “It’s okay, I was just tired and being a grump.” Pushing herself more upright, she glanced at the door. “Now, why were you and Regina—”

“And Alice,” he added quickly.

She looked at the door again and then leaned closer. “Alice is here too?” she whispered.

He nodded.

Maddy sighed and rubbed her face. “Okay, go. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He stood up. “We’ll be in the study, uh, talking to your parents.”

Maddy grimaced, “Geez’ I sleep in once, and the whole community arrives.” She got up quickly after he left and rushed over to her dresser. As she pulled the black yoga pants out, she smirked. If people were going just to drop in, they’d have to deal with the first thing she grabbed to put on.

~

Setting the coffee cup down, Maddy stood up and looked from her parents’ mirrors to everyone in the room. Colin was leaning against the desk, staring at the floor. Regina had her hands clasped before her, and Alice looked grim. “Let me see if I’m understanding all of this.” She looked at her mother for a moment and then turned back to Colin, “You couldn’t get me to wake up, so you called my parents, and they in turn called Professor Galt and Alice here.” No one interrupted, so she sighed and continued. “And if you and I go too long without contact.” A word she hesitated to use in front of her father, but thought how much worse could it get? “For too long, I just start what, fading?”

Colin looked at Regina, and she nodded. “More or less.” He crossed his arms in front of him and studied her. She still wasn’t anywhere near awake, but overall was handling this well so far. “After I held your hand for a short time, you woke up.”

Maddy dropped her face into her hands for a moment and then pushed all her hair back from her face. She turned to her mother. “Mama, this is getting more impossible all the time.” She glanced at the Quaich and, for a brief second, thought of smashing it to bits and taking a chance with whatever comes next. “If Colin and I are too close, Brenna Darcy’s spirit takes over, and I’m guessing in the end, I’d have to die for her to live in my body.” She jerked her head to look at her father. “Now, if I don’t stay close to Colin, I’m going to just fade away and die anyways.” She flung her hands in the air. “Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?”

Colin watched her silently. She was leaning more toward how he’d figured she would handle this.

Maddy walked over and looked at the marker board. “If we’ve interpreted this correctly, Colin and my blood have to unite.” She glanced at her father briefly. “And I’m pretty sure they don’t mean in a blood brothers pact kind of uniting.” Her father’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak. “The spirits are just hovering to take over our bodies, so they have a corporeal shell.”

Katherine cleared her throat. “I think we definitely need to focus our energies on the spirits first. As long as you and Colin stay near to each other, the curse is for now satisfied, and then both of you are safe.” She glanced at her husband, who didn’t look at all pleased but hadn’t verbally objected.

Alice stepped forward. “I have been doing some research, I’ll continue that.” She looked around the room. “I’m going back to the academy if anyone needs me.” Regina nodded at her, and she left.

The room was filled with silence for several long moments.

Ginger came into the room. “I just spoke to Alice.” She looked at Maddy and gave her a sympathetic look. “Do you need anything?”

Maddy shook her head.

Colin cleared his throat and watched Maddy as he spoke. “While the four of you are here, I’d like to bring up something else.”

Maddy turned and gave him a curious look. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“Let what go?” Gerald inquired.

Maddy sighed. “It’s nothing to do with the curse, well, this curse, but Colin thinks Alice may have something to do with the first one.” She watched her mother carefully as she said the last part.

Katherine’s eyebrow rose, and she looked at her. “How do you mean?

Maddy shrugged and turned to Regina. “Is there any way possible that she is involved?”

Regina frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Ginger stepped over towards the mirrors. “Uh, I don’t know if this is connected at all, but Alice has been working non-stop to find a way—any way to get rid of Colin and keep him out of Maddy’s life. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m sure you’re overreacting,” Regina began.

Colin moved away from the desk and walked closer to Maddy. He spoke to everyone, but he watched her as he did it. “I think she’s done something to the stone that Maddy never takes off.” He glanced at Katherine. “The one that was yours.”

Gerald looked at his wife. “Is this possible? Could the stone have been altered in some way?”

Katherine frowned. “Alice gave Maddy the stone after the curse was discovered—”

“We could remove the stone and check it or check for a trace on Ramada without her having it on,” Regina said quietly.

Maddy held up her hands. “Everyone, just back off for a second.” She paced over to the window and looked out it silently. Turning, she bit her lip. “I need a few minutes and a bit more coffee. I can’t even think right now.”

Her mother nodded. “Of course, sweetheart.”

Maddy nodded, picked up her cup, and left the room.

Everyone turned to look at Colin. He looked from one to the other. “I’ll go see if she’s all right.” He quickly went after her.

~

Colin stepped into the kitchen to see her standing there looking into her cup.

“I’ve waited all these years to know, and now that there’s something that has never been tried, I’m scared stiff.” She didn’t look up from the cup.

He leaned back against the counter and looked across the room at her. “You could look at it this way—if I’m wrong, you can throw it in my face and continue doing your backward spell things.”

Maddy smirked at him. “This is true.” She set the cup on the counter. “And if you're right, my whole world changes again.”

Colin shrugged. “I can relate to that, recently everything I knew has been tipped upside down and shaken a few times.”

Maddy stopped in front of him. “Yeah, I keep forgetting your position. You’ve been taking it all in stride, I keep forgetting that until you went to the museum, you knew nothing of magic.”

He ran a hand gently down her arm. “I’m trying not to scream like a little girl most of the time.” Colin pulled her into his arms and hugged her against him. “Of course, there’s the bonus of this, it helps a lot.” He lifted her chin and brushed his mouth over hers, “it definitely helps.”

Maddy leered at him. “Let’s go get this over with.”

~

Colin stood back, not sure what was going to take place. Ginger mixed oils in a dish as Regina watched. Maddy’s parents both sat there silently observing while Maddy looked like she wished she were somewhere else. The large cat sat beside Colin, and he took a small comfort in knowing that he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t do anything in this whole deal.

Maddy looked at her parents once more and then at him for a moment. She had her hand over the stone against her chest. Colin nodded at her, trying to give her what little encouragement he could in all of this.

“Whenever you’re ready, Maddy,” Regina said softly. She nodded to Ginger to start waving the dish of oils around Maddy.

Maddy kept her eyes on Colin as she lifted the chain off her neck. She set it on her desk and stepped away, closing her eyes.

Colin heard her mother gasp and looked at her for a second. He saw why she gasped, there was a soft glow around Maddy.

“I don’t believe it,” Gerald said venomously.

Maddy opened her eyes and looked at her professor. “You see it? Can you trace it?” She could barely breathe, her lungs felt like they were in her throat. Regina looked at her and then jolted when the chimes went off.

“I don’t think a trace will be needed,” Ginger said quietly. She watched out the door. “Alice is practically running here.”

Maddy looked at her mother and shook her head. “I only wore it because it was yours.”

Katherine closed her eyes for a moment. “I know.” She took a deep breath and looked away from her daughter, watching the direction she knew Alice would soon be visible from.

Colin wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he wasn’t taking any chances as he moved over and stood in front of Maddy. He felt her shaking hands grasp the back of his shirt. Sarabi leaped over and crouched down, facing the door.

Alice stepped into the room and looked around at everyone. “What is happening?” She placed a hand against her chest and looked around again. “Has something happened?”

Colin reached over, picked up the chain and citrine off the desk, and swung back and forth on his finger. “Why don’t you tell us, Mrs. Smythe?” Alice zeroed in on the object he held, and when she looked back up at him, the look in her eyes was ice cold.

She snarled at him. “I knew you’d be trouble the moment I set eyes on you!”

Colin took a step forward and felt Maddy’s fingers pulling at his shirt. Leaning down, he touched the top of the cat’s head. “Stay,” he said softly. Sarabi straightened up and stood in front of Maddy. Her tail switched back and forth, her ears were flat, and her lips pulled back to reveal deadly white teeth.

Colin took another step toward Alice. He wanted to pick her up by the throat, but instead, he stopped and stood there. He tossed the chain at her and watched it bounce off her chest and hit the floor. “What possible reason could you ever have to do something like this to Maddy? Are you that sick that you wanted to see a fifteen-year-old girl suffer more after the loss of her mother?”

Alice grinned. “What do I care how she suffers?” She looked at Maddy. “It should have been me that the high council called upon.” She bent down and picked up the citrine, and glared at Maddy. “I had the strongest magical abilities—until your mother came along. Hereditary old magic. Do you know I had to practice ten times longer to master every spell? But I did it!” She hissed, “It won’t be you the council looks at in the future, it will be my Veronica that takes your mother’s place when her time has served.”

Colin shook from the rage that flashed through him. He took two long strides toward the hissing woman. Alice flipped a hand towards him, and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. He clawed at his throat while gasping to catch his breath.

“Enough!” Katherine shouted. Alice turned wide-eyed and looked at her. “You forgot I’m still here.” She stated quietly and looked at Colin to see him breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath. “You’ve broken at least four of our laws, Alice—you cursed my daughter, then used a talisman to block the traces. You used violent magic. Worse still, you used it on someone, not from our community.” She cleared her throat. “Alice Smythe, I hereby revoke your magical ties—”

“No, no, Katherine, I—” Alice ran towards the mirror.

Katherine continued, “You will be forbidden to associate with the community, outside of your direct family—if they’ll still have you and will, from this day forward, bear the mark of a criminal in our society.” She turned and nodded to someone outside of the mirror.

Colin jumped and pulled Maddy into his arms when two men appeared out of nowhere on either side of Alice. While one of them was holding some sort of stone over Alice’s head, the other one touched the side of her neck. Then they were gone as quickly as they had appeared. Alice touched her neck, and when she moved her hand, he saw a purple x on her skin.

“No,” Alice whispered and looked at everyone in the room. She looked at Maddy and then turned towards the door. “No.” Her own daughter stood in the doorway.

Veronica looked at her mother and shook her head. “How could you? Maddy has been like a sister to me since we met.”

Alice rushed towards her daughter. “No, there’s been a mistake.”

Veronica stepped back and raised her hands so her mother wouldn’t touch her. “I heard every word. Ginger called me before they began, and I was right behind you in the portal, Mother, I watched you run in here, and I’ve been standing here the whole time.”

Alice shook her head. “Veronica—Ronnie—”

Veronica turned and pointed towards the door. “Just go.”

Alice looked around again at them, then turned and ran out of the room.

Veronica turned to Maddy with a tear running down her face. “I had no idea.”

Maddy’s eyes watered. “I know. No one did.”

Veronica turned and looked at Katherine. “I’m sorry.” She sniffled. “I-I need to go tell my Dad.”

Katherine nodded. “I know you had nothing to do with this. Tell your father he will have the community’s support.”

Veronica wiped her eyes and nodded. “Thank you.” She looked again at Maddy, slowly turned and walked from the room.

Gerald looked at his wife with sympathy and then turned to Regina. “Remove the curse. With Alice’s magic revoked, it shouldn’t take more than a few moments.”

Maddy clung to Colin. She had dreamt of the day the curse would be gone, but a small part of her feared the change it would bring.

~

It took over an hour for Regina and Ginger to remove all traces of Alice’s curse. Most of that time was spent checking to be certain all traces were erased. With her parents watching and Colin at a safe distance, Maddy tested her abilities. For the first time in twelve years, she was able to do things without having to think of the opposite. It was exhilarating and overwhelming all at once.