Book 2. Mina - The Hag 2

Book 2. Mina - The Hag 2
Mina remembered the conversation she had had with King Stig. He had told her of her heritage. She had not only mermaid blood but also demon blood from her mother’s side.
“Once you learn how to use the magic of your voice, no one will ever harm you again,” the Hag said as she took Mina’s hand between her palms.
The wounds and bruises on Mina’s body healed, and the pain from her head caused by the hit she received when she had been kidnapped faded away. “Who will teach me?”
“Me, of course. With the help of a few friends that live in the lake,” said the Hag, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mina looked out the window. It was too dark outside to see the lake. “Who lives in those silver waters?”
The Hag grabbed a knife and started cutting slices of cheese and ham. “Two mermaids. You will meet them in the morning.”
Mina snapped her eyes at the Hag. “I thought they were all gone.”
“Not all, but most of them.”
While Mina was intrigued by the mermaids, there were other things she wanted to know. “The Shadows you mentioned earlier… I am afraid I don’t remember them.”
The Hag put some cheese and jam on a slice of bread and took a small bite. “I am not surprised. That day had been very… traumatic for you, and I had to erase a few memories. I am afraid I can’t get them back for you as quite some time has passed since I used my magic on you.”
While Mina would have liked to know what had happened that day, she could live without those memories.“I remember feeling pain in my left wrist. Was that when you erased the memories of the Shadows?”
“Yes. I am still not sure how you ended up in the Enchanted Forest, and we might never find out, but that day, Shadows from another world made their way into the forest.”
“How did the Shadows enter our world?” asked Mina, not quite believing what the Hag was saying.
“Someone opened a portal and invited them in. They wandered around Aylarra for many years before deciding to destroy our world and open another portal to let more Shadows enter. It was then when you stumbled upon them and stopped them.”
“I was only six, how could I have stopped them?”
“With your voice. You shrieked so hard that a crack appeared in the Void, and the Shadows were sent into another Universe.”
Mina took another sip from her goblet. She had a feeling the Hag was telling her the truth. “I shrieked pretty loudly not long ago when I was in the hands of King Stig. Do you think I might have caused another crack? What if the Shadows are back?” she asked, suddenly concerned for the well-being of everyone living on Aylarra.
“The Shadows are long gone. As for your last shriek, you did awaken the Lords of Hel, but they did not enter our world.”
“The Lords of Hel? Who are they?” Mina asked, concerned about what she might have caused.
“They are evil spirits of an old world, condemned to spend the rest of their eternity at the End of the Worlds.”
The End of the Worlds, where Death was. What if she had let Death enter her world? What would then happen to Life?
“I am starting to think my voice is more of a curse than a blessing,” Mina said in a low tone. “I wish I never had it.”
The Hag took another bite of her food and chewed it slowly. “If you didn’t have a Crystal Voice, then how would you make your soulmate whole again?”
“You know of Jayden?”
The Hag nodded. “I know some things, like how Jayden had lost his ocxoa and can no longer walk anymore.”
Mina bit her bottom lip. “Jayden is no longer the man I married in Athea.” She sounded as sad as she felt. “His mind is split between believing he is Abeel or Rax. If Abeel knows I am his soulmate, Rax seems to hate me. His grandfather tried to kill me.”
“You are the only one that can help him.”
“How?” Mina wanted to know.
“While you learn how to use your magic, you must seduce Rax. Make him lust for you.”
Mina laughed bitterly. “I don’t know how to do that. Even if Jayden is my soulmate, he never felt love for me. He was merely content with being married to me.”
The Hag smiled like she knew something Mina didn’t. “That’s because of the curse your dear cousin had put on both of you. But now that the curse is broken use your gypsy side to make Rax love you. Once you do that, you will have your husband back.”
Mina doubt she could make Jayden love her.
“What about his ocxoa?”
“As I said before, what is lost, is lost forever.”
Mina refused to believe there was no away to help Jayden get his ocxoa back. “There must be a way.”
The Hag narrowed her eyes. “Perphaps. But you will need to talk to Life.”
“You know of her?” The Hag nodded. “Where is she?” Mina tried to find out.
“Away from here, in a place that will keep her safe from any danger,” the Hag let Mina know.
“But without his ocxoa how will Jayden be the Uzgaia of his people?” Mina asked.
“As long as he has the Topaz of Power, he will always be the Uzgaia.”
“He no longer has it,” Mina let the Hag know.
The Hag sighed. “I know. But whoever has it now can’t use it, as the power of the topaz is still in Jayden.”
Mina thought for a moment. “Rax?”
The Hag nodded.
Mina took another sip from her wine. “What now?”
“You join the gypsy caravan from Ora Dorei and pass as one them and make Rax fall in love with you. When both Abeel and Rax breath, think, live only for you, then you will have Jayden back. And you can kick his grandfather in the nuts.”
Mina giggled. The Hag was not as scary as people thought. “I can’t wait to have my revenge on that man. But why do I have to join the gypsy caravan?”
“Rax might have a linking to the gypsies. Especially the women,” the Hag wicked. “And to keep you hidden from Fherax until he learns the truth about you being Jayden’s true soulmate.”
“You know even of that?” Mina asked in disbelief.
The Hag shrugged. “The Wind has ears and eyes.”
“When I return to the Archduke’s castle, I will have a very deep conversation with Fherax.”
“That won’t do, he will only trust what comes out of Jayden’s mouth.”
Mina sighed. “Can I kick Fherax twice?”
“Be my guest,” the Hag laughed.
“About Abeel, do I have to make him fall in love with me as well?”
“Abeel knows you are his soulmate and wants you. His heart belongs to you. It is the power of the topaz that is making things difficult. But once you work your magic on him, he will be loyal to you.”
Mina sighed. “Why does my life have to be so complicated?”
Before the Hag could reply, someone knocked on the door. “It didn’t take him long to realize where you were,” she said under her breath. “Enter!”
The door opened, and the Archduke and Herron rushed inside.
“Thank the Gods you are alive and well,” the Archduke said before going to where Mina was and pulling her into a hug.