Chapter 84- Into The Thorns

Perl paced backwards and forwards in the grubby motel room. The baby slept soundlessly on the bed. She was a bundle of nerves. It wasn’t like she could just give the boy back. Kidnapping would see her in jail. Aunt or no aunt. She couldn’t carry out the execution. She just couldn’t do it. When she looked at his innocent face her heart melted.
But the child was a bad omen that would destroy them. The key to The Lady of The Forests return. Her mind was nothing but a jumbled mess.
When she heard the slamming of car door’s Perl knew that there would be shouting matches. After all Crystal didn’t agree with, she had set out to do. Now she was asking for her help.
Her anxiety raised to an all-new level as the loud knock on her door made her heart leap. It was like she was walking on eggshells as she made her way to the door. Slowly she pulled down the handle and Crystal shoved the door open barging in. She didn’t look at Perl, instead she bee lined for the sleeping boy. Levi followed her inside carrying Ruby.
“What happened to her?” Perl asked.
“Oh, you know she just set the city on fire,” Crystal said sarcastically. Closing her eyes Perl felt the guilt stab at her insides. Ruby had already destroyed one community. Because of her, she had wreaked havoc on the city.
When she opened her eyes the look of adoration on Levi’s face was unmistakable. It was a look that Perl had wished her husband had given her, if only just once. But he was gone. Completely insane, and housed in Arden House, along with her sisters. Was she the one that put him there? Many thought so, however he was never really mentally stable, and the death of his father caused him to have a mental breakdown. Did she feel anything for him? No, she didn’t. But Crystal was lucky. She didn’t want to get married or have her husband chosen for her. Yet the match was perfect. Levi and Crystal’s relationship was one she envied. They loved each other. Evan if they didn’t know it yet, it was there in their eyes.
Crystal was a natural, the way she cradled the baby, to the gentle smile she held on to her face. The boy looked up into her face and made gurgling sounds. To anyone passing by they would think that Crystal was the Childs mother. There was an instant bond between the two. It was like they both knew what it was like to be rejected and singled out because of their heritage.
“I am sorry, I wanted to save our kind,” Perl said through half shed tears.
“Killing? That is all you and mother think about. Something doesn’t go your way. Kill them off,” Crystal shook her head and sighed.
“Death isn’t the answer,” she added in a softer tone.
“I have lived my life by mother’s rule. It will take a while before I can change the way I look at situations,” Perl said.
“No, Perl. All you have to do is listen to your heart. Your instinct and not your head,”
“Is that what you do?” Perl asked.
“Every time,” Crystal smiled, and Levi placed his hand on her shoulders leaning over to get a better look at the child.
“Then what do we do now?” Perl asked them.
“We need to get this little fella out of the country ASAP,” Levi answered as he used his fingers to tickle the boy’s tummy. The baby kicked his tiny legs and made louder cooing noises.
“And what about Ruby?” Perl asked as she eyed her sleeping on the bed. She was too far gone. The darkness had spread and turned her heart black. There was nothing they could do for her.
“If we let her go, she will haunt us all down and have us killed,” Perl said, Ruby needed to be taken care of.
“Killing, death, murder? Yet again!” Crystal roared.
“I get it Crystal, you hate me. But look at her. She is no longer Ruby. She is now a demon out for revenge,”
“First of all, I don’t hate you. I just don’t trust you. Secondly Ruby deserves a chance,”
“Then our lives are in your hands,” Perl sighed. She watched Crystal as she cocked her head to the side and panic spun in her stomach. It was the same look she had seen her mother do. An image of a woman, laying on a stone slab flashed in her mind, and she felt her insides turn hallow.
“She calls to you?”
“Huh?” Crystal pulled a face and shook her head.
“You must ignore her. She is the reason our mother went insane. Josephine isn’t to be trusted,”
“Do you have anything nice to say about anyone?”
“It’s true Crystal. Do not trust her or you will regret it,” Perl wished that Crystal would see the honesty in her eyes, yet she could tell that Crystal only saw deceit. How could she blame her after everything?
“My contact will be here in just over an hour,” Levi broke the silence.
“He deserves more. A family that loves him, honesty, and care,” Crystal whispered as she looked down at the child in her arms.
“You and Perl need to bind his powers and put a protection spell on him,” Levi said, and Crystal sighed.
The subtle way that Levi changed the topic didn’t go unnoticed by Perl. Even he was aware that lies and emotionless families was the norm for witches.
Perl nodded and walked over to Crystal, she put out her hands to take the child, however Crystal cuddled him closer to her chest in a protective manner.
“It’s okay. You need to lay him on the floor,” Perl said hurt with her display of lack of trust towards her.
Crystal gently placed him on the ground and clasped her hands with Perl’s.
Perl watched as Levi snapped the cord for the light switch and handed it to her, she saw Crystal looking curious at the cord, her mouth partly opened then closed again.
Pearl let go of Crystal’s hands and gently wrapped the cord around the Childs hands. Then she linked her hands with Crystal’s once more.
“By air and earth, by water and fire, bound this child as we desire.
By the sun and moon, our deed will be done. The sky and the sea shall keep harm from thee. Cord go round, may his powers be bound. Light revealed now let his powers be sealed,” the cord disappeared from his hands and Perl smiled. It had worked. She had feared that Ruby may have cast a spell that wouldn’t allow magic to be used on the boy.
Crystal tried to pull her hand away, but Perl held on tight. They weren’t done. The small amount of protection that was in the binding spell would do nothing to keep him safe. It would easily be broken.
“Bless this child. May peace dwell within. Protect him from all that goes near. Whether friend or kin,”
Perl let go of Crystal’s hand and looked up into her bright green eyes.
“It is done, he will be safe now. I am sorry for what I did,” Perl apologized again.
“Do you want to make it up to me?” Crystal asked and curiosity rose in Perl’s body.
“How?”
“Free our sisters from whatever mother as done to them,”
“Crystal. I can only try. But I can’t promise you it will work,”
“That’s good enough for me,” she responded as a knock on the door startled them all.