Chapter Sixteen

                                    

                                          


Malin POV
· • – ٠ ✤ ٠ – • ·•· . ·' ♥ '· . ·•· • – ٠ ✤ ٠ – • ·

Natalia nodded and lifted the heavy-looking spell book. It had golden patterns on the cover that I didn't have the chance to see before. 
She opened it to the page she was looking for and then glanced at me, "Ready?" she asked as her eyes stayed on mine. I don't know what it was, but every time her eyes landed on me, I felt comfort like I'd never felt for a very long time.
This bond felt crazy, it was terrifying.
I nodded even though I didn't really know what I was agreeing to be ready for.
Maria put her black curly hair into a ponytail and walked towards me. She put one of the jars beside me before lighting the contents with fire. She did it to a couple of jars and the smell of burnt leaves and other things (most were repulsive) spread inside the room.
"I don't think we did that before," I said as I tried not to inhale the smell of the concoctions surrounding the room.
"Natalia will do what she did before and I'll be the one to counter it to see what exact spells were accidentally put on you both and these will tell me what it is," she motioned to the light column of smoke coming from the jars. "When we find what spell it was, we'll be able to reverse it," she explained as she continued lighting the jars. "Hopefully," she said under her breath.
I didn't really understand how these all work, if I didn't experience this firsthand, I would think they were both bonkers.
Natalia took a breath and started to chant words I didn't understand. She continued reading from the spell book but I didn't feel anything different. I didn't feel pain, and I didn't feel closer to fixing this shit. I was worried it didn't work but it didn't stop me from getting anxious if it did work.
Then Natalia touched my chest with her scarred hand like she did before and suddenly I was blinded with pain. I cried out from the sudden burst of pain as I pulled on my hands and the ropes dug into the skin of my wrist as I tried to get away.
I clenched my hands so hard that I felt pain in my palm from my fingernails digging in. 
I barely saw Natalia lean forward and put her other hand on my stomach to keep herself from leaning forward and falling. I heard her soft groans of pain mingled with mine as we both tried to handle the pain.
The flames on the candles grew taller as Natalia kept her hand on my chest, and the room grew brighter.
I stared at Natalia numbly. She had her eyes closed and breathed hard as a thin layer of sweat covered her forehead. I watched as her lips part slightly as she tried to control her breathing.
The pain ebbed away as I gave myself away to exhaustion. My body felt heavier on the bed. 
Maria walked toward me and opened my shirt to reveal the red scar across my chest. It was raw and sensitive like it did the first time I got it, but it was still there. Did it work? She checked Natalia's hand and it was also still there.
Maria nodded and took her quill and wrote on the book beside her. "I got a spell, you both need rest, we can continue this tomorrow," she said and started to pack her things.
All that pain, all that chanting. And we only got one spell. How long was this going to take?
Natalia and I were still breathing hard like we had just come out of a tiring battle. Maybe we did.
Maria touched Natalia's shoulder "Let's walk you home," she said softly.
"Hey, how about me? You're not going to keep me here right?" I asked, my voice rough, worried that that might be their actual plan.
Natalia took a breath. She looked as tired as I am. She leaned onto the bed's headboard and closed her eyes for a moment before untying my wrists slowly. Maria went to my ankles to untie them as well. After that, I sat up to rub my wrist.
"I thought this will be done in one sitting," I mumbled as I rubbed my red wrist covered in rope burns.
Maria shook her head "No, it's never easy reversing spells. We don't usually have to," she said trying to pack up her things.
I guess I understood but hated the fact that we'll have to do this again. I just need to remember this is all for Natalia to live and I hope we're not too late when it happens.
I put my boots on the floor as I sat on the bed, my body slowly shutting down from exhaustion. The few seconds of pain really drained me and my sickness made me weaker than I'd ever been.
My chest started to ache but not from the scar. I coughed on my sleeve and was thankful that my sleeve was black and that the two women wouldn't see the blood that stained it.
I slowly stood up and turned to the door, "I guess I'll see you both tomorrow," I said and slowly walked to the door with heavy feet. I passed Natalia when I felt a hand on my wrist stopping me in my tracks.
I turned to look at her as she pushed back my unstained sleeve to show my battered wrist, It had a purple and red mix in my skin that looked bad but I barely felt it.
I felt tingles up my arm as she rubbed her thumb softly on my bruised wrist. She kept her thumb on my wrist as her green eyes burned deep into mine. "Let this be the last time we tie you up here," she said softly and dropped my arm and I immediately missed the contact. She looked back making sure Maria was still distracted packing up her things.
She's basically telling me not to fight so they wouldn't have to hurt me and tie me up. It was a very confusing kind of concern, but I'll take any kind of affection at this point in my life.
It was a brief interaction but it didn't stop my heart from doing somersaults at her fleeting touch. My heart wasn't this easy before, I had a wall around my emotions for a long time. Is this bond making shit up in my head? Making me hope for an unattainable future?
I turned to her and gave her a tired nod before walking out of the door.
I was touched by her small concern. I didn't know if she was being nice because I didn't make it harder than I could've had, or because of the unexpected connection that we had.
But whatever it was, it made me feel good, a feeling that I hadn't had in a while. 
I walked up to the gates and then passed the hallway to the carpeted castle interior, and my assigned knight immediately followed behind me.
I went to the large kitchen and heated a kettle of water for my medicine and walked up to my room.
The knight stood outside my room making sure I didn't do anything stupid. To be honest, I didn't really have the energy to do anything right now, but I guess they knew the risk of me having even an ounce of energy will have me fleeing the kingdom.
I made my medicinal teas and it made me think about Luella. I hope she's doing okay with me gone. I do most of the hard labor at home like chopping wood and other heavy-lifting things she couldn't do herself and I worried that she had to do those things herself and get hurt.
She worked most of her days in town and came home late. She works too hard, who's going to remind her to take a break for a few minutes without me there?
I started to feel sad about leaving the life I had there. It was simple but it was enough.
I loved watching Luella write her letters in the afternoon and sign them with her heart-marked wax that I would remember forever. 
I was supposed to be with her and not here in a place everyone hated me and people who would've been happy to know that I was dying.
I sighed as went to my bed to lie down and stare at the ceiling to think about my sudden situation.
A week ago I was in a tavern waiting for my time to come. Now, I'm back in Credia Kingdom with the King talking me into taking back Vitalis and then having witches do stuff to me to break the bond I have with Natalia that binds our life together.
Thought after thought flew by me until soon enough I drifted to sleep.

♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘
A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. Don't forget to comment on what you think. Thank you :))