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The Cursed Girl
The Cursed Girl
The Cursed Girl
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The Cursed Girl

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A boy. A girl. A curse. You can't always get away.

Sixteen-year-old Eva is a witch who lived in Spain, in the year 1230. She met a boy named Jonathan who would become her whole world. Everything was normal until she was faced with challenges that will change her life forever.

As a healer, her job is to help people, but there are forces that will try to prevent that. There is a war coming and Eva and her friends must do everything they can to survive. Can they fight their way against the dark forces that are surrounding them?

Her wits and inner strength helped everyone who encircled her to survive but will she be able to survive herself?

Supernatural creatures, royal backstabbing and many more await you in this thrilling novel that will take your breath away.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 8, 2018
ISBN9781370031665
The Cursed Girl
Author

Maria Vermisoglou

My name is Maria Vermisoglou and I'm a Bestselling fantasy author who loves throwing her heroes into impossible situations. I draw inspiration from books, travels and...the ceiling. (So, blame the ceiling!) I started writing 4 years ago when an idea came to me. That idea started all... When I'm not writing, I love a good riding on the fantasy dragon but a book can also be exciting along with a cup of tea. I'm currently residing in Crete as a librarian, battling monsters and supernatural creatures from overcoming the world. In July 2018, I was nominated as the second place winner in the First Annual Indie Awards as the Favourite New Female Author. Website: https://maraki2311.wixsite.com/creativequill/ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thecursedgirl16 Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-vermisoglou Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17909964.Maria_Vermisoglou

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    The Cursed Girl - Maria Vermisoglou

    The Beginning

    The first time I traveled to Earth, I opened my eyes, and I saw colors, plants, animals, and humans. We were in Spain because my mom wanted to see the Earth. We protect the Earth, but we usually don’t visit it. My mom was a curious witch, so one day she just took me and went. I was two so I don’t remember anything specific about the trip.

    I grew up in a small village, and when I was eight, I learned the truth about me. You might ask if eight wasn’t a little young. Yes, it was, but the earlier you learned who you were and how to defend yourself, the better. At first it was fun. I mean, come on, who doesn’t want to be a witch with magic and to know there is another world? I know better now, unfortunately, it’s bad and ugly and a world full of dangers. My mother, Angela, knew, and that’s why she left. She wanted a normal life for me, so we went to Spain. It was quiet, the people were friendly, and I liked the happy life of growing up in a village.

    A few years passed, and I went to the White Land to train at the Academy. Twice a week, I went down to Spain to see my mother. Life was good. Humans fought their wars, but we didn’t care much about them and only moved if war was too close to us. I enjoyed my training and my life until the day I became sixteen.

    Those days when a girl was sixteen, witch or not, she had to marry someone, but I didn’t want to marry anyone. I just wanted to live my life, travel around the world, draw, and have adventures. But no, there was a stupid protocol that everyone from the princess down to the lowliest peasant had to follow. I didn’t care about why the rule was created, but why wouldn’t the princess tear it up?

    When I turned sixteen for the first time, I was in Spain. The next day, a witch showed up at my door. The male witch—don’t confuse them with warlocks, they are different things—stood there and asked me to marry him with a poem. Cute, but I kicked him out of my door. I didn’t exactly kick him, but I told him that I wasn’t interested. Another one showed up the next day followed by one the next day and the next and the next. It was not just witches, but humans too, and they all were given the same answer: a no and the door slammed in their faces. Do I have to hang an announcement on my door?

    I was so furious it rained for days, and after that they got the message. A month later, while I was shopping in the market, someone bumped into me and all my fruits spilled out of my basket onto the ground. I was so furious I was about to turn him into a frog, but then I saw him and his expression was… sad.

    He said, I am so sorry, my lady. He put everything in the basket and kept apologizing like he had committed the most horrible of crimes, and I just stared at him. He had black hair and blue eyes. He was tall and looked to be about seventeen years old. Then he said, I want your forgiveness, so can you accompany me to the ball of the prince tomorrow night at the royal castle?

    I couldn’t utter a word. A boy dropped my basket and as an apology he invited me to a ball? Why was he talking to me like that? Who did he think I was? A princess? A queen? Well, I was neither. I am flattered by your invitation, but I am no princess. I am just a peasant girl, I kindly replied.

    I know you are just a peasant girl, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to a ball. Everyone is invited after all, he continued.

    And why did you choose me? I am pretty sure there are plenty of pretty girls out there.

    He looked at me strangely. Because you are the only one who rejected me and you are beautiful.

    Rejected him? When? I didn’t remember him coming to my door. What is going on? I wondered. Why does he want to go to the ball with me so badly?

    In the end, I decided to give him a chance. All right, then. I will go to the ball.

    He beamed like he had just inherited a fortune. Perfect. Don’t forget to wear your mask.

    I stared at him. My mask?

    It’s a masked ball after all.

    I hope for your sake that you can recognize me. I half-threatened.

    I will do my best, he said, bowed to me, and left.

    He seemed very happy about me going to the ball, which was strange. I mean, had Spanish girls vanished? I headed home and I told my mother about the whole incident. She advised me to go, and now I am going dress shopping at the perfect place: The White Land.

    My friend Ritta came with me to go shopping. I met Ritta at the Academy, and we have been friends ever since. She had blonde hair with blue eyes and was a very good fighter. She hadn’t married yet and I wondered why. She has everything someone could ask for—beauty, brains, and was a good fighter—but she was waiting for the one. Like he exists.

    Ritta came with me everywhere. Any place that was strange or odd, she would come with me. It was like she thought she was my bodyguard, but I let her come because I liked her company. But a ball? That was different. It was a must go occasion. Ritta loved balls and the dancing at them. I was glad to have her with me to pick out a dress.

    The shop we visited was named Elegance Inside. I always passed by it and gazed into its windows. I had always wanted to go inside, but there had been no reason. Until now. The shop had dresses of all kinds but mostly ball dresses, and as I entered I caught the smell of fabric. The inside was like a dream: dresses of all colors and shapes as far as the eye went. The shop seller was an elegant woman with brown hair and sweet brown eyes but short like me. I liked that because I always had the feeling that among tall people I was the joke and I hated it.

    Good afternoon. What can I do for you this fine day? she asked politely.

    We would like dresses for a masked ball, please, we said.

    The woman was thrilled. Excellent and I know exactly what to bring you. She went to the back of the shop and returned with two exquisite dresses. One was dark blue like the sky and changed colors to match the colors of the night sky. The other was yellow like the sun with a strip the color of green grass at the bottom edge. I fell in love with the blue one and Ritta liked the yellow. I like yellow but not enough to have a dress that color. We bought the dresses, and all the way home Ritta was talking about how much she loved that dress and how beautiful it was. We went to my home in Spain and had a meal with my mother while discussing the strange incident behind my invitation to the ball again.

    The next day we stayed home doing housework mostly, but in the early afternoon, we started preparing for the ball: I put on the blue dress and shoes. My mask was also blue, but had stars on it. I left my hair hanging loosely over my shoulders. Ritta put on her yellow dress, red shoes, and a white mask, but she arranged her hair into a bun. I stared at her.

    What? she asked me curiously.

    I feel like I am seeing springtime, and we are in the middle of winter. Are you sure you are not the witch of sunflowers?

    She laughed. The next time you mention it, I will turn you into a sunflower.

    I stuck my tongue out at her.

    The Ball

    We arrived at the royal castle, and there were already people inside. Good, I thought. I didn’t like being among royals very much, but fortunately, the mask was hiding my face. As long as I could control my expressions, then we were good. The room was at least two times the size of our house in Spain and very beautifully decorated.

    Wreaths and flowers were everywhere, and the ceiling was decorated with stars. If I stretched my arms out, I would not be able to reach both sides of the wreath. That’s why I can’t stand royals—constantly showing off with items larger than normal—I hated it. I didn’t judge them for what they had but for showing off everything they owned.

    In the White Land, we lived simply, and even if we were poor, we would always share our joy, our music, and our help with everyone who needed it. Here? No. I have heard of some royals who did everything to help the poor; they were loved by their people, and I admired them. Sadly, most royals and rich people weren’t like that. I would have liked to turn them into toads, but it would take too much time to track them down and I had other things to do. I had to kill demons.

    Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything about poverty or world peace. I was a witch, not God—not that I believed in any religion. Now I killed demons, the biggest threat to humanity. Even though humans didn’t know what I did for them and I received no thanks for this, I still did it.

    People were wearing their best clothes. Yes, even peasants had good clothes—don’t act so surprised. The peasants wore pretty dresses and beautiful handmade masks with bright or dark colors. The rich people—dukes, counts, and marquises—were wearing haute couture. The fabric looked bright and expensive, and their masks were full of diamonds, pearls, and feathers. I heard some of them talking, and each one trying to outdo the other. I had this ordered from France, one said. To which another one replied, I decorated my house like the Queen of England’s palace.

    Seriously? Witches were much simpler than that. We went to parties and enjoyed them. Yes, we wore pretty clothes, but that’s it. We didn’t brag about everything. That was something only a human did.

    Do you see him? Ritta asked.

    I turned around, but I couldn’t see him. However, being a witch had its perks: since I caught his aura yesterday, I could find him whenever I wanted. Auras were like an identity of a person, and it was unique for everyone, even if you had a twin. Auras could tell you what kind of person someone was. The darker an aura was, the more evil a person was, and it could show a person’s intentions.

    Any sign? asked Ritta interrupting my thoughts.

    No, not yet.

    What are you looking for? Maybe I can help.

    Gold.

    She turned to me with a startled look. "You are joking."

    Did I mention that witches can speak to each other’s minds? No? Well, we can which is very helpful in situations like this one. Ritta would be able to help me find his aura in the crowd. His aura color was one of the three rare kinds, so it shouldn’t have been this hard to find him.

    The three auras were gold, silver, and multicolored. A gold aura meant the person was kind, heroic and would do great things. A person with a silver aura was considered a smart and kind-hearted person. Multicolored, or rainbow, auras were only mentioned in books, so I had no idea if that kind of aura even existed.

    As far as I knew, no one had seen one and legend said that if you had a multicolored aura you could use different auras at any time. For example, you can use the green one and later the blue one or both because auras can give you abilities and you can extract different magic. The color of your aura determined your abilities since you extracted your magic from your aura. Green, meant your magic came from nature. I had no clue what color my aura was—you couldn’t see your aura and only others could but no one had ever seen mine and I didn’t hide it. My guess was that it was transparent.

    "Why didn’t you tell me so?" Ritta asked, thrilled. Her question came at a perfect time as my thoughts were wandering again.

    "So, you wouldn’t act like a lunatic."

    She gave me an odd angry look. "I am not a lunatic."

    "All right, fine, but I wouldn’t make a big deal about this. What if he’s bad?"

    "No way. Golds are good."

    "Right…" I sighed. I still don’t see him here. Can we go?

    Maybe he lives far away, she speculated.

    The trumpets sounded and that was the signal that the royal family would enter the room. Let’s brace ourselves.

    The royal guards announced the king, the queen, and the young prince. Everyone stopped talking and every lady of marrying age looked forward. This ball was for the prince to find a bride. Lucky her. I didn’t look forward because I was still searching for the boy in the market. The royals marched like peacocks in front of us so everyone could see them. That’s when I saw him, and I had a silent heart attack.

    "What is it?" Ritta asked, sensing my conflicted emotions. "Do I turn him into a toad now or do I kill him?" She looked at me curiously and then back to the royals. "I have no idea."

    That was very helpful, Ritta. I am sure she saw the pink aura of the queen, the gray of the king and the gold aura of the prince. I was so angry—no I wasn’t angry. I was furious—and suddenly the room started shaking and everyone looked around. Ritta caught my hand, and the room stopped moving. When I was emotionally charged, I had a hard time controlling my powers. My powers were crazy enough as it was, but add a little emotion and mayhem can happen. Now, his words made a lot more sense. You don’t know why he invited you; maybe he is a good royal, different. Just wait and see. I wished, but most royals were what they were taught to be, but I should stay like Ritta suggested, and if I didn’t like him, I could turn him into a teapot. What damage could there be with one less royal?

    The prince spotted us, separated from his parents, and came to stand in front of us. Good evening, my lady. He smiled. Every lady in the room looked disappointed and jealous. I wanted to say You want him? Take him, he’s all yours.

    I gave him one of my sweet smiles. Good evening, Your Highness, what can I do for you?

    He gave me a strange look, like no one had ever spoken to him like that before. I hope you are not angry with me for not telling you who I am, he pleaded.

    Angry? You were dishonest with me, and that was not a sign of good manners. Peasants have a better sense of honesty. There went the insult. I got worried thoughts from Ritta, but I didn’t care. My eyes were blazing, and I kept my voice low but intense.

    I understand your frustration.

    My frustration?

    But if I told you who I was, you wouldn’t have come to meet me. Every other girl would have said yes because of who I am, but I am sure you would have rejected me.

    That might have been true, but still, it was no excuse.

    I didn’t want to be one of the boys you rejected.

    I gave him an angry look, You were spying on me? Oh. This was going too far. Who did he think he was? Of course, I would have rejected you, and in fact, I am doing it right now. You have offended me, and patience is not one of my virtues. I didn’t care if he was a prince. Even if he was a God, I couldn’t have cared less. I gave him one last angry look and started toward the doors. Before I reached the doors, he was in front of me again, and he grabbed my hand. Get out of my way, please.

    He didn’t move or let go of my hand. Please, I know we had a bad start, but give me a chance. Please. I am not like the others. I promise.

    I pulled my hand from his and looked at him hard, and some color left his face, but he didn’t take his eyes off mine. One thing was certain: he was stubborn and decisive. All right then, you get one chance and nothing more.

    He smiled a little. Thank you, my lady. Shall we dance? He took my hand hesitantly at first.

    We danced a little with the slow music, and I sensed Ritta’s thoughts calm. I was still mad, but my anger was starting to ease.

    So, what’s your name? he asked.

    You asked me to a masked ball and you don’t even know my name? How did you recognize me anyway?

    He smirked. Because you didn’t look at me when I was passing.

    I raised an eyebrow. Everyone is bowing when I pass or stop talking. They look at me as if I am a prize… but not you, you even insulted me. He sounded surprised and laughed.

    You deserved it, I said.

    My name is Jonathan and I invited you because I thought you were special—not just pretty but beautiful inside and out.

    I looked at him carefully. Well, he had it wrong. I might be somewhat pretty outside, but on the inside… I had killed demons, monsters, and many other things to prevent them from invading the Earth and I had done things unforgettable things, but did that make me good or bad? I don’t know.

    You know, most girls would have just accepted the compliment.

    I scowled. I am not most girls. Even if sometimes wished I was.

    How about telling me your name? I gave you my name, so it’s only fair you tell me yours.

    I gave him a skeptical look. Hmm… I don’t think so. You did nothing to deserve my name, and names have strong power. You can tell if a person is strong, has potential, or even if he is destined to do great things only by knowing the name. I will give you my name when you have earned it. Not before, nor later.

    Beautiful and smart. You sure seem to know a lot about names. What can you tell me about me? He seemed curious.

    You have a strong name: Jonathan means gift of God and is associated with many heroes.

    He raised his eyebrows. Are you working in a church or are you a teacher?

    No, not at all. If he only knew he was miles away from the truth. So, did you know me before meeting me at the market, or did you just go scouting for girls that day?

    He gave me a strange look. "One day I went out with a friend to visit the village. He said it would do me some good to know my subjects since one day I would be ruling the kingdom. He’s a good friend and loyal, he’s like my brother.

    We saw everything: the school, the church, houses, little shops, and the market. In the market, I saw you, but you didn’t see me because you were looking pretty much everywhere: the stands with the fruits, the walls of the houses, the roofs, the sky… you were like lost in your own personal world, one that no one could enter. My friend asked me what happened, and I told him that I saw an angel.

    I stared at him. Then I laughed because it was just ridiculous. Me? An angel?

    He smiled apologetically. I know it sounds a bit crazy.

    A bit, I said.

    The clock sounded twelve. That couldn’t be right. That meant I had been here all night. My Heavens! I am sorry, but I have to leave. I bowed a little and started toward the exit where Ritta was waiting for me.

    I will walk you out, he said.

    I don’t need a bodyguard. I can find my way to the doors.

    Yes, but I have to use my fine manners to earn your trust, my lady.

    That I would like to see. All right then. If you want to be a puppy, then be one. After all, this is your fault.

    We walked in silence toward the doors. He wished us goodnight and we left. Ritta spent most of the way home talking about all the boys she danced with, talked to, or saw. The rest of the time, she talked about all the beautiful dresses everyone wore. My thoughts were headed in different directions. I was still angry, but I wondered why he would talk to me. This was the first boy who didn’t give up, and I found it fascinating.

    Gossiping

    The next day after our chores, we gathered in the garden—my mother included—to hear about our night. Ritta shared about the ball, the decorations, the people, and the royals. She also told my mother that the boy in the market was actually a royal.

    A prince? she asked.

    Yes, I answered. I looked at her. You are not mad?

    Why should I be mad? Not everyone gets to meet a prince. Was he nice to you?

    I guess Eva was mad for all three of us. She would have turned him into a chandelier if I hadn’t stopped her. Ritta laughed.

    Why would you want to turn the poor man into a chandelier? my mother asked.

    Poor? He is a lot of things, but he’s definitely not poor. And I was mad because he lied to me. Royals are crazy. All they care about is their wealth and being married to girls of their line even if they are their own sister. That’s disgusting.

    That is why their children are born sick, my mother said.

    Really? We looked at her.

    Well, you know I am interested in herbs, medicine and I did a little study, and I found that if you mix the same blood… well, results are weakness and sickness. These royals think they must keep their line clean, but by doing so, they become weak, and in little time they will be extinct.

    Well, this won’t be that bad. They brought it on themselves.

    So, back to the prince. What was he like?

    He had black hair and blue eyes. He seemed nice and somewhat… different. He said he went to the market to invite me because I had made an impression on him, though I don’t know how.

    What? He’s been watching you? That is so sweet, Ritta said.

    A furious look crossed my face. That is called spying. Where do you find that sweet?

    "Technically, he wasn’t stalking you. He was watching you because he might not be like the other royals. Maybe he just wants peace, love, and happiness like everybody.

    Maybe. But he’s not everybody. He’s a prince.

    It won’t hurt if you give him a chance. I am not asking you to marry him. Just take a chance and see. You may find something different.

    While I thought over Ritta’s words, I looked at my mother. People often said that we looked like sisters. We both had green eyes but she had red hair, whereas I had curly black raven’s hair, and she was a little taller than me. She had the appearance of a middle-aged woman, but I knew she was much older. I figured she was about four hundred years old, but I never dared to ask. My mother didn’t offer any advice, and I shrugged. I guess it won’t be any harm, I said, although the idea was unpleasant.

    In the afternoon I went for a walk in the village. I liked watching people: children playing, mothers doing the laundry, and men working. I was watching an artist who made splendid drawings—I always came and watched his newest ones—when I spotted the glint of a gold aura. The prince, wearing regular peasant clothes, was walking the street and came to stand next to me. I closed my eyes. This couldn’t be happening.

    Are you doing this regularly or you are here just to annoy me? I opened my eyes.

    No, I have come many times. The village is beautiful. Do you mind if I accompany you?

    Yes, I mind very much. I looked at him suspiciously. All right, if you can handle long walks

    I love long walks. He grinned and he held out his hand.

    I ignored his hand. We walked all the way in the village and then went to the perimeter of the woods. It was a pleasant afternoon. A warm breeze was blowing and the birds were singing. He wasn’t a bad company either. He told me about his life and how he had everything he wanted but wasn’t happy. He had to act like he was above all. He had to follow rules and traditions, and he had no chance to make friends and no free time to relax. Like I suspected, life in a palace was too restrictive. But he had a friend who was like his brother and was a little more free and open-minded. This friend took him to many places like the market to show him what regular people were like.

    I thought his friend seemed wise for a royal and maybe more compassionate than most rich people, but I didn’t know him so I couldn’t say much about him. I didn’t tell him much about myself. I only shared that I wanted to have adventures, travel, and draw. Of course, I didn’t tell him I was a witch. What do you think I am? Stupid? Witchcraft was considered dangerous and people were burned at the stake.

    "Do you live alone? He asked. Living alone in this era was considered a bad thing.

    No, I live with my mother, and sometimes my friend stays with us.

    What about your father?

    I never met him. It was true. I had never met my father, and whenever I asked my mother, she would say that he died, but he was a good man and that he didn’t live long enough to see me born. I suspected that my father was a human and my mother hid it because there was a dark time when witches were forbidden to make any contact with humans, but I really didn’t know the truth. I let it go a long time ago because I didn’t want to cause any problems for my mother.

    I am sorry, he said, and he had a sad expression.

    It’s all right. I am used to it. I help my mother, and she helps me. We are happy together.

    I envy you, I wish I could have this kind of happiness too.

    You don’t? I asked curiously.

    No, not in my family. All they care about is power and wars and money. We are even apart for celebrations like Christmas. Me and my brothers are close, but with the rest—it is like we live in a different universe.

    Imagine that. A family without love was sad. I am sorry.

    It’s all right. I am used to it. He looked at the sky. We should get back. It’s getting dark.

    I laughed. I don’t need a guard. I can reach home before nightfall.

    I am sure you can, but I cannot let you walk out on your own. It’s dangerous.

    Heavens. Who was he? My mother? He started walking me toward the village, and although I didn’t like it—I could reach home in two minutes with my speed—I walked along. We reached a curve in the street and he stopped.

    I believe you can find your own way home from here, he said.

    So, you don’t know where I live. I smiled with delight because I didn’t want him on my heels, knocking on my door at every opportunity.

    I didn’t follow you around everywhere. I just looked at you. I am not someone with bad intentions.

    I see. Well then, thank you for accompanying me in this walk, and I wish you goodnight.

    Goodnight, miss. He bowed.

    I still hadn’t told him my name. If he earned it, I would consider it, but for now, we would be addressing each other with miss and Jonathan since he had made the mistake of giving his name away. He took my hand and kissed it. Uh, oh! This isn’t good. I stared at him and then turned and started walking toward my house. I hid discreetly behind a tree so he couldn’t see me and took a look back. He was still there trying to see me. What was going on with him? I ran, going near trees, so he couldn’t see me running like the wind. I reached my door and stopped. He was still there trying to see me. It was too cold for me to wait for him to spot me, so I opened the door and entered our warm house. I ate something and then went to my room, washed, changed into night clothes, and lay on my bed under the covers. My last thought was his eyes staring at me.

    During the next several weeks, we met sometimes in the market or in the village, and we went for long walks, talking about many things. One day he introduced me to his friend Alexander, who he called Alec, of whom I had heard a lot of things. He was good-looking with black hair and light blue eyes. He seemed nice, clever, and kind, and he was different from most rich boys I had ever heard or seen. He had a silver aura. How funny. One gold and one silver. We became friends, and when we talked I felt like he understood me, like I had a friend, and it was strange… I never thought I could have human friends.

    During this time, the country was facing a crisis. People were becoming poorer, and you couldn’t find good quality food in the market. Sometimes there was no food at all in the market. We were forced to go out in the woods and collect berries or anything that could be eaten. We hunted animals for survival to sell it to the highest bidder. Life was becoming harder and things changed pretty fast, at least by human standards.

    I rarely saw Jonathan anymore. He was busy with the palace’s affairs and saving the country. The strange thing was that it bothered me like a thorn bothered a wolf. I was passing my days looking out of the window if I wasn’t out looking for something to eat. Ritta visited sometimes, but not too much because witches didn’t get involved in human affairs like wars. My mother and I had made a choice of staying here, so we were kind of stuck in here with them. Alec came to check on me often, and it was strange. At first, I thought he was doing it because he liked me, but then I understood he did it for his friend and brother because that’s what a brother would do. Alec felt it was his duty to protect me since Jonathan was kind of my friend, but I found it strange since we weren’t even best friends. I was a witch, and I could take care of myself, but he didn’t know that.

    The First War

    One day Ritta came bearing some bad news.

    Hi. How are you doing? What’s wrong? I asked, looking at her sad face.

    Word came from the princess, and all witches must go up to our land because there is a war coming in the human world and we should not get involved. We should go to safety.

    I looked at her, but I couldn’t believe what she was saying. She turned to look at me. Is something wrong?

    I don’t know. Are they insane?

    She shot me a strange look. Insane? What do you mean?

    I took a deep breath, I mean that if we were chickens we would have already left. But no, we are witches. We are fighters. We can’t just leave like we care about no one. Why fight demons if we don’t care about people? I don’t care if they created these wars and fights. Some people are bad, yes, but there are some good and some very good people that need to be protected. My voice had grown louder and louder until I was yelling.

    Ritta looked at me like she was terrified but then her expression changed to determination. You are right, but I can’t stay. I don’t love people as much as you do, and I don’t think I would be doing any good if I don’t feel anything about it. I wish you good luck, and don’t die because I will kill you.

    I smiled. That was my friend. We hugged tightly because it would be a long time until we saw each other again, if anytime soon, but I didn’t want to think about that. My mother was leaving too because she said that she had been helping people a long time with their lives and fights and wars but she didn’t want to be in this one. She thought it was better trying to fend off the demons from the skies. After some final hugs, they left and I was alone.

    Not too long after they left, there was a knock at my door. It was the last person I was expecting.

    Good evening, Jonathan. How can I help you? I asked politely.

    He bowed. I was just passing by and I thought I would come and greet you.

    I raised an eyebrow. You were just passing by? What happened to your kingdom? The war is over and I don’t know it? Why then have all people fled? It was true. Most people had fled except the very old ones who couldn’t walk and some determined young people like me who wanted to help by taking care of other people or making useful things like blankets, clothes or medicines.

    There is still a war, he informed me.

    And how did you find me anyway?

    I saw your mother and your friend leave the road so I figured the house wouldn’t be that far, and this house was the only one with lights. Why haven’t you left with them?

    That was smart of you. I prefer helping people in need, and I don’t exactly look out for myself very much.

    I can see that. But don’t you think you should leave too? It could be a dangerous situation with the war and all.

    I scowled at him. I don’t need protecting, and besides, enemies don’t target empty villages. They target cities, and towns with active young men who can do actual damage and will be a blow to a kingdom’s defenses. Not that you care.

    He looked at me curiously, ignoring the insult. You seem to know a lot despite the fact that you are just a peasant girl.

    I gave him a cold look. Maybe peasants are not as stupid as you think they are. Just because we don’t have the teachers you have doesn’t mean we don’t learn.

    I am sorry to have offended you, but I am not familiar with normal life. The palace’s life is what I have always known.

    Obviously! If I may make a suggestion, don’t take for granted that everyone except royals is stupid. You may be surprised.

    Thank you for the advice. I will keep that in mind.

    We talked some more before we said our goodbyes. Once he left, I was alone with only my faithful cat Midnight. You didn’t know Midnight? She was the most loyal, smart, beautiful cat a witch could have. Her fur was gray with black lines, and had green eyes. Midnight was a familiar. Familiars were special animals and were a protector and a guide for witches so they could learn the world of magic. Usually, familiars were in a cat form, although you might see other forms too. Familiars chose the form you were more likely to be comfortable with. I scratched Midnight behind her ears. What am I going to do? Was it stupid that I chose to stay away to help people? We live hundreds and thousands of years, but humans were lucky to live until eighty. Inside me, though, I felt like I was making the right choice, and I just hoped that everything worked out.

    As weeks passed by, things only got worse. The Spanish army had left days ago and was sending more soldiers to help against the enemy. The king had already left, and we had learned about the fights from the guards who were gossiping in bars. I, on the other hand, had something good going on in my life for once. I had found something to do with my life, something good—a job. Are you crazy? You might ask. In the middle of a war? Yes, in the middle of a war, I had found a job. I was making medicines and sometimes food ingredients from herbs I gathered in the woods.

    Many people milled around outside my shop because I was good. There weren’t any healers left, and nobody knew where else to get medicine and medical treatment. My mom had a shop like this a few years ago, and I used to help her with it. I had picked up a few tricks from the Academy too. One day while I was opening the shop, I saw Alec. What are you doing here?

    He smiled kindly. I heard someone talking about a girl who has magic hands with herbs, and I wanted to check it out.

    His words made me nervous. But I am not doing any magic, I said. Speaking about magic was dangerous, especially in times of war.

    It’s an expression. But they say you are really good with medicine.

    Right… an expression. Oh. Well, I don’t know… I am doing the best I can to help people.

    And you are doing it very well. I don’t see as many sick people as I used to.

    I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t know Alec knew the village so well that he noticed who was sick and who wasn’t. It was strange for a royal to be taking notice of normal people—you didn’t see that often. So, how can I help you?

    He bit his lip. I am looking for something difficult…

    That intrigued me since I liked challenges. Difficult as in?

    After some thought, he responded. Word is that the enemy has a powerful poison and that’s why we are losing, so I figured that maybe you knew something…

    Huh? You are losing the war because of a poison?

    I know it’s a bit crazy, but it’s the best explanation we have. No one can kill an army as large as ours within a few weeks.

    I knew something that could kill them that quickly—demons, witches, warlocks, and vampires—but I didn’t tell him that. Can you tell me the side effects and any additional information? I will look into it.

    He looked relieved. Thank you.

    I wondered if he thought I was going to say no. How could I? He was so kind and his request was so selfless. Alec was always thinking about others’ needs and never his own. That was one of the reasons I wanted to protect persons like him. With a gentle bow, he left, and my day at work, continued like it did every day: helping people and listening to news about the war.

    Sometimes people brought me gifts of strange herbs they came across in the market, in their houses, or in the woods. I kept them so I could study them at home to determine whether they were poisonous or if they had some usefulness. People were terrified from the war, but they stayed to help others.

    Several weeks had passed since Alec’s visit, and I hadn’t found anything yet. The army was dying faster than ever, and I was starting to think that Alec might be right about the poisoning. Today I was going to sit at home and search every book I had until I found the thing that was going to cure these people. If I couldn’t cure them then I wanted to at least protect them. I needed to focus on my research, and at home, nobody should disturb me. I was involved in my research when someone knocked on my door. Someone was playing a very dangerous game with my patience.

    Annoyed by the disturbance, I yanked the door open and yelled, Who is it?

    I see you are in a good mood.

    I took a deep breath. Jonathan. What are you doing here? Don’t you have anything else to do? Like war plans? Strategies? I was furious. How could he just stand in my door casually? Are you insane or stupid? Or maybe both?

    He backed up a little. I know you are a little upset, but…

    Upset? I have been searching books about something that can cure your soldiers—who by the way are none of my business—and you are asking me out?

    He stared at me. I was glowering, and in a matter of minutes I would turn into a dragon, spit fire from my mouth, and have him for dinner.

    I am not here to ask you out.

    Oops. This is awkward. Oh. I sighed. I could be wrong sometimes. What are you here for then? I tried to cool off.

    I am here to tell you that I am leaving.

    I looked at him as I tried to take in his words. Leaving as in?

    He had a sad look. Joining the army. Father asked for our support, and I have to go. It’s my duty to my kingdom.

    I felt like I had acid in my mouth and had washed it out with ice. I tried to talk calmly and keep my voice even. So, when do you leave?

    Today. In some hours we will be leaving with some of my brothers and Alec.

    I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I see… well then, may the stars be with you and protect you on your journey.

    He looked at me as if he was going to laugh. You are not going to say good luck or goodbye like everybody else?

    I shook my head and tried not to look at him. No, and I am not everybody else.

    He eyed me curiously. You think I will come back.

    And he didn’t? Why not? I don’t think it. I believe it. Is there any reason you can’t? Also, no one has the right to kill you except me.

    He half-smiled. Then I will do my best. He bowed, took my hand, and kissed it.

    I didn’t like that he kissed my hand every time our ways parted. It was making me feel uncomfortable like I was not dressed properly for a dance or something. To tell the truth, I was dressed improperly for this occasion. I wore a simple winter dress and a cardigan.

    He turned and marched down the stairs.

    Jonathan, I shouted.

    He turned and looked at me with a hopeful expression on his face.

    My name is Eva.

    A smile lit his face. That’s a pretty name. No wonder you hid it so well. I will remember that.

    He had finally earned knowing my name. I smiled and waved at him.

    After he left I wanted to crawl into my bed and hide for eternity, especially from painful emotions, but I couldn’t do that. So, I did the only logical thing: I went back to my research and all the books to find a cure for the army. At my request, Alec had brought me every book about herbs he could find in the palace, and I was comparing what he had told me to see if I could find a match.

    I searched and searched for days and weeks, but found nothing. I still got orders from people coming to buy herbs and potions or to ask for advice about anything from love potions to how to make their flowers look prettier. Who would need a love potion in the middle of a war was beyond me. The crazy thing was that I did it because I needed the money to live and because I liked it. I was careful to stick with normal and natural things and I avoided magic at any cost.

    My house was the only exception. No one was in my house to see me practicing magic, and I needed to use it because if I looked through all the books the regular way it would take months. I was tired, but I kept going for the soldiers. I might not know them, but I knew they were good people fighting for the kingdom, for us. And I did it for Alec because it was Alec—you couldn’t deny him anything—he had asked for my help, and he was my friend. He was so protective and kind. I did it for Jonathan too, and I prayed that he and Alec would come back home safely.

    Winter would soon be ending and spring would begin. Flowers would soon start blooming again. This was one of my favorite moments in nature: rebirth. One day an old man came and brought me a small bit of a strange-looking plant with an odd-colored root. He said he had found the plant in the village and had taken this piece from it for me. It was green, blue, and red, and I wondered where it had come from. The man was afraid that the weird root came from outside the world and we were cursed. He had brought me the root so I could figure out how to eliminate it from the world. I raised my eyebrows. Not all things are bad. Even if they look odd and strange, they might hide a treasure inside them. I promised I would look into it.

    I placed the plant in a container to keep it safe while I tried to find it in one of the books. When I looked at the plant again, I saw it was ready to bloom. That was strange. Even though spring hadn’t begun yet, the plant should not be ready to flourish this quickly. What was that plant? Was it some type of winter plant? I took some of it and planted it in my garden to see what would happen. I returned to the stacks of books. While I searched for a description of this plant, I petted my cat. Midnight hated winter and had a cold, but it would be over soon hopefully.

    In the morning I woke up and discovered that Midnight wasn’t in the house. If she went out, she must be feeling better. I heard meows from the garden and went to look for her. I opened the window and I couldn’t believe my eyes. My cat was playing with the strange plant I had put in my garden yesterday. The strange plant was now the size of an elephant and it had bloomed. The flowers were amazing. They were like stars and were in all the colors of the rainbow. Aha! I know this plant. This strange-looking plant was the Plant of Wishes, and it was exactly the plant I had needed all along.

    This plant had more than one ability, but not all abilities were known. Each flower had a different ability. Red was for beauty, and if you drank the juice from that flower, it would make you more beautiful. The yellow flower would make you wealthier. The downside to the plant was that if you took too much from any flower, it would be a disaster. Too much of the beauty flower? Everyone would want to have you and so they would fight for you until death, so what good was beauty once everyone was dead? I needed the white flower. It could cure anything—even the deadliest poison—but I had to wait until midnight because that was when the white flower bloomed.

    I waited in the garden until midnight, and suddenly the white flower showed me its petals. It was beautiful, so pure and shiny. I gathered some of it and then headed for the village’s plant. Hopefully, nobody had cut it down and it would still be where the old man had told me it was. Fortunately, it was still there just on the edge of the forest with all its flowers intact. I gathered some white flowers from the plant and hurried home to make some juice for the soldiers.

    I prepared the medicine and then let it boil while I took a nap. Midnight would wake me up when it was done since she was no longer sick. She had been healed by the plant. Cats didn’t need the juice. All a cat had to do was lick the flower.

    Before I fell asleep, I thought it might be dangerous for the village plant to be standing in the open. What if someone took too much of something and got destroyed? It would be my fault because I didn’t do something. The plant shouldn’t be eliminated like the old man had suggested, but it should be removed. Tomorrow night I would move it to a safer land where no harm could come to people from using it. I was here to heal them and help with most of their problems. I would have to contact Alec about a cure too, and with that thought, I fell asleep.

    I woke up from a gentle push on my shoulder. My cat was reminding me that the medicine was ready. I got up and checked it. The medicine was ready, but now came the tricky part. How did I send it to the army? There was no way I could go to the battlefield. Girls weren’t allowed to fight in battles. That wasn’t something that would stop me, but I would have to cast several spells to get through. If nobody noticed my spells, someone would certainly notice when I killed demons. Fortunately, I had another idea. I was going to send a pigeon. Hopefully, it would find Alec and deliver the medicine. I took a pen and started writing fast:

    Dear Alec,

    I hope I am finding you in one piece and your friends too. I finally managed to find a cure for the poisoned soldiers. Please give it only to the ones that are not dead. You also must give it to the ones who are not poisoned, it will act as a protection. I am sending you some vials and I will send you more when I find another pigeon that didn’t go to a honeymoon. This spring is driving them crazy and they took off earlier than usual. Can you believe that?

    Stay safe.

    Your friend,

    Eva

    I attached the vials and the instructions with the letter addressed to Alexander of the East Spanish Court to the pigeon. I hoped it would reach the right Alexander and let the pigeon go. There were too many Alexanders at court, and the only thing I remembered about my Alexander was that he was from the East. My letter was a little informal, but we were friends and we were always joking around with each other. He was my best friend—among humans, of course.

    It was noon, so I went to the shop to serve some customers, and by some luck, the old man was there. Did you look at that plant I gave you?

    I examined the plant and it isn’t something bad, but I will cut it out just to be sure.

    He seemed relieved. Thank you.

    Business was great for the rest of the day, and on the way home, I stopped in front of the plant and said, I am sorry about this, but you are not safe here. I will move you into a nice place where nobody gets harmed, all right?

    You might wonder why I talked to the plant. Well, we believed that everything had a soul and could hear us, so we talked to them like we would talk to humans. We would even talk to our food. Before we cut fruits or vegetables or killed a deer, we thanked them. Many times, we got responses, and right now, I thought the plant was telling me that I could go ahead and take it. So I did and put it in my basket to plant it in my garden until the gates of the White Land opened again. When I could go to the White Land again, I would plant it in the square where it would flourish among the other trees. Witches were not like humans. We didn’t take too much of anything unless it was necessary, and we were always careful not to take so much that we might cause a catastrophe.

    Days passed and I sent pigeon after pigeon with the vials containing the potion for the soldiers, but Alec hadn’t responded yet. Did the pigeons get lost? Did the pigeons get eaten by an eagle? Or… No, I would not think of the worst-case scenario yet. It was too soon. Maybe it was stormy down there. There must be a rational explanation.

    It had been a week since I sent the last pigeon, and, still no response. I was going crazy. Should I go there and check? My cat climbed in the window with something in her mouth: a pigeon. Midnight! Why would you eat a pigeon? I was waiting for this letter for a long time and going mad about it, and you just wanted to eat the pigeon?

    My cat placed the pigeon in front of my feet. An arrow was piercing its wing. "Oh, I am sorry, Midnight. I know you wouldn’t eat a pigeon. Come here. Come to Mama. I petted her and scratched behind her ears. I pulled the arrow from the pigeon’s wing and healed it before I retrieved the letter and opened it. It was from Alec, and it read:

    Dear Eva,

    I can call you Eva, right? Jonathan told me your name. Thank you very much for the medicine. I just waited a few days to see if the medicine had an effect and it did. It is amazing how quickly they recovered. Thank you for saving us. I am sure now we have a chance of winning the war thanks to you. I wish I was there to see the spring coming, but I guess this will be for another time.

    P.S. The package is from Jonathan.

    Your friend,

    Alec

    That explained why the pigeon was late, but not the arrow in its wing. I hoped I would have an explanation when they came back alive. The package? What package? I didn’t see anything, but I checked the pigeon again. A package was attached to its neck, but it was tiny, which was why I didn’t see it the first time. I opened it and inside was a silver flower. A moon flower. This flower glowed at night, and many believed this flower symbolized eternal love.

    I doubted Jonathan knew the meaning of the flower, but it was sweet of him to send it. I hoped that meant he was all right. I noticed something attached to

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