I opened my eyes to see the sun shining brightly above me. I don't even remember falling asleep. I looked down noticing, I was sitting on a stump. I glanced around, scanning the area.
I froze. I couldn't believe my eyes.
In front of me stood my parents. Their backs faced me, but I knew it was them.
"Mom? Dad?" I teared up.
They turned around and smiled at me. As soon as they did, all the pain I felt dissipated. All that was left was the warmth that radiated from them.
"This is cruel." I cried, knowing this wasn't real.
"Come on honey, run with us." Mom extended her hand towards me.
I didn't want to reach out and grab her hand because it will only make it hurt that much more when I wake up.
"Lis-an, come on." Dad grabbed my wrist and took off running with mom right beside me.
We ran through the woods, dodging trees and bushes. I could feel the sun on my skin, melting away my hold on reality. The wind that blew past us made me feel free. They both looked back at me, smiling without a care in the world. I let the sensation of bliss take over me. I smiled back at them, now running on my own.
"Remember, no matter how tough it gets, keep running. Keep running towards the sun, my pup." Dad looked ahead and let go of my hand. Then mom did the same. Their speed increased, and I couldn't keep up.
"Wait, you're going too fast." I ran harder.
"Slow down."
With each step, they got further away.
"Stop! Wait for me!" I sped up until my legs ached.
"Honey, it's okay. When it's your time, you'll catch up with us." Mom smiled back at me.
"Wait!" I tried to grab at them.
"It's time to wake up." Dad grinned as he pointed down.
I looked down and tripped over a large root sticking out above the dirt.
I jumped up in a panic, throwing the sheets aside.
"Oh good, you're awake. Come on, let's go." The supposed friend of my mom stood above me.
"Did someone find us?" I ran to the door, still steaming in a panicked frenzy.
"No, we are fine. It's okay, calm down." She approached me, holding my shoulders.
"But you said-"
"I was just wanting to get you up so you could eat." She knelt down, keeping her hands on my shoulders.
"You're safe here, okay? I'm the master of cloaking magic. No one will see us until I permit them to do so." She smiled widely at me, calming my heightened nerves.
With the adrenaline leaving my body, the pain crept back, sucking what little energy I had left. My knees gave out on me. The lady caught me before I hit the ground.
"I got you. You'll feel better once we get something into your system." She carried my limp body back to the bed.
"Why d-do I feel so weak?" I mumbled.
She gently laid me down.
"You have been asleep for a couple of days now. But, it's nothing to worry about. It's just one of the side effects caused by the spell placed on you. It'll fade soon."
Damn, I've been asleep for a couple of days. Mom has cast plenty of spells on me, and I've even cast a few myself. But I've never felt the aftermath of a spell like this before.
"I'll bring in some food for you." She patted my leg, before leaving.
I checked my wounds, and they seem to be healing nicely. Slower than usual, but I have always been a slow healer. Unlike my father, who can heal within minutes. I thought that maybe the more I consume, the faster I'll heal. The only problem lies with me. I don't feel hungry, but I know that my body wants something to fill it up.
"Okay, little one, it's not much, but I got you some bread with salted meat." She brought the plate over to me, placing a cup of water on the stand.
"Thank you." I propped myself up against the backboard.
"Are you cold? It can get pretty chilly here. I can always put the fireplace on you if you'd like."
"No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, the cold doesn't bother me. I was born under the ice moon, so as an ice wolf, I do pretty well in cold temperatures." I shrugged.
"Then I think you'll love it here. It's cool all year round, and there are no people here to bother us." She smiled widely.
I took the plate in my lap, wrapping a piece of meat in some of the bread. I had to use the water to help me chew it up.
"So, how are you today?" She started to unwrap the bandages on my legs.
"Okay, I guess." I forced myself to continue eating.
"It's okay, to not be okay. You have every right not to be." She pulled out a jar of what looked like muddy grass from the stand. She went on to coat my legs in this mixture, which reeked of herbs.
"I don't think I have time to wallow in the dark for too long." I let out a breath of relief as I finished the last piece of my food.
"And why is that?" She massaged the mixture into my legs.
I bared through the pain as she massaged over a few sore spots.
"I have to figure out a way to make it through my maturing stage. You said not to let their sacrifice go to waste. So, if I die or end up turning into a savage, then their deaths would be for nothing."
After seeing them in my dream, more than anything I want to make them proud.
"How old are you now?"
"Seven." I sighed.
"There is no need to be rushing. We still have four years ahead of us before we need to worry about that little issue." She spoke casually like it wasn't just my life on the line.
"Tell me, has your mother taught you any witchcraft?"
Hmph, changing the subject.
"Not too much. I know the basics, but I've studied a lot of books about it." I shrugged, watching her wrap my legs back up.
"When you're up for it, I can teach you and pick up where your mother left off." She worked on my arms.
"Really? You would help me?" Honestly, I wasn't expecting her to offer her help.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She chuckled, tying off the last bandage on my wrist.
I shrugged, looking her up and down.
"What? You don't trust me?" She sat facing.
"How can I trust someone whose name I don't even know."
"Oh, that." She chuckled.
"You've read the books on witches, right?" She crossed one leg over the other.
"Yes." I stared, trying to read her.
"Then you should know the answer."
I thought it over for a second, recalling a chapter in my book called, The Dos and Don'ts.
"If I remember correctly, it states that a witch's birth name is sacred and shouldn't be spoken carelessly."
"See, I knew you knew the answer." She tapped my leg.
"But you know my name. How is that fair?"
"No offense, little one, but I barely know you. You may be my sister's child, but I don't know if I can fully trust you yet."
The feeling was mutual.
"How do I know you won't use my name to hex me and run off trying to do things on your own? I need to get to know you before we officially exchange names." She leaned back in the chair.
"Then how should I address you?"
"By my witch name, Usynlig. It's Danish for invisible. I got that name for mastering cloaking magic. I also dabble in spatial magic and chaos magic as well." She winked at me.
She had a point. You can't just go around giving out your name. That leaves you vulnerable to spells and hexes. I still must be on high alert because she knows my full name. With that, she could do anything to me.
"How would I pronounce that?"
Danish isn't my first language, so a lot of their words are very foreign to me.
"Okay, um, let me see." She chewed her bottom lip while tapping her foot.
"Okay. Say oo-shun-leh."
"Oo." I watched her lips closely as she mouthed each syllable.
"Shun, shun, l-leh." I tried to mimic her speech.
"Now all together. Oo-shun-leh. Usynlig!"
"Usynlig." I looked at her.
"That's perfect." She smiled brightly at me, reminding me of my dad.
"Wow, I'm still amazed that your parents didn't teach you any Danish."
"I was mainly raised to speak English. After a while, I caught on to a few words. I think they did it that way so I wouldn't understand what others would say about me." I played with the bandages on my legs.
"What makes you say that?"
"Everywhere we went, people would stare and whisper under their breath. Not to mention when my parents fought, they'd argue in Danish or Greek."
"It seems as though they were trying to protect you. The world can be a cruel place that loves to tear us down. But only if you let it." She stood up, cleaning her hands off in a bowl that was on a table in the corner of the room.
"Usynlig, do you think I can be as good as my mom?"
"You are Magten's daughter, after all. With a bit of guidance, I'm sure your mother's talent will shine through." She bopped my nose.
Her little gestures confuse me.
"Magten?" I crunched my face.
"It's your mother's witch name. It means the power. She got that name because she knew the true power of the craft." She smiled to herself.
"She must've been an amazing witch." I fiddled around with my nails.
"Yeah, she was."
"I just wish she believed in me." I sadly smiled, thinking about how she constantly stopped me from performing spells.
"She was your mother, of course she did."
"She wouldn't even tell me how to form my own sigil. I caught her ripping out pages and burning them if they involved sigils." I scoffed.
"I'm sure she had her reasons."
"Yeah, she didn't trust me. She was afraid I'd make a mistake and get us caught." I pushed aside my long curly hair.
"I don't think that was it." She moved herself to sit at the end of the bed.
"Magic is a powerful tool. One misspoken word can completely alter the who spell. Sometimes going very wrong. Plus you are still quite young. She was probably worried you'd use all your core energy without knowing." She placed the covers over my legs.
"Yeah, well," I turned to look at the wall, so she wouldn't see my tear up.
"All I ever wanted was to do magic with her. But she was too busy always preparing traps and being on the lookout. Now, I'll get that chance." My voice lowered.
Usynlig firmly placed her hand on my shin, looking down at the floor. Words were no longer needed. The silence was comfortable and very much welcomed. It allowed me to gather myself.
So Magten was my mom's witch name?
I thought I knew everything about my parents, but I guess it was only what they wanted to show me.
If something as simple as her witch name was kept secret from me, what else were they hiding?