The Blessed and the Cursed
Chapter Ten: Back to Where it Started

“Well, that was fast,” Wes said as he skeptically looked around.

Sylvia stood still and silent for a while. She quickly thought of what they should do now. She wanted to run into her house and wrap her arms around Beatrice and Gwen, even Analeigh. She shook her head, knowing that hse had other duties to fulfill.

“Let’s go to your house.” Sylvia said. ” It is closer, and we can stir up the potion there.”

“Like I said milady, I am at your disposal.” he said as they rushed towards the house.

“Too bad you didn’t mean it literally.” She said with a smirk.

“Oh trust me, you won’t get rid of me that easily.” He said returning the smirk.

They rushed through the cold weather, the cold air whipped against Weston’s face. It felt like sandpaper was rubbing on his face. His throat burned up when the cold air hit it, he tried his best to keep his breath leveled while running. Sylvia was ahead of him, running without any hesitation and without any sign of being tired. He knew that she had more strength than a human, but he still felt embarrassed. He was a man, a count, yet he was slower than the girl that was found unconscious in the village. He thought of Sylvia as a regular human, and he could still picture her beating him. He didn’t dislike the fact that he was slower than her, that she could beat him at almost anything. He liked it, he liked having someone as incredible as Sylvia. People have always seen him as the hero, the one who will save them in the village. He had to live up to their expectations and stay there. He always had the fear of falling down the high bar they had raised for him. Now he could expect someone else to save the day.

They tumbled through Weston’s front door and into the kitchen. Sylvia opened all the cupboards, diving through pots and pans. She stopped when she found a metal pot. She wrapped her hands around the cold metal and set it down on the floor, hoping it would make the spell work. She flipped her bag upside down, everything inside dropped down hitting the hardwood floor. She saw all the ingredients fall around her. She picked up the grimoire and flipped to the page where the spell was.

“Here.” She said handing it over to Wes. “Read the ingredients and instructions to me one by one. Just like you did before.”

“Sure thing.”

Sylvia set down the ingredients in order, and then followed everything that Wes read off the grimoire. Her hands shook less, her heart was more stable, and she felt more in control. She was getting the hang of casting spells. Her mind was set on how many people she was going to save. she could finally avenge her parent’s death and the death of her village. Even Analeight’s village. Even though vengeance was not the best thing to act upon, she couldn’t help it. After all the ingredients were combined, they turned into a purple mist. She was meant to capture it into a glass bottle, the sixteenth ingredient. She took off the lid and collected the purple mist that hovered on top of the pot. She shut the lif tight and set the bottle carefully onto the counter.

“Done.” She said as she huffed out air. “I may have forgotten to breathe during the last few seconds.”

“The knights are going to be here soon, we can take the bottle with us and throw it on the ice. It will break and the spell will be released.” Wes said. “And then...”

“And then.. what?” Sylvia questioned his hesitation.

Before he could answer the front door came crashing down. It was the village guards. The chief behind them, his beady eyes narrowed down on Sylvia.

“Guards, seize them.” His deep voice yelled over the commotion.

They grabbed Wes and Sylvia by their arms. The two of them flailed their arms, kicked their legs but there was no use. The guards were trained to never let go of their prisoners, no matter what.

“What is the meaning of this?” Wes yelled. His face was red with anger.

“You know very well why.” The chief said to him and then turned to one of the guards. “Take them to the poles in front of the hall. Tie them up for the werewolves to eat, a sacrifice.”

“Chief, Why are you doing this?” Sylvia asked utterly confused. “What have we done?”

“Silence! I will not hear a word that comes from your mouth.” He yelled. “You come to my village, pretend to be innocent and lost.”

“I didn’t pretend to be anything.” she argued, but the chief didn’t answer. Instead, he signaled the guards to take them away.

They were tied against the poles in front of the town hall. The guards were a few feet away, leaving them to the cold evening. Sylvia tried to get her claws out, but the ropes were doused with wolfsbane.

“Do you know anything about this, milady?” We asked trying to free himself.

“No, Maybe this is all just a big misunderstanding.” She sighed. “The bottle, it’s back at your place.”

“We have to get out of here before the werewolves come.” Wes said.

“Yeah, easier said than done.”

The two of them sat in silence. Sylvia tried to think of a reason why she got imprisoned, but nothing came to her mind. She never did anything wrong while she was in the village. When she left, she was sick. There is nothing she could’ve done to get herself into this mess. Her eyes wandered to the shadow behind a building. She felt a familiar presence. “Gwen?” she asked.

Wes whipped up his head to see Gwen coming out of the shadows and in front of them.

“Gwen, you have to help us.” Wes said to her. “There has been a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?” Gwen said with a sneer. “I can assure you that no such thing happened here.”

“Gwen?” Sylvia questioned as the behavior of her friend made her uncomfortable. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, don’t you pretend to care for me you wench, you little whore.” Gwen said with distaste. “I know the monster you are. You pretended to be an innocent girl, but in reality, you were a gruesome werewolf. You took away my Roland from me.”

“What? No.” Sylvia said. “Gwen what has gotten into you.”

“You murdered the love of my life with those innocent looking hands of yours.” Gwen spat. “You deceived the count and got him to do your dirty work for you.”

“Gwen, you are mistaken.” Wes said. “Sylvia is not a werewolf, and she could never harm an innocent man.”

“Oh, yeah. Roland had always warned me to be wary of you. I was the one who told him that you meant no harm and that you were innocent. He said that he didn’t trust you. I should’ve listened to him.” She paused as a painful expression appeared on her face. “You said that you killed those two werewolves outside of the village and that they attacked you. Some hunters went out to check, and they found two bodies of lifeless men.”

“That is because werewolves transform into their human forms once they are dead.” Sylvia said.

“One of those men was Roland.” She said. “This is why he never came to supper that night because you killed him. He was just an innocent man, he did no harm.”

“Gwen, I’m so sorry, but he was a werewolf.”

“No, you have no way to prove it.” Gwen said. “You just lied so you wouldn’t get imprisoned for murdering those two men. Pretended to be hurt so you could run away, with your accomplice. That day, once they put you in the carriage. I wanted to give you the bread I baked myself. I snuck into the carriage to put the bread in. I saw your fangs, and your glowing eyes, your nails ripped through the blanket.”

“Gwen, why would I murder them?” Sylvia asked. “There is no way I could or would do something like that. Gwen, you know I wouldn’t. And for the fangs and claws, I’m not a werewolf, I’m a Lycanthrope.”

“I don’t know anything about you, not anymore.” She said as she turned around.

Before Sylvia could call after Gwen had already fled into the darkness. The sun had set and the light was gone. Sylvia and Wes were tied to the pole, wrongly accused, and nowhere out.

“Well, that was certainly something.” Wes said.

“This is amusing to you?” Sylvia asked.

“No, not at all.” he said. “Anyway what are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” Sylvia said.

“Sylvia, you are not a monster.” Wes said. “Gwen is upset and doesn’t mean what she said.”

“Mhmm.” She hummed.

Her thoughts were all going in the same direction, the negative way. The secret she wanted to keep so bad was out, and because she kept it a secret people don’t understand all of it. Even if she explains herself no one would believe her.

“No one will believe me.” She said out loud.

“I will.” Sylvia looked up to see Ulric, he was sitting on a horse. “I’ll believe you.”

“Ulric.” Wes said. “Good timing, my friend.”

“Is it true what I’m hearing.” He asked.

“What do you think?” Wes asked.

“I think it is absolutely untrue” He said. “Let’s get you two out of those ropes.”

He jumped off his horse and landed on his feet with a thump. His blade slid out of his belt and sliced the rope off of Wes and Sylvia. Sylvia quickly got up to her feet, but Wes was still sitting down. Shivering from being exposed in the cold.

“I will take you to where you are supposed to go to save the village.” Ulric said. “The werewolves will reach the village in less than ten minutes. We will make this misunderstanding go away.”

“Sure thing.” Sylvia said, but her focus was on the unconscious Wes. “We have to bring him to a warm place”

They lifted Wes together and laid him down on top of the horse. Ulric had taken off his coat and put it on top of Wes for extra warmth. They traveled through the most abandoned streets. Trying their best to not be noticed or found out. After a long slow walk, they had finally made it back to Weston’s house.

“Oh thank god.” Sylvia let out a sigh of relief after seeing that the glass bottle was safe and sound.

“What is that?” Ulric asked as he laid Wes next to the fireplace.

“The thing that will save us.” Sylvia said and rushed towards Wes. “How is he?”

“I don’t know just yet.” Ulric said.

Sylvia sat down next Wes and put his head on her lap, her back rested against the brick of the fireplace. She stroked his hair behind his ear, eagerly looking at him to open his eyes.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes?” She replied.

“I am in love with you.” He blurted out.

“What?” Sylvia said as her neck snapped up towards him.

“I am in love with you.” Ulric repeated the same words slowly this time.

“I know, but--”

“You care for him.” Ulric said finishing her sentence for her.

“Of course I do, he is my friend.” She replied.

“No, I am your friend.” Ulric said. “You care for him like he is someone special. Like I care for you”

“I don’t know how I feel for him.” Sylvia said as a blush rose to her ears.

“I’m not saying you should know.” Ulric said with a sad smile. “But he would be a good person to know about, don’t you think?”

Sylvia didn’t reply because Wes had opened his eyes. Shocked to see Sylvia’s face so close he tried to get up but bumped heads with her instead.

“Ow, someone’s lively.” Sylvia said rubbing her forehead.

“Sorry.” He said getting up.

“Okay, now that he has awoken from his slumber, shall we go kill the howling creatures.” Ulric asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to ask me twice.” Wes said. He offered Sylvia his hand to get up and she took it with a smile. “Milady, shall we go?”

“You don’t even have to ask me.” She said as she grabbed the bottle and was already headed out the door.