me.” With his thumb and index fingers he lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him. “I didn’t say this was going to be easy. I’m sorry you had to see that, hell Fern, I’m sorry I had to see that. Now that we know for sure we stopped you from killing Jonathan and Sarah, we must concentrate on the rest of the curse. We have ten more days before the execution, maybe if we try really hard, we can fall in love, hmm?” He smiled down into her soft hazel eyes, losing himself in their depths.
“ You know I hate you, don’t you?” She smiled at his look of pain.
“ About as much as I hate you, Fern!” Taking her hand again he turned them toward the field. “Let’s go, we have much to think about.”
* * * *
Ground heart of dove, liver of sparrow, womb of swallow, and kidney of a hare. Now all she needed was an equal part of the victim’s own blood. Dried and powdered, she would add it with the rest of the ingredients then mix it into a liquid. “Marvelous success you shall be granted,” Elizabeth cackled as she prepared her ingredients. Tonight she would draw the girl from the cave and take some of her blood to complete the spell. Love shall bind Jonathan’s descendent to her, Love would keep her from her own death, but as promised from her own sisterhood, Elizabeth would have her revenge. Jonathan and his sweet wife would die at the hands of this girl Fern even if she had to use the trickery of love to ensure her success.
Elizabeth was tired. At sixty-four years old she had lived well beyond her time. With her cane in hand, her sack with her mixture thrown over her slumped shoulder and her love potion memorized she prepared to make her journey yet again, across the Northfield’s.
* * * *
“ Why have you done this, Sarah?” Jonathan yelled. “You have accused Mary Wilds of witchery, which you know to be a lie. I promised you, my wife, that my heart belonged to ye why then have ye done this evil deed?” He paced quickly back and forth in front of Sarah, his blood rapidly reaching a boiling point in his anger.
“ How does my husband know that Mary Wilds is not a witch? If she has taken you to her bed and you still protest your love for me, how can she be not a witch?” Sarah knew Jonathan was angry but she didn’t care. Mary would be punished for causing her this pain.
Jonathan stopped in front of Sarah where she sat behind the table, slamming his fist down hard in front of her. “I know not what a witch is and I know nothing of witchcraft. But I know Mary is innocent of this accusation you make. You will go forth to our worship henceforth, to tell of your lie, Sarah Nichols. Mary will not die for your anger.”
“ I do not hear what you say, husband. I will not confess to a lie when I have not told a lie. I will not go,” Sarah turned her head away and closed her eyes when he bent down to within inches of her face.
“ My wife, can you not find it in your soul to tell the truth?” His heart was torn when she turned in her chair, showing him her back. “Tell the truth in this matter, Sarah!” He slammed his fist down in front of her again. She jumped but didn’t respond to his show of anger. “Mary Wilds will be thus tormented and put to her death if your heart cannot be truthful.” He turned and left her then. He wasn’t a violent man, but right at the moment he found himself tempted.
* * * *
“ Come back inside the cave, Fern, you’ve been sitting out there ever since it got dark,” Rowen called to her from inside.
“ Rowen! Tell me again about Mary’s child that was taken away from her by Elizabeth. Does anyone know where she took the child?” The sky was full of stars and fireflies, a magical combination against the velvety black backdrop of the night. She wasn’t quite ready to go in yet.
“ Know one knows, Fern. She was taken at birth. Elizabeth told Mary she died. All we know for certain is that she did survive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.” He sat back
“ You know I hate you, don’t you?” She smiled at his look of pain.
“ About as much as I hate you, Fern!” Taking her hand again he turned them toward the field. “Let’s go, we have much to think about.”
* * * *
Ground heart of dove, liver of sparrow, womb of swallow, and kidney of a hare. Now all she needed was an equal part of the victim’s own blood. Dried and powdered, she would add it with the rest of the ingredients then mix it into a liquid. “Marvelous success you shall be granted,” Elizabeth cackled as she prepared her ingredients. Tonight she would draw the girl from the cave and take some of her blood to complete the spell. Love shall bind Jonathan’s descendent to her, Love would keep her from her own death, but as promised from her own sisterhood, Elizabeth would have her revenge. Jonathan and his sweet wife would die at the hands of this girl Fern even if she had to use the trickery of love to ensure her success.
Elizabeth was tired. At sixty-four years old she had lived well beyond her time. With her cane in hand, her sack with her mixture thrown over her slumped shoulder and her love potion memorized she prepared to make her journey yet again, across the Northfield’s.
* * * *
“ Why have you done this, Sarah?” Jonathan yelled. “You have accused Mary Wilds of witchery, which you know to be a lie. I promised you, my wife, that my heart belonged to ye why then have ye done this evil deed?” He paced quickly back and forth in front of Sarah, his blood rapidly reaching a boiling point in his anger.
“ How does my husband know that Mary Wilds is not a witch? If she has taken you to her bed and you still protest your love for me, how can she be not a witch?” Sarah knew Jonathan was angry but she didn’t care. Mary would be punished for causing her this pain.
Jonathan stopped in front of Sarah where she sat behind the table, slamming his fist down hard in front of her. “I know not what a witch is and I know nothing of witchcraft. But I know Mary is innocent of this accusation you make. You will go forth to our worship henceforth, to tell of your lie, Sarah Nichols. Mary will not die for your anger.”
“ I do not hear what you say, husband. I will not confess to a lie when I have not told a lie. I will not go,” Sarah turned her head away and closed her eyes when he bent down to within inches of her face.
“ My wife, can you not find it in your soul to tell the truth?” His heart was torn when she turned in her chair, showing him her back. “Tell the truth in this matter, Sarah!” He slammed his fist down in front of her again. She jumped but didn’t respond to his show of anger. “Mary Wilds will be thus tormented and put to her death if your heart cannot be truthful.” He turned and left her then. He wasn’t a violent man, but right at the moment he found himself tempted.
* * * *
“ Come back inside the cave, Fern, you’ve been sitting out there ever since it got dark,” Rowen called to her from inside.
“ Rowen! Tell me again about Mary’s child that was taken away from her by Elizabeth. Does anyone know where she took the child?” The sky was full of stars and fireflies, a magical combination against the velvety black backdrop of the night. She wasn’t quite ready to go in yet.
“ Know one knows, Fern. She was taken at birth. Elizabeth told Mary she died. All we know for certain is that she did survive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.” He sat back
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