Jade: The Hybrid Mage

Chapter 5: A Balm for My Aching Heart

"Where's what, ma'am?"

"Is your head full of bricks?" Celene sneered. "Where's the thing I asked you to get for me? I don't see it on you." She eyed me from head to toe like I was dressed in s**t.

"Can't this wait?" My father protested. He sat silently at the far end of the table, his face drawn, his shoulders heavy.

"Why wait, honey?" She smiled at him. "I'm only asking if she did the errand I'd asked her to do. Is that so bad?" She asked, eating her soup. "So?" She raised a brow at me.

"The cloak isn't ready yet, so I've returned empty-handed . . . ma'am."

"Oh, I see," she twirled her spoon in the air. "How sad," she jested, letting out a small laugh.

I glanced at my father, hoping for even the smallest sign of defense, but his gaze stayed fixed on his plate.

I waited a bit, the clanking of utensils filling the air, and then finally said, "May I leave?"

“Tomorrow, you’ll scrub the floors, polish the silver, and tend to the garden.” Celene leaned back, one perfectly manicured hand resting on her goblet. “And I want you to collect radishes from the market tonight.”

My head snapped up before I could stop myself. “But the market’s already closed.” Celene’s expression didn’t falter. “Not my problem,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Figure it out.”

'Sick vulture-looking snake!' I tightened my fist to subdue my rage. I opened my mouth to protest, but the warning look in my father’s eyes stopped me cold.

Of course, he wouldn’t help—not in front of Celene. Her family’s wealth had grown his struggling business into what it was today, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for me.

I bit back the words threatening to spill out, my nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to nod. The tension in the room was suffocating.

Just then, a knock at the door broke the silence. I turned to leave, but Celene’s voice stopped me. “Don’t go yet.” I halted, my heart racing.

'Could it be . . .?' I shivered as memories of Elaine’s death flooded my mind.

One of the servants answered the door, and moments later returned with grim news.

“There’s been an incident, ma’am,” the servant said, her voice trembling. “Elaine, the timber merchant’s daughter . . . she was killed tonight. A werewolf attack.”

Gasps rippled through the room.

Celene’s face twisted, first with horror and then fury. “Where?”

“In the woods,” the servant replied. “Near the seamstress’s cottage.”

The words hit me like a hammer. My breath caught as Celene’s gaze snapped to me, her eyes filled with suspicion and something darker.

“You were there, weren’t you?” she hissed.

“I—” My voice faltered.

“It was said that Jade was the only one present at the time, ma’am,” the servant added hesitantly. “She was the only witness.”

Celene’s fury boiled over. “You were the only one there!” Her voice rose, each word sharper than the last. “And look at her—there’s blood on her clothes!” She pointed, her wild accusation cutting through me. “First, you curse her with your presence, and now she’s dead!”

Her words felt like stones hurled at my chest, each one lodging deeper than the last. I couldn’t argue. The faint bloodstains on my tunic felt like a valid confession.

“Out of my sight!” Celene snarled, slamming her hand on the table. “Now!”

My father’s gaze still remained fixed on his plate, but his hand tightened around his goblet, the faint tremor betraying his guilt. A pang of bitter disappointment settled in my chest, but I pushed it down, the beast stirring faintly, only to be silenced by the ring’s warmth.

I fled, tears stinging my eyes.

:~*~:

Marie’s room was quiet, her small figure settled on a stool as she waited for me to untangle her golden curls. Her innocent smile was a balm for my aching heart, and for a brief moment, the storm of emotions inside me calmed.

I picked up the brush from her bedside table and ran it gently through her hair. The golden strands shimmered in the soft light of the candle on her nightstand.

“You’re so nice, Jade,” Marie said softly, breaking the silence. “I wish everyone else was nice to you too.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I paused mid-stroke, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. “That’s very sweet of you to say, Marie,” I said, my voice trembling just enough to betray the emotion behind my words. “But don’t worry about me, okay? You just focus on being the wonderful little girl you are.”

“But I do worry,” she said, turning to face me, her blue eyes wide with concern. “I hear them talk about you, and it’s not fair. You’re not bad. You’re not a witch like they say. I know you’re not.”

The sincerity in her voice made my chest ache. “Thank you, Marie,” I whispered. “That means more than you know.”

“Sometimes,” she continued, her voice lowering to a whisper as if sharing a secret, “I think Mama says those things because she’s scared. She’s scared of things she doesn’t understand.”

Her words left me speechless. For such a young child, Marie’s insight was startling.

“She doesn’t need to be scared of me,” I said softly. “I’d never hurt anyone here. You know that, right?”

Marie nodded vigorously. “I know. You’re like my big sister.”

I smiled despite the heaviness in my heart. “And you’re like my little sister,” I said, brushing a hand gently over her hair. “I’ll always look out for you, Marie. No matter what.”

“Promise?” she asked, holding out her tiny pinky finger.

“Promise.” I hooked my pinky with hers and gave it a small shake.

For a moment, the tension of the evening melted away, replaced by the warmth of her innocent trust. But that peace was shattered when the door slammed open, and Celene stormed in, fury radiating off her in waves.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she shrieked.

I froze, the brush still in my hand. “I was just—”

“Don’t touch my daughter!” she bellowed, grabbing my arm and shoving me hard. My back hit the wall, and the brush clattered to the floor.

Marie began to cry. “Mama, stop!”

But Celene wasn’t listening. Her voice shook with rage. “You’ve brought nothing but misery into this house,” she spat. “And now Elaine is dead because of you. You’re a witch, Jade, and you always will be!”

The words hit me like a physical blow, but I held my tears back, refusing to let her see them.

“What’s going on here?” My father’s voice cut through the tension, and I turned to see him standing in the doorway.

Celene rounded on him, her anger undiminished. “Your precious daughter was the only one near Elaine when she was killed! If she isn’t cursed, then explain that!”

His face was tight, unreadable. Guilt? Hesitation? It was impossible to tell.

I tightened my fists. “You won’t have to deal with me for much longer!” I shouted, my voice trembling. “I’m going to become a Watcher after my awakening, and I’ll leave all of you behind!”

The words were met with a stunned silence, and then the sharp c***k of a slap split the air.

My cheek burned, and my head jerked to the side, tears spilling freely before I could stop them.

I turned slowly, the sting making me feel small and hollow. The room stayed quiet, the tension thick enough to suffocate.

When I looked up, it was my father’s hand that hung in the air. His face was tight, his eyes glassy with tears. He didn’t say anything—he didn’t need to.

Celene stood behind him, her arms crossed, her lips curled into a triumphant smirk. Beside her, her twin daughters and Gregor stared, their faces blank with shock. Only Marie made a sound, her quiet sobs breaking the silence.

I turned and fled before anyone could stop me. My footsteps echoed down the corridor as I ran to the attic, my small sanctuary in this wretched house.

Once inside, I slammed the door shut and collapsed onto the hard floor. The cold wood pressed against my cheek, and I finally allowed myself to surrender to tears, sobbing deeply.

I touched the silver ring on my finger. It glinted faintly in the pale moonlight streaming through the small attic window. Its cold comfort reminded me of the beast within me—the monster waiting to surface.

And what was worse? The monster outside my room wasn’t much different.