The Accidental Luna

Chapter 9: Stranger In The City

Witches were always alert because they were threats and enemies everywhere. As much as Archwood had humans that helped strike the balance between the supernaturals roaming about there was still rivalry and strife going on.

"What did you do with the wand?" Zoey asked for the umpteenth time in frustration.

Vanessa had been bleating for some minutes now. And as she asked the question, the lady kept pointing at the same line. Zoey had tried turning her back all to no avail and time kept running out. If she failed to see the solution within an hour, Vanessa would remain like that forever and it could cost her a lot in the witch society.

They would take her as unserious for leaving Vanessa, a stranger alone with the wand, and for being careless with her book. That wasn't close to what the alpha would do to her if he discovered the lady in care like this.

She had her test tomorrow and she hadn't finished preparing. It was to determine whether she was fully ready to be called a witch after so many years of training.

Now that Vanessa was like this, she would have to postpone what she was doing and attend to the lady or her life could be ruined.

She went through the book as she tried more spells to reverse the situation. None of them worked. Zoey was lost which meant that something was the issue. She hadn't fully mastered her powers yet so she wouldn't be able to reverse it

She stood up and helped Vanessa to her feet. People would soon gather around the stall if she didn't look for a solution. It would also give her names in the village.

"I have a friend who can undo the spell but she's far from here. We'll have to go there to hear her solution on this," Zoey said.

Vanessa nodded. She couldn't speak but she could hear. She was angry with herself for putting the witch in trouble. Next time, no one needed to tell her to stay put. This was enough of a lesson for her. Her throat ached and she felt imprisoned in her body.

Zoey packed her things into the stall and locked it up immediately. Then she strode to Vanessa's side and took her by the hand.

"Do not say a word until we get to my friend's place or people would know. Please don't," Zoey begged.

Vanessa nodded as she did sign language for Zoey. She moved her hand over her lips in a straight movement and allowed Zoey to take her by the hand.

They walked side by side. It was quite a distance.

"We are here." Zoey announced when they got to a pawn shop.

Zoey climbed the small steps while Vanessa followed after her. Vanessa looked around her, it was strange.

There were chairs by a window. Zoey peeped in. It was empty.

She knocked on the window to alert her friend. No one replied. Zoey stood back to check the door lock. It wasn't locked which meant someone was in there.

Vanessa was afraid. Wasn't the woman there? Who would save her now? She touched Zoey. Zoey looked at her and gestured for her to calm down.

After a few knocks, an old woman who held a stick opened the shop. She saw Vanessa first.

"Young lass, how can I help you?" She croaked in a gruff voice.

Zoey stepped into her vision immediately. The old woman had sight issues.

"Hey Fina," Zoey chirped.

The old woman blinked. It was Zoey. Zoey was a friend of hers in the witch society. They were good friends who helped each other in times of need.

"Zoey! Don't sneak up on me like that," the old woman pouted.

"Calm down Fina. I knocked," Zoey explained.

"Of course you did," the old woman spat out a greenish liquid from her mouth.

Vanessa flinched. It had almost touched her. Her stomach roiled in wraps of discomfort and her face squeezed in irritation.

Zoey winked at her to calm down. Vanessa sighed, after all, they needed the woman's help for her to become normal once more. She faked a smile at the woman who had been watching her closely.

"I thought you had something to say," Fina smiled.

Vanessa shook her head, even though it contradicted her mind. She had a lot to say to the woman but she would swallow it. She needed her voice back.

Zoey cleared her throat.

"Stop being mean, Fina. That's why we are here. We need your help," Zoey pointed at herself and Vanessa who nodded many times.

"What do you need me for?" Fina stuck out her tongue at Vanessa and sat on one of the chairs. She held her stick in one hand and used the other to move the stick she was chewing in her mouth.

"She said the forbidden spell and she has lost her I," Zoey explained.

"What? How?" Fina asked in alarm.

"I had to prepare for the test so I left her with my book and wand," Zoey confessed.

"You need some spanking child. Take her to the Archwood River immediately," Fina said, stamping her stick on the ground in succession.

"Is there no other solution?" Zoey sighed.

The river was close to the outskirts and it was far. Before they would get there, it would take an hour and an hour back. That made it two hours she could have used to practice.

"There is no other way, Zoey. You have to do it immediately or if it lasts an hour, it might be irreversible. Go now and undo the spell by dipping her head in the water for five minutes," Fina said.

"Okay. Thank you so much, Fina." Zoey said.

"Go now, my child." Fina wished them goodbye as they walked out of her shop.

"We'll undo it," Zoey calmed Vanessa down when she saw the look in her eyes.

Vanessa was afraid. So many possibilities ran through her mind. What if she never got her voice again? What if this affected her badly? What if Zoey failed her test because she had to tend to her?

She had caused all these by not listening to instructions. Vanessa wished she could go back to undo what she had done. They strode in silence into the bush. Zoey held her hands.

She hoped they were late to dip her head in it. They trudged on fast. They were almost at the border where they'd cross to get to the river.

Vanessa sighed.

"Are you tired?" Zoey asked

Vanessa nodded her head. They had been walking for almost one hour. To think that she had done more than this while escaping from Ryan baffled her.

She could walk for hours then. However, just a few days in the Alpha's house had made her body relax.

"We'll get there soon. Let us go." Zoey urged her.

She held her hand and they continued. Zoey was used to these long journeys. Sometimes at night, she'd walk to the river to practice a spell. She wasn't tired though her leg ached a bit.

Zoey led the way and they crossed a neighborhood close to the river bank. Vanessa sighed. She wished she could communicate her weariness to Zoey.

Zoey understood her plight.

"See the river ahead," she pointed to it from afar.

Vanessa looked at Zoey with doubt. That was what she had used to cajole her when she got weary. She didn't believe her anymore.

Zoey smiled.

"It's truly the river. Now let's go," Zoey said and Vanessa followed.

They got to a quiet and disclosed part of the river. Vanessa looked around her. An unfamiliar feeling settled upon her.

"I'll leave you to dip your head in it. Remember you should do it well so it can go fully." Zoey said before leaving her to her privacy.

Vanessa didn't want to stay alone. She was afraid of being alone around such water. What if something happened to her?

However, Zoey had gone before she could protest. Vanessa sighed. She was left all alone to do this. It was her fate and she had to take it seriously or she would never speak again.

She pulled off her clothes and stepped out of them. Vanessa left it on the riverbank and stepped into the water slowly. She gasped and her heartbeats thudded in her chest. The water was cold.

Vanessa bent her head into the cold river and did as the old lady said. She stayed there for some minutes before she raised her head up.

When she came back up someone was standing there watching her closely. Vanessa blinked her eyes twice. Had the spell affected her eyes too? She wondered as she cleaned off the water from her face.

She could see clearly. Someone was standing there and watching her and it was not Zoey. She gasped in shock.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" She asked. Her voice was back.