The Ghost Bride

1 The sun was shining brightly. Too brightly. I had just come back from the Marn Magical Academy, where I had been attending distance classes during my sleep. Despite having slept for many hours, I was still laying in bed. Because of the injuries caused by my crazy psychopath father's experiments on my magic and ethereal body, I couldn't move. Instead, I was staring into the ceiling, where the sun's reflections played a game of cat and mouse. My head was itchy. I hadn't washed my hair in days since I couldn't move much, and the healers advised me to stay dry. I tried to move my head, scratching the itch with my pillow. It wasn't very satisfying. What I'd give to scratch my head with my fingers… I also stunk. I tried not to concentrate too much on the smells, since I didn't want to feel the smell of my dirty body. The healer that visited me told me they couldn't use magic on me since it was very risky in my current state. All good, but couldn't I just get a nurse? A non-magical nurse, who could wipe me with a sponge. And put some dry shampoo in my hair… I kept dreaming about what I would do as soon as I could move a bit when I heard somebody's steps. "Who is it?" I asked, unable to move my head, frantically moving my eyeballs so I could see who came from the door. It was very awkward, but I saw Captain Kaffale with the edge of my eyes. "It's me, Aegisthus," he said, gently. "You woke up? Do I need to call the Healer?" "That would be nice," I said, feeling my bladder acutely. "Three days until I can stand up, they told me. It's been a week already, and I'm still unable to move." "Cheer up," Captain Kaffale said. "We're moving you." "Where?" I asked. "To Kaffale House," he said. "My sister-in-law has already prepared a bedroom for you." I had agreed to be Captain Kaffale's niece's nanny. They offered me a very decent salary. Besides, I had to make a living, now that I left my old waitressing job and my dingy but affordable apartment back on Earth. "I told her I'd start working by now," I said, "but as you can see, I can't keep that promise." "She knows," Captain Kaffale said. "She said it's OK for you to recover in the house, instead of staying here." "That's very nice of her," I said. "But I already owe her. I've spent all the advance she gave me, and I haven't even started working when I promised." Emere had given me an advance, which I used to buy all the clothes I needed in Marn, the world I came to from Earth. Earth, which is isolated from magical streams, was starving me of magic. I'd been told I couldn't live much longer if I stayed there; that's why I came to Marn, with nothing but a small backpack and a dangerous psychopath who followed me. Which is why the advance was so helpful. I felt bad that I was too ill to start working. "She understands," Captain Kaffale said. "You'll be able to recover much better in Kaffale House. You'll be able to get a lot more help, and we've got Healers on-call round-the-clock." "And when are you moving me to this most excellent house?" I asked. "Now," Captain Kaffale said. "As soon as the Healer comes." "Right now?" I asked. "Why? I assumed you'd let me recover before you kicked me out." I was staying in a safe house that belonged to the police, who were using me as bait to catch my father. I was happy to let them do that, since that meant they helped me get out of Earth, too. "The Colonel isn't trying to kick you out," Captain Kaffale said. Colonel Yaldai was the man who brought me to Marn, as bait to catch my father. He got a bit too sentimental about it, me being a lady and all. He hid my existence from his superiors, one of whom was my crazy father's brother, and now he had to deal with the consequences. "Then why are you moving me out so quickly?" I asked. "If you didn't have a place to go to," Captain Kaffale said, "the Colonel wouldn't dream of kicking an ill young woman to the streets. But now that there are other options… You'll be safer at my family house. And out of the reach of my superiors." "You mean, Azrikam Morad?" I asked. Azrikam Morad is my crazy father's brother. He kicked my father out of their rich, elite high magician family, risking their reputation, so I guess he's not the worst. But I was proof of my father's sins, his ill, broken niece. He wouldn't kill me, but he could try hiding me away from everybody. If I valued my freedom, I had to stay away from him. "Yes," Captain Kaffale said. "He learned about your existence and expressed a desire to talk to you. Once we move you to Kaffale House, we can keep him away from you for a while. At least until you recover." "Well, thanks," I said. "I appreciate it." The Healer then came in, with the Colonel behind him. "Have you told her?" the Colonel asked the Captain. Captain Kaffale nodded. The Colonel ordered the Healer: "Stabilize her, fast! We have almost no time." The Healer waved his hand around me, and I felt like I couldn't even move my face anymore. At least I could breathe. I think something happened because the Colonel swore. "He's here!" And he waved his hand at me, quickly doing some gestures. I felt the world becoming tenuous, the sounds faint, only for an unfamiliar world to appear. A smiling woman was looking at me from above, while I was lying on another bed, with lavender-smelling fresh sheets. "Hi," I said, looking at her. I'd only seen Emere, my employer, through the vizor before, on our brief video interview. She was even more stunning in person. Her elegant, dark blue dress covered her from head to toe, the diamond necklace she was wearing framing her beautiful face. Her hair was styled into an elegant updo, with strands of pearls in it. I felt even shabbier than I did when I had my interview. At least I was clean then. Now, with my greasy hair and smelly clothes, I looked even more out of place. "Hi, Amy," she said, with a bright smile. "Aegisthus told me what happened to you. We'll make sure you recover well in this house. I've already called our Healer, and she will make sure you're as comfortable as possible." "Thank you," I said. "You've already done so much for me. And I couldn't even keep my part of the deal." "Well, it's not like you did it on purpose," Emere said, smiling. "And I'm sure you will. Aegisthus has almost finished with the paperwork and legal issues. As soon as you're recovered, you can start work. But don't worry about it; you need to focus on getting well. Trust me, you'll need all your energy to deal with my daughter." "I don't want to trouble you," I said, feeling thankful to this angel. "The healers said I'll be able to walk in three more days. They've been saying that for the past week, but I'm sure at some point it will be true." "We've got an excellent healer on our staff," Emere said. "With all the kids using magic in the house, we need one. She'll be able to fix you up." I heard a knock on the door. Emere left my vision field, only to reappear again, with a middle-aged woman in a green robe. "This is the patient," Emere said. "Please make her as comfortable as possible while she heals." She then looked at me. "I'll leave you in our Healer's care, Amy," she said. "I left Erynn with her father, but he needs to go to work now, so I won't be able to offer you company. Aegisthus told me you stay in the Academy for most of the day; I'll make sure you can go there, too, after you get treatment." She then disappeared from my field of vision, and I heard her steps and the door closing. The Healer looked at me, professionally assessing my state. "Amy Laurendeau, right?" she said cheerfully. "I can see you've been injured, and some healers have been trying to cure you. Incompetent butchers! Don't worry; it won't take that much time. You'll be able to stand tomorrow. Now, most of the manipulations I'll be performing are uncomfortable. Please prepare yourself." I nodded, and she started waving her hands around me. I started feeling different parts of my body itch. It was good that I couldn't move my hands, or I'd scratched myself b****y. After what seemed like an eternity of this t*****e, the healer finished. "Now," she said, "I've finished treating you. You just need to eat and sleep, and tomorrow you'll be able to walk. Eat some." She gave me the same white liquid I'd been drinking through a straw for the last week (I want to eat solid food so much), after which she helped me travel to the Academy by placing the vizor under my cheek. As I said the phrase 'I want to go to the Magical Academy', I felt my mind blackening, as my ethereal body was transferred to the Magical Academy, where I arrived in the shape of a ghost.