Insignitis destiny, p.6
Insignitis: Destiny, page 6
Petra looked toward the cottages and slowly noticed a very dim heatwave-like shimmer coming from a yellow thatched cottage. She noticed the shimmer moved - the girl was there and probably oblivious to the danger she was now in. But she knew the girl wasn’t alone, for her puppets had told her about a cat who took a strong liking to the girl. It only took her moments to realise the cat wasn’t what it appeared to be, but her puppets had never witnessed it revealing who it truly was. But clearly, the cat was gifted and able to absorb most of the girl’s leaking magic - she must be a mage, but who? She knew of many. Whoever the mage was, Petra had no doubt she knew about her and what information on the girl she accidentally heard seventeen years ago.
Against her instincts to wait a little longer, her feet started to move causing her to leave the forest. No-one was around, which she found strange considering it was a nice day. Strange or not, she kept walking until she reached a road - vehicles went by emitting horrendous noise and gas - what was wrong with travelling by horse? Humans seemed impatient and hated the concept of time in any capacity.
Petra followed the magic that had diffused through the air and soon she reached the small village-like area of thatched cottages. Its quaintness and the peaceful ambience made her nauseous, and frown in boredom - some were outside tending to whatever foliage they found solace in growing, and vehicles were being washed and hosed down.
No-one looked as she walked along the path regardless of her appearance and clearly out-of-place clothing. As the humans were wearing thin cotton clothing consisting of skirts, trousers, shirts, or sleeveless tops, ranging from plain to floral, she was wearing a long, navy-blue, V-neck dress with sleeves that reached her wrists before drooping two inches.
The yellow cottage was in view - the cosiness made her cringe. The garden was in full bloom, and the hedges were trimmed - the scent coming from the garden reminded her of home. Petra shook and cursed herself for her moment of nostalgia - missing home wasn’t exactly welcome for she could no longer live there. She was an outcast due to the crimes she committed against the Nymphs - she almost took the life of one.
Petra gathered herself, took a closer look at the cottage, and noticed the shimmering wasn’t isolated like she thought, it had created a bubble around the residence. Petra scowled and quietly growled in anger - even if the girl was oblivious to her aura leaking, the leaking was providing protection. Anger made her blood boil and hands shake - once again, she was being thwarted.
She had a swift look around and noticed the area was now empty - but the evidence of activity remained in the form of freshly watered plant life and washed cars now glistening in the sun - humans could be so vain.
Petra approached the path leading toward the cottage. Before she reached the boundary the hedges created, her hands began to prickle. She looked at them and grimaced in pain - her hands were red and irritated. Petra stepped further, and the pain increased - her hands were starting to burn. She stepped back, and the pain reduced.
What on earth are you?
Petra had never been burnt by magic that had leaked from someone’s aura. Against her instincts, she walked closer to the cottage but as she reached the entry into the garden, she had to stifle a scream of pain as she fell to the ground. Her hands were covered in blisters and red raw - something else was protecting that girl, and it wasn’t the mage disguised as a cat.
Petra forced herself to stand and walk away from the cottage - the further she went, the less her hands suffered. She now stood meters away from the cottage, and her hands were gradually healing. She looked back toward the cottage and noticed the shimmering bubble was thicker than she thought.
Confusion overcame her anger - the leak was creating a shield, which was something she had never seen before. Whatever the girl was, it was clear her puppets didn’t know - or simply did not witness enough, whilst at the orphanage. But it was strange - she was being harmed by the leaking magic when they were not. Did it only attack certain creatures, or was it something connected to the prophecy?
Considering this discovery, she knew she needed to reconsider her plans - plans that would enable her to get the girl.
***
Alice was walking along a pebble path approaching an empty patch of soil - it was much larger than the patch Saphira had at the orphanage. Saphira found herself thinking about what she could grow, and the list was never-ending. The idea of growing fruit and flowers was sheer heaven to her.
Watching something grow and thrive had always given Saphira a feeling of tranquility. It was something Saphira found she couldn’t truly do like others in the orphanage - she had not grown into the person she wished she did.
The garden was full of life, with flowering plants, sprouting vegetables, and rows upon rows of ripening berries. Butterflies tended to fly by, and the breeze carried the scent of flowers toward her - it gave her a sense of calm.
“You can use this patch. You can grow whatever you like, but if you want to start planting today, you need to make do with the seeds I already have in the shed. So, you can take your pick from the seed drawers.”
“Can I see?”
“Sure, the shed is just over there near the greenhouse.” Alice had already began to harvest what she needed for tonight’s dinner and placing it all into a large wicker basket whilst leaning on gardening knee pads.
Saphira began to walk along the path trying to look at everything that took her eye. She stopped - a large greenhouse appeared in front of her. It was full of fruiting plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and berries. Beside the greenhouse was a large wooden shed, clearly built and decorated by William.
The shed was large and crafted with oak wood. It resembled a little house, but it was covered in carvings involving nature and pagan gods. The Green Man was intertwined with flowers, leaves, and stems, as bees fed on the nectar, and birds and butterflies flew. The way it was carved, it seemed like everything was moving. It may be a shed, but William had created something that felt alive.
She opened the door and stepped inside and noticed the seed drawers and began to open each one. Each drawer was labelled - the first one she opened was flower seeds. She chose sachets of Carnations, Tulips and Lavender - however, she found Strawberry and Blackberry seeds and chose those, too. She left and went back to where Alice was and found her removing weeds from her vegetable patches.
“I see you like fruits and flowers.”
“Yes, I like seeing them bloom, the flowers are always pretty.”
“Well, you’ll need to grow the seedlings of your fruit in the greenhouse.” Alice dusted the excess soil from her gloves. “Come on, let’s plant your seeds.”
Time seemed to pass, for William had returned - not surprisingly, he knew where to find them. He entered the greenhouse with a very happy smile on his face.
“Hey, are you two ladies having fun getting covered in dirt?” William asked, chuckling.
“Yes, we are,” Saphira said - she was surprised to find herself smiling. “Alice let me choose some seeds from the shed.”
“She likes fruits and flowers. We’ve just planted them in seedling pots.”
“Well, I bought some fish, pork, beef, and some of those chocolates you like to sneak whenever you think I’m not looking.”
“What? I have a sweet tooth, so sue me.” Alice laughed. “I like strawberry fondant and fudge chocolates, Saphira, and they’re something I love to eat.”
“I’ve only had plain milk chocolate.”
“Well, I think you’ll find something you’ll like from the sweet shop in town. I daresay, everyone could spend hours in there, trying to choose what they want. I’ll take you there sometime, but later we’re going to Lough Leane for a picnic.”
“A picnic? I’ve never had one.”
“Well, you can help make the food we’ll be taking with us. I better take Saphira into the kitchen to prepare lunch, I daresay, it’s after twelve already,” Alice said - she put the gardening gloves on top of a shelf.
“I’ll be in the craft room, getting the wood and tools ready. I don’t favour the idea of Saphira getting hurt whilst we’re in there. I’ve even hurt myself. I dropped a hammer on my toe once, and you laughed at me.”
“Oh, come on, you know it was funny. Watching you hopping around whilst exclaiming an ocean of profanity.”
Saphira bit her lip to stop herself from laughing - however, both Alice and William saw it.
“Right, whilst William is preparing everything, we better get started with lunch.”
Alice took off her knee pads and apron along with Saphira’s. William followed them into the kitchen and went upstairs. Alice and Saphira began the preparations to make lunch.
Chapter 10
Burning
The smell of baking flooded the house, making it feel homely. Beryl saw Saphira talking to Alice in the kitchen, and the sound of scraping and chiselling could be heard upstairs.
Fear and worry grasped Beryl’s heart - if Fae were near, what other mythical creatures were waiting for their chance to get to Saphira? Tonight, she would not sleep for Saphira was now in danger. But that danger could be anything involving Petra - and her apparent eyes she had on the orphanage. She had come to the conclusion that Petra’s “eyes” were walking around the orphanage without notice. But considering the suffering Saphira endured, did those “eyes” belong to any of the bullies?
She had the chance to think whilst Saphira was in the garden - three of the bullies took a particular interest in Saphira, and all were boys. The boys were a known gang in the orphanage, and Owen was part of it - he was the main one who seemed to enjoy making Saphira suffer.
But when she thought about the fact his gang had been in the orphanage since Saphira was six years old, something sinister came into her mind. Beryl had failed to notice the gang never seemed to age, and she could only think of one creature Petra would employ as “eyes” - Barghests.
Barghests had many names, but humans knew of one - Hellhounds. The idea of missing their presence, especially in a place where children were, made her skin crawl and fear flood her. But if they were Barghests, why didn’t they cause Saphira more harm than they did? Barghests did not go against their true nature - did Petra have something to use as leverage that stopped them from taking Saphira’s life? If she did, what leverage was it, or was it some form of magic that made them her puppets?
William descended from upstairs, went outside, and came back with two logs of wood. The smell of sap from the oak wood reminded Beryl of her own home where she truly belonged with someone she loved and dearly missed.
“Saphira, do you want to start on Beryl’s bed?” William asked - the logs were still in his arms.
“Is that okay, Alice?”
Alice was drying her hands with a dish-towel. “Of course it is.”
“So, shall we go up and make a start?” William asked.
It was bright and cosy in the craft room - the smell of chopped wood and sawdust was in the air. A large worktable with a vice attached was near the window - tools hung on walls. Jars of nails, bolts, screws, and nuts were on shelves - they glittered in the rays of sunshine entering through the arched windows.
Blue aprons and white gloves were hanging from hooks made of plastic-coated nails. Near the worktable was a large, tilted desk where William clearly, drew designs for his projects. Strangely, Saphira felt at home - its ambience was calming. William approached the hooks and passed Saphira an apron, which was too big.
He noticed the slight smirk on Saphira’s face. “We’ll buy your own soon,”
“How are we going to start?”
“I’ll cut some boards from the logs and then we’ll draw some designs and decide on which one that Beryl would like. I daresay she’ll tell us somehow. She is an odd cat.”
“Beryl’s always been an odd cat, but I learned to ignore her weirdness after a few days because she was a comfort.”
“I have no doubt she was. Now, you can sit at the table and let your imagination inspire you while I gather the materials and tools.”
“Sure.”
***
Beryl, however, was keeping an eye on the garden - she did not want Saphira to find out about the prophecy and how she was involved until she truly was settled - it may reduce the risk of Saphira withdrawing from everyone like she always did. Regardless of being at Saphira’s side, she knew Saphira had secrets involving her gifts and the abuse she did not (or wanted) to reveal.
Beryl may be a mage, but even she had limits when it came to Saphira’s protection, and if her idea of Owen’s gang being Barghests was true, then why didn’t she sense their presence? This was frightening and sent her mind into a state of panic. Petra was clearly more powerful than everyone knew, for Barghests did not have magical abilities, so how could they hide in plain sight?
Her mind wandered, as she sat on the windowsill looking toward the surrounding forestry and mountains. Beryl may be in a world humans called home but even here, magic existed but went unnoticed by most. Magic was considered myth. Saphira knew otherwise - stuck in a world where, in Saphira’s position, magic was her reality.
Eight Years Ago
Beryl watched for hours, masking her presence known by using an enchantment, but she knew she couldn’t hide forever. She had been given the task of watching over the girl, but she was at a loss of how she could do so without causing suspicion. It only took moments to think of a solution - she had to disguise herself, and what was better than a stray cat?
However, she waited nearby the statue until night had fallen, for she knew the girl routinely took a walk in the garden. It was clear to Beryl that the girl did this to find some level of tranquility after hours of bullying from others around her.
The stars and moon were obscured by thick black clouds as she sat nearby the statue. The grass was still damp from the rain earlier that day. Time always seemed to drag whenever she entered this world. But she waited patiently.
Beryl’s attention was caught when she watched the front door leading into the orphanage begin to open. In the silence of the night, the sound of keys and bolts being unlocked reached her ears. The doors soon opened, and the girl appeared. She donned plain black bedclothes, a thick, dark red nightgown, and white trainers. As a result, her clothing was mismatched.
Beryl watched the girl approach the statue with an expression of loneliness on her face. Slowly, the girl outstretched her hand and touched the base of the statue.
Beryl watched a stream of pearl-white light emit from the girl’s hand, and being absorbed by the marble. However, Beryl knew the girl wouldn’t have noticed. But Beryl knew the enchantments on the statue were now active. Now, the magic would recognise the girl, and the magic she tried to deny.
“Why can’t I be like you, Mirrin? What am I doing? I’m talking to a statue,” she said, sighing.
Beryl watched her head droop and heard a defeated sigh emit from the girl. She couldn’t blame her – the girl’s life wasn’t a happy one.
Beryl slowly approached as she meowed gently - the girl soon met her eyes.
“Where did you come from?”
Beryl meowed in reply, regardless of knowing it was pointless.
“You’re not wearing a collar. You must be a stray.”
Beryl meowed as she watched the girl cautiously outstretch her hands. Soon, she was in the girl’s arms, and getting gently stroked.
“Considering your colour, I think the name of Beryl suits you.” Beryl meowed then purred. “Just so you know, my name is Saphira. Come on, I think it’s quiet enough to sneak into the kitchen. I hope you like fish or chicken. Mrs Donnelly cooked roast chicken and fish pie for dinner tonight, and she always makes enough for leftovers.”
Beryl meowed and for the first time, she watched a smile appear on Saphira’s face.
Beryl snapped awake when she heard the door being opened, only to watch William and Saphira leave. She looked toward the workbench and saw the beginnings of a cat bed - how long had she been asleep? However long it was, it was still too long and increased the possibility of Saphira being found. Worry and fear were clouding her train of thought, and she knew she needed to clear it before she formulated any plans to prevent Saphira from encountering something Beryl didn’t want her to.
The fact that Petra had managed to infiltrate the orphanage made confusion flood Beryl’s mind. She only had assumptions as to how, but knowing she had been outwitted by the very person Beryl was supposed to stop discovering Saphira, made her nauseous and scared.
How did Petra even outwit her in the first place? Everyone knew Petra’s aura, so if she had even been a mile from the orphanage, Beryl would have felt it. Whatever Petra did to hide the fact she was near or at the orphanage, Beryl knew she needed to find out. If she didn’t, then Petra would find Saphira in this house.
***
Alice closed the hamper and went upstairs - the room was now silent, causing Beryl’s worry to rise to the surface.
“William, Saphira, everything is ready,” Alice said. “Are you ready to go?”
“We better wash our hands before we go. You know the pencils I use cover our hands in graphite powder.”
William chuckled, showing Alice his dirty hands. Saphira put down the ruler and pencil and went to the bathroom to wash her hands, for hers were as dirty as William’s.
The soapy water removed the graphite powder, but as the crystal-clear water washed away the powder, Saphira noticed something odd on her left palm - a mark. She grabbed the sponge and scrubbed her palm - the mark did not disappear. It was like an old scar.
Saphira’s face contorted with sheer confusion, and a chill made her shiver momentarily. She kept scrubbing, hoping it would vanish, but it only got clearer. She watched it begin to glow like embers - she gasped in pain as she gripped her wrist.
