The Necromancer's Daughter

|| fourteen ||

Despite Rebecca's apprehension and fear that things would be awkward and weird, breakfast with Lucille and the Padureanis was light and pleasant. Grandma Vai prepared pancakes with maple, chocolate and strawberry syrups. Lucille blended a wonderful mix of fresh fruits and made a delicious morning juice for everyone. Kaven didn't really spoke much but he no longer seemed abrasive towards Rebecca. Maybe it was because Jili, with her sweet and lovely stories about school, her blossoming garden and all other stuff, that even though it was quite obvious that everyone was skirting around a big issue, it didn't feel forced. There was palpable tension, but that morning, Rebecca felt accepted.

After the meal, she wanted to go back inside her room and shut the world out once again, but Jili insisted they go outside. "It's such a lovely day," she told Rebecca. "And I have a feeling you can teach me how to make a proper flower crown."

"But I..." Rebecca tried to argue. What could an amnesiac girl teach her, after all?

"It's a gypsy feeling," Jili said. "That's how I know I'm right."

Rebecca turned to Lucille and Grandma Vai. Surely, they won't let them go outside on their own. There were real, terrifying terrors out there. "Lucille..?"

The mother witch smiled warmly, but it was Grandma Vai who spoke, "Oh, go ahead, darlings. It is indeed a lovely day. Besides, you've been locked up too long inside that room of yours, your skin would appreciate the morning sunlight."

"Yay! Let's go!" Jili jumped and grabbed Rebecca's hand, pulling her out the front door. "We won't go too far, Grandma! And we'll be back before lunch, I promise!" she called back.

Kaven sighed and followed after them. "I'm gonna keep Jili out of trouble, Grandma. See you later," he begrudgingly walked out and slammed the front door shut.

"Is it right to do it today? Is she really ready for the Vision Quest?" Lucille asked Grandma Vai as she cleared the table and prepared to do the dishes.

"Lucille, I know you're nervous, as am I..." the elder woman said, taking Lucille's shaky hands.

"...but if our intuition is right, there's no other time to do this, I know." Lucille finished, and gave Grandma Vai's hands a knowing squeeze. "Still, I wish we knew more about what we're gonna do next."

***

"Just gently wrap the stems together," Rebecca told Jili, "like this, see?" Her fingers easily made the flowers they've collected into a small bough. "You don't want to squish the sap out of them and into your hair, do you?"

"No, I don't," Jili laughed and let Rebecca put the small flower crown on her head. "I could try again." She grasped at a bunch of stems and practiced weaving them together like Rebecca did.

The two girls sat on a lawn of freshly mowed grass not far behind the Padureani Manor. A huge oak tree provided shade from the ascending morning sun and on its branches, Kaven perched, on guard. He tried to appear like he wasn't interested with what the girls were talking about, but he could clearly hear their conversation.

Rebecca turned out to be a natural at making flower crowns. She didn't know how or why but she was able to tell how long stems should be cut, what kind of flowers looked good together, and her fingers seemed to be moving on its own.

"You're really good at this," Jili complimented her while still trying to put together the flowers they've picked. Rebecca was now braiding Jili's long, flowing hair.

"My body seems to remember an awful lot about me," Rebecca replied, "More than I can say for my actual memory, though."

"Oh, it's not muscle memory, I can assure you," Jili retorted. "It's all you, Rebecca."