Page 20 of Castings & Curses

Hanne’s eyes widened in shock. She tried to shake her head, but it was too late.

A silver gleam was all the warning they had before the sword came down on Aricin’s neck. He moaned, his head still very much attached, and tried to straighten himself, but Mikaela raised the sword once more and brought it down again and again and again until his head finally rolled from his neck.

Sobbing, Mikaela let go of the sword and fell to her knees, blood splattering her face and clothes.

Instantly, Hanne was there and wrapped her in her arms, her wounds still bleeding but healing. “He’s dead, Mika. Everything’s all right. Hush now, you did well.”

Mikaela clawed at her back as if she couldn’t hold Hanne close enough, ravaged by sobs as she was.

When the remains of Aricin began to hiss and shrink in the sun, Lucille had to turn away. Fabian was turning green in his face as well. Only Jan kept staring and muttered, “Well, that one’s a goner.”

“Jan, please,” Lucille whispered.

In the meantime, Mikaela had calmed a little. She let go of Hanne and glared at her instead. “Don’t. Do this. Ever. Again. Understood?”

Hanne smiled weakly. “Which one of my many mistakes?”

“Giving up on yourself.” Somehow, Mikaela managed to be simultaneously furious and vulnerable. “I don’t want you to die or worse, submit to some asshole like that.”

Gently, Hanne caressed Mikaela’s cheek. “I couldn’t let him hurt you, darling.” Then she scrunched up her nose. “They’ll send others.”

“Because you’re with me. A human,” Mikaela surmised.

“They’ll never tolerate it.”

Mikaela nodded sharply, seemingly having come to a decision. “If that’s their only problem, there’s a solution for that. I just need to become a vampire.”

Lucille gasped. She and Fabian had sat up, watching the two from a safe distance.

Hanne looked absolutely horrified. “Mika, no. You wouldn’t be a Verenimijä. You’d have to forsake the light. I won’t allow you to throw away your life like that.” Her voice started to break. “It’s already so short.”

But Mikaela smiled. “Exactly.” Contrary to Hanne, her voice was calm. “Hanne, before we came here, I was ready to spend the rest of my life with you. But you’re right. That’s not nearly long enough. I also want to spend the rest of your life with you. And I’d rather give up on days of sunlight than spend a single day without you.”

She leaned forwards and kissed a perplexed Hanne to seal her words.

“Ugh. You win.” Jan shook his head. “We’re gonna have a monster love story.”

Lucille ignored his cynicism and cuddled into Fabian instead. Like her, he had a smile on his face. “We did it.”

He put an arm around her shoulder. “We did. Plus, we only almost died.”

* * *

Jan hadto cover another night shift at the hostel, complaining about having to deal with the astronomy club now. Fabian and Lucille, however, joined Hanne and Mikaela at the Spring of Magic, a magical clearing in the forest where even Lucille could see the rivers of magic springing from the earth.

She and Fabian stood under the trees at the edge of the forest, giving Hanne and Mikaela some privacy. After making her decision, Mikaela hadn’t wanted to wait a single day longer. Now they stood under the light of the waxing moon, gazing deep into each other’s eyes.

“Are you really sure you want this?” Hanne whispered. When Mikaela nodded, she doubled down. “There’s no coming back from it.”

Mikaela cupped Hanne’s cheek. “I love you. I won’t let you wait another five hundred years alone. Who knows what silly ideas you’d get.”

She laughed softly and Hanne joined her. Then Hanne placed a hand on Mikaela’s back. “I love you too. Then, now, and forever.”

As she leaned forwards, Lucille held her breath, but Hanne bit Mikaela almost gently, her eyes never leaving her lover’s face. Mikaela gasped, holding on to Hanne, and Lucille had the feeling of witnessing something incredibly intimate. She was just about to turn away when Mikaela’s legs buckled, and her eyelids fluttered.

Hanne laid her on the moss, then drank from her own wrist before bending down and kissing Mikaela’s dying breath away. When Mikaela went limp, Hanne’s blood on her lips, Fabian grabbed Lucille’s hand.

Lucille gently squeezed back, unable to look away. In front of them, Hanne lovingly caressed Mikaela’s hair.

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