Jungle Witch

The use of magic had exhausted her. Thankfully, the mob that had been gathered outside Bura’s Manor had decided to go to sleep as well. She wasn’t entirely sure she could handle them right now.

She fell into bed the moment she got inside without bothering to undress. Despite the exhaustion, images of her father chased her in her sleep. He was livid with rage as he demanded she pay for her crime against him. When the sun broke through her window, she sat up rubbing her temples where a headache was hiding.

Raj sat up when he saw her stirring. “Sith is here.”

“What?” Exhaustion forgotten, she jumped out of bed. “Where? When? Why?”

“He’s downstairs with the human called Jay,” Raj answered as Ebony raced around getting dressed. “He arrived shortly before mid sun, and he hasn’t said why.”

“I think it’s because of the message you sent,” Venom supplied. “You know he prefers you take his energy over others because you’re more familiar with it.”

Ebony opened the door to the room. “Let’s go greet him.”

They made their way downstairs to meet with the basilisk that ruled their jungle. Ebony wanted desperately to see him and hear him tell her that everything was okay, even if it wasn’t.

Sith sat on a couch, wearing a long cloak. The hood was down now, but Ebony was willing to bet he’d had it up while out in the city. Jay sat across from him, and he was pelting Sith with questions about basilisks. Sith, who seemed amused and intrigued by the human, chose to answer the questions honestly.

Until she’d seen him, Ebony hadn’t realized how stressed and tired she’d been. It all just melted away with his presence, giving her the sudden urge to cry, which she couldn’t do in front of Jay.

Suddenly, the basilisk turned his head towards her. “Hello, Ebony.”

“Sith,” she managed.

“Still refuse to show how you feel, young one?” he asked, echoing the owl’s term for her. Considering Sith was over a hundred years old, she didn’t think it was as strange coming from him.

“Not all feelings. I just hide weakness.” She wanted to run to him, to tell him everything, to ask him if she could come home, to do a million things she couldn’t do in front of others.

Jay seemed to understand, because he stood. “I’ll go work outside for a little bit. It was nice meeting you, Sith.”

“Likewise,” Sith replied as he stood. “And, thank you for letting me inside.”

Once Jay was gone, Ebony raced forward. She did hug him and cried out all the stress. Sith patted her head gently as he soothed, waiting patiently for her to regain her control and balance.

When her tears finally dried up, he said, “Tell me what’s troubling you.”

She started with her arrival to the city. As she told him the entire story, she began to realize that Abhay and Jay bothered her more than anything else, even the mob. “They’re just so weird and I don’t know what to do with them. They’re human which means they’re evil. Aren’t they?”

“No,” he answered with a knowing smile. “Young one, you can’t keep staying angry. It isn’t good for you. Not all humans are bad anymore than animals are all good. The man called Jay seemed nice enough.”

“There’s a mob outside my home, Sith,” she said dryly.

“I didn’t say you have to like them all,” he clarified. “Just accept them as they are. Start with Jay. He’s interesting and is as curious as a cat.”

She smiled. “I know. He’s pushy too, though I’m not sure he realizes this.”

“Good. You need pushing to take care of yourself sometimes.” Deciding it was time to change the subject, he said, “Tell me about the people outside the gates. They weren’t exactly friendly when I came.”

Ebony’s eyes blazed. “If they gave you any trouble...”

“They didn’t,” Sith interrupted. “The soldiers were keeping them at a distance from the gates, so I came in unmolested.”

She relaxed a little.

“The people outside are afraid of me,” she explained, clenching her fists. “They think I’ll be like my father, so they’re trying to get the courage to chase me out again.”

He looked concerned. “Should you leave the city?”

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t. She’d made a commitment and she was determined to keep it. With a shake of her head, she said, “I’ll be alright.”

Sith seemed to accept that for now. “Any other troubles?”

“I’ve had a few nightmares,” she admitted, restraining a shudder. Nightmares weren’t exactly unusual for her, but here they were much worse than when she’d been in the jungle. “They’re worse, but not as bad as I thought they’d be.”

“You should discuss them with Commander Abhay,” he suggested.

That had her blood running cold and shaking her head vehemently. “What? I can’t. Why would you say that?”

“Because you know that it is what you must do to finally let it go.” Sith sat down, pulling her down to sit beside him. Now that he had planted the idea, he pulled the conversation back to Jay by saying, “But if it’s easier, begin by opening up to Jay. He told me of his father, so that makes him a kindred spirit, yes?”

She nodded slowly.

“Then let him be your friend just as Raj and Venom are. Let him know some of what you are afraid to share, even if it’s only knowledge about your powers.” Sith patted her hand. “Please, Ebony, let your anger go. You’ll never be able to move on until you do.”

A thought occurred to her and she looked at the basilisk suspiciously. “Is that why you sent me here?”

“The most important reason, yes,” he admitted without shame. “I do think that you can break their curse and provide protection for our home, but my priority was your well being.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Since it was Sith and he had been a father to her, she decided that she wouldn’t be upset. “I wish you had told me about that.”

“Ebony,” he said with a very patient tone, “would you have listened if I had? You were so determined to hate all humans equally. It never occurred to you to consider some as innocent. Even I wouldn’t have been able to tell you otherwise.”

She had to concede the point. “I’ll try to open up with Jay more, Sith.”

“Then we’ll save the talk with Abhay for a later day,” he said, letting her know he heard what she hadn’t said about Abhay. “That is all I can ask. Now why don’t you take the magic you need from me. Make sure to take as much as you can hold because I don’t want to make this trip too often.”

“Hopefully, you won’t need to come back.” Happy to be on a less stressful topic, she held out her hands and began drawing in Sith’s magical energy. “I think that once I have found how to break the curse, I’ll bring them to the jungle so you won’t have to go anywhere.”

“How goes the search for the cure?”

“Not so good.” She glared at nothing. “I can’t find my father’s other journal.”

She felt the warm familiar energy replenish her supply of magic and made sure not to take too much. Not only could that hurt Sith, but it was bad for her to take in large amounts of magic at once. Another problem with her particular heritage that separated her from other wizards.

“I’ve searched the entire library, and it’s not in there. Or if it is, he hid it very well.” She hesitated a moment before bursting out, “Something is off about this curse. Every time I see it, I get this feeling that I should already know something about it.”

“Patience, Ebony. I’m sure you’ll figure out what you need to know soon enough.”

Her hands lowered once she’d reached the limit of magic she could contain. “I know. I just....” Ranking fingers through her hair, she groaned in frustration. “I hate feeling like I’m missing something.”

“I know.” Sith reached into his pocket and pulled out a rock that looked like it used to be a mouse. Letting Ebony take magic always made him hungry. Luckily, his species ate the rocks they turned others into. It came in handy for preserving food. “The answers will come to you soon enough.”

“Can you predict the future now?” she asked with only a little bit of sarcasm.

“No, but I know you.” Swallowing the rock whole, he stood. “I should return to the jungle. The air in this place is terrible and being around all these humans for too long is probably not a good idea for me.”

She felt her heart sink. “Can’t you stay longer?”

“No, Ebony,” he replied gently. “I don’t belong here.”

“Do I?”

“I don’t know. Only you can answer that.” He placed a clawed hand on her shoulder. “Whatever you decide is best for you, know that you’ll always have a home in the jungle.”

“Home,” she echoed. “I’m starting to wonder if I’ve ever had one of those.”

She hadn’t realized until now just how much she had begun to resent the jungle. As much as she loved it, the jungle had been her prison for nine years. Now she was out and unsure of her place in the world.

“You are finally figuring out just what you want out of life,” Sith told her as he made his way towards the door. “When this is over, I promise that you will finally be at peace and know what you need for yourself.”

She followed him to the door and blurted out the one question she’d always been afraid to ask anyone. “Sith, am I evil like my father?”

Sith turned to her and said without any doubt, “No.”

“But I...” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. Only he knew about the crime that she was most ashamed of. It was the one thing that made her wonder if the humans were right about her.

“No, buts.” He gently lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “You did what had to be done. As you discovered, sometimes the choice between right and wrong is shrouded in gray.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t help. I still feel guilty.”

How did she rid herself of the guilt? The person she’d wronged was now dead, making him incapable of absolving her. Even if her father was still alive, she didn’t think he would give her what she needed. Maybe it had to come from the humans.

“Forgiveness is something you must give yourself,” Sith informed her sagely.

He was right. She needed to forgive herself for what she’d done the night her father had died. It still came back to the same question though. How did she do that?

Needing just one more moment of comfort, she gave Sith a quick hug. For now, her world was a little more stable. She released him and gave him a small smile to let him know she’d be okay.

Sith picked up his tail so that it was under the cloak and pulled the hood over his head before stepping out the door.

She followed him outside. The mob still stood at the gates, but the soldiers were keeping them out of the way. Today, the mob carried an assortment of improvised weapons, probably to give them some security from Raj. It didn’t work. The moment Raj stepped into view, they backed away. They knew that their pitchforks and reapers may defeat the tiger, but not before a few died. No one seemed eager to become one of the few.

Ebony worried about Sith leaving the gates, even though she knew those humans weren’t a threat to him. Choosing to ignore the mob for now, Ebony gave Sith her undivided attention. “Have a safe trip home, Sith.”

“Of course.” The Basilisk gave Jay, who was standing next to the gates, a wave. “Please watch over Ebony for me?”

“Of course,” Jay promised easily.

“Then I’ll leave you both and return to the jungle.” With one final wave, he left Lord Bura’s manor.

Ebony watched him go with a mixture of fear and wistfulness. She wanted to go with him, but she couldn’t do that until she had finished her task here.

Jay watched her for a moment. She seemed so lost and alone, just like on her first day in the house. He put the grease he’d been using on the gate hinges down. It was time to get her away from everything for a little bit.

“I need to go to the bazaar. Want to come?”

She looked at him. “Shopping for what?”

“Food. Got to restock the pantry.” He gave her his usual grin. “I figured you may want to see other parts of the city. Raj can come too. No point in keeping him cooped up.”

Even though she hadn’t answered, he took her hand and pulled her along. The clack of claws behind her told her that Raj was following them. She could almost hear the tiger chuckling at Jay’s assumption that she was going.

She resisted the urge to pull away only because of the promise she had made to Sith. Besides, the contact wasn’t entirely unpleasant, which surprised her. She’d never been touched much by anyone. Lord Bura, while loving, hadn’t been one for hugs. The animals did touch, but it was somehow different.

She glanced at the hand Jay held hers with. His grip was firm but gentle, and her hand seemed small in his. She could feel the calluses on his palm as proof he worked hard.

“I'm not sure me leaving is a good idea,” she told him, though she didn’t resist when he pulled her through the gates.

“Don’t worry. Me, you, and Raj can handle them if we have to.”

He was probably right about that. Most of the humans would run from her before attacking right now.

One of the guards Abhay had posted to keep the mob away from the gates saw her leaving and rushed over. “Wait. You shouldn’t leave.”

“Why?” she demanded, feeling irritated at being told what to do.

“Because we can’t protect you if you leave. We have to stay here and guard your gates.”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “I don’t need your protection. Some of you probably helped chase me out nine years ago. I’ll take care of myself, thank you.” With that, she turned defiantly to Jay. “Which bazaar are we going to?”

“The Northwest Bazaar,” he replied easily.

That was the same one she’d walked through with Abhay and Jay when she first entered the city. This time she’d be able to really see it now that she’d grown accustomed to the city.

“Can I ask you something?” Jay asked, glancing back at her.

“You just did, but you can ask something else if you want,” she said without the usual snide tone she saved just for humans.

“I always liked your sarcasm,” he told her with his large grin. “Anyway, why did Sith come here. Wouldn’t the city make him uncomfortable?”

“He was checking on me and providing me with energy,” she answered a little hesitantly. Sharing with humans just wasn’t natural to her, but she had to keep that promise to Sith.

“Because wizards don’t produce their own magic, right? So you have to get it from an outside source.”

She nodded a little surprised he knew that much. “A wizards only natural power is the ability to take magical energy from others and use it for themselves. I’ve been getting my energy from creatures that live in the jungle, like Sith and the griffins.”

By now, she was walking next to Jay. Raj was leading the way down the South Road. As they came around The Hall, she heard the noise from the Northwest Road and shuddered. What had she been thinking when she let him take her here? She hated crowds and these crowds wanted to attack her.

As usual, most gave Raj a wide birth. Rather than whispers like last time, some began to shout about her presence immediately. Shutters were drawn shut and doors slammed. Many disappeared into the alleys. Eyes peeked at her through cracks in the doors and around the corners. She could feel the hostile eyes of those that stayed on her back as she passed by.

It reminded her of her first day in the jungle. Afraid. Alone. Shunned. She didn’t like it. It would have been better if they attacked. That, at least, she knew how to handle. This avoidance wasn’t something she could fight. She scanned her surroundings, watching for a threat.

The emptiness of the streets only made the lack of trash more obvious. Even the buildings were clean and well-kept. The doors and shutters that people peered at her through were well painted. The awning above the doors were free of cracks and had the same bright colors that seemed favored in the city.

“Why does this place seem so much...” She searched for the right word. “...cleaner than the southern district.”

“The southern district fell into poverty after Lord Bura’s death because we’re out of sight so out of mind,” Jay explained in a carefully neutral tone.

She looked up at him and saw a rare angry gleam in his eyes. Looking around at how rich the other areas of the city seemed, she couldn’t blame him for being unhappy with the condition of his district.

Jay led her to the first stand that was full of fruits. Her eyes immediately landed on the pomegranates, which had her distracted from all else at the moment. They were her favorite.

“Hello, Kamal,” Jay greeted with his usual grin. “How are you?”

Kamal couldn’t look away from Ebony, who was still staring at the pomegranates. “I...don’t know yet.”

Jay followed Kamal’s gaze to Ebony. “Don’t worry. She’s nice.”

Her gaze turned to Jay. Nice. That wasn’t a description most people gave her. Monster. Witch. Terror. Those were the ones she’d always heard before, and the merchants seemed inclined to lean towards them rather than Jay’s ‘nice.’

“Nice,” Kamal didn’t sound very convinced. His eyes scanned the once populated street. “Sure.”

Ebony looked away from Jay to give Kamal one of her intense stares. He fidgeted a little under her stare. She wasn’t sure how to put him at ease, or if she even wanted to.

Jay didn’t seem to have any trouble, because he began asking Kamal about his family. Kamal answered a little hesitantly at first, but slowly began to relax into the conversation. Within moments, Ebony would have sworn he’d forgotten she was there at all.

After he finished getting the fruit, Jay moved on to the next stand. The conversation flowed the same way it had with Kamal. Jay’s happy grin and easy going nature put everyone he spoke to at ease. It helped that Ebony didn’t speak or get too close. Instead, she chose to watch Jay silently wondering how he could keep up with all those names and details.

Jay was in the middle of talking with a spice merchant when she sensed something behind her. Spinning on her heels, she grabbed the hand that had reached for her pouch of coins.

Everything in the market froze. The merchant Jay was talking to dove behind the wagon. Jay turned to see what was going on, hoping that Ebony wasn’t over reacting to anything. Some of the other merchants chose to abandon their carts in favor of running, deciding their merchandise wasn’t worth facing Ebony.

Ebony ignored all of them because it only annoyed her to think of how afraid they were. When she saw who the thief was, she had to fight a grin. “Well, if it isn’t Kumar Tagore.”

Kumar grinned. “Hello Ebony. I wanted to see if you catching me the first time was a fluke. No hard feelings.”

“Why would there be? It’s not like you got the purse,” she replied, releasing his wrist. By now the grin had broke free, shocking those around them. “I felt you grab it.”

Jay glanced around her and saw the boy. “Kumar?”

“Hey, Jay,” Kumar greeted cheerfully. “How’ve you been?”

“Now you can see I’m with her, and you’re trying to steal from her?” Jay demanded with some irritation.

“I wasn’t actually going to run off with the coins. Honest. I just wanted to see if she could catch me more than once,” Kumar explained earnestly. He looked up at Ebony again. “See, I only steal from those with plenty of coins to lose, and you had a big bag of coins the day we first met.”

Jay shook his head. “You’re lucky she didn’t hand you over to the soldiers, or worse.”

“I know,” the kid admitted.

There still wasn’t a trace of shame on his face, and to Ebony’s surprised, no fear either. Kumar definitely had time to figure out who she was by now. Then she remembered he was only ten years old. Not old enough to know anything about Lord Bura or her from his own experience, she thought. All his knowledge of her father would come from stories.

“It’s fine.” Ebony waved off Kumar’s attempts to steal her coins. There were gasps from those around her. “If he had stolen from me, it would have just meant I hadn’t been paying enough attention.”

“Isn’t she interesting?” Kumar demanded of Jay with a big grin.

The handyman looked at her with an expression she couldn’t identify. “Interesting doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

For some reason, Jay’s response had Ebony feeling a little embarrassed. Before she could figure out what to say, she heard someone say her name behind her. Turning, she saw a terrified man about her height in simple brown pants and shirt.

“What did you say?” she asked.

The man shuddered. “I asked if you are Lady Ebony Desai of the Southern District?”

“I’m Ebony, you can forget the rest of that,” she replied a little testily. This man’s fear was starting to irritate her. It didn’t help that those around them were also keeping their distance and hiding behind wagons.

The man took a step back. “My master, Lord Parth, would like to speak with you about a matter concerning the Mista family and the Southern District. He believes there is some valuable information he has that he wishes to give you.”

She glanced up at Jay. “Lord Parth?”

“Of the Northern District,” the handyman elaborated.

“Is he the pudgy one?”

Jay’s lips twitched at Ebony’s bluntness. “That would be him.”

“He’s also a stingy bogart,” Kumar put in, his expression reflecting the disgust in his tone. “Even keeps as many bronze coins as he can, which I didn’t think the rich cared about those until him.”

Lord Parth’s servant looked ready to faint at their commentary on his master. “Will you come, Lady?”

“I told you, it’s just Ebony.” And, because she was curious about what the Northern Lord wanted from her, she added, “And yes, I’ll come.”

“I’m going with you,” Jay informed her.

“Lord Parth only wants to see Lady Ebony,” the servant insisted before Ebony could say anything.

Since she didn’t like taking orders from anyone, she said, “Then your Lord Parth will have to adapt because I’m bringing Jay with me.” She noticed Kumar looking at her hopefully. “And, Kumar.”

“But...” The servant was too afraid to argue with her much more, so he just nodded. “Okay, my lady. Follow me please.”

“It’s just Ebony,” she snapped again. “I’m no lady.”

The servant swallowed and just led the way into an alley. Ebony hoped Jay or Kumar knew where they were because she got lost after three turns. The clack of claws had her glancing over her shoulder. Raj, dependable as always, was right behind them.

“Where are we going?” the tiger asked.

“To see Lord Parth,” she answered, scanning the area around them. Jay wasn’t kidding when he said that the other districts were better taken care of than the south.

“Why?”

“Curiosity. I want to know what he wants from me.”

“He’s human. He probably wants something that will benefit him in some way,” Raj growled.

“Not all humans are evil.”

She stopped dead. What in the world was she saying? What’s worse, she meant each word. It was official, she’d lost her mind. She hadn’t been this surprised by her own thoughts since she first realized that her father wasn’t perfect.

“No. Jay isn’t bad,” Raj answered, not noticing Ebony’s distress right away. Once he did, he stopped next to her. “Are you okay?”

Was she? She didn’t know anymore. Her eyes trailed over to Jay then Kumar. Both of them were watching her now with concern plastered on their faces. She remembered Sith’s words. “Let them be your friends.” At the time, she thought he was insane for thinking a human could even have friends, but now.... Now she was thinking maybe she’d been wrong to assume that all humans were scum.

“I’ll be fine,” she answered at last. “Just a little confused.”

Jay looked down at Raj and wished he could understand the tiger. It would be much easier to believe Ebony if he knew what was going on.

“We need to hurry,” the servant insisted. “It’s not good to keep a lord waiting.”

Shoving her confusion aside for the moment, Ebony began walking again. Her friends fell into step beside her, watching her very carefully for any sign that she was upset. The servant was trying hard to ignore the fact that anything beyond the ordinary was going on around him.

Ebony remained silent. Even her mind remained blank. First she had to deal with Lord Parth, then she could handle the emotional changes she was going through.

Now that her mind was functioning again she realized she’d meekly obeyed the servant when he’d rushed her. She frowned, then shrugged. Oh well, it was one moment of weakness. She was allowed. Wasn’t she?

The thought left her mind the moment Lord Parth’s manor came into view. It wasn’t as big as the Mista’s manor, but it was certainly a lot more extravagant. The stone walls glistened in the sun. High towers rose into the sky, making her think she’d be able to touch a cloud from the top. Several of the enormous windows had color stained into the glass. All in all, it was a manor fit for a god - then again, the temples weren’t even this grand.

As they entered the gates, the first thing she noticed was that everything seemed perfect. Each bush was trimmed into order and the grass was cut short. The walls of the manor sparkled, and all dirt was swept off the path. When the servant took them inside, she saw that it was just as immaculate as the outside.

“It’s possible this Lord Parth is more compulsive than my father was,” she commented in amazement. “Not a thing out of place.”

“Lord Parth likes order,” the servant informed her with a slight stutter.

“You really are afraid of me, aren’t you?” she asked the servant a little heatedly.

“Everyone is, Lady Ebony,” a new voice answered.

She turned to see the pudgy lord of northern Rivera. He wore bright silk robes and sat on a cushioned chair that would usually seat two people, but with his bulk, no one else would be able to sit next to him. Not, she thought, that he would ever share his chair with someone else.

“You’re considered very terrifying,” he continued as he took a glass of wine from a maid.

“Even you?” Ebony asked him with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course. I’m just better at behaving myself despite that fear.” He gestured towards the chair across from him. “Have a seat and a drink.”

Feeling curious, she did sit with Kumar and Jay standing on either side of her.

Lord Parth looked at the man and boy next to her and had to quickly mask his frown. Then he saw the tiger standing just behind Ebony’s chair. The girl was probably just as cruel as her father, he thought, and even more barbaric.

“I didn’t realize we’d have more company,” Parth’s eyes darted to the servant that had brought her, “or I would have had more chairs.”

The servant gulped and quickly backed out of the room.

Ebony watched the servant go and had a brief flash of her father. Their servants had run from him like that too. After the priest of Solon had vanished, the fear from the servants had become so strong that it even penetrated her six year old world. When she asked him about it, her father had said, “Fear is just a sign of respect.”

Her eyes moved to Lord Parth and saw the same pleasure in his eyes that had been in her father’s.

“What is it you want from me?” she asked coldly.

Jay glanced at her in surprise. While he couldn’t say she was friendly towards others, she’d never been this...his mind searched for the right word...enraged? Even that word didn’t seem strong enough to describe the mix of anger and hatred in Ebony’s black eyes. The air seemed heavier suddenly. Like there was something new in it that he couldn’t see.

Lord Parth sat up a little and spoke carefully. “I was hoping to discuss your situation with the Mista family and the Southern District.”

She remained silent. Growing up with animals had taught her a great deal about the value of patience and silence.

The lord’s eyes narrowed slightly as a thought occurred to him. This was a girl who wouldn’t respond to subtleties or slyness. She would require a more direct approach than what he originally had in mind.

“Let me be blunt, Lady Ebony. The balance of power within Rivera is determined by money.”

“That’s not the only way,” she commented, thinking of her father.

“Well, it is the primary way here, and the Mista family currently reigns supreme because of their wealth.”

“Your point?” she demanded.

“My point is that the curse, whatever that is, depletes their funds or it would if not for the taxes coming in from your district.” He leaned forward a little as if sharing some vital information. “If you take control of your district and refuse to break the curse, the Mistas will finally fall from power.”

She sat back, crossing her legs. He wanted the same thing as Lord Mohana. Why was she not surprised?

“Lord Parth, I’m going back to the jungle after I finish my business with Lord Devdan Mista, so why in the world would I care what happens with the power struggle once I’m gone?”

The lord got a look that made her think of a panther that had just sighted lunch.

“If you don’t want to concern yourself with the matters of the city, why not sign over your land and title to someone else? Then you’ll never have to hear about this again.”

She looked thoughtful. “I can do that? Give my title and land to someone else I mean?”

He nodded, “Of course you can. If you, for example, give me your title then I will be in charge of the Southern District. This means I will gain their taxes and tend to their farms.”

“I’m sorry...” She paused then changed her mind as she stood. “I take that back. I’m not sorry. I would never give you the title to the Southern District.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why not just give me your title and land?” he demanded a little forcefully.

“One,” she held up one finger, “I made a deal with the Mista family, and giving you the land might counter that deal.” She put up a second finger and said, “Two, I don’t like you.”

She turned and made her way towards the door. It irritated her that he had wasted so much of her time on something so ridiculous. How stupid of her to be curious for even a moment. Well, live and learn.

“Good bye, Lord Parth.”

Jay and Kumar hurried after her with Raj right on their heels, leaving a very irritated Lord Parth behind them.

Kumar watched Ebony in silence until they were back in the Northwest Bazaar. “Do you really not care?”

She glanced over her shoulder, shoving some of her blond hair out of her face. “What?”

“About the Southern District?” Kumar clarified with a hint of hurt in his tone. “Do you really not care about us?”

Ebony turned to face him. “No. The people of that district were the first to grab their pitchforks to run me out of my own home.” She reached out and placed a hand on his head. “With that said, I do care about what happens to you.” She hesitated, then added, “And Jay.”

Jay grinned. “I’m glad. Now lets finish getting our food.”

He led the way into the bazaar and resumed his shopping. Ebony and Kumar followed behind him. All of them ignored the stares and whispers that followed behind them.

Kumar was silent again, mulling over what she’d said. Finally, he asked, “So what will you do with the Southern District when you leave?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted in a sigh.

What would she do? It wasn’t like she could just walk away from it. That would make her just as bad as her father. At the same time, she needed to find her own place in this world.

Despite not knowing where her place was anymore, she knew it wasn’t in the city. Then again, she couldn’t say the jungle was home anymore. While she was comfortable there, she was starting to feel connected to several people here in Rivera.

“I just don’t know,” she repeated.

Jay looked at her and knew that while seeing Sith had calmed her emotions, her mind was still searching for answers. He wanted to help. The question was how?

“Ebony, why don’t you go get us some pomegranates?” Jay asked.

Lost in thought, she forgot that dealing with the merchants probably wasn’t the best idea and nodded before wondering off towards the stand.

The moment she was out of earshot, Jay turned to Kumar and said, “Let’s go eat dinner at your place. Let’s get Ebony to meet some of the other people in our district. She’ll never live here, but maybe it will help her decide to make sure we get taken care of when she leaves. Maybe she can forgive them.”

“I guess we can try. She really spooks my parents though. I hate to say it, but they told me they’d been happy when she left Rivera.”

Jay frowned as he tried to think of something that would help. He suddenly smiled. “I know what we can do, but I’ll need your help Kumar.”

“Of course.”

Jay began explaining his plan very carefully.

Ebony looked over to see the two of them whispering and frowned. Now what were they up to?

“That will be five bronze pieces,” the merchant told her with fear in his voice.

She gave him her attention again. The merchant was trying to hurry her along. She was pretty sure he was intentionally undercharging her for the fruit just to get rid of her. Since she didn’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the bazaar - which could potentially lead to pitchforks and torches - she let him.

The hand he held out for the coins shook a little, irritating her. She turned away, carrying the fruit and saw that Kumar and Jay were still whispering.

“What’s going on?” she asked Raj suspiciously.

“They’re planning to convince you to invite people over for dinner tomorrow night,” Raj answered, twitching his ears to catch what Jay and Kumar were saying.

“Why would they want to do that?” she demanded.

She felt Venom’s coils shift a little on her wrist. “They’re trying to help you get around your confusion. I think it might work.”

Ebony walked over to the two humans and grabbed their shoulders. “Tell me what you’re planning.”

Jay turned to face her, his face serious and eager. “We think that meeting some of the others living in our district and hearing what they have to say will help you decide what you want to do when you leave.”

She considered him for a long moment before sighing. Venom was right. The plan could work. “I suppose you’re right. So long as they don’t flinch every time I so much as breathe, I think I can handle it.” She thought about it a moment, then added, “Or bring pitch forks.”

“I’ll choose the people personally,” Kumar piped up with his usual grin. With that said, he raced off to do just that.

“I hope I know what I’m doing,” she grumbled as she followed Jay through the market.

He grabbed mostly dried goods from spices to jerky. A few times he grabbed some vegetables or fruits, grumbling to himself about what he would make with it. Because they were her favorites and she didn’t think she could ever have enough, she grabbed a few more pomegranates. Jay saw her put them into the burlap sack he was using to carry the food and smiled indulgently as if he were saying how predictable. She felt the odd urge to stick her tongue out at him, but restrained herself.

Over an hour later, they were back at her father’s manor. The mob standing at the gates was smaller than when she’d left. But the moment they saw her, one of them began shouting. “There’s the witch again.”

Other’s began gathering around and started shouting at her.

“You’re not welcomed here.”

“Go back to the jungle.”

Because they made her nervous and she didn’t appreciate the shouting, she released some magic, causing them to jump as the dirt beneath their feet heated to uncomfortable temperatures.

Jay took the opportunity to send her inside while he shut and locked the gates.

The moment she was safely inside, she was back to thinking about where she would go after she was done in Rivera. Back to the jungle? Was that home now? She wasn’t sure she wanted to isolate herself completely anymore. Not now that she knew Jay and Kumar. What if they needed her? If she was in the jungle, chances were she’d never see them again. Surprisingly, she didn’t want that.

“Where is my home, Raj?”

The tiger looked up at her. “The jungle of course.”

“I think it’s someplace between here and there,” Venom piped up, uncoiling her head so she could look at Ebony.

Jay had just walked in carrying the burlap bag loaded with food. He nearly dropped it when he saw the snake wrapped around Ebony’s wrist. “That’s a striped viper.”

Ebony spun around to face him. “Please don’t tell anyone about her.”

He lowered the bag to the floor. “Of course I won’t. I just haven’t seen one this close since I was a boy. They’re extremely rare.”

“I know.” Ebony walked over to him so he could take a better look at the snake. “Her name is Venom.”

“It’s nice to finally meet him,” Venom said while taking her first good look at Jay.

“She says it’s nice to meet you,” Ebony translated.

Jay looked surprised. “I thought she wouldn’t like me, since I’m human and all. You know, kind of like Raj.”

“He’s not bad for a human,” Venom replied. “He keeps Raj fed and takes care of you. That makes him okay to me.”

“Raj likes you because you feed him,” Ebony told him, “and Venom says you’re not bad for a human.”

“Can I touch her?” he asked, examining Venom with open curiosity.

“Hold your arm up,” Ebony ordered.

When he did, she held her arm close to his. Venom slithered over to his arm and coiled around his wrist.

“She’s so smooth,” Jay commented in wonder. “Beautiful.”

“Most deadly creatures are,” Ebony pointed out. “Venom could take down a bear with one bite.”

“Dangerous things come in small packages.” Jay looked over at Raj. “And, breathtaking ones.”

“He is smart,” Raj said with pride.

“Such a nice boy,” Venom agreed.

Ebony chuckled and shook her head. Without even trying, Jay had won over her two best friends. Even Sith had liked him. Jay had a gift with others, especially animals.

She followed him into the kitchen and helped him put the stuff away. By the time they were done, the sun was getting ready to set and someone was knocking on the door.

“I’ll get it,” she told Jay. “It’s probably Abhay or a Mista.”

After taking Venom back from Jay, Ebony headed up the three steps into the parlor and pulled open the front door. Commander Abhay stood just outside waiting for her. He looked tired from a long night spent keeping watch over his trainee.

“Ebony, hello,” he greeted her without one trace of his exhaustion in his voice.

“Commander.” Stepping back, she held the door wider. “Why don’t you come in?”

“No, thank you. I was hoping you would come back to the Mista’s manor with me. Naveen should be changing back any moment.”

“I thought that would be the case.” She started to leave then hesitated with a glance towards the kitchen. “Just let me tell Jay.”

“Of course.”

Ebony turned and went back to the kitchen.

Jay was leaning next to the backdoor as if he’d been waiting for her. His dark eyes met hers with the usual smile in them. “You’re going to the Western District?”

She nodded.

He fidgeted just a little, then blurted, “Are you going back to the jungle?”

She chose to reply honestly. “I don’t know.” She raked her fingers through her hair, trying to decide what to tell him. “I can’t stay in the city, but the jungle isn’t accessible to the few humans I’d want to see again. So, I’m not sure where to go, but I do know it’s not this city.”

Grinning, Jay reached up and touched her cheek briefly. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something.” He dropped his hand to the door knob, leaving her cheek feeling cold. Opening the back door, he said, “You should get going. The Mistas are waiting.”

She found herself nodding again as he walked out, leaving her alone in the kitchen. What a strange and random conversation that had been. Just what was Jay thinking, she wondered.

Ebony shoved her thoughts aside for the moment and returned to the parlor. Abhay was waiting outside the front door. Raj stood to indicate that he was coming too. Since she knew there was no way the bear was escaping his cage now, she didn’t object.

“I’m ready,” she told Abhay.

He nodded and led the way to the Mista’s manor in the center of the Western District.

Both were silent during the walk. Ebony spent most of it watching the sun as it began to sink below the horizon. She always liked the colors of the sky during this time of day. Though sunrise would always be her favorite, because it was somehow better. Maybe because it was a new beginning rather than an end.

She let out a small chuckle and shook her head. Gods, she was feeling philosophical today. Very odd.

The Mista family manor came into view. Time to turn the mind back to business, she thought. Inside, Naveen’s entire family was gathered around the door leading to the cellar, except for Lord Devdan and Indra. She assumed those two were down in the cellar with Naveen.

Without waiting for permission, she opened the cellar door and made her way down the steps. She could hear the bears labored breathing, which told her he’d exhausted himself. Not surprising considering how wild he’d been. At least these last few moments wouldn’t be filled with roars of rage.

She stepped off the stairs and turned to face the cage that contained Naveen. He had a wild look in his eyes and foam around his jaws. Tweaking her magic a little, she could see the aura of the spell around him. The woven insanity began to recede into the background with each decrease in sunlight.

Once the last ray had vanished below the horizon, the bear let out an agonized roar. His form began to change in random places, starting with the right arm, then moving to the left leg. Fur receded, leaving behind raw, pink skin. Claws turned into hands and feet. Within minutes, Ebony was looking at a tired and sore Naveen where the bear had been.

Lord Devdan opened the cage door instantly to check on his son. Ebony watched and felt a tug on her heart. The Western Lord may have been a scumbag, but he was a scumbag that cared about his children.

She turned off her magic and the spell’s aura faded from her sight. Naveen was naked and covered in sweat. Lord Devdan wrapped a silk robe around Naveen’s shaking body.

“I’m alright,” Naveen said in a hoarse whisper.

For perhaps the first time since she got there, she realized just why the Mista’s were so determined to break the curse. It wasn’t for the money like everyone thought. It was because their children suffered before, during, and after their transformation.

She heard a cry from upstairs and raced towards it. One of the women was looking at her forearm in horror. Her husband had his arm around her in reassurance. Ebony didn’t have to see it to know that the woman had the mark of the curse on her arm. She was next, and worse, she was pregnant.

“How will this affect the baby?” the woman demanded in tears, placing a hand on her belly. “I heard that even werebeasts can’t transform during pregnancies because it’s too hard on the baby.”

“Don’t worry,” her husband, Var, reassured her. “We’ll figure something out.”

Ebony fidgeted a little and raked frustrated fingers through her hair. She actually felt the need to comfort the woman. “I’ll find a way to break the curse before your transformation.”

The woman looked at Ebony with hope. Uncomfortable, Ebony fidgeted again and looked away. It was the first time anyone had looked at her like that.

Naveen had just made it up to the top of the stairs with help from Lord Devdan and Commander Abhay. The trainee was so exhausted he was falling asleep on his feet. Because she still felt bad for the experience he had to go through, Ebony walked over and placed her hands over his temples. With a little tweaking of his brain chemistry, she made it so that he would sleep dreamlessly and soundly until woken.

“Wake him up on the eighth hour,” she ordered. “Any longer and he’ll have too much energy. The magic I used will end the moment he wakes.”

Embarrassed, she turned stiffly towards the door. “Don’t forget. The eighth hour.”

She let the door slam shut behind her. What had gotten into her? She never felt sympathy for a human, especially if that human was Naveen, and she never got embarrassed. Maybe she was sick. Yeah, that had to be it.

“Ebony.”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Commander Abhay.”

“I’m going to walk you home.” He offered her a small smile. “I know you still have a hard time finding your way around.”

Since she wasn’t too eager to get lost, she nodded.

The trip back to her father’s manor was quiet. Ebony felt so exhausted that she literally fell into her bed. Rolling over onto her back, she closed her eyes. The dream that was more of a memory was waiting for her.

The doors to Solon’s Temple was just in front of her and her father. Bura was currently preparing to curse a fool that had questioned his presence at the temple. At nine, Ebony still hadn’t had much dealings with other people, so she remained hidden behind her father. One of the soldiers had come up and asked very respectfully, that the two end the fight and move along. Bura didn’t even glance at the soldier before using a burst of wind to knock him down the stairs of the temple. Ebony could still remember the sickening sound of breaking bones as the soldier bounced off the stones. She couldn’t look away when he laid there, broken and bleeding at the bottom.

A boy about eighteen also wearing a soldier’s uniform rushed over to the fallen soldier. His eyes filled with fear and agony. He kept calling the broken man father.

Ebony’s eyes snapped open. She could feel the tears on her face. It had been one of those nightmares again. The ones that hurt more than they scared her. Those were the worst in her opinion.

That had been the first time she’d ever seen Abhay Rajan, and the broken soldier had been his father. Later, she found out that the fall down the stairs had killed Abhay’s father. It had been the turning point for her really. When the fact that her father was a monster began to outweigh her love for him.

Rolling onto her back, she sighed and went back to sleep only to be plunged into another nightmare, this time it was impossible for this one to be real.

She could hear a woman screaming for her baby. Somewhere a man was laughing at her pain. It was a laugh Ebony knew very well. In the dream she spun around and saw Bura sitting in his chair while sipping on wine. Devdan’s pregnant daughter knelt in front of Bura crying. She begged him to save her baby. In a typical Lord Bura response, he merely asked her what was in it for him.

Ebony jerked out of sleep and stared at her ceiling for a moment. The beams above her were bare. She had a brief moment debating if she wanted to hang something on them just for decoration before deciding she was too tired to care. Groaning, she rolled over onto her side. When she finally fell into sleep again, another dream crowded into her mind.

She was nine years old again, looking out her window. Lord Bura stood below facing an eighteen year old Abhay. Her father seemed completely calm, while Abhay looked determined.

She’d heard from the servants that the broken soldier had died. Now Abhay was here for revenge.

“Boy, unless you have a death wish, I suggest you leave,” Lord Bura warned.

Abhay merely shook his head and drew his sword. Young Ebony made a choice then that would change the rest of her life. When the blade sliced threw her father and Bura’s eyes looked up at her in horror, Ebony woke with a scream.

Out the window, she saw the moon was high in the sky. Throwing off the covers, she gave up on sleep. Might as well start searching for the journal.

Raj and Venom lifted their heads to look at her sleepily.

“What is it?” Raj asked her, yawning.

“Can’t sleep.” She made her way to the door. “Go back to sleep.”

Ebony came down the stairs into the parlor and saw that the crowd was standing at the gates already. The numbers were even higher than they were yesterday.

She went to the kitchen first and was happy to see water in the large cauldron. Jay really did think of everything. All she had to do was heat it up then she could take a bath, which would do wonders to help clear her head. Deciding she needed to save her magic, she heated the water the old fashioned way.

After her bath, she went to her father’s library and debated on the best place to begin her search for the journal. Finding it wouldn’t be easy because her father could have hidden it anywhere and put it into any form. He had been a transformation specialist after all.

She’d already searched half of this room. With a heavy sigh, she started with the other half. Surely he would have kept it simple and hid the journal among the other books. That was really her only hope of ever finding it.

When Naveen came shortly after the eighth hour of the day, she was still in the library searching. The doors to the library were open, which meant anyone could just walk in if they wanted. She’d already told Naveen this, so he didn’t hesitate to bound into the library looking lively and cheerful.

“Good morning, Ebony.”

She glared at him. “Why are you so happy?”

“Your closer to breaking the curse because you managed to make me sane yesterday,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to snap at him or not. Choosing not to, she bit her tongue and kept searching. If she snapped at him, then she’d have to explain that what she used on him hadn’t been wizard magic, and she wasn’t ready to trust anyone with that information.

“Napeen?”

He glared at her for getting his name wrong again, but didn’t complain. She had helped him during his transformation. “Yeah?”

“What is your sister’s name? The one that will transform next.”

“Esha Tamboli. Why?”

She couldn’t get her tired brain to think of a good answer. “Just wondering.”