A Tale of Witchcraft... Page 6

  Perhaps the room seemed smaller because she had grown so much as a person, and perhaps the room felt colder because now she knew what the warmth of a true home felt like.

  Tears welled in Brystal’s eyes as she recalled what her life used to be like in the Evergreen house. She remembered all the nights she had cried herself to sleep, all the days she had lived in fear, and all the nightmares in between. She remembered the angst of wanting a better life, the pain of unanswered prayers, and the suffocation of feeling stuck. But Brystal didn’t just remember the emotions, she felt them, too. All the fear and sadness surfaced from deep within her, stronger than ever before.

  You’ll never get rid of her.…

  No matter where you go, or what you do…

  Part of you will always be that scared, suppressed little girl.…

  She’ll always be inside of you.…

  Always.

  Brystal couldn’t understand why she was feeling and thinking such things. Her life had changed so significantly she was practically a different person—so why was she carrying the same heartache from her past? She looked in the mirror for reassurance, but unfortunately, her reflection only made her feel worse. There was no difference between the sorrowful expression Brystal wore today and the sorrowful expression she had worn for most of her childhood.

  Perhaps life hadn’t changed as much as she thought.

  “You’re back!” said a voice behind her.

  Brystal quickly wiped away her tears and glanced over her shoulder. A beautiful, middle-aged woman in a shiny teal dress was standing in the doorway. The woman was ecstatic to see Brystal and ran into the bedroom to embrace her.

  “Mother?” Brystal gasped. “Is that you?”

  Mrs. Evergreen looked so different Brystal didn’t recognize her at first. Her hair was no longer styled in a constrictive bun on top of her head but flowed freely down to her waist. The dark circles under her eyes had vanished, and for the first time in Brystal’s memory, Mrs. Evergreen looked rested. The teal dress also brought out the green in her mother’s eyes, which Brystal had never noticed until now.

  “Oh, my darling girl,” Mrs. Evergreen said, and hugged Brystal a little tighter. “I’ve missed you so much! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!”

  “Mother, you look amazing!” Brystal said. “What happened?”

  “I hope you’re not too surprised,” Mrs. Evergreen teased her.

  “Of course not—I didn’t mean it like that!” Brystal said. “Forgive me—everything is just so different. I wasn’t expecting the house to look like this. I wasn’t expecting you to look like this. There’s new furniture, new china, new drapes—you even have servants! How is father allowing all of this?”

  “I finally gave him an ultimatum,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “I said if he didn’t hire maids and a cook to help me around the house, I would leave him. And I reminded him that if I left, he’d have no choice but to hire maids and a cook anyway. You should have seen his face! The idea of losing me must have really scared him, because he hasn’t denied me anything since.”

  Brystal was incredibly proud of her mother, but her thoughts quickly quashed the feeling and replaced it with shame.

  You should have helped your mother.…

  If it weren’t for her, you’d still be at the Bootstrap Correctional Facility.…

  But you abandoned her to help strangers.…

  You failed her and she had to do it all on her own.

  “What’s wrong, Brystal?” Mrs. Evergreen asked. “Why do you look so sad?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said.

  Mrs. Evergreen gave Brystal a stern look—it didn’t matter how much time had passed, Mrs. Evergreen always knew when Brystal was lying to her.

  “I just feel guilty,” Brystal confessed. “After you signed my permission slip to attend Madame Weatherberry’s school, I always told myself I would come back and save you from this place, but I never did. I’ve been helping strangers all over the world, but I never helped you.”

  Mrs. Evergreen seemed both heartbroken and amused by Brystal’s confession. She lovingly placed a hand on her daughter’s face and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Brystal, you’re not responsible for anyone’s happiness but your own—including mine,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “The last time we spoke, I told you to leave this horrible place and never return because that’s what it was—a horrible place. I didn’t think it was possible to change it. But then something amazing happened—someone came along and showed me nothing was impossible.”

  “Who?” Brystal asked.

  “You, sweetheart,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “I thought, If my daughter can change the whole world, then I can make changes, too. Without your example, I would never have had the courage to stand up to your father. So in many ways, you did save me. And not just me—you’ve inspired thousands of other people to improve their lives, too. I hope you know how special that is.”

  Brystal knew how significant her mother’s words were, but her current state of mind wouldn’t let the feeling sink in. She shrugged it off like Mrs. Evergreen was giving her a small compliment.

  “It can be a little overwhelming at times,” she said.

  “I bet,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “I’ve seen how those crowds react to you and your friends.”

  “You mean, you’ve been to one of our events?” Brystal asked in disbelief.

  “Oh, I haven’t missed a single event in the Southern Kingdom,” Mrs. Evergreen said with a proud smile. “I was there when you rebuilt the orphanage that burned down, I was there when you gave a new roof to the hospital for wounded soldiers, and I was there just last week when King Champion presented you with a statue in the Chariot Hills town square—I actually brought a big poster with your name on it to that one. There were so many people there, I imagine it was hard to see me.”

  “I wish I knew you were there!” Brystal said. “I would have loved to see you!”

  “All that matters is that you’re here now,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “It’s a miracle you got the wedding invitation. I was afraid that big knight would lose it.”

  Brystal was certain she had misheard her. “Wait a second—you delivered the invitation yourself?”

  “Of course. It was important,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “I marched right up to the knight and I told him, I don’t care how scary you look, if this letter doesn’t get to my daughter, I’ll be the scariest thing you ever met. He didn’t seem very frightened but it must have worked.”

  Brystal was speechless—even her thoughts went silent. Clearly, Mrs. Evergreen had nothing but unconditional love and support for her daughter, and Brystal’s mind couldn’t spin it into anything negative.

  “Mother! Where are you? I need your help!”

  Mrs. Evergreen rolled her eyes. “I’m in your sister’s room!” she called out.

  “Was that Barrie?” Brystal asked. “He sounds more stressed than usual.”

  “Your brother’s been such a nervous wreck ever since he proposed,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “You’d think he was the first person in history to get married.”

  They heard frantic footsteps climb up the stairs and dash down the hall, and then Barrie burst into the bedroom at the speed of lightning. He was dressed in a sharp black suit and carried a handful of buttons that were supposed to be on his suit jacket. Barrie was in such a panic it took him a moment to notice his sister, standing beside his mother.

  “Mother, it happened again! I didn’t even realize I was playing with my buttons until I ripped them all off! Oh, hello, Brystal. I’m so sorry, Mother! Please don’t be angry with me! I’m so nervous I feel like there are bats in my stomach! Do you think you can fix them before—BRYSTAL?!”

  Barrie’s panicked rant quickly turned into a fit of joyous laughter. He gave Brystal an enormous hug and spun her around the room.

  “Brystal! Brystal! Brystal!” Barrie cheered. “It’s so wonderful to see you!”

  “It’s wonderful to see you, t
oo, Barrie!”

  “I can’t believe you’re here! Gosh, you’ve been busy! What you’ve been up to is remarkable! It means so much to me that you came!”

  “I wouldn’t have missed your wedding for the world,” Brystal said.

  “It’s funny, of all the people to tell me that today, you’re the first person who actually means it,” Barrie said. “I’ve been following all your accomplishments in the newspapers. Penny helped me start a scrapbook with all the clippings I saved—oh, that’s her name, Penny—but I suppose you already knew that from the invitation.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” Brystal said. “What’s she like? Where did you guys meet?”

  An enormous smile grew across Barrie’s face as he thought about his future wife. Brystal had never seen him look so happy—actually, she had never seen anyone look so happy.

  “She’s—she’s—she’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met,” Barrie said. “We met eleven months ago at the Chariot Hills Library—oh, thanks for changing the law by the way! We wouldn’t have met if women were still banned! Anyway, we were in the same aisle and reached for Locksmiths: A Turnkey Trade at exactly the same time. Turns out she has a fascination with locks and keys like me! Naturally, I told her to take the book, but she insisted I check it out first. We kept going back and forth on who should take it, and finally, we agreed to share the book. And the rest is history!”

  “Barrie, if you want a successful marriage, I suggest you learn how to sew,” Mrs. Evergreen scolded. “It’s going to take me an hour to put all of these buttons back on your suit! And the ceremony is about to start!”

  “Actually, I can help with that,” Brystal said.

  With a flick of her wand, all the buttons flew out of Barrie’s hand and reattached themselves to his jacket. Brystal also reached into the pocket of her pantsuit and pulled out a small gift topped with a golden bow.

  “Here,” Brystal said, and handed it to him. “I made you an enchanted sewing kit for a wedding present. Just put the thread through the eye of the needle and it’ll do the rest. I was going to save it for later but you should take it now in case you need to fix your jacket again.”

  Barrie was touched by the gift. “You know me so well,” he said. “Thank you.”

  The tender moment was cut short by another pair of footsteps stomping up the stairs, and this time, Brystal recognized them instantly—it was the sound she had feared the most when she was a child. Justice Evergreen charged into the bedroom with heavy breath and a tense brow.

  “The ceremony is supposed to start in five minutes and not a single bridesmaid or groomsman is fully dressed!”

  Brystal’s father was already angry, but seeing her infuriated the Justice. His whole body went tense and his face turned bright red. The Justice refused to look at Brystal, and instead, he pointed at her and sent his furious scowl toward his wife.

  “What is it doing here?” he asked.

  “I invited her,” Mrs. Evergreen said as if it were obvious.

  Justice Evergreen closed his eyes and tried to suppress his anger. Brystal could tell it was a new exercise for her father, because the Justice wasn’t very good at it.

  “Lynn, we agreed we wouldn’t—”

  “We didn’t agree to anything!” Mrs. Evergreen said, raising her voice to match his. “You told me you didn’t want her here, and I listened, but I never gave you any impression that she wasn’t invited. You can pretend she doesn’t exist all you want, but Brystal is still my daughter and she has every right to be at her brother’s wedding.”

  Brystal was pleasantly surprised at how effortlessly her mother stood up to her father. Mrs. Evergreen debated her husband like it was a fun new hobby. The Justice turned so red he was almost purple.

  “I will allow it to stay for the wedding, but I will not allow it in my house!” he sneered.

  Mrs. Evergreen raised a finger and stepped toward the Justice, but Brystal stopped her mother before the argument went any further. She didn’t want anything to spoil Barrie’s special day, especially a disagreement about her.

  “Mother, it’s all right,” she said calmly. “I’m more than happy to wait outside until the wedding begins.”

  Brystal headed out of the bedroom but paused in the doorway.

  “Besides,” she whispered to her father, “from the look of things, this doesn’t appear to be your house anymore.”

  Brystal left the Evergreen house and joined the wedding guests outside. She was hoping to find a place to hide before anyone saw her return, but the guests were gathered around the front door waiting for her. The number of attendees had doubled since she had arrived, and clearly all the newcomers had been notified of Brystal’s attendance.

  “Fairy Godmother! Can you give me a bigger house?”

  “Fairy Godmother! Can you cure my indigestion?”

  “Fairy Godmother! Can you make my nose smaller?”

  “Fairy Godmother! Can you teach my children some manners?”

  The guests crept closer and closer, and Brystal dodged all the hands trying to touch her. She started to worry she’d be stuck on the Evergreens’ front porch all day, but she was rescued by a belligerent voice coming from afar.

  “OOOOOOH, PISS OFF! ALL OF YOU!”

  Everyone on the front lawn turned toward a disheveled man at the refreshment stand. His shaggy hair was in desperate need of a barber, and his tight brown suit was in desperate need of a tailor. The man feverishly smoked a wooden pipe, and from the way he was leaning on the refreshment counter, it was obvious he had enjoyed one too many refreshments.

  “FOR THE LOVE OF CHAMPION—IT’S JUST BRYSTAL! A FEW MAGIC TRICKS DOESN’T MAKE HER A SAINT!”

  “Brooks?” Brystal gasped.

  Unlike their mother, the last year hadn’t been kind to her oldest brother. His muscular build had melted into a belly, his handsome face was puffy and covered in stubble, and his pompous attitude had been replaced with a noticeable chip on his shoulder. All the wedding guests slowly backed away from Brystal, and she zigzagged through the crowd to stand at her brother’s side.

  “Thanks for that,” she told him. “Hi, Brooks.… You look so… It’s so nice to… Hi, Brooks.”

  “Don’t,” he said.

  “Don’t what?” she asked.

  “Don’t bother wasting that fairy crap on me. I’m not like those idiots. A little kindness and a few sparkles aren’t going to turn me into one of your deranged sycophants. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve become, you’ll always be my annoying, know-it-all little sister. So don’t come over here expecting me to eat out of the palm of your hand—”

  Brystal suddenly threw her arms around her brother and gave him a huge hug.

  “You have no idea how nice it is to hear someone say that!” she said.

  Brooks was surprised by her reaction. “Well… I mean it,” he said. “Now get off me before your magic rubs off. I don’t want those bootlickers asking me for favors.”

  Brystal released him from her embrace. Brooks ordered another drink from the bartender behind the counter. The bartender wasn’t pouring as fast as Brooks liked, so Brooks yanked the bottle away from him and poured the drink himself. Brystal studied her brother with a long, pitying gaze. She tried to fix a strand of his messy hair, but Brooks slapped her hand away.

  “So… how are you?” Brystal asked him, although the answer was pretty obvious.

  “Oh, juuuuuuuuust dandy!” Brooks said. “Things couldn’t be better. Let’s see, my little brother is getting married to one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the Southern Kingdom, my little sister is the most influential person to ever live, and I’m working in a cobbler’s shop! So noooooooooo complaints here! Life is going great!”

  “You’re working in a shoe store?” Brystal asked, and quickly adjusted her tone. “I mean, you’re working in a shoe store! How exciting! But why aren’t you a Deputy Justice anymore?”

  “Justice Oldragaid got me disbarred,” Brooks said.


  “What?! When?!”

  “After your trial last year, he reported my negligent behavior to the High Justices. They took away my title and my robes and banished me from the legal system for life.”

  “Brooks, I am so sorry to hear that,” Brystal said. “If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault,” Brooks said. “Everyone knows Oldragaid had me sacked to get revenge on Father. Sometimes I think it was all worth it just to see the look on Oldragaid’s disgusting face when Father burst into his courtroom and saved your life.”

  “I bet Father regrets it now,” Brystal said. “Still, I’m sorry you had to pay the price for it.”

  Brooks took a long drag from his pipe and slowly let it out.

  “It was probably for the best,” he said. “Let’s be honest, I was a lousy Deputy Justice anyway. I never cared about defending or prosecuting criminals; I only went to the University of Law to please Father. Now I’m finally free to follow my passion.”

  “And what’s that?” Brystal asked.

  She wasn’t trying to be rude, she just genuinely didn’t know the answer. While they were growing up, the only subject Brooks was interested in was himself. He opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t know the answer either.

  “Now I’m finally free to find a passion,” he restated.

  Brystal gave her brother a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

  “I know you’ll land on your feet,” she said. “You think too highly of yourself to stay in a funk forever.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Brystal suddenly felt a strange sensation—it was like the feeling of being watched, but the exact opposite. For the first time since she had arrived, the wedding guests were no longer gawking at her. Their attention was drawn to something moving in the distance. A cavalcade of armed guards escorted an elegant carriage down the country road. The guards blew horns to announce their arrival and carried flags with the royal crest of King Champion XIV.

  “Is the king coming to Barrie’s wedding?” Brystal asked.