Scars, Spells and Secrets

Chapter 20

Elizabeth slept well into the next day, waking late enough for breakfast to have come and gone. She couldn't remember her dreams; only that they were far from restful. There were flashes of images that flitted through her head but she couldn't seem to piece anything together.

The witch drug herself out of bed with some effort, groaning softly. Her back was sore from having hunched over for the fire spell, and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Turning the water on as hot as she could stand, she stripped and climbed into the shower to simply let the rivulets run down her body. It felt like hours had gone by before her muscles began to loosen and her head began to clear. Only then did the young woman wash her hair and body. She climbed out of the shower after what felt like an age, toweling herself dry and slipping on a skirt and a t-shirt. Her room was warm enough for it, after all, and she would be changing clothing before dinner that evening.

She carefully untangled her curls, humming softly as her eyes swept around the room. Elizabeth thought for a moment and then began to put her magical supplies away. Most went into her dresser drawer to hide them from Charline's potentially prying eyes, but the smaller reagents were placed in the back of her closet, hidden behind a pair of sandals that Charline was hugely unlikely to recommend. In fact, the last time she had seen them the other woman had called them "hideous." They were comfortable though, so in her closet they stayed.

She tried to be productive for the next few hours, she really did; however, Elizabeth simply couldn't quell the excitement in her chest. She toyed with the opal pendant on her necklace as she paced her small room, stopping here and there to tidy up small things or rearrange the objects on her desk.

After what felt like an anxiety filled eternity, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Elizabeth stumbled and nearly went to the floor in her rush to answer it, taking a moment to gather herself before twisting the handle and pulling.

Charline stood there, grinning and holding a makeup bag. She had on an orange button up blouse with ruffles along either side of the button holes, tucked neatly into a black pencil skirt. She was wearing black pumps with a decent size heel, giving her a nicely boosted height. She had a chunky necklace of what appeared to be polished coral around her neck, with a matching bracelet. Her long braids were held back in a thick ponytail and, as always, her makeup was impeccable. Elizabeth grinned and ushered her quickly inside. "I've been waiting for you!" she cried out happily.

Charline laughed and hurried inside to set up a little work station for herself. "I'm glad you finally changed your mind!"

Elizabeth blushed, nodding slowly. "So am I, actually."

"Okay, now let's see what you're going to wear!" Charline marched straight to Elizabeth's closet and began going through it, finally settling on a lovely and modest outfit of brown leggings, a yellow and brown skirt that reached to just above her knees, and a white blouse with lace around the neck. As it was a bit cool, Elizabeth grabbed a brown knit shawl that she had, and slipped her feet into a pair of brown ballet flats with small bows on the heels. Charline took her time applying the other girl's makeup, carefully shading and contouring. The witch was quite surprised at the result; despite taking at least half an hour, the result was a remarkably natural look that almost made it seem as if she wasn't wearing any makeup at all. Elizabeth took a moment to admire the look in her bathroom mirror, smiling brightly. She tucked her opal necklace underneath the blouse, comforted by the light weight of it against her skin. For once, she actually felt comfortable with herself and her situation. Elizabeth took a deep breath and then hurried to Charline's side. "It looks great, thank you so much!"

The shorter girl hugged her and grinned. "You're welcome. Are you ready to go?"

Elizabeth froze for a moment, then forced a smile. "Actually, I have a few little things to do before I head out. Can I meet you there?"

Charline gave her a suspicious look and put her hands on her hips. "You're not backing out, are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Elizabeth shook her head quickly, curls bouncing. "No, I promise! I'll be there by when we agreed on, I just need to take a minute for myself and I'll be on over. I promise."

The other woman stared at her for a long moment, eyes still narrowed asshe regarded the taller woman critically. Finally she gave a slow nod. "ThenI'll see you there. You had better be on time though!" She wagged a finger andturned away, hurrying out of the room. Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Shecouldn't have ridden with Charline, not without the risk of being followed.Instead, she took up her chalk and satchel, taking the fairy portals to Vines.