Chapter 57

"Lisa?" Jacqueline looked at me. "She isn't a witch, Red." She reminded me of the mere human Lisa was. She didn't have any powers but she did control a very powerful witch—Damon.

"Damon. It has to be them and of course, he'd do anything for her as they are married now and what better to see me miserable." I grunted and got closer to Luciano. He was no longer coughing but I could tell he was in pain. "Can you heal him or reverse whatever Damon did?" I was completely sure it was them.

"It would require a lot of days before I can learn what's wrong and what spell has been casted," Jacqueline sat back down and took Luciano's arm, wrapping her full hand around it. "I can definitely take some of the pain away but it can come back anytime." She gazed into my eyes with a warning behind them.

"Please," I pleaded. "Anything better than nothing and while you learn about the problem, I can do the same." I placed my hand over his face.

Seeing the pain in his eyes and blood on his lips made my heart ache. Jacqueline managed to take the pain away through the same spell she taught me once. Once the spell was done, Luciano leaned over me, weakened and his strength drenched.

"It's going to be okay." I whispered, allowing him in my arms.

Jacqueline went at the back of her room and began her search. "It would be a lot easier if most of the grimoire's in my possession weren't burned with the castle." She said, laughing lightly and shaking her head.

While she searched, Luciano showed signs of healing as the pain was gone, for now. He managed to stand up from the ground with my help and sit over the bed.

"I thought you took everything, Mother." He rubbed the back of his neck while returning back to life.

"I did but I had hidden a few things away from your Father's mocking eyes and those books went down with the fire. I couldn't take them in front of him as he'd whine about how practicing evil witchcraft isn't a part of me." She explained, turning around with another book in her hands, witches grimoire.

Luciano nodded, "It isn't."

"But knowledge is. Anyway, you should go get a shower and get something to eat. The pain wouldn't return for a couple of hours—maybe days." She continued, tapping his shoulder along with sighing out of relief. "I'll see what I can find."

When Luciano tugged on my arm, I almost fell down with his weight and he laughed at me. "Guess I'm still stronger than you."

I slapped his shoulder, "Don't do that!"

I suppressed a shiver and the fear away before leaving the room with Luciano and heading back to our own. I spoke with the servants and told them to bring Fiona out meanwhile Luciano hit the shower.

"Is he going to die?" Ben hovered over me with a scared face while I was seated in the living room with Fiona, giving some time to her before the chaos hit all of us again.

"No!" I exclaimed, putting my daughter away from my lap and onto the couch. "It's just a spell." I whispered back.

"By who?"

"By Damon and Lisa."

Ben's fists clenched and he plopped beside me. Anger swam into his eyes in the silence. "Really?" He asked again, wanting to be sure.

"Yes. It's got to be them. Who else would cast a spell on Luciano to make him sick apart from my ex-bestfriend who still believes I've ruined her entire life?" I crossed my arms over my chest and groaned.

She could've left in peace. And she didn't. Once Jacqueline could confirm the spell and from where it came, I was going to end her, for good. I gave her a chance and she did the opposite.

"Woah, that's a dick move."

"Trust me, I know."

Fiona played with her rattles that made a painful sound before she crawled up to the couch and sat between both of us. At her sight, Ben played with her curls and she released pure, random giggles that felt incredible to hear, they were almost like the sounds of peace for my ears.

"Is he better now?" He quietly asked.

"Yeah. He'll be fine for a while."

Fiona punched Ben in the ribs with her rattle and he pouted with a face full of pain, "Ouch." He was completely overreacting but my little daughter was enjoying every bit of it.

"Where is Anna?" I looked for her around the house as she did come with Ben a while earlier and I could no longer see her anywhere.

"Oh, she went to get a mix of some herbal tea from the market. She's so picky." Ben replied, slouching across the couch. "Why aren't you like that? I mean, you do share some blood, right?"

"We do share blood, Ben, but we both were raised in different surroundings. Nana always taught me to be grateful for whatever I had or was given to me while on the other hand, Anna told me she had a lonely childhood and maybe being picky makes her feel satisfied." I explained with a shrug.

That was just my sister and nothing was going to change it.

"True!"

"Yeah. You just have to put up with it." I couldn't help but smile.

"Like I put up with you," Luciano's voice rang in my ears. He jumped beside me, invading my little space and wrapped his arms around my body.

My eyes lit up and I turned to him. He was all fresh and looked like a delicious meal I could swallow in a second. Trailing my gaze down, I studied his choices of clothes.

"Why are you wearing that?" I asked, pointing toward the sunglasses in his head and the floral printed shirt. Why was he even planning? Sun bath?

"Um, because we are going outside."

"Um, no, you're sick."

"I'm not going to rot here, Red and neither are you. We had a torturous month in the cold and now, it's time to enjoy the sun and the morning breeze." He said, kissing my shoulder. "Plus, I'm doing fine and even Fiona could use a little time outside the house."

I held my breath back and looked at Fiona. As much as I wanted to spend a day outside, I couldn't and Luciano's plan sounded absurd.

"What happens if you get sick again?"

"I won't, not for a while and if something does happen, you are there to take away the pain, right?" The skin over his brows wrinkled and he gave me a pleading look.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!" His hand clenched around mine. "I want to spent a day outside with my family and worry about nothing. Who knows it's going to be my last?"

"Don't say that!" I scowled at him.

"Okay, okay, I won't." He raised his hands in defense and when I calmed down, he continued. "Please, agree and go get ready."

"Fine."

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