𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘐𝘟

(the cursed witch, act one)

THERE WAS A SLIGHT STING IN NINA'S FINGERS AS SHE HELD THEM ABOVE A LAVENDER PLANT. Natalie was beside her with a prideful smile on her lips as she watched the plant come to life, buds beginning to shoot as the scent filled their noses.

"You did it!" she cheered with so much excitement flowing through her Nina could practically feel it.

"How do you feel? Any pain?"

Nina shrugged, "My hands are burning but other than that... I feel nothing."

The woman grinned, pulling her daughter closer to her as she wrapped her arms around her. Snow had begun to fall from the sky once more, but neither witch cared.

Nina felt somewhat whole again, feeling the magic she once thought she would no longer be able to use, finally begin to flow through her body, igniting her soul. "What was in that drink?" she asked finally.

"Just a little magic. It's why I haven't been home lately. I met someone."

Nina's eyebrows raised slightly.

"Not that kind of someone," Natalie spoke quickly, nudging her daughter's shoulder. "Dating is not in the cards for me, Nia. One of the doctors at the hospital. He's like us in a way and he has all this knowledge, oh Nia, you would love him."

"Is he a witch too?" Nina asked, excited about the idea of meeting more people like her.

"Not exactly."

Her head tilted, "What is he then?"

Natalie smiled, "You'll find out eventually, sweetheart. Now, onto someone much less exciting... We need to talk about your father."

The young witch groaned. Not very long ago -only a few hours- she had wanted to know everything, but now, all she wanted to do was learn new spells that she had long forgotten.

"Your father," Natalie began, her voice going soft as she attempted to find the words. "Your father isn't someone you need to be around right now, honey. He's not going to be of any help to us."

"I thought he would be able to help with my magic?"

"I thought so too. But he's gone down a dark path since he left us. We need to stop looking for him."

Nina's blue-green eyes held a look of confusion, "What? Is he a serial killer now?"

"Not necessarily, Nina, all you need to know is that he is not a good person. He's not the same man I met eighteen years ago. It's safest for you to stay away from him."

Nodding, Nina looked at her mother, "I trust you. We'll stop looking... Does that mean we are staying here?"

"If you want. We could go anywhere you want though. Maybe back to Dawson City or maybe somewhere warm–"

"I think I want to stay here," Nina spoke quickly, not entirely sure why she was so adamant on the choice. "I- um... It's just, I finally have some friends here. And we've only just finished unpacking all the boxes. It would be too tedious to just pack it all up again."

Natalie sent her daughter a knowing smile, "Are you sure it isn't because of some boy?..."

"What? Who?" the young witch asked quickly, her eyes darting to her mothers. 

"The boy that kept looking at you on your first day. What was his name?"

"Eeyore? No, he's nothing. Besides, even if I had been thinking of dating, I think I'll be more focused on magic now."

"Of course. But maybe... I don't know. Just try talking to him. I've seen him and his father around the hospital and they all seem a little lonely. This town is far too judgy for its own good."

"So I should apologize for saying he has a snot infestation?"

Natalie laughed, "Did he?"

The younger girl shrugged, "He kept covering his nose and looking around the room like a crazy person so I just figured..."

"Of course," Natalie replied with a grin. "Now, how about another spell?"

When Nina woke up the next morning, she felt different. The world felt lighter.

Even when she looked out her window and saw the fine layer of snow covering the ground. Even seeing the rain that had fallen during the night had turned to ice, it didn't take away from the feeling of warmth flowing through her.

Natalie had already left for her morning shift, but had left a note on the kitchen table saying she would try to be back for dinner.

Walking out when she heard Bella's truck's familiar honk, she walked with ease along the ice-covered driveway, the ice seemingly melting beneath her feet.

"You look happy," Bella said as Nina got into the passenger seat. "Did you kill Edward? I can be your alibi if you need one."

Nina grinned, "I didn't kill him. I thought about it, but I didn't."

"Then why are you so happy?" she asked as they drove out of the driveway and onto the road.

"Just a really good day."

"You didn't eat cake for breakfast again, did you?"

Nina shrugged, "It was either that or eggs and I wasn't feeling eggs."

Bella's truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. But she drove very slowly, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street.

"Do you know what today is?" Bella asked as she drove into the school's parking lot.

The witch shrugged as she glanced out the window. Looking toward the stairway, she saw someone already looking at her. Edward.

Looking back at Bella, she saw that the girl had already gotten out of the truck and made her way over to open the door for her. Nina grinned, "Why thank you, kind sir."

Bella snorted. "You know, I almost feel bad." Nina hummed. "On the first day you are actually happy here, we have a big algebra test," Bella finished, watching the witches face turn sour.

"Are you fucking shitting me? No. Fuck, Miss. Patterson hates me. I'm pretty sure she's the spawn of satan–"

"Is that better or worse than the spawns of Jeffery Dahmer?"

Nina glanced at her, "Worse. Definitely worse. At least the spawns of Jeffrey Dahmer are hot."

She glanced over and saw Edwards laughing face go sour as a horrified look fell upon his face. She was standing with her back against the door, Bella beside her when she heard an odd sound.

It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. Both girls looked up, startled.

Nina saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make her brain work much faster, and she was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.

Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from her, staring at them in horror. His face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot.

It was going to hit the back corner of Bella's truck, right where Bella was standing completely frozen.

Without thinking of the consequences, Nina held out her hand muttering a sentence in Latin before the brunette girl went flying onto the grassy area behind her truck.

Nina's head turned, seeing the van was only meters away. "This is a shit way to go," she whispered, knowing she didn't have time, not even the time to close her eyes nor to feel the pain that was flooding her body from the use of magic.

Just before she heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit her, hard, but not from the direction she had been expecting.

Her head smacked against something that resembled a frozen hand and she felt something solid and cold pinning her to the ground. She was lying on the pavement behind the tan car Bella had parked next to.

But she didn't have a chance to notice anything else. The van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with her again. A low groan made Nina aware that someone was with her, and the voice was impossible not to recognize.

Two hands shot out almost protectively in front of her, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from her face, the large hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body. Then his hands moved so fast they blurred.

It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, she could hear more than one person shouting her name. But more clearly than all the yelling, she could hear Edward Cullen's low, frantic voice in her ear.

"Nina? Are you all right?"

Nina felt blood drip from her nose. "I'm fine," she lied. The drink her mother had given her the night before had weaned off, and with her having just used a somewhat powerful spell, she felt as though she was dying.

"You're lying again," Edward whispered, stopping her when she tried to sit up, which was when she realized he was holding her against the side of his body, his grip like a vice.

Her body was screaming in pain and she felt as though she was being consumed in fire.

"I think you hit your head pretty hard," Edward spoke again. Yeah on your hand, dickhead, Nina thought to herself, seeing a smile threaten to appear on his face.

Nina nodded, choosing against saying what she really wanted to say. She felt his grip loosen as he adjusted her so that she was sitting with her back leaning against Bella's truck. She yelped in pain from the mere movement which earned a concerned look from Edward.

"I'm fine," Nina spoke quickly. "Just– um, you know we had uh... gym class this morning and Mike decided to throw every dodgeball the school has at me."

Edward grinned, "Sure... You know that school hasn't started yet, right?"

Her mind cleared slightly as the shock of the crash slowly wore off. "How did you get over here so fast?"

"How did Bella end up twenty feet away from here?" he asked, turning the question around to her.

"That's none of your business."

"Then it's none of your business either."

Suddenly, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other appeared. "Don't move," someone instructed. "Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else shouted.

Nina tried to stand up, but Edward's cold hand pushed her shoulder down. "Just stay put for now."

"But it's cold," she complained. It surprised her when he chuckled under his breath. There was an edge to the sound.

All around them was chaos. Nina could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene. But she was more focused on Edward, and how his hand had yet to leave her waist.

"Why did you save me?"

Edward shrugged, his eyes still moving across her body as if he were assessing her for any injuries. "I felt like contributing to society today. Why did you save Bella?"

Nina smiled slightly, feeling a wave of tiredness wash over her. She was going to pass out soon. Another sweet side effect from using her magic. "I didn't really feel like having my first ever friend die."

Her eyes flickered, blinking slower as sleep threatened to take her. She felt Edwards hands grip her waist a little tighter as he moved her before she felt her head hit his hard shoulder. "Go to sleep. Just don't die, alright?"

"No promises," Nina muttered before she fell completely unconscious, just as an ambulance arrived.

Edward sighed, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as his eyes cast over to his siblings. They all wore similar expressions, ones of fear and anxiety. Emmett held his hand up, motioning for Edward to leave the scene but Edward was persistent. He wasn't going to leave. Not yet.

When Nina next woke, she was happy to see that she had been unconscious during the entirety of her ambulance ride and seemingly most of whatever treatment the hospital had put her through.

Glancing down when she felt a tug on her hand, she saw a needle in her hand and shivered. "Ew," she muttered, looking away from the needle and what was most likely a morphine drip.

But the sight she saw next, was one she hadn't been expecting. Edward Cullen sat beside her, his eyes trained on her though a playful smirk was on his lips. "Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said, his voice relaying just how much he was enjoying this.

Bastard.

Nina's eyes met his, "What are you doing here, Eeyore?"

"Your mom got called into a surgery so someone had to watch you and I was conveniently already here, so..."

"Super," Nina muttered, her eyes leaving his as she rested her head back on her pillow and stared at the cracks in the ceiling. "That makes me really happy."

Edward shrugged, "I thought it would."

"How's Bella?" Nina asked suddenly.

"She's fine. Not even a scratch on her."

"And Tyler?"

"He's also fine. A few cuts and bruises and he definitely lost his license after your mother yelled at him."

She nodded.

"How are you feeling? I don't think I've ever had someone quite literally fall for me."

Nina turned her head in his direction, "You're just so full of yourself, aren't you?"

He flashed her a smile, making her roll her eyes. "How come you aren't on a bed? You got hit more than I did," she spoke, changing the subject.

"It's all about who you know," he answered. "But don't worry, I plan on helping you."

Then a doctor walked around the corner. Nina's eyes widened slightly. He was young and was blonde. He was pale, though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes.

From Jessica's description, this had to be Edward's father and her only way out of the room. "So, Miss Evans," Dr. Cullen said in a remarkably smooth voice that matched Edwards, "How are you feeling?"

"Like sunshine and rainbows, Sir,"

She could hear Edward laugh beside her while Carlisle grinned, "I see the morphine has been doing the trick." He walked to the lightboard on the wall over her head, and turned it on. "Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It's fine. It's used to hitting things. Just ask my mom," she replied, hoping that if she were to distract him enough that he would let her leave, but not before sending a quick glare at Edward.

The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along her skull. He noticed when she winced. "Tender?" he asked.

"Not really."

She heard a quiet laugh, and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. Her eyes narrowed.

"Well, I'll get you off this IV and Edward has offered to take you home since your mother will be in surgery for a few more hours. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

Nina forced a smile, "How kind of him. Can't I go back to school?"

"Maybe you should take it easy today."

She glanced at Edward. "Does he get to go to school? After taking me home?"

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," Edward said smugly.

I'm gonna stab him.

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

Nina grimaced, "Great. Say, uh, is there a back exit? You know, I have this really unknown allergy..."

Dr. Cullen grinned, "Oh yeah? And what are you allergic to?"

"Teenagers that smell like they haven't showered in three weeks."

Edward smiled, "That's not a real thing."

Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"

"No, I'm good," Nina insisted, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly — she staggered, and Dr. Cullen caught her. He looked concerned.

"I'm fine. Just... Iron deficiency..." she assured him again.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied her. "And Edward? You should stay with her. I will call the school and let them know you won't be back for the day."

If Edward's grin could have gotten any bigger, it definitely would have when he saw her face fall.

"I'm really fine. I don't need a babysitter."

"It's a necessary precaution. Just until your mother gets home then he will be out of your hair."

Dr. Cullen eventually left the room, but not after telling Nina how to get out of the hospital while still avoiding the swarm of teenagers.

Thanking Edward quietly when he opened his car door for her, she frowned when he went to help her with the seatbelt. "I think I can do that myself."

He grinned, "Can you?"

"You got hit harder than me. If anything I should be the one driving."

"But only one of us has a license," he replied before doing up her seat belt and walking over to the driver's side.

When he drove out of the parking lot, Nina glanced at him, "Why'd you offer the protection detail? Don't you have better things to do?"

"I'm feeling generous today," he responded as he drove down the main street before turning down a side street.

"How do you know where I live?" she asked when she noticed he was going the exact right way to her home.

"I read your file."

"That's really invasive."

"I had to do something to entertain myself while you were sleeping... Actually, that reminds me, why did you set a school classroom on fire?"

Nina's eyes widened, "They have that on file?"

He grinned, "No, but do tell."

The witch sighed, her head turning away from him to look out the window. "It's none of your business."

"You're not gonna set me on fire, are you?" he asked as he parked his car in the driveway.

"Only if you tempt me." 

Getting out of the car, Edward walked over to her side and opened her door, before holding out his hand. Nina stared at him. "No."

Edward sighed, "Your driveway is covered in ice and you just got out of the hospital, I don't think you feel like going back so soon. I mean, I guess I could just take you back..."

Nina rolled her eyes but took his cold hand nonetheless and let him lead her up the driveway, though he was practically carrying her.

"Are you gonna tell me what really happened?" Nina asked when she opened the door, finally getting some space between them as she walked further inside the home after taking off her wet boots.

"I considered it," he answered as he looked around the freshly decorated home, his eyes landing on a picture of Nina when she was two holding her middle finger up at the camera, "Cute."

"I know, I'm adorable. Now, were you struck by lightning?"

Edward hummed, somewhat confused by her question.

"Like the Flash..." she trailed off, realizing he had no idea who she was talking about. "You seriously don't know who Barry Allen is?"

"Should I?"

"He's only the hottest man alive but clearly you have no taste."

He grinned at her, following her as she walked into the living room but not before grabbing two spoons and a tub of ice cream. Edward frowned in confusion when she handed him a spoon before tapping the spot on the couch beside her.

"Do you not know what a spoon is?" Nina asked when he kept staring at the silver item.

"I know what a spoon is," he replied as he sat down, "I just don't know why you are giving me one."

The witch glanced at the tub of ice cream in her other hand, "Are you sure you're not the one with head trauma?"

Edward laughed. "I didn't realize we were the kind of friends that share ice cream so early on in their relationship."

Nina quickly shook her head, "No, no, no. I never said we were friends. I was just suggesting that since we are stuck here until my mom eventually gets here, we should make the most of it."

"And making the most of it is by eating ice cream?"

"Obviously. Come on, Eeyore, I thought you were smart. You're starting to make me think you're just as dumb as Mike."

"That's offensive."

"It was meant to be."

After an awkward three hours of Nina complaining and Edward's staring, Natalie came home.

Oh thank fuck, Nina thought to herself as she practically ran to the front door, dragging Edward by his hand. "You can fuck off now Eeyore. The parental figure is here."

The witch tried to push him out of the door but he was like a brick wall, completely unmoving.

That's it. I'm setting him on fucking fire–

"You must be Dr. Cullen's son. Edward, right?" Natalie asked, stopping Nina from committing first degree murder.

"I am," Edward replied, smiling at the woman.

"Are you sure you're adopted?" Natalie asked with a smile. "Well, I gotta thank you for taking such good care of Nina here."

"It was no trouble. I had been wanting to spend some time with her for a while now so it was really a pleasure."

"I wouldn't call it a pleasure–" Nina muttered under her breath only to feel Natalie elbow her.

"She's joking. You're welcome to come around anytime, Edward. Thank you again for helping my daughter."

Edward smiled as he walked out the door, "Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow, Nina."