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After we did as she ordered, Muma Padurii asked my friends to repeat a short incantation after her. Only when she felt confident enough that my friends would remember the chant she began mumbling her spell. Once the rhythm became steady, she brought her hands in front as if holding an imaginary orb.
I direly wished for Gabriel to be there with me, but I had to accept my reality, so I closed my eyes and prepared to receive everything sent to me.
“Solomonarul, I’ll need your lightning,” Mother of the Forest said.
My eyes widened. “What? Nobody said anything about lightning.”
Chapter 27
Solomonarul took out his jar but struggled to open it. Though it seemed like he did it intentionally to give Gabriel additional time to arrive. Miraculously, Gabriel did arrive while he and his mother helped Lord Stoica to walk. The carriage probably got stuck, and the only way to be on time was by foot.
Anca rushed to Muma Padurii’s hut and brought a chair for Lord Stoica. Once everyone settled in their respective place, and Gabriel and I kept our gaze connected, I could finally attach my life to a piece of rock. It seemed a bit preposterous to imagine, but for some time now, most events in my life leaned deep on the preposterous scale. I wished to hold Gabriel’s hand, but we both knew it wasn’t possible, so I took an intentional inhale and waited for my transformation.
Muma Padurii hesitated to enact the final spell until everyone remained still and silent. But even after they did so, she didn’t proceed with the ritual. She just focused only on the orb she pretended to hold in front. “Did she forget the words or something?” I looked at Solomonarul, who already prepared his lightning in the sky. “Excuse me, but did you by any chance forget––” And right before finishing my words, the lightning struck between Muma Padurii’s hands and lit the orb. It looked like a glass ball filled with electricity. After several mumbles, Muma Padurii rotated the ball as if aiming at me. Was she aiming at me? No, no. But it was too late. Muma Padurii stepped back and threw the ball like a professional baseball player. In the next few seconds, it hit the Eye of the Dragon, which hung from my neck, sending electrical currents across my entire body. If before, my hair looked half-decent, now, it got a life of its own. Heat rose from within, and by the time I realized it was over, I smelled like burnt bacon. Unable to control myself, my knees sunk to the ground.
Gabriel hurried to help me stand. “Are you all right, my love?” he asked.
“Yes, just a little disoriented.” I looked at him as if with different eyes. The world disappeared around us, and we were the only ones present.
“We don’t have time for your ogling. I have to make avampyrtonight.” Muma Padurii channeled Mama Nica by aligning her fists to her hips.
I hugged Gabriel and said with a shaky voice: “Goodbye, love of my life. See you on the other side.”
The fear of the unknown intensified in Gabriel’s eyes.
“I will be with you every step of the way,” I said as Solomonarul and Anca walked me toward the semicircle.
For a moment, I looked up and saw Ieleleflying above us. They began their chant, which lowered around us like a protective dome. It made everyone, including Gabriel, feel safer and grateful for their friendship.
“Solomonarul, prepare two beds of leaves,” said Muma Padurii.
“Wait,” I said. “The first time Vedoma tied him to logs. It might be too risky to leave him untied.”
“If he wakes up untied, the chances he’ll keep his humanity are greater,” said Muma Padurii. “Bring the man.”
Tiberiu helped Lord Stoica to the leafy bed and laid him on it. At the same time, Ielele descended opposite from us while continuing their protective chant. Gabriel lay on his own bed and clutched his father’s hand. “Father, I…”
“It’s all right, my son,” Lord Stoica said with a serene demeanor. “It is the duty of a father. You will know how it feels in due time.”
“Solomonarul, prepare a lightning bolt but keep it in the sky. I’ll tell you when to aim. Everyone else makes a step back,” said Muma Padurii as she went to Gabriel, slashed his wrists, and poured some blood from a flask on them. Gabriel gritted his teeth but otherwise stayed calm.
Solomonarul nodded and looked at the sky, “Cloudy, I need you not to mess up today.”
In response, we heard a rumble of thunder.
Muma Padurii started a new spell closely resembling the one Vedoma recited. Several nymphs changed their song to a calming incantation directed at Lord Stoica, which also spread to Gabriel. In the meantime, I prepared a flask filled with pig’s blood for Gabriel’s first meal. My hands became so clammy I could barely hold it. Though I’d seen the ritual already, my rattled nerves didn’t really care. My heart’s loud thumps convinced me it had plans to escape my chest soon.
As per usual, nothing seemed to happen at the beginning. But then the leaves began floating around Gabriel and his father. Muma Padurii’s ritual progression differed from Vedoma’s. In the end, Mother of the Forest proved to be a stronger witch, but thank goodness, not as mean. A cloud of leaves raised Lord Stoica from the ground and floated above Gabriel. It was then Ielele intensified their exaltation spell and brought him into a state of catharsis. The change attracted short lightning bolts from Cloudy.
“We must hurry,” said Solomonarul. “The lightning pressure is getting too powerful.”
I looked at Gabriel, who lay there motionless and deep in his thoughts. How I wished to hug him right at that moment.
Muma Padurii began to yell her spell to the point of sounding like the cry of a bird. Then she stopped. But the change didn’t follow. Of course, I itched to ask, but at this point, I learned my lesson about delayed fuses.
Suddenly, the bed of leaves engulfed Lord Stoica and began descending. It slowly covered Gabriel, merging two bodies into one until the leaves dispersed throughout the entire meadow and even further. It was clear Lord Stoica had become one with the forest.
“Now!” yelled Muma Padurii.
