“I’m impressed,” she declared.
I’d done it!
“This delights me, my sister,” she stated. “It would seem you do have some instinctual understanding of how to harness your power.”
It seemed I did.
Excellent.
“I’m pleased you’re delighted,” I replied.
“Though, I have things to do,” she told me. “And although I’m communicating to you on the astral plane, it is taking my attention and I wish my attention on something else at this moment. That something is very good at waiting. But I’m in the mood not to do the same. So you had something to share with me?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I’ve informed my brother and Noc, and neither delayed in sharing it with the others that I will return with my brother and sister-in-law to their home, await the birth of their child and then journey to your world.”
This reminded me I hadn’t spoken of any of this to Josette, including the fullness of understanding the parallel universes (something I knew she understood, of a sort, considering the twins wandering around the palace, something I had not gotten into with her in any direct way).
Not to mention sharing with her I had magic.
I needed to rectify that first thing in the morning.
“But I must also note, where I go, if my maid agrees to go with me, she goes as well,” I added.
“Of course,” Valentine murmured. “I’m pleased this has progressed.”
I nodded. “And in an effort not to keep you, I shall also share that I’m agreed to learn how to use my magic and absorb what you stripped from my mother but only on the contingency that you assure me it is not tainted with her malice.”
“Magic is never dark, Franka, only the bearer of it makes it so.”
I found that most interesting.
“So you have no fears with that and I’ll set up the ceremony as soon as I’m able,” she carried on.
That made me somewhat anxious.
Valentine sensed it, even through a mirror.
“It will be glorious, Franka, and you will savor the memory of it until your dying breath.”
I lifted my chin. “Then I look forward to it.”
“As do I,” Valentine replied. “Is there more?”
Outside of wondering what an astral plane was, there was not.
I could ask that later.
“No, and I thank you for coming to me.”
“To receive this news, it was my pleasure. Goodnight, chérie, and you know I feel this way, but I will say it again, you chose rightly.”
With that, she faded from sight and her magic receded from the room.
But I stood there staring into the mirror that was now just a mirror.
And I did it hoping she was correct.
* * * * *
The next morning, first thing, before my breakfast tray even came, incongruously and in a way that would make my mother apoplectic and my father spit fire, I sat cross-legged on my bed opposite Josette, who was in bed and cross-legged as well.
I did this sharing with her I held magic and informing her of how my future plans had changed and that I desired her to change hers with me.
“It’s unlikely we’ll be able to bring Irene,” I finished. “Though, it’s my understanding things are much different there so it’s also my understanding we won’t need her.”
Josette simply sat still and stared at me.
“Josette,” I called.
She blinked but said nothing.
“Josette, my dear,” I called again, reaching out and wrapping my fingers around hers.
The instant I did, hers twisted and captured mine.
“We’ll not have an adventure, we’ll have an adventure,” she breathed. “And how exciting! You’re a witch!”
There were many witches in our world so I really had no concern she’d react badly to me being one.
But I was so worried that she would refuse to undertake something infinitely unknown with me, the light I did not see was budding in her eyes bloomed, and I fancied it lit the room with its brilliance.
“You’ll journey with me?” I queried to confirm.
“Anywhere, Franka.” Her hand held mine all the more tightly. “Everywhere.”
My heart felt light and thus, as I was learning happened, my mouth started moving.
“I don’t know what caused you to gift me such loyalty, Josette, but what I want you to know is that it means much to me.”
“My position means there were scars I could assist you with your clothing to hide from others, but you couldn’t hide them from me,” she shared readily.
“I don’t…” I shook my head. “How did that gain loyalty?”
Josette studied me with curiosity, asking me, “How would it not?”
“Many people have many scars for many reasons.”
“And all of them I admire,” she returned. “But you most of all for you lived your life and you did as you pleased and whatever caused those scars did not beat you. My father prized strength and taught my sister and me to do the same. He was himself so strong he refused to believe he could not save his family from icy waters. He didn’t stop believing, even dying because of it. This makes me sad. But that sadness has never cobbled me because I’m far more proud that he was that man and he died displaying that strength. And I didn’t allow it to cobble me for I knew if my father knew I had, he’d be disappointed in me. So,” she shrugged, “that’s it, I guess.”
After this, it was I staring at her.
“Oh no,” she whispered. “Are you going to become a simpering ninny? Because…you mustn’t, seeing as if you do, I will.”