4. Curses, blood and tongues on skin

Sunlight illuminated the room through the small window, Nova's whole room became visible and Fluvius woke up. He got up and started stretching a little, his body had gotten sore after sleeping on a small wooden chair in the room. 

After that he stared at Nova, she was still sleeping, he touched her forehead and was glad to see her temperature was normal. He wanted to talk to Valeria about Nova's eyes but he was afraid something would happen to her if he was gone, even though they were in her house. He opened the window of the room for fresh air to enter and then noticed Basil, the small white snake lurking around. 

Basil followed each movement Fluvius did so he decided to just go and talk to Valeria. Still wearing Nova's skirt he moved down the stairs. Both Valeria and Olivia were in the kitchen, sitting there doing nothing, most likely waiting for Nova to wake up. 

"Good morning." Fluvius said. 

"Hello!" replied Olivia.

Meanwhile Valeria simply nodded. 

"She still not awake. But I have something to ask."

"Speak boy." Valeria sounded tired, the dark circles underneath her eyes made Fluvius think that maybe she had not slept that much the previous night. 

"When I saved Nova I noticed something, her eyes were different, they had turned black. Does that happen a lot or something?"

Valeria and Olivia looked at each other, both confused. 

"No," Valeria said getting up from her chair, "that has never happened, her eyes were black when she was a human baby, but they've have been half-colored witch eyes for the past decade."

She hurried towards Nova's room, the two others followed behind her. They entered the room only to see Nova was awake, she was looking in their direction, her complexion looked normal, her hair was as orange as tangerines and shining in the sun. But her eyes were black, not that half red-half yellow, but a dark black, mysterious and beautiful, like a part of the sky had fallen down and landed on her eyes. 

"Good morning everyone!" Nova exclaimed happily then she looked in Fluvius' direction. "Why are you here? Wait! Is that my skirt you're wearing?!"

Fluvius laughed at her reaction. "What? Would you rather I walked around your house naked?"

Valeria threw him a dirty look, or more precisely a I-can-burn-you-with-a-single-word-if-you-are-not-careful look. Fluvius closed his mouth and simply stared at Nova. He always thought she was pretty, but the black eyes made her even prettier somehow even though he was not used to them.

Valeria on the other hand realized something by looking at her. 

"Nova get up." 

Nova tried to do as instructed but she felt a sharp pain from her leg, only then did she remember what had happened the previous night, how she had almost been eaten. 

Valeira handed Nova her wand. 

"Cast something Nova, whatever you want to."

Nova was a little confused but she grabbed the wand anyway. She decided to try a small spell to lower the chances of an accident happening. 

"Aura!" she chanted and a single droplet of water appeared. Nova furrowed her brows, she had always been bad at magic but never this bad. 

"Try another spell." Valeria instructed. 

Even more confused than before Nova raised her wand again. 

"Aqua!"

Yet this time nothing happened. 

Fluvius and Olivia simply watched, both as confused as Nova. 

Valeria took Nova's wand and motioned for both of the to sit on the bed. 

"I need you to tell me exactly everything that happened yesterday."

Anxiety crept into Nova's spine as she started talking, explaining how she found a special flower and everything that transpired after that. 

Valeira took out her wand and chanted a spell. Soon an egg, a cup of water and a bowl came flying inside the room. She lit the candle and handled the egg to Nova. Nova understood immediately what her mother was doing, her anxiety got worse. 

She moved the egg around her body, cracked it into the bowl, and a red bloody egg fell into it. 

Valeria sighed understanding that her assumption was right, meanwhile Nova had no idea how to react, she had just learned she was cursed and it probably had to do with why she could not cast magic, so what was she supposed to do or say? Her leg gave her pains from time to time and that was all that she felt, the other feelings had gone numb. 

"Soooo, can I get an explanation on why her eyes are black?" Fluvius asked.

"My eyes are what!?"

Olivia stood there flying from place to place confused by the situation while Valeria massaged her temples trying to think of something. 

Nova and Fluvius just stared at each other. 

"She's been cursed." Valeira said and got up. "I have to go out, Nova do not move out of the home, stay here no matter what happens, I will try to find a solution."

Olivia looked at Nova worried, she got close and hugged her, more precisely hugged her cheek and then left to go after Valeria in hopes of finding something useful. Basil of course went after them and Fluvius saw this as a chance to sit on Nova's bed. 

She gave no reaction to this, simply laid down on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. 

Immediately after she flinched, having touched her hurt leg. Fluvius noticed her flinch and got close to her. Small droplets of blood started wetting the bandages Valeria had put on her the day before.

"I have no idea what to tell you about the curse and I am sorry, but knowing Valeria she will find a way to break it so do not worry."

Nova simply nodded, she knew what he said was true, Valeria was one of the strongest witches in the forest, she would know for sure. But it still did not give her comfort. She stood confused, wondering why would someone even curse her. 

Unconsciously she dig her fingers into the bandage this time more blood spreading. 

Fluvius grabbed her hand and moved it from the wound. She looked up and stared into his blue eyes, she was in the brink of tears and could not keep them for much longer. Nova wanted to ask him to leave when he got close to her leg. 

As carefully as possible he started removing the bandages, making the wound visible, it was much better than the day before but not fully healed. Fluvius bent down and without hesitation he started licking her wound. He raised her small foot close to him and continued licking every part of the wound. 

Nova forgot about crying and started blushing. She put her hands on his head and pushed him away but he would not bulge. 

"Fluvius stop! It's embarrasing."

He simply looked at her for a moment then went back to what he was doing. He smirked after he licked the whole wound, his tongue started moving a little more upwards. She stared into his eyes as he moved up and was soon on top of her. 

Nova could feel her heart moving more than usual, she completely forgot that she was cursed, instead her focus shifted on the werewolf on top of her.