Wards

If she had the capability to, Nuntis would have groaned as she awoke. Her vision was blurred and she was encased in some sort of wire. How strange, what was happening? Where was she? Ran through her mind as memories came flooding bad to her. Hati. Nuntis' grief engulfed her, she thought she was drowning in it as it overwhelmed her all of her sudden. Her hands went to her throat remembering the blood. A sea of blood. Her blood. A comforting hand was placed upon her arm, pushing her arms back down. Nuntis felt as if she was suffocating, the lights blinding her already faulty vision as she came to. However, the blinding lights were blocked by a face. A familiar face, her mothers. Eyes read, tear tracks down her cheeks and her hair a mess; Nuntis could see her mother. "Mama" she tried to call for her, only she was unable. Nuntis began to thrash as she realised she couldn't. As hard as she tried to force the words out. She simply couldn't. The bandages around her neck now felt too tight, too rough that they were suffocating further. She was drowning, in her fear and memories of bloodshed.

A healer ran in, dressed in a white and duck egg blue as Diana tried to console and calm her daughter with soft spoken Italian. "You're upsetting my patient Miss Lucifera. Do not make me throw you out." The healer threatened before attempting to check Nuntis over with a reassuring smile. From that moment Nuntis decided she hated people who smiled when there was nothing to smile about. Once she had been checked over by the healer, the wires infused with magic that attached her to an alarm system that would have gone off if she deteriorated, Diana was allowed to fuss over her daughter once more.

Nuntis scowled as her mother tried to comfort her. "Il mio piccolo guerriero." Diana whispered, stroking her hair from his hair. "You have been so brave. Now just rest. Just rest, please tesoro." Diana's sad smile dropped upon realising that she was not helping her daughter. The pain in Nuntis' throat felt like being stabbed with a thousand knives. All that could run through her head was her losses, her brother, her uncle, her voice. Nothing would be right or good ever again. Dianna hummed to herself before she began to sing softly, a lullaby she had been sung to as a child and hoped would help her daughter. "Farfallina, Bella e bianca, vola vola, mai si stanca…" Diana sang about a butterfly, beautiful and white who flew and flew never getting tired. Eventually the singing sent the young girl who had lost so much to sleep, her mother curling up on the chair beside her.

Hours later the mother-daughter duo were awoken by the healer dressed in white and duck egg blue from before now accompanied by a doctor. The doctor was a middle aged witch, with crows feet and a kind smile. Red curly tresses tried to escape her ponytail as she introduced herself, "Hello Nuntis dear. My name is Doctor Willow Watershed, I am the doctor overseeing your care." She offered her hand to Diana to shake which the overwhelmed woman did. "You must be mum. I remember briefly talking to you earlier." To which Diana nodded a tad bewildered. "Now I have some upsetting information for the pair of you. The damage that has occurred to Nuntis' throat, vocal cords and voice box is unfortunately irreparable, even with magic. We believe that Nuntis will never verbally speak again. We have set up therapy sessions for the psychological trauma that may have occurred as well as found Nuntis a sign language teacher." The doctor held up a hand as Diana looked like she was going to interrupt her. "Nuntis was born here in England as well as having a British father, she qualifies for the government to pay for her treatments in childhood as well as routine doctor check ups in her adulthood as this is a chronic injury in line with the laws in place." The duo were also then informed of the frequency such check ups, therapy sessions and sign language lessons would occur as well as the two more days Nuntis would have to stay in the hospital before she could go home.

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Once Nuntis was able to go home, both mother and daughter agreed that it no longer felt like home. They couldn't get all the blood out of the curtains and carpets. The house was stained with death, memories haunting them. Diana fearing for how the tainted house may hinder her surviving child's recovery decided they should just leave. Leave it all behind and start afresh. Diana would run from the past, from Fenrir and take her daughter with her. She failed in protecting her children from that monster of a man before and she would die before she let it happen again.

Within days they were packed. Diana had done most of it with a wave of her hand, packing clothes and toys and ornaments into neat boxes. They were leaving the majority of things, just taking what they needed as well as a few sentimental items. And so, they left. A clean break. Saying goodbye to the little village of Howarth was hard. It was the first place she had lived away from her parents, it was where she had given life to her children. On the other hand, it was also easy; so much darkness stained the village famous for being the home of a gothic writer. Yet, it was necessary, a clean break. All the arrangements had been made, the bodies of her son and brother had been sent to Italy to be buried. The family crypt would grow, sooner than it should have. Diana closed the door of the once beautiful home for the final time. Her mother, having travelled from Italy to join her daughter and granddaughter, wrapped a supporting arm around Diana leading her to the car they had hired. They would travel to past the outskirts of the village and fake the wreck of the car. Presumed dead they would magic themselves away, with their shrunken belongings kept in their pockets heavy pockets. They could leave no trail for Fenrir to chase.

Their new home was quaint and charming, nothing like the previous extravagant country manor they had lived in. It had two bedrooms, they were going to use the old dining room to be Diana's mother, Lupa's bedroom. Diana hoped the view of the sea from the upstairs windows, even if it was somewhat obscured by thatched roof tops would be therapeutic for Nuntis. They had moved to an island within the british isles, Tiree. The place seemed perfect to Diana, small and isolated however there were enough people for them to make friends and integrate into the community.

Diana loved Tiree, their house was close to balevullin beach. They had a new routine, twice a week Diana and Nuntis would travel to England for Nuntis' british sign language lessons as well as her therapy. Eventually after weeks and weeks, Nuntis made a friend. The youngest Lucifera woman had taken to strolling along the beach first thing in the morning, collecting shells to put in a pretty jar for her room. That was where she met him. Horacio Campbell was a sweet boy, with dark curly hair that was often windswept and big chocolate eyes that seemed to turn amber in the summer sun. He had initiated the friendship, Nuntis being withdrawn and cautious of people after the incident. It took him over two months of joining her each morning, chatting away to her before he began to bring her walls down. It was an adorable sight for those who saw them walking along the beach. It started with her passing him shells to hold that Nuntis found to be pretty as he chatted her ear off about a football game he had played the day prior. Then, she would write her replies in the sand. That was how they would communicate, he would chatter on and on and she would write in the sand her fingers often red from the cold water that would wash away her words.

Despite the little families' newfound happiness Fenrir's darkness still followed them. They were terrified of him finding them. Diana spent her evenings setting wards or checking them, many just saw it as a dusk stroll. As weeks and months passed Diana would place luck and protection charms over the boats in the harbours to attempt to prevent tragedy and help the fishing business of Tiree thrive. Full moons got better for Nuntis. The young girl was no longer at the mercy of her father or his father's lycanthrope form. Despite inheriting the curse of his people. Nuntis would not subsume to its darkness. She had a little den made in part of the cellar, full of soft blankets and dog toys and even a water bowl. The door was strong with reinforcements and would be hidden behind a large bookcase when it was not in use to help keep their secrets hidden. The other half of the cellar was where Nuntis' mother and Nonna would brew potions and practise their magic. Despite the charms and protections on their home, they still feared discovery being this close to mortals.