The next day, Laura woke up from a nightmare. She screamed and was breathing heavily, while clutching her chest. Reynolds held his wife to his side, trying to calm her down, but her chest kept rising and falling.
"I lost her." Laura muttered in a coarse tone. "I lost my daughter."
She turned to look at Reynolds before standing up from the bed and rushing towards the door. She headed in the left wing where Maria was, and pushed open the door.
Relief washed over her like a tidal wave when she saw that Maria was still in the room, unconscious and lying on the bed, but she could hear her laboured breathing.
Reynolds followed after his wife. Grey strands of hair had begun being visible on his head due to age advancement and the stress he was going through.
"She's going to be alright," He pulled his wife towards his side.
"Anita." Laura called out severally to the maid who was in her quarters. That was the same maid who told Laura that she knew a witch who could help her out.
After she called out the third time, the maid came towards their direction.
"Yes ma." Anita greeted her.
"Have you called the witch yet?"
"I told my mom to call her yesterday. She should be here today," Anita replied to her.
"Tell her that she should come immediately," Reynolds said, almost raising his voice.
Anita was trying to respond back, when a guard came into the room and the attention was diverted from Anita to him.
"My alpha and Luna. There's someone here to see you," The guard announced.
Before you could ask him who the person was, a woman dressed in a blue flowing gown strolled into the packhouse, and headed into the room where they were.
The guard walked towards her, stopping her from coming closer.
"I told you to wait till I verify your identity," The guard said, wanting to escort her outside.
The woman whose strange green eyes were a contrast to her blue outfit laughed sarcastically and hissed at the guard. Her head was covered with a blue scarf.
"That is her," Anita exclaimed. "That's the witch we've been expecting."
"Leave her," Laura ordered the guard. The man bowed and left the room to return to his position.
Laura and Reynolds walked out of the room towards the witch.
"Call me Mozart if you want to speak to me." The witch said to the couple and chuckled at the end of the statement.
"Mozart, Anita told us you can help our daughter," Reynolds stretched his hand for a handshake.
Mozart ignored him and allowed his hand to hang in the air.
"See how the tables have turned," Mozart said with her arms folded across her chest. "You sent us out of your land, but now you need my help."
"Mozart, you don't have to speak like that. Please just help us." Laura chipped in.
"Before I help, can I remind you husband of how he banned all the witches from the land, calling us troublemakers."
"I'm sorry about that, but right now I need your help." Reynolds tried to apologize.
Mozart continued mocking them. "The females of the pack with their so-called abilities are not different from us witches. Everyone of them is a witch."
Reynolds placed a hand on his forehead, tired of Mozart's nagging.
"What do you want before you can help us?"
A broad smile appeared on Mozart's face as the alpha asked her what her heart desired. She cleared her throat before speaking.
"I want the finest of your land to myself, and I want me and my fellow witches to live there."
"That can't happen." Laura opposed Mozart's horrified request. "We won't give you that."
Mozart scoffed and turned towards the door. "Then your daughter can continue with her eternal sleep."
"Wait," Reynolds called out. "You can have it."
Laura held her husband's hand and whispered to him. "You can't just give her everything. We could find someone else to help."
"Don't worry about it. If she can help Maria, let her do it."
Mozart looked at the both of them and requested that they lead her to the room. The room was just a few inches away from where they stood. The trio walked inside the room, with the witch walking behind them.
As Mozart entered the room, she immediately sensed what was wrong with Maria.
"She had a midnight injury. It is a result from a trauma that takes the consciousness of a werewolf away."
Her parents looked at her as she touched Maria's body, pressing lightly on her skin.
"But I can't guarantee one thing." Mozart mentioned.
"What's that?" Laura asked curiously.
Mozart sighed before speaking. "If I can make her wake up, I can't guarantee that her wolf will wake up too."
"So this means she would lose her wolf?"
"Probably." Mozart stated. "But she may be lucky to still recover her wolf, but I'm not sure of it."
Mozart requested some items that she would use in performing a ritual in the room. Laura summoned the workers in the house to bring in the items. Some candles, clothes, a specific herb and a few sticks. She also requested for a bowl of water and a jar of turmeric and cinnamon.
The alpha and Luna felt like the items she requested were a bit bizarre, but if it was a prerequisite to making their daughter recover, then they didn't mind doing it.
Mozart arranged the items that she would be using in the proper order. She took a chalk and drew a circle around the bed where Maria laid. Then she took a blanket and covered her unconscious body. The room was lit with candles from the door to the foot of the bed, and at the four posts of the bed.
She sprinkled the turmeric and cinnamon powder on the floor and broke the sticks into pieces.
Then, she started chanting some incantations with her eyes closed. Laura and Reynolds watched her from outside through the window.
Laura screamed and took her hand to her mouth when she noticed Maria's form moving under the blanket.