Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

E DGE

The name Aurelia swirled around in my head like a hurricane as I paced restlessly. Immy stood by the door, her brow furrowed with concern as she watched me.

"Edge, what's bothering you?" she asked, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, her arms crossed. She still held the sprig, and I moved away from her. She mumbled an apology and opened the door, tossing the sprig far away from the doorway.

I resumed pacing then stopped again while rubbing at my temples, as if that would somehow jog my memory. "Aurelia Sharpe... I know that name, but I can't remember why."

Immy frowned, a worried look crossing her face. "I don't know her personally. But a witch friend of mine vouched for her and her powers. Is there something wrong?"

I resumed my pacing, frustration bubbling within me. The name was like an itch I couldn't quite scratch, and it was driving me mad. It felt like a piece of the puzzle, a clue to my past, but I just couldn't place it.

"Are you sure I've never met her?" I asked, desperation tingeing my voice. "Maybe from before... when I was still alive?"

Immy shook her head, her long auburn hair falling over her shoulders. "No, I don't even know her, so no way for me to know if you do. I only know of her through my friend. She said Aurelia was powerful and could be trusted. Why? What's going on?"

I sighed, running a hand through my ghostly hair as I tried to piece things together. My memories were fragmented, like shards of broken glass, and I couldn't see the full picture yet. But I was determined to find out.

"Something isn't right," I muttered, mostly to myself. "I can feel it. She's connected to all of this somehow, I just know it."

Immy looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and alarm. "Well, if there's something off about her, we need to be careful. Maybe we should dig a little deeper and see what we can find out."

"Agreed," I said, nodding resolutely. "We can't afford to take any risks, not with everything that's at stake."

And so, with the name Aurelia Sharpe haunting my thoughts, we began planning how we would find out more about her… Except then the air in the room seemed to thicken with tension as something sparked in my mind.

My body flickered involuntarily, causing Immy to gasp.

"Edge, are you okay?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I stammered, trying to regain control. But then, like a bolt of lightning, a memory struck me… one that had been buried so deep within my subconscious that I had almost forgotten it existed. Until the name Aurelia brought it back to the surface.

I was standing against a cold stone wall, fear gripping every fiber of my being as a hooded figure held a dagger to my throat. The woman's voice dripped with venom as she made her demands.

"Join Blackbeard and his crew, help him find the grimoire, or your life as you know it will be over," she hissed, her breath hot against my face.

"Never," I spat, defiance coursing through me. "No one willingly joins that monster. To be a pirate is a death sentence if caught, but that's nothing compared what Blackbeard will do if he finds out why I'm there."

"Your opinions matter little to me," the woman replied, pressing the blade deeper into my skin. Warm blood trickled down my neck, but my resolve remained. I couldn't do it. It was too dangerous. Besides, no one would raise Emma. I was the only person in this world who cared for her after our parents died. "I have no qualms using my powers for evil, and you will do as I say... or else."

"Or else what?" I challenged, my heart pounding in my chest. "You think you can scare me into submission?"

"Try me," she whispered, her cold eyes narrowing behind the shadow of her hood. Her threat hung heavy in the air.

The cold steel of the dagger pressed harder against my skin, drawing another thin line of blood. Panic surged through me, as I tried to find a way out of this nightmare.

"Listen," I pleaded, desperation lacing my words. "I'm just a humble farmer. I don't have any skills that would be of use to Blackbeard or his crew."

"I don't care," the witch snarled, her voice dripping with disdain. "You will join Queen Anne's Revenge and help retrieve the grimoire, or I will make your life a living hell."

"Can't you do it yourself?" I shot back, anger overcoming fear. "If you're so powerful, why don't you join the pirates and get the grimoire?"

She scoffed, her hood concealing the sneer I knew was on her face. "Women don't belong aboard pirate ships, fool. Besides, I prefer the comforts of my home to the filth and chaos of a ship filled with criminals."

"Fine," I spat, knowing she would probably get her way. "But how am I supposed to convince Blackbeard to let me join his crew?"

"Leave that to me," she said darkly, a wicked smile playing across her lips. "I'll cast a spell on you that will make it easier for you to persuade him."

Before I could protest further, footsteps echoed in the distance. The witch's grip on the dagger faltered, her attention drawn to the approaching sound. Seizing the opportunity, I shoved the blade away from my neck and yanked down her hood, finally revealing her face.

"Aurelia," I whispered, committing every feature to memory… the cold, calculating eyes, the cruel twist of her lips, the mark on her cheek that branded her as a convicted witch. How had she escaped execution? Why was she forcing me to retrieve a grimoire?

As quickly as the memory had surfaced, it faded, leaving me with a profound sense of dread and urgency. I knew now that Aurelia Sharpe was not only involved in my past, but in Immy's presence as well. Whatever her plans were, it was clear that even death couldn't make her forget about me.

The room seemed to shimmer and shift as the remnants of my memory that had played out before us like a ghostly performance faded away. Immy's eyes were wide in shock.

"Edge," Immy whispered, her voice barely audible. "That witch... it's Aurelia Sharpe. She's the one who helped me create the poultice to remove your splinter."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. That was all the confirmation I needed. Aurelia was still after me. I sank into the nearest chair with my face buried in my hands as I muttered under my breath about my cursed existence.

"Edge, I know this is a lot to take in, but we'll figure this out together," Immy said softly, attempting to console me. Her words did little to lift the heavy burden that weighed on my heart.

"Are you in pain?" she asked suddenly, her concern evident in her voice. "From... well, sitting in the chair like that?"

I frowned, confused by her question, then realized that I ended up sitting three inches too low, half inside the seat. With a sheepish look, I floated upwards and out of the chair, hovering just above the ground in an attempt to regain some dignity.

"Immy," I said, my voice tense with determination. "We need to stop Aurelia, whatever it takes. She's been pulling strings in my life for far too long. Possibly even yours."

"Wait," I muttered, my eyes widening as a vital piece of the puzzle clicked into place. "The grimoire... Aurelia ordered me to steal it."

Immy looked at me with concern, clearly sensing that there was more to the story. However, I couldn't bring myself to reveal the whole truth just yet… not when it involved the murder of my little sister at the hands of that vile witch. How could I have forgotten about Emma?

"Edge, what's so important about this grimoire?" Immy asked, her voice full of worry.

"I... I don't know exactly," I admitted, feeling a deep sense of frustration in not being able to recall all the details. "But I do know it's the key. There must have been some reason I was hesitant to retrieve it for her, despite her threats. Because I ended up joining Queen Anne's Revenge."

"Then we need help," Immy declared, determination etched on her face. "But I don't know where to start."

"Call Matuk. He might know someone who can aid us in stopping Aurelia and finding the grimoire. He's quite popular in the more populated areas of Whynot."

"I don't know who that is."

"How do you not know who he is? You have to know someone who knows him. Everyone knows him."

"Let me call someone and see if they know."

As Immy made the calls, I floated beside her, my mind racing with questions and half-formed memories. What was it about the grimoire that had made me so reluctant to hand it over to Aurelia? And how could we possibly hope to stand against a witch who had defied time and aging?

"Matuk says he'll send his witch friend to our house," Immy announced, snapping me out of my thoughts. "They should be here soon."

"Good," I replied, forcing a smile for her sake. Inwardly, though, I was terrified. With each passing moment, the weight of my past seemed to grow heavier and more oppressive, threatening to drag me down into the darkness.

But I couldn't let that happen. Not when Immy was counting on me, not when we were so close to finally uncovering the truth. I had to find the strength to fight back against Aurelia and the demons that haunted me.

"Edge," Immy said gently, placing her hand on my ethereal arm. "We'll get through this together, I promise."

I looked into her eyes, and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, we stood a chance.