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"You should have burnt to a crisp years ago but here you are. Sullen and aimless, but alive. That's because at any given moment somewhere, someone is playing that song you hate so much. Lorna's Ballad is a protection spell. It protected you."
-The curse. I see it. I can see it.
A red furious demon was flapping its wings briskly and focus on hurting her. Killing her. It was the physical entity that had been haunting all the women in her family for decades. The evil spirit might be angry but she wasn't going to hold back either. The fire on the corners of the room increased and the heat found a straight path to her veins. Whoever had conjured the damn curse finally met the witch who was going to end it for good.
"Mom was right all along", she thought immediately. The last time she saw Lorna still burned in her heart as an unhealed wound. A huge wave of guilt, sadness, awareness and relief run through her body in just a second.
Alice always believed to be the reason why every single thing in her life went wrong. The impossibility of keeping a job for a long term, her insecurities when other people tried to get close, Lorna's death. A painful feeling sank deeper each time a happy couple walked in front of her, watching friends hanging out was an uncomfortable sensation and bosses always drifted her from one place to the other. The invisible walls she built guarded her as well as others. Being a cop had provided her the opportunity to help people without any magic since she had refused to be a witch after Lorna died.
An entire life failing and failing all over again. Nothing of it had been her fault after all. Someone condemned Alice's family to a miserable living and a horrific death. However, she now felt terribly repentant for not believing in her mother's words. The scars hadn't meant enough when she did her best to hide the signs under mundane justifications. Getting the tattoo marked in her arm hadn't been Lorna's method to protect her daughter, the real protection was the Ballad. That melody which Alice had called a "stupid song" more times she'd like to admit had kept her safe. A protection spell. Lorna turned voices around the world into her daughter's protectors. She intended to open the Road in her concerts along with the fans but, at the same time, they were already building a shield for Alice.
Agatha'd spoken a cruel truth, fire was supposed to consume her into ashes while before the trial. If Lorna's words were real, the Witches's Road had materialized to save her. It might be a signal that she could in fact make it to the end and be happy.
-The Road changes for the coven-, Lilia'd been right.
Alice was a blood witch but she was also a protection witch and she was going to honor both ranges. Mom protected her so it was her turn to protect the coven. Even though she didn't put the curse on herself neither intended to bring it into the Road, the trial was partly her responsibility. The blood that run through her veins had been the reason why she had been the chosen one among other witches and it was enough to light up every flame around her. Fire was her element and a demon wasn't going to use it against her.
A protection witch with the ability to safeguard everyone but herself is used to give more than she receives. It's like a natural law. A so-claimed gift. The demon's wings started pounding more aggressively. She felt lighter because the curse had been distributed among her new sort of friends. Drawing the circles around each witch saved them from burning inside. Lilia's screams had frozen Alice's heart and Jen blaming her only increased the angst.
Alice was going to make it. Lorna trusted she could. The Road was offering her revenge and peace. No more damage to her family, the furious demon which ruined her female bloodline was about to die in that music session. The Ballad, her mom's memories and the coven were by her side. She was going to play that piano like an authentic witch and the curse would die at the end.
-I can kill it.