Gabriella’s POV
“We’re sorry, I’m sure the book is here, but covering this section will take a week.”
“Oh no, I don’t have that much time to wait. Let’s keep searching, please,” I urged them. I scoured the shelves one by one, yet still found nothing about Dedusa. Dedusa, where is your history hidden? Why did you choose my daughter at first sight to be the vessel for your evil spirit? There must be a way to rid ourselves of you for good. I remained focused on my search for the book, spending up to two hours in pursuit. Some of the others grew weary, but they didn’t stop searching. Then, a different book caught my eye. When I opened it, I discovered it was empty. What a waste of time and effort to keep an empty book here. I set it aside and continued looking through other volumes until I finally found it-the book about Dedusa. I didn’t need to wait a week to find it.
“I found it,” I announced to the others, and they shared in my joy.
“Wow, the moon goddess is truly on your side. I’m certain we might find a solution in there too,” one of them remarked, and their happiness was palpable.
“Thank you so much. You all can rest now. I’ll read through it and then discuss with Margaret after the emergency round table meeting is over.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Let us know if you need anything else. We are among those who don’t want harm to come anywhere near your daughter.”
“I will, and thank you so much,” I responded, and they left with smiles on their faces. Perhaps they were right-the moon goddess was indeed favoring me. Otherwise, I might not have been able to locate Dedusa’s book.
I settled into my seat, gazing at the book for a couple of minutes, hoping that it held something, some guidance to help us seal away Dedusa without causing harm to any innocent soul. Finally, I opened the first page of the book.
The page began with Dedusa’s birth, recounting that a long time ago in the witches’ tribe of the east, there lived a powerful witch who had married a knight. She cherished him deeply and was willing to do anything to safeguard him.
She went to great lengths to assist him in battles, and he consistently returned victorious. However, complaints started to arise from the round table of elders. “You are going too far with the use of spells. It’s too risky.”
“I had to save the man I love.”
“That’s always your reasoning when this topic comes up. Allow nature to take its course in your lover’s life. Stop tampering with nature,” they admonished her.
“I am not using black magic, so you can’t accuse me of interfering with nature,” she argued with them, and suddenly she fainted.
A few moments later, she discovered she was with child, and there was a joyous celebration for her. Her lover gave her flowers and said, “Thank you for making me complete.”
“You are welcome, love.” They kissed. As I read, I found myself blushing. It was surprising to think that even Dedusa had once enjoyed a loving family. How had she ended up becoming so evil, I wondered? I decided to continue reading, promptly flipping to the next page.
It was time for her delivery, but her child’s birth was not proceeding smoothly. The child’s life was at risk, and she worried about what would become of her if the child did not survive. Fearing for her child’s life, she resorted to using dark magic to ensure a successful birth. Although she succeeded, the aftermath of her actions was not without consequences. The forbidden spell she had employed was detected by other elder witches.
Summoning a meeting, the elders soon discovered that it was Dedusa’s own mother who had used the forbidden magic. Consequently, they imprisoned her and took the baby away. Dedusa’s mother pleaded with them, explaining that she had used the spell for a different purpose, fearing that revealing the truth would result in her daughter’s death, as they believed she would bring darkness to the world.
As Dedusa grew up, she remained with her father, who eventually remarried and seemingly forgot about her mother. He showed no affection for Dedusa and moved on from her mother’s memory. When rumors spread that Dedusa had been chosen to lead the witch tribe due to her immense power, her father attempted to establish a connection with her. However, Dedusa harbored deep resentment toward him, longing for her deceased mother.
As she matured, Dedusa became both powerful and beautiful, capturing the attention of many. Yet, her heart belonged to a man named Prince-a powerful werewolf who was considered an abomination. Prince didn’t reciprocate Dedusa’s feelings, merely enjoying her company. Dedusa, on the other hand, went to great lengths to win his affection, but her attempts were in vain.
Her unrequited love for Prince began to negatively affect her rule as a leader. She started to exhibit traits reminiscent of her late mother’s behavior.
I paused in my reading, stretching my legs and taking a moment to drink water. The story was becoming clearer, but there were still gaps to fill. I couldn’t comprehend why Dedusa turned evil. Was it solely due to the desire to resurrect her mother, or did her actions stem from attempting to cast a spell on Prince to make him love her? Could it be that she sought true love from him and that pursuit led her down the path of evil?
No, that couldn’t be. No woman would become so malevolent for such reasons. I resolved to continue reading, eager to uncover the full story behind Dedusa’s descent into darkness and discover her weaknesses.