Page 6 of Locked
She raised her eyebrows, nodding in what I recognized to be respect. "Very good, Rapunzel. It must take some great willpower not to run out into the sun. I'm impressed and I thank you for your self-control… but you can go, darling. In fact, I'll come with you. Come. Let's go outside and finish our visit there."
"Ohthank you, Mother!" I could hardly control myself enough to walk alongside Mother, holding out my arm to assist her as she hobbled slowly to the door that led to the sunroom.
It took some finagling to get her over the brook, but she made it over safely to the other side.
The brook wasn't very wide, probably only four or five hands across, but Mother had a more difficult time leaping over it than I did.
I wasn't certain how old Mother was, but to hear her talk about it, she was ancient. She claimed she could recall nearly four hundred years worth of memories, and if she were really that old, she couldn't have survived without some powerful arcane help.
Basil appeared at my side, taking care not to wind himself around my feet as he normally did. He'd almost tripped Mother once doing just that and it wasn't a great afternoon for the little fella afterwards.
Mother used magic to push the doors open wordlessly, her hands still clutching around my arm as we moved across the floor. I audibly gasped as the sun beams fell over me. I held out one hand, palm facing up towards the warm rays. Mother left my side, moving towards a chair where she could rest her weary bones.
I tilted my head back, allowing the sun to touch as much of my skin as was possible. I might change into my bathing suit later and come out for a nap in the lounge chair. But for now, it was lovely to feel the sun through my dress and leggings. To inhale the lovely scent of outdoors. Fresh air was so much better and more cleansing than the stale air in the apartment.
The sunroom doubled as a greenhouse. Three of the walls, plus the roof were floor to ceiling windows.
The Tower was so tall, my floor was technically above the clouds. The only time I could ever see down below was on really clear days, and even then the ledge that ran around the outside kept me from being able to see much.
I couldsometimeshear cars and things, but not usually.
"Come… sit down in front of me and I'll braid your hair, Rapunzel…" Mother said, taking a seat in the plush chair in the center of the room. I dutifully followed her, crossing my legs and plopping down in front of her as her gnarled old fingers carded through my hair.
"You've learned your lesson, I suppose?" Mother said briefly, tugging lightly on the strands as she found the three sections she wanted to work with.
"I have, Mother."
"And what lesson was that?"
"I will never ever speak badly about you again, Mother."
"And why, Rapunzel?" she asked, tugging once more.
"Because it was disrespectful and mean-spirited--"
A sharp yank of my hair had me gasping, head moving back to stare straight up at the sun. Mother's nails dug into my scalp as she yanked my head back to look up at her. Her small black eyes shone greenish yellow, her teeth appeared sharpened to points as she snarled down at me. "AND YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET, SO THERE WILL BE NO COMPLAINTS."
Out of everything Mother did and could do, this was my least favorite. She'd scared me countless times as a child with the sudden alterations to her normally benign-looking face. If I was being real, she scared me just as much now as she did back then.
It was something all witches could do. Altering one's appearance came in handy in a number of ways. Even I could do it, somewhat.
But when Mother did it… I wasn't sure if it was her age, or how long she'd practiced, or what. But shealwayslooked breathtakingly horrific.
And this time was no different.
I swallowed thickly, my hands gripping the skirt of my dress as Basil placed a paw on my wrist. I didn't have to look at him to know that his eyes were wide, tail twitching. He'd have attacked Mother countless times if it weren't for me.
I couldn't bear to think of what she'd do to him if he so much as hissed, so I mentally begged him to keep his temper from getting the best of him.
"Of course, Mother. I deserve what I get. My parents…"
"Your parents were imbeciles. They gave you up forgreensfrom my garden. And then they tried to go back on the deal. You deserve this, to pay their debt. You deserve far worse, but I'm kind-hearted, and I love you." I nodded, tears springing to my eyes as she released my head and smoothed her hand over the spot, her voice immediately changing tone as she did. "I'll have to start over, I think… lost my place…"
I knew her face would be reverting back to its old innocuous appearance as well. It didn't help the goosebumps that had sprouted on my skin.
"That's fine, Mother. I love it when you braid my hair…" My voice sounded small and tinny, like I was speaking from the inside of a coffee can.
I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stay where they were, and tried to keep from wincing while mother started over on my braid, tugging on my now-sensitive scalp in the process.
