"So what did you find out?" Elizabeth asked, her voice steady but laced with tension.
"A voodoo doll and a pile of ash," Mallory replied, handing over the items they'd retrieved. She watched as Elizabeth carefully inspected the doll, her eyes narrowing in concern.
Elizabeth ran her fingers over the straw and twine, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Whoever made this voodoo doll has access to something personal. It's likely they've used a part of your body, Stella. Something intimate."
Stella's breath hitched. "You mean, like my hair or nails?"
Elizabeth nodded grimly. "Exactly. But it could be something even more subtle—a drop of blood, a tear, or even something you've worn. Whoever made this has a strong link to you, something that connects them deeply to your energy."
Stella shivered, her mind racing with fear. "What do we do now?"
Elizabeth turned the doll over in her hands, contemplating the next step. "I'll take this to a friend who knows more about these kinds of curses. She may be able to break the link or at least weaken it."
Mallory, eager to stay focused, gestured to the ash. "And the ash? What can we learn from it?"
Elizabeth set the doll aside and stood up, her expression sharpening with determination. "Let's see what it can tell us." She disappeared into her room for a moment, returning with a delicate china bowl.
"Mallory, give me your hands," Elizabeth instructed, her tone now calm but commanding. They both sat at the table, palms pressed together, their combined energy humming in the air. Stella stood nearby, watching closely, her heart pounding as anticipation filled the room.
Elizabeth began chanting softly, ancient words that hummed with power. "Repeat after me," she said, her voice steady. Mallory echoed the incantation, their voices weaving together in rhythm as the ash in the bowl began to stir.
The pile of ash rose slowly, swirling in the air before settling back down on the table in a distinct pattern. All three of them leaned in, studying the strange arrangement as it took form.
It wasn't just any symbol. It was one they all knew well.
As the ash settled into the unmistakable shape of Stella's zodiac sign, the weight of the moment pressed down on the room. The once flickering candles on the table seemed to still, their flames frozen in the eerie silence that followed.
Stella's heart pounded in her chest as she took a step closer, her breath catching in her throat. "That's…my sign," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The familiar symbol, something that once brought her comfort, now felt like a dark omen. It wasn't just an attack—it was personal. Someone was hunting her, and they knew her on a deep, intimate level.
Elizabeth's face hardened, her sharp eyes scanning the symbol as if it held the key to some unspeakable truth. "This isn't just random magic," she muttered, her voice low and dangerous. "Whoever did this has been watching you, waiting for the right moment to strike. This kind of curse is precise—it's meant to weaken you, slowly, until you're vulnerable enough for them to take the final blow."
Mallory's grip tightened on the edge of the table, her knuckles white as her anger simmered beneath the surface. "They're not just coming for her, they want to break her down first—piece by piece," she said, her voice filled with a dark resolve. She locked eyes with Stella, her gaze intense. "We won't let that happen."
"What is so special about her zodiac sign?" Mallory asked, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the symbol etched in ash on the table.
Elizabeth's expression tightened, her brows furrowing as she looked at the sign once more. "It's more than just a symbol. It's a hint, Mal. Whoever is behind this knows something important—something connected to Stella's birth. If we can dig into that, we might find the answers we need."
"But I'm an orphan," Stella cut in, her voice small but filled with confusion. She looked between her grandmother and Mallory, her heart racing. The word "orphan" had always been a part of her identity, something she'd grown used to, accepted. "There's nothing to find."
Elizabeth turned to her, her eyes soft but serious. "You may have been raised as an orphan, Stella, but that doesn't mean your past is without significance. In fact, this makes it all the more clear—someone, somewhere, knows more about your origins than we do. And that information is dangerous."
Mallory's face darkened as the realization hit her. "So, whoever is after her...they've known about her all along?"
Elizabeth nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so. This curse, this voodoo doll—it's not just an attempt to harm her. It's an act of power, a claim. Someone is trying to eliminate Stella, not just for who she is now, but for what she represents."
Stella felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "But… I don't understand. What could be so important about my birth?"
Elizabeth sighed, her hand reaching for Stella's. "We don't know yet. But your zodiac sign being the focus of this curse is no accident. It's tied to your destiny in ways we haven't uncovered. But one thing's clear: someone out there knows exactly who you are. And that makes you more important—and more dangerous—than any of us realized."
The weight of her grandmother's words hung in the air, and Stella felt the world around her shift. All these years, she had thought she was just a girl trying to navigate a complicated life. But now, it felt like the ground beneath her feet was crumbling, revealing a darker, deeper truth.
Mallory stepped closer, her jaw set with determination. "Then we find out who. If this is about her birth, we start there. Whatever it takes."
"Who would want to do this?" Stella's voice wavered, a mix of fear and confusion clouding her thoughts. "I've never harmed anyone. I don't understand."
Elizabeth met her eyes, her expression softening for a moment. "Evil doesn't always need a reason, dear. Sometimes it's jealousy, sometimes it's power, and sometimes it's simply because you exist. But you must remember, you are more powerful than you realize."
Her words hung in the air, but Stella still felt a heaviness settle deep within her. Whoever was behind this had access to parts of her life she hadn't even considered vulnerable—her hair, her nails, her energy. It wasn't just about magic anymore; it was about someone out there wanting to erase her, one piece at a time.
Elizabeth stood up from the table, her expression fierce, the worry of a grandmother momentarily overshadowed by the power of a witch. "We have to act now. This isn't just some trivial spell. They've crossed a line by using dark magic and blood."
Mallory nodded, her face set with resolve. "I'll stay close to Stella until we figure this out."
But as much as the room was filled with determination, there was a heavy, unspoken truth hanging between them all: this was only the beginning. The shadow that had been lurking in the corners of Stella's life was finally stepping into the light, and now, they had no choice but to confront it head-on.
The room felt charged, as if the very air crackled with the electricity of their collective resolve, but also with the tension of a battle yet to come. The weight of the ash and the doll seemed like more than just items—they were promises of a darkness that wouldn't stop until Stella was destroyed.