48

Six days had passed since the stream incident. Grace and Lucien walked towards the market for their last day of penalty work, which had, in fact, proven to be rather fun.

'You actually got Mrs. Sauer to tolerate you, not bad,' said Lucien, grinning as they reached the stall.

'She's not as scary as she looks,' said Grace with a smile, putting on an apron and decorating a tray of baked goods.

'You put one cup of milk in the bread, you silly girl?!' exclaimed Mrs. Sauer from inside the building. 'I told you to put two hundred and forty mililitres, not a drop more!!'

Grace and Lucien burst into a laugh. 'Okay, maybe just a little scary...'

*  *  *

Lucien walked into the public library, and whistled as he set to work cataloging an array of new entries, enjoying himself thoroughly. Then, he paused as he noticed a dusty old volume that shouldn't have been there – and yet it was.

Gide to the Daerk Artes of Voo Doo.

'Hmm, wonder if this has anything interesting...' muttered Lucien, flipping through the pages, glancing up from time to time to make sure no one noticed.

Then, a chapter caught his eye, and he dashed at once behind a secluded shelf, work forgotten, determined to read it immediately.

~Voo doo for realm exchange~

*  *  *

Mrs. Sauer nodded approvingly as Grace cut slices of bread she had just baked herself and wrapped them carefully. 'Well done.'

Grace smiled. It was the first real compliment she had gotten since she had become her apprentice.

'Since it's your last day here,' continued Mrs. Sauer, 'I'd like to teach you a special recipe before you go: strawberry cake; my favourite!'

'Really?' said Grace in delight. 'That one tastes absolutely delicious! I... I don't think I could ever come close...'

'Not with that attitude!' barked Mrs. Sauer. '"Don't think I could"... hmph! Say you CAN do it!'

'Oh, okay,' nodded Grace with a nervous grin. 'I can do it – hopefully... maybe...'

'Ahhh, you're just like my third daughter,' sighed Mrs. Sauer, handing her a mixing bowl. 'She was always so unsure of herself... perhaps it was partly my fault. When you get nothing but criticism all your life, you start doubting your every ability. Whisk these egg whites.'

'Right...' said Grace, remembering her aunt's constant harshness.

'Add some sugar now,' said Mrs. Sauer. 'In life, too, it's sweetness that takes the edge off all the nonsense around us. Sometimes the sugar runs out, but you've just got to find it.'

'Yeah...' said Grace, mixing the batter vigorously.

'Now, the secret ingredient: bitter orange rind.'

'Huh? Are you sure?'

'Yes; because too much sweetness spoils the taste; you need a bit of sharpness to balance it out.'

'Oh...'

An hour later, Grace took out the cake and delighted at how beautiful it looked. The top was covered with strawberries and icing sugar, and when she tasted the first slice, she found it to be—

'Heavenly,' said Mrs. Sauer, beaming at her. 'You're a natural, my dear. Do you know that?'

'No,' said Grace humbly. 'I'm not really—'

'You did well,' said Mrs. Sauer sharply. 'And don't you doubt that!'

'Thank you... for this, for everything,' said Grace, giving her a sudden hug that surprised her.

'You're a sweet girl, you are,' she said warmly, patting her head. 'Go on now and take this cake home. But first, take a slice to Lee at the art store; he'll like it.'

'Oh, sure!'

As Grace left, Mrs. Sauer smiled to herself and glanced in the mirror to adjust her hair. She gasped. Her hands were glowing again.

*  *  *

A tiny bell rang as Grace pushed open the door of the 'Art of Art' store.

'Oh, it's you again,' said the young man at the counter. 'More paint?'

'No,' smiled Grace, handing him a box. 'Wait, you are Lee, right?'

'Yes... is this for me?'

'That's right. Surprise cake from Mrs. Sauer. I happened to make it, by the way...'

'Oh, did you now?' said Lee, his face lighting up at the first bite. 'Wow! This is... perfection dipped in sweetness!'

Grace grinned. 'That's quite... poetic.'

'I like to dabble in poetry when I'm not drawing,' smiled Lee. 'Sometimes, I even base my art on a poem I like.'

'That's beautiful. You don't just sell art, you live it.'

Lee nodded solemnly. 'Exactly. Wish someone could have understood this back on Earth. One good thing about Hell is that art isn't commodified.'

'Did you make that?' said Grace suddenly, looking at a sketch of a rose laid out next to him. 'It's beautiful!'

'I did,' said Lee. 'But it's no good at all!'

'Don't be so hard on yourself,' said Grace. 'If I could draw half as good as that I'd call myself a real artist.'

Lee smiled, touched. 'Thanks... Wait – would you like to have it?'

Grace turned. 'I'd love it!'

'It's a present for you, then. Good cake! Bye!'

Lee sighed as Grace left. Art appreciation was something he had always valued. He picked up a pencil to draw a beautiful heart, but stopped halfway in puzzlement; it was glowing gently!

*  *  *

The familiar dark alley made Grace shudder as she walked through it, remembering the last time she had come that way.

'I see I still live in your mind, if not in your heart,' said the smooth voice she had been dreading since their frenzied escape from the Mainland.

'You?' she said, looking at the Assistant. 'Here again? You could at least find a new place to terrorise me...'

'Terrorise?' laughed the Assistant. 'Rather harsh word... but then, love and fear are connected, so I won't mind.'

'Connected?' said Grace incredulously. 'They're opposites!'

'Oh, really?' hissed the Assistant, suddenly appearing inches away and blowing gently on her face. 'I think they're two sides of the same coin. You've been afraid of seeing me, but a part of you wondered how I'd react when I did come. Didn't it?'

'Yes, but it's not—'

'Not love? Then what is it?'

'Oh, whatever. I don't have to talk to you!'

'And yet, you want to.'

'No, I don't!'

'You do,' said the Assistant demonically, and Grace felt a wave of fear wash over her; he could do anything to her and she was helpless; completely helpless... 'Don't you?' he asked menacingly.

'Y—yes,' said Grace nervously.

'You're lucky I even love you, ingrate!'

'Lucky...?'

'Lucky,' repeated the Assistant sternly. 'Mortal, you're only special as long as I see you that way. Without my love, you're nothing; just a girl who's a burden to everyone she's with!'

'W–what?' stammered Grace, trembling as he towered over her and glared at her with eyes that seemed to burn.

'Ha! Your own parents died because of you, didn't they?'

'N–NO!' exclaimed Grace, bursting into tears. 'That's not true!'

'And yet, you think about it everyday. You really don't deserve to be mine...'

Grace wept.

'And yet, I still love you. Want you. While you reject my advances like that will make you a better person. It won't,' spat the Assistant. 'But as you wish. Think about what I said!'

He was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Grace devastated as she slowly walked back home. When she neared the castle, she wiped her eyes at last, determined not to let him get to her; not now.

*  *  *

'Human, you wouldn't believe what I—' began Lucien when she stepped inside. 'Hey, are you all right? Did Mrs. Sauer say something mean?'

'No,' said Grace at once, smiling warmly. 'She taught me how to make strawberry cake! Here's some for you!'

Lucien's eyes widened greedily. 'Half a cake! I'm so having this for dinner! Bye!'

'Huh?' said Kuro. 'I like cake too, you know!'

'Grab what you can!'

'You're impossible!'

After a fun meal of cake and spread sandwiches, Lucien sighed happily and turned towards them. 'Friends, I have news. Grace brought dessert; I brought a book on voodoo.'

Kuro stared at him, and then at the doll on the mantlepiece. 'Why am I getting deja vu...'

'No, seriously! This time, it's an authentic guide! And you know what? There's a way to get to Earth!'

Grace's ears pricked up. 'Earth? Voodoo? How?' she asked curiously.

Lucien laughed gleefully before showing her the book. 'It says here that if a voodooed person speaks a specific incantation at the same time as the voodooer, they're supposed to exchange places! And that's what we're going to do!'

'This is the first time I've even heard the term "voodooer",' said Kuro, shaking his head. 'And I can already sense this is going to be one of your crazy plans. I'll be present, but don't expect my participation!'

'Yeah, yeah! What do you think, Grace?'

'Well, isn't it bad to bring some innocent person to Hell?'

'Innocent person? Yeah. But a not-so-innocent person? Hell no!'

'But, Lucien, it's not right...'

'Come on, they'll end up here anyway!'

'Still, we can't judge—'

'Yes, we can. We judged you right, didn't we? Don't be like Azel. Just agree already, human!'

'O–okay...? But who are you going to try it on?'

'I actually have a candidate in mind,' grinned Lucien. 'But I'm afraid you'll object, so... maybe I shouldn't tell you yet.'

'Huh? Who is it?'

'Just stay put while I do this. Ready, everyone?'

*  *  *

Grace’s aunt sat on her sofa with a friend, sipping tea. 'Yes, I haven't seen my niece for two weeks now! Probably ran away to avoid doing her share of work. Ungrateful brat! Well, she'll come back eventually – or not. I don't care either way.'

'Kids nowadays don't understand,' agreed her friend. 'The sacrifices we make! You're such a great woman for taking her in.'

'Ah,' nodded Grace's aunt. 'I wish she'd see that, and understand that I'm a late woman – I mean a great man – I mean a mandrake – huh?! What's happening?!?'

'Are you all right?' said her friend in alarm.

'GET OUT, FOOL!!' yelled Grace's aunt suddenly, throwing the tea at her friend, before looking at her in a panic. 'I–I didn't do that! I'm so sorry!'

'You've gone mad!' said her friend, indignantly rushing away.

'What was that?' said Grace's aunt, trembling. Those words and actions hadn't felt like her at all – rather, as though someone was making her do them!

'You old shrew,' she said, and gasped. She hadn't said that!

'You've been evil all your life,' she was forced to say again. 'So, if you don't wish to become a human voodoo doll, you must not resist, and speak with me an incantation that will free you from my reign!'

'O–okay,' she said in small voice, looking all around, terrified. 'I'll say them! Please leave me alone!'

'Vida inarelna,' she was prompted to say, and she shook, hoping it would be the last of today's horrors. 'Sila liomshinkhuk apolop gifu....'

*  *  *

'So, did it work?' said Kuro, looking at Lucien as he looked around the room with a doll in hand, still very much there even after the five-minute-long incantation he had just bellowed.

'Apparently not,' said Lucien disappointedly, checking his book again. 'Wonder why... oh...'

'Well?'

'Some people are so despicable that every realm repels them – even Hell. That's why it failed.'

'Like, seriously?'

'Yep. Oh well, Grace; at least we gave your aunt a terrific scare in the process.'

'THAT WAS MY AUNT?!?'

'Hehe. Say whatever you like, but you know she deserved it. Pass me some more cake, please!'