The Pond - Part 13

Nikolai Antonovich seemed right at home among Katrinka’s friends. His shameless flirtations caused more than one girl to sigh with yearning. Izolda remained impassive, at least on the outside. On the inside . . . on the inside she was already making plans.

She watched with the others as Katrinka gathered up her things and took Nikolai’s arm so he could escort her home. Her hands were sweaty and her heart was racing. As soon as the happy couple were out of sight, chatter broke out among the group.

“I cannot believe Katrinka’s good fortune!” Marta said.

“I wish my parents had betrothed me as a child,” Svetlana said with a sigh. “As long as it was to someone like Nikolai. What do you think, Izolda?”

Izolda weighed her words carefully. “I think, if I were in Katrinka’s place, I would find it hard to wait to be married.”

Later, when she was alone in her cave, Izolda considered her options. Love spells were chancy things, and may not last long term. And love spells could only be used once. But a compulsion spell, well crafted, could be renewed if it started to wear off.

But compulsion would not be enough. Any fool could see that although the marriage had been arranged there were true feelings developing between the two. This had to be stopped. Attraction must turn to aversion, for both of them. This would be harder to achieve.

Her time was limited, however. The plan must be completed before Nikolai left for America, and he was scheduled to leave in just two weeks. Izolda chose her spells carefully and memorized them. Her plan would work, it was flawless. She had not felt such excitement since she vanquished Varnya.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Olga was a little surprised when Izolda and Katrinka became close friends. It was not that she had anything against the girl, it’s just she had no magic whatsoever. It just did not seem like Izolda to befriend someone like that.

Already having misgivings about her only daughter, Olga started keeping better track of her comings and goings, and who she was spending her time with. Because Katrinka was spending more time with Izolda, it was only natural that they were both spending time with young Nikolai.

That, in itself, was not unduly worrying, but when the couple became cool with each other, arguing over trivial matters, Olga realized everything was not as it seemed. Izolda appeared to be confidant to both Katrinka and Nikolai, sympathizing without taking sides.

Something did not ring true for Olga. Using her magical sight, she studied the threesome and the lines of magic connecting them, Katrinka and Nikolai to Izolda, First a chill filled her, then it was burned away by anger.

Izolda was breaking the most basic rules of magic. Every minute she spent with the couple drove them further apart. At the same time, she was laying a compulsion on Nikolai. Olga couldn’t quite determine what the compulsion was for, but she could guess.

For some time now, she’d known Izolda wanted something beyond village life. Never would she have dreamed her daughter would go this far to get it though. To ruin a couple’s future, to compel a man’s affection – it was unthinkable!

With a heavy heart, Olga sent Izolda off to pick some fresh goosefoot. The fact that the girl made no protest at leaving her friends behind meant whatever she was doing was working to her satisfaction. As soon as the door shut behind her, Olga offered the sullen couple a cup of tea.

“I think you will find it to your liking,” Olga told them. “It is a special blend I make myself.”

They accepted politely, and when they finished, Olga brought up her own magic. This time she didn’t just look at the lines of magic, she carefully pictured them being severed. With a soft chant, she made it so.

Several minutes passed and then the couple seemed to come out of a trance.

“Forgive me,” Nikolai said. “I seem to have lost the thread of our conversation.”

“I believe you and Katrinka were just saying your farewells.”

Nikolai looked at Katrinka and smiled. “I believe we were. We have much to talk about.”

“Yes,” Katrinka agreed, smiling back. “And many plans to make before you leave. Will you give our apologies to Izolda?”

“Of course,” Olga said. “I’m sure she will understand.”

The couple left and Olga settled down to wait. It was well it was early in the day, there was no one to witness Izolda’s shame.

Izolda returned with her arms full of goosefoot. She looked around in surprise. “Where are Katrinka and Nikolai?”

“Beyond your reach, at least for now.”

Carefully setting down the goosefoot, Izolda tried to brazen it out. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I know what you have been doing. You seek to come between a betrothed couple and set them at odds. Are you really so desperate for a man you must steal another’s?”

Izolda’s face went white, then filled with rage. “It was an arranged marriage, they barely knew each other.”

“And you think that makes it all right?” Olga let her own anger show. “It no longer matters. I have broken your wicked spells, including the one that compels Nikolai to turn to you for affection.”

“No! What have you done? He leaves in two days, there is no time to reset the spell.”

“That’s right.” Olga nodded in satisfaction. “In two days he will be beyond your reach. You will spend those two days reflecting on your shame.”

Pure rage suffused Izolda’s face. “You’ve ruined everything!”

She chanted a guttural spell under her breath and pointed her hands in her mother’s direction. Olga’s eyes widened in shock. She clutched at her chest and fell to the floor. Izolda stared down at the woman who had given her life, and felt not an ounce of regret.