23. Split Apart
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It was almost eight o’clock before they finally heard the knock at the door. Brielle got up off the couch to answer it. Maya watched as she opened the door to reveal Adeline standing there.

“I arrived as soon as I could,” she said. “But I was really busy tonight and I was looking forward to getting some rest. I hope this really is important, Brielle.”

“It is. We wouldn’t have called you if there was anyone else,” Brielle replied.

“So what’s up?”

“We’re all in the living room. Come on.”

Brielle returned with Adeline in tow. Adeline stood in the entryway and folded her arms, her gaze falling briefly on everyone there. She lingered on Ilham while Brielle took a seat.

“This is Ilham,” Brielle said. “She’s the witch who helped us out the first time. It’s because of her that there’s two of us.”

“This is her?!” Adeline cried. Narrowing her eyes, she told Ilham, “Just who do you think you are?! Do you know what kind of a mess you’ve caused?! How dare you show your face in their home!”

“Adeline, please—” Brielle started.

“No! She’s the reason Maya was sick. If not for her—”

“I wouldn’t have a sister in the first place!” Brielle reminded her.

Her father stood up from the other couch and came to place a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he told her softly.

Yeah, Maya added. We need her help too, remember?

Brielle sighed and nodded.

“Can you explain?” she asked Ilham.

Ilham nodded and stood up, telling Adeline, “In my research, I’ve come across a spell that should be able to grant Maya another body all of her own, a copy of the original. But I can’t do it alone. I need the resources of a board of mages, and you’re the only person Gemini knows who can approach them on our behalf.”

“Talk to them yourself,” Adeline retorted.

“I’d be apprehended if I even came close to the bureau,” Ilham reminded her. “The spell will work, but for once I can’t handle this on my own and need help.”

“Please,” Brielle added.

Maya nudged her way to the front and said, “Adeline? It’s me, Maya. I know that Ilham has messed up. But she’s got a good heart and wants to make up for everything that happened. You don’t have to like her, but you’re the only one who can help us right now.”

Adeline sighed and looked over to Maya and Brielle’s parents.

“Are you okay with your children going through more of her magic like this?” she asked.

Their mom and dad exchanged a glance, then their mom answered, “This isn’t an ideal situation by any means, young lady, but we’ll do whatever we have to make sure our children are happy.”

Adeline bowed her head and closed her eyes, deep in thought.

“Fine,” she said, then pointed to Ilham. “But I want her to turn herself over to the bureau in exchange. She deserves to face a panel of her peers for what she’s done and have them render judgment.”

“No!” Maya cried, before Brielle wrestled control away and continued, “That’s not fair. She’s trying to help us. You can’t punish her for that.”

“She performed unregulated magic on a minor,” Adeline retorted. “I bet you don’t know the half of what she’s done in the past thirty years, but I’ve heard my mentors talk about the ‘renegade witch’ before. If she wants my help, she needs to face justice for breaking our customs like she has.”

“Adeline, you can’t do this!”

“I accept,” Ilham said, surprising them all. She folded her arms behind her back and continued, “When I broke away from the magical community, it was because I wanted to help people in ways that their regulations wouldn’t allow me to. I never meant for things to spiral out of control like this. If I have to give up my freedom to practice without oversight to help you two, so be it.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Brielle said. “Not for us. We can learn to live like this.”

Ilham walked a little closer and placed a hand on Brielle’s shoulder.

“You shouldn’t have to, Gemini. Either of you. If I had been more careful with my original spell, a little more thoughtful, you might have both ended up healthy from the start. Whatever the bureau decides to do to me, it will be a worthwhile sacrifice to see the two of you happy.” Lowering her voice, she added, “It’s not like I can be any more shunned by the magical community, anyway.”

Turning to Adeline, she asked, “Will you do it, then?”

Adeline nodded slowly.

“If you have any notes I can bring to her, I can talk to Arista and see if she will consider it.” Turning back to Brielle, she said, “I hope this works. More experimental magic is never the solution to a magical problem.”

“Every solution needs to be tested,” Brielle replied.

“Perhaps,” Adeline said, frowning. “But I don’t like the thought of it being tested on my friends. I’m tired. I need to get home. I’ll tell my mentor about this tomorrow after school. See you both then.”

She gave one last glare to Ilham, then yawned and stretched. Maya and Brielle’s father escorted her to the front door to see her off. Ilham said goodbye to Maya, Brielle, and their mom before snapping her fingers and disappearing.

Everyone decided it was about time for bed after that.

A couple of days later, after everyone was home from school and work, the family got into the car and headed back to the bureau building once again. They were escorted to a small room where six mages and Adeline were sitting at a conference table. Arista was sitting at the head of the table. Brielle sat down at the opposite end, her parents sitting down on either side of her.

Arista had an open folder sitting in front of her. She was rocking back and forth and staring up at the ceiling. Everyone seemed to be waiting on her to do something. Occasionally, she would glance at someone. When her gaze finally fell on Brielle and Maya, she scowled.

“My protégé says that you have a proposition for me,” she said, gesturing at the open folder. “The witch who originally… helped you... has now come up with an idea for another spell.”

“That’s correct,” Brielle said. “It will give Maya her body back.”

“And how does Maya feel about this?” Arista asked.

“Um… I’m really eager to try,” Maya said, taking over. “When do you think we can set it up?”

“Why should we go through with this?” Arista asked. “The claims of a witch who constantly spurns official channels doesn’t hold a lot of weight around here. I can understand that you’re tantalized by a potential solution, but the safe thing to do would be to wait and—”

“No,” Brielle replied firmly. “My sister wants her body back. Your job is to help people. There are six of you. Working together, I’m sure that you can figure out how to cast this spell safely. Unless you don’t think you’re good enough.”

Arista bristled a little bit.

Maya took control again and added, “Please, Miss Arista, Ilham is smart and she means well. She’s already agreed to turn herself over if you’ll help her perform the spell. Nobody would do that unless they were confident in their abilities.”

For a moment, Arista thought it over.

“We will talk about this,” she promised. “If it seems reasonably safe, I will proposition the board to let us go through with it. That’s all. You may go now.”

The family loaded back up into their car and pulled out of the parking lot. It was getting late, so they stopped at a small burger place for dinner. Everyone was quiet. Brielle messaged their close friends, letting them know that they may have found a solution.

I’m not ready to tell Lily yet, Maya told Brielle. Things are… awkward between us, still.

When they finally had their food and were sitting in a booth, Brielle asked their parents, “Are you guys really okay with this?”

“We’ve talked about it,” their mother replied, “We’re not… happy that this is the route you’re taking, but if you’re right, we’ll be able to soon leave all this magical business behind us.”

“But given just how extreme the consequences of your actions have been these past few months,” their father continued, “we think it’s appropriate to place a few more rules for you two to follow from now on.” He paused. “We’ve been very worried for both of you this entire time. And the fact that we let this happen makes us feel like we’ve failed as parents.”

Maya could feel Brielle blush, but from embarrassment or shame she wasn’t sure. She nudged her way to the front.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “We were desperate when we went to Ilham. And everything since then has felt like it was entirely out of our control. But we don’t blame you for any of it.”

“Honey,” their mother said, “if we’d been more open to the idea of you being a girl—”

“Then I wouldn’t have Brielle,” Maya finished. “Can we just forget the past? Please?”

Everyone seemed to agree, and Maya fell back a little to let Brielle finish her meal. Occasionally, she’d slip back to the front to say something, but it was Brielle’s body; she deserved to have as much control over it as possible. Besides, Maya would get her own again very soon.

In a few days, the family was summoned back to the bureau building to meet with Arista again. It was a different conference room this time, and only Arista was present. She looked thoroughly annoyed when the family entered and sat down.

“Alright,” she said, pushing a clipboard with a form on it over to Brielle. “We talked it over. Things got a little… heated. But the board agreed that as long as everything was properly overseen, we’ll be allowed to perform the spell. Let’s get it over with this Saturday, why don’t we?”

Brielle had already grabbed the clipboard and was filling out the form.

“I want to make things clear,” Arista continued. “There will be long-term consequences of this magic. You aren’t going back to the way you were. Maya’s body will look like she expects it to, but the details will probably be a little different because she just doesn’t have every detail of her old body memorized.” She paused. “And there will be a permanent link between the two of you. I don’t know how that will manifest, but Maya’s body won’t be completely independent. At the very least: one day, when one of you dies, the other will probably die shortly after. That could be ninety years from now, but your bodies won’t be able to sustain themselves without their partner from now on.”

Their parents looked horrified, but Maya quickly replied, That’s fine.

“She’s okay with it,” Brielle said. “So am I.”

Arista grunted.

Brielle continued, “After everything Maya has been through, she just deserves a break. I’d be willing to make any sacrifice to make sure that happened.”

Maya exchanged places with her to add, “And I feel closer to my sister than I ever have to anyone. If we’re linked for the rest of our lives, so be it.”

Arista nodded, then took the clipboard back from Maya.

“Saturday it is, then,” she said.

Maya and Brielle got up early on Saturday morning. For the most part, they just laid in bed thinking over what was going to happen today. There was a tension that they just couldn’t shake no matter how much they tried to relax.

Are you ready to have a body of your own? Brielle asked.

I’m ready, Maya replied. Part of me is going to miss being this close to you, though.

I know what you mean, but it’ll be good to see your face again.

Finally, they got up. Brielle showered and dressed, then allowed Maya to pick out a set of clothes for herself for when the spell was complete. Since it was based on the same spell Ilham had first used, it would probably generate clothes as well, but it was better to be safe.

Brielle was shivering a little bit when she and her parents arrived in the big empty room with cement floors where the last spell was cast. This time it was swarming with mages in various eclectic outfits, along with dozens of men and women in plain suits—more of the officials that were to oversee the ceremony.

It took a few moments to find the people they were looking for. Adeline was standing near Arista and Ilham, who herself was surrounded by people in suits keeping a close eye on her. As soon as she saw Brielle and Maya watching her, Adeline walked over and scooped Brielle up in a hug.

“I’m not actually participating,” she explained. “I’m just here for moral support.”

We appreciate it, Maya said, and Brielle relayed the message.

Arista broke them up and directed Brielle to the middle of the large spell circle in the center of the room. There were two mats in the center, and Brielle laid down on one of them. Ilham and Arista took positions on opposite sides of the spell circle, and six other mages came to stand at points on the edge of the circle.

It looks like a lot of these people are only here to watch, Maya thought.

Back to being an oddity, Brielle replied bitterly.

Ilham led the ceremony this time. She began chanting quietly, and after a moment Arista followed suit. Soon every mage around the circle was chanting, and Brielle closed her eyes. Maya felt herself drifting off too. Actually, she sort of felt herself just drifting.

She wasn’t sure how long she was floating away, but eventually Maya felt someone shaking her by the shoulder. Her eyes flickered open and she was looking up at Ilham’s face.

“Welcome back, Gemini,” she said, helping Maya into a sitting position.

Next to Maya, Brielle was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She blinked and her gaze settled on Maya. It took a moment, then her face lit up and she sprang forward, grabbing Maya in a hug.

“Maya!” she cried, before springing back. Trembling a little, Brielle asked, “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Maya replied.

They were silent a moment, then each held up a hand and brought them together. Immediately, Maya’s mind was filled with all sorts of new sensations. She was vaguely aware that she was looking at herself as well as Brielle. She could feel more than her own body for some reason.

What is this? she wondered.

Maya? she heard Brielle’s voice in her head.

Brielle? Can we still talk to each other?

I… I think so. I think this is the connection she was talking about.

The two broke contact. All the weird sensations vanished and Maya was back to normal. Then they pushed their hands together again, the weird feeling returned.

Are we psychically connected now? Brielle asked.

Only when we’re touching, I think.

Brielle surprised Maya by grabbing her in a tight hug. The sensation of togetherness was still there. Maya relaxed and let herself sink into the hug.

When they broke apart, Brielle just stared at Maya for a second.

“You… you look a little different,” she said. “But it’s still you. It’s really you, Maya.”

“It’s really me,” Maya replied as Brielle helped her shakily to her feet.

“Maya…”

She turned to see her mom and dad standing there. Maya stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her dad. Tears leaked freely from her face.

“It’s me,” she sobbed. “I’m back.”

Her mother joined in the hug, and when Maya let go Brielle and Adeline were standing there. Maya surprised Adeline by grabbing her in a hug as well. She tensed up for a moment before relaxing and leaning into the hug.

“Thank you,” Maya whispered hoarsely. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

“No problem, Maya.”

Lastly, Maya turned to Ilham, who was surrounded by Arista and a bunch of people in suits.

“Thank you for everything, Ilham,” she said.

“Of course, Maya,” Ilham replied. “You and your sister take care of each other, alright?”

Brielle took Maya’s hand, and the feeling of closeness returned.

“We will,” they answered together.

This is a very emotional chapter for me. It just feels so good for something to finally go right for these two after so much hardship. Goddess knows they deserve it.

One more chapter to go.

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