September 9, 1859

A Chapter by Havatara

September 9, 1859

Dear Lucy,

I should have known that! I knew Frederick, and I should have remembered that his last name was Shuster. Oh, I even told you and I couldn’t remember! I guess that just goes to show how long it’s been since I’ve last seen him. Oh, how foolish I am! I could have saved you from being kidnapped by his grandson if I had just remembered.

Why don’t you think you don’t have to apologize to Duncan? Did something happen? I know you said you’d tell me later, but I sort of want to know now, if you can.

I think it’s time I told you the origins of the prophecy, since I do not think that Jaime told you. By Queen Elizabeth I’s rule, magic was all but gone from the world. I had hidden somewhere, so it wouldn’t be killed. Magic is sort of like a person. I knows things and can take a physical form if it wants to, and it can have fear. It was deathly afraid of humans, especially the ones that wanted to destroy it or use it for bad.

Anyway, soon after the Good Queen died, there was a little girl in a remote village in Scotland, where Julia was originally from (just to get rid of confusion, Julia was from Scotland, but the Underground was in Ireland. I wasn’t really specific there). The little girl was wise for her age, as she possessed the last remaining bit of the Old Magic in all of Europe. She used this power to heal and to tell what would happen. That very same little girl was Julia’s grandfather’s grandmother, and her name was Trista. This is the little girl who would foresee the fate of the Old Magic.

Now, back then, having even a drop of the Old Magic in your blood was the worst thing in the world. Hundreds of witches and sorcerers were killed for their power, the power that no one could understand. Julia’s great-great-grandmother used her knowledge of herbs to hide her power, to use that as an excuse for being able to heal even the sickest of children.

However, someone in her village saw her using her powers. This was when she was an old woman, and Julia’s grandfather was already born. Her friend was visiting from Germany, and she had asked to see something spectacular, so Trista took a chance and showed her friend, who was just a little girl herself, a spell that could make sparkling powder out of dust.

The town priest had been walking by when this was happening. He went to Trista’s window when he had seen the strange lights, and he knew that she was not normal. He immediately went to the nearest Lord and told him of his discovery.

The Lord, being afraid of what the poor old woman could do, ordered her to be executed. His soldiers went to Trista’s cottage and threatened to bang down the door.

Trista, knowing what would happen, took a gamble. She asked her friend if she would take her remaining part of the Old Magic and keep it. Her friend said of course, she would do anything for Trista. So the old woman cast her last spell, and that transferred her magic to her little friend. The friend, who I have told you much about, would keep the magic for the rest of her life, however long that may be. Her name was Sara.

The soldiers came in as soon as the spell was cast, and killed Trista on site. Not thinking that a little girl such as Sara would be of any danger, decided to let her go. Sara ran away and went with her family in Germany. She would never age for the rest of her life, and would stay in the form of the little girl. Knowing that it would be hard to explain to her family why she wasn’t aging, she ran away and pretended to be an orphan until she found Frederick’s family and decided to become the daughter of Frederick’s sister, where she stayed until she met Thomas and went to the Underground.

That’s how the prophecy came about. I find it very ironic that the leader of the Mainlander’s family had a part of the Old Magic that they were looking for. But that’s how things like this happen.

Now you know about the prophecy. Okay, I know about how you were captured. How did you get away? Please hurry and write.

Sincerely, Safiya

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