Bound: The Gift of Desire Ch. 14

Chapter 14 - Sunset on Twilight Hill

Far away, in a park a few miles from George's house, there was a charming spot called Twilight Hill, so named for its breathtaking view of both the sunrise and the sunset. A hidden path at the base of the hill led through a dense grove of trees and winded its way up to a large grassy outcropping. Like a dock at the edge of a lake, it hung over the treeline, and on clear days, one could sit on a bench and see for miles to the east and west. The only occupant on this hill was an old lonely hickory tree, its roots running down the cliff face to the more nutrient-rich soil below.

On this particular evening, a cool breeze occasionally dislodged a reddened leaf and swept it away. The clouds obscured the sun just enough to create purplish gaps in the red and orange light, which bathed the park, the town of Stafford, and the surrounding valley in a serene, restful reminder that the day was ending.

That serenity was suddenly interrupted by a rapidly expanding cloud of swirling pink mist that instantly dissipated with a crackling pop. A young red-headed woman riding a huge black horse emerged in full gallop. One moment, George was facing down a firing squad; the next, he was about to careen headlong over a cliff.

He barely had time to realize what was happening, and with mere moments to act, he ordered Genie, "Change me back, change me back!"

His companion obeyed, and George instantly went from four legs to two, with Piper riding piggyback. He slammed on the brakes and started sliding, his momentum conserved from being a one-thousand-pound horse. He turned around and dug his fingers into the dirt, leaving behind deep gouges. Piper held on tight as they skidded to a stop mere inches from the edge.

And then the quiet calm of Twilight Hill returned. The engines, gunshots, and angry shouts from their pursuers were replaced with a gentle breeze and the occasional chirping bird. George was on his hands and knees, with his fingers jammed a few inches into the ground. Piper had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her thighs squeezed around his pelvis.

With her eyes clenched shut, Piper asked, "Are we dead?"

"God, I hope not," he breathed.

Slowly, she disentangled herself and knelt beside him. Then, she took a deep breath and stared out over the horizon. George collapsed, then rolled over onto his back. "How 'bout you, Genie? You still alive?" he asked, not truly worried. He just wanted to hear her voice.

"I'm here. Wow, that was intense," Genie said breathlessly.

"For real. Did you have to aim me right off a cliff?"

She laughed and said, "Hey, cut me a break! It's my first day!"

He sat up and looked around, trying to figure out where he was, but he was distracted by how pretty the sky looked. "You alright, Piper?" he asked. But she didn't respond. He turned to check on her, and before he could repeat himself, Piper lunged at him and slapped him hard across the cheek.

"You son of a bitch! Fucking asshole!" Piper shouted as she pummelled him.

He raised his arms to defend himself. "Piper, what..."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she cried. Tears were streaming down her face, contorted in rage.

Utterly bewildered, George was worried she was possessed. "Genie, what's going on?"

"I don't know. I can't get a read on her."

"I hate you! I hate you!" Piper repeated.

"Seems really mad at you, though."

"Ya think?"

Piper growled and snarled at him as she devolved into raw fury. However, she wasn't actually hurting him. Her blows were more symbolic than violent, even without the Genie's protection. She'd straddled his waist and pushed him to the ground, but George could've easily fought back if he wanted.

Eventually, George was able to grab hold of her wrists so that she couldn't swing at him anymore. "Piper," he pleaded, "it's okay! We're safe!"

"It's not okay!" she sobbed. Her lower lip trembled. "Why did you bring me here? Huh? Are you just trying to rub it in my face?"

"I don't even know where here is!"

"Of course, you fucking don't!" She squirmed, trying to get away from him. "Goddamn it, let me go!"

But George held on. "Would you stop? Just talk to me! What's wrong?"

"I'm done talking! I've given you everything I had! I patched your wounds! I played therapist! I cast every spell! I tried so hard to save you, but you just threw me aside and walked away!"

She struggled against his grip, presumably to hit him more. But she realized quickly that her struggle was futile. Finally, she clenched her eyes shut and collapsed on him. The dam broke as she gave into her pain and cried harder than George had ever seen.

"I thought that was the last time I'd ever see you. You were giving up, and I couldn't stop it." She buried her face against his shoulder and whimpered, "I thought I was watching you die."

George finally understood. Now that the danger had passed and there was time to breathe, her unresolved emotions had erupted. Years of hurt and repressed feelings had finally coalesced and been released. And with the curse suppressed, George could finally see beyond his own struggles and acknowledge that hurt. A hurt that he had caused, cursed or not.

He let her wrists go and wrapped her up in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter. Tomorrow, you'll forget it all. You'll be in pain, everyone will hate you, and I won't be able to help. You'll get worse and worse until we both wish we were dead!" She balled up her fist and pounded lightly on his chest. "I wish we never met."

"She doesn't mean that," said Genie.

He hoped she was right, given that it was among the worst of all the hurtful things George had ever heard. "I thought you couldn't read her."

"I can't. I just... I just know."

Piper sat up and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She sniffled and said, "I'm sorry. That was an awful thing to say. I didn't mean it."

"See?"

She rolled off him and sat with her knees scrunched to her chest. She tried to look at him, but shame overcame her, so she gazed at the sunset instead. "You saved my life. I know that. I just don't know what to think anymore. The day I was dreading for so long finally arrived, and before I could come to terms with that, I got knocked out and carted off to an even worse nightmare." She hugged her legs and rocked herself. "I was almost glad for it... for the distraction. You were the last person I thought would walk into that cell. The last person I wanted to see."

George propped himself on his elbows while he listened. He wanted to keep telling her he was sorry as if that would fix anything. It was the only response he could think of.

"But there you were," she continued. "All better. Juiced up by a magical artifact, ready to come to my rescue." She struggled to keep talking, her lips quivering with emotion. "Nothing I did mattered," she whispered. "There was never anything I could have done. We were doomed from the start."

She was finally able to look at him and asked, "What happened?"

"Yesterday, you mean?"

She nodded.

George didn't want to relive it, but he would tell her almost anything if it would help. "It was my birthday. I wasn't expecting much, so I was surprised when there was a present for me... from my father."

"The source?"

"I didn't know what it was at the time. It was just a weird ball of stone. But in his note, he told me it could make all my fondest wishes come true. I didn't know what he meant. My dad was a strange guy." George sat up straighter and continued. "Fast forward a bit. It was a bad day... a really bad day. The only good thing about it was you, and I was so far gone that I couldn't see it." He hung his head in shame. "I really am sorry for how I treated you. I know it's not enough, but... I am."

"So then what?" she pressed.

"You were right. I was ready for it to be over. And the curse was ready to end it."

"Wait, wait, wait. Curse? What curse?"

"Sorry, I'm getting there," he reassured her. While he wasn't ready to reveal the Genie, he felt she deserved to know the rest. "It was looking bleak. But then, the... source opened somehow, and all this power was inside it. It went to work, fixing me. Bolstering me. And when I woke up the next morning, everything was different."

Piper glanced at his muscular arms, mostly exposed after he lent her his hoodie, and said, "Yeah, I can see that."

"What? Oh," he said and flexed his bicep. "You're the only one that can tell, by the way. Everyone else thinks this is normal." He put his arm down and continued. "But I'm not just talking about my body. Everything, the entire world, is better. The colors are brighter, the food tastes good, and people talk to me. Fuck, the air is cleaner." Her hair picked up the orange light from the setting sun and reminded him of how pretty she was. "Even you. You look... different."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. You were this skinny, mousy redhead. Cute, but normal. Now, I... never mind. Now isn't the time."

"No!" she scooted closer to him. "Don't do that. You could forget all of this at any moment, and I need to know. I deserve to know."

He regretted saying so much. How could he tell Piper that his ideal partner was essentially her on magical steroids? His cheeks reddened with embarrassment, and he struggled to look at her. "You look like the girl from my dreams."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Well, that's helpful," she said sarcastically.

"I mean it. I have these weird moments of... I don't know, clarity, maybe? I see this girl who looks like you, only with brown hair instead of red."

Something he'd said struck a chord with her, and her attitude changed to something more pensive.

"It's not you, obviously. At least, I don't think it is. But every now and then, I would see little glimpses of her. And now that the curse is being suppressed... let's just say I'm seeing her everywhere."

Piper seemed to be processing this new information. George was hoping she had some insight. Instead, she moved on. "It can't be a curse. I tested you for every curse known to man, and everything came back clean. Are you sure about this?"

Genie chimed in, "Whatever it is, it might as well be a curse."

"Hold on, I thought you knew."

"I mean... curse, hex, jinx, debuff, whatever. It's bad magical juju, so I call it a curse."

George rolled his eyes. "I don't know exactly what it is, but it's bad. Real bad. The source couldn't even eliminate it, only suppress it."

"A curse," she said to herself. "It makes sense. For a while, I was convinced it was, but I... I couldn't..." she trailed off, overwhelmed by the anguish of her perceived failure.

He was eager to change the subject before she beat herself up even more. "Can I ask you something?"

She looked away in shame but answered, "Y-Yeah."

"Yesterday, you asked if I could see you? What did you mean?"

But this only made her more upset. "You bought me lunch and... I hoped you'd remembered something," she said before tears welled up and cascaded down her cheeks. "I needed you to remember..."

"What, Piper? Remember what?"

Instead of answering, she buried her face in her knees and wept.

Crestfallen after triggering her further, George sighed and looked at the sunset. It was a gorgeous sight, and though he wished the circumstances were better, he'd have a hard time forgetting it.

But gradually, as he took in the serene landscape, he realized where he was. "Wait a minute," he said. He stood and walked closer to the edge of the cliff, and there were reminders of a half-forgotten life everywhere he looked. "I used to come here every day during the summer. I'd sneak out, ride my bike to this spot, and watch the sunset." He chased the memories to their hiding places even as they eluded him. "Why? Why did I come here? What was I doing?" He looked around frantically, trying to latch on to any clue, no matter how small. He spotted the bench and said, "I used to sit there for hours... waiting. What was I waiting for?"

But his excitement was short-lived. Buried among the nostalgia was a live landmine, and he'd already stepped on it. He looked out past the boundaries of the park to the road on its border. "There was a nasty storm, but I wanted to come anyway. I had to. My dad was annoyed that I kept sneaking out, and we fought about it. So I climbed out the window and rode my bike through the thunder and the rain. I sat here, waiting. When he got to me, he was... he was in pain." He couldn't say anymore, even if he wanted to. The rest was a blur of horrible sensations, and very little of it made sense. "It was my fault," he said blankly.

The Genie hugged his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her touch was the most soothing thing imaginable, or so he thought. To his surprise, Piper latched on to his other arm and held his hand.

"Can we sit down, please?" she asked.

George could see that her legs were shaking. She couldn't have been cold, so it must have been from exertion. He guided her to the bench, and she bid him to sit on the left side. Suddenly, her stomach growled so loud George thought it might have been his own.

Embarrassed, she rubbed her stomach and said, "Sorry. I haven't eaten since yesterday."

"Oh, gosh," he said. "Hold on, I think I have something." He dug through his bag and found the package of cookies his mother had given him that morning. Then, he handed them to Piper and said, "Here. Can't have you going hungry."

She looked at them and didn't move. Then she raised her gaze to meet his, and George saw the most beautiful mixture of bittersweet emotions swirling beneath her surface. And very slowly, hope took over.

It seemed as though she had come to a decision, and as she tore into the cookies, she began, "My powers started manifesting when I was ten years old. I was setting things on fire, talking to animals, woke up levitating, and worst of all, I could... see things. Things that other people couldn't. My mom calls it the sight. Original, I know. Basically, I can see when something is magic. Even if it's disguised, I can tell that magic is happening. I'm used to it now, but I was really freaked out back then, even after Mom explained it to me. I remember learning that our neighbor's surly cat was actually a sprite stuck in a polymorph. That was a fun one, but things like that were everywhere."

She practically inhaled the cookies but kept talking with her mouth full. "My mom kept trying to teach me things, but I didn't want to hear it. I couldn't make friends, and I could barely go a few hours without seeing something bizarre or terrifying. I felt like a freak; all I wanted was to be normal. So, naturally, I did what any sensible ten-year-old would do, and I ran away."

"Seems legit," he said.

"Oh, I was very advanced for my age. My plan was to survive in the park. Ya know, live off the land, wild and free, no weird magic bullshit for me, no sir. It was only a few hours before I realized that I was hungry. I managed to make it through the night by hiding in the bathrooms, but I didn't sleep. So, the next day, I was hungry and tired and hated everybody. But I wasn't going home. I, uh... I can be stubborn sometimes."

"Nooo," said George dramatically.

She shrugged, "I know. I'm just as surprised as you." Then, she finished the cookie and immediately started on another. Her eyes rolled back as she sated her hunger, "God, I love these," she moaned.

"She must have been starving," remarked the Genie. "I put another package of cookies in your bag just in case."

Piper continued, "Lucky for me, the park was hosting some kind of summer day camp. Ya know, learning about bugs, climbing trees, playing grabass, that sorta thing."

George smirked, "I love grabass."

"Hell yeah. Grabass is tight. Well, I was the right age, so I snuck in. For a while, I forgot that I was hungry until lunchtime. Everyone was eating, but all I could do was watch. I was starving and alone and absolutely miserable."

Then, she shifted her attention and looked at him lovingly. "And then, it happened," she said, her voice cracking. "An adorable little boy sat beside me and asked why I wasn't eating. I lied and told him I left my lunch at home. So, he handed me his cookies and... and..." She had to catch her breath as the emotions began swelling once more. "He said, 'Can't have you going hungry.'"

George finally realized she was talking about him. He couldn't remember any of it, but he wished he did with all his being.

"For the rest of that summer, we were inseparable. I did go home, of course, but I went back to the park almost every day. We did everything together. We would play all day, and I wrote him letters at night while he drew me pictures. And every evening, we'd come up here, sit on this bench, me on the right and him on the left. And we'd watch the sunset." She wiped her eyes and said, "I wished those sunsets would last forever."

George stayed quiet and listened while trying to reconstruct the scene in his mind's eye. He kept hoping that at any moment, her tale would trigger some hidden memory for him to latch on to. But there was still nothing.

"I had to go away for a while after that. For training. But I couldn't tell him why, and I didn't know when I'd be back. No internet, no phones. We promised we'd meet here, on Twilight Hill. By the time I came back, everything was different. He was different. I had come into my powers, and just like my mom... my hair had turned red." She tucked some wayward strands behind her ear, letting George see her beautiful blue eyes.

It was her. The girl of his dreams. She'd always been there.

"This curse... the source is containing it?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"Do you think... Do you think I'll ever see that boy again?"

"I don't know," he said, his voice trembling. "I don't know if I'll ever remember. That boy might be gone." He gripped the edge of the bench and squeezed as hard as he could, the frustration leaving finger-shaped depressions in the wood. "The curse took so much from me. We could have had so much time." Though he couldn't say it, he knew it was all his fault. He turned to her and struggled not to lose his nerve. "I know I'll never be able to make it up to you, but... I want to try. Please let me try."

Her eyes dropped in forlorn contemplation. Then, she said, "Would you let me go?"

"Yes," he said.

She scoffed. "You don't even know what that means."

"I don't care. It's what you want. Tell me what I have to do, and I'll do it."

She gently cradled the last cookie in her hands. She began, "I didn't get my powers out of nowhere. When my mother was destitute and completely hopeless, she managed to make contact with a Djinn. They... well, I guess you could say they made a pact. My sister and I were the result."

"She's part Djinn," the Genie said in awe. "That's why the curse can't affect her!"

"You're part Djinn?" George repeated.

Piper nodded. "One weird little quirk about us is that we form powerful attachments. We become magically bound to another. That summer, I bound myself to you." She tossed the last cookie on the ground and said, "I was really young, and I thought... I don't know." She sighed, "Look, George, I'm happy you're back. I am. But I saw what happened when the source couldn't protect you. I don't... I can't go through that again." New tears began to fall, but she ignored them. "I can't spend the rest of my life looking after you, knowing there's nothing I can do."

George was heartbroken. It sounded like she was breaking up with him. However, he understood her side and was determined to do right by her. "What do I have to do?" he asked again.

"It's usually impossible, but... I was hoping that maybe the source..."

"You would have to make a wish," said the Genie. "Are you sure about this, Master?"

But all George could think about was the horror of Piper being forced to watch him die in slow motion, just like his mother had done. Sparing her from that fate wasn't just a courtesy. It was his duty. He turned toward her and took her hands in his. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Piper was apprehensive at first, but eventually, she nodded.

"I wish for Piper's bonds to be broken, that she be free of me."

There was the familiar tingle, and Piper saw George's brown eyes glow pink. The mist swirled around them, then disappeared with a crack.

"It is done," said Genie.

George let go, and Piper searched her feelings to understand what had just happened. She stood and began pacing back and forth in front of the bench.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think so, anyway. I just... I don't know. I thought it would feel different."

"What does it feel like?"

"It feels... liberating? Like a weight is off my chest. Like I can breathe."

"Well... that's good, right?"

She seemed confused and yet relieved. "It is. It's great! But..." She stopped and looked at him with pure adoration. "I thought I'd feel different."

Suddenly, Piper climbed onto his lap and straddled his waist. Then, she hugged him so tightly he thought he'd have trouble breathing. Luckily, he didn't need to do that anymore. He hugged her back, and the two sat silently, basking in that loving embrace, recharging a battery he didn't know was empty. He forgot all about their old bond and basked in the new closeness she gave him freely.

She buried her teary eyes in his neck. Her voice cracked as she struggled to speak. "I missed you so much," she whispered.

George wanted to return the sentiment but knew what he felt wasn't the same type of longing she was expressing. His feelings were gloriously shiny and deliciously fresh. At a loss, he asked his companion, "I don't know what to say, Genie. What should I tell her?"

"No need to speak, Master. Just hold her. Hold her... and remember this moment like it's the only one that matters."

He nodded even though he didn't need to and held Piper gently, treasuring her as the comforting memory that led him through dark times.

The sun had almost set entirely when she let go of him. Genie had stayed quiet and allowed them to have their moment, but George could still feel her presence watching over him.

Eventually, Piper sat back on his lap and rested her arms on his shoulders. "I should go home," she said.

"Okay, I'll walk with you."

"No, that's okay. If I know my mom, she'll be here any second." She sighed. "Gonna have a lot of explaining to do."

"What will you do now?"

"Well, I'm gonna take the rest of the week off. I think kidnapping is a good enough excuse to miss classes. After that, I'm sure my mom will have some ideas."

"Oh! That reminds me," he said, "You should probably call Lizzie now that we're safe."

"Actually..." she winced. "I already took care of it, kinda sorta."

George raised his eyebrow.

"Code yellow," she explained, "my mom needs to wipe her short-term memory."

"That seems rather... invasive."

"Yeah, it is. But sometimes people shouldn't know. And lying to her is hard. She's pretty smart."

Given that he struggled with the very same scenario, George didn't press the issue further. "What about Veiss and the Dragons? Aren't you worried they'll retaliate?"

"Worried? Nah. I'm sure they'll try something, but now that I know they're out for me, I have ways of protecting myself. And my coven isn't gonna take this sitting down either." Then, her face lit up with a sudden amusing revelation. "But you know, I have this sick fantasy of walking into school on Monday and seeing the looks on their faces. God, that's gonna be so awesome." She smirked and said, "They messed with the wrong witch."

Then she looked at him apologetically. "We should probably pretend that we aren't friends for a while. I don't want them to come after you."

George laughed, "Never stopped them before. Besides, my identity was hidden. They don't know who helped you."

"And we should keep it that way. Look, we hurt them today. That portal had to be one of a kind, and destroying it will set them back somehow. They didn't know I was a witch, and they sure as hell didn't expect you to show up with a source. They've got to be shitting their pants right now, confused and pissed off. Let's keep that advantage while we have it."

Conspiring with Piper was a pleasure he didn't know he was missing. She was driven and intelligent, and he felt compelled to hang on her every word. However, their relationship just turned a corner toward something he desperately wanted, and the idea of hiding it because of a gang of thugs was a bitter pill to swallow.

She added, "Also, we should keep the source a secret for now, too. I'm not even going to tell my mom."

George hadn't planned on telling anyone anything yet, but Piper clearly knew more about magic than he did, and he was curious about her reasons. "Why not? You don't trust her?"

"I trust her. It's not like she'd do anything sinister. But when word gets out that a source has been found, everyone is going to want it. You really don't understand what you have, George. This is going to change everything. You'll need to be prepared."

"Prepared? Prepared for what? You make it sound like I have a target on my back."

Piper frowned and looked at him pityingly. "I'm sorry. I'm really not good at stuff like this. Everything is moving way too fast for me, but... I want to help." She pondered her options for a moment and then continued. "I'll make a deal with you. While in public, we pretend that I'm mad at you and keep our distance. Try to keep a low profile. But, while we're here on Twilight Hill, we can be ourselves, and I'll tell you everything I know."

She was getting very close, and the dreamy look in her eyes made him giddy. George said, "That's fair. The question is, who are we? I feel like I'm just starting to learn."

She smiled mischievously and bit her lip. "How did you say it earlier? You are my faithful servant, and my wish is your command?"

He chuckled bashfully and said, "I am. Whatever you need, I'll be there for you."

Piper scooted forward on his lap until her body was pressed firmly against his. Her lips were mere inches away. "As for me, I'm extremely grateful to you for saving my life. My shiny knight."

"It was nothing," he said while his hands dropped to her hips. "I still owe you for all you've done for me."

She wetted her lips, "Well, it sounds like I needed you, and you needed me."

He chuckled at her phrasing. He'd used that very line when trying to cheer up the Genie earlier in the day and wondered if he'd heard Piper say it before. He replied, "I've heard of worse reasons to stick together."

She whispered, her voice full of hope, "Friends?"

Hearing her ask it that way made him feel like he was a happy child again, complete with the butterflies in his stomach and the giddy smile. He simply nodded and said with a crack in his voice, "Yeah..."

There was a moment when their eyes met in such a way that George thought a kiss was inevitable. He felt a gravity between them, urging him forward. But Piper playfully pumped the brakes, saying, "Whoa there. Don't tempt me with those perfect pillowy lips."

He smiled. "I thought my lips were too poofy."

Piper looked at his mouth and leaned a little closer. She almost seemed to reconsider and said in a dreamy voice, "I love your lips."

The Genie, of all people, was the one to spoil it. "Master, I'm sorry to interrupt, but someone's coming. I think it's her mother, and I doubt I can hide you from her."

George reluctantly pulled away from Piper and said, "Looks like your Mom is coming. I should go."

Piper looked over his shoulder toward the path leading up the hill and sighed. Turning back to him, she asked, "Will you remember me next time I see you?"

"I'll never forget this," he said tenderly.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

With that, the Genie transformed him into a squirrel, and he dashed between Piper's legs and up the old hickory tree, taking shelter in its canopy.

Then, a woman's voice called out from the path leading up to the hill. "Piper? Are you out here?"

George watched as Piper collected herself, smoothed out her hoodie, and replied, "I'm here, Mom!"

Her mother dashed forward, and the two embraced. George couldn't make out Piper's mom in detail but could clearly see the bright red hair tinged with gold. George let out a satisfied sigh upon seeing mother and daughter reunited.

"Wow," the Genie remarked.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Her mom is hot as fuck."

George wanted to admonish her, but it was so absurd that he had to laugh.