They stared at the herbalist in surprise, and Rami felt a little fearful. The whole situation was creepy.
“Have a seat,” the herbalist told them, gesturing at the seats in front of her desk. Her office was like any executive’s office, with the exception of several plants around the room and some carved wooden figurines on her desk. It was a large room that could easily host a meeting of ten.
The three of them sat, the girls a little nervously.
“You look a lot better than when I last saw you,” she said, nodding at Peter.
“They helped me to do what you said would help. I have been drinking a lot of water and ignoring the voice in my head. Thank you,” Peter responded earnestly, punctuating with a deep drink of one of the bottles of water the girls had purchased for him.
The herbalist glanced at the girls and nodded. “I’m glad. Now, let’s discuss what brought you here.”
She looked at Lilian. “The woman you saw in your dreams was not me but my younger sister Zenator.”
Peter and the girls glanced at each other.
“But…are you twins? You look exactly like her,” Lillian asked in surprise.
“No, Zenator and I aren’t twins, but we are less than two years apart. She is the main reason why your sister even has a chance to be rescued. She has been trying to help unsuspecting sacrificial victims such as your sister for many years now, but it has never been successful.”
The visitors deflated, discouraged by the information. They had held so much hope, but if nobody had ever been rescued from the shrine, that reduced their chances considerably.
Sensing their mood change, the herbalist added, “I should clarify that it has been hopeless because no loved one has been able to decipher the clues sent within the allowed boundaries. Your situation is different. Not only have you been able to work out the clues, but you also had access to someone who could easily lead you here.”
They all turned to look at Peter.
“Getting to this point is most of the work done. The rest is just guiding you on how to demand the freedom of a prepared sacrifice before the final rites.”
The collective relief in the room was palpable.
“So we will be able to rescue her, Doctor?” Rami asked, just to confirm.
The herbalist nodded. “Yes, you made it on the last day, and there is ample time to stop the final transfer rites. I cannot go with you, but I will guide you on how to release her from her sacrifice when you reach Nokalu. The only thing that would mess this up is if you don’t say the words correctly when you get there.”
“When can we go?” Rami asked in a rush, excited and filled with renewed hope.
The herbalist started to speak, then paused for a moment, glancing at Peter before looking at Rami again. “Honestly? You can go and rescue your sister now.”
Rami and Lilian grinned at each other, elated by how close they were to their goal.
“What do—’
The herbalist held up a hand to halt Rami’s obvious question.
“Wait, there’s something I should share before we start making plans. Like I said already, you can go and get your sister now. The terms and circumstances are much easier to break before the sun begins to set, which is when the ritual would begin. However, if you wait until just after sunset, we can take the last chance to release Peter from his bondage as well.”
Some of Rami’s and Lilian’s excitement dropped, and Peter looked at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected this.
“Won’t stopping the ritual involving Aba free Uncle Peter as well? Since it was temporary?” Rami asked hopefully.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way,” the herbalist answered. “If your sister is rescued before the ritual, Peter’s brother can simply plead for an extension of time, which he can since he did bring someone who was taken away before the process. Peter has been able to handle the curse on him very well. It is as a result of my help that he is still coherent and hasn’t actually gone mad from the drinking. This mission has also transformed him, which is truly remarkable, but unfortunately, it won’t last.”
Rami looked at a forlorn Peter in distress.
“But you’re saying there is a way to free him?” Lilian asked.
“Yes, but it would be riskier than just going to take your sister, because to free Peter as well, we would have to wait for the actual ritual to begin. Hormeku must believe that the ritual is going to happen so that his bond with Peter is broken to begin the sacrifice of his blood in his stead. That is the only way Peter can be freed from his bondage. But the timing should be planned so that Aba is pulled back right after his bondage with Peter is broken. We just have to make sure that you go for her before she is taken into the ritual room.”
Peter was devastated. The herbalist had always been honest with him about how complicated his freedom would be, and to be honest, he had mostly given up on getting his life back, but hearing how impossible it would be again was hurtful and disappointing.
The girls looked at each other, trying to communicate without words. Rami was especially conflicted. She was desperate to save her sister, to take Aba home again. The idea of risking her life again by waiting a few hours before going for her made her panic. What if something went wrong and they lost her forever? Would she ever be able to forgive herself for losing her again? The herbalist had been clear about how complicated that mission would be. She wasn’t willing to gamble Aba’s life to save someone else’s. The problem was that Peter was not just someone else. This was the man who fought his own demons to be able to help them rescue Aba. They could never have made it this far without his assistance. Leaving his only hope of freedom to die away so that they could rescue Aba without giving his freedom a chance as well was selfish and ungrateful. But Rami was scared. She could feel the herbalist’s eyes on her, waiting for her answer. Lilian looked just as torn as she was. Rami stole a look at Peter from the corner of her eye and saw his deflated expression. What was she going to do? She wished she could have some time to think about it.
“It’s alright, we need to focus on why we came here, which is to rescue Aba. We shouldn’t risk her life in a dangerous attempt to save me,” Peter told Rami solemnly.
Ironically, that was what made Rami’s decision for her, and she felt more confident in her choice when she said firmly, “No. We came here for Aba, yes, but Aba wouldn’t even have a chance if it weren’t for you. Your selfless help should count for something. We have come this far by some crazy miracle, and I trust it to continue to work for us. If we can free you from ten years of bondage, we have to try.
When Peter’s eyes filled with grateful tears, Rami turned away to prevent her own emotions from overwhelming her. The herbalist was nodding in approval, smiling for the first time since they arrived. “Great choice. As I mentioned, this is a risky choice but not impossible, especially since we have my sister on our side. I need to inform her of your arrival plan and the next steps with her. Today will be a joyful day for her. For the first time, the crumbs she laid have brought the family to me, and she will be able to save one woman.
