As we neared her garden, I noticed the abundance of fruits, vegetables and herbs growing. I’d never seen plants so lush and bountiful. Maybe she was a skilled gardener and the rest of the village was only jealous.
The wood house appeared like any other normal house. Except the glass covered windows were small and high enough up no one could peer inside.
I knocked hard and loud on the wood door. Blaise waited behind me. No one answered. I listened carefully for movement inside… nothing. I tried the door handle. It was locked, of course. I turned to Blaise and shrugged when the door creaked open a crack.
I spun around, but found no one there. “Madam? Is anyone in there?” No answer, but a hint of a strange smell drifted out. “We just want to ask you something, Madam.” I pulled the door open slowly. It groaned like it hadn’t been opened in decades.
“Maybe we should leave this place alone. It appears as though no one dwells here,” Blaise suggested, holding tightly onto her sword.
I smirked. “Are you frightened? I can go in alone.”
“Don’t be stupid. I don’t think anyone’s here, is all. We’re wasting our time.”
I continued through the door. “Let’s just be sure. Something feels wrong.”
The floor whined with each step we took. I worried one of us would step on a rotted board and fall through, but it held firm. It was dark; so dark inside the stuffy space. I could barely see my hand when I held it in front of my face. I felt my way around and came to the entrance of another room.
A candle burned lowly on a small round table. I could barely make out the shape of a bed beside it. I’d found the bedroom. I picked up the candle and riffled through the drawers along one of the walls. I found nothing but clothing and cosmetics used to powder faces and colour lips. I didn’t know where Blaise had ended up, but she wasn’t in the room with me. I picked up the candle and took it from the room to search the rest of the house.
I came to a hearth in the main room. It was strange for a house in this part of Sarantoa to have one. It never got cold enough to need a fire. The only places usually containing them were owned by wealthy people.
A scream startled me into almost dropping the candle. It sounded like Blaise.
I fumbled around until I found a set of stairs leading up. Her scream had come from up there. I unsheathed my sword and rushed up the steps. The smell grew worse the higher I climbed. Light beamed from a room down the hall on the top floor. I strode toward it and raised my sword.
I froze at the sight inside.
Dozens of candles flickered from shelves lining the walls. A strange symbol with letters I’d never seen in each corner was painted on the center of the floor. In the middle of the symbol stood a gorgeous woman with painted, red lips and long, silky hair. Her skin was unusually pale.
She smiled seductively at me. “Guests, what an honour it is to have you both in my home.”
I tried to look away but found I couldn’t peel my eyes from her. Her perfect body called to me. Her eyes were full of hunger. It was like she was breath itself, and without her, I would die. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what.
“Sepheus!” Blaise’s voice tore me from the spell, and I looked away from the beautiful woman.
Terror replaced lust as I noticed the bodies lining the wall Blaise faced. The corpses were husks, completely drained of blood by the slits on their wrists.
“I needed to go hunt for more blood. How lucky am I it came right to me this time?” The woman laughed, a low, thick sound.
“Blood magic.” I faced her again, biting out the accusing words. I’d heard stories of witches who used blood to strengthen their magic. Until now, I’d only believed them to be fables told to frighten young children. These witches were said to use spells to make them appear younger and to strengthen their magic.
The witch laughed again before she shot toward Blaise.
Blaise raised her sword, but the witch knocked it from her hand before she could strike her with an unnatural speed.
“I’ve caught you now, pretty little girl,” the witch cooed, running a long, sharp talon down her throat. A line of blood appeared where the witch’s nail had traced. She made a show of sucking on her fingernail and then bared her teeth at me. I had to get us out of there before she feasted on us both.
“Let her go.” I dove at her with my own sword.
The witch reached out her hand and grabbed the blade of my sword. Though her hand bled, she gave no sign she’d felt the pain. She stared at me with eyes full of wickedness. She believed she had us both in her web. I glanced down. My feet were on the edges of the symbol painted on the floor. I didn’t understand its purpose, but I didn’t want to find out.
Something moved in my peripheral vision. I turned my head and sent a silent prayer to Celestia.
The bloodless cadavers had come to life.
I yanked my sword free of her grasp. Blood dripped to the floor, but the witch laughed again as she licked the cut on Blaise’s neck, smearing crimson on the side of her face.
A moan from one of the pale corpses tore my attention away from them. Empty eye sockets stared back at me. I swiped my blade out as it grabbed for me. Skin tore like paper, but the lifeless body didn’t even notice. A common weapon wasn’t going to work on these abominations.
Another corpse shuffled closer to join its partner. At least they moved slowly.
Blaise tried to yell something, but her words were muffled by the witch’s hand on her face. I needed to kill her. She commanded the cadavers.
I called to my power. It came so easily, that spark deep within my spirit, like green lightning. I didn’t need blood to strengthen my magic. It was right there at my fingertips.
Vines broke through the wooden floor, ripping boards apart behind her as decaying fingers with inhuman strength wrapped around my ankle.
I ignored the bruising grip and poured all of my focus into my power. My green ropes twisted around the witch’s body. Her eyes widened with shock as the vines wrapped her up like a spider with a fly caught in its web.
She let Blaise fall to the floor and uttered more words I didn’t understand. The vines began shrinking away at the spell. The ones still touching her turned brown and died as though she were poison.
The hand on my ankle loosened and I kicked backward connecting with the cadaver’s face, sending it flying to the floor. It didn’t get back up. The others didn’t move either while the witch concentrated solely on my vines.
“Are you all right?” I asked Blaise as she dragged herself closer to me.
“Yes,” she managed. “Kill her.”
The witch was ripping my dying vines off her body when I sent another wave of power out.
More vines burst through the floor. This time, I didn’t give her a chance to respond. A wire thin vine whipped around her throat so fast she didn’t have time to scream before her head slid off her body and fell to the floor. It rolled out of the symbol before the rest of her body crumpled at the center.
The witch’s cloudy eyes—eyes clear and golden moments ago—stared up at me. Her perfect skin had wrinkled and thinned, showing off the bones beneath.
“Let’s get out of here.” Blaise tore my attention away from the decapitated monster.
Disgusted I’d almost fallen into the witches trap; I swallowed the sore taste in my throat and nodded.
I helped Blaise down the stairs and out of the house.
Blaise twisted out of my grip, putting her hand to her wound. The cut wasn’t deep. She’d heal without a scar. “When I agreed to this witch hunt, I didn’t believe we’d actually find evil witches.”
“I know. Me neither, but now we have news for King Corbin.”
“Let’s head back to the village. I’ve had enough for today.” She strode for the spot we’d left our horses without a backward glance.
“I have too.” I said to myself.
We arrived back at the inn we’d stopped at that morning. We’d asked the owner f
or any information they could offer us when we’d secured our room for the night.
A tavern took up most of the main floor, and the owner chatted with some of the locals when we sat down for supper. He spotted us and came over to the table we’d chosen, in a corner of the tavern.
“Any luck?” he asked placing both hands on the table. “You’re alive so I assume she wasn’t there.”
“She was,” I told him. “She won’t be a problem anymore.”
Twin bushy silver brows rose. “You mean you…” he made a slicing motion with his hand.
“It was self defense. She tried to kill us,” Blaise snapped at him.
He backed up a little. “Ho-ho, no need to convince me. I’m happy the woman’s dead. The village will feel safer for it. In fact, your dinner is on the house.” He turned and whistled. The crowded tavern went quiet. “Listen up folks! These two great soldiers have rid us of the mysterious woman in that old house! Turns out she was an evil witch. You and your children are safe now!”
Everyone cheered and raised their mugs of ale. I sank a bit lower in my chair. Blaise smiled brightly and kicked me in the shin. “Be proud. We did a good thing.”
I forced my lips into a smile.
The owner had a serving wench bring us warm plates of juicy chicken and fluffy, buttered potatoes along with two mugs of frothy, cold ale. We graciously accepted the meal. I even allowed myself to drink the ale for once. At least ale didn’t go straight to your head like wine did.
A few people worked up the courage to come congratulate us. Some even had a few questions, which we answered truthfully… mostly.
When both our plates were empty, I suggested we turn in for the night. We wanted to start back home at dawn. I let Blaise take the single bed while I took the pallet on the floor.
“We did right by this village,” Blaise commented. She’d changed into a tunic long enough it reached her knees. I’d waited outside the door while she got out of her uniform. “I take pride in these types of tasks. Helping rid the world of monsters, it’s why I joined the army.”
I hit my straw-filled pillow, trying to rid as many lumps from it as I could. “I thought you wanted vengeance for your parents’ deaths.”
Blaise pulled back the thin blanket and sat on the bed. “Yes, but people like that witch are the reason they’re dead. I hope to save others from similar fates.”
I laid my head down on the pillow and rolled to face her. “I wish my reasons were as good as yours.”
She bit her lip. “I believe there’s good in you, Seph. You’ve save my life—twice. Thank you for that.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I must like you.” I allowed myself to smile up at her.
She lay down and pulled the blankets over her body, but not before I caught a glimpse of her perfect thighs and hips. “Shut up,” she replied. But when she closed her eyes, her mouth curved up pleasantly.
I found it difficult to fall asleep sharing a room with such an attractive woman. I closed my own eyes and tried to block out her perfect image, but I couldn’t stop picturing the rest of her body beneath that thin, white tunic. It was no wonder I felt so exhausted when dawn broke.
Chapter 16
Blaise and I stood before the king and queen of Terra. Other’s waited nearby impatiently for their chance to speak with their rulers. Sunlight from outside the large windows brightened the throne room, the curtains fluttering gently in the soft breeze. Queen Nicola’s cat rubbed against her leg and she reached a hand down to stroke its fluffy, white fur.
“What news do you bring us?” King Corbin asked, scratching his silver streaked beard.
“We found a witch who was using blood magic to strengthen her power and youth, Your Majesty. She tried to capture us so she could bleed us both dry. We managed to kill her.” I explained for both of us.
“A blood witch?” Queen Nicola gasped, her hand pausing on top of her cat’s head. “I believed them only legends.”
“I saw what she was doing with my own eyes,” Blaise confirmed. “She had corpses in her home. They’d all been drained of blood. And she was unnaturally strong.”
“Thank goodness you found and stopped her,” the queen exclaimed as her cat bunted her hand for attention.
“Indeed,” the king added. “Likely there are more evil witches out there. Tell me, which areas have you searched?”
“We only have the eastern villages left,” I answered.
“Good. Be sure you don’t miss a single home. And next time you find a witch like her, bring me their head.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” I bowed and Blaise gave them both a deep curtsy.
Queen Nicola leaned toward her husband and whispered in his ear. “Ah yes. And keep a look out for a young lady with bright red hair,” he told us.
“Your Majesty?” I questioned, wondering why he’d care if we saw anyone from Solis.
The king adjusted his crown. “Queen Adelaide’s cousin has gone missing. She sent men here in search of her. We’ve questioned every lady with red hair in this kingdom, but none of them are Zephyra Caldura.”
I placed my hand over my heart, a promise to my king. “We will watch for her.”
“Very good.” He waved us off and beckoned to the next person seeking an audience with him.
Once we were away from the throne room, Blaise sighed, “I suppose the blood witch only proved King Corbin right about the witches. Still, I don’t believe most of them are harmful.”
“You might be right, but he is our king, and he fears the danger of magic.”
She gave me a sideways glance. “And what would he do to you if he knew…”
“He’ll never find out,” I assured her. Still, I couldn’t help the dread creeping up my spine. He’d burn me alive if he knew of the magic dwelling inside of me. I shrugged off the thought and suggested we find Ger. We hadn’t yet seen him since we’d arrived home.
Before long, we were on the road leading away from Terra again. Autumn had crept up and turned some of the leaves fiery orange and ruby red. The flowers had mostly died for the season, already in slumber until spring. Birds still chirped high above in the trees that remained leafy and green throughout the winter season. Birds from other parts of Sarantoa migrated to Terra during the coldest season to get away from freezing climates and left in the spring. There was never a lack of birdsong in our kingdom.
The village, Birkshire, was a day’s ride away from the palace. We visited a busy tavern first. It was usually the best place to gain information. After asking around, we learned there was a man the villagers believed might be a warlock. They said he kept to himself since he’d arrived in Birkshire a few springs ago. We decided we’d check out his house in the morning.
There was no inn in the small eastern village, but a kind middle-aged woman offered to let us stay the night in the home she shared with her family. They had two children, whom they’d let sleep with them for the night.
“It’s small, but you two may share Ethan and Leopold’s room,” the mother, with her chestnut hair pulled back into a neat bun, offered.
“You are most generous,” Blaise said, smiling at the little boy who handed her one of his wooden toy horses.
“We don’t get many visitors around here, as you may have guessed,” the mother told us both. “There’s not much reason to come to a farming village unless you have family here.”
“Well, we thank you for taking us in for the night,” Blaise handed the toy back to the boy, who turned and ran back to his brother. She had a way with people. If only they saw her fiery, warrior side. A memory of her shooting an enemy through the chest heated my blood.
The home was small but well kept. Though the furniture was worn, I couldn’t spot a speck of dust on it. The scent of smoked meat set my stomach begging to be fed. We enjoyed the tender bison, along with fresh baked bread, with the family once the woman’s husband had returned from working in the field. The hay Terra fed its horses mostly came from Birkshire.
We turned in early for the night. “We could share the bed,” Blaise suggested. “There’s plenty of space for two.”
It was true there was enough space for two, but I’d never slept next to a woman. Copulated with them? Yes, many, but there was something more intimate about sharing slumber with another. Unconsciousness meant vulnerability.
“Sleep on the floor then,” Blaise said, mistaking my hesitation for refusal.
“No, I’ll share the bed. As long as you promise not to bite.”
She clanked her teeth together and laughed, but she slid over.
I let her have the blanket. It wasn’t cold anyways. I blew out the candle and lay on my back. I closed my eyes. The darkness only enhanced my other senses. Her soft breaths were like a sighing wind. I could faintly smell the scent of her floral soap. And her body… the warmth drifted over my skin, a welcoming sensation begging me to move closer.
I told myself to think of other things… count to ten.
Maybe sleeping on the floor would’ve been easier.
Temptation ate me from the inside out. I lifted my hand, so carefully. My fingers touched her shoulder. I felt her stiffen as my fingers stilled on her satin-smooth skin.
And then she relaxed, taking my hand in hers. She brought it to her face… to her lips, and so gently that I barely felt it, she kissed the back of my hand.
I rolled to face her. Her back was still to me. I trailed my other hand against her neck. She shivered, but I felt her smile against the hand she still held to her mouth. Warmth spread through me like the sun breaking through the clouds on a cold, rainy day. What am I doing? I’d never felt anything but lust for another. But this wasn’t lust. This was something else. I cared how Blaise felt, what she thought of me.
The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series Page 59