by Casey Bond
Who sided with my mother.
The witches who deserved to die.
Using a concealing spell, Fate led me into the Wilds, where the undergrowth was thick and thorny for many miles before the forest thinned in a quaint valley. A brook babbled nearby. The witches had warded the area. Charms made of bent, woven wood swung in the breeze.
If it weren’t for the spell I’d conjured, the charms would have alerted them to our presence. We passed charm after charm, and as the trees became scarce, the charms thickened. Three hung from the branches of larger pines. We were close.
Fate gave me a vision of his sigil, a mark that darkened the closer we came to our targets. We found the male witch sleeping in a dilapidated cabin. The only part of the roof not covered in a thick carpet of moss had caved in. He never saw us coming.
Mira kicked the door open. The witch threw his blankets off and siced his pet on us. The large canine had been dead a very long time, from the looks of the rotten bits of flesh and fur dangling from his underbelly. I ordered the dog to sit and he obeyed.
Arron appeared in front of the witch. “Is that any way to welcome guests?” he teased.
The witch flung spell after spell, but Fate’s sigil pulsed on his head. I used my hands to bat the desperate attempts away like pests until finally, the witch relented. He begged me not to take the life of his lover, which enraged me.
“You tried to kill the man I love and you’re asking me to spare your lover? I don’t think so.”
Rope in hand, I started toward him, but Mira reached him first.
Mira, thick tears clinging to her eyes, let out a roar and drowned him with a torrent of water so strong, it plastered him to the wall, holding him in place until his lungs filled with fluid. Once she was sure he was dead, she let him fall bonelessly to the ground. Arron strode toward the body, his heavy boots bowing the floorboards. Clouds poured from his hands, swallowing the male witch whole. When they dissipated, the witch’s body was gone.
“Where is the female?” Mira asked, glancing around the filthy space with wild eyes.
“Farther… she is near the sea,” I answered. Grabbing each of their hands, I spirited us to his accomplice. She wasn’t just near the sea, she was in it; standing knee deep, looking out at the incoming tide. The waves rose and crashed into her legs with a ferocity that heralded Mira’s rising anger.
When the woman sensed us, she turned, Fate’s mark emblazoned on her forehead. “You found him, didn’t you? We knew you’d come for us eventually. Since Cyril’s death, we’ve been almost powerless. We can’t even spirit ourselves away from harm.” She sniffed, wiping her tears away.
“Your lover is dead,” Mira informed her coldly, watching as the witch deflated. “Just as you will be.”
The witch’s smile wobbled. Her auburn hair thrashed in the wind. Moonlight turned the tears in her eyes to glitter as she gritted out, “Then I shall be reunited with him and the goddess on this night.”
The girl didn’t fight back. She didn’t whisper a single spell. She steeled her spine and faced us as Mira strode toward her on steps fueled by purpose, never sinking into the sea. The girl turned around just in time to see Mira grab her hair. She dragged the girl far beyond the line of breakers and disappeared beneath the surface with her.
When the girl had drowned, Mira dragged her body back to the shore for Arron to dispose of.
“They deserved it,” he said with finality as the doomed witch’s body disappeared.
I didn’t feel bad about claiming them. Fate may not have ordered it, but he guided us to them.
“Were they the only two helping Cyril?” Mira asked, waiting as I felt for Fate’s answer. He’d been strangely quiet since Cyril’s death. I could still feel him, but things between us were different.
He confirmed my suspicion with a warm flutter. “Yes. There was only the two of them.”
I was grateful there weren’t more. Given the size of the House of Fate, there must have been many more, but most chose not to remain loyal to my mother. Most were wise enough to cut ties with her and move on with their lives.
And now, we had to do the same. We had to move forward, one minute, one day, and one choice at a time…
“So, who is Night, and does he speak to you?” Mira asked Arron as we walked away from the shore.
He nodded towards me. “Yes, but not in the same way Fate speaks to Sable. Night – darkness – is a vital part of nature. That said, Night is a separate natural affinity – not like Fate, who is very much alive.”
Grasping their hands yet again, together we spirited to the Center where Mira lingered. It was obvious that she wanted to talk to me…alone. Luckily, Arron was very good at taking hints. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and pointed back to our House. “I, uh, have… There are things I should do.”
Mira giggled. “Then by all means, go and do them.”
He strode to our House and disappeared behind the door.
“He has the biggest crush on you,” I told her when we were alone.
“He does not.”
“Yes, he does. Since you told the water who was boss, he hasn’t stopped staring at you.”
Mira smiled, but the smile soon fell away. “Sable,” she began, “the moon is almost full.”
I looked to the dark sky above and wished I had the power to drag the shadow back again, to hold it in place so the moon would never be full. I wished Fate would ask me to heal the King, ensuring that Tauren’s heart wouldn’t break from the sight of his father drawing his last breath. That he wouldn’t have to hear his mother’s cries.
“You should go to him.”
“I left him.”
“If anyone could understand, he would, Sable. He understands duty and responsibility better than anyone.” She squeezed my arm. “Thank you for letting me tag along tonight.”
I appreciated her help, but was sad it came to this. To death. But with death would come rebirth. That was the cycle of life.
“You might be interested to know,” Mira started, “that Tauren sent Rose and Estelle home. He was very nice about it, but told them neither one was his match.”
My heart leapt, trying vainly to escape via my throat. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words to tell her how glad I was to hear this news. I thought he might just choose one at random and hope for the best, just so his father could attend his wedding. Truthfully, I liked Estelle, and I knew she liked Tauren, too. But like wasn’t love, and that was what Tauren deserved more than anything.
“I still say you should go to him. Arron can stay in your House, and I’ll watch over him and it while you’re gone,” she offered. “Think about it.”
I nodded.
Mira waited until I looked at her. “Promise me you’ll think about it.”
Sighing, I replied, “I promise.”
The next morning when I woke, the din of conversation grew in the Center as witches from every House gathered. I woke Arron and we went out to join them. An Air witch excitedly informed us that the new Earth Priestess was about to be introduced.
As soon as she said it, Ethne, Brecan, and Mira emerged from the wood with a fourth witch. Ivy, from the House of Earth, had been anointed as the new Priestess. She was lovely, with hair and freckles the same dark, earthy shade of pine bark. Her kind, evergreen eyes fell on everyone who came out to applaud her, including Arron and me.
I felt the pull of her power from where I stood. Tender grass shoots flourished beneath her feet as every step she took brought life. Every tree she touched regained its color, and while leaves wouldn’t come until spring, she promised they would return. That all would be as it once was.
With regard to nature, all would be restored. With regard to life? Nothing would be as it was.
Ethne stepped forward, a rare smile on her face. “Witches, I give you Ivy, Priestess of the House of E
arth.”
Ivy bowed as Ethne crowned her with a wreath made of twisted vines. As soon as the dry vine touched her head it came alive, small flowers budding and then blooming around the circlet.
“We have much to do to set things right,” Ivy said in a sweet-sounding voice. “But, as soon as the balance has returned, the Circle wants to celebrate with an Affinity Battle, which will take place on All Hallow’s Eve.”
The witches gasped collectively and then cheered.
There hadn’t been a battle in at least five years, but from what I remembered from watching the last one, it was something the witches enjoyed. They challenged one another to retrieve a specific crystal from the porch of each House. No spiriting was allowed; only Earth, Air, Fire, Water, sweat, and determination.
“This year, we’d like to invite the House of Fate to join us as well.”
My mouth gaped for a moment before I recovered. “We accept.” I smiled and nudged Arron, who seemed confused. I whispered to him, “I’ll explain later.”
Mira explained that we would divide into our Houses and receive further instructions. Everything that had been marred would require replenishment, and since much had been affected, there was a lot of work to be done between now and All Hallow’s Eve.
Arron and I would help, too. We hovered in the Center to see where we could best assist.
Brecan found us first. “You ready?” he asked.
Arron glanced at me and answered, “We were wondering what was taking so long.”
Brecan laughed and waved for us to join his House.
It was strange to feel welcome here, but it gave me a sense of relief. I didn’t realize how tense and uncomfortable I’d been in my own sector until I left it.
Having a purpose made the hard days pass quickly, but I watched the moon in my empty moments, even during the day when the sky was clear. Tomorrow, she would be full. I was restless. Fate was so quiet, at times I forgot he was there.
“Does Tauren need me?” I asked him into my mirror while towel-drying my damp hair. “Should I go to him?”
Fate did not answer. But my heart did.
I threw the towel to the floor and jogged down the steps. “Arron, I need to go –”
Arron was in the sitting room, standing awkwardly beside Courier Stewart as he worried his hat. “Miss Sable,” he greeted with relief.
My eyes filled with tears. “Is he okay?”
“He’d like you to come to the palace, if you’re not too busy.”
I nodded. “I’ll go to him now.”
The Courier inclined his head. “Thank you, Miss.”
I glanced at Arron, who nodded in understanding. Without further thought or conversation needed, I raced to the door, flung it open, and spirited to the palace steps, surprising the two guards who were stationed there. Once they saw my face, they relaxed. “I need to see Tauren,” I demanded breathlessly.
They opened the doors and I slipped inside, scurrying on feather-light steps to the King’s chamber. The guards standing sentinel outside the door waved me inside without complaint. I entered and almost gasped at the heart-wrenching tableau spread out before me. Tauren sat on one side of his father and the Queen sat on the other, each grasping one of the King’s limp hands. King Lucius lay almost flat, his head elevated with a pillow. His skin was yellow and sagged on his bones. The thick blankets covering him could not conceal his swollen middle.
Tears pricked my eyes.
Tauren glanced up as the door opened, and I saw his face crumble when he saw me. Dropping his head with a trembling sigh, his dark hair and shoulders shook with every tear he tried to hold in.
With his free hand, he reached for me. I rushed to him and grasped him as tightly as I could, attempting to infuse every ounce of my love through my embrace. His arm wrapped around me and he fisted the fabric of the back of my dress. With every sob he let out, fissures spread through the wall I’d erected around my heart.
Annalina watched us with tears streaming down her face. “Thank you,” she mouthed. I nodded once, focusing again on Tauren.
I stayed for minutes, hours, holding the man I loved. Lucius’s breaths faded until they were shallow and spread far apart, and then, just after dusk, they stopped and the King faded away. His soul rose up into the room, regarding his loved ones. I whispered a blessing to him and urged him to follow the light. It would guide him to his next destination.
In all my years of dealing with death, I knew there was a moment of numb shock that hit each person after they lost a loved one. Even though they knew death was inevitable, in that moment it suddenly became real. The fact that their loved one was truly gone would pierce them like an arrow to the heart.
I was there the moment it hit Annalina. As if sensing the separation of her beloved’s spirit, she let out a wail that made the marrow nestled within my bones ache. I wished there was some way I could comfort her, but without speaking, Tauren went to her. He held his mother, rocking her until she calmed.
When she was exhausted and depleted, Annalina looked up and gingerly stood. “We need to admit the physician to prepare him for burial.” She squeezed Tauren’s hand tight and reached for me with trembling fingers. I walked around the bed to her and slid my hand into hers, and the three of us walked from the room.
Annalina might have been grieving, but she was still Queen, and it showed with the way she held her head up despite her tears. The way she straightened her back and put one foot in front of the other when I knew all she felt like doing was falling to her knees.
Tauren and I walked with her to a set of rooms she’d occupied temporarily during Lucius’s illness. When Tauren offered to stay with her, she shook her head dismissively and hugged her son.
“I need some time alone,” she said, her voice cracking.
Once she shut her door, Tauren turned to me, his chin quivering as he held back more tears. “I know it isn’t exactly proper, but would you come to my room? It’s private, and I just want–”
“Of course I will,” I answered.
We walked together to his room. He didn’t say a word; he tugged me toward the enormous bed, where we lay on the covers and eventually gave in to exhaustion together, falling asleep cradled within each other’s arms.
I woke before he did. It was hard to tell the exact time, as the sun was hidden behind the clouds, but I knew it was late afternoon. Tauren began to stir when I brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen across his eyelid.
When his golden eyes slowly opened, I saw the bloodshot veins that spoke of gallons of shed tears. “You stayed,” he rasped.
“I wouldn’t leave you,” I answered.
“You did, though.”
“I had to, then.” Maybe he didn’t understand, and maybe I should have explained my departure better, but I had a duty to my home and to find the witches still loyal to my mother’s cause, and he had a duty to spend every remaining minute with his father.
“I missed you,” he breathed, placing a sweet, chaste kiss on my forehead and wrapping his arms around me.
“I missed you, too,” I breathed, holding him tight.
“My father’s funeral will take place tomorrow. Will you stay for it and attend with me?”
I wanted to, but wasn’t sure if…
“What is it?” he asked.
“Am I welcome at his service? Witchcraft is considered evil by most religions.”
He smoothed the worry line between my eyes. “You are welcome anywhere in this kingdom, Sable. Nothing about you is evil. Everyone knows that now.”
“Then, yes. I’ll attend with you.”
He swallowed. “Do you need to return to your House?”
“Not yet,” I told him. I could only help so much with the rebuilding of Thirteen without a nature affinity, but even so, there was nowhere else I’d rather be than with him.
&
nbsp; Someone knocked at the door. While Tauren went to answer it, I stood and walked to the window to see black pennants flapping on the rooftops. The Kingdom was already mourning its King.
Tauren had a brief conversation with someone and then closed the door. “Would you care to dine in here tonight?”
“Of course.”
He walked to the window and looked out, his eyes locking on the flags. He stared at them for several long moments, his hands folded behind his back. “I’m afraid I have nothing planned for us.”
“Tauren, you and I don’t need fanfare or constant entertainment. We just need one another.”
He swallowed thickly, then nodded several times, pursing his lips tightly together.
There were no words to express how sorry I was, how I wished I could have saved his father, or how I wanted so badly to ease his pain. But I wouldn’t take even an ounce of grief away from him, because I knew more than most how he needed to feel his way through and emerge from it stronger and more resilient. If I took his feelings away, he wouldn’t be Tauren.
We had to process death with emotion, and experiencing death, and mourning the loss of someone you loved, was not only inevitable for all of us, it was something that transformed us into a stronger version of ourselves. Tauren would be stronger in time, I reminded myself.
For now, I would be strong for him.
Later that evening, someone knocked on Tauren’s door to wake him for dinner. He groggily rose and stumbled to the door on leaden feet, offering a soft Thank you. I sat up on the bed as he walked back across the room and sat beside me. His eyes were heavy-lidded and dark circles ringed underneath. “Thank you for staying with me.”
Instead of telling him ‘you’re welcome,’ I took his hand in mine, brushing my thumb over the back of it. I wanted to be here with him. “I was about to come anyway,” I confessed. “Before Courier Stewart arrived, I had already decided I was going to show up uninvited.”