Even if she did by some miracle manage to prove herself, she was still a witch. And he was the king. Their love did not stand a chance.
Kelly curled up, burying her face in her hands. It was hopeless. He wouldn’t be interested in hearing what she had to say.
She could only hope that sooner or later, when her powers grew, she would find a way out of this black hole. And then? She had no idea.
Minutes, hours went by, while she remained in the corner of her cold, dark cell. Giving up wasn’t usually in her nature. But it was hard to remain hopeful when the only person in the whole world who understood you had just vanished into thin air.
Kelly let the entire conversation with Mother run through her mind again and again. She also thought about the events leading up to her incarceration.
She was a witch. It was so obvious now, even though she’d had trouble believing it at first.
When Rhea aimed to strike, Mother had granted her the energy for some kind of protective spell.
But as much as that explained, one thing was still a mystery. If she had defensive and mind reading powers, then why had Rhea’s appearance changed, if only for a second?
Did she also have the ability to change people into animals? That seemed like an odd power to have.
Although her mind tried to wander back to Broc and the hopelessness of it all, she forced her thoughts away again and again.
Through the tears, loneliness and despair, she kept on focusing on this one problem: how Rhea had nearly turned into a bear.
Yet she was unable to solve it.
Chapter Fourteen
Broc was still shaking his head to himself when he neared the stone steps leading down into the bowels of the castle. But before he could enter the dungeon, he was intercepted.
“My king,” a soft voice spoke.
Bree appeared from the shadows.
How had she found him here? Had she followed him from the Great Hall?
“Yes, Bree.”
“I did as you asked,” she said, while suspiciously scanning the hallway behind the two of them. “I followed Kelly today. Saw everything.”
Broc, who had always banked on his calm and collected demeanor, grew tense. He hoped… he wasn’t even sure what he was hoping for.
“Well, what did you see exactly?” Broc demanded, then immediately regretted his tone when
Bree flinched.
“It happened as Rhea said. Mostly.” Bree kept her eyes fixed on the ground between them.
The girl was probably just nervous, but Broc felt his impatience at her vague responses grow. This time, he managed to collect himself.
“Mostly?” he asked.
“It was Rhea who instigated it. The battle training was rough. Rhea had an unfair advantage. Upon disarming Kelly, she…” Bree’s voice trailed off and she scanned the hallway again.
“I would have intervened. I probably should have done so sooner,” she muttered to herself.
“Go on, speak freely!” Broc urged.
“Rhea raised her sword, as if she meant to strike Kelly. Only, she didn’t get the chance. A blue light surrounded the two of them and Rhea was thrown over the edge of the plateau.”
Broc inhaled sharply. He didn’t know what to make of it all. If Kelly indeed had magical powers… She had played the part of defenseless human very well indeed.
She’d tricked him.
And Rhea, she’d sensed it somehow. Even Teaq had had his suspicions.
A sense of dread filled his chest. He’d let her beauty enchant him.
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” Broc spoke in a curt tone.
Was there any point in going down there anymore? He did still need to get to the bottom of it all, or he wouldn’t find any rest.
“That’s not all, my king,” Bree said.
Broc turned to face the timid servant girl again.
“I’ve been watching her since. Taking care not to be seen by anyone, including Kelly herself.”
“And?”
“I don’t think she had any idea what was happening. On the way down the hill she passed out, and when she awoke, I heard her talking to someone. So I peered inside her cell. There was a mysterious figure in there with her. She kept calling her ‘Mother’.”
Broc frowned. Perhaps Kelly was talking in her sleep, just like she had done that morning, before any of this had happened. Still, his curiosity was sparked.
“But surely, there was no one inside with her?” Broc asked.
Bree pressed her lips together. Her face was full of doubt, and healthy dose of fear.
“By all means, girl. Speak!”
“Oh, but there was someone in her cell. A woman. I’ve no idea how she could have got in. The guard never left the hallway. I only managed to pass him because I’d changed to my animal form.”
Broc was stunned for a moment.
“She was…” Bree finally did look terrified. “She was glowing! It lit up the whole cell.”
“So what? You said she’d done that even out on the plateau,” Broc mumbled.
“Not Kelly! Her mother. The strange woman was glowing.”
That made even less sense.
“So you’re saying we have two witches locked up down below?”
Bree shook her head. “No, that’s the thing, the woman vanished into thin air when their conversation was finished. Like she’d never even been there at all. That’s what I can’t comprehend. How is that even possible?”
The girl was rambling. Understandably, she was deeply affected by everything she had witnessed. Still, Broc had to know the whole story. There was so much he did not yet understand.
“Back to Kelly. You said she didn’t know what was happening? What makes you say that?” Broc asked.
“Just, their conversation. Kelly thought Rhea had tricked her and that’s why she was imprisoned. I don’t think she realized she had powers. Until that woman, her so-called mother, told her about it.”
“Ah.” Broc scratched his beard.
A glimmer of hope after the darkest of hours. Was it possible that Kelly, his intended, was innocent after all?
Sure, she was still a witch. But if there was no intent there…
“Thank you, Bree. Your loyalty will be rewarded.”
Bree nodded briefly. “Thank you, my king.”
Broc watched her leave in a hurry. Then he quickly continued on his way to the dungeons.
Somewhere in this maze of dark corridors, further down below the mountain, the other prisoner was being held.
Broc did not care to look for her, or to check if Teaq had indeed followed his orders and started interrogating her. He only had one goal: to speak with Kelly.
Throughout this entire debacle, he’d done his best to remain objective. He’d tried to listen to Rhea’s story, and act statesmanlike and fair. But there was a large part of him that was incapable of rational thinking when it came to Kelly.
His inner beast had already chosen her. Claimed her. How could he deny that?
He had to find a way out of this mess. Luckily, what Bree had told him gave him something to cling onto.
“My king!” The guard posted near Kelly’s cell jumped to attention.
Broc gestured at him to calm down. “I mean to speak with the prisoner.”
He held out his hand, and waited. It took the guard a moment, before he realized Broc wanted the bundle of keys and indeed handed it over.
“Shall I…” He didn’t finish his question. The man was obviously new at his job and uncertain about himself. He’d chosen to stand as far away from Kelly’s cell as he could manage. No wonder Bree had slipped past easily and watched Kelly unseen.
“You’re excused. I will do this alone,” Broc said.
The guard hesitated, but then shrugged and left as ordered. Rhea and Teaq had a lot of leeway in how they acted around Broc, but most of the soldiers on this island did not have that luxury. An order was an order, especially when it came directly from the
highest of places.
Broc’s heart was racing in a way he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Faced with the prospect of speaking to Kelly at last made him feel exposed. She held a strange power over him.
Magic?
Probably not, even though Rhea might have wanted to believe so.
Not that it mattered, what Rhea believed. He closed his eyes and focused.
Kelly was just beyond that heavy door. He could hear her heartbeat. Her breaths.
That sweet scent of hers that had enchanted him right from the start tried to draw him nearer even now.
His inner beast reacted almost violently. He had to get inside there. To find out if she was still loyal to him.
If their bond was still true.
He rushed to open the door. It swung wide, with a violent screech. Kelly, who had been lying on the cold floor, flinched backwards in fear.
“Don’t be afraid,” Broc said, as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. For the conversation he was intending to have, it was best that nobody, especially the novice guard, overheard.
Her perfume overwhelmed her; tore at his insides. He found it near impossible to control himself and not rush over there to comfort her. She’d obviously been miserable; who wouldn’t be, locked up in this cold, damp place. There were no windows; no source of fresh air or light. It was easy to forget all sense of time in here.
It was a terrible injustice to find his intended here, especially if everything Bree had told him was true.
What happened today?
He wanted to know every detail, but he could not bring himself to ask. Every question that entered his mind sounded like an accusation.
“It seems I haven’t been honest with you,” Kelly whispered.
She looked so small, so vulnerable.
“It seems not,” he said.
His voice sounded a lot weaker than he had intended. Such was his relief that she’d spoken first.
“I hope you’ll believe me. I don’t even fully understand myself what happened out there.”
Kelly looked up with those big green eyes of hers. “I’m a witch. This I’ve learned to be true. But I mean you or your people no harm.”
Even though her face and hands were muddy, and her hair tangled and dull, her beauty was still blinding. Those large, red-rimmed eyes… She’d been crying; the dirt on her cheeks was streaked.
Broc was no stranger to physical pain. Nearly everyone on these islands had seen battle at some point or other. To be a warrior of Black Isle meant to be scarred by combat.
But seeing her like this was unbearable. It all but tore him in half.
During the few days they had spent together, a connection had formed. A sacred bond between lovers that many a song had been written about. He’d never taken the stories seriously, but now he knew better.
Fate had brought them together.
Their bond was true. How could he deny it now?
“I believe you,” he whispered.
Kelly’s eyes widened in surprise.
All the doubts that had plagued him since he’d heard the news were gone now that he saw the truth in her face.
But that didn’t mean that this matter was resolved. There were still Rhea and Teaq, and a council of Elders that would need convincing
As king, his decision was final in most matters, but pardoning a supposedly dangerous enemy after wounding one of their own, that would go too far. It would open him up to challenge, something which Teaq would be all too happy to take advantage of.
But to have their union broken and their love destroyed by an unjust accusation, that was even worse.
“Choose a side,” Kelly mumbled.
“What?” Broc asked.
She shook her head. “Just what someone told me. To choose a side and everything would work itself out.”
“Your mother,” Broc stated.
Kelly looked up again. “How did you know?”
“Bree. I’d sent her to watch over you. She overheard.” Broc had answered mindlessly, without considering the consequences. But it was too late to take it back.
“Bree was here?” Kelly asked.
There it was. The inevitable question. Answering her truthfully meant ignoring his promise to Teaq and the others. It would mean exposing Black Isle’s secret to a supposed enemy.
Broc nodded.
“I never saw her,” Kelly stammered.
“Some of us, we can move almost unseen,” Broc said.
Kelly frowned, then closed her eyes and remained perfectly still. A soft glow surrounded her only briefly.
Broc’s heart raced as he watched a change overcome her. Her expression became vacant, her body looked almost lifeless.
Show yourself, her voice entered his mind.
Then he felt the change in himself. His inner beast, which had been raging to get out ever since he smelled her presence, answered her call and clawed his way to the surface.
It only took the briefest of moments before Broc managed to force him back in.
Kelly gasped in surprise.
“What did I just see?” she stammered.
Broc wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened himself.
“You’re…” Kelly stood up and took a hesitant step in his direction. “You’re like Rhea? Half bear half man!”
That was impossible. Rhea was always in control of those primal impulses. Had she shown her true self to Kelly in the heat of the moment?
And if she had just seen Broc’s inner bear, how come she wasn’t terrified like most humans were after their first sighting?
“I… What did you just do?” Broc asked.
Kelly paused. “I’m not entirely sure. When I focus really hard, it seems I can enter people’s minds.”
Seeing as he’d heard her thoughts too, even if just for a moment, perhaps that wasn’t all she could do.
He walked over to her and took her hands. Cold as ice. Seeing the shackles on her wrists filled him with rage as well as regret. He had to get her out of here, and soon.
All he needed was a way to justify it to the others. So that they wouldn’t call his judgement into question and challenge his right to the throne.
This power of hers, though she seemed to not have it fully under control, brought with it great opportunity.
“This is how we will convince them,” Broc said.
Kelly frowned and shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“The Elders. Teaq and Rhea. You’ll practice this skill of yours, and we’ll use it to our advantage.”
“I can try.” Kelly looked up at him with large, hesitant eyes.
“Let’s get you out of here first,” Broc said. “Nobody else knows about what went on today. There’s no sense in missing the third night of the feast and raising suspicions where there shouldn’t be any.”
“You mean to do this tonight?”
He gently rubbed her icy hands between his. “I can’t leave you here. But perhaps it’s best if we keep you in hiding for a few days before confronting everyone.”
A tear formed in the corner of Kelly’s eye as she smiled up at him.
Thank you. Her voice entered his mind. Thank you for believing in me.
Kelly looked down at her wrists. A blue light enveloped the restraints until they snapped open and fell to the ground.
It should have shocked him, perhaps even frightened him. But watching Kelly’s magic, however small, just filled Broc with pride.
“She was right, my mother,” Kelly said. “She said I’d know what to do. Once the time came and I’d made my choice.”
“And, what have you decided?” Broc asked.
“That I’m on your side. For as long as you’ll have me.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kelly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She was so grateful.
For her mother, who had saved her from Rhea’s blinding jealousy, even if her well-meaning intervention had created a whole host of other issues.
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And Broc, for believing her when she wasn’t even fully sure what to believe herself.
She was also grateful for this hot bath Bree had run for her in preparation for tonight. Despite the two days’ rest since being rescued from the dungeon, her body was still bruised and sore.
Their reunion was awkward at first, but Bree quickly relaxed once Kelly confided in her about everything that had happened down in the dungeon.
It was such a relief to have another person to talk to.
Her release had been handled quietly. Rhea and Teaq had not been informed. The only people who knew so far were Broc, obviously, Bree, and the guard outside her cell. Thankfully nobody else had thought to check her chambers, so their secret was still safe.
She’d spent these days in hiding, trying to hone her skills by practicing on either Broc or Bree. But tonight was the night Kelly would reveal herself.
She would attend the final night of the Reaping feast. The element of surprise would be on their side. Then she’d use her newfound powers to appease everyone.
She’d have to confront Broc’s council of advisors, starting with Rhea and Teaq. Just how easily she would be able to convince them to see her not as a treacherous enemy to their way of life, but an innocent bystander in all of this, was hard to say.
There was no conspiracy here. She hadn’t been put up as an offering in the Reaping to infiltrate their ranks and destroy them from within. What a ridiculous notion. The villagers of West Hythe were way too set in their ways to come up with such a cunning plan.
A woman spy. Most, her own father included, would spit on the idea.
The mainland was a very different place from the Black Isles. Surely everyone would see that eventually?
Kelly’s stomach growled angrily. She hadn’t eaten for hours. But until she could change everyone’s minds and secure her place here, food was the last thing on her mind.
“Bree,” Kelly called out. “If you could hand me that towel… I’d better get ready now.”
When Kelly entered the Great Hall, accompanied by Bree, she was once again painfully aware of the eyes fixated on her. Two pairs, in particular.
Teaq and Rhea could not hide their shock at her presence and jumped up from their seats in protest. It was unnerving to watch their faces twist and morph to reveal their true selves; half bear for Rhea, and Teaq was half wolf.
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