by Teresa Roman
For days, I went back and forth trying to decide what to do. What right did I have to go against Willow’s wishes? Her letter had told me clearly and plainly that she did not want to be with me. She wouldn’t want me chasing after her. But I didn’t know how to just let her go. What had Willow been thinking when she’d left? That in time I’d just get over her? It would never happen. I longed for her so desperately that every part of me ached. Why had I let myself fall for her in the first place? A thousand times, I’d told myself that she’d break my heart. That I had nothing to offer her because I was trapped inside the walls of my castle. But things were different now. With my curse broken, I could give her the world. Why wasn’t that enough?
“Brooding again?” I turned my head at the sound of Maria’s voice.
“She’s my mate. I don’t know how to stop thinking about her.”
“Thinking won’t get you anywhere,” Maria snapped. “You need to pick yourself up, get out there, and find Willow. I’m certain that once you do, you can convince her that she belongs with you.”
“Careful. My brothers would be furious with you for talking that way.”
“Let them be.”
Just then, Alexander stepped into the room. “Let them be what?” he asked, walking over to the table, where I sat with my untouched breakfast in front of me.
Instead of answering his question, I asked him one. “Where are Maxim and Frederic?”
“Packing, probably. They’re both pretty anxious to return home.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me? Knowing Frederic, he probably started arranging our travel plans the moment he learned my curse had been broken.”
“And? So what if he did? Leaving Beaver Falls has always been the plan.”
I pushed my chair away from the table and stood. “When you see our eldest brother, let him know that I wish him safe travels.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before I could reply, Frederic and Maxim entered the room together.
“What are you two going on about?” Maxim asked. He was looking stronger every day.
“I’m glad you are all here,” I said. “That way I don’t have to repeat what I’m about to say.”
“Well, go ahead.” Frederic gestured with his arm. “Spit it out already.”
“I wish the three of you have a safe trip home—”
Maxim raised his brow. “The three of us?”
“That’s right. You heard me. I’m not leaving. Not until I find Willow.”
Frederic’s jaw clenched. “Don’t be an idiot, Nic. I already told you she doesn’t want to be found. You’ll only make a fool out of yourself.”
“If Willow doesn’t want me, that’s her choice. And I’ll accept it. But not until she tells me herself,” I said. “I need to hear the words from her lips. Only then can I accept that things between us are truly over.”
“I’m staying as well,” Maria said. “So I can help Nicolai find Willow.”
Frederic gaped. “Please tell me the two of you are joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” I said.
“Neither am I,” Maria added. “Over the past few weeks, I came to care deeply for Willow. We didn’t get a chance to say our goodbyes. But even if we had, I’m not leaving this country until I know for certain that she will be safe here without me.”
“Safe from what?” Alexander asked.
“You can’t be that obtuse,” Maria replied. “Peter might be dead, but his accomplice most certainly isn’t. What if she is eager for revenge? For all we know, she may already be hunting Willow down.”
My heart clenched. Did Maria really think that, or was she just saying that to convince my brothers to stop giving me a hard time about wanting to find Willow?
“All the more reason for us to leave this wretched place sooner rather than later,” Frederic muttered.
Alexander huffed. “Willow is a powerful witch. You said it yourself, Maria. I’m sure she’s more than capable of taking care of herself. I agree with Frederic. We should be preparing for our trip home.”
Maria shook her head. “I’m staying with Nicolai. Neither of us is leaving until we find Willow.”
“You work for my family,” Frederic said. “Which means you do as I say.”
Maria glared at Frederic. “I might work for your family, but I am no slave. See that you remember that before you choose to order me around.”
“It’s decided, then,” I said. “Maria and I will stay. The rest of you can return to Sarabia.”
“Stop being stupid, Nic.” Frederic’s jaw twitched. “Willow doesn’t want to be found, and there is not a shred of evidence that she is in danger. Whoever Peter’s accomplice might have been, I am more than certain that his death sent a loud and clear message that we are not to be messed with.”
“What happens after we leave Beaver Falls?” I said. “Will Willow still be safe then?”
“She’s a witch,” Maxim replied. “Like Alexander said, she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.”
“No, she’s not.” Maria glared at my brothers. “Willow still has much to learn.”
“Then you can stay and give her more magic lessons,” Frederic said. “Why should the rest of us have to stick around for that?”
“You’re forgetting one thing, Nicolai,” Maxim said, lowering himself into the empty chair across from me. “Father won’t let us come home without you.”
Maria put her hands on her hips and stared at Frederic. “If my memory serves me correctly, Frederic, the blame for your extended stay here falls on your shoulders.”
Frederic pounded his fist on the back of a chair. “I made a mistake. One I’ve more than paid for.” His callous actions were what had gotten me cursed in the first place. The witch who’d cursed me wanted Frederic to watch me suffer, just like she’d watched her sister suffer after Frederic had broken her heart.
“Nicolai is the one who paid,” Maria said. “Which means you”—she pointed at Frederic—“are in debt to him.”
Alexander sighed. “I hate to admit it, but Maria makes a good point.”
Maxim turned his head in Alexander’s direction. “What are you saying?”
“That I think Maria is right. Nicolai is owed a chance to settle things with Willow.”
Maxim rolled his eyes and shook his head. “All this fuss over one woman. I can’t believe it. But I suppose there’s no point arguing about it. It’s obvious Nicolai’s mind is made up.”
Frederic glared at us. “The four of you are idiots. You know that?” He must’ve realized that he’d been defeated, because he turned and stormed away.
Chapter 6
Willow
I gripped the sides of the passenger seat as my brother drove, zigzagging between lanes like he was driving in the Indy 500.
“Would you slow down already?” I finally said. “I’m going to die of a heart attack before we reach Delilah’s if you keep driving like this.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to get us there quickly. For all we know, Nicolai might already be on his way to my house.”
I didn’t share in Finn’s sense of urgency. For one thing, I had my doubts that Nicolai was still even in the country. His brothers had been eager to return to Sarabia. With me out of the picture, they’d probably convinced him there was no reason to stay in Beaver Falls. At least, that’s what I hoped. For another, I wasn’t entirely sure my aunt could help. She was a witch but, I remembered her telling me, not a very powerful one, which meant there were limits to what she could do with magic.
After an almost-hour-long heart-pounding drive, we finally arrived at Delilah’s house. Finn knocked on her door. A few seconds later, a very surprised Delilah ushered us into her living room.
“I’m sorry. I probably should’ve called first,” Finn said.
Delilah’s eyes flitted back and forth between me and my brother. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but we need your help with something.”
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Delilah gestured for us to take a seat. Once we did, she turned to look at me. “Willow, my goodness, you’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman. I can’t believe how much you look like Abby.”
My father used to say that all the time, and every time he did, it made me long for my mother, whom I never had the chance to meet, since she’d died right after giving birth to me.
Delilah turned her attention to Finn. “So, what brings the two of you here?”
“I’m going to get straight to the point,” Finn said. “Willow just broke up with her boyfriend. She’s been hiding out at my place and doesn’t want him to find her. Is there a way to make that happen?”
She raised an eyebrow. “A magical way?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I get the feeling there’s more to this story,” Delilah said, her hazel eyes trained on me. “Why do you need magic to keep this man from finding you?”
“Well, it’s kind of a long story.”
Delilah crossed her arms. “I’d still like to hear it.”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure he’s looking for me, but if he is, he’ll have someone helping him. A witch.”
“That doesn’t explain why you don’t want him to find you. Has he hurt you?”
“No,” I said shaking my head. “It’s nothing like that. It’s just, well, Nicolai and I want different things from life. That’s why I had to break up with him. But my feelings are still there, and I’m worried that if I see him or talk to him, he’ll get me to change my mind about us, and I can’t let that happen.”
“Hmm. Is this Nicolai human … or something else?”
“Well, I—"
“He’s a werewolf,” Finn chimed in before I could finish my answer.
“A werewolf?” Delilah said, her eyes widening.
Seeing the worry in my aunt’s face, I defended Nicolai, “He’d never hurt me.”
“I don’t know much about werewolves. They have heightened senses, but if he’s still in Beaver Falls, tracking you all the way here, I imagine, will be difficult. But the witch you mentioned, as long as she has something of yours, she can easily find you.”
“She does,” I said.
“Is there anything you can do?” Finn asked.
“I’ll need to cast a spell that will block the witch Willow mentioned from scrying for her.”
Scrying. Maria had taught me about that. It was the art of revelation. It was used for a multitude of things, such as looking into the future or for finding something or someone. Maria would need something of mine, and it didn’t have to be that big. A single hair was enough. I’d left far more than that behind at the castle. “That sounds right,” I said.
“I will help you,” Delilah said. “But after I do, I want you to tell me how it is that you came to be involved with a werewolf.”
I glanced at my brother out of the corner of my eye, wondering what he was thinking, but I couldn’t decipher his expression. We followed my aunt up the stairs, down a hallway, and up another flight of stairs into a small attic. There was only one window, and its curtains were drawn and thick enough to keep out the daylight, so we were plunged into almost-total darkness. The smell of incense hung thick in the air. My aunt lit a few candles, then closed the door behind us.
“Whoa,” Finn said taking a look around the room.
A bed was wedged into one corner. Bookcases and a large worktable filled the rest of the periphery of the room. My aunt walked over to one of the shelves and reached for a book. She brought it over to the table and then whispered some words.
The book opened on its own.
“How powerful is this witch who is searching for you?” she asked.
“I don’t know for sure that she is looking for me,” I said, stuffing my hands into the back pockets of my jeans.
“How powerful?” Delilah asked again.
“Very.”
“Then perhaps a potion would work better than a spell. But I think you should be the one to make it.”
“How do I do that?” I asked. “I’m not exactly an expert potion maker.”
“I should have all the ingredients you need, and I can always help you.” Delilah grabbed another book from the shelf and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Then she turned her attention toward a collection of small glass jars. Tinkling noises filled the air as Delilah pushed them around, searching for what she needed.
“What do I do?” I asked as Delilah handed me ingredients.
“You’ve followed recipes before, haven’t you?” Finn said. “I imagine potion making would be similar.”
“Sort of,” Delilah said. “The biggest difference is that making a potion requires intention, just like spell casting does. Focus on the task at hand, at your end goal, and the potion should work as it’s meant to.”
I took a deep, cleansing breath and cleared my mind. I could do this. I had to do this. Because if I failed and Nicolai found me, I’d lose all the resolve I’d had when I left Beaver Falls.
I glanced down at the potion book and read the first ingredient out loud. Delilah handed me one of the bottles she had placed on the table.
“I have to get a fire going under that cauldron,” Delilah said. She scanned the room and then mumbled to herself, “Now where did I put those matches?”
“We don’t need matches,” I said, training my eyes on the cauldron. Under my breath, I recited a simple spell.
Fire burn bright.
Fire appeared under the cauldron. I clapped my hands together, pleased with myself.
“That’s crazy,” Finn said. “I can’t believe you can do that.”
“Very nice.” Delilah smiled. “Now let’s get started on the potion.”
For some reason, my hands were shaking. I began adding ingredients to the cauldron.
“You must be precise,” Delilah said as she watched me.
I somehow managed to steady my hands and focus as I mixed everything together just as the book instructed. Two slow clockwise turns, one quick counterclockwise turn, then another slow turn in the other direction.
I let out a deep breath. “I think I’m done.”
Delilah used a small ladle to spoon some of the potion into a flask. She handed it to me. “Give it a few minutes to cool. There’s an incantation you must say both before and after drinking it.”
I did as my aunt instructed. “How will I know if it worked?”
“I see no reason why it shouldn’t.” Delilah blew out the fire that was still lit under the cauldron, then the candles, and took my hand. “Come, Finn. We should go downstairs and talk.”
She led us back into the living room, where we all sat down.
“A lot has happened since the last time we talked,” she said, looking at me. “Am I right?”
I nodded.
“You can trust me, you know.”
“I know.” Even though it had been a long time since I’d seen Delilah, I had a good feeling about her. “It’s just that … it’s not easy to talk about.
Finn put his hand on my shoulder. “I can tell her if you want.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s okay. I can do it.”
For the second time that day, I explained how Nicolai and I had met, how his brothers had asked for my help, how Maria had unbound my powers. Every so often, Delilah would interrupt with a question, until I finished explaining everything that had happened over the past few weeks.
“You’ve been through quite an ordeal,” Delilah said. “I feel terrible that I wasn’t there to help you through it all.”
“I’m not sure that what happened is the sort of thing someone can really help you through.”
“Should I have kept what I knew to myself, or was I right to tell you the truth about being a witch?”
“Of course you were right.” I folded my hands in my lap. “Despite everything, I’m glad I was able to help Nicolai. He’s a good person. He didn’t deserve to be cursed.”
“So
, what now, Willow?” Finn asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to kick you out or anything, but we both know you can’t stay with me forever. Do you have a plan?”
I didn’t. I’d left Beaver Falls so I wouldn’t have to face Nicolai. Further than that, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go.
“Maybe you can stay with me for a while,” Delilah said, interrupting my thoughts. “It would give me a chance to teach you what I know of magic. It’s not nearly as much as your friend Maria knows, but it’s better than nothing.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course.” She frowned. “Why would you think otherwise?”
I shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I haven’t heard much from you since you left Beaver Falls forever ago. Why did you leave, anyway? Did Dad ask you to?”
“No,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I left because I fell in love.”
I glanced at Finn and then back at Delilah, their expressions telling me there was more to this story.
“I feel like I’m missing something,” I finally said.
Delilah chewed on her lower lip before finally lifting her gaze. “I didn’t fall in love with a man.”
Given how crazy life had become, I didn’t want to assume anything. “I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“I’m gay, Willow.”
“Oh.” For a moment I wasn’t sure what to say. “And you thought I would have a problem with that?”
“I’m not sure what I thought,” Delilah replied.
“You know how Beaver Falls is,” Finn said. “A lot of folks couldn’t accept it. Especially back then.”
“Lisa, my wife, she’s African American. It’s hard enough for people to accept an inter-racial relationship or a homosexual one. It’s even harder for them to accept both.”
“You’re married?” Without waiting for a reply, I turned my head in Finn’s direction. “You knew about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you were just a kid when Delilah moved. Dad said you wouldn’t understand.”
“Do Owen and Riley know?”
“I may have mentioned it to them.”