Page 25 of The Powerless Witch
“No. Withyou.” She took a step closer and Isaac tensed as if he was about to pull her back, but then he chose to stay rooted in his spot. “Will you make a bargain with me, Your Highness?”
I looked her over again. After the way my mother chased her out eighty years ago, I didn’t think she’d ever set foot in our grove.
“Please, follow me.” I smiled, motioning toward the entrance to our land. She stepped past me without hesitation, but Isaac lingered. I gave him a curious look, but then I hurried after her before any of the sentinels attacked her for trespassing. When I received the wolf’s message, I didn’t think I’d be bringing in guests. Especially with the wedding in just a few weeks.
Celeste waited near the boundary, the iridescent colors of the trees and their flowers making her skin glow like she was one with nature. It was strange enough to make me stagger—usually when humans were exposed to the incomparablebeauty of the true world, their own colors dulled. But she…oh, she was different. Always had been, I supposed.
Isaac stopped by her side, reaching to touch her back, then promptly removing his hand. She seemed to notice but pretended not to as she stepped closer to me. I had purposely not asked how the two of them came together, especially considering Isaac’s feelings toward witches, but this…this was more. The hate was gone from his eyes and instead with intent to kill, his gaze followed her like he needed to know where she was at any given moment. She hid it better, but she moved with careful deliberation, her steps always in stride with his, like they were dancing around each other.
Just what had happened between those two?
I looked to the trees, spotting one of the sentinels as he took a step forward. The birds and other small animals made enough noise to hide his approach, but it was easy to tell them apart if one knew how to listen. I shook my head lightly, motioning behind us. He once again melted into the forest, no doubt circling back to follow us at a distance with the others.
I was sure my sister’s watchers were already flying to her side to report my actions, but for now, I could allow my guests a bit of privacy.
Walking faster than I usually would, I took them to my home. It was further from the boundary than the main palace, but at least there they would both be safe. And I had a feeling they wouldn’t be leaving before my sister sentenvoysto greet them.
My guards were concealed, but once we entered my home, heads started peeking out of the rooms, curious eyes looking to see what was going on. My little court did most of the work around the place at their own behest, a large portion of them fleeing here in search of peace or pleasure. Unlike my sister, who liked order above all else, here there was none. Everyone came and went as they pleased, everyone helped around and treated the others fairly or found themselves permanently uninvited from our home.
Stopping before a pair of wide-open oak doors, I motioned with my hand in invitation. The room was empty, but upon hearing my voice, a pair of females sauntered in, grinning from ear to ear.
“Mal, here you are! Let’s—” One of them started, moving toward me when she noticed Celeste and Isaac. Her orange eyes widened as her gaze lingered on Celeste before turning to me.
“Not now, Lenora.” I smiled. “Please, bring appropriate refreshments.” She gave us another curious look before hurrying toward where her sister waited, shyly peeking in.
Once the door closed behind them, I motioned toward the long table in the center of the room, sending silent praise to whoever had decided to clean it up after the last party we had here. Isaac scrunched his nose as if he could still smell everything that had been set or done on it, but when Celeste didn’t move from her spot, his attention returned to her and his whole posture stiffened.
Trying to keep the air of cordiality despite the growing tension, I sank into the head seat and leaned back.
“So, tell me what’s on your mind,” I said, watching Celeste walk around and study the intricate carvings on the walls, half hidden by the ivy that had spread over the stone.
She didn’t reply right away, seemingly too focused on running her fingers over the plant with a reverent look in her eyes. Despite its vibrant green color, it was one of the oldest things in this grove, older than me, older even than my mother. Full of life and stories and memories—just like this witch.
I was wrong about her, I realized as she turned her head, the light from the nearest window illuminating her profile and softening her features. She wasn’t the same as before—the woman I first met almost three hundred years ago was at least a few decades older, with gray sneaking into her hair and eyes that betrayed the darkness of her past. This one…this one was younger, softer, and undeniably beautiful, but once she turned to meet my gaze, I saw it again.
The pain. The violence. The darkness.
Still there then.
“Where were you when we attacked the hunters?” she asked, crossing her arms. She looked strange wearing a pair of tight-fitting black pants, and a jacket zipped to her chin. Fae clothing had suited her much better, from what I could remember. I wanted to see her in it again. I was sure that with her youth and beauty, she could outshine even most of the Fae. Unlike her, they didn’t possess that all-consuming fire that had made me stare in awe three hundred years ago. That made me stare in awe now.
“Is this what you want to make a bargain for? Information?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. Without her smile, her face looked cold and withdrawn—the wayit had been that night while she stood over my brother’s dead body as my people lamented and called for her life. I shook my head to disperse those thoughts, trying to focus on the matter at hand. I was going to need a drink to go with this conversation if she kept looking at me like that. “We went in as agreed and we decimated the headquarters. Then Her Majesty ordered us to stand down, so we did.”
Her eyes narrowed in consideration, but it was Isaac who spoke first.
“You were supposed to help the rest of us!Wesaved your people from the hunters!Wedied protecting them while you were sitting on your asses. They are alive because ofus!”
I held back a sigh, understanding too well his frustration and hurt.
“I know and I will be forever grateful,” I said, inclining my head in gratitude. “We will make sure to properly compensate you for the trouble of returning them to the grove. And of course, should you or your people need any help, I would gladly provide it.”
“Can you bring back the dead?” Isaac snarled.
I looked down, holding back a sigh. “No, I cannot.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and charged.
“I can’t use my magic,” Celeste announced, and we both turned to her. Judging by the look on Isaac’s face, that was the first he was hearing of it, too. Celeste’s eyes remained on me. “The hunter who stabbed me used a Fae blade, and it disturbed the flow of energy within my body. The sisters from the Coven of Eternal Light said there was nothing they could do. Can you fix me?”