Page 35 of The Powerless Witch
I tilted my head curiously, trying to figure out what I was missing here. Regina was a powerful Head Witch who ruled over one of the biggest covens in the world. Why would she adhere to the demands of a woman ranking lower than her, even if she was a talented welder? Something wasn’t adding up. I was just about to ask when the witch spoke again.
“Mariam is not…who she appears to be,” she said, licking her lips again. She glanced at the half-full glass in my hand, and I gave her another couple of gulps. She sighed in relief before continuing. “She is actually the…Second of the Coven of the Silver Flame. But since the Head Witch is old and blind, Mariam…all but runs the Coven herself. And she…she and Regina seemed to…have some kind of connection.”
I frowned. What kind of connection could those two have? They weren’t close in age and they didn’t even belong to the same coven. I needed to investigate what might have connected them—now and in the past. Having to face one coven was troublesome enough, but if two united against Celeste, it could pose a real problem.
“Does Mariam want Celeste dead, or does she want her power?” I asked.
“I…don’t know.” The witch shook her head.
“Does Mariam know of her grandmother’s pact with Celeste?” The witch’s eyebrows creased together in confusion, which told me she had no idea what I was talking about. Her heart remained steady, confirming she wasn’t trying to trick me. “Was Regina the one meeting with the hunters when they were kidnapping the shifters and the Fae? Or was it Mariam?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who did the kidnapping?”
“I don’t know.”
Her voice was stronger now, her posture a bit more confident as she started regaining some of her strength, but her eyes filled with fear when she realized her answers weren’t what I wanted to hear.
“I really don’t know!” she shook her head, the cuffs clanking heavily against the wall. “Nobody knows the whole plan, only Regina and Mariam! My part was in aiding the attacks on the other supernaturals. I’m just a foot soldier!”
I pulled back the glass, tilting my head to the side.
“You know an awful lot for a foot soldier,” I smirked, and she shook her head.
“I’m not lying! I only know because I was assigned to monitor Samara, and I saw the Head Witch meet with Mariam several times. My mother was the one who told me about Mariam—she recognized her after visiting the Order of the Silver Flame a few years ago!”
I pursed my lips, listening to the sound of her heart—it remained steady, unfaltering, true.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Putting the glass on the floor, just outside of her reach, I turned to leave.
“You were never going to let me go, were you?” she whispered.
I gave her a cold, mocking smile.
“I said I’d let you live. I never said anything about letting you go.” Understanding, then shame flooded her eyes, extinguishing the last flicker of hope. “Keep being useful to me and you will keep breathing. Cause trouble and you will perish. But not before I have made you feel more pain than your body can handle. And pray I can figure out what Regina is doing before it’s too late, or torture will be the least of your worries.”
Chapter 15
Celeste
Igave the Fae girl a grateful nod before closing the door to the room I had been brought to. The space was airy and open, with giant windows facing the seemingly endless grove. The sun had set already, but the trees and plants, and even the air, were full of energy which even I could feel. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, the crescent moon throwing enough light to make every single flower shimmer with an unearthly glow.
Despite being November, the gentle breeze coming through the wide-open windows was pleasant and sweet, carrying an aroma of magic and life. I had forgotten how overwhelming being in the Fae world was. And without my powers…I had to be mad to come back. But what other choice did I have? I wasn’t sure I could cross the ocean fast enough to find another groveandfind someone willing to heal me.
I could feel my magic eating me from the inside. It had been sated until earlier, calm and drowsy after the night I spent with Isaac, but now…the tension of being here, the worry of the reaction of the Fae, and even the stupid examination earlier…it had messed up my calm. It wasn’t that I was shy about my body or that there was anything sexual in Malakai’s touch, but the intensity with which Isaac had stared at me and the way the Fae prince’s hand felt on my skin…it had woken that damn hunger again. And now my insides were burning, making me want to scream.
I was just taking a step toward the windows, hoping that watching the serene beauty beyond would quiet my mind, when someone knocked on the door. I gave it a wary look, but the strange connection that now lived in my chest, tugging and whispering all the time, told me that it was Isaac. At least Malakai was sensible enough to give us separate rooms, mates or not.
I cracked the door open, peeking outside. He was standing so close, almost like he was ready to step in without waiting. It annoyed a small part of me, how he felt entitled to barge into my personal space just because he felt like it.
“What is it? Missing me already?” I gave him a mocking smile, but his frown only deepened. Putting a hand on the handle, he leaned down so our faces were at the same level. He gave the door a slight nudge, but I lodged my leg at the base.
“We need to talk,” he said in a low, carefully controlled voice. The tension in his posture made me wonder if he had noticed something since we came, some kind of danger he wanted to warn me about. Unlike mine, his senses were probably on high alert, and he could see and feel much better than I ever could.
Blowing out an annoyed breath, I opened the door wide enough for him to step through. I crossed my arms and leaned my back on it as he strode inside the room, looking around with eyes that seemed to catch every little detail.