My eyes jolt open to the sight of treetops and the stars.
The air is cool, and smells of wildness. There is an ache in my body as I struggle to sit up, my eyes still adjusting to the sudden change from blinding light to near pitch dark.
My surroundings are quiet, aside from the minute harmony of branches creaking under unknown steps, the wind rushing through tall trees, and the occasional chirrup of a bird.
Forest. I'm in a forest. But where? And how- how did I even get here?
"Take a deep breath." A voice instructs.
I whip my head around to find a tall, dark haired woman staring at me.
High Witch Diane.
"You." I manage to speak.
"Me." she says, looking at me quizzically. "We have much to talk about. Calm yourself."
"Ca-calm myself?" I can barely breathe. I notice the witch's eyes narrow in concern. "Who, who the f-fuck do you think you are?"
I stumble upon the curse word. My upbringing had enforced within me a strictly polite vocabulary, as befitting a female royal, but spitting out the singular "fuck" had made me feel strangely confident, rather than filthy as I'd expected.The witch clicks her fingers, and a quick purple spark dances on her fingers, lighting up the area.
I find myself sitting on a log in the midst of a neatly circular clearing, at the centre of which lies what seems to be a dark void. Strange white flowers bloom around the edges of the clearing, the likes of which I had never seen, neither in the palace guardens nor the books on botany in the palace library, while the void itself is bounded by a circumference of small stones, each of which bears a design and alien writing.
The whole place seems otherworldly, unpredictable, palpable with energy somehow, an area out of place in the neatly ordered kingdom of Aeris."What the-? Where am I? I command you, witch," I spit the word out like it disgusts me, but I regret it immediately after. "Answer me!" There's a pregnant pause as I realise the gravity of my words, of my tone. The blood rises to my face.
The witch remains expressionless, her features tired rather than angry, in the pale purple light emanating from her fingers. Her violet eyes gaze at me.
"Quite a mouth you've got there, royal. I see your state is not yet ready for our conversation. Calm yourself, then I will speak."
"The fuck I'm gonna calm myself, you filth, whe-"
She snaps her fingers again and I am silenced immediately. My eyes darting, I gasp in shock and anger.
She turned me mute.
"Silence."
Incredulously, I stare at her.
"This is one of the entrances to where the Aerian Coven reside. A fair warning to you - we are not too fond of any outsiders," She looks at me mockingly. "Especially fancy little royal girls like you."
I'm not fancy! I want to scream.
"We're gonna head up to the Haven, get you sorted and meet Naki. You'd better keep your potty mouth to yourself, princess."
Smirking, she snaps her fingers again, and I let out the gasp I had been forced to hold in. Coughing, I feel my voice return again.Naki? Haven? What's she talking about? My mind reels.
And then I remember my outburst a few minutes ago.
"...Sorry."
The High Witch looks at me in surprise. "Well, isn't that strange? A royal apologizing? Have the Aerian pigs sprouted little fairy wings?"
YOU ARE READING
Coven
Fantasy"𝐴 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑇𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙...