La Sorcière et la Bête-English story - Marvel Wiccan fanfiction, Agatha Harkness

Part 11

AN: I'm back! Sorry, this chapter should have been up 2 days ago but my Mac decided suddenly I'm not allowed to edit my word docs anymore, not even to copy and paste. Ugh, I'm switching back to PC. Anyway, I'm back to my regular update schedule and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 11

Wiccan spent the majority of his time split between studying magic in the library, aiding Kate in getting the castle back to tip-top shape and tending to Dorrek in his room. He was recovering well, most of his deeper wounds had healed and now just scabs were visible between the ripped open green skin between his scales. He hadn't tried to fly yet, not wanting to test the wing joint until the scab on that shoulder had a few more days to repair itself and flake off.

No matter where Wiccan was in the castle he almost always had a book in his hand or next to him and Dorrek had caught himself staring at the young man as he looked with awe filled brown eyes into the pages of the books. He was so absorbed in the knowledge he was reading that he didn't seem to notice a thing going on around him, for which Dorrek was exceedingly grateful. He'd caught himself staring at Wiccan at almost each meal across the long, polished table. When they'd pass in the halls Dorrek's eyes would linger as Wiccan's face was buried in his book. If he passed a room the mage was in he'd stop completely and stare at him for a moment. It was drastically different behavior for Dorrek, and something he pondered each time he caught himself in the act.

He took a slow sip from his glass as his mind went in circles always coming back to the one logical and obvious conclusion. The one Dorrek tried to deny as to keep those knots in his stomach at bay.

He looked around the dining room to try and distract himself. The space seemed brighter now, and not just because Cassie had started opening the long curtains that spanned the wide window that gazed out to the garden and further courtyards. There was just a sense of life in the castle that for so long had seemed like a big and lavish coffin where Dorrek had expected to curl up and die in. Even though they were no closer to breaking the sorceress's curse, life just seemed better, in a way Dorrek could not fully describe if he was asked to.

This new feeling left him itching to go outside the castle more often and walk the grounds. Such a simple thing now brought him joy, especially seeing as before he'd seen no point in doing anything but sulking and waiting for that final petal to fall. Placing his drink down he exited the dining room and stepped into the foyer contemplating another stroll.

It was just an hour or so before noon, leaving him a decent amount of time before lunch. He passed the stairs noticing Kate coming from the fork to the east wing.

"Heading out again sire?" she asked with a glint in her eye that told him she already knew the answer to her question.

"Yes." He replied nonetheless as he passed her.

"Wiccan's in the library again." She continued and the change of subject made him suspicious. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked at her over his shoulder. She hadn't moved from where she was leaning her back against the rail pretending to examine her fingernail – that had turned green in the past few days. They both stood in silence, her with a small grin on her lips as he waited for her to continue, "And walking the gardens alone seems so, well, lonely."

He rolled his eyes, "Nice try Kate."

He continued across the marble foyer floor but stopped when she called, "I bet if you asked him, he'd say yes."

His hand paused against the wood of the front door as he sighed, then looked back at her, "Wiccan seems to prefer his books as of late. I wouldn't want to interrupt him."