What I did was forbidden. I knew there was a punishment waiting for me. Witches like me were beheaded in front of the world. I knew what I had put myself into when I sank my hands into black magic and played with lives.
But it all changed when an in...
With shame, I walked away and straight back into my room where I spent the rest of the day unpacking my things and taking a long, hot shower. It was ice-cold inside even after I had switched on the heating and closed all of the windows. To my left, there was a view of the extended land that stretched for miles and miles.
When I came closer to the window to get a clearer view, I found movements across the land as if there was someone—werewolves, running. My breath hitched. I stepped back. I didn't like werewolves as my father was one of them whilst my mother was a practicing witch when she met him first.
He forced her to stop practicing magic soon after marrying her. Who knew it was magic that would lead him to his death?
I turned away from the window while erasing the memory of my father and the way his claws had ripped my face once. The scars still lived, one over my left eye and one just below my cheekbone. They weren't as visible as they were before as they had healed, but every time I touched my face, I could still feel the scars.
My heart leaped to my throat when I heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? Not Callan. He had his fun for tonight. Plus, last I heard he had bodies to take care of with his friend.
I closed the suitcase where I had packed substances and things from the basement back at home thinking I would require to do another spell. Before I opened the door, I pulled the sleeves of my shirt down, covering my wrists where my blood had turned black, showing the magic I had been doing.
Upon opening the door, I found a woman, a bit older than me but she still seemed young. Her eyes met with mine and the energy surrounding her immediately irked me off.
"Yes?" I rose a brow at her while standing in front of the doorway.
"You must be Vivian Hart," she forced a smile on her face before stretching her hand forward, "I'm Eileen Moss. I handle matters of witches in this court and I was informed about you just a few moments ago. I'm merely here to welcome you."
The nerves on my face became tight as I looked at her hand, wanting to meet with mine. But I couldn't. One word of the black nerves on my wrists and everyone would know.
"Thank you. I was just about to sleep—" I tried to change the topic.
She pulled her hand away and rose a brow before cutting me off, "So early?"
"Yes," I nodded while finding curiosity only growing in her eyes. Another witch. "It has been an exhausting day."
"Well, I'll not keep you for long. Have a good night and if you need anything, or if you need to get around here, you can let me know. There's breakfast early in the morning and the witches gather near the north kitchens. You're welcome to attend. You'll find plenty of women like yourself." She said, something in her tone still sounding unusual.
I pursed my lips and nodded. She looked into my eyes for a moment longer before leaving and walking away from my hallway. As soon as her presence was gone, I released a long breath while slamming the door shut.
My heart raced in fear.
Maybe it was wrong to come here.
Or maybe not.
I just couldn't tell yet.
When I returned inside, I opened the suitcase where I had packed most of my witchcraft. Mother was suspicious when I cleared the basement and took everything with me, but she was too afraid to ask what I was up to these days.
I pulled the map of the Vragas city and splayed it on the wooden flooring inside the room. It took me a moment to study the large city I had entered. The underworld. It was the city of creatures where night-eaters, werewolves, and witches lived in solidarity, where royal families claimed lands, and where the Queen resided.
It was the strongest city in the world with a rich history.
If the Vragas city was ever to fall, a war—a century-long war, would take place and destroy most of us. It had happened once. Long before Alexandria Sven's reign and while I wasn't present in that time, I heard about the destruction and the deaths which were in masses including the death of the former King, Stephan Sven—a powerful witch.
I drew the pentacle over a small piece of paper and placed it over the map of Vragas. My palm went over the paper and I closed my eyes before beginning to chant.
"Corruptorus Isoasis," I repeated thrice before shifting my intentions and my words to the four marked men. "Let me see them, show me where they are. Guide them to me." I whispered, my voice low and hoarse as power drained from me.
When my eyes opened, I looked down, at my hand that hadn't moved. Not even an inch. Fuck. I moved my hand away and breathed out heavily.
I wasn't a great witch. Not yet. Every knowledge I had about black magic came to me itself. Magic chose me. I barely ever learned it.
It started a few months before my father's death. Anger pushed me toward seeking other sorts of magic and one night, I dreamt of killing my father in cold blood. The next morning, I was in the basement, brewing spells to kill him and when my mother questioned where I had learned it from, I couldn't answer it.
I didn't know where the magic came from.
But it did.
For better or worse, my magic wasn't working well on this mission. I had tried three spells, but none of them worked except for the first one. But it was too dangerous to have these men attracted to me, especially four of them.
Callan was enough. His friend was another one of the cursed men. There were only two more left and I suspected they were close by, somewhere in Vragas itself.
I remained seated on the ground, working on other spells. One of them being to change the color of the veins on my wrists.
If I could just remove it, no one would know I was a practitioner of black magic. I sensed many witches here, in court. Witches kept their magic concealed.
No one could ever know how strong one could be.
The night passed quicker than I imagined. One minute I had nearly removed magic from my blood and the other minute, the entire room was reeking of a dead animal as if I had just sacrificed one.
I bought a halt to everything and cleared out the room before tucking myself underneath the sheets and falling asleep knowing well I was going to live another day.
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