The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 1 - Zoe, the Witch of Innocence

Chapter 103 Issue without solution

Zoe

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I wanted to curse at Felix. He kept holding me in place even after the Priestess and Scarlet had left. It wasn't until Father opened the door on us that Felix let me go.

"Are you alright?" I cried instantly and darted to his side, looking him over.

"I'm fine. No need to worry," he ensured me, and the only wound I could see was the light bruise where the slap had likely landed. I held my hand to the place and let my magic pour out, healing the bruise in an instance. He touched his cheek lightly before kissing my forehead. "Like your mother," he murmured.

After that, Father went to make tea before we sat down to talk about what would happen next. I sat on Felix's lap again. It was so comfortable and I really needed that. Being engulfed by him in that way really made me feel safe. I had even been able to stop thinking about everything negative for a while after dinner. It had been so peaceful to sit in his lap and listen to the two people that matter most to me talk and be happy. It had felt a little strange, though. Father had seemed happier than I could ever remember. But I guessed that was because his main worry had been lifted. He knew I had found my happiness.

"What would being a rogue mean?" Felix asked while we waited for Father.

"It means that I would be without a coven and without the protection of belonging to one. So any witch that came across me and felt like killing me could do so without having to worry about the consequences of angering a coven. And in my case, they could probably spin the story so that the High Priestesses would agree to put a bounty on my head," I explained and felt Felix's arms tighten.

"High Priestesses?" he continued the questioning.

"They are the ones in charge of upholding the laws among witches. Among all magical creatures, really, but mainly witches." I went quiet for a moment, found a good analogy, before continuing. "You can think of the covens as countries and the High Priestesses are there to solve disputes between the countries. Then some of the other magical creatures that lives in bigger communities like witches also have their own countries. The werewolves all lives in different packs, vampires in clans and so on. The werewolf packs can then be seen as different countries on a continent, and vampire clans are on another continent. If issues arise between themselves, they will solve it within their continent. But if the issue is big enough, the High Priestesses will get involved."

"Do nymphs live in covens, or packs, or clans, or whatever?" Felix asked next.

"No," I shook my head. "Mainly because there are so few of them in comparison. Nymphs often live a few together, like Ash and Pine. But they generally also don't have a place that is their home. They move around a lot and tend to not settle unless they find their mate."

"But if you become a rogue, then..." Felix started, but Father had just entered with a tea tray.

"No one in their right mind would actually dare to hurt her," he scoffed. "This whole damn coven is terrified of her."

He sat the tea down, took his cup and leaned back in an armchair. I had a feeling of what he would suggest, and it had my stomach in knots.

"I honestly should have taken you and left as soon as you were born," Father continued. "I've regretted not doing that so many times. But we can leave now and it won't be that difficult. You just have to scare them enough and they won't dare to follow."

I was already shaking my head before he finished talking. "No. I never want to use that magic again."

"You wouldn't have to do it on them. You just have to prove that you haven't lost the ability and pretend you would be willing to use it against them."

I just continued shaking my head. "I won't!" My voice came out louder and shriller than planned. "I will never kill again. Not even grass."

Father opened his mouth, but closed it quickly again. He seemed to realize that there was no changing my mind, and there really wasn't. If I wanted to heal, if I wanted to stop thinking of myself as a murderer, I had to never use nymph magic in that way ever again. The very idea of doing it repulsed me too much and made me feel like ice.

So we came to a standstill. I went through the other ideas I had come up with during all my time thinking of the issue, but the one that seemed most plausible was also something I refused to do. The idea had come after having helped Harry sort out his past and emotions. I had considered if I could do the same to the most powerful witches in the coven. But I had vehemently argued against myself.

Firstly, I would have to do it to multiple people, but one at a time. So there was the issue of keeping the others contained while I worked on one. Secondly, I just didn't want to dive into their memories. Taking part of Harry's memories had been difficult, but I was sure that was nothing compared to the memories of people that had made my life miserable. Thirdly, I didn't think it would actually work. Or rather, I didn't think they acted as they did because of repressed emotions I could heal, but that they rather were hateful people.

Except for maybe Scarlet. She had changed her way towards me so suddenly and I had never known why. Had something happened to her? I had always assumed that she had finally grown tired of me or not been able to see past my skin anymore. It hadn't ever occurred to me that I maybe hadn't been the problem. That the truth was that something had happened to her.

"Maybe I could..." Felix started, breaking through my train of thought, but I didn't let him finish. I didn't need to let him finish to know that whatever he was going to suggest would put him in danger and I refused to do anything that would mean I would risk losing him.

"No!" I interrupted him.

"Just listen to me. Dad has been a witch hunter, after all. I could..."

"No!" I stopped him again and jumped out of his lap to face him. "It doesn't matter what you think you could do! I'm not putting you at risk. I'll figure something out. I just... I just need to think."

Before any of them could protest, I left the living room and went out to the garden again.

I really was completely clueless as to what to do, and I doubted I would be able to come up with any good solution. A logical part of me even thought that whatever Felix had been about to suggest likely was the best option. But my need to keep him safe was much stronger than that logic.

I just walked around the garden for a bit, grateful that Felix hadn't followed me out. I needed to calm down and to think undisturbed in a place I felt at home in, and the garden had always been that for me.

I found myself standing by the roses again, the ones that had, a little while ago, been on the brink of death. If only other things in life could be fixed as easily as the roses had been?

"I thought you had to be back," a voice said behind me. "The whole house smelled of basil and you always did like using far too much of it when cooking. I can see I was right."

I spun around and my eyes met Scarlet's hate-filled ones.