BAD CROW MOUNTAIN (Lesbian)

CHAPTER 13 Under the sea

The witch pierces me with her gaze. I swallow hard, and it barely passes through my throat.

If only I could move. I hear elfia's heavy breathing, and the boy shifts from foot to foot. His magical aura is ready to explode with a combat spell (I can sense these things too well). If only this idiot wouldn't go on the attack – he doesn't stand a chance. If only I could move.

"What's wrong, dear Eden? Why are you frozen in fear?" the witch asks.

I want to boldly tell her that she herself enchanted me, but then I realize that I can actually move. My knees shake, my head spins, my whole back is sweating: I wasn't enchanted, I was just stunned. Why am I so pathetic? Why did this woman scare me so much?

"All right, boys and girls, it was very interesting talking to you, but it's time for me to go."

We look at her in surprise, not just my so-called friends, but also the double-crossing mermaid. It seems the sea dweller is as surprised as I am.

"Wait, are you just going to leave them?" Lodda squeaks to her mistress. How could I have been slightly charmed by her? She's so fake and mannered, and I was sure she was a good guy! The wicked witch is right, she's too much like my late Malva, that's why she got to me. Did the witch deliberately find such a mermaid to easily win me over? My boss was right, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

"You should have left you on the mountain, damn half-fish. And as for you, lady," I glare at her, "have a safe journey, we won't miss you, all the best." I straighten my back and proudly lift my chin; I've snapped out of my idiotic state a bit, and I'm ready to function again, even if I lose, at least I'm myself.

The witch chuckles, "You're so amusing, Eden. You've always been a special warrior witch. I understood right away how talented you were back then at the academy tournament."

"Don't let her sweet talk you, Crow, she's probably bluffing, playing you," Svartalf hisses. The boy helps her up, and now he supports her. His expression is determined. It's a shame he's not a combat mage, he has such potential. His sense of justice is as strong as in the blessed idiots in rags who sit on the steps of Amixantra temples, who don't even need any alms. He helps the dark elfia without unnecessary words or snobbishness.

The wicked witch looks disdainfully at the elfia. For a moment, it seems to me that she is ready to blast her with a pulsar, her aura tenses, but then her stern face relaxes, and she smiles. Monarchs usually smile like that when they stand on the balcony of their fortified palaces and fortresses and gracefully wave their hands to their starving subjects:

"I see you still want to take care of her, Eden. I understand, everyone needs toys for entertainment. Play with her until you get bored."

The woman adjusts her golden scorpion on its chain, as if boasting about her expensive toy, and pulls the hood of her cloak over her head, making herself almost invisible. I know it's just part of her weightless magic that allows her to be everywhere and yet remain unnoticed. I bite my lower lip with envy: I want to wield magic like her too, but instead of postgraduate studies, I immediately went into service in Malva's family, and even there I let everyone down, including myself.

"You know, lady, as much as I'd like you to leave as soon as possible, I'll repeat the questions of the fishy-Lodda, why are you just leaving? And a bonus question from me: how do you know me?" I test fate, but better late than never. I can't stand being in the dark. Maybe it's elfia's influence, now even the fate of that idiot Imor will hurt me as much as my own, as if I believe Svartalf, who thinks we can change the fate of Woodland.

"Don't worry, you're both too beautiful to burden yourselves with complicated thoughts. Follow me, mermaid!" She addresses Lodda authoritatively. The latter looks at her in surprise. It feels like when she stopped being useful to the wicked witch, her attitude changed drastically. Now it's time to deal with the consequences, traitor. No one else will carry you on their hands and give you ribbons and sweets. You're an old glove to her now – served your purpose and gone out of fashion.

Turning to the elfia, I notice she has the same expression as me. She probably came to the same conclusion. For pathetic people, there's a pathetic end. Now she's a human, now she's not free. As a mermaid, she was much freer, now she'll immerse herself in the world of ordinary people and understand how good she had it under the sea.

***

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