Queen of Nothing

11. Queen of Fire

I woke up the next morning to a text from Daphne letting me know that the coast was clear and that she wanted to meet at her house in the afrernoon to practice some new spells. I breathed a sigh of relief. That nightmare was over for now. But I still had James to deal with.

As I busied myself with getting ready, my phone buzzed with a message from Tristan.

Sorry about yesterday. I hope you're feeling better because I'd like to make it up to you tonight, if you'll let me.

I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips as I replied 'Sure.' Granted, James was supposed to show up any minute to drag me away from here, but I figured I could have a little fun before I was supposed to contend with him.

At 2:00 sharp I was standing on Daphne's doorstep. She greeted me with a neutral expression. It was an upgrade from the icy chill she regarded me with two nights ago.

"I've been practicing," I said as I followed her down the hallway to the basement stairs.

"Good," she replied curtly. "Perhaps you'll be able to perform what I'm about to teach you."

I tried to act neutral, not letting my excitement show. Learning a new spell was just what I needed to get me out of my funk. The color change illusion seemed cool at first, but after a whole day of doing nothing else I had gotten bored with it.

Corvus perched on the edge of Daphne's desk. As soon as he saw me, he let out a small "Caw!" as if in greeting. A shudder rolled down my spine. I'd never get used to the crow's eerie presence.

Daphne went over to glance through the book that lay open on the desk, stroking the top of Corvus's head. "It was a mistake for me to let you go off by yourself without teaching you self defense. I thought the necklace would be enough, alas..." She sighed.

I tried not to bristle at the judgment in her tone. It was clear what she meant. Alas I was a shallow victim of my own vanity who chose to risk my life rather than wear something that didn't match my outfit.

"I've learned my lesson," I said. "You don't have to rub it in."

Daphne rubbed at her temples. "Damion Raleigh alerted Sheridan about you before he died. It was not easy to make the king forget." She spat the word 'king' as if it were some kind of vile slur.

I swallowed nervously. The king had known? I could have been well and truly fucked. 

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, wondering just how Daphne managed to accomplish what she did. She needed Tristan's blood to alter his memory. Did she somehow have access to Sheridan's too? Or was that why it wasn't 'easy?'

"I hope the experience has made you realize how serious this is. You must not let any vampire know what you are, even those you supposedly trust. They don't have to be in league with Sheridan to hate our kind," Daphne said.

I was starting to see that. Had it been a mistake to mention witchcraft to James? Thankfully, she hadn't actually told him she was a witch and with the necklace, he wouldn't be able to tell even in person. But the thought of not being able to tell him the truth, being afraid of how he'd react, made me feel hollow.

It struck me then, that he'd always been eager to celebrate my accomplishments, but I could never share my magic with him. Or with anyone except Daphne, really. I looked at her now, consumed by a dreadful sense of loneliness and isolation. Was that how she felt, with her coven being gone? Was that part of why she sought me out?

"What is it?" she asked me. Her features were gentler than before. She must have sensed what perturbed me.

I shrugged, not knowing how to say what I wanted to say. "Are we the only witches around?"