14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Thea

T he castle had no secrets or clues hiding anywhere I had found in the days following my return. Searching had proven difficult with the guards my father had watching me. He thought I didn’t see them lurking in the shadows or following me when I left my room. It was easy to lose them—they were idiots.

That was how I had found my way into the bottom floors of the castle. It had simply started with me hiding from the guards, but now that I was down here, something felt right. So, I wandered until I came across a small wooden door. There was nothing in particular about it. In fact, there were dozens of doors that matched it, but this one called to me.

When I opened it, I was met with a very small room. A bedroom by the looks of it. The bed was small and unslept in by the dust that had settled everywhere. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes as an image plagued my mind. An image of me crying silently in this bed played on repeat, or maybe it was different memories rolled into one. Then I could hear myself counting, but somehow, I knew what I was counting as I opened my eyes and looked around the room. There were sixty-seven nails. I was so sad.

I looked around the room, but nothing else happened. Standing, I headed for the door but stopped when I saw her. I turned when I spotted Wisp floating by the bed. She was her usual color of dark green, but then she shrank in size. She was so tiny that she swarmed the side of my bed and disappeared into it before reappearing again. I walked to her and watched her disappear into a slit in the mattress.

She was showing me something. I reached my hand into the bed and pulled out a letter. Something felt familiar about seeing it. Wisp disappeared into the mattress again, so I shoved my hands into it and found another sheet of paper.

The blood-red envelope sat heavy in my hand as I stared at my name on the front of it. I glanced around to see if anyone had followed me down here. I hurried and shut the door, using my fire magic to make sure that no one could enter. I ripped open the envelope, and my heart plummeted as I read the words .

I read the letter three times. I stared at the last part of it the most. A man with golden eyes watches me. The man from my dreams. The one who had seemed to disappear altogether. Blood witch. Never trust my father. A deal with the gods. Cursed to die young.

My hands shook as I unfolded the other sheet of paper. My eyes glided over the words of a contract. My blood boiled when I realized it was a contract to attack Exile. I stared at my father’s and Gwyn’s names scribbled on the bottom. Then I focused on the other name. Yerma from the Ravenstone Coven was scribbled on the bottom too.

Sweat beaded off my forehead as I paced in the room. Who left that in the mattress? Was it me? I begged the gods for a moment of clarity, but nothing happened. Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled my shit together because I knew that my father had secrets, but I had my own, and he couldn’t know that I was suspicious.

Those words swarmed my mind as I shoved all of it back into the mattress. I was a fucking witch. Who was the man with golden eyes, and where did he go? Never trust my father. Somehow, I felt like that was the most important thing I read. I would find Yerma and figure out what the contract was.

★★?★ ★

Wisp appeared in front of me. She hadn’t been around for a few days, and I thought maybe she had disappeared. She flickered red and moved down the hallway before pausing.

“Do you want me to follow?”

She burned bright orange and twirled happily. My darkness hummed as I followed Wisp toward my father’s throne room. The door was open and the room empty, which I thought was odd. Wisp moved back behind my father’s throne, where velvet drapes hung. Was something behind there? An urgency filled me as I darted behind them only to be met with... nothing.

I looked at Wisp, who burned bright purple.

“I don’t know what that color means,” I whispered harshly.

“We don’t have much time.” My father’s voice had me holding my breath. Wisp burned bright purple still as I slowly peeked around the drapes.

A woman with hair as bright as my fire magic stood in the room with him. Her eyes were an odd shade of purple as she looked around. Her ears were not pointed like a fae, but I could feel her power pulsing from her. Her cloak was purely a style choice, as it was made of black lace and thin. I could see her soft yellow dress through it .

“Where is Thea?” The woman hissed my name with hatred. Bitch.

“Who fucking knows?” My father sighed. “But guards are watching her; don’t worry, she won’t recognize you even if she sees you.”

“What do you want me to do this time?”

“I need you to trap Cassius and his family in their castle so that they cannot escape.”

My heart pumped anger through me. What was my father doing? My darkness seeped from me in black tendrils, ready to kill anyone who meant harm to Cassius.

“When?” she asked, bored.

“Around the wedding. I will give you specifics when I get them. I just wanted to make sure you will be available.”

“Fine, but this is the last time I want to do this. You will take care of Thea too because I will not lose my coven to that bitch.”

“Calm down, Yerma. Thea doesn’t even know that she is part blood witch, let alone who you are.” My father rolled his eyes.

Yerma, the name from the contracts I found to hurt Exile.

“If she breaks her curse, she will kill me too. So, make sure she can’t,” Yerma snapped viciously at my father. “Did you hide her bloodstone like I told you to?”

“Well, if you do what I ask, then she will never break her curse. Take this and get the fuck out of my castle.” He shoved a small velvet sack toward her. I could hear the coins clanking. Payment. Yerma sneered at my father before snapping her fingers and turning into a raven, flying off.

My father left, slamming the door on his way out.

Stepping forward I glanced at the map that Wisp was twirling around. The map had nothing marked on it, but Wisp shrunk herself down and illuminated a small section of the woods in Cerithia. I didn’t know what she wanted.

My darkness hadn’t given me a chance to think about this. It had twisted around me, and suddenly I was standing deep in the woods. Wisp was not with me. The night was falling, so it made it difficult to see anything until the soft glow of light appeared through the trees. I walked quietly toward the fire but stopped when I realized it was a small village. Cottages lined a cobblestone path.

The small homes were charming. The moss and flowers growing over them made them blend into the nature around them. A moment later I saw a raven appear, swooping close to the ground. Then suddenly it transformed into Yerma. This was her coven. She began walking away, and the witches on the path moved quickly from her.

Shit .

When she disappeared, I continued to hide in the woods. I didn’t know how many witches were there, but my plan was to break into a cottage and get answers from one of the members.

I watched as an older witch moved into her cottage. I waited patiently to make a move. It wasn’t until I saw smoke barreling out of her chimney that I crept to her door. I slipped in, ready to pounce, only to turn and see her watching me as if she had been expecting me.

“Thea.” She greets me.

My brows furrowed as my darkness didn’t reach forward and wrap this woman up. “Lock the door, will ya?”

I did as she asked before watching her cover the window blinds.

“You knew I was watching you.” I accused.

She chuckled. Her purple eyes took in the sight of me. Her dark blonde hair was starting to fall out of place as she sat down.

“I knew you’d come someday.”

“Do we know each other?”

“Yes.” She frowned at me. “I assume you’re here to claim your right as the queen of the blood witches.”

Confusion plagued me. This wasn’t the blood coven.

The woman frowned at me when she saw how confused I was .

“If that isn’t why you’re here, then why are you?”

“I’m looking for Yerma.”

“The queen of the Ravenstone coven.” Her voice was soft. “What for?”

“Why would I tell you?”

My darkness wasn’t warning me that this woman was a danger. She smiled at me when I tried to read her mind.

“That won’t work on me, my queen. But do not fear; you can simply control any of us with a command. We cannot defy you.”

My darkness swarmed around me, but with a happiness I had never felt before. When I glanced at the woman, she smiled brightly at me.

“You are a sight to behold.”

“What is your name?”

“Genia.”

I took a steady breath before telling her what I found in the mattress. I wanted to collect vengeance for what she had done to Exile. Genia was very silent as she stared at me. My eyes had turned red during my story. I was pissed and could hardly control myself.

“You don’t believe me,” I sighed.

“No, I do, and I know why she helped your father.”

I sat up straighter as she admitted that. Her eyes faded from purple to red like mine. She lifted the sleeve of her dress up to reveal swirls like mine, but hers were smaller, and she didn’t have as many.

“You’re a blood witch.” I shook my head. “I thought everyone died.”

“Your mother gathered the coven one night. She was frantic and scared. I had never seen her like that before. She demanded that we all pack our things and come here to the Ravenstone coven because your father was on his way to kill all of us. We told her to come with us, but she kept talking about how your father had you and was keeping you from her. When she commanded that we leave without her, we had no choice but to listen. She said that she needed to free your magic and get you away from your father; then she would join us. Apparently, she had made a deal with Yerma that she would watch over you until you were old enough if she didn’t make it back to us.”

Genia frowned at me.

“We waited for her, but she never came for us. Eventually, we went back to the blood coven and found her dead. We loved your mother. She was such a wonderful woman, Thea, and she loved you.”

“So, my father killed her.” Sadness filled me before anger and rage took over.

“Yes. He didn’t want her to let your magic out. We told her we would stay and fight. We all love you too, but she said she couldn’t risk us, but she was also terrified that your father would kill you.”

“How many blood witches are here?”

“All of us, around a hundred. We would have more, but Yerma doesn’t let us leave Ravenstone. She is cruel, and I believe she’s helping your father because she doesn’t want you to claim your right to become the queen of blood witches. If you do that, then she loses power, and all of us, and Yerma loves power. She is nothing like your mother was. She has refused to let us go out to find mates. It’s like she knows if there are too many of us, she won’t be able to control us. She is cruel even to her own witches.”

“So, you’re a prisoner here.”

Just like Exile.

“Yes, but I knew you’d come for us. Gods, you look just like your mother.” Her friendly eyes looked me over.

“I came to kill her,” I confessed. “That was my plan before I heard all of this because of what she had done to Exile, but now I want to because she has kept all of you prisoners.”

Genia smiled brightly at me.

“Then let’s kill the bitch.”

We stood, and Genia grabbed some daggers from a small drawer before walking over to me.

“You don’t have to do this,” I told her. “I can manage her on my own; I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Oh, I know you can handle her. I’m just going as backup, and honestly, I just want to see her take her last breath.”

I smiled at the woman before we snuck out of the cottage. It was darker now; the last fading beams of sunlight had completely faded behind the trees, leaving moonlight to guide our way on the pathway. We didn’t need to walk for long before Yerma’s home came into view. I knew it was hers simply because it was huge.

The large home was white with a large green yard surrounded by a black fence. It was far nicer than the small cottages everyone else was living in. She didn’t have any guards outside, so I assumed it would be fairly easy to break in. When I turned to Genia, though, there were dozens of witches coming out of their cottages. I stood up straight as I looked at all of their red eyes watching me before they all bowed to me.

I smiled at them as I forced my eyes to shift to red. They gasped. Faint whispers of how I looked like my mother spread through them.

“I’ll be right back,” I whispered to Genia.

Then I hurried to the house and peered into the window, only to see the bottom floor empty of any guards. I slipped through the front door. The house smelled like these small blue flowers that grew by my father’s castle. It instantly put me on edge. I should have asked Genia what kind of magic I was up against, but she didn’t seem too worried for me. A soft moan from upstairs caught my attention.

I crept up the stairs, careful not to make noise. The sounds were clearly those of pleasure, so I followed them. The bedroom door was wide open, and I paused when I saw her. Yerma was beautiful, her hair a fiery red, and her skin pale. But that wasn’t what made my eyes go wide. It was the three men she had in bed with her. Gods, they were really going at it. I tried not to look at them, but a small red wound on Yerma’s shoulder grabbed my attention. It looked infected and...

I let my darkness out to see what magic it pulled, but I was met with nothing. Interesting.

“Sorry to interrupt,” I called out, making all of them freeze. Yerma’s purple eyes looked at me with so much hatred in them.

“Thea,” she snipped. “For a second I thought you were your mother, but then I remembered that she’s where she should be... dead." Her full lips pulled into a wicked smile.

“Now see, why did you need to go and say that?” I huffed. “I was just going to kill you quickly, but now I think I’ll draw it out. ”

Yerma was still straddling one of the men, just staring at me oddly.

“You can’t kill me.” Her eyes flickered over to something, but I didn’t take my eyes from her. “You think I’m stupid? I knew you’d come someday, and I’m prepared.”

“Let’s hope so, because if not, I’m going to drag your naked ass outside and gut you in front of all the coven, and then I’m claiming all your witches too.”

This pissed her off, her jaw tensing, but she just glared.

“Good luck getting past my ward. If you step foot inside my room, you’ll die.”

I smiled as I sent Cassius’ shadows from me and grabbed her with them. Her pretty eyes widened as I wrapped her up and dragged her toward me. The men just stared at the scene unfolding without moving. At least they knew better than to get in my way.

“You really think a ward would protect you?” I laughed as she dangled a few feet in the air as I headed down the stairs. She was trying to talk, but my darkness wrapped around her mouth so she couldn’t.

As soon as I walked outside, it was clear every witch that lived here was waiting, watching. My fire mist exploded from me, twirling around all of us so that I could see everyone. Slowly, my eyes looked over the witches to see if anyone was going to attack me. No one moved. I was hoping that Yerma had been such a bitch that no one wanted to defend her.

“If you don’t want to witness me killing Yerma, then you should probably leave now,” I warned. My darkness was swarming around me in a frenzy, excited to get revenge for Exile and my mother. Not a single witch left.

I released my darkness from around her mouth.

“Anything you’d like to say?”

Yerma glanced around at all the peering eyes.

“What are you all doing? I am your queen; kill her!”

Looking over my shoulder, I smirked when no one moved toward me. I glanced back at her and glared. Shouldn’t her witches move forward to protect her if she commanded it? My eyes glanced around the witches, but still no one moved. Maybe that was just a blood witch thing.

“Looks like they don’t like you very much.”

“Fuck you!” she screeched. “Go ahead and kill me, but just know that you will fail to break your curse. Your father will win, and I hope he guts Cassius in front of you!”

There was a gasp from behind me, but I didn’t look. My darkness froze at her words. It was pissed.

“You say a lot of stupid shit,” I muttered before my darkness created a wall between me and Yerma. It slowly moved toward her, and as soon as it touched her, she began screaming. I couldn’t tell what it was doing until she started emerging through the darkness with her skin missing. Fuck, it skinned her ass alive.

Her screams were deafening. Cassius’ shadows released her, and she fell to the grass. I knew I should feel disgusted, but I was fucking proud of my darkness. I turned toward the crowd.

“This is for Exile and for my mother the former queen of the blood witches!”

I flicked my hand open, causing fire to create a ball in my palm. Then I turned and lit Yerma on fire, not giving her the mercy of killing her quickly. I stared her in the eyes as she burned alive at my feet. Once she was dead, I turned.

“I have come to claim my coven, and now Ravenstone will be a part of it.”

They all bowed to me without protest. Genia moved toward me quickly, smiling.

“That was quite the show. Where would you like us to set up our coven?”

I opened my mouth before shutting it. I didn’t know what to tell her.

“Crimson?” she asked as the others moved closer.

“Why would you think Crimson would be a good choice? ”

Dozens of the blood witches smiled at me like they all knew a secret that I didn’t. What did they know?

“It's just that your mother mentioned you fancied the prince, Cassius.”

“My mother is dead,” I scoffed.

“Yes, but she told us one night that she finally pieced together who the man with golden eyes was.” Confusion filled me. “We do not keep secrets in the coven. We share knowledge so that we may all be prepared for what comes at us.”

“My mother thought I liked Cassius?”

Wait, what did Cassius have to do with my golden-eyed man?

“She saw it in one of her visions. Your mother thought the stars made the best selection for you.”

My eyes glanced at everyone without understanding. They were all staring at me oddly.

“Selection for what, exactly?”

Genia’s eyes widened at me before she looked around at the other witches.

“For your fated mate.”

My what?

“Cassius is my fated mate…”

“Shit, sorry, I thought you were here because you broke the curse,” she muttered. “I don’t think I should have been the one to tell you.”

“Way to go, Genia,” someone grumbled.

“How was I supposed to know!” Genia argued back. I could hear them bickering back and forth, but their words jumbled together.

My breathing was coming out in choppy breaths. Gods, I was going to pass out. I stumbled forward, and several of the women caught me before blackness overtook me.