12. Countdown to the Lunar Eclipse

12

COUNTDOWN TO THE LUNAR ECLIPSE

(ROWENA)

T he lunar eclipse is a very powerful phenomenon in the witch coven. During this time, energy reaches its peak, allowing one to cast curses or blessings with absolute confidence—provided they know what they’re doing.”

That‘s why Kaelith’s words worry me.

As Riven and I walk through town, heading towards the forest leading to Solavien, I bite my lips with worry. What if Kaelith was telling the truth about the curse being permanent after the lunar eclipse? As a witch, I know it’s possible, and I don’t want to dismiss it like Riven did.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that the key has to be used to break the curse on the light of the lunar eclipse. What are these people up to? What do they want from Riven? What do they want from me?

I’m shocked every time people say Morgath is after me. I’ve never met the Queen in my life. Everything I know about her are the things my mother told me. I didn’t even think she was aware of my existence until now.

Does she want to kill me, too? Or is she upset about my liaison with Riven? I don’t see how that’s any of her business because I’m not part of their coven. I’m a freelance witch, and they better get used to it.

Oh, and there’s also Riven’s father, who also wants to kill me. I almost laugh at how I went from being a nobody who lives alone in the forest to being hunted by royalty. It should scare me, but instead, I feel proud.

“Why are you quiet?” Riven asks, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t like it when you’re quiet.”

I laugh, ignoring a woman who politely keeps staring at us as we walk past her stall. We’ve been getting stares like yesterday, but not as much because it’s still early, and not everyone is out yet.

“I’m worrying about what Kaelith said about the lunar eclipse.”

“What did she say?”

“Riven!” I nudge him. “About the curse becoming permanent.”

“Oh.” He hisses. “I don’t care about that.”

“Why not?”

He shrugs. “I think deep down, I want it to be real. If I’m permanently a stone, I won’t feel anything. I won’t even know I’m a stone, so it wouldn’t hurt.”

“Great, then what about me?” I ask, feeling hurt. “What am I supposed to do then?”

He glances at me before looking away, ashamed. I can’t believe he thinks like that; it’s selfish.

“Little witch!”

Hearing that voice, I turn to find Auren standing a few feet away, smiling. He’s the only one who calls me that, and I like it, unlike how Kaelith says it so condescendingly.

“Auren!”

Riven turns to face Auren, too, and it’s obvious he doesn’t like my friend. But that’s okay; it’s understandable why. I don’t know if I can call Auren my friend. He pops up strangely like this all the time, but he’s never failed to look out for me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

He walks slowly towards me, and Riven takes my arm again.

“The making potion will soon wear off,” he says. “Make sure you’re far away from here by then.”

“We’re on our way to Solavien,” I answer.

“You have become a threat, little witch,” he says. “Your mother envisioned this, and she made me promise to tell you when it’s happening.”

My mouth falls open. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything.”

“Yet.”

“I don’t understand, Auren.”

“You haven’t done anything yet,” he explains. “The threat is what you will do and how great it will become.”

Auren likes to talk in parables, and right now, I’m not in the mood for it.

“Auren, can you please just tell me plainly what the problem is?”

“Morgath is restless. She has sent people after you.” He withdraws a vial from his cloak and presses it into my hands. “This is another masking potion. It will hide your scent. Even if they walk past you, they won’t know it.”

“Thank you, Auren.”

“I don’t know why you’re helping him, but you’ve always been an intelligent little witch, so I believe you know what you’re doing.”

I nod.

“Be careful. You may not see me again anytime soon.” With one last nod, he disappears.

Riven is beside me, his eyes apologetic. “What do we do, Rowena? I don’t like this. You’re being targeted.”

“Why do you care?” I jerk away from him and march off. “You can turn permanently into stone. I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, come on, I was joking.” He catches up with me.

“No, you were not.”

“I’m sorry,” he says seriously. “Forgive me, please.”

“Okay.”

He smiles at me, coaxing a smile in return. We’re gradually nearing the forest, and I can’t wait to get there so I can escape these curious stares.

“How did you become friends with Auren?” Riven asks, glancing at me. “You both seem like an unlikely pair.”

I laugh. “I’m not sure I can call Auren a friend; he existed centuries before I was born.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. And he was my mom’s friend, not mine. He was the only one who used to visit my mom after her banishment. He would bring information from the coven and keep her updated with everything happening.”

“He’s doing the same with you,” Riven notes.

“Yes. But the Queen mustn’t know he’s affiliated with me, seeing as she’s hunting me.”

“She won’t get you. I’ll make sure of that.”

“You have your own battles,” I counter. “What will happen if you don’t get to the palace soon enough? You’re ready to be exiled?”

“I don’t care,” he says, and the strange part is how serious he is.

“You don’t?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “I’ll miss my mom, but that’s about it. I don’t like my home, Rowena; it’s too much like a prison. If I’m on my own, that’s true freedom.”

Maybe he can live with me? This thought causes butterflies to erupt in my belly, but I don’t share it. He’ll probably think I’m stupid if I voice it.

It’s evening time when we finally reach the forest. As we leave the city of Aldavar behind, I feel a deep sense of relief. It’s a beautiful place, but I’m unsure if I ever want to return here. As if reading my mind, Riven glances at me.

“So, do you like Aldavar?”

“Yes and no,” I answer, brushing a leaf off my shoulder. “I love the city. It’s beautiful, luxurious, majestic, everything nice. But I don’t really like the people. They’re so nosy. They stare unashamedly.”

“Because you’re walking with a prince.”

“Oh, you’re so modest.”

He laughs. “Can you make more masking potions to hide your scent?”

“Yeah. Suppose I have all the herbs I’ll need. Why?”

“When we return home, let’s make one. I want to show you around the Fae kingdom. It’s ten times more beautiful than the capital. This is not a brag.”

“Okay,” I chuckle. “I’ll see for myself.”

“You’ll love it.”

We walk in silence for a while until he speaks up again. “This is the first night we'll sleep in an open forest. I’ll be looking for a cove, but I doubt we'll find one,” he sighs.

“I’m worried about how you’ll fare on your own when the curse takes effect.”

“Riven, you always forget that I used to be on my own before I met you. I’ll survive.”

He rolls his eyes. “There’s a limit to what you find in the Forest of Herbs. It’s not a malevolent forest.”

“We don’t know that this one is.”

“Fine.”

The silence descends again, and we’re both lost in thoughts. For some reason, though, it’s comfortable, as companionship is found just by walking together and knowing the other person is there. Okay, maybe I’m a little worried about tonight. When Riven turns into a statue, I’ll be alone.

Alone, but not defenseless.

I have protection elements, magical vials, and, of course, my powers as a witch. I may never have been in a position like this where I have to defend myself from unknown creatures, but I do not doubt I’ll survive.

“ You’re nothing like your mother, little witch. And you will never be as strong as her.”

Kaelith’s words should have hurt, but they didn’t. Years ago, they would have, but I’ve grown past that pause. I love my mother so much, but I don’t want to be like her. It’s enough that she birthed me and gave me her strength; it’s time for me to be my person.

As a young girl, I battled a serious identity crisis. Growing up in the Forest of Herbs, my mother was the only person I knew —the only person I saw. I wanted to be exactly like her. I thought that was who I was supposed to be.

Years later, I realized we were so different, even down to our hair color. Ife. I’ve become my own woman, and I’m unapologetic about it.

By the time night falls, we still haven’t found a cove to hide, so Riven decides to set camp in the open. We light the space up via one of our numerous amulets, and he makes me sit on a stump while he gathers leaves and fronds to make two makeshift mats. I watch him work, even though I’m uncertain about sleep tonight. There’s no way I’m closing my eyes, even for a second.

“I’m going to create a protection barrier,” Riven says as we eat dinner. “I doubt it will hold, though, because I lose my powers whenever the curse comes on, but it’s worth a try.”

I roll my eyes playfully. “Can you please stop worrying?”

“I wish I could.” He meets my gaze. “Rowena, I really wish I could.”

“You can.” My smile is reassuring. “I will be fine. I’m a Nightshade.”

Riven chuckles and continues to eat his dinner. The forest around us is peaceful, and the silence is punctuated only by the chirping of insects and the gentle rustling of leaves on the night breeze.

After dinner, we lay back on our mats, staring at the ceiling. Riven is lying so close to me, our bodies touch. He looks lost in thought while I try to get through each breath without embarrassing myself.

Having him so close to me is a temptation I don’t need, but I can’t bring myself to move away.

“The stars look beautiful tonight,” he says solemnly. “The forest is peaceful, too.”

“So peaceful, it’s scary.”

Riven laughs and turns to look at me. I can feel his intense gaze on me and deliberately keep my attention on the skies because I don’t trust what will happen if I meet his eyes.

“When the forest is too peaceful, it rubs me the wrong way,” he says. “Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

“You’re being paranoid. This place feels like the Forest of Herbs. I don’t sense any danger, and trust me, I’m very sensitive to things like that.”

He hums, and I hope he’ll look away so I can breathe properly, but he doesn’t. He continues to stare at me until I feel like I’ll combust. Slowly, I turn my head and meet his dark green eyes. Golden flecks swirl in the beautiful orbs and each one mesmerizes me until only the thought of kissing him is in my head.

Riven’s lips gently pull up in a smile. “You are so beautiful, Rowena,” he says. “Have I ever told you that?”

Without waiting for my response, he rolls up to his feet and stretches. “It’s almost midnight; I should create the barrier.”

I don’t respond because I’m still stuck on his compliment and the way he looked at me as he said it. Is there a chance that Riven feels as strongly for me as I feel for him?

With a graceful flick of Riven’s wrist, the air around us ripples as if trying to take on a new shape. I sit up in awe of the ease with which he performs such powerful magic. In the next moment, a glowing barrier booms, shooting straight up, as tall as the trees around us. It encloses us in the circle, solidifying into a transparent wall of light.

“Whoa,” I giggle when he returns to his position beside me. “I just realized I’ve never seen you use your magic this way.”

He shrugs. “Let’s just hope it holds through the night. I can’t imagine how exposed you’ll be if it doesn’t.”

We stay silent until Riven says he can feel the curse’s effect. I turn away to give him privacy, even though he doesn’t ask me to. I can hear his skin petrify into solid stone, and my heart breaks. I’m not even worried about my safety; I just want to know what he’s thinking at this moment and how hurt he is.

A moment later, I hear a soft, tinkling chime and turn to see the barrier vanishing into thin air. It’s like a thousand tiny bells jingling in the air, and the sound persists for a few more seconds until the barrier vanishes completely, putting us back in the open.

There’s a beautiful stillness in the forest that puts my mind at rest, but I pull my satchel closer, ensuring that my amulets are close should danger come.

Riven is rock solid beside me, his green eyes shimmering behind the glass. I keep my attention on him, deciding to stay awake, not just for me, but to ensure he’s properly protected until he regains consciousness.