18. A Witch’s Reckoning

18

A WITCH’S RECKONING

(ROWENA)

“ R iven, are you serious?”

He rolls his eyes. “Does it seem like I’m joking?” He throws his arms in the air. “They obviously hate you in the coven; there’s no need to stay.”

“And what about you?” I ask. “Are you going to leave your kingdom? You’re not an outcast like me, Riven. You’re a prince. Coming here is already risky; now imagine running away with me.”

“Rowena.”

“And where do we even go?” I ask.

“We can go anywhere,” he answers. “The elf leader says we’re welcome to return.”

“But not to stay, Riven,” I groan. “I’m a witch, and you’re the Fae prince. Do you think he’ll risk war by letting you stay in Solavien?”

“So what would you rather do?” Riven asks.

“And what’s even the point in running?” I lower myself onto a tree stump, my body sagging with exhaustion. “By the time the lunar eclipse comes, you’ll permanently be stone.” I lower my head into my hands. “There’s only one way.”

“Don’t make me get upset with you, Rowena!” Riven snaps at me, harsher than he ever has before. My head snaps to see his eyes flashing angrily.

“What is wrong with you?” He asks. “Giving up your powers to save me isn’t helping me; it’s a selfish decision. How do you expect me to live knowing Morgath has your powers? That’ll be a miserable life. I’d rather not exist.”

“I’d also rather not exist in a world where you’re absent (“ I argue. “It’ll make no sense to me. I’ll be happy knowing you get to live a good life free of the curse.”

“Don’t you get it?” He crouches before me. “If you do that, you’re lifting one curse and placing me under another.” He tucks an unruly strand of hair behind my ear. “Imagine a life without you in it. I’ll never be happy. It’s not an option, okay? We will figure something else out.”

“Running away isn’t an option as well,” I say, smiling at him. “For the same reason, you won’t let me help you.”

Riven sighs and lowers himself to the ground beside me. Now, we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to turn. There’s a way out for each of us, but it will require a huge sacrifice from the other person that none of us are willing to accept.

Suddenly, Riven rises. “I hate this gloomy mood. Let’s do something fun.”

“Fun,” I frown. “Like what?”

He chuckles. “Do you still have the masking potion that Auren gave you?”

“Yes.” My eyes widen. “What for?”

“I’ll show you around my kingdom,” he grins.

Excitement unfurls in my belly, but I try to be a voice of common sense. “This isn’t the time for that, Riven. We should be thinking of a way out of this mess. The lunar eclipse is in three days.”

He rolls his eyes. “Do you have any good ideas? No. Nor do I. Let’s do something fun. I bet we’ll able to think clearer after.”

I really want to do it. I’ve never seen the fae kingdom, and if it’s anything as beautiful as the capital, then I want to see it. “But it’s dangerous. This isn’t the time to be seen in public with me, Riven. Your title is at stake.”

Riven groans. “Can you stop worrying, Rowena? Get the potion. We’ll be back before you know it. It’s just for a few minutes. I want to show you my favorite spot in the kingdom.”

“Okay.” I grab the potion from the satchel we traveled with and hold it up.

“Drink it.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” I knock the potion down my throat and almost gag. “It’s even worse than the last one.”

“Do you have a cloak with a hood?” He asks. “Just for extra security.”

“I do.”

“Grab it, and let’s go.”

By the time we leave the house, I’m more excited than Riven. I’ve always wanted to see the Fae Kingdom, and this is my opportunity. Although I’m still a little anxious about being found with Riven, I’m secure in the potion because no one will be able to tell I’m a witch.

As we near the edge of the forest that leads into the kingdom, my heart starts to pound with anticipation.

“Are you excited?” Riven laughs.

“Yes.”

He’s also wearing his hood, which covers his hair and half his face. This way, he can walk through the city without being recognized, which, in turn, means less attention will be on me, as well.

The moment we step into the Fae kingdom, it feels as though we’ve entered another realm entirely. Everything gleams golden, stretching as far as the eye can see. The streets are paved with it, the houses lining the roads are adorned with intricate designs of gold and iridescent crystals, and every surface shimmers in the light.

Where the Forest of Herbs carried the rich scent of earth and life, here the air is thick with the perfume of flowers, nectar, and opulence. I pause in the center of the bustling street, watching faes move gracefully past me, their faces a striking blend of beauty and allure. It’s no secret that faes are the most enchanting of all the factions, but standing among them like this makes it all too easy to forget one’s own.”

“Let’s go.” Riven takes my hand, and I’m surprised when he twines our fingers together. We should not be doing this. A hood over his face isn’t enough to hide his identity. His royalty oozes from him like an aura; there’s no hiding it. Surely, someone will see us, and it’ll not be pretty.

But Riven doesn’t seem to mind. We hurry down the street, unlike the effortless grace with which the other faes move. Soon, we’re in the quieter part of the city, leaving behind the busy stalls for a more peaceful path lined with towering trees and beautiful flowerbeds.

I hear the sound of moving water and look around me excitedly.

“Is that a river, I hear?”

“Yup.” Riven hasn’t let go of my hand, and he guides me through a bushy path as the sound grows louder.

“It’s my favorite place to be,” he says. “Before I found you, that is.”

A slow smile graces my lips. “Now that you’ve found me, where’s your favorite place to be?”

“With you.”

We emerge on the banks of a river, and my breath ceases in my throat at the absolute beauty of this place. I’ve never seen anything like it. The river is so blue as if it’s reflecting the clear skies above. Wildflowers grow on the bank, punctuating the air with a sweet scent.

“How can I be your favorite place when this exists? I pull away from Riven and hurry to the edge of the river. I sit slowly, dipping my feet into the cold water. All my worries seem to fall away until I’m filled with peace.

“Does this water heal?” I ask. “Why do I feel so much peace?”

“I believe it does.” Riven sits beside me. “It has always been able to take away all my worries. Whenever the pressure of home becomes too much, this is where I come.”

“Thanks for bringing me here. It's majestic. ”

He smiles and takes my hand again. In the recess of my mind, I feel worry build again. The lunar eclipse is in a few days, and I’m not ready to lose him forever. But there’s so much peace here that I don’t want to bring up the topic again.

“Rowena?”

“Hmm?” I turn to him.

“Do you believe there's hope for us?” There’s a faint glint in his eyes that I can’t explain. “Do you think there’s a world where we can be together?”

His question startles me, and I’m not sure he wants the truth at this moment. Right now, we’re enjoying the peace of this beautiful river; it’ll be cruel to shatter it.

“Maybe,” I answer. “Maybe one day.”

“I’m not comfortable with that.” He shakes his head. “I won’t base my happiness on maybe. I’m going to do all it takes.”

“Riven, I think we should focus on breaking the curse first.”

“I have an idea,” he says. “I will face Morgath.”

I start to object, but he raises a finger to stop me. “Hold on, let me explain.”

“Okay.”

“I think she wants something from me. She knows more than she’s letting on.”

“You’re right. And Kaleith is very involved with her.”

“This is why I must go. The proposal she made to you is ridiculous. She knows I’ll never let that happen. It’s just her way of seeking me out.”

I don’t believe so, but Riven seems pretty convinced with his theory; I don’t bother to argue, knowing how stubborn he can be. But I know the moment he goes to see Morgath, the stakes will be higher than it already is, and I don’t want that to happen. He has so much to do with his life, while I’m just an outcast. If there’s anyone who should live, it’s him. One day, he will uphold the alliance, and the factions will live in peace.

The more I think about this, the more convinced I am that I must make this decision.

“I have a headache,” I lie.

Riven frowns. “We should return. You probably need to rest more.”

We leave the river and find our way back to the city. “You should make more of these masking potions,” he says. “I'd like to bring you over regularly.”

Every time Riven opens his mouth, I’m reminded that he’s not taking this seriously. He keeps making long-term plans when there are only a few days left before he turns into stone forever. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism, I don’t know, but it’s worrisome.

We find our way back to the Forest of Herbs, and I’m able to breathe easier now that I’m no longer among the faes. “When do you plan to visit Morgath?” I ask, fishing for information.

“Tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll go with you.”

He shrugs. “You’ve already been there, and she didn’t kill you; I suppose you can come with me.”

“Will you tell your parents?”

“What? No.” He firmly shakes his head.

“Not even your mom?”

“My mom is loyal to my dad,” he says with a sad smile. “I don’t trust her not to tell him if I tell her the truth. Can’t risk it. They’ll try to stop me.”

“I understand.”

We reach my house, and Riven walks me inside. “I should go,” he says. “You need to rest properly and can’t do that when I’m here.”

I’ll rest better when he’s here, but he has to go because I plan to pay Morgath another visit. I’ve made my decision, and I need her to know before tomorrow. I don’t want Riven to cross paths with her at all, especially not in the coven. It will be dangerous to everyone involved.

“Can I kiss you before I leave?” Riven asks.

I nod, leaning into him and basking in his kiss for a few seconds before pulling away.

“I love you,” he says softly. “And I promise you everything will be alright soon.”

“I love you, too, Riven,”

He leaves after one more kiss, and as soon as the door shuts behind him, I break down. I know I’m being stupid. It’s like I can hear my mother’s voice in my head, warning me not to make the same mistakes she did, but I’m far too in love with Riven to do otherwise. Except a miracle pops up right now, giving myself up is the only viable option.

I simply refuse to live in a world where Riven doesn’t exist. It’s funny how, a few week ago, I didn’t even know he existed, but now, he seems to be the center of my world.

There’s a knock on my door, and I quickly wipe my tears, thinking it’s Riven. Did he forget something? I swing the door open, a smile plastered on my face, but the smile falters when I see a black cat standing outside.

“Queen Morgath requests your presence,” it says. “And she’d like to see you immediately.”