Chapter 54
Ariella
I’s been a couple days since we returned to the Everstone capital city.
yle sent out scouts to verify the swamp
p that Damen referred to. While we wait for an update, we decide to come back to the royal palace since it’s nore secure within the palace walls.
Here we go.” Castor says, an almost worn out look on his face. “Hopefully, it lasts you till the end of the day.”
feel a pang of guilt Castor accompanies us back to the Everstone royal palace so that he can help keep the ever growing pain and dizziness I’ve been experiencing at bay.
My wolf has been edgy. Although not fully awake yet, she starts to make my life more difficult than it already is.
There’s only so much pain control I can do,” Castor says again. “You need to also keep your strain to a minimum
I bite on my lip. I know that he’s telling the truth and being more than reasonable. But I can’t sit on the sidelines and do nothing.
“This is my life,” I say to him. “And my baby. I can’t not do anything”
“And this is my baby, too,” Ethan says as he walks into the room. He sits down next to me and places a hand on my stomach. “And you will be my wife soon. It’s my job to keep you safe, not yours”
I know he cares about us, no doubt about it, but there is also dominance and possession in his to
“You can’t leave
me out of everything!” I protest, “I have the right to know what’s going on!”
istone.
“Woa, easy. I swe for you.
swear your wolf is a feisty spirit! Ethan chuckles, “That’s why I’m here to get you. We’re already gathered in the war room, just waiting
Castor points at the small pastries on the table with a pleading smile. “Please, take one before you go. I can’t have skipped out on your daily dose of royal–approved calories.”
e the king scolding m
me because you
“Yes, sir!” I laugh. I grab one from the plate, shove it in my mouth and follow Ethan into the war chamber.
Eli is already hunched over a map. I see a red circle around a region close to Midnight Moon territory
“Is that?” I begin to ask.
“Evelyn’s location,” Eli says, “or her general location, anyway.”
Ethan adds. “We’ve verified it”
Knowing my unpleasant history with the Midnight Moon pack, Ethan intentionally doesn’t mention Damon’s name.
w to those who
“The swamp doesn’t appear on any other map which makes me believe that Evelyns has shrouded it in magic, making it visible only to are aware of it,” Ethan says.
“If that’s the case then we should find a witch of our own, perhaps one who has knowledge of curses,” I suggest.
“Funny you should say that,” Eli says to me with a grin, waving a piece of paper in his hand. “Rafe has arrived home and spoken with Shawn, Here’s someone that may be useful for us. She used to be from Crystal River but she moved to Everstone a few years ago. Her name is Maya Darkwood”
“Let me go speak with her.” I say, eager to do something. “Il convince her to help us!”
Til send guards with you,” Ethan says.
“No!” Eli says quickly, “Witches can be tricky. If we show up with guards, she might get intimidated and refuse to help. Or worse, disappear for good. I’ll go with Ariella, that should be more than enough?
Ethan does not look happy but he knows witches are rare. It’s lucky enough for us to locate one so quickly.
“Fine, but if you are not back in an hour then I’m sending guards to find you,” Ethan concludes.
The last time I saw these streets was when Cassandra and I came for coffee, right before Lilith had me abducted.
It all seems so long ago now
2:10 PM
Chapter 54
Eli has directions to where the witch lives, a small apothecary on an obscure street.
We exit the car and enter the shop. The wind chimes on the porch ring as we do.
A young woman sits behind the counter, black hair with purple streaks, flicking through an old leather book. She must be Maya Darkwood
“Hello, I’m—”
“Princess Ariella Loveta,” she says casually, snapping her book shut,
“You know me!” 1 ask, taken aback.
“Who doesn’t know you” she laughs, “You have caused quite a stir since you arrived, and news travels fast.
“Then you probably know why I’m here. There can’t be many that don’t know about Evelyn’s latest curse, especially since Marcus public verdict announcement was so well attended.
Maya sighs, “That I do. And I need to tell you that just because I’m a witch doesn’t mean I can easily solve your situation.”
“But I’m sure there has to be something you can help us with,” I plead.
“Look, Princess,” she leans over the counter and looks me in the eye, “Magic is not as simple as folks make it out to be. Magic is tricky, it’s full of rules and layers upon layers of complexity. Some magic is simple, sure, but the magic you want me to fix is not. And Evelyn Keenan is not a witch to be messed with.
“What’s so different about Evelyn compared to you?”
“To put it into your wolly terms, she’s a Master Witch, kind of like an “Alpha to us ordinary witches” Maya explains. “She’s close to a hundred years old and is as cruel as she is powerful.
She opens her book and begins reading again, seemingly has lost interest in interacting with us, but I am not about to give up.
“Look, Miss Darkwood,” I begin earnestly. “My child’s life is on the line, my life is on the line. I don’t expect you to just help me for free, so-
“Five thousand gold, and lifetime tenancy–tax free,” she says with a face of marble.
Well, she just had that ready to go, didn’t she?
“Um, well, I don’t have the authority to give that but I’m sure the king will accept.”
-Oh he will, this is his heir on the line,” Maya cracks her fingers. “Now about th
the curse, I can’t remove it just like that, it’s not that simple, but if i know what ingredients were used to cast the spell then I may be able to alleviate certain aspects of it.” She must mean the content in that small vial that Evelyn shattered before she chanted the curse.
“Thank you, thank you. I bring your terms to King Ethan.”
My heart lifts a thousand miles in the air and hope fills my heart.
“Just one more thing, for clarity, the young witch says, “You are referring to the curse on your womb, right? Not the curse on your head?”
I look at her with confusion
“What do you mean, “curse on my head!
She pauses, shakes her head and presses her temple. “Oh, what a mess I’m getting myself into….
Eli frowns and urges her. “Miss Darkwood, please do explain!”
Maya glances over Eli and explains to me. “Well, I currently sense two curses; the one on your womb which is fresh and another one on your head which seems to be a few years old,” she narrows her eyes. “you didn’t know!”
“No.” my head is s
is spinning, “what does the curse do?”
Maya waves her hand over my head and I feel a light shimmer in the air around me.
“It’s a curse to block memory and render a shufier’s wolf dormant