Nolan I watched as Aaron’s face went blank. His emerald green eyes glazed over, turning that familiar creamy shade whenever someone mindlinked him. By the tension in his posture, fists clenched tight, I knew it wasn’t good news."What’s wrong?" I asked, my patience thinning. I hated not knowing what was happening."It was Rue," Aaron muttered, his voice tight as he referred to his right-hand man, and if Rue had something to say that made Aaron look like this, it couldn't be good. I felt my stomach churn. "What is it?""It’s Salem," Aaron said, swallowing hard. "He’s here."Salem. My jaw tightened at the mere mention of his name. "And what does he want?" I snapped, feeling the familiar rise of anger burn through me. "He brought Baila."My mind raced. "Baila’s locked in her room. I’ve had guards posted there. She..." My voice faltered for a second before the anger took over. "I warned her. I warned her what would happen if she tried to escape!" I slammed my fist into the desk, feelin
Baila"You know Nolan?" Salem asked, his voice low as he walked me back to the castle. "How do you know him?"I froze, my muscles tightening as I fought to keep my expression neutral. I couldn’t let anything slip. I didn’t know Salem well enough to trust him with the truth about who I really was or how I knew Nolan. Still, he had saved my life, and I knew I owed him something. But not this."Sara, the royal physician, is my friend," I lied, my voice steady though my cheeks warmed against the cold air. "I’m a dancer from a nearby village. I ran out of money, and Sara offered to help."Salem hummed softly, eyes flickering with suspicion. "Sara? I’ve met many of her dancer friends over the years, but never you." His red eyes had darkened to black now, leaving behind an unsettling emptiness."You know Sara?" I tried to sound casual, but inside, my heart pounded. I silently begged him to accept the story and drop the questions. I was already in deep trouble with Nolan; I didn’t need more c
BailaMy muscles ached as I stretched them out. My throat was a little sore and scratchy. I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I frowned at my comfortable position on the bed. The last thing I remembered from the previous night was sitting against the door as I waited for Nolan to leave before I could fall asleep.I did not remember getting into bed.The persistent pounding on my door grated my nerves.It was most likely Nolan. He was here to serve me more threats and warnings and tell me how stupid I had been for escaping. I would agree with him on the last part. It had been stupid of me to escape especially with no plan in mind.The pounding persisted, getting louder by the minute. I gritted my teeth, throwing the sheets aside and storming to the door. As much as I was ready to keep my mouth shut and swallow whatever bitter pill was coming my way, it was too early. The sun was barely even shining.I unlocked the door, throwing it open with an unnecessary amount of force.“What?” I hissed. M
BailaI ran through the forest, my bare feet crunching on dead leaves and branches. From a distance, I could hear the barking dogs assisting the guards in the hunt.The hunt for me.I ducked behind a tree when I found nowhere to hide. I tried to slow my breathing as I wrapped my hand around my necklace and prayed. With tears in my eyes, I lifted my head to the skies.The moon was covered by thick dark clouds. It would rain soon and the dogs would not be able to catch my scent, but I was afraid that the rain would make it difficult for me to escape. What had I done?I had been sent here to change things, to be a difference. Every last witch in the world was counting on me, and I had let them all down. I had done worse than disappoint them; I had repeated the same crime that started the witch hunt—a tradition I could have easily put an end to by winning the bride trials and marrying the high prince.When I closed my eyes, I could still see the horrified look on Ayesha's face.Ayesha!I
NolanIn the castle walls of house Caldore, I sat behind my table, looking at the list. A blinding headache was hindering me from fulfilling the list of duties I held in my hand. If the pain persisted, I would have to see a healer and postpone everything I planned to finish before morning.It was the day of my parents' death anniversary. I had made sure no one was at the river. The night guards included. I didn't want to think of the number of lives the river claimed every year on the day of my parents' death anniversary. If I had figured it out sooner, a lot of people would have been saved.At least, the past six years had gone by without a single person drowning in the river. I wondered if the witch's curse had continued even after my parents were dead.A million lives for one. A million by the river.I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. All those people had died for the sake of one girl. Witches were vindictive. I knew that now but I wished my parents had known just how vengefu
BailaI had a strange dream about a man with eyes so blue they frightened and entranced me at the same time. At first, he was a blue-eyed boy who got excited at the little things. His excitement and curiosity were infectious. I could hear his laughter as he ran through the meadow. Soon, he was a man with the same bright blue eyes. The only difference was that he had lost his excitement. His laughter was not as genuine and wild as it used to be.I felt it. The emotion that swallowed him whole was not sadness or trauma. It was loneliness. I could feel his pressing need to have someone and to belong somewhere. I wanted to hold him. I reached out for him but the world swirled into different colors around me.The dream changed, and I was drowning under the moon. I smiled up at the stars as hands reached down and pulled me to the surface. Frost. I heard the wind whisper. Air filled my lungs and I gasped awake.The bed was warm and comfortable. Bed?! I sat up, looking around. Someone had save
NolanI had backed away from Baila and chosen to stand in a corner far away from her. My heart thudded dangerously fast whenever I was near her.Twelve blasted hells!I had hoped with all my heart that I was wrong and yet when I kissed her, every sleeping part of me had awoken. She was the one. She was mine to protect.I watched her brown eyes gaze outside the window. I was certain she wanted to be free, to leave, but for some reason, she stood still with a lost look on her face.I couldn't let anyone know about her. Not yet.Goddess!The council. What would they say if I told them that my mate was a witch? I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering if I should let her know or watch her walk away forever. The latter was a better option, but somehow, I knew it would be impossible to let her go."Can I stay for a few nights?" she asked.I looked at her. There were a lot of questions I should have asked her. Questions that were very important and necessary for the safety of my people. Instead, I
BailaI felt quite uncomfortable as I walked alongside Aaron, the captain of the guard. He kept his distance from me like I was a kind of virus that had no cure, but his right hand was always on the hilt of his sword. I was scared to even sneeze. The slightest movement from me could cause Aaron to cut me down. I was sure the captain would not hesitate to kill me.As we walked further and further away from Nolan's room, I wondered why Nolan had asked me about the spell. I had been dying. Surely, I couldn't have cast a spell. I couldn't rule out the possibility though. But my necklace had been around my neck the entire time I was drowning. Besides, I didn't know any spells to call out to a werewolf or any other creature.Mother!No. It couldn't be. My demon had been dormant but the other part of me wasn't. I had also been underwater. That was where the siren part of me thrived. Could that side of me have called out to Nolan?I had never used my siren power before or even tried to tap int
BailaMy muscles ached as I stretched them out. My throat was a little sore and scratchy. I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I frowned at my comfortable position on the bed. The last thing I remembered from the previous night was sitting against the door as I waited for Nolan to leave before I could fall asleep.I did not remember getting into bed.The persistent pounding on my door grated my nerves.It was most likely Nolan. He was here to serve me more threats and warnings and tell me how stupid I had been for escaping. I would agree with him on the last part. It had been stupid of me to escape especially with no plan in mind.The pounding persisted, getting louder by the minute. I gritted my teeth, throwing the sheets aside and storming to the door. As much as I was ready to keep my mouth shut and swallow whatever bitter pill was coming my way, it was too early. The sun was barely even shining.I unlocked the door, throwing it open with an unnecessary amount of force.“What?” I hissed. M
Baila"You know Nolan?" Salem asked, his voice low as he walked me back to the castle. "How do you know him?"I froze, my muscles tightening as I fought to keep my expression neutral. I couldn’t let anything slip. I didn’t know Salem well enough to trust him with the truth about who I really was or how I knew Nolan. Still, he had saved my life, and I knew I owed him something. But not this."Sara, the royal physician, is my friend," I lied, my voice steady though my cheeks warmed against the cold air. "I’m a dancer from a nearby village. I ran out of money, and Sara offered to help."Salem hummed softly, eyes flickering with suspicion. "Sara? I’ve met many of her dancer friends over the years, but never you." His red eyes had darkened to black now, leaving behind an unsettling emptiness."You know Sara?" I tried to sound casual, but inside, my heart pounded. I silently begged him to accept the story and drop the questions. I was already in deep trouble with Nolan; I didn’t need more c
Nolan I watched as Aaron’s face went blank. His emerald green eyes glazed over, turning that familiar creamy shade whenever someone mindlinked him. By the tension in his posture, fists clenched tight, I knew it wasn’t good news."What’s wrong?" I asked, my patience thinning. I hated not knowing what was happening."It was Rue," Aaron muttered, his voice tight as he referred to his right-hand man, and if Rue had something to say that made Aaron look like this, it couldn't be good. I felt my stomach churn. "What is it?""It’s Salem," Aaron said, swallowing hard. "He’s here."Salem. My jaw tightened at the mere mention of his name. "And what does he want?" I snapped, feeling the familiar rise of anger burn through me. "He brought Baila."My mind raced. "Baila’s locked in her room. I’ve had guards posted there. She..." My voice faltered for a second before the anger took over. "I warned her. I warned her what would happen if she tried to escape!" I slammed my fist into the desk, feelin
Nolan13years agoIt was going to be a great day. A grand affair filled with joy and all the food I could eat. My mother, Queen Ariadne, had promised me that for my eleventh birthday, the entire kingdom would be in attendance. People would travel from far and wide, bringing gifts. And honestly, it was the gifts that excited me the most. I couldn’t wait to unwrap them all. The thought alone made me giddy.I sprinted down the hallways, greeting everyone I passed—maids, guards, and anyone else who crossed my path. They’d all be there to celebrate with me. Their smiles and laughter echoed behind me as I rushed toward my parents’ quarters. The room was empty, just as I’d guessed it would be.Earlier, Aaron, my best friend and the son of Beta Carmine, the captain of the guards, told me there was a meeting happening between my parents and his father. I decided it was the perfect time to pull a little surprise. They’d never see it coming. Grinning to myself, I crawled under their bed, making
NolanI was angry.It was not something that happened often and even when it did, I had control.This time however, things were different. I was angry and did not know what to do. My last bit of control had slipped when I went to see Baila.The way she had defended Sara…….I shook my head, pouring myself some wine and taking a seat behind my table. There were a lot of things to do. Urgent matters. I had to get a hold of myself, I had to find my control. I downed the wine too quickly, clearing my throat as the burn spread through my chest.That damned witch was driving me to madness.I gripped the goblet tighter.What had she been thinking? Swimming naked and unguarded? I wondered if maybe I had been too hard on her and Sara.I was sorry about the gap that had grown bigger between Sara and I after my parents died. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting the ones I loved by distancing myself from them. I was a king with many enemies and rivals who would do anyt
BailaI waitedNot because I had to but because I wanted to.The castle bell had rung for midnight and Sara had not come to see me yet. I wondered if it was because Sara was angry with me or because she was not yet back from the tavern..I should not have gone to the lake. I should have offered to stay in the apothecary with Sara and watch her grind her herbs but instead, we had gone swimming.Naked.I told herself that I only wanted to give Sara the due respect by bidding her farewell before I made my escape. Yes. That was simply it. It was not because I wanted to see the red haired woman again or embrace her and tell how much I would miss her.No.I was simply being respectful by waiting.A few minutes past minute, I decided to damn my respect and leave. My chances of escaping were growing slimer by the minute and as much as I wanted to, I could not afford to wait anymore. I walked towards my bedroom window, the one that faced the very tree Samani had told me about.Even as I climbed
BailaI was anxious.It was not a new feeling neither was it uncommon to me. In fact, I could not remember ever going more than a week in my life without the usual feeling of anxiety gnawing at my chest and causing me to sweat like the sun was right above my head.I paced the room, biting my nails as I waited for Sara to come to me. I had a vague idea of what the consequences of both I and Sara’s actions were. I understood Nolan’s anger but still, I hoped he would be lenient with Sara.I could still feel the discomfort I had endured when Aaron walked me to my room minutes ago. He had not said a word to me which was normal but what wasn’t normal was the tension in his stance, the way his jaw ticked with worry and annoyance every time I tripped on the way back to the castle and the fact that he had not glared at me like he usually did. I found it strange and disorienting.I shook my head.Aaron’s strange behavior was not important at the moment. My pressing concern was Sara and Nolan’s
SaraWhen I first saw the witch, I was ignorant to what she was. Ignorant to how deadly she was. But after hearing the witch’s name, something inside me changed. All the threats and warnings I had prepared for Baila had been forgotten the moment Baila first let me into her roomAnd as we spoke and spent more time together, I forgot all the reasons why I should have stayed away from her in the first place. All I could think about was that I had a friend. One that wasn’t a mate who had rejected me to serve the lycan king and one who was not the lycan king in question. This new friend of mine was different and I was thankful for that.A few hours ago, I had dismissed every guard on my floor so Baila could gain easy access and now, I was at the deadliest lake in Northwood. Swimming. Sneaking out of the castle had never been part of my plan for the day. I had promised myself to stay away from Baila so Aaron and Nolan would have one less thing to worry about. I had failed miserably.And no
SimoneWhen I was younger, my mother would sit me by the fire and tell me the same story she told every night. The story of the great black witch, Marinthia Galma. She was one of the most powerful necromancers to ever exist until she let her pride consume her. Until she started to want more.Desperate for power and total control, Marinthia led an army of power hungry witches to Randale, the ancestral home of the high king. All the witches were slaughtered before they made it past the castle gates. All eighteen thousand of them were killed because among them hid a traitor. The traitor was a more powerful witch than Marinthia was.She switched sides at the last moment and led the high king’s army to victory over her own people. Some claimed that she was in love with a vampire. A vampire who dwelt within the high king’s castle walls. But that wasn’t the main lesson my mother was aiming to teach me.No. Not at all. She would always end her story with the one witch who was said to have es