Chapter 67: Move, Witch.
~Raphael's POV ~
"So, what's the plan, Gwendolyn?"
For a witch, she isn't bold like the rest of her kind, those who take pleasure in the suffering of others.
"I will just check on her, Your Highness," she whispers. Her voice is so small it would be hard to hear for a normal being, but not for me.
No wonder she was always bullied. She gives off a timid aura.
"What kind of curse are you suspecting?"
She looks at me, then quickly looks away. My jaw tightens. It has to be bad if she won’t even meet my gaze.
"I... I don’t think you want to know, Your Highness," she murmurs.
A witch. Telling me what I want and don’t want to know.
The swirling rage inside me burns hotter, and my fists clench at my sides before I end up hurting the friend of my mate, I clench hard on my hands almost drawing blood.
"M-my king, I mean no insult," she stammers, her eyes wide, nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"Hmm. If you truly mean no insult, Gwendolyn, then tell me, what curse was laid against Ava?"
She sighs and steps past me into the room, the thick scent of her witch smell clinging to her like damp earth after a storm. It messes with my senses. I hate the witch's scent.
My ministers from the witches clan always cover their scent with something else. Grey had run mad killing most witches after what Allasia did.
Why is it so strong on her now? It wasn’t before.
"The curse is powerful. A terrible one at that. Where is Callie, the maid who brought her the herbs?"
“ Callie is on house-arrest with her brother.” The only reason she is still alive is because Ava almost died saving her.
“ Bless mother-earth. I might need her.” For what? I wanted to ask but I kept silent watching her.
She mumbles something under breath and then reaches for the quilts I wrapped around Ava’s cold body, four thick layers meant to shield her from the ever-mounting chill.
Gwendolyn tries to unwrap the last one, but her fingers fumble uselessly against the fabric.
"Of course, she can't. You infused your mana into that blanket. Stop acting so smug. Hmph!"
May we never have an enemy as a wolf.
"You can't unwrap that. Let me do it."
She shakes her head. "You don't have to worry, Your Highness. I can do it." Yeah, you can try. But not today.
We don’t have time for this. It’s been two weeks already. If we don’t destroy the curse soon, Ava might actually lose her life.
"Move, witch," Grey snarls.
‘Great one, Grey,’ I snapped sarcastically.
"I was only helping," he replies smugly.
"Your Highness, I’m almost done…"
She doesn't get it, does she? I guess she can’t see the faint blue glow within the quilt.
"The quilt is infused with mana. You can't unwrap it, only I can."
The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I'd made a mistake. Her mouth falls open.
"You... you can use mana?" How do people even hear her speak?
"Yes."
She inhales sharply. Yeah, great job, Raphael. You’re as dumb as your wolf.
"Keep the sweet cozy moments for later. Remove the quilt, dumb vessel," Grey growls.
I should sincerely consider sealing this beast.
I move quickly, unwrapping the quilt from Ava, revealing her pale skin-paler than before.
The black threads that had been creeping along her left arm have now spread to her right, running down to her abdomen. But not yet to her chest.
Goddess. Why so fast?
My knees almost buckle, but I grab the bedpost to steady myself.
"The curse is moving quickly," Gwendolyn murmurs, her hands trembling as she carefully presses her fingers against Ava’s collarbone. Then her hands darts to Ava's eyes, opening the closed lid.
The sclera was as white as milk. and she exhaled sharply, relief washing over her features as she slumped into the chair beside the bed.
"My king, we need to act fast. Once the curse reaches her eyes... she will die."
Not her heart?
"I don't understand. Her eyes? What kind of curse is it, Gwendolyn?" My patience shatters, and my voice booms across the room.
"It is a necromancer’s curse, my king," she says, a bit too calmly for liking rubbing her hands together, trying to conceal her nervousness.
Necromancer’s curse? I’ve never heard of that.
I glance at the black ring tattoo on my wrist and take a slow, measured breath. Even if I wanted to, I can’t use dark spells anymore.
"Do you have a way to undo the curse?"
She looks away, her expression distant.
"No, my king. I know what it is, but I can’t do much. Those chosen by mother-earth cannot practice dark spells. Even if I try, it won’t end well. I might end up hurting her instead."
Poor girl. She looks as guilt-ridden as I feel. Why do the sisters of fate enjoy playing games with lesser beings?
"Is there anyone you know who can undo the spell?"
She shakes her head.
"A necromancer’s curse requires a life," she says quietly. "And the only ones capable of performing such rituals are the elders. But the elders are not on my side, so I cannot seek their help."
"What do you mean?"
"The only way to undo the curse is through a human sacrifice," she explains.
A cold, sinking feeling grips my chest.
"You mean..." My voice drops to a whisper. "A human sacrifice is required to undo it?"
She nods grimly.
"Yes, my king. Not just any human life, but a newborn life as well. Just as a life was taken to bind the curse, a life must be offered to appease the spirit that has its shackles around Ava."
A devilish ritual.
"Wipe them out. Everything will end," Grey suggests lazily as he paces within me. I can feel his fear.
"You mean there’s no other way?" I refuse to believe it. I refuse to accept that my mate might die before me.
"No," she murmurs, wringing her hands. Then, she sighs. "We have two options; We can kill Lara and use her as the sacrifice, since she is a powerful witch and considered as one of the elders... or we can find and kill the caster of the curse, then use his spirit to appease the dead soul draining Ava’s life-force."
Both options are impossible. Which means...
Ava might die.
"We don’t know where Lara is!" My voice rises in frustration. "I’ve searched the entire kingdom—nothing!"
Gwendolyn flinches at my outburst. She meets my gaze, her eyes red and swollen, reflecting my own fear.
"I apologize for all that’s happening, Your Highness," she whispers, her voice trembling with sadness.
"Your apology changes nothing, Gwendolyn. My encounters with witches have never been good. So I’ll give you and your kind, one last chance, because my mate sees you as her friend."
I take a step closer, my voice low, deadly even to my own ears.
"Convince your people to undo whatever was done to my mate. If not, I will wipe their miserable lives from the surface of this world. Guilty or innocent, it won’t matter. They will all die."
I let the threat hang as I turn and walk out of the room.
I wasn't lying.
If anything happens to Ava, no one in this world will be safe. The beast will finally fall into chaos, and I won’t stop him. No. I will join him.
I will burn everything to the ground, even if it means going to war against fate itself.
"Pray nothing happens to our mate," Grey warns, his voice dark. "If she dies, you will be the first to meet your end in the most agonizing way. And then... I will use your body to destroy and erase this world."
"You don’t need to destroy me, Grey," I whisper back. "I will join you. I will give you my body and my power willingly."
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