17__The Witch of Onyx

Kamilla studied the woman, squinting at her through the rain. Who was this person and how on earth did she know her name?

“Don’t look so surprised, dear,” the woman said with her soft, sultry voice. “Everyone knows who you are. The lost half-vamp who was betrothed to the Vampire King’s son. Apparently, they found you. And the son is now the King. Everything worked out.”

Kamilla pursed her lips. “Uhm… yeah. Who are you?”

A miniature bow had the woman’s head inclining forward before she raised it again. “I am Rena.”

Rena? Rena! Kamilla blinked when it hit her. The person Seth told Viktor about. The sorceress who wasn’t supposed to be in the Onyx forest, according to Viktor.
Kamilla looked at the woman. “Oh, you’re the sorceress who’s not supposed to be here? You should hurry and leave before they force you. Viktor didn’t look overjoyed about having a witch in his forest.”

Sudden laughter rang out of the woman like cheerful bells, making Kamilla blink. Did the woman think she was joking? Viktor would hang her from Witcher’s if he caught her casting her spells in his forest!
“Dear,” said Rena with a wave of her brightly jeweled hand. “Viktor is a replica of his father. Never liked the sight of a sorceress and could never admit that they need us. I am here for the King’s benefit, an aid when he needs one.”
Rena suddenly began trailing her fingers slowly through the air in a gesture Kamilla found weird. Ignoring it, she focused on the woman’s face.

“Oh,” said Kamilla. “I see. Why, though? To be honest, I don’t think Viktor will accept your help. He’s rather stubborn, you see? Practically a mule, at this point.”

A slow feeling of bliss swiftly came over Kamilla, curving her mouth into a smile. It was like a pink, fuzzy blanket had covered her mind. She couldn’t think that straight, but it was so nice and cozy, she didn’t really care.
Kamilla looked at the woman, suddenly deciding that she was rather pretty. Rena smiled a slow smile and raised her hand in a gentle wave through the air, her eyes focusing on Kamilla as they glowed a deep purple, releasing power.

Kamilla stared at the sight, finding herself unable to look away. It was all just so pretty. Rena was so lovely, Kamilla thought. How could Viktor hate the sight of something so lovely?

“The King is stronger when you’re near,” said Rena in a hypnotic voice. She smiled. Good. It seemed like the King’s soulmate was falling under her spell. Perfect. “Did you know that, Kamilla? Your presence strengthens him. Tell me how.”

Kamilla smiled pleasantly, still staring at Rena’s beautifully glowing eyes. “Really? I make him stronger? That’s nice…”

Rena's smile wavered. That wasn’t it. Kamilla should’ve been telling Rena all she needed to know about the bond between her and Viktor by now. Rena needed to know how to break it! She had to isolate Viktor.
Rena drew up power from her soul and unleashed it, satisfaction filling her when Kamilla gasped.
“Kamilla, dear, tell me how you make him stronger. Tell me what makes him weak.”

Kamilla stared wide-eyed at the stunning sight before her. How absolutely breath-taking! Where all sorceresses this pretty?! The woman was glowing, for crying out loud!

“Huh? What makes him weak?” she asked in a whisper. Immediately, Charming came to mind. Kamilla nodded to herself. Oh, yeah. That’s what made Viktor weak. Charming was basically human.
He could get drunk, he could grow weak, and he could die. Well Viktor could die too, but Charming would be far easier to kill since he completely took over Viktor’s mind at times. Those times made Viktor human. Charming was Viktor’s weakness. The pretty lady with the glowing eyes wanted to know that, right?
Kamilla smiled. How could she say no to those pretty eyes? She opened her mouth to respond.

“Tell me!” Rena hissed impatiently.

Kamilla froze. She blinked once, twice, then three times, and looked back at Rena. It was like someone ripped the pink blanket away. The world was dark and scary again.
Kamilla gasped.
The sight was terrifying. The woman’s face had sunk in like a skeleton’s, her eyes glowing a dark purple as she stared at Kamilla. Kamilla shook her head in confusion. Wait.
Wasn’t it just a second ago that the woman had been the most beautiful thing Kamilla had ever seen?
She scoffed. Not anymore. “What the hell’s wrong with your face?” Kamilla asked bluntly.

She watched Rena freeze, her hands stopping mid-air as her spell casting died.

“W-what?” asked Rena, her purple eyes wide now. “What did you just say?”

Kamilla made a face. “I asked what happened to your face. I mean, it’s not even Halloween. Geez.”

Rena gasped and darted around, dragging her cloak over her face as she restored her beauty. She stared at the dark inside of her cloak.
What the hell had just happened? Had… had the half-Vampire really just resisted her sorcery? How on earth? It was impossible! Rena was flustered. She touched a hand to her restored face and shoved off the hood of her cape.

Kamilla was gone.
******************
“Where the hell did you disappear to?!” Viktor demanded as Kamilla trudged into the room, the Legion behind her. “I send you out for one thing and you just had to get yourself into trouble—”

Kamilla hissed before groaning in annoyance. “Can you not lecture me! I just got lost in the damn rain after these guys—” She shoved an accusatory finger in the direction of the Legion, making them all flinch. “Threw a freaking powerball at me and then ditched me!”

Viktor narrowed his eyes on Seth as Kamilla shuffled over to the big black couch and collapsed in it.
“Seth. Explain to me exactly how you lost Kamilla in that forest after I told you to not take your eyes off her!”
Seth’s mouth pursed as he inclined his head. “My King, I apologize. We will face all punishm—”

“We did not ditch Kamilla, King,” Vlad interrupted. Seth’s glare was quick to cut across the room, but Vlad didn’t stop. “We arranged the training as usual, but something unexplainable happened. She suddenly disappeared from before our eyes. We searched for her, but we strangely couldn’t find her, even though we combed every inch of the forest. After reporting to you that we’d lost the queen, we returned to see her walking out of the very same forest. It confuses us too.”

Viktor frowned and looked at Kamilla over his shoulder where she was curled up on the couch.
“Hey,” he called. She opened one eye. “You teleporting now?” he asked her.

Kamilla snorted and closed her eyes again. “I dunno. I did disappear though. That part’s true.”

A wave of his hand had the Legion turning and filing out of the room, to no doubt fight. Viktor knew how much Seth hated it when his younger brother spoke when he shouldn’t. Viktor didn’t care, they could deal with it.
He had his own troubles.

Viktor turned to Kamilla and crouched down beside her couch. He looked at the way her lashes touched the top of her pink cheeks. Her face was porcelain pale, with the pinkest mouth he ever saw.
He held back his desire and gave her head a rough nudge with his finger so she’d open her eyes.
“Stoooop!” Kamilla whined, rubbing her head.
“Open your eyes and answer my questions immediately.”
Her eyelids lifted so her flashing green eyes glared at him. “After sending me out there in the rain to fight witches, shouldn’t you at least be making me some freaking tea?!”

Viktor tilted his head. “Why would I, King of Onyx, do something so lowly? Did you meet a witch?”

Kamilla narrowed her eyes. He didn’t seem to have a problem when he’d grilled her a steak. Snob! “Yes! Bloody hell. Rena or whatever. She was pretty then ugly and she had jewels for eyes and just…. Ugh! Let me sleep!”
Kamilla turned away from him, closing her eyes tight. A few seconds of silence went by before she suddenly felt her body shift. Her eyes flew wide open and she stared in horror as her body began to lift off the couch.
She couldn’t believe it. He was freaking levitating her!

“Oh, my God! What are you doing?!” Kamilla shrieked as she rose into the air. She turned onto her back in a panic, her arms flailing about her.
“I suggest you remain calm, or I’ll drop you from the ceiling,” said calmly Viktor from below her. “Now, are you ready to answer my questions?”
“Go to hell!”
Viktor grinned, running his tongue over one canine. “Been there, sweetheart. Now, answer my questions.”
“Fine!” Kamilla yelled. “Oh, I swear when I get down, I am going to destroy you! Say bye-bye to your batwings, blood-sucker!”
“Sure, sure. Of course, that’ll be only if I let you down, right? Now, first of all, did you or did you not teleport?”
Kamilla huffed. “Does your body just suddenly snap from one place to another when you teleport?”

Viktor crossed his arms as he looked up at her. “No. You have to envision the place and then take yourself there.”
“Then, no. I did not teleport. I just disappeared and appeared at I place I had no clue about. Then she was there.”
Viktor drew closer and let his hands touch her hair as it swayed before him like a long red waterfall.
“Don’t touch my hair!”
He ignored her. “So there you met the witch. Rena, no doubt.”

Kamilla sighed. “Yes. I remember exactly what happened. First, she looked human, then she suddenly got really pretty and I wanted to tell her everything! Like all my secrets! Then she suddenly got really ugly and I wanted to kick her in the throat for some reason. It happened very weirdly.”
Viktor’s hand paused in her hair. He looked at Kamilla’s face. “You suddenly stopped thinking she was beautiful? All by yourself?”

Kamilla nodded. “Yeah.”

Viktor frowned. No way. “Are you telling me… that you resisted the power of a two-hundred-year-old sorceress? All by yourself?”

Kamilla blinked. “She’s how old?!” He didn’t respond and she sighed. “Uhm, well… I think I did. She looked really shocked and I had no idea why.”

Viktor brought her body lower, only enough for her to see his face. “That’s because, Kamilla,” he told her. “Nobody she’s challenged has ever been strong enough to resist her sorcery. Ever.”