High Witch

Ariel got dressed then sat on the bed, refusing to move until Brayden told her more. He sat next to her, holding her hands in both of his. He had to be calm. He didn’t want to agitate her and have her set the room on fire. He took deep breaths.

“How can he still be alive?” Ariel asked. “If he’s your...great-great-great-grandfather, he should be long dead.”

Brayden chewed on his lip. “He’s — different from everyone else. He cheats death. I didn’t tell you this to begin with, because I didn’t want to scare you. I didn’t think he knew about you. We haven’t heard anything about him in years, but I guess that’s the problem. He’s due.”

He shut his eyes, knowing he wasn’t making any sense. He sighed. “There are those that want to turn a High Witch, to be connected to her, and use her power for themselves. The witch will be committed to the one that turns her, will do anything for them. Even though she has all the power, she’ll do what the one who turns her asks. She’ll be infatuated with him. She’ll belong to him.”

He gritted his teeth. “Julius became addicted to Lenora’s power after he turned her. He became addicted to her, to how he felt with her. But they grew old. He couldn’t stand it, knowing he was going to die. Even a High Witch can’t live forever. But he found a way that he could.

“He and Lenora were in their seventies. She was still amazingly powerful. He convinced her to help him capture another High Witch — he said he wanted Lenora to kill the girl. But after they’d captured her, he killed Lenora. She didn’t see it coming — didn’t protect herself.

“Julius put the new High Witch through the test, and turned her. He believed with a new witch under his control, her power would lengthen his life. He was right. He became her age, the age of the new witch he’d turned. He started his life again. He’d cheated death. And every time he starts to become old, he does it again.

“Now, he must be ready. He must be due. That’s why he wants you, Ariel. He wants you so he can cheat death.”

Brayden stopped speaking, waiting for Ariel to absorb the story. She sat there in complete silence, not moving, not speaking. She brought her hands up to her face, and wiped away a few silent tears.

“Why hasn’t he been stopped? Why hasn’t he been killed?”

“His witch protects him against everything. No one can get to him. Nothing can stop a High Witch.”

Ariel frowned. “But why does the High Witch protect him, if he’s just going to kill her? Surely she would know — surely she would have heard about him.”

Brayden knew it was hard to understand. “Because she’s infatuated with him — but beyond all reason. She can’t break out of it. She’ll believe that he won’t kill her, that he’ll love her forever. It’s what binds her to him. It’s part of the dark magic.”

Ariel sighed loudly. “So I have a deranged devil coming after me, and his High Witch! I have to battle her, and him?”

Brayden held her face in his hands. “You won’t battle anyone. We’ll run. We’ll run, and I’ll teach you to hide us. He’ll never find you.”

Ariel gazed at him. “Nothing can stop a High Witch.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Ariel, I care about you so much. I don’t want him to hurt you.”

He shut his eyes, feeling tears welling up behind his lids. She moved his hands and kissed him, hard, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back deeply, holding her tightly. His pain and anguish mixed with his passion for her. He felt sorrow and joy. Sadness and ecstasy. He became lost in the feeling. Brayden felt it was the last moment of joy he’d ever have.

“Bring as little as possible. Only what you really need.”

Brayden helped Ariel pack some of her things into one of her satchels. They had to leave most of her belongings behind. He couldn’t bring his things either — he would just pack some clothes, some food, and what little money he had. He was filled with anxiety as they finished. He took some deep breaths, trying to calm down. He turned to Ariel.

“I’ll just go to my room. I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait!” she called, clutching his arm. “There’s so much I don’t understand. What did you mean when you said ‘he’s doing it all on purpose’? What did you mean?”

Brayden kissed her roughly. “I can’t explain it now. I’ll tell you everything, but we have to get out of here. Fast.”

He left the room, running up two flights of stairs to the attic. He hurriedly packed what he could, then took a last look at his room. It had been his home for three years. His life had been there, at the inn, for so long. Now he had to go and never come back. But it wasn’t the inn he’d really miss — if he left with Ariel, he could never go home to see his family. They could never go anywhere they could be found. They’d have to run. Forever.

A new wave of anxiety ran through him, as he realized how serious this was. He and Ariel would be locked together for the rest of their lives. He definitely had feelings for her, but everything was so sudden. It was no way to get to know someone. He didn’t even know how Ariel felt about him, really. Did she care about him? Did she want to be with him? He didn’t want her to grow to resent him. He took deep breaths. They didn’t have time to waste with his worries. They just had to get moving.

He went back to Ariel’s room, then they ran downstairs to the front area. Brayden couldn’t face Alistair — he quickly wrote a note for him, leaving it on the front counter. He only said he had to leave — nothing more. Ariel left some money for the few days she’d stayed there. Brayden was owed two weeks wages — he hoped that would cover him leaving with no warning. He couldn’t really cover the cost of the horses they were going to take. He squeezed Ariel’s hand, looking at her.

“Are you ready?” he asked. Her blue eyes were filled with worry and concern, but she nodded. He felt the anxiety again, but tried to ignore it. They picked up their satchels and walked out the door.

“Transport us to the stables,” he said. “It’s faster, and you need to practice using your magic as much as possible.”

Ariel held onto him, then they were spinning, before arriving in front of the large brown building. Brayden walked in and saddled two horses, bringing one out for Ariel, then another for himself. He went to help her up, but she did it herself.

“I can ride,” she said, atop the horse.

Brayden was glad. He mounted his horse also, then went ahead of her, leading the way down the road. They rode quickly, focused, determined. They had to get as far away from everything they knew, as quickly as possible. They had no time to waste. They had no time.

They rode quickly for a few hours, then stopped by a river. They led the horses to take a drink, then sat on the riverbank. Brayden put his arms around Ariel, leaning her back against his chest. She took off her glasses and nestled against him. He kissed her hair.

They sat for a long time, listening to the sound of the water flowing by, and the leaves rustling in the trees above them. Brayden kept softly kissing Ariel’s hair, holding her closely to him. She sat quietly in his arms. He felt a strong urge to protect her, to shield her from the bad things that could happen. She was so kind, so sweet, so fragile. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hurt her. He just wanted to sit there all day, holding her, comforting her. But he knew she had questions. It was his job to answer them.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked. She sighed.

“I’m okay,” she said. “But you need to tell me what’s going on.”

He bit his lip. This was going to be horrible for her to hear. It was horrible for him to know.

“Julius must have discovered somehow you’re a High Witch,” he began. “I don’t know how — maybe he saw you use your powers — I don’t know. He would have started a plan to capture you, but there’s more to it than that. He doesn’t just want to catch you, Ariel. This all works better for him if — if...” He shut his eyes. His heart broke in two.

“Ariel, you know I care about you, don’t you?” he pleaded. “I know this is so sudden, and quick, and we should just be getting to know each other instead of fleeing together. But, please, please believe that I care about you, on my own. I — I...”

She turned in his arms to look at him. Her eyes were filled with concern. “I care about you, too,” she said. “Brayden, I know you care for me — you’re showing me, by being with me. By leaving with me, protecting me. What’s wrong? What did you mean, ‘on my own’?”

He felt so much pain he could barely stand it. He took a deep breath. “Julius has planned everything. He told your uncle he wanted to marry you, knowing you’d flee. Knowing you’d go to the inn. Knowing you’d meet me. He wants to capture you and put you through the test, but what you don’t know is that the bond between you and him will be so much stronger, if...if...” Brayden wanted to strangle him. “If you kill the one you love.”

Brayden watched as Ariel’s expression turned to shock, then dismay. She looked at her hands, not saying anything for several moments. Brayden let go of her, not sure if she’d want him to be holding her. She finally met his gaze.

“How would he know?” she asked softly. “How would he know we’d develop feelings for each other? You can’t control that.”

Brayden looked at her closely. “His witch probably had a vision of us together. That’s how Julius would have known we’d meet. But she also helped things along slightly. I’ve been — dreaming about you. For about a month. Every night.”

She looked at him in horror, and moved away from him. Her expression turned to anger. “She saw me go to the inn, and gave you dreams so you would want me!” she cried. “What if you’d never had the dreams? Would you have looked at me twice? No other man has wanted me — this is all, all — you’ve just been tricked into this! Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I didn’t know it was you at first!” Brayden exclaimed. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you, without knowing you were the girl from my dreams. But it doesn’t matter — I’m not under some kind of spell, some kind of trance. I’m looking at you, the real you, and I care about you so much. You’re good, and kind, and sweet, and I’d want to be with you if I’d never dreamed about you. Would I be here if I didn’t?”

Ariel sat there, breathing heavily, as if she was trying to calm herself down. She looked away, staring off into the distance. Her hands were clutching her skirt tightly, her knuckles white. Brayden became very worried.

“Try not to lose control,” he said. Her eyes flashed to his, her gaze piercing. Her breathing was still heavy. He knew she was right on the edge of her magic pouring out of her. He risked reaching out his hand, and gently touching her face.

“You said I’ve shown you how I feel by being with you. By leaving with you, protecting you. It’s real, Ariel. I wouldn’t be giving up my life over something that wasn’t real.”

She stared at him with sadness, then suddenly her entire body relaxed, her shoulders slumping, her hands letting go of their grip on her dress. She heaved a huge sigh, leaning forward to rest against him. Brayden put his arms around her, relieved. She moved her head so it was against his neck.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “It was just a shock. This is all a shock. I don’t know how much more of this story I can take.”

“You know it all now, Ariel,” Brayden said. “There’s nothing else. We just have to work on escaping him.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “I would never hurt you. If I go through the test, I’ll let myself die. That’s what happens if the witch doesn’t kill, right? What happens if the witch chooses not to hurt the other person?”

Brayden looked at her sadly. He couldn’t believe she was even considering that. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “No one ever has.”