SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty-one
Amethyst’s Pov:
Never in my life did I feel more vulnerable than right now. The town’s people enclosed the area around Joseph and me. My heart raced as I tried to figure out what my next move was going to be. It was a huge inconvenience not being able to use magic. Sensing my worry, Joseph wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me in tight to him.
“My name is Amethyst, High priestess of the Temple of the Moon. We are looking for the woman and the girl who arrived recently. I mean them no harm, as I only wish to speak to them,” I tried again.
“What makes you think they are here?” one voice growled. “Really? We are going there?” I fired back, annoyed at the games they were playing. “As I have stated, I am the High Priestess. I do not mean them harm,” I stated again. “The Goddesses led me here,” I insisted. Murmurs rippled through the crowd before they turned their backs and walk to their lives as if we were nothing.
“Since the Goddesses brought you here, I expect you will stay until you find what it is you are looking for. I suggest the inn down the road for lodgings. You will find they still honor the old Goddess,” an old woman grumbled as she walked into the bustle of the everyday life of the village.
“Now what?” Joseph asked. “We find that witch. Thankfully, we’ve now learned the witch and her daughter are, in fact, here. As they are protecting her. All we have to do is convince them we only want to talk,” I stated as we made our way to the Inn.
I took notice of the curious glances of the town’s folk. While they did not seem threatened by our appearance, they still seemed to be untrusting to us. “You will find all that you need here,” the Girl’s gruff voice grumbled before she revealed herself.
“It would be kind of silly to send us here if we couldn’t,” I agreed, earning a glare from her. “I think you will find more than you were expecting. This witch is important. Remember that, my little Thyst,” she reiterated, before vanishing.
“Who were you talking to?” Joseph asked, worried. “You didn’t see the Goddess?” I replied, confused. “No, no one was there,” he shrugged.
“I see. It’s not uncommon for the Goddesses to only reveal themselves to one person. However, what is uncommon is the fact that you noticed me speaking with her. She usually masks her presence,” I explained. He glanced at me as if he wanted to say something more, but didn’t.
I reflected on the Goddess’s words. I understood this witch was important. As she held the key to getting Joseph’s heart back. Although I was not entirely sure on how I was going to accomplish this task just yet. The magic used to keep a person alive despite the absence of their heart was far blacker than any I crossed before. Reversing the effects would be just as dark.
Then there was the complicated matter of the young girl. What would become of her? She was already extremely sickly and frail in his memories. How would she fare with her actual heart back in her chest? And for how long?
“Lady Amethyst, I presume?” A man’s bitter voice rang out, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes darted for the owner, falling on a withered older man with beady eyes. His appearance was that of a rat, so was his demeanor.
“Forgive me for not acknowledging your frivolous title from the fraudulent Goddesses,” he grinned, his rotting teeth peering out from behind his crooked smile. Which sent a chill down my spine. My instinct told me he was rotting from the inside out.
“Of course, they are my Goddesses, not yours. What is it I can do for you, my good sir?” I asked. I was unsure of why he stopped us. There was something off about him.
“Straight to business. I like that in a woman. I know the location of the woman and child you speak of. They passed through here a few nights ago. She believed you would come, and she left me this note for you. Here, take it,” he grinned, grabbing my hand and shoved the note into my palm before scurrying off.
Curious, I glanced at the note that was so forcefully shoved into my palm, something about this note gave me a foreboding sensation. My heart rate spiked with the touch of the parchment in my hand. Joseph watched me intently. Ignoring his stare, I clenched the parchment in my hand, unable to shake the sensation. Something told me that the rat of a man was somewhere watching me closely from some dank shadow.
“I think it’s best if we continue to the Inn,” I smiled at Joseph. Obviously, he was perplexed by my words, but said nothing. We only walked for a moment more before the quaint inn came into view. After the interactions we had so far, it was a relief to finally find it.
“Lady of the Goddesses, how am I able to serve you?” the older woman asked. To my surprise, it was the older woman who directed us to the inn in the first place. “We are looking for the woman and girl that came here not long before us,” I returned her warmth. She glanced at Joseph, then at me, before replying.
“I see. What makes you so sure she is still here?” she asked cautiously. “Beside the fact the Goddesses sent me here? Or the fact my mate’s blood could open the veil? Nothing. Oh, maybe everyone’s peculiar behavior. And then there is the fact everyone seems to understand who it is I speak about. With nothing more than a description of a woman and a girl,” I shrugged.
“Yes, of course, well I can’t say that I have seen anyone who doesn’t belong here except you. You understand, of course. Shall I assume you will need lodgings until you choose to move on?” The innkeeper smiled. I nodded my head, realizing arguing with her would be pointless.
“Follow me this way please, best room in the house. The Goddesses saved my daughters’ and granddaughters’ life when she gave birth to the child. There is no charge for your stay,” she informed us, keeping her eyes glued to Joseph the whole time. “We owe them this much.”
“Please call us if there is anything you need. I will serve dinner at 7 pm,” she bowed. Before she opened the door, revealing a humble yet comfortable room. I thanked the innkeeper as she closed the door.
“You were right not to open this note. It’s not from whom you seek, but a trap meant to flush you out,” the Woman stated, materializing before our eyes on the bed. “Give me the parchment and I will destroy it; no mere fire will counteract the magic in this paper,” she whispered. And held her hand out expectantly.
Hesitation crept into my heart as I peered at the note. What if this was something the Goddesses didn’t want me to learn? For the first time in my life, I doubted them.
They let these events unfold. In some ways, it was all a part of their plan. I stared at the paper, suddenly angry at the Goddess who sat on my bed. Joseph’s heart was missing. Yet she expected me to hand over the best possible lead I had to her. Only so she could destroy it.
“This is what they want, Amethyst, to separate you from us. They want to stop what I have promised. If you doubt us now, the outcome is grim, and I cannot promise the survival of Joseph,” she pleaded. Her words were filled with concern, causing my head to clear, and I handed over the paper.
Purple flames swirled around the fist of the Goddess. Within seconds, the parchment turned to ash in her hands. A loud crack echoed throughout the room, causing both Joseph and me to jump back.
The once purple flames from the Goddess were now a brilliant blood red colour. Her hand recoiled, blackened by the ash of the parchment. Suddenly it was swept through the air and out the window.
“Back to its author,” she smiled, examining her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment before her hand reverted to its normal colour. “Nasty little curse, it was inventive. I will give them that,” she laughed.
“Now you see no one here wants you to find this witch. Especially those she fled from,” the Woman stated, exasperated. “She knows their secrets and they are not about to allow you to get your hands on them,” she continued. “Ultimately, this witch holds the key to all. She will be our greatest ally in defeating the witches, which now inhabit Eclipse.”
Timothy’s Pov:
The cold damp morning did nothing to improve my mood. Somehow, without Amethyst, the world seemed a little less bright. A small group consisting of Jennings, Madeline, myself and two warriors from Eclipse walked through the dense forest where the nest dumped Sanders and Joseph. It was my hope I would pick up any lingering traces of the witches who remained.
We approached the area cautiously, shifted to our wolves. Even Madeline, much to her protest, was in her wolf. If they ambushed us, it was my belief fighting in our wolves would give us an advantage. Madeline refused to leave her sword at the pack house, demanding I affix her sheath to her.
The spot was remote and took nearly 3 hours to walk there. My eyes scoured the area, praying we’d find something that would lead to the nests. After delving deeper and deeper into the thick brush and the sun’s diminishing rays faded, I realized it was best if we called it a day.
As much as I wished to see those beasts dead, it was not worth risking more lives for. Amethyst would not want that. “I think it’s best if we call it a day and regroup. We are vulnerable to attack here,” I announced.
“Timothy, we can’t just head back. They killed Amethyst; we need to avenge her death,” Madeline screamed back with every ounce of passion she possessed.
“No one knows this better than I do Madeline, but I won’t risk anymore lives,” I explained. “That’s because you are a bloody coward, Timothy, always suckling at the tit of your mother,” she snapped, her voice filled with a venom I never expected from her. As she shoved past me, I couldn’t help but notice the slightest hint of decay emanating from her.