High Witch (High Witch Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter 5

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 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.”

Chapter 6

They traveled for the rest of the day, then arrived at a tavern at nightfall. It was a small place, a bar with a few rooms on the first floor. Brayden unlocked the door to their small room, then dumped his satchel on the ground. Ariel walked in after him, and he shut the door.

“I’m exhausted,” he said, stretching and yawning. Ariel smiled weakly at him, but he could tell she was tired, too. She looked worn out, her eyes sad. Brayden brought her into a hug.

“We’ll get some sleep. We deserve to rest,” he murmured. She leaned against him, and he wondered if she was going to fall asleep in his arms. He sighed deeply.

“Oh, Ariel. I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” he said. She looked at him.

“It’s happening to you, too,” she said softly, voicing the fact that they’d only just met, and were now entwined together. He kissed her on the forehead.

“It’s alright...let’s just get changed.”

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, then Brayden smiled. “I’ll turn around. Take your time.”

He turned and covered his eyes. He heard Ariel getting undressed, and resisted the urge to look at her. After a while she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Your turn,” she said softly. She was dressed in a long nightgown. Brayden went to one of the satchels and got some clothes to sleep in. He glanced at Ariel, and she had her hands over her eyes. He thought it was very sweet.

He got changed, then went up and kissed her once more. She looked at him shyly, then looked down.

“Ariel, we don’t have to do anything,” he said softly. “I don’t want you to feel you have to, just because we’re staying together. Don’t feel pressured, just because we already have.”

She nodded, still looking down. Brayden took her hand and led her to the bed, which was next to the window. He moved aside the blanket, and she climbed in first. He lay down next to her, putting his arms around her.

“Goodnight, my love,” he whispered, holding her closely. She rested her head against his chest, snuggling against him. They were warm together under the blanket. Brayden knew he would drift off to sleep soon. He felt Ariel’s breathing slow down, and felt incredibly comforted by being so close to her. He’d been wanting to lie down with her all day. He closed his eyes, and slipped away.

***

Brayden awoke to sunlight streaming through the flimsy curtains of their room. He blinked a few times, wondering what time it was. Ariel was fast asleep, still lying up close to him. He shook her shoulder a little.

“Wake up,” he said, his voice coming out croakier than he’d meant. She made some muffled sounds in protest, then looked up at him.

“I’m still tired,” she murmured, putting her head back down. He smiled.

“Me too. But we can’t stay here all day.”

They lay in silence for a while. “What do we do next?” Ariel asked. “Do we just keep traveling? I have to practice using my magic. I don’t want to be useless if they find us.”

Brayden held her more closely. “Don’t think about them finding us, Ariel. Don’t think about it. But you’re right — you should practice using your magic. I want you to have complete control of your powers. I have an idea of what magic you could do first.”

She raised her head again. “What?”

He looked at her fondly. “I’m surprised you wear spectacles. Especially given that you could fix your eyesight so easily.”

She frowned at him. “I can use my magic on myself?”

“Of course! You really just have to decide to be able to see. Just concentrate on making your vision clearer. But don’t hold back, Ariel. You have to use your full strength.”

She sat up and stared at him for a moment. She took a deep breath, then shut her eyes. She sat there for a long while. Brayden watched her closely.

“Don’t hold back,” he repeated softly.

Ariel opened her eyes and looked at him. She looked at him closely, as if she was drawing her power from him. Brayden became very nervous. He couldn’t breathe. She kept looking at him, but he realized she wasn’t seeing him. She was so still she seemed frozen. He held his breath again.

Suddenly she threw her head back, and the brightest light he’d ever seen shone from her eyes, huge, stunning. He looked away, blinded. He felt heat radiating from her. Eventually the light faded, and Brayden was able to look at her again. Her face was flushed, her cheeks pink. But her eyes — her eyes were an even brighter blue, even more vivid than before. She looked around the room. He sat up so he was next to her.

“Well?” he asked. She smiled at him.

“I can see everything,” she said. “For the first time, everything’s clear. Oh, Brayden.”

Ariel threw her arms around his neck, and he laughed, holding her. He loved the feeling of her softness against him. His heart began to beat a little faster, and he desperately wanted to kiss her. As if she knew what he was thinking, she kissed his neck.

“Brayden,” she murmured, kissing his neck again. He felt a quiver run through him. He moved her slightly, so her mouth was close to his. He kissed her, holding her tight. She clutched his shirt, kissing him back passionately, her breath coming out in gasps. He moved his mouth against hers, pressing her body to him. He moved her so they were lying down on the bed. His hands traveled down her body.

“Ariel,” he gasped, kissing her neck, his mouth moving over her throat. She cried out in pleasure, and he began to undress her. They started making love, Brayden kissing her as he moved inside of her. It was the most intense experience of his life. She kept moaning, clinging to him, moving with him. He couldn’t believe how amazing it felt. It had never felt like this with anyone else. He’d never felt so connected with anyone before.

They lay next to each other when it was over, looking into each other’s eyes. He didn’t want to leave the room. He just wanted to lie with her all day. She smiled at him.

“You’re amazing,” she said. He looked at her in wonder.

“So are you,” he whispered. “So are you.”

She kissed him gently. He drew her to him, holding her. He felt so much love for her in that moment. He didn’t want to leave her side. They just had to keep away from Julius.

***

“What do you see?” Julius asked. Nadia sat with her eyes shut, concentrating. She looked at him, her dark eyes cold.

“I see them at an inn in a week’s time. I can see the sign over the door. It’ll be no trouble to find them. We can catch them easily.”

Julius nodded. He went and looked out of the window, thinking, his hands clasped behind his back. Nadia came and stood behind him.

“She’ll be easy to kill,” she said, putting her hands on his back. Julius suppressed a shudder. He didn’t want her withered hands touching him. He’d grown tired of her so long ago, could barely remember the last time he wanted her. He remained still.

“Leave me now, Nadia,” he said. “I have to plan.”

She obediently left the room, shutting the door behind her. Julius continued staring out of the window. He wondered over the things that had happened recently. Despite his disgust at his fifty year old wife, she had been very useful. Once he’d told her about Ariel, she’d had a vision of her going to the inn, and meeting Brayden. Nadia had embedded the dreams in Brayden’s mind, ensuring the two would fall in love. Then he’d just had to give Ariel a reason to leave, with the false marriage proposal.

A small smile touched Julius’ lips. Now that Ariel was in love — now that she had something to lose — turning her would be so much more satisfying. The bond was always stronger, the witch’s addiction to him deeper, darker, if she killed the one she loved. He wanted that bond with Ariel. He craved her so much he could barely stand it.

He thought about her, this new witch. She was beautiful, she was powerful, she was
young
. He was desperate to mold her, transform her from the shy, quiet thing that she was, into the strong witch she could be. She was perfect. She was a storm of power, waiting to be unleashed. She was ready for him to take her, ready to be changed.

He found it a disturbing coincidence that Brayden was distantly related to him — he would tell Ariel things he didn’t want her to know. But Julius would still make it work. He enjoyed the chase. He enjoyed the hunt. He craved that sweet moment, that moment when she would kill her lover, and the change would be complete. He wanted it so much he could almost taste it. He wanted her to be dark. He wanted her.

He would have her, soon enough. He sighed. This time, this time before he would become young again, made him weary. Fifty was too old — he was glad he’d found Ariel so quickly, after searching for a new witch. He wanted to start again. He was ready to start over.

Nadia would fight her, and bring her to him. His slave would obey him one last time. He didn’t relish killing Nadia, but it was necessary. He couldn’t turn Ariel while he was bound to another. He would do it, as he had so many times before. It would be worth it. Because he would have Ariel.

He wanted her.