She was perched in the armchair, her gaze darting between us. She seemed annoyed that our brothers had her trapped. But then, her eyes softened, and she returned our stares with a smile. Alastair hissed in her direction.
“Alastair!” I warned. I could tell he was on the verge of lunging at her again. When she admitted earlier that she was the one who’d cursed Amari, I felt a surge of anger.
But we needed answers from her. If we wanted to save Amari, we couldn’t afford to harm her.
“Speak,” I commanded. Calandra just scoffed and crossed her arms.
As the queen of the witches, she and her two elusive sisters, Devika and Corina, had the power to either reveal the truth or negotiate.
And I had a hunch that this wasn’t going to be straightforward.
“If you’re not going to talk, why did you bother coming?” Lorcan asked her. I studied my brother. Lorcan was more patient than I was, but even he had his limits, and he was nearing his.
“I said I would only speak with her. No one else,” Calandra retorted, glaring at Lorcan. “You have no right, and you don’t know what I’m going to tell her.”
“Yes, we do,” I shot back. “She’s under our protection, and she’s not just anyone.”
Calandra frowned.
“Not anyone?” Calandra asked, her curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”
“That’s none of your concern,” I replied.
“Now, if you’re expecting Amari to talk to you. You should know she won’t. Amari has suffered enough, she doesn’t need you anywhere near her. After all, this is all your fault.”
“Yes, it is,” Calandra mumbled. “It is, and I know she’s innocent in all this.”
“So why curse her?” Lorcan asked, his brow furrowed. I had the same question, but I suspected there was more to it.
“Because…he had to pay,” Calandra said, sighing.
“Who?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“Her father,” Calandra replied. “Her father is the one to blame.”
“Odd,” Alastair finally spoke, “if it was his fault, why drag Amari into this mess? It seems like you hold a grudge against everyone.”
A smirk spread across his face as he stared at Calandra. Sighing, Calandra rose from her seat and began pacing the room.
“Fine,” Calandra said, stopping and looking at the three of us, “I will tell you only if she’s here. If she doesn’t want to hear me, then I will leave.”
Lorcan glanced my way. He wanted me to talk to Amari. Sighing, I excused myself and left the room.
I halted when I heard raised voices.
“She won’t be forced!” Lilith was shouting from the bedroom.
“I don’t care, she needs to hear them,” Maximus retorted.
“You are despicable!” Lilith spat back. I sighed and rubbed my temples.
Entering the room, I found them both glaring at me.
“Where is Amari?” I asked, my tone firm.
“She’s outside,” Lilith replied, her hands clenched on her dress. “Please tell King Maximus that Amari won’t be forced to meet her.”
“She will. The witch said she would tell us if Amari was with us. And it’s for the best,” I said, walking past her. Lilith gasped in surprise.
“Azriel!” Lilith cried, grabbing my arm. “Don’t you dare!”
“Lilith, you know this is what’s best for her,” I murmured without turning around. Lilith released her grip and groaned as I continued toward the balcony.
I knocked softly before opening the door to find Amari sitting in a chair, her gaze fixed on the dense forest.
“Amari,” I whispered. She flinched at the sound of my voice. Concerned, I approached her. Crouching down, I looked up at her, and she seemed lost in thought. “Amari, listen, please.”
I waited for her to respond before continuing.
“The witch wants to speak with you. I know it’s not what you want, but she said we could all be there. I know you’re scared, but this is to help you,” I explained.
Amari continued to stare ahead.
“Please, I know this is a lot for you, but give it a chance. Let’s hear what she has to say. If she lies or tries anything, I promise you, I will kill her.”
After a few moments of silence, Amari finally turned her eyes to me. I smiled at her. Reaching up, I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Will you give it a chance?” I asked, my voice almost pleading.
“Tomorrow,” Amari whispered. I smiled back at her and stood up. Then, heading back inside, I called Lilith over.
“Let her rest. We’ll talk to her later,” I instructed, rubbing my temples. “And get her some tea, please.”
Lilith nodded and left the room.
Maximus was propped against the wall, arms folded, eyes shut.
“Is she staying with you?” I asked. He cracked open an eye to look at me.
“Who else would she stay with?” Maximus straightened up. “Your job is to keep her safe.”
“From what? You?” I shot back, clenching my fists in frustration.
“Maybe,” Maximus growled, “but at least I can protect her.”
“You’ve done the bare minimum!” I snapped. “Don’t tell me what to do. Remember whose territory you’re in.”
Maximus just growled in response. As I hissed back, a door creaked open. We both turned to see Amari walking towards the bed.
“Leave,” Maximus murmured. I scoffed, gave Amari one last look, and left.
After drying my hair, I returned to the room. As I closed the bathroom door, I noticed a figure by the window.
“Amari?” I squinted at her. She was dressed in a blue silk robe.
She glanced at me, her eyes traveling up and down my body. A blush spread across her lovely face.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
Amari looked up. Her blue eyes were brighter than I’d ever seen them.
I swallowed hard under her intense gaze. “Amari?”
“I can’t do this,” she mumbled, hugging herself. Her knuckles were white from the pressure.
I smiled and walked over, pulling her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I carried her to the bed and sat down.
As she sat in my lap, I noticed her hands were unusually cold.
“Amari?” I called, but she just tightened her grip. “Listen, Amari. I’ll be there for you, and so will everyone else. We won’t let her get to you. Can you trust me?”
She let out a small sob and clung to me tighter. I smiled and lay down, with Amari releasing her grip to hover above me.
“Please don’t cry,” I whispered, wiping her tears away.
“Because it makes you feel weak?” Amari asked, a smile playing on her lips.
“You know me,” I chuckled. “If you keep staying like this, I won’t be able to control myself.”
Amari blushed and turned her face away. I shifted my weight onto my arms and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush even more. Laughing, I sat up, still holding her.
“Get dressed. I’ll come find you when I’m ready. I’m half naked here,” I teased, causing her eyes to widen.
Realizing I was only wearing a towel, Amari quickly climbed off me and rushed out of the room. I laughed as I watched her petite figure disappear.
Once I was dressed, I went to her room. I knocked softly and heard Lilith call for me to come in. As I opened the door, I saw Lilith holding some clothes. She rolled her eyes when she saw me.
“She’ll be ready in a minute,” Lilith said, disappearing into the walk-in closet. I took a seat by the fireplace, but was startled by a sudden scream.
I jumped up and rushed to the closet, only to freeze in place, blushing furiously. Amari was naked, covering herself, while Lilith muttered curses under her breath.
Amari met my gaze and turned a deep shade of red. I quickly looked away and cleared my throat.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“Tell Alastair I’m going to kill his damn rats,” Lilith grumbled, bending down to pick up a white mouse from a chair near Amari.
I rolled my eyes as another mouse scurried towards Amari. She screamed and threw herself at me.
I stumbled, catching myself on the door frame, blushing even harder as I felt Amari’s naked body against mine.
“A-Amari,” I stuttered, feeling my face heat up.
“GET THESE RATS OUT OF HERE!” Amari shrieked, her voice ringing in my ear.
“Take her out of here; I’ll deal with this. If Alastair asks, tell him his rats got fucked up by a cat,” Lilith said, chasing after the other mouse.
I wrapped my arm around Amari and we left the closet, heading back to her room. I stopped in front of the bathroom, swallowing hard.
“Amari, can you let go?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Not until those rats are gone. I can’t,” Amari growled, tightening her grip on my neck.
“But, Amari, you’re naked,” I finally blurted out. I felt her stiffen against me.
“Oh,” Amari murmured, releasing her grip. I set her down and she turned away, whispering an apology before closing the bathroom door. I covered my face, trying to make sense of the morning’s events.
We all gathered in the living room, waiting for the witch’s arrival. Lorcan was escorting her and Devika to join us.
Amari hadn’t left my side since she arrived. I could feel Maximus’s hostile gaze as she held my hand tightly.
I met his gaze and smirked. Maximus scoffed in response. He didn’t like seeing me so close to Amari, but he didn’t realize he was up against more than just me.
Lorcan and Alastair were also interested in her, though Alastair was the least likely to win her over.
“Hey, has anyone seen my white mice?” Alastair suddenly asked. I heard Amari groan in response.
“They’re yours?” she asked, smiling at him.
“Yes?” Alastair replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I killed those little bastards,” Amari blurted out, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.
“What?” Alastair frowned. “You did what?”
“I said I killed those damn rats with a hammer. I smashed them to bits,” Amari retorted, her voice filled with irritation.
“How could you?” Alastair stood up, outraged. “Those were my mice.”
“Well, too bad for them. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Amari shot back. I stifled a laugh as Alastair turned to me.
“Enough,” Lilith interjected, smiling. “Amari hates mice. I’ve told you before to keep them away from us.”
“She had no right!” Alastair protested, clenching his fists. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, covering my mouth as I looked around. Lilith and Amari looked surprised, while Alastair slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.
“Sorry,” I managed to say, clearing my throat. “You need to keep better track of your things, brother.”
“Azriel!” Alastair started to protest, but was cut off as the double doors to the living room swung open.
We all turned to see Lorcan entering, followed by the two witches. Calandra’s gaze met mine. I felt Amari grip my arm tighter and I hissed at her. Calandra simply looked away and took a seat across from us.
“Shall we begin?” I asked. She nodded and turned her attention to Amari.
Amari hid her face behind my arm, and I glared at the witch.
“Speak, witch,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin.
“Where do I even start?” Calandra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Why not from the beginning?” Maximus suggested, taking a seat next to Amari.
“Fine,” Calandra agreed. “I’ll keep it short. I’ll just explain why I cursed her family. Years ago, I met her father, King Azar. We fell in love and he proposed to me.
“I was supposed to be his queen, but like every cliché love story, I was betrayed. He already had a queen, Amari’s mother.
“I tried to believe he still loved me, but I was just being naive. I was cheated. When I confronted him about the truth, I was already pregnant with his child.
“A child he discarded without a second thought.”
Calandra turned to look at Amari.
“I cursed you because of what he did to me. After he forced me to leave the palace, he sent assassins to kill me and everyone else. I remember that day clearly.
“It was snowing, and we were on our way back when we were ambushed by assassins. And not just any assassins, but your traitors,” Calandra said, looking at us.
“What do you mean?” Lorcan asked.
“The assassins were seekers. Your kind.” Calandra sighed. “I fought them off, but they eventually overpowered me. They stabbed me and my unborn child.”
Her demeanor had changed. She closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath.
“Despite everything, I kept fighting until I went into labor. I gave birth to a stillborn child,” Calandra said, her gaze fixed on Amari. Her eyes were filled with hatred.
“After I managed to kill all of them, an old friend saved me. That’s when my sisters found me and took me to a secluded place to heal.
“After that, I broke a taboo.”
“You used black magic,” I accused, glaring at her. “You know that’s against your own rules, right?”
“I know,” Calandra nodded. “If a witch uses black magic, she is sentenced to death.”
“That applies to you too,” Maximus growled. “You will be put on trial, witch.”
“You can’t!” Devika interjected.
“Give me a reason?” Lorcan finally spoke up. “Even if she wanted revenge, that wasn’t the way. Especially not when it involves innocent people.”
“I get it, but at that moment, it was the only path I saw. I was blinded by the need for revenge. So, I went to see him. It was the night Amari came into the world.
“I cursed him and his whole family that night. I took the lives of his two sons, cursed his eldest daughter, and I cursed Amari.
“When I saw her cradled in her mother’s arms, my rage didn’t let me think twice. So, I cursed her, and I don’t regret it.”
Amari’s whole body started to tremble. “How could you!” she cried, her head still bowed. “HOW COULD YOU!”
“I did it for revenge. Just seeing Azar dead wouldn’t have satisfied me. I wanted him to suffer for what he stole from me. He got what he deserved,” Calandra spat out with venom.
Hisses and growls filled the living room. I held Amari close, glaring at the witch. My anger was at boiling point, but having Amari by my side kept me grounded.
“I sure as hell hope you know how to break this curse,” I hissed. “If you just came here to spill this story, you won’t be leaving here alive.”
“You can’t touch her,” Devika protested, raising a protective arm in front of her sister. “You can’t!”
“Watch me,” I shot back. “She broke a rule; she’ll pay the price. Killing her would be doing everyone a favor.”
Devika glared at me, but Calandra just shook her head and lowered her sister’s arm.
“I didn’t just come here to confess. I came to discuss the curse,” Calandra said, looking at Devika with a smile.
“My sisters didn’t know until Devika came to me. I had no choice but to tell her. She’s the one who convinced me to come here.”
“So, what are you waiting for? Tell us how to save Amari!” Lilith demanded, clearly frustrated. “Stop beating around the bush and just tell us.”
“It’s not that simple,” Calandra whispered, shaking her head. “The curse I used isn’t that simple.”
“What do you mean?” Maximus asked.
“I mean, I made a deal with a mage—I used black magic and a special ritual. The ritual required two types of blood, mine and his. And the ritual we used was…”
Calandra paused and closed her eyes. “It’s called Merikh, the curse of death…”
