Ivy rolled over, a soft, silk sheet clinging to the bare skin of her shoulder. A bright light penetrated her eyelids, and they peeled open at the disturbance. She blinked a few times, questioning if what she saw before was real. The toned, muscular back of Virian lie only a few inches from her face, and she almost reached out to touch him. His rhythmic breathing sent his body up and down, and for a moment she just watched.

“Oh, damnit,” she whispered to herself, “what was I thinking?”

Her whole life was falling apart at the seams, and that was what she had spent her precious time doing? The memories of the last night came flooding into her head, and she grinned. It had been pretty nice, though.

But today the fantasy was over. Reality sunk back into her and she pushed back the plush covers from her body. Careful not to disturb Virian, she eased herself out of bed, her sore muscles protesting at every movement. In hindsight, she shouldn’t have engaged in such…activities so soon after being chained to a wall. Her body was riddled with aches and pains in places she wasn’t used to.

She padded away from the bed on feet as light as a cat, searching for her discarded clothing. No two articles were in a similar location, and she had to traverse the entire bedchamber to retrieve it all. Apparently she had been in a hurry last night, or maybe it was Virian who had disrobed her so wildly. She let her gaze drift over to his sleeping form again, and shook her head.

Her clothes were filthy from the dungeon, and she herself desperately could use a bath, but she couldn’t afford the luxuries at the moment. Not when the entire city was likely hunting her.

Just as she made to pull up her dirtied leggings, a knock rang on the door.

“Your highness?”

The door rattled and Ivy spun on it.

“Enter if you want your eyes gouged out,” she said.

The motion on the door halted immediately, and it returned to its fully closed state. Ivy started to dress again, but paused a second time when she noticed Virian sitting up, watching her.

“What?” she asked.

“Just enjoying the show.”

“You want your eyeballs plucked out too?”

“I think I would have lost them last night, were they truly at risk.”

Ivy frowned, rolling her eyes, and brought her leggings up to her waist, tying the cord. All the while, he just kept staring, a big, stupid grin on his face. Ivy turned her back to him.

“S-stop it,” she said.

“Stop what?”

“Stop eying me like some dirty old man!”

“Why?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Not for me.”

Ivy wheeled on him, her face hot, still yet to don her tunic.

“You like this, huh? I’m not even clean or pretty right now.”

“You are to me,” he said.

Ugh. This man was impossible.

“I’m going to see Rose,” Ivy said.

She threw on her tunic and bent down to retrieve her dagger where she had dropped it the night before. The moment her fingers gripped around the hilt, she called on her power that had replenished after a rather long sleep. The world unraveled around her, revealing the witch world in all of its mute absurdity.

“Ivy, wait!” Virian called out, but before she could respond, the voice on another side of the door spoke again.

“Your highness, please.”

“One second, Feron. Ivy—”

“Bye, Virian.”

Ivy strolled along a curving, undulating path that led to the first floor of the palace. Finding Rose had only taken a fraction of a second. Like the metal of her weapon, the other witch always stood out from regular people. It wasn’t as though she wasn’t distorted like everyone else, or oddly glowing like the metal, but the way the world moved around her differed from others. Almost like how the witch world would go out of its way to aid Ivy when she needed it, it also seemed to accept Rose in a way.

One other figure shared the room with Rose, But Ivy was done waiting. Done living her life at the mercy of the church. If whoever was guarding Rose had a problem, it just meant she’d have a corpse to dispose of.

She let go of her power, and appeared inside a small bedchamber likely reserved for one of the servants. In one corner lie a small single-sized cot upon which a sleeping Rose rested. Beside it, awake and staring at Ivy with wide-eyes sat corporal Tamren.

“M-ma’am,” he stood. “Where did you—”

“Don’t worry about it Tamren.” She waved for him to sit back down.

“Right. Of course.”

“And stop calling me ma’am. Ivy is fine.”

“Yes, miss Ivy.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. Good enough.

“How is she?” she asked.

Rose was covered in bandages. Much of her face was wrapped up tightly, red ooze seeping through. If Ivy could kill that bastard inquisitor over and over, she’d do it a million times again.

“The healers have assured us that her life is in no danger. But…”

“I…see,” Ivy said.

She turned her eyes to the corporal, who had gone through much of the same treatment as Rose. He was still black and blue with several sections of swollen flesh left on his face. He had clothed himself since Ivy had rescued him, but his wounds were bleeding through.

“What about you?” she asked. “Are you alright?”

Tamren looked down at his chest and saw the stain that Ivy had been eying.

“Oh,” he said, picking at his tunic, “don’t worry about me, miss. Sergeant Rose got the worst of it.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“You don’t have to play tough, Tamren. I was there. I saw what they were doing to you.”

He waved a hand.

“It’s nothing, really. Got worse beatings in the training yard from the sergeant here.”

He offered a weak smile in Rose’s direction.

“Still,” Ivy said, and then paused, “I never thanked you for what you did for me. You were tortured because you tried to rescue me. So…thank you, Tamren. If you ever need anything, and you don’t mind asking a witch for help…please, just ask.”

The corporal’s face reddened and he stumbled over a few unintelligible words.

“Miss Ivy,” he eventually got out, “I…I don’t mean to turn down your kind words, but, truly I did not do it for you. None of us did.” He stopped himself, tilting his head upward. “Well, I’m not sure about his highness, honestly. I saw the way he was looking at you last night. Although I suspect most men do when you’re that beautiful.”

He didn’t seem to realize what he was saying until it was too late, and once again turned as bright as a tomato. Ivy chuckled at the man. They were probably around the same age, but he felt like an adolescent to her. Then again, she herself was easily flustered sometimes. She thought of Virian and her own cheeks began to warm.

“Regardless, my offer stands. You risked yourself for us. It doesn’t matter if you only care about Rose. She means more to me than you can know.”

Tamren took a deep breath before looking Ivy right in the eye.

“Does she know?” he asked.

Huh. This question would likely be asked over and over. Virian had told Ivy that only Ivy had truly been outed as a witch. The more they could cover for Rose, the better. But still, Ivy felt this lie would be too hard to stomach. Tamren’s obvious devotion to Rose would be enough to keep her safe.

“Yes,” Ivy said.

Tamren nodded.

“His highness told us you were sisters. I can see it. You two are the prettiest women I ever met. I don’t think I would be able to turn over my family to the church, either.”

Ivy frowned, watching as his gaze left her and sagged back down to Rose.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen going forward,” she said, “but take care of her, do you hear me? I won’t ever forgive you if something happens to her.”

“Of course,” he said, not taking his eyes off of Rose. “But, miss Ivy?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think the church is right.”

“About?”

“You’re a good person.”

“No, I’m not.”

Finally, he looked back at her.

“I’ve heard all of the rumors about you. About what you’ve done. I know all of the church’s teachings about what you are. But all of that doesn’t even scratch the surface. I can see you, miss Ivy. I understand now why his highness was so desperate to save you.”

Ivy didn’t say anything. She had no idea what to say. She hadn’t really expected anyone to accept her, but if she included Virian and Armond, there were three people who didn’t mind she was a witch.

The door to the room burst open, and there Virian was. For one silly moment, she was a bit disappointed at how clothed he was, but shook the thought from her head. She smiled at him without realizing what she was doing, but he frowned in response. Ivy furrowed her brows and sent it right back at him.

“The archbishop is at the palace gates with over a dozen paladins,” he said.

Oh. That was why he was acting sour.

“Let me deal with them,” Ivy said. She was going to settle affairs with the church anyway. She might as well start now. Killing the archbishop would kick things off.

“Ivy, don’t be stupid,” Virian said, “I can only hold them for so long. Get away while you still can.”

Ivy snorted.

“Is that what you want for me? A life of running and hiding? I’m done with that. It’s time the church got a taste of what they’ve been serving for centuries. They’ll soon learn that they aren’t the only ones who can oppress by fear.”

“So what? You want me to go to war with the church? Is that it? Half my men will turn on me in a second.”

“Maybe this isn’t what you had in mind when you said you’d protect me. But it’s who I am. I will never forgive what they have done. And I will not let them get away with it.”

Virian rose a hand to rub his forehead with splayed fingers.

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

“For starters I’m—”

“Ivy,” the weak voice of Rose still somehow filled the room, and all three of the other occupants swung to regard her. “Don’t do this.”

“Stay out of my head, Rose,” Ivy said, “I mean it.”

“You don’t understand. You’re going to set us back hundreds of years. When we are so close.”

Ivy nearly shook with fury. More riddles. More secrets. More bullshit!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she yelled.

“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

“Why, Rose? Why are you always hiding something from me?”

“Because all paths where you learn the truth end in your death. And now that I am certain about who you are, that cannot come to pass.”

Ivy would have smacked her sister if not for her already being covered in bandages.

“You have to know that only makes me angrier, right?”

“He calls you Ll'qixllin for a reason. If you can just calm down—”

Ivy clenched her jaw.

“Get out of my head, Rose.”

“Don’t do it. Please. Nothing good will come from your vengeance.”

“I know for a fact that’s not true. It will feel real good twisting my dagger in that bastard bishop’s heart.”

Rose shifted her eyes over to Virian standing behind Ivy.

“Talk some sense into her, prince,” she said, “you may be the only one capable of getting through to her.”

Ivy gave him a sharp look. “Oh, you had better not.”

Virian shrugged at Rose, feigning helplessness. Poor Tamren looked completely lost.

“I love you, Rose, but I won’t let you stand in my way. This is my fight, and they brought it to me first.”

Ivy embraced the witch world. No one was going to stop her from doing what she needed to do. It was time to stop scurrying away like rats. It was time to hit back.

----------------------------------------

Virian stared at the empty space where Ivy had been. That was twice now she had run off without giving Virian a chance to truly speak with her about their relationship going forward. Her power afforded her the ability to escape whenever she felt like it, and despite her insistence of standing her ground against the church, she still had the tendency to flee. He couldn’t blame her after what she had been through.

Virian’s shoulders sagged as he turned his attention to the other two still in the room. Rose and Tamren remained silent, returning his empty gaze. What was he supposed to do now? What was he supposed to do about Ivy?

Until her, he had never really thought much about his lovers other than how best to seduce them. It had been fun, if not meaningful. Watching the nobles squirm as he bedded their daughters was an added bonus. But now? He found himself already wondering about where she was, what she was doing. Would she really be okay, going after the church? He had no idea what the future held for her, or him.

And after last night, he couldn’t imagine sharing his bed with anyone else ever again. She had ruined him. Ivy was, well…

“You have to stop her, Prince Virian,” Rose said, finally breaking the silence.

He blinked, trying and failing to dispel the memory of last night in his head.

“S-stop her?” He asked.

“You don’t understand what’s about to happen.”

Virian shrugged.

“I imagine she’s going to kill the archbishop. I’m not going to shed any tears over the man.”

Rose’s face darkened, and he was reminded of the time the witch had threatened him in his carriage.

"She doesn’t listen to me anymore,” Rose said, “but you can get her to see reason. Please. You must.”

He let out a long, exasperated breath.

“First off, how am I even supposed to do that? How do I find her in the first place? If I have the answer to both of those questions, why would I want to? I’d rather have her not angry at me like she is you.”

Rose practically growled at him.

“I told her not to seduce you. Your lust blinds your judgment.”

Virian flinched, shaking his head.

“Wait, who seduced who?”

“Is that what you’re worried about?”

He scratched his head, going over the events that led up to last night between him and Ivy.

“I’m just trying to figure out—”

“Stop,” Rose said, “use your brain instead of your crotch. What do you think happens when Ivy murders the archbishop of a city this large?”

“I imagine the church will be upset,” Virian said.

“Good. There is something behind that pretty face of yours. So you understand why you need to stop her before it’s too late?”

Virian closed his eyes and thought of Ivy instead of what Rose was talking about. He remembered the scared little girl who he had bumped into so long ago, the cold assassin who had almost killed him, and the carefree woman who he enjoyed sharing a bottle of wine with.

But most of all he remembered Ivy’s gentle smile when she looked at him. Only him. He had never seen her offer that expression to anyone else. He was the only person that got to see her with her guard down. And he would never do anything to jeopardize that.

“No,” he said.

Rose sprang upright in her bed.

“Prince Virian!”

Tamren, who had yet been uninvolved, reached out to Rose.

“Sergeant,” he said, “please calm down. Rest.”

Rose turned her eyes to him and looked at him like he was garbage, shrugging away his touch.

“You are unimportant,” she said, “be quiet.”

Tamren’s gaze fell to the floor, and he obeyed.

Virian knew what it was like to receive Rose’s ire, but for some reason he was no longer afraid of the witch.

“You want to stop Ivy, you’ll need to find someone else,” he said.

“You know it won’t stop with the archbishop,” she said, “it won’t ever stop!”

Virian chuckled.

“What, you mean she’s going to kill the entire church? All by herself?”

Rose only stared at Virian, holding her tongue. What was that supposed to mean? That he had figured it out? Hah. He turned on his heel and opened the door to leave, but paused. Could Ivy actually do that? Would she?

Nah. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him.