Ozias leans against the tree and watches the crowd around the bonfire. The gold pendant is cold against his chest. The mischief is annoyed at being used by him. It didn’t consent to be used by a cursed creature, but it was created with rules and technically, Ozias isn’t breaking any of them.

He stands just out of the way, casually leaning against a pine tree, and watches Hazel smile softly at something her father says to her.

He’s not as upset at Hazel’s betrayal as he thought he’d be. He sees now that he was bored with her. She was a tool, a means to an end. It’s a shame to lose her abilities, but he’ll make do. There’s got to be another witch just as skilled.

He lets his gaze wander until it lands on the sister.

Harvest.

Harvey.

No, Harvest is better. It’s a selfish name.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Someone who gathers things, who keeps them for themselves. Ozias is a bit of a harvester himself, gathering useful people, and acquiring wealth in both a material and metaphorical sense of the word.

Harvest is shaking her head at something Agent Quinn has just said, but it’s in humor, not disagreement. Ozias doesn’t know Quinn, but he has heard about him from Locke. Locke used to hint that there was a darkness to Quinn. It’s why the Bureau has put him on a leash.

Ozias can smell the power in the ring from here. The seeds have helped in that respect: he’s acquiring a taste for mischief like a sommelier understands wine.

He hasn’t heard much about the sister, though. Hazel was tight-lipped when it came to her family. He always assumed that it was because she was estranged from them, but now he realizes that Hazel was protecting them.

Protecting her sister, in particular.

Ozias smiles at Harvest, admires the fall of her hair, the quirk of her lips. She looks so much like Hazel, and yet, the differences are just as intriguing as the similarities.

There is a darkness in her, a black spot on her heart. He likes the shade of it. It reminds him of his own heart.

He will have to lay low for a while. The Bureau will not let him go without a fight, after all.

But maybe he can have a bit of fun in the meantime.