“Marick!!”

Calla’s cry rang out loudly as she reached toward the purple-eyed man. Aro seemed to pause for half a second but his attention was soon grabbed. She watched as the arm Aro was using began to shake violently before it began to twist and pull away from her unnaturally. Looking up, Marick had his hand held out before him, a strange symbol carved in a deep purple smoke-like energy.

Once Aro’s arm was fully off her, she darted to Marick, sobbing as he caught her with his free arm and moved to stand between her and Aro. To Calla’s horror, it seemed that Aro looked more curious and less in pain at the strange movement of his broken hand and arm before the arm fell limply to his side.

“The immortal prince himself… fascinating,” Aro sang almost as if nothing from before had happened. Marick’s body tensed as Aro tilted his head with a large wicked smirk. “We never learn, do we Marick~”

“I will not repeat myself, Aro,” Marick cut him off with a dark tone. The other three had moved to stand beside Marick. Calla, through teary eyes, watched in slight amazement at the highly disciplined coven that looked ready to attack.

She looked towards Aro only to see the man looking slightly bored at all of them before giving a sigh and smiling. “Fine then, I guess I will have to just make my request and have it sent from my home. You do remember where that is, don’t you?” he said, not really as a question. The man was mocking them, and from how tense the air was, it seemed to be working to set them all on edge. Suddenly, Aro’s eyes shot to Calla’s and he smiled wickedly.

“I look forward to seeing you again, little lamb. Perhaps we should play in the other realm when my request is fulfilled,” he said, making Calla shiver. His words felt like a threat, but she didn’t quite understand what he was threatening her with.

Calla watched as both Gwydion and Raven held up their hands, making their power swirl around Aro, who once again sighed, seemingly bored at what was happening. Using his good hand and cane to tip his hat, he smiled at Calla again before bowing. “Fine, I’ll be leaving. Good day to you all~” he sang, raising. In a flash of orange light, the man was suddenly gone.

Everyone was still for a while before the adrenaline began to wear off and suddenly Calla’s body became aware of her pain. She let out a small whimper, touching the fresh marks Aro had left on her chest with his sharpened nails. She couldn’t believe how much damage he had managed to do with just his fingernails as her eyes went to the torn top of her dress and saw the bleeding marks on her skin.

“Calla!” Blaise exclaimed as he moved to her. The others turned her way, Marick’s expression hard to read.

“Gwydion,” He said, looking over Calla’s wounds. The tall red-haired man nodded, offering his hand to Calla.

“Come with me for a moment, love,” Gwydion said calmly, oddly serious again as he had been with Madam Coffer. Calla nodded, shivering in her remaining fear and pain as she took his hand. As the others followed, Gwydion guided her into the cottage.

“Raven, update the wards around the area,” Marick said as they followed inside. Calla looked back when she heard that just to hear the stern-looking Raven give a nod.

“I’m on it,” Raven replied with a serious tone.

However, she didn’t get to see what Raven was going to do as she was soon brought inside and sat on Marick’s bed. Gwydion grabbed the chair next to the table and moved to sit before her. His eyes were serious, and it was odd to see him not smiling as his eyes shot to hers.

“Calla, I will need you to remove the top part of your dress,” he said calmly. If this were any other time, she would have become huffy at that, thinking Gwydion was trying to pull some stunt to get her naked, however, as she felt the pulsing of the wound on her chest she nodded, moving to undo the buttons of her dress and lowered it, holding it just enough to cover herself. With the top part pulled away from the wound, she could see what Aro had done clearly. He had raked his sharp nails down between her breasts before he had stopped clawing at her. In her fear at the time, she hadn’t registered that the man had slightly molested her. That thought alone made her feel disgusted and violated.

She shivered as Gwydion’s hand began to dance with his beautiful magic before he placed his hand against her chest. She would have thought that it would be painful, watching as her wounds began to mend themselves with his power. However, she found herself feeling as if she had been given a strong pain reliever, not feeling anything. She figured it was something to do with Gwydion’s ability. The normally flirty man was focused on his task, allowing Calla to calm down and look towards Marick who was standing nearby, looking deep in thought.

Blaise looked annoyed but also a tad confused as he paced. “I don’t understand!’ Blaise finally snapped, looking towards Marick. “What the hell is that guy doing back in this area?! Wasn’t he in exile?”

“The council probably called him back for a job. He’s probably itching for entertainment from his time in the abyss. People like Aro are not the type to stay out of trouble for too long.” Raven explained as he walked back into the cottage, messing with his sleeves. He gave a tsk, looking angry. “He was concealing his power, meaning he probably came here to observe when he came across Calla.”

“The wards were meant to keep people like him away!” Blaise yelled angrily, to which Raven gave a dark look. Marick sighed a moment.

“The wards were working. That was why he didn’t take any steps forward when Calla broke out of his hold.” Marick said seriously, eyes still distant. “He knew where the line was. Meaning that he was fully aware of what the wards would do if he stepped onto our land.”

“The only way he could have been able to do that is if he watched me put them in place.” Raven pointed out bitterly, moving to run his fingers through his black as night hair. He tapped his foot. “However, if he’s been keeping an eye on us, he would have known about Calla.”

“Aro isn’t the type to always be observing.” Marick pointed out, moving to rub his eyes. “He hasn’t been in the area that long. He reeked of the abyss, meaning he’s just returned from exile. Although it doesn’t surprise me that he was asked back, the council is foolish for doing so. He’s not someone who can be controlled.”

Marick looked towards Calla, whose eyes held fear as her eyes met his. Raven gave a hum, making Calla’s attention move back his way. “Normally, his presence isn’t that much of an issue, but now…”

Calla looked concerned, the room was very tense as everyone seemed to be thinking about something. “What...What does he want?” she finally asked with quivering lips, making the four men look her way. Gwydion finished up and sighed, getting to his feet.

“To put it simply, Calla, he wants to kill us,” Gwydion said with an odd calmness. However, his words made Calla’s eyes widen as she looked between the group.

“W-Why?” she asked confused and worried, as she pulled the top of her ruined dress around her more.

Raven sighed, moving to place both of his hands on his hips. “Aro isn’t just a warlock. He’s one of the elite.” Raven explained his expression was hard to read. “There are only a handful of warlocks in our world that people do not try to mess with. Our coven, but mostly Marick, is one of them. Aro, however, is a warlock who is not in a coven and is known as the Jester because of the way he acts. Not much is known about him but ever since our coven has made a name for ourselves, he’s been coming around, wanting to fight us and see just how strong we are.”

“Aro finds chaos and misery a thrill. He’s taken on full covens before just to prove he can and normally he does this by exploiting any known weaknesses of the coven he wants to destroy.” Marick added, turning the room's attention his way. Marick muttered, moving to rub his eyes. “I’ve known him for a long time, and I know what he’s capable of doing.”

Calla looked nervous. If these guys were wary of Aro, then he was a much larger threat than what she could imagine. “But Raven said him being around has never been much of an issue…” she said confused. She watched the men in the room seem to shift on their feet. It seemed whatever the issue was, they all seemed to know about it.

“Calla,” Gwydion said, grabbing her attention as she looked up at him. “Aro is a monster who uses things and people that he can exploit to get what he wants. In the past, he hasn’t had anything he could use against us…”

“Gwydion,” Marick seemed to warn sharply, making the man look his way. However, Gwydion seemed to give a dark look back.

“She has the right to know how much danger she is in, Marick,” Gwydion stated. Gwydion’s words made Calla’s blood go cold as she looked wide-eyed.

“He’s… planning to use me to get to you?” she asked softly. The room went quiet for a moment, Calla finally understanding what was bothering all of them. However, the tension turned to the sounds of tapping which made Calla jolt in fear. By the window near the front door, a large bird tapped on the window.

Raven frowned but moved to open the window, taking a rolled-up parchment from the bird, which soon took off. He stared at it in his hand with annoyance, almost as if he wanted to destroy it before closing the window and moving towards Marick.

“I bet we can’t guess who this is from,” Raven said bitterly as he handed it to Marick. Marick looked just as irritated, opening the parchment and looking it over. Marick growled, the man looking very intimidating in his anger.

“Aro handed us off a mission he received but doesn’t want to do in the other realm. He also wants vials of death’s kiss potions.” Marick told everyone. Blaise looked angry enough that he was shaking.

“So he’s made it so we have to return to the other realm,” Blaise growled. He turned to Marick, who seemed to be deep in thought.

Raven clicked his tongue. “Bastard... “ he muttered, rubbing his temple. “I doubt the mission needs everyone, but if we split up, it will give him more of a chance to attack.”

“It also means, we cannot risk leaving Calla here, alone or with one other person,” Marick stated as he walked over to stand before Calla, folding his arms. He didn’t seem happy about whatever was on his mind. “I’m afraid this changes everything, Calla. We have three weeks to prepare for the mission to the other realm.” His words were harsh, his stare intimidating. It made Calla shiver. “Your purity needs to be one less thing I need to worry about during this time. As much as I do not want to force this on you, I no longer have a choice, and neither do you.”

Calla’s eyes widened in panic as she looked up at him. Her body trembled at his words. She had hoped she had more time to get to know Marick before offering herself to him. This was her worst fear, once again being in a situation where she would be forced to give her body to someone she barely knew.

“No,” Calla said suddenly, getting to her feet as she glared up at him. “There has to be another way to go about this!”

Marick clicked his tongue at that, his face showing annoyance. “Calla, enough!” he snapped back, making her shrink slightly in fear. “I don’t know how much you understand of the situation, but Aro threatened to do something vile to you. Aro sees non-magicals as things for his entertainment and finds pleasure in causing them pain. He worded it as ‘play’ but I can assure you that was the nicest way he was going to word it and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. If he’s set his sights on you, then there is no other way. I apologize, but you only have two options at this point. You can start being intimate with someone here or you can be raped and tortured by Aro. What do you prefer?”

The room was quiet as Marick glared darkly down at Calla. Tears filled her eyes as she just sat down on the bed, hugging herself tightly to comfort her trembling body. She didn’t know what she was feeling right now and multiple emotions filled her. She just stayed there, crying.

“Marick…” Raven started only to get cut off by Marick, who gave a loud huff, seemingly calming himself down as he rubbed his temple.

“Gwydion, get her something else to wear,” Marick stated, his tone still slightly annoyed. “Raven and Blaise, follow me to do a walk of the perimeter.” With that, Marick turned and stormed outside. Raven frowned, glancing at Blaise who just seemed unsure at the situation before the two moved to follow.

Gwydion frowned, watching them leave before moving to Calla. He sighed softly, helping her to her feet before hugging her. “...He’s worried about you, Calla… that’s all that was…” he said tenderly before pulling away. Using his thumb, he cleared some of her tears as she looked up at him before nodding and pulling away to head towards his room.

“That was uncalled for Marick,” Blaise stated bitterly as he followed the other two. Blaise seemed to ignore Raven’s flashing him a look of warning as the younger warlock folded his arms.

Marick didn’t look at him as he moved about, reaching out to test the wards around the area. “Gwydion was right, she had a right to know how much danger she was in. There was no reason to sugarcoat it,” he stated, his normal calmness seeming to hide the irritation in his voice.

Blaise growled at that. “She’s scared!” Blaise yelled at him. “The bastard just had his hands all over her and then you inform her that she has no choice but to have a guy fuck her cause it’s going to happen whether she wants it or not!” Blaise was ignoring how tense Marick was getting, again, much to the worried look of Raven. “Are you just incapable of understanding human emotions?!”

“Stop talking,” Marick hissed in a low tone, still not looking towards either man.

“What was your plan there, genius?! Do you think she’ll let you screw her tonight after all of this happened because you told her she has to?” Blaise yelled angrily. “How is that fair to her?!”

“It’s not!!” Marick yelled back, turning towards Blaise with such an intense look in his eyes, it made the confrontational man back off immediately. “Nothing about how our world operates is fair to her! Nothing! But you of all people know the dangers for non-magicals, Blaise. You saw how you were treated. It would be worse for her if we brought her there now the way she is. She would be bled dry before we ever noticed she was missing simply because virgin blood is highly sought after!” Marick just gave a growling huff, moving to rub his eyes. “I’m not a monster. I wasn’t going to make her do anything tonight. Hell, I wasn’t planning on doing anything in general unless she brought it up. If only that accursed council didn’t bring that damn man back from exile…”

Raven sighed. “Marick, I don’t think that was what he was getting at. We all understand the danger she is in when it comes to the other realm and what Aro will do. The reason why he was in exile is proof enough of the type of monster he is. I agree she had every right to know, but the way you went about it only adds extra stress to her.” the black-haired man said calmly, though not seeming to like the dark glare Marick shot his way. Raven just sighed and folded his arms. “Then again, that might be what he was hoping.” Raven shook his head before looking back toward the man before him. Marick’s eyes were distant again. “You are a hard one to read, Marick, and even I can tell you care for her. I know you were not trying to frighten the girl, but the way you handled that situation wasn't right.” At his words, Raven noticed Marick’s eyes softened slightly from the glare to just looking off in thought. “As you said, you know Aro better than any of us. It might have been due to that is why you explained the best way you could, not out of fear but out of understanding who we are up against. I know everything you have been doing lately has been for Calla’s sake.” Raven couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, looking off, scratching his head.

“It’s strange, for a non-magical she has a lot of power and she is the fifth member of this coven after all…” Raven continued before frowning and looking back towards Marick. “You’ve always been someone who shows that they care in odd ways. Just…try to have a bit more patience with her, especially when it comes to what happened today.”

“I don’t need the lecture, Raven,” Marick said calmly before turning away. “I know I probably should have handled the situation better.” Marick stared off. “You don’t know Aro as I know him. You have no idea the things he would do to her if he got ahold of her… even more so because of her connection to me.” He paused and sighed, shaking his head. “Her growing close to me might have put her in more danger in the long run, especially from Aro. Becoming intimate with her wouldn’t fully take away the danger of Aro bringing harm to her but it would make it less fun for him.”

Blaise stared at Marick for a moment before sighing. “Marick, perhaps it's time you let us in on what you know. If we are a coven, we shouldn’t have secrets,” he pointed out, making Marick pause a moment before looking his way. He seemed to scan the other a moment before humming in thought.

“...Funny… Calla said the same thing.” Marick muttered, making the two other men give a slight look of surprise as they watched their leader seem to mull over the idea in his head instead of shooting it down like he normally would. After a moment of silence, Marick gave a nod.

“Fine,” Marick muttered before turning away. “Later tonight… we’ll have a discussion on what has happened and things I believe are relevant.”

He looked back towards the cottage. As much as he hated talking about his past, if any information he had would lead to keeping Calla safe, that was all that mattered.

After changing, Calla lay down, wrapping herself in the blankets before having dozed off. However, her dreams were plagued with her memories of Aro’s wicked smile. Even now, she trembled in her sleep, feeling his hands on her and him whispering into her ear. What that man had been was terrifying, shaking her to her very core. She wondered who he was to be such a threat. Marick knew him after all.

She woke up when she felt someone move her hair from her face. She opened her eyes, red from crying to see Marick seated on the bed looking down at her. His expression was much softer than it had been earlier and more how it was during their time by the water in the city they had gone to. It was strange for her to see him looking so gently at her.

“...For a guy who told me he’s not very affectionate, you tend to show that side of you more than you think…” Calla said softly as she slowly moved to sit up, rubbing her eyes. She heard him give a hum at that, resting the hand he had used to remove hair from her face to rest around her.

“Is that so…” he said as a response. He seemed to scan her face a moment before sighing. “I wanted to apologize if I frightened you at all earlier. The others noted that I could have handled it better than I did.” He used his free hand to rub his temple as he closed his eyes. “I understand it’s not fair to you, saying that you have to give us something so important to someone you barely know.” He sighed again, removing his hand and looking her way again. “I’m sure Aro was counting on that.”

Calla frowned at that, looking off. She couldn’t believe how one man could be so intimidating that even someone like Marick was concerned about him. Even now she couldn’t help but scoot closer to Marick, wanting to feel safe.

“I...I know… I just…” she started, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling him tense when she did. She gave a shiver at the memory of her meeting with Aro in her mind. “That guy… he would really do those things to me?”

Marick frowned at that, hesitating before moving his arm around her, attempting to soothe her by rubbing her arm. “I would be more surprised if he didn’t. But, enough, for now, I will be sharing what I know about him with everyone later,” he pointed out, making her look up at him in surprise. “You were right, I do believe it’s time I share my past with everyone, especially since my knowledge of Aro would be important to determine what he is planning.” His eyes gave a distant look, a memory behind them but one that he was not willing to bring up just yet. “I do not doubt in my mind he would do horrific things to you if he were to grab you. He’s done those types of things multiple times before.”

She shivered at that, not wanting to think about ever being alone with Aro. The man came off as a predator on the hunt, one that took pleasure in the pain of others. Her mind was taken out of her thoughts when she felt Marick kiss her head softly before pulling away and getting up off the bed. She blushed softly as she looked up at him, watching as he fixed his clothing before his purple eyes met her stare. He held his hand out to her.

“I believe it is in your best interest to join us at the meeting, but it is your choice,” he said calmly as he did. He waited, almost as if he was curious to see what she would do.

Calla hesitated a moment before taking his hand, letting him help her off the bed. He seemed pleased that she was willing to trust him, the only sign being the gentle look in his eye before he turned to lead her towards the dining room. However, Calla stopped before they reached the door to the hall, making him pause to look back at her.

“Marick,” she started, looking to the ground. She blushed softly, hesitating in what she wanted to say. “It would be you… if I have to be intimate with anyone. You know that, right?” She shifted, not needing to look at him to know he was staring at her. “I-I know I have to… but I want to know, and be honest with me. When I… When I sleep with you… would it just be something you have to do?”

The two were quiet before Calla saw the shadow of Marick move over her, making her look up into his face. He seemed to scan her for a moment as if searching her soul as he thought. “I told you before that I care about you, Calla,” he said calmly, in a low tone. “I am not one to get close to people, but… if you are serious about me being the one to bed you, I will try my best not to act as if it is something that has to be done, .... as it is something I want to do with you. Fair enough?”

Her heart gave a light beat at that, feeling the blush returning to her face. Marick wasn’t good at comforting, or thinking about the feelings of others. This was the closest thing to him being gentle with her emotions she had seen from him. Aro was right, she was special to Marick, which made her wonder if that probably put her in more danger than anyone else in the coven. She just gave a nod up at him, which seemed to be enough for him to understand as he turned and once again began to lead her towards the dining room.

Marick sighed as he sat at the table, looking around at the coven members who seemed ready and willing to listen to what he had to say. He seemed to mutter to himself, leaning forward as he contemplated what he wanted to say.

“Well, I guess to start with, I better get this out of the way,” Marick stated with bitterness in his voice. He closed his eyes to rub them as he sat back. “I am Marick Wyllt of the lineage and the house of Merlin.” The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, Calla listening closely with the others. It was strange to hear Marick use his last name. “However, it is a surname and lineage I have long abandoned. My skills and my achievements have nothing to do with my blood or my connection to Merlin and I do not wish to be seen as such.”

“A descendant of Merlin… I’m surprised the council hasn’t tried getting you on the board.” Raven said after a short while, a frown on his face. He did seem upset that Marick had kept something like that from him. Marick, however, just sighed.

“Oh, trust me. They’ve tried. I refuse to be a puppet for them to control at their every whim. I prefer to be away from any of that nonsense.” Marick muttered, his purple eyes opening to look at the surprised faces around them. “If it wasn’t for two stubborn boys who decided to camp out outside my front door for nearly a month, I would have happily lived my life away from the other realm or covens.” The brothers smirked, Raven, giving a small shrug. “That being said, my connection to Aro is apparent. He is Aro le Fay, a descendant of Morgan and the rightful heir to the kingdom of fairies, but he too has long abandoned his title. I have known him all my life and our families have been at war for ages.”

Blaise grumbled at that. “Wonderful, so not only is he from the second most powerful family known in magic history, but he’s a damn fairy prince. An asshole with too much power,” he said, making him scowl and look off.

“But Marick… no one has heard anything of those two families since the last war in the magical realm. How can two families like that remain hidden for so long?” Gwydion asked with a curious look. Marick muttered at that, leaning forward again.

“Aro and I joined a coven together at the request of the council to stop the fighting between our families. He is 7 years older than I am and joined Hilden’s coven when I was 10 and he 17. The others of that coven were Lazier and Andrea Coffer.”

“The bitch from the twisted woods?” Blaise asked, a look of shock on his face before he gave a sound of pain as he was swatted.

“Shush,” Gwydion stated, clearly the one who had hit Blaise. Blaise growled in annoyance at him.

“Those are also some powerful names. Hilden was known as a warlock so strong that he could cheat death.” Raven pointed out, leaning on the table. Marick nodded at his words.

“Hilden’s title was such that Aro took it as a challenge. He killed Lazier a few years before I left the coven and I heard he had killed Hilden just before he was exiled for the rape and torture of the princess to the elven kingdom.” Calla’s eyes widened at that, fear in her eyes. So that was what Aro was capable of. No wonder Marick and the others seemed so wary of him. “He is brought out of exile every once in a while to do odd jobs but it doesn’t take long for him to do something stupid and get sent back. As far as I know, he’s served 100 years of his 600-year exile sentence to the abyss.”

“6-600 years?!” Calla exclaimed with wide eyes. Marick gave her a softer look but simply nodded as the others seemed surprised.

“Marick… I…I hate to ask this,” Blaise started, shifting in his chair as the older man glanced his way. “But-!”

“You wish to know how old we are, correct?” Marick asked, cutting him off. Blaise gave a wary look but frowned with a nod. Marick sighed. “I guess that would give context to all I’ve said, given what Gwydion pointed out about not hearing anything for years.” Marick shook his head and closed his eyes. “I am 370 years old. As I said, Aro is 7 years older than I am, even if he’s managed to not look like it.” His eyes opened to a distant look as the room grew quiet. “I know I haven’t bothered to explain my ability to any of you outside the little I have. I can leech life from others. I can take and give as much as I desire. In my youth when I had a different view of non-magicals than I do now, I would empty non-magicals of their years.” He frowned, a look of self-hatred in his eyes while Blaise seemed to look on in horror at the news. “I do not know how many I killed, but I have stolen enough years that I am functionally immortal. My aging has slowed. It took this long for me to look as if I was around 30. I could share my years and still have more than enough.” He looked off. “It’s not as if I could take back what I’ve done.”

The room was quiet again before Raven sighed. “I believe there are many in this room who feel the same about things they have done in the past, Marick. No one is perfect,” he said with a shake of his head. Raven looked back at the older man with a frown. “Aro’s ability has something to do with manipulating time, right? I believe I read something about that in one of the archives of the great library by the bazaar.”

“They have books on him? What, in the ‘assholes of history' section?” Blaise asked to which Raven gave a roll of his eyes.

“More like, history of the realms. I didn’t know his family tree, but there are books about the powerful magicals to learn from. As much as I detest the fact, he is a master of abyss magic and has created powerful spells that I have learned over the years.” Raven pointed out calmly which only seemed to annoy Blaise more.

“Great, this guy sounds better and better. So how do we keep him from doing anything to get Calla? He’s fought whole covens before after using something to draw them out. Marick even said it himself that she might even be in more danger because of her connection with him.” Blaise asked with a huff, resting his head on his arms.

Calla frowned at that. “You said he wants to use me to get to everyone. Is that really his goal?” she asked, making the room look her way. There was a wariness in all of their eyes before Marick sighed but gave a nod.

“In a sense. But I doubt his enjoyment falls strictly on a chance to fight such a powerful coven like ours.” Marick said, leaning back. “He seems to have taken an interest in you specifically which makes him all the more dangerous.” He closed his eyes to rub them as Calla frowned. “Aro is unpredictable. He makes claims saying that he is in love with me but in the same breath he would attempt to fight me just to see who was stronger. Over the years, he’s been a rather large headache of mine. I rarely know what he’s planning and I’ve known him the longest. However, I can tell you he’s not a threat to take lightly and whatever he is planning, you can be sure that it will bring nothing but trouble. Everything that was stated earlier wasn’t in an attempt to scare you.”

She frowned but nodded at that, looking off. However, something felt off and she was sure they all felt it. Surely a fight with the coven wasn’t his overall goal. “Wouldn’t it have been easier for him simply to kill me upon finding me so close to the cottage? He… He seemed to know that I hadn’t wandered into the forest from the village nearby and he called me out for not reacting when he called me a non-magical. He had to have known given how close I was that I was with you guys. Yet, he seemed to taunt and toy with everyone rather than do something to start a fight. If he’s as crafty and cunning as you all make him out to be, his actions didn’t make a lot of sense.” she said softly, looking around the room.

“Aro likes playing games. There is a lot that he does that doesn’t make sense in terms of long-term goals.” Marick pointed out but he did seem to think over her words. “But you have a point. I would say Aro was behaving strangely.”

“That might be due to his isolation in the abyss for so long though.” Raven pointed out. “He is known for doing things out of boredom.”

“Is he an elite warlock or a toddler needing attention?” Blaise asked with a blank stare. That seemed to amuse Raven slightly as he smirked.

“Both are what I normally go with,” Marick stated, a small laugh going around the table. Calla was glad to see them a little less tense but she understood why they had been so afraid for her safety earlier. Marick soon looked off though, tapping the table with his finger. “As for how to stop him… it would be easier if I knew exactly what he was planning. He wants to get us all to the other realm which was why he gave us the job, but what does he need 10 vials of death’s kiss potions for? What in the realms is he trying to involve us in? He would know that by making me make those that using them to kill us would be futile.”

The group watched him silently before Raven gave a smile. “Marick,” he started, making the silver-haired man glance his way. “We are a coven, a family. You are not facing him alone and he knew he couldn’t take us all in a fight. None of us want to see Calla come to harm and I’m sure I’m not the only man here who would willingly aid in her protection. We can’t hide from Aro and his game. It’s better to face it head-on, no matter what.” Calla seemed surprised to hear that, eyes wide as she watched Raven. Raven seemed to notice that and gave her a smile and a wink. “She is our fearless leader after all. Marick’s little housewife who cleans up after him and tells him what to do.” Her face grew hot and Marick seemed to glare which was ignored as Raven returned his gaze towards Marick. “I can place wards on her directly that can work against abyss magic for when we leave. I’m assuming you need more ingredients for those potions so we would have to take a trip into Rowien eventually so I can start placing those wards as soon as you wish, but that would mean I would need to borrow her for a few hours.”

“I can create an enchanted necklace that wards off ill intent. I have more than enough of those crystals I have been saving until I needed them.” Gwydion pointed out. Calla, again, seemingly surprised as the others spoke.

“I’m not the strongest among us, but I am sure I could get a few hits in if that bastard comes after her, so I can keep an extra eye on Calla. Hell, I can teach her how to fight. I’m sure that would catch him off guard if he dares to grab her again.” Blaise said, leaning back in the chair. Her heart felt warm at their words, a smile on her face. This coven really was a family who looked out for each other.

Marick seemed to nod after taking in all that they had said. “Thank you… I…I will think over all that was offered, but I do think those options seem like good ones. Whatever it takes to keep her safe, especially if he is targeting her.”

“Not a problem, Marick. We will handle this as a team and when we head to the other realm, we will be ready for whatever is waiting for us.” Gwydion said with a smile, the others nodding.

They continued to speak on different subjects for the remainder of the night before retiring to their rooms. Calla sighed, lying down in the familiar bed in the front of the cottage she had stayed in her own time here. She only looked over when she saw Marick climb into the bed next to her, closing his eyes as his head rested on the pillow. Calla watched him a moment before turning to cuddle close to him.

“Marick?” she asked, hearing him hum in response. She scanned his face before sitting up to push her lips to his.

When she broke the kiss, she looked down to see his purple eyes looking up at her, a calm look on his face. It made her blush at that. “If you wanted a kiss, you could have asked,” he said, scanning her face. Her blush grew at that but she pouted.

“If I asked, you would have wanted to know if I was asking or giving an order. It would have taken time,” she said as she did. Marick’s brow raised before he gave a hum at that.

“Is that so?” he asked, not really as a question. “Are you satisfied with the kiss you received?”

Calla’s face grew darker as she frowned at that. Before she could answer, he gave a hum before she soon found herself laying back on the bed with him over her. Calla blinked in surprise at that. “M-Marick-?” she began to ask only to get cut off when his lips returned to hers. She moaned into it, her eyes fluttering closed as she returned the kiss. It was passionate and seemed to have a hidden desire in it. A heated kiss similar to the second time he had kissed her, only this time, his hands ran down her sides. He moaned into it, her feeling a small smirk on his lips at the sounds she made or how she squirmed under his touch.

By the time he broke the kiss, she was breathless, panting softly with a warm face as she opened her eyes to look up at him. Marick watched her before a small smirk rested on his face, almost as if he was amused by the look of her in such a state. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“I hope you are not getting needy for my attention, Calla. I’m going to be rather busy for the next three weeks.” Marick said. It made her pout with a whine. Was that his attempt to tease her? She gave a huff at that.

“I-I’m not being needy!” she said to which he opened his eyes with a small chuckle down at her. His eyes were so gentle as he watched her, it was strange to see from his normally serious expression. “And I can order you when I need something you know.”

Marick gave a nod at that. “That you can, but I am not lying with what I am saying. Death’s kiss potions are temperamental at best and need my full concentration. I cannot be pulled away from them every time you need a kiss.” he said, rubbing her hips. There was something in his eyes that made her blush, a faint look of lust as his eyes ran over her body before he shook his head. He leaned down, ignoring her protest at his comment, and kissed her head gently. “For now, it’s been a long day. Good night, Calla.”

With that, he got off her and returned to his side of the bed, leaving her watching after him with a blush. Her heart beat fast but she soon sighed to try and calm down, turning to face away from him and pulling the blankets closer to her. However, before she could go to sleep, she felt him move, her body right against his as he rested an arm over her while the other moved for her to rest on, holding her close, almost protectively. It didn’t help the warmth of her body or the racing of her heart before she just snuggled against him, touching his arms before she soon drifted off to sleep.

Marick had enough ingredients to finish a few vials of the black liquid that slushed around the equally concerning vials with a skull on them. It only made Calla worry while Marick was once again wondering what the man needed these for. The potion was instant death to anyone who consumes them and since the potion had no flavor to it, it could be added to anything without being detected. A concern for anyone who the blonde warlock was targeting. If it hadn’t been a formal request, Marick would have turned it down. Such a potion didn’t belong in the hands of someone like Aro.

What was more annoying was when he ran out of vital items. Thankfully, the ingredients to make Death’s kiss were simple, until many of the other potions he could make. They could easily be found in Rowien. However, Marick couldn’t help but feel an uneasiness with having Calla outside the wards around the cottage. Aro could be anywhere, even if he wasn’t fond of non-magicals. He only hoped the man had gotten bored and wandered off to find entertainment elsewhere.

At breakfast, he had brought up needing to make a trip, the others seemingly sharing the wariness of such a thing, but nothing more could be done. It wasn’t as if leaving Calla here was a safe option. Going alone seemed pointless as it would take more time to gather everything that was needed. Besides, Calla seemed eager not to let the threat of Aro stop her from enjoying the area around her. He couldn’t help but find her determination to be calming. Still, he wanted to protect her from whatever Aro was planning with her. Soon enough, the group was dressed and headed off towards the markets of Rowien. As much as Marick wanted to order Calla to remain close to him the whole time, the stubborn girl wanted to show she wasn’t afraid when they got to the market, ordering him to let her wander around but promising to remain within sight. It was clear he didn’t like the idea but allowed it to happen.

Even though the market was busy, Calla had felt safe enough to be on the other side of the street from Marick, knowing that the coven was keeping their eye on her. However, she wanted to feel safe enough to be on her own again. Given what Marick had told them, Aro didn’t care much for non-magicals so, in her mind, the idea of him being in the city of Rowien was a slim chance. Calla let out a sigh, turning to look over the items at each stall.

For the most part, it was different in wear and spices. With Rowien being a wealthy shipping area and trade district, the market was filled with sights and smells that were foreign to the former farm girl. It was as she perused the different items that her eyes caught the sight of something shimmering in the sunlight. It was a crystal flower with orange and purple petals. It was gorgeous and seemed to draw her attention, making her stop to look it over. The colors were bright and a smile rested on her face as she admired them.

She hadn’t noticed a shadow of someone joining her as she looked over the lovely flower before her. It was only when she felt fingers run through her hair that she looked up. She froze when she did, eyes widening before the hand swiftly moved from her hand to cover her mouth. A ringed finger with long black nails reached up and touched his lips as the tall blonde man next to her winked and shushed her softly before removing the finger from his mouth, gripping the orange orb of the cane as he set it down again.

“Let’s not make a dramatic uproar, little lamb,” Aro said calmly, moving his hand from her mouth to her shoulder once again, pulling her closer to him. Aro smiled playfully, his orange eyes scanning her with interest. “We wouldn’t want to disturb the peace now would we.”

Her lips trembled as she looked up at him. She feared what he would do if she didn’t follow the rules of whatever game he was playing but her eyes did glance back to see if Marick noticed. However, as she did, it was as if a pit sank in her chest. Marick wasn’t around. Had she wandered off too far without noticing? Surely someone had an eye on her.

“If you are looking for the others, they are around, dear,” Aro said, making her look back up at him. His eyes were on the wares before them on the table. She couldn’t believe a man like him didn’t catch more attention as people moved about. In fact, it was as if no one gave him much attention at all other than he was another wealthy-looking man moving about. “It would be rather careless of them to allow such a sweet little thing like you to wander off alone. I’m sure it is only a matter of time before they see me with you.” His mouth curled into a wicked grin that made her shiver. “But if they don’t wish for our world to be exposed or there to be an issue that would result in the death of many a non-magical, they will behave themselves and allow me to enjoy the company of their little princess. Meaning, as long as I don’t suddenly take off with you, they have no choice but to do this little dance with me for your safety.”

His fingers touched the crystal rose she had been looking at as he took it into his hand as if holding a real rose, holding it up to allow the sunlight to catch it, sending rainbows to dance over his handsome features. She couldn’t help but admire the look of the man next to her. Aro was darkness wrapped in the skin of pure light. There was something princely about him and it made her heart flutter with her conflict. Aro was beautiful and yet he was a monster.

“See something you like?” Aro suddenly asked, making Calla jolt, shivering as she realized she had been staring at him. His mouth curled into a smirk as he glanced down at her, rose in hand.

Not wanting to give this wolf among sheep any more fuel, she figured it was best to change the subject. She frowned, trying to control the fear in her heart as she locked eyes with him. “W-What are you doing here, Aro?” she asked. She saw him shiver at that, a look of sadistic pleasure washing over his face as his smile grew.

“What a lovely ring that has, my name on your lips.” he purred, making her swallow hard. He was enjoying this, the look of helpless fear she was trying to hide. “Say it again. Just one more time~!”

He gripped her shoulder tightly, making her let out a small sound of fright before she looked up at his expectant expression. Her lips quivered, wishing someone would take notice and stop him. “A…Aro…” she said, trying to stop the tremble in her body. He shivered with delight before giving a pleased chuckle and standing tall again.

“Ahh, such a lovely sound indeed.” he purred before placing the crystal rose in her hair, much to her surprise. He leaned closer to her, touching her chin. “What I would give to hear you cry that name out as I taught your body the ways of a man.”

She glared up at him, trying not to look scared. “Y-You’re vile!” she snapped at him, making him give her a look of surprise before smirking. He let out a chuckle and stood tall again, waving off her comment.

“Sticks and stones, dear,” he said calmly before straightening his coat. “If anything, I’m on my best behavior. Isn’t that right, my love?”

Calla blinked in surprise at his words before she noticed the seething form of Marick standing not far behind him. Aro smirked and glanced over his shoulder towards Marick, seemingly ignoring his glare.

“Seems you found some way to heal those broken bones. Perhaps I should turn them to dust next time.” Marick said darkly. That seemed to remind Calla as she blinked, looking at the arm she now remembered that was broken the last time she had seen Aro. In response, Aro raised the arm and seemed to show how it was fully healed before turning to face Marick’s direction, though making sure Calla couldn't run off as he scooted her to remain by his side.

“Now, now, my love. We can flirt later.” Aro said, Calla, noticed the look of disgust on Marick’s stern face. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your sweet little princess or the… good non-magicals of this great city.” Calla looked up as Aro had paused when he spoke, noticing the slight displeasure of saying anything kind about non-magicals.

Her eyes returned to Marick who seemed annoyed at how stuck they were in the situation as well. She frowned. “Marick, I-!” she started, only for Marick to sigh.

“This isn’t your fault, Calla,” Marick said as his eyes were softer as he glanced her way only to return to the dark look he had when his eyes met Aro’s smirking face. “What are you after, Aro?”

Aro hummed at that before he shrugged, changing which hand held the walking cane to allow him to run his fingers through Calla’s hair again, his eyes falling on the crystal flower he had placed in her hair. “Nothing in particular. I was bored and looking for entertainment,” he said as he did, his expression distant.

“You’re lying,” Marick said suddenly, making Calla frown as Aro’s expression went a little dark. “Try again. What are you doing, and if you lie to me again, you know I can cause you harm without alerting those around us.” Calla looked around as people moved about. A few glanced their way but once again, it was as if something had been done that people wouldn’t pay any attention to what was going on. Was this a spell?

Aro hummed in thought and stood tall again. “You need to be more aware of your surroundings, my love. Are you honestly not aware of who else has decided to wander her way into the city? You would think you would take better care of your pets with such threats in the area.” Aro said with a seriousness in his tone. It made Calla look between the two men as they locked eyes, confusion filling hers.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

However, before anything more could be said, Aro suddenly took Calla’s hand with a smirk down at her. “Now then, let’s go for a walk, my pet,” he said, starting to walk off. He gave a lazy wave towards Marick. “Be a dear and pay for the lovely item I gave to the dear girl, Marick. After that, you are free to join us.”

“You are not going anywhere with her, Aro!” Marick hissed as he stepped towards them, Calla panicking as she couldn’t remove her hand from Aro’s. Aro sighed and stopped, turning to glance back towards Marick.

He held up their entwined fingers that Calla noticed began to dance with dark energy. That made Marick’s eyes widen before he growled angrily. Calla felt a twinge of pain run up her arm, making her whimper and struggle but was unable to pull away. “You’ll be able to catch up,” Aro said in a calm but dark tone. “I’m not in a particularly good mood today my love. As much as I would love to keep playing this little game, now is not the time. If you don’t want me to hurt her, you will not interrupt my day with her. If you don’t trust me being alone with her, hurry and catch up.”

Calla whimpered, tears in her eyes as the pain faded but she looked terrified at the two titans of the magical world staring each other down. Marick knew the best way to navigate this problem would be to follow the rules for now, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. With that, Aro turned and began to lead her away. Calla looked panicked but could do nothing as he moved her hand to his arm. She looked back as they walked down the sidewalk as if nothing had happened, her heart racing in her terror.

“He’ll catch up,” Aro said, making her look up at him with teary eyes. His playful expression had faded to a more serious one, which worried her more.

She didn’t know what to do, just looked forward, trying not to look scared but knowing that she was failing at that. Could she even reason with this man? It hadn’t been that long ago that she had met Aro in the woods and that he had made his threats against her.

Finally, the tension was getting to be too much and she just timidly looked up at the blonde warlock she walked with. “W-Who were you warning Marick about?” she asked, just wanting anything to prevent this dangerous man from plotting anything. Aro seemed to smirk but it wasn’t as playful as she had seen it before.

“Just a witch we both know,” he answered to her surprise, his orange eyes staying on the path forward. It didn’t take long for her to put the pieces together and she frowned.

“You are talking about Madam Coffer…” she said, watching his eyes twitch slightly. The witch who had been one of the elite immortals that Aro and Marick had been in a coven with and one that Aro detested over everyone.

He gave a hum in response to her realization before shifting her hand on his arm that he was making sure to keep there. “Good, it’s good that you are as bright as you are for a non-magical,” he answered in a calm tone for now. He seemed to be looking around before spotting what he seemed to be looking for. He used his cane to point in the direction of the natural park in the center of the city and smiled down at Calla. “This way, dear.”

Unable to do anything else, she allowed him to lead her to the park. Memories of her date with Marick filled her mind as Aro led her to a secluded area and took a seat on the bench there. He pulled her into sitting next to him before he leaned back, closing his eyes. He seemed to have a content look as he leaned back, crossing his legs and taking in a deep breath. It was strange seeing this man who she knew had done horrific things, take in nature in such a relaxed way. Calla just sat there, watching him but her heart was racing. If she ran, he would catch her. Hell, that was the least of what he could do if she tried that.

Seemingly knowing her thoughts, Aro’s smile turned to a bit of a wicked smirk. “You can attempt to run. I’d be interested in knowing how far you’d get.” he seemed to tease coyly. His orange eyes opened again before he sat up, moving to tuck some hair behind her ear. “As skilled as Marick is, he wouldn’t be able to reach us in time before I would make you regret the choice to flee.”

Calla shivered at that, her eyes pleading as she looked up at the man next to her. That only seemed to amuse him more, his smile growing. He scooted closer to her, trailing his long fingernails down her arm. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m trying so hard to be on my best behavior but if you keep tempting me with that sweet look of fear on your face, I won’t be able to stop myself from indulging.” he purred into her ear.

She whimpered at that, closing her eyes tightly and gripping her dress. “P-Please… I don’t want any trouble!” she begged, hearing him give a breathy chuckle. He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly.

“That’s up to what you do, dear.” he purred before resting his arm around her. “I know my dear Marick has told you a few things about me. All good things I’m assuming.”

“H-He told us that you are a time manipulator and why you were exiled,” she answered, figuring that was for the best to just have a conversation with him. He seemed to nod, giving a hum at that.

“That’s more information than I expected him to share. The man has never been one to dive into his personal life.” Aro said with a smile, his eyes scanning her form again. “Your name is Calla, correct?”

She gave a nod and he gave a pleased look. “A lovely name for a lovely girl,” he said, Calla, opening her eyes to watch him spinning his walking cane. “The little non-magical who tells Marick what to do. I have to admit I’m rather amused by it.” He seemed to chuckle, making her lock eyes with him again with a wary look. So he had been watching them. “To think a cute little thing like you could pussy whip a descendent of Merlin without even allowing the man a place between your legs. You must be rather special to him indeed.”

Calla couldn’t help but allow her face to heat up at his words. In a way, he was as open about this kind of talk as Raven and Gwy were, but something about the way he spoke felt like a threat. Every fiber in her being told her to run from this man, especially as his eyes burned with a dark desire and his smirk grew wide. “I thought for sure the three-week deadline would have Marick bed you right away. I’m pleasantly surprised that you remain pure. Perhaps he seeks to unify our families with your womb and is allowing me to sow my seeds first~”

“N-No!” Calla exclaimed, pushing away from him. Aro just laughed at that, leaning back against the bench again. The sound of his amusement at her torment made her glare. “You’re a-!”

“Oh! Oh! Let me guess!” he interrupted as he looked more like an excited child than anything, moving closer to her. He smirked, tapping his chin. “I’m a handsome man? I’m a monster? Oh! Or am I a heartless bastard?” Calla just closed her mouth, trembling as he chuckled. He took her hand and placed it on his chest, Calla frowning but looking confused as he did. The soft beating of his heart could be felt under the chill of his body.

The feeling of his heart surprised her slightly. It was rather quick as if he was excited even as the giddy look of his expression faded to a calm one once again. He wrapped the arm clutching his cane around her and pulled her close, nuzzling her head softly as he gave a hum. “Well, as you can feel… I have a heart, a lively one at that even for an old man.” he purred, making her blush softly. Her body was betraying her with how it felt. It told her to run from danger but also grew flustered at the playfully dangerous tone he took. She felt like a puppet on strings, being pulled along with whatever Aro fancied and she hated it. “But you are not wrong with thinking I’m a monster. I am a lot of things, Calla, but pretending to be a saint is no one of them.”

Her eyes met his at that, seeing his expression was oddly gentle as he took the hand off his chest and pressed his lips to the knuckles of her hand, not breaking eye contact with her. She frowned, trying to search his eyes for what he was planning. Moreover, she wondered what was taking Marick so long to catch up with them. She felt cold being alone with this man, a man who could and would do anything to her. She could see how he was restraining himself from his desires when their eyes met. It was like watching a caged lion with a weak lock.

“Why are you doing this?” she felt her mouth say before she could stop it. He smirked before shrugging.

“As I said, I’m bored.” he pointed out before scanning her face. He pulled her nearly snuggled against him. “In all honesty dear, you should be thankful that I have taken an interest in you. You see, this is me keeping you safe.” Her eyes widened in surprise by that before seeing him hum and tap his chin. “Or perhaps, it’s more I am making sure that woman doesn’t ruin my fun. I hate when she breaks my toys before I have a chance to play with them.”

“You’re keeping me safe?” she questioned to which he smirked.

“Please don’t assume I am doing this out of any kind of goodwill. If I allowed that witch a chance to get near you, I could lose the one thing keeping me entertained,” he said calmly though moving to run his fingers through her hair. His expression was distant as if he was lost in his thoughts. “I have my own plans for you and Marick’s coven and for them to happen, I can’t have that witch snooping about. Besides, the woman will be downright nasty when she discovers which one of the members of this little coven holds your heart.” He playfully poked her nose at that, making her frown.

“You make it sound as if she is jealous of Marick’s relationships.” Calla pointed out to which a sly smile ran across his face but he said nothing more about it. Seeing he was ending the conversation, Calla thought back to what he had said before that. “Why me? Why this coven? Why can’t you just leave everyone alone?”

He raised a brow at that, seeing the slight anger in her eyes. “Why? I feel as if I have answered this already. Boredom. It’s really as simple as that.” Aro said with his smile returning. He hummed lightly, caressing her face. “I know it’s difficult for a non-magical to understand but the lives of the magical can become rather dull. Finding entertainment in the form of dealing with others is the only kind of pleasure I can find. Non-magicals have no value as unless I hurt them, they cannot give me pleasure.” His expression was dark as he held her close, making Calla whimper softly. He dug his nails into her side, leaning in to nip her ear. “You on the other hand… fascinate me.”

“S-Stop!” she begged, letting out a cry as he raked his nails over her back, raising to watch her reaction. He wasn’t cutting into her this time but there was pressure on her back as if all he had to do was push a little harder and he could make her bleed again.

“I want to hear you crying my name, to whisk you away to a pocket area where I can hurt you and make you enjoy every minute of it. Alas, I cannot with such a pesky coven watching over you. So I have decided to steal you. If they die in the process, it’s on them.” he said coldly. A mix of anger and fear pooled inside of her and she glared at him, pushing him away.

“No! I won’t let you!” she yelled, gripping his vest with her trembling hands. “I’ll… I’ll..!”

“You’ll what, dear?” he asked coyly, seemingly amused as he leaned back, watching her with interest.

Calla paused at that, searching for any way she could handle this situation. He hadn’t made any kind of move towards her, making her wonder if he was just toying for now. After all, he did claim that he had plans. Still, something didn’t feel right. He was far too relaxed, seemingly more focused on messing with her rather than hurting her. Her eyes narrowed, seeing his own look curious at her expression.

“You’re all talk… You have no plans to hurt me or them, do you?” she asked. He seemed to give a hum at that before sighing.

“Dear, you really shouldn’t tempt me like this,” he answered. Before she could react, she was suddenly grabbed by something, making her look wide-eyed as she was pulled off the bench by long shadowy snakes that wrapped around her. She let out a cry as her arms were pulled over her head and she found herself dangling as if the snakes were rope, tied to dangle from a tree just mere inches from the ground. Calla whimpered as she watched him get up, removing his hat and tapping his cane which glowed with his dark energy. He set the hat down on the bench as he moved over to where he had captured Calla, suspending his cane in the air as he did.

Fear could not describe what Calla was feeling as Aro stood before her with cold eyes. Terror wasn’t even the right word as he smirked and touched her face before running his hand down to grip her throat. “Do you still think I am all talk?” he asked, ignoring her whimpers for him to stop. He hummed, pushing his own body against hers. “Do you know why I’ve been behaving myself since the first moment we walked into this area?”

Calla trembled, closing her eyes only to feel Aro squeeze her neck. “Oh no, dear. Keep those eyes open and on me,” he ordered darkly, making her whimper but opening her eyes to meet his again. He smiled again with a calmer look. “Good girl.” He moved her legs around his lower body, her body feeling no longer being in her control. “You see, your beloved coven has a protective bubble over this area. I assume they put it up the moment we walked in and sat down. The witch knows you and the others are here, and I’ve been on my best behavior so as to not alert her to where I am. She knows that wherever I am, you and Marick wouldn’t be too far.”

“I suspect this magic is Raven’s doing but I can feel Marick’s energy as well. It’s rather strong for a warding spell but one could never be too careful when it comes to warlocks such as myself,” he said with a hum, his free hand tugging on the bow that rested on her bosom.

“A-Aro, please!” she begged, though she knew it was pointless, her eyes swelling with tears.

He smirked, his eyes dancing over her body before returning to her gaze. “Every time I touch you, it causes me excruciating pain. They really are making it difficult to want to do anything to you, but I have been in worse pain than this before,” he said. His words made her eyes widen. He was in pain?! Nothing in his expression even hinted at that. Then again, her mind returned to the first time she had seen him. Marick’s curse had broken the man’s hand in front of her, the memory of watching it twist and move unnaturally haunted her. Even then he didn’t show any kind of pain on his face. “I have every intention to do horrible things to you, my dear, no matter what kind of agony it puts me in.”

He pushed his lower body against hers, making her yelp and struggle in the bindings she was in. “A-Aro, I believe you! Please! I’m sorry!” she whimpered, any words to defy him or logic fading with the fear she felt. He hummed at her words, gripping her face and pushing his lips to hers. She squealed at that, feeling his tongue forcing its way into her mouth and feeling the weight of it on her throat. She bit at his tongue anything to try and get him to stop, which only made him chuckle and groan in bliss into the kiss.

As he commanded her mouth, his hands moved from her face and down her body before she felt him tear the bottom of her dress. She struggled as he did, the cold hitting any exposed flesh, and her crying increased as she felt his hand slip between them and begin messing with his pants. However, Aro soon pulled away from the kiss, letting out a cry of pain. Through her sobbing, she saw the white coat begin to bloom red. He growled in annoyance, reaching around to pull the large knife that had been tossed at his back before pulling away from Calla completely.

“That’s a bit rude, my love,” Aro said, more annoyed than anything as he turned to face Marick whose energy flowed around him with strange shapes she couldn’t comprehend.

Marick said nothing, holding his hand up to summon another knife into it. Aro just rolled his eyes, the knife turning to dust in his own. “I warned you about the witch, didn’t I? And I have been rather good for the most part. She tested me, I was merely showing her what good that does.” Aro said as he did, sighing.

“Let her down. Now.” Marick hissed with a fury that frightened even Calla but seemed only to bore Aro. The man sighed but smirked, folding his arms.

“Why?” he asked with a tilt of his head. Aro waved his hands, the snakes that bound her flowing forward so that Aro could wrap his arms around her, kissing her neck and running his hands over her. “Does she really mean that much to you, Marick? A replacement for Maria?”

Calla’s eyes widened. Maria? Who was-? Her question would have to wait as Marick sent a spell towards Aro who blocked it but didn’t seem to notice the second knife tossed at him. Aro let out a scream as the blade pierced his hand, making him growl before turning it to dust as well and watching the blood pour from his hand.

“You keep that name out of your damn mouth,” Marick said in a low, dark tone. Aro once again just gave him a blank stare.

“You’re being rather dramatic, don’t you think?” Aro said before he shook his head. “A knight coming to save his princess.”

“Get out of my sight if you know what’s good for you,” Marick said darkly, a pentagram appearing with a step of his foot. Aro seemed a bit less thrilled at the sight. He finally gave another sigh and glanced toward Calla, making her tremble.

Aro smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Seems that Marick wants to be a fun killer,” he said before snapping his fingers. The spell he used dissipated and Calla sank to the ground. With that, he turned and gave a half-wave towards Marick. “If you wish to level a whole city of non-magicals, that’s on you.” Marick just watched Aro as he calmly moved over to take up his cane and hat, setting it on his head. Marick's intensity didn’t change as he moved to place himself between Aro and Calla.

“Coffer is aware that you are here. I’m not sure why you bothered to inform us of what she was doing, but you moving Calla away to allow us to send her off doesn’t excuse what you just tried to do.” Marick said darkly, his eye contact intense. Aro simply continued to clean himself up, ignoring the blood that dripped over his clothes. The man acted as if he wasn’t wounded in the slightest.

“I haven’t a clue what you are talking about. I was merely trying to scare her. Though you don’t believe me, I’ve never done anything towards your girls, Marick. Things like that hold no interest for me.” Aro said as he did, turning to face the man again. He gave a small smirk, looking between Marick and Calla. The girl looked so helpless that it clearly amused him. “She’s not her, you know. And she’s not like us.”

Marick growled low, taking a step towards him only to stop when he felt Calla grip the back of his clothes. He paused to look back to see the trembling girl clinging to him. She was frightened. The look made him calm down as his energy started to dissipate. He turned to face Calla and held her close. “I’m sorry for taking so long to get here. Let’s go home, Calla,” he said in a softer tone than how he had been earlier.

“How long do you plan to play with her, Marick?” Aro asked, making Marick tense. “She is mortal, you will live forever. She is non-magical, frail, and weak. You know what happens to non-magicals who get close to you.”

Calla looked up at Marick, frowning at Aro’s words. She expected Marick to snap at him but the man seemed to be deep in thought. “Her life and existence will be like a blink of an eye for us. In less than 100 years you will lose her, and that is only if you can keep her safe enough to have her last that long. And what then, dear. Will you break your promise to Hilden? Will you sow your seeds, and continue your family line with her? Will she give you a son or a daughter? Will you watch as she grows old while you stay the same? Watch as your children grow old and die. So much heartache over one non-magical.” he said through his words seemed sterner rather than playful. His words rang with a harsh reality, and oddly enough, his tone seemed to hold a longingness and sorrow in it. “Keep a better eye on her or next time I will take her without alerting you or the others.”

“Over our dead bodies.” a voice growled. Calla felt the air growing tense as the others appeared around the area, all seeming angry while Blaise glared darkly. It had been him who spoke. However, Aro seemed unimpressed.

“That is the idea,” Aro answered, before glancing towards Marick’s back again. Any notion of the seriousness he had before faded as his expression lightened again. “You know I don’t make threats. If I catch her alone again, I will make her mine.” His eyes met Calla’s, making her shiver. He just scanned her face before smirking. “You have two weeks left, little lamb. Marick or me, either way, I will make sure you will be joining us in the other realm.”

There were sounds of protest from some of the others, but Calla’s attention was on how tightly Marick held her close to him, making her look up into the dark look in his eyes. However, the man remained silent. It looked as if he had hundreds of things to say but not the words that were right in order to get across what he needed. Calla’s attention returned to Aro who caught her stare and smiled. He removed his hat to give a bow to her before replacing it, standing tall.

“Have a good day boys,” He called before his smirk returned. “And enjoy the flower, Maria’s replacement.”

Marick’s eyes glared as he turned to turn the dark look towards Aro. “She isn’t-!” he started before Aro disappeared with a raise of his cane.

The area was silent a moment before Raven sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Madam Coffer fled, I felt her energy headed back to the twisted woods. She was in bad shape so I doubt she will come after us for a while.” Raven reported, making Calla look his way. Marick seemed to be watching where Aro went before sighing and nodding.

“To think he was telling the truth about her plans. I knew that woman was crazy but to come all the way to Rowien to grab Calla is ridiculous.” Blaise muttered in annoyance.

“Aro hates that woman. He always has. It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that he got involved as it was to cause misery for her.” Marick muttered, before looking down at Calla. His eyes softened. “I apologize, Calla.”

She frowned but shook her head. “I ordered you to let me explore and was the one who wandered off, it’s not your fault,” she said, looking off. There was a lot on her mind so she didn’t notice Gwydion had moved over to her before she felt him touch her shoulder.

“You don’t have any wounds, do you? Did he hurt you at all?” Gwydion asked, his expression serious as he seemed to eye the rip in her dress. “What did he do?”

Calla jolted at that before she shook her head. “N-Nothing… Marick… Marick got to me before he could do anything.” she said as she frowned again. “He just… talked with me. To be honest, he didn’t even try anything until I said he was all talk.” She looked off. “He had every chance to hurt me before that, even with the wards in place, right?”

There was a sigh and she looked up to see Raven standing tall and folding his arms. “We did say he likes to play games. But I never expected him to actually warn us about a threat.” he pointed out, turning his attention towards Marick who was oddly silent about the whole situation.

“Perhaps he just didn’t like the competition,” Blaise muttered, resting his hands behind his head. “Marick did say he doesn’t like Coffer, not that I blame him there.”

Marick was silent but he soon looked up, meeting Raven’s gaze before waving it off with his hand. “There is no use speculating when it comes to what he does. For now, we have what we came here for. Let’s get back to the cottage before he gets any ideas to come back.” he commanded, everyone giving a nod in agreement.

It was the middle of the night when Calla awoke. The rest of the evening had been as if nothing had happened. She helped Gwy with dinner, the group seemed to talk about things in the other realm and by nightfall, Marick had returned to his potion area to finish up the batch he had made while Calla read some books she had found before going to bed. Knowing he had finished, she was surprised when he hadn’t joined her, the bed feeling cold without him next to her or even holding her as he had been the last few nights.

“Marick?” she called, rubbing her eyes as she let her eyes adjust to the dark room before seeing him seated at his desk. He didn’t seem to be sleeping, but he was off in thought. It made her frown before she climbed out of the bed and moved over to him. She touched his shoulder, which seemed to snap him from his thoughts as his eyes found hers. There was a flicker before the candle nearby lit up, the light from it illuminating their faces.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, scanning her face. The question upset her slightly as she searched his eyes for any sign of what thoughts were behind them.

“I was worried when you didn’t come to bed…” she answered. That seemed to perk his mood up slightly, a small smile resting on his lips before he soon hummed and it faded.

“I’m just thinking about today,” he admitted. Why did he have to hold his thoughts from here like this?

“Marick,” she started, him seemingly tensing at what she was going to say, almost as if he was aware. “I order you to talk to me… please… what’s on your mind?” His eyes returned to hers as he gave a slight scowl at that. However, he soon sighed and nodded. He got to his feet, motioning her to follow him.

“Fine, but let’s go outside. I want some fresh air,” he said, Calla nodding as she followed him out to the small bench he summoned just by the garden. It was a cool night, Calla wondered if winter was not too far away. Marick took a seat and she soon joined, looking out at the forest at night. There were sounds of the creatures of the forest moving about, an owl’s call echoing around them, and the chirping of bugs. She looked up at Marick to see his eyes were closed, almost taking in the night around him.

Calla took the time to take in his look in the moonlight. He was almost angelic in the light of the moon, his silver hair falling around him as he moved his head, allowing it to fall over his shoulders. For the first time, she really took in the reality of it all. Marick was a descendent of Merlin, an incredibly powerful warlock and here she was, a non-magical who only was able to tell him what to do because he cared about her. No matter what he said, the fact that she shared a bed with someone like him was a big deal.

She didn’t realize they had said nothing for a while before he gave a sigh and his purple eyes opened to look her way, making her frown at the distant look in his eyes. “I was thinking about what Aro said to me in the park,” he admitted, making her look surprised but she soon looked worried. There had been a lot that the blonde warlock had said and it seemed a lot of it hit Marick harder than Calla expected. He had looked as if he had been deep in thought since.

“What about what he said?” she asked, wondering more about what was on his mind. He hummed at that, seemingly hesitating before he shook his head out of it. Whatever was on his mind, he knew he couldn’t keep it from her forever.

“You…. You remind me of someone who was very special to me.” He said finally as he reached to run his fingers through her hair, making her blush more. “You are curious and a bit reckless, gentle and yet stern when you need to be. Though you are not completely the same as her, there are qualities that bring back those memories. Memories that I have been trying to avoid until now.”

She blinked at that, her heart beating warmly. She thought back to what Aro had said. “Are…. are you talking about Maria?” she asked softly, seeing a saddened look cross Marick’s face. It seemed to hit the nail on the head.

He gave a small nod at that, returning his hands to his lap. “I told you before that my opinion of non-magicals that I had during my younger years in Hilden’s coven changed when I got older. It had to do with Maria,” he said calmly, his eyes distant. Calla was surprised to see him opening up about it, remaining silent as she listened. “I first met her during a mission our coven was sent out to complete. A rather powerful vampire had taken residency in a kingdom that used to be located in the very north of the land. He had killed the seated non-magical king of the kingdom and began to build an army of bitten vampires. The royals of the magical realm wanted the situation handled and the vampires killed so as to stop the spread of knowledge of the magical realm being exposed. In reality, it was an easy mission, but tedious. Those who hadn’t been turned were kept in constant fear. Young men and women were taken to the castle as food if they were caught out late or if they caught the eyes of the vampire lord.”

Marick glanced toward Calla, giving a sigh. “We were split into teams once we entered the kingdom. I was working with Madam Coffer to gather information about the best way to get to the vampire lord without him escaping. It had been her choice to work with me, though I assume it was because pairing her with Aro was becoming more of a problem each time. Aro and Coffer are like vinegar and water, they’ve never gotten along. I can at least tolerate Aro in small doses but Coffer has never been able to be around Aro without the fight breaking out.” he explained. It made Calla think back to Aro’s reaction when hearing the name Madam Coffer. Even now he held such disdain for the woman that she could believe what Marick was saying about them. “At any rate, it was during that time when we ran into Maria. She had been a handmaiden for the late king’s daughter and fled the castle when the royal family had been slaughtered. She knew her way around the castle and was more than willing to assist us. She.. caught me off guard. One would have thought she would refuse to help us given what the vampires had been doing. In fact, many non-magicals fled from us when we had first arrived. Maria, though, she wasn’t afraid, not even when we started to use magic around her.”

“With Maria’s aid, we were able to take care of the mission with no continued issues and smoother than it would have been originally. After the mission was completed, I found myself spending time with her more and more. It… bothered the others of course. Madam Coffer and Aro especially found irritation in us getting close. The day I asked to marry her, I thought for sure the two of them would cause problems.” he noted with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. “We were married for a few years and they were some of the happiest moments of my life.”

Calla frowned at that, seeing the pain in his eyes again. “What… What happened to her?” she asked softly.

Marick frowned with a trace of bitterness in his look as he started forward. “To be honest, I don’t know,” he admitted, making her give him a look of surprise. He sighed, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. “I had gone to complete a smaller assignment with Hilden. Aro had gone off after Lazier to take care of a rebellion in the vampire kingdom but had killed Lazier on their way back, returning back to our home before I had. As far as I know, Coffer had remained behind to handle some of the magical items we had gathered.” His expression was dark as he thought it over. “No one will give me a clear answer as to what happened. Aro claims that Coffer did something, Coffer claims Aro was behind it. Either way, when I returned home with Hilden, I found my wife bewitched with madness and agony. Her body wasn’t in control and she was harming herself screaming about beetles under her skin. I know the spell that had to have been used. It makes the body rot from the inside and boils the brain to the point that the person attacks themselves and everyone around them. It’s a slow death with no counter to it.”

Calla’s eyes were wide with horror. To think someone had done something so horrible. She could understand how it could have been done by either person, both seemingly finding sickening enjoyment in the pain of others. Marick sighed, leaning back.

“My wife, my Maria… in the few glimpses of humanity I saw left in her eyes, begged for death… and I was the one who granted it to her,” he said, his words cold. The area was silent as if even the birds and bugs around them were silenced from his words. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t see her suffer like that. No spell or potion in the world could have reversed what had been done. I remember hearing Hilden speaking to the other two but I don’t remember what was said. I took her away from that place and buried her in a place we always went to get away from them.” He looked up towards the ceiling, his eyes were distant. “Aro says I was at her grave for about four days, not eating, not drinking. Only he tried to speak to me but I refused to listen to him. To this day, he swears he never harmed Maria. As for Coffer, she either dismisses the subject or doesn’t bring it up when I see her. Either way, I left the coven that night and went into hiding. I heard that Hilden was killed years later but it meant nothing to me by that point.”

She was quiet for a moment longer before she touched his arm, making his purple eyes look her way. “I’m sorry…” she said softly. He watched her a moment before shaking his head.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Calla. That happened years before you were born… you had nothing to do with it,” he said, scanning her eyes. Calla frowned at that but shook her head.

“I… I know that. I’m sorry that you’ve had to live with that pain for so long. You were suffering and I… I didn’t notice.” she answered as she did. Marick frowned at that, watching her a moment more before sighing.

“You have a good heart, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t have noticed anything. As I said, I don’t particularly like speaking of my past and I’ve mastered not showing much in the way of emotion with time.” he pointed out, moving to rest an arm around her.

Calla looked off as she thought over all that he told her, glad that he had opened up to her like this. Still, something bothered her, making her frown as her eyes soon returned to him. “I…I don’t mean to pry, but… what if Aro is telling the truth?” she asked, seeing his attention snap to her. She shook her head. “I don’t know him the way you do. However, from what I have seen, he’s a violent and terrifying man… but he doesn’t lie about what he will do or has done.”

Marick rolled his eyes at that. “Great, now you are saying the same things he does,” he muttered which made her pout slightly at that. However, before she could protest he sighed. “I’ve thought about that before. The truth is if Aro is telling the truth and it was Coffer who did such a horrific thing to Maria… All that would change is that I would know. I already do not trust either of them. The only difference between them is that I’m willing to be around Aro for a longer period of time as he behaves himself when I keep my eye on him. Coffer… I never know what she’s thinking which bothers me more.”

He gave a sigh, looking off. “I don’t get close to people, and I have avoided doing so for a long time. I kept to myself, staying out of the public eye and making sure people couldn’t find me.” He gave a slightly amused smirk as a memory hit his mind. “That was what surprised me most when one day I went to gather materials and at my door were two young warlocks who started some spiel about how they were making a coven and wanted me to join them as their mentor. I have no idea how Raven and Gwydion managed to locate me, but they made it an annoying habit to return every morning, Raven making up a spiel that was different from the day before but had the same ideas in it. They did that every day for a month before I finally agreed.” His smirk faded as he sighed. “The coven doesn’t replace what I have lost, but it has opened my eyes to the good that Maria would tell me was in the world.”

She was about to comment but his purple eyes locked with hers as he continued, “After that, Blaise found his way to my cottage, seeking someone to teach him magic. A non-magical sensitive to magic but still interesting to see.” he started before an amused half-smile rested on his lips again. “But the most surprising thing was when a wounded young woman accidentally found my cottage trying to escape a life completely different from that of the world of magic. A young woman who managed to do things I never thought I would witness. One who showed little fear when it came to things she couldn’t comprehend. A girl who didn’t know how to react to complete strangers showed her kindness. A girl who asks questions and looks amazed at everything we do. A girl who for some reason made the choice to walk into the front room when I was making potions to ask if she could help me. One who, for very good reasons and to punish me for what I did, forced me to follow her orders or she would never forgive me.”

She blushed softly at that, seeing the hint of warmth in his gaze as watched her. Listening to him talk about how she became a part of the coven made her heart warm as she smiled at him. “You make me sound like I changed everything when I decided to enter the cottage and hid in your closet,” she said with a giggle. He gave a slight hum at that, a slight laugh before he patted her head gently.

“Well, I wouldn’t know any other way to explain it.” he pointed out as he held her closer, enjoying the feeling of her warmth at his side. “Calla, from the moment you arrived here, you have had an impact on our lives. There are days that I find myself feeling as if you have always belonged here with us. It’s hard to picture this coven without you.” However, those words seemed to make him look off, a distant look in his eyes. It made her frown at that, but before she could ask, he shook his head, glancing her way. “You are a part of this coven and no matter what, we will keep you safe. Safe from the dangers of the other realm, from Aro, and from Coffer.”

“I will never understand what makes me so special that you all are willing to do so much for me. Wouldn’t it just be easier to send me away?” she asked before jolting as he gave her a slightly annoyed stare at that.

“Calla, I might be a lot of things, but I am not that cruel of a man to even think of something like that,” he stated sharply, making her blush and look off. He soon sighed, shaking his head. “You mean a lot to this coven, whether you think so or not. And more than that, you mean a great deal to me.” Her eyes widened as she looked up at him again. His eyes were gentle as they met hers again. “I might show it well, but I adore you and I will for the rest of my life.”

Her heart beat with warm thuds as she blushed softly. She didn’t know how to feel about his words but she knew he meant what he said. She opened her mouth, trying to think of what to say before he sighed and got to his feet. She blinked at that before seeing him offer a hand to her.

“It’s getting late. The last thing I need is for you to pick up my bad habit of staying up all night. How about you turn in for the night?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question. She stared for a moment before taking his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet.

He turned to move over to the door only to stop when she grabbed his arm. She was about to ask when she stopped herself, shaking her head before giving him a serious look. “Join me,” she said as close to order as she could make it sound with the cute blush on her face. “I…I know you finished those potions already. You are just making extras to have here and you can start those tomorrow.”

He had looked over his shoulder at her but sighed and faced forwards. Unseen by Calla, a smirk rested on his face. “Is that a request?” he asked with a slight playfulness in his voice.

“I-It’s an order,” she answered which made him shake his head, his smirk growing as his eyes stared gently.

“As you wish,” he answered before leading her back into the house, the sounds of nature returning to the forest around them.

The first few weeks seemed to go by before anyone knew it, but soon enough the last week had arrived. If everyone was stressed, they had been good at not showing it. Every day had been filled with making sure everything was ready for when they left and every night had found Marick cuddling Calla close as they slept. She had made sure to help out where she could to make sure she didn’t get in the way, mostly making sure everything was clean and that the guys were not overworking themselves. It was the fact that Marick had been holding her at night and that she had been so focused on everyone’s health and needs that when she woke up to find the bed empty, she had been concerned. Calla got out of bed and looked around, not seeing him in the house. That could only mean one thing and she moved to open the door to look outside. Her suspicion was correct, seeing him sitting at the bench near the garden seemingly off in thought or at least taking in the night.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Calla called as she walked over to where Marick was seated, the light of the full moon made him look as if he was glowing as he looked up at the sky. He turned his head to look her way, his purple eyes gentle but looking as if a thought that had been behind them was growing smaller.

He seemed to scan her before letting out a sigh, his warm breath creating a cloud with the cool air of the still night. He turned away from her but motioned her over. “You could say that,” he answered calmly, his eyes finding her form again. Where she had found him stunning in the light of the moon, he felt the same. Calla was like an angel that had appeared next to him. He couldn’t deny how he felt about her and seeing her in the cool light of the moon was enchanting.

“You should be resting.” Marick finally said after a moment, his eyes returning to the sky above them. Calla couldn’t help but frown slightly before looking off, a small blush on her face. She tugged on her night dress.

“I… um… couldn’t sleep,” she said softly as she did. “The… bed felt empty and I couldn’t get warm.” Her eyes glanced up towards him, blinking in surprise as she caught him giving a slight smirk at that, finding amusement in her words.

“Is that so?” he asked, not really as a question, though his eyes were not leaving the sky. His expression looked so distant, so deep in thought. It made Calla wonder if he would ever fully share the thoughts within his mind. He gave a hum in thought, catching her attention again as his head tilted to the side, his long silver hair falling around his shoulder. “I would think you would be used to staying in an empty bed. After all, it’s not as if we share my bed all the time. Perhaps I have been spoiling you too much lately…”

Her expression softened at that, her mind filled with the memory of being held by him the last few nights. The warmth of his body, the smell of fire on his clothing, the feeling of his surprisingly strong body against her. It had been the first time she felt more than just a guest in his bed and even then it was just being held. He didn’t touch her more than rubbing her back, he didn’t kiss her. It was as if all he wanted was to hold her close.

She shifted where she sat before looking off. “Spoiling me… all we’ve done is cuddle.” she returned, before smiling. “But… It has been nice..” She looked up at him, seeing his attention was on her.

He raised a brow at that curiously. “You say that as if you are disappointed,” he noted, making her eyes widen.

“N-No! Not at all!” she exclaimed back, shaking her head with a deep blush on her face. He didn’t look that convinced but he watched her a moment before smirking and getting to his feet. She looked confused before he held his hand out to her.

“I guess since I am the reason behind you not being able to sleep, I should make it up to you. Will you accompany me for a walk?” he asked. Calla blinked in surprise but took his hand, allowing for him to help her up.

“O-Of course…” she said softly, getting to her feet and looking up to the tall handsome man before her. “But where to?”

“I know of a place that I think you would like. It’s a bit deeper into the forest.” Marick said, glancing towards the forest before them. Calla looked hesitant at that, surprised to hear him wanting to leave the safety of the wards.

“You want to leave the wards?” she asked, grabbing his attention her way again.

“As much as I don’t trust Aro, he also knows better than to attack me while I am out,” he noted calmly with a sigh. “I also trust him not to want to pick a fight. As I said, he is under the impression that we are some kind of friends or lovers. As long as you stay by my side, he won’t show up or at least bother us.”

She held his hand tighter but nodded. “I trust you… besides, I’m not foolish enough to wander away from you this late at night,” she said with a soft smile up at him. Marick gave a knowing nod before he turned to lead her off in a direction.

They were quiet as they walked, Calla clinging to him as they moved through the forest. The light of the moon illuminated their path as the sounds of the wind blowing around were the only other sound that could be heard. Calla couldn’t help but look up at him curiously. Marick seemed lost in thought. It was odd to see him looking like this, but she didn’t feel afraid, not even after leaving the wards. He had an aura around him that was far stronger than any of the magic she felt from the others, including the feeling of safety that Raven could make her feel with his special ability. It really made it clear the difference in power that Marick had compared to the others.

“Are you nervous about being away from the cottage with me?” he asked after a moment, snapping her from her thoughts. It was only then that she realized he was looking down at her. She blushed softly but shook her head.

“No… I was just thinking about some things,” she said calmly, looking forwards. She gave a small smile. “It’s a different feeling being out here with you than on my own. Even being out with Blaise to gather things… I can feel a difference with you here.” She clung to his arm, looking up at him.

He raised a brow slightly before humming in thought and looking forward. “Well I would hope so,” he said calmly. “I’m a lot older than the others and my power is much more significant…”

She gave a soft giggle at that. “Right… you do claim to be a descendent of a great warlock of legend,” she said, to which Marick gave a small grin at that but was quiet as he looked forward. After a while of walking, Marick stopped, waving his hand to pull back some of the bushes in their way.

The sight before her was off a cliff with a view of the large city below. Her eyes were wide seeing the barely lit city below as the candles around the area were being put out for the night. She had no idea how they had managed to get here, a part of her wondering if at some time he had used some kind of magic to get them here. He did say his magic was subtle.

She blinked, pulling away to move a little closer so as to look down at the city below. They were silent a moment before he moved forward to sit at the edge. Calla looked hesitant at that, worried at being so close to the edge but as Marick seemed to be fine, she soon joined him.

“I found this location when I first built the cottage nearly 200 years ago. I find it useful to watch what non-magicals do and how they change over time without being too close,” he said after a moment, making her look at him. His eyes were distant again as he looked down at the city below. “It’s rather interesting… watching your kind and how things change for them over time. Beings without magic… I am not sure how to feel about them but I am curious to witness how they will progress over time.”

She was silent at that but soon looked forward in thought. “...What’s it like… living for so long?” she asked after a while. Her eyes fell to him but he didn’t move for a while, his eyes distant but gentle.

After a moment he sighed and moved to close and rub his eyes. “It’s hell,” he admitted, making her frown at his words. He removed his hand to look her way. He gave a sigh, moving his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’ve watched people come and go over time… and I have to be careful about where I go as I can’t have non-magicals catch on that I am not aging the same as they do. Then, there are those in the other world who want to use the power I have. For a long time, I just wanted to be left alone from both worlds… but even that tends to be rather lonely.”

Her expression softened at that, leaning into his touch. “It does sound lonely…” she said, scooting closer to him. “But now you have the coven… doesn’t that make things at least a little easier?”

His look became a bit sad. “Calla… you know that I will outlive them... I’ll outlive you,” he said softly. He gave another sigh. “It seems the only one who will live as long as I will is the one person in this world I hate the most… and I’m sure he’s doing that just to drive me insane.” He pulled away from her and leaned back to look up at the sky. “I’ve always lived with the thought that it would be better to be alone and not grow close to others… it makes it easier than watching those you care about grow old and pass on.”

Calla watched him for a moment not sure what to say. His eyes were distant again, making her wonder what was on his mind. Had there been more than just the thoughts of Maria that had plagued his mind?

“You’ve had that look in your eye since the meeting…” she pointed out, making him look her way. “Like you have something on your mind… tell me what you are thinking…”

He watched her for a moment but he gave a small sigh. “Right… I guess I do still have to follow your orders…” he noted before running his fingers through his hair. “To be honest… a part of me has wanted to be selfish and give you more than the year I owe you… make you immortal so I have someone else by my side…” he said before giving a sigh and looking up at the sky. “But I wouldn’t do that to you… I’m not that cruel to curse you to live forever for my sake. That has been one of the few thoughts that have been going through my mind as of late.”

“We did have a similar conversation while in the city…” she pointed out, her eyes gentle as she watched him. “Have you given it any more thought about sharing years with the coven?”

“I have,” he answered with a nod before shrugging. “I will bring it up with them. If they desire to do so, I will share my years with them.” His eyes found her’s, his expression hard to read but soft. “What of you?”

She blinked at that. “What do you mean?” she asked.

To her surprise, Marick sat up, grabbing her chin and bringing her face closer to his. Being so close made her heart race, her face growing hot. “...Do you want to become immortal?” he asked, his eyes locking hers in place. Even now he was a commanding view, his purple eyes seeming to search her very soul and make her body quiver.

She couldn’t help but hesitate at his question. Immortality. Something like that had never passed her mind before and yet now she was next to a man who would do just that. Though, she didn’t have to think long about it as she grip his shirt, her eyes softening.

“Yes…” she said, though he didn’t move, his eyes narrowing.

“Why?” he asked, making her look at him with surprise. “I tell you that immortality is hell and you agree to it with little thought. Do you understand what that means? If I did this, there is no taking it back without causing some issue. You will no longer be seen as human.”

“I love you…” Calla said, seeing Marick pause, just watching her. She knew her face was red, feeling the heat of her face and the racing heart in her chest. Her eyes drifted away from the stare of his purple eyes. “I...I know it sounds strange, falling for someone I haven’t known for very long...but… those words feel right. You and the others… you had no reason to take me in but you did. I feel safer around the coven than I do non-magicals. You especially help me feel safe when you are around and I enjoy spending time with you.” She met his eyes again as she frowned. “No matter what you’ve done in the past, you are a good man. You speak your mind, never lie, and you’ve gotten better at asking before you do anything to me. And unlike Raven and Gwydion, you haven’t been pushing the line or pressuring me into doing things with you.”

They were silent for a moment before Marick gave a hum at that. “You make me sound like a saint,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “Have you forgotten that I was the one that informed you that you needed to give your body to one of us?”

She blushed at that, looking off. “I haven’t forgotten,” she said before hugging herself with the cold air around them. “But I have also been sharing a bed with you since I arrived. You told me that I had to make love to someone for my safety, but you’ve never touched me while we slept next to each other or anything like that.” She gave a small giggle. “I honestly believe that you have no desire to do anything like that to me.”

That seemed to make him pause before he gave a sigh. “Calla,” he said calmly, waiting for her eyes to meet him before he continued. He shook his head. “I am as much of a man as any of the others. You are foolish to believe that I don’t desire you or any woman for that matter.” He closed his eyes, looking forward. “When we come back from rather stressful missions in the other realm, it’s not just Raven and Gwydion who head to the non-magical areas for some attention. I might not voice my intention as openly as the others, but I am not above a meaningless tumble in the sheets with someone. I’ve had more than my fair share of sexual partners in my extended existence.” He opened his eyes again, staring off. “I’m not much of a gentleman about it. Actually, Gwydion says I am pretty straightforward when I want the touch of a woman. Raven would argue that I tend to be more tightly wound and so he often tells me to seek attention when we are out.”

He glanced at her, taking notice of her red face as she looked off. She didn’t really want to think about Marick with random women. “As for my attraction to you,” he started, her eyes turning his way again. “I may not be affectionate, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about bedding you.”

Calla looked surprised at that, giving a shy look up at him. She had memories of Marick touching her when she had first arrived, though he hadn’t been inappropriate to her during that time, she couldn’t help but wonder what had been on his mind. “Y-You have?” she asked softly, to which Marick just nodded in response.

“Why do you seem surprised by that?” Marick asked, tilting his head with a stern look on his face. “Whether you think so or not, you are a lovely young woman, Calla. Any man in all the realms would be lucky to have you by their side, regardless of the status of your birth. Poor or rich, magical or non-magical, royalty or farmer, you are captivating. Everyone in this coven thinks so.” He leaned close to her, touching her face with his fingertips. “I have touched your skin before, yet I wonder how it feels completely cupped in my hands. I have tasted your lips and yet I desire more.” A calm smile curled its way onto his mouth. “I dream of seeing an expression on you that only I will witness. To steal everything from you and make you mine.”

The smile faded from his face and he sighed, his eyes gentle. “I’m a selfish man, Calla. I always have been. I steal life to keep myself alive. I’ve thought about making you immortal to keep you by my side forever. I desire to claim every part of your body and hold your attention.” he said in a low tone, resting his forehead on hers. Calla’s body quivered with him so close, her body warm with her blush even with the cool of the night. “I adore you, Calla. I mean it. But I don’t deserve you.”

She just watched him for a while, her heart fluttering at his words. Wordlessly, she leaned in and caught his lips, her eyes closing. She felt him tense at that but he soon gave a low groan, returning the kiss. The kiss lasted longer than any of the ones that came before, neither wanting to pull away. A cold chill from the wind made Calla shiver and break the kiss. Her eyes opened and looked up into his as he seemed to search her face.

“You’ll get sick if we stay out here much longer…” he said calmly, however, he didn’t pull away. In fact, he pulled her closer to him, his lips moving to her neck. Calla shivered, eyes closing in bliss as his warm breath and lips touched her neck, trailing down it slowly.

“M-Marick…!” she moaned softly, clinging to him as he easily moved her to lay down on the cool ground with him over her. He gave her neck one more kiss before he sighed again.

“Calla, if I stole your innocence, right here and now… would you stop me?” he asked calmly, though a hint of desire rested in his tone. His hands moved down her sides, making her squirm with her own lust building. Her body was dotted with goose bumps from the cool air and the heat between them. It was strange to be in a situation like this with Marick of all people, but she wouldn’t want this with anyone else.

She blushed more, running her fingers into his hair which made him pull away to look down at her. “You... You can’t steal it… if I let you have it.” she said softly, watching as desire filled his gaze. She played with his hair, locking her eyes with his. “My body is yours to take, Marick…”

That seemed to be all he needed to hear as his lips met hers again, making her let out a small moan. She shivered, her nightdress easily pulling up and over her head as Marick broke the kiss, moving his mouth to her chest. Her eyes closed tightly as she felt him explore her body with his hands and mouth, trailing kisses over her chest and groaning as he heard her make soft sounds of pleasure at what he did.

Her skin was cool from the air around them but warmed where his hands moved. Everything about her was intoxicating to his senses and whatever air he put on to hide his desire for her was gone, him no longer holding back how badly he needed and wanted her. Marick pulled away only a moment to pull off his robe, moving to put it behind her head as Calla ran her hands over his body, making him shiver slightly. He couldn’t help but watch the girl below him as she ran her hands over his body while he easily separated her legs and settled between them. The desire in her eyes made him let out a staggered breath, a cloud of steam exiting into the cold night. Calla nearly glowed in the light of the moon, her soft flesh a light red with a blush.

He leaned back down to her, returning her lips to hers and lacing his fingers with hers, pinning her hand to the ground. Calla moaned into the kiss, falling into his desire before gripping his hand tighter with a small sound of discomfort. Her legs trembled, hips lifting as his own met hers. He broke the kiss with a sigh, looking down at her before moving his hand to remove a tear from her eyes.

There were no words between them as he kissed her softly, each tender kiss a promise that he loved her and would keep her safe. She returned each kiss before he started to move, making her make a small moan and cling to him. Her body quivered, the cool of the night not reaching how warm her body felt with him. He let out a hum in bliss, leaning down to move his kisses to her neck, covering her body with his own as he felt his own pleasure wash over him. Marick was a selfish man, and tonight he gave in to his desires, the calm cool night filled with her cries and moans in pleasure at his motions. Here under the full moon, the only warmth from each other, he made Calla his and savored the look, sound, and feel of her for as long as they could last.

Marick placed Calla in his bed, pulling the blankets around them as he soon joined her. Her body still had sweat glisten in the moonlight that reached through the small cracks of the windows as he moved a piece of her hair off her face before leaning in to kiss her softly. He held her close, resting his head on the pillow next to her as he smiled to himself. “Sleep well,” he whispered, his own eyes closing and already beginning to drift off. “I love you, Calla.”

Marick’s love for Calla has increased.

Into the other realm! The story continues for Marick in Chapter 17!