Billy -

It’s been weeks that I came to Selgurathian, bargained and traded like a shiny chip by Serena the Witch. The first day I was readied as a lamb of slaughter to be devoured by her, but thank the stars, Rosalind saved me.

Since then, I have not seen either of them. I have Rosalind’s ring that grants me access to nearly everywhere in the castle grounds and the city around. I spend my days roaming around with Esmay. And I spend the nights sneaking out without Esmay.

Every day has been a learning. Esmay takes me to a different place, to museums, to gardens, to libraries. There are buildings of such vast proportions, it took me days to just appreciate their size. It’s a treasure of ancient knowledge and wealth unlike any other. I am mesmerised by the sheer vastness.

The night trips are fraught with danger, yet I brave them to find a way out of this place. How on earth am I supposed to do that with no magical help is a mystery, yet all I can do is try.

I teach her in the mornings, then we spend our afternoons roaming the castle grounds. She has learned a lot from me, but unbeknownst to her, I have learned much more from her. For instance, the fact that this castle is only the first of the six grand castles in Selgurathian. Each of the other five represents an element — Fire, earth, wind, water and space, while this one represents the mother of all — the Void. The void is the central element from which the Witch magic stems. It’s also called the Heart of a Witch, which I find a strange comparison.

Every day, I explore the Void and the surrounding city. There is still a lot to see and despite Esmay’s best efforts to keep me distracted, my mind keeps veering back to the one thing that I need to do most ardently.

“Our classes must stop.” I tell Esmay one day, my voice brimming with annoyance. “You haven’t fulfilled our bargain.”

“But I told you I do not have access to such tokens. They are too precious. Only a select few are granted those favors.”

“I do not want excuses. If you cannot get me what I want, no need to show me your face again.”

I know I am being harsh, but I have no choice. Esmay leaves with a crumpled face, making me feel guilty and miss my little sister dearly. For the next two hours, I sulk and curse my hot-headedness when Esmay creeps back into my room.

“Here.” she says, opening her tight fist. “I don’t know how, but I found this one near a shrub outside. The owner may not have realized it yet. You can use it for now until they raise an alarm.”

“Will it work for me?”

She raises her brows, glaring at me with annoyance and exasperation.

“The token is a key that grants the wearer access to the remotest parts of this castle. However, there is a condition attached. It only works for those with pure intent.”

“Pure intent?”

“If you have malicious intentions, the token will not work. You cannot access an area if your mind is not pure.”

“And is this stipulation also added after the Queen’s death?”

“Of course. Before her death, we did not need such tokens. Everyone could go anywhere.”

I turn the token in my hand, bouncing the small trinket on my palm. Esmay watches with solemn eyes.

“Take good care of it. Use it sporadically. Do not get caught and I hope we will still resume our lessons from tomorrow.”

I shut the door behind her and wait for the night. It’s already evening, and I have finished my dinner. A set of brown robes and an iron collar to fit me are hidden in my wardrobe, ready for tonight’s adventure. With the token in my hand, I have high hopes of finding what I seek.

*****

The castle is vast. Deep. I have done several forays in the night trying to go as far and wide as possible, but so far I have found nothing. All I can access are public spaces, while every important door is guarded by implicit magic. There are no sentries, nor are there any padlocks. Pushing them or knocking does not work. The innermost sanctums of this palace are guarded by magic–only those with the right permissions can enter.

So far, it never worked, but tonight I have the token. I clutch the white rough wooden piece in my fingers as I advance to a door. I have not been able to go past yet. It’s a heavy iron double door with images of nine plants engraved on each panel. The surrounding frame contains an intricate carving of some ancient runes.

According to Esmay, the runes weave a spell that forbids an intruder from crossing the limit. She herself is not allowed past the doors. Only those with a valid token are allowed entry.

I hold my heart and push open the door, my other hand closing on the token in a silent plea. The darkness ripples around me. The castle is quiet, yet the magic remains awake, guarding all the time.

The door creaks, the heavy iron grumbling at the forced entry at this ungodly hour. My heart shudders as I wait for the creak to widen. The yellow torch next to the door flickers menacingly, as if it knows I am a thief. Yet as time passes, no alarm is raised.

I exhale a shaky breath, then enter what seems like a long corridor. Torches are lit on each side, illuminating walls on either side. There are pictures, tapestries and carvings of the Witch history. I walk slowly, looking around until my eyes snag on a distant painting. It’s the largest in this corridor and set high in the ceiling as if to occupy the place of pride. There is a woman there–a queen possibly–wearing shimmering golden robes and a delicate crown of moonstones on her elegant head. The portrait makes me stop in my tracks. Those dark eyes, the gentle smile, the features… Have I seen this woman somewhere?

“Ooh. Look what we have found here. The bird that managed to flee my cage.”

I whirl around as a sudden sound startles me, only to see Serena moving towards me. Moving, because she is not walking. The eerie rustle of her dark robes sounds in my mind like warning bells.

“You!” I exclaim, not knowing what to say. My mind is on alert in an instant, my wolf growling in agitation. I already know I have no chance against this witch. It’s not about brute strength here, it’s about magic.

“You cannot harm me.” The wolf in me growls, looking for an escape route. “I have the Supreme One’s protection.”

She laughs. “Who said I want to harm you? All I want is to be repaid in kind. Surely you owe me my dues after my help at the Peaks.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“You helped with the firewood for my mother’s funeral, for which I am grateful.” I snap, taking a step back. “And in return, I came with you willingly. Do not forget, I am a werewolf of a respectable heritage. This kind of debauchery does not suit a witch of your station.”

I do not know if this will work with her - calling to her better nature when she may not even have one. As expected, it doesn’t.

“A witch of my station!” She laughs a tinkling laugh, throwing her head back, showing her the skin of her smooth white neck. The mirth makes her sway like a snake in sandalwood–intoxicated, happy and dangerous. “It’s precisely because of my station that I can do whatever I please, Billy. No one can stop me. Not even Rosalind.”

“She is more powerful than you.”

“Tsk, tsk. I am much younger than her, with more intelligence and capability. Last time, she had the advantage of surprise. But this time…”

She lunges forward, cutting the few feet between us in the blink of an eye. I dodge, using my wolf’s agility to slink away fast. This room is long and there are only two doors. One at the other end from where I entered and Serena behind me. The other one at this end is small and worn, as if it’s been locked in ages.

“What are you thinking, wolf? Come to me. I promise it would be fun. You will get power that you cannot imagine. I can make you….”

She charges again and I sidestep to my left just in time to save myself from her outstretched fingers. Her anger flares as her head turns to me like a snake revealing its fangs. Her eyes are red slits, and face has distorted like a diseased painting. Her red lips part, showing a line of disturbingly white teeth.

A hiss escapes her mouth, making me shudder, and I involuntarily take a step backward. There is a wall there and I know even with the token I cannot… but wait. With sudden movement in my palm, the token turns. I feel a little vibration as it heats in my palm. The next moment, I am getting pulled into the solid wall into a void that leaves me breathless.

I gasp for air, my lungs burning with the sudden vacuum. Serena’s angry screech rents the air piercing my eardrums and after a split second, everything becomes calm.

*****

When I come back to my senses, I am lying on the cold floor. My head hurts, having banged it somewhere hard and a faint wetness clams the left side of my face. I feel my temple checking for the wound, but it’s healed already, leaving behind the residual blood and pain. I sit up and look around to find I am in an office chamber. It’s a rectangular room with two sides open with windows. A woman sits behind a carved oblong table.

“William. Glad you are up.”

I stare at her. Rosalind. I had kind of hoped she would save me this time, too. I had also hoped I could avoid her to continue my investigation. But Serena found me first, and it seems Rosalind had to step in.

I am glad she did.

I push up to my feet, shrugging the dust off my clothes. The hole in the wall I fell in through is nowhere to be seen. Everywhere is unbroken. Intact.

“Did you save me again? I knew I could trust you.”

“I didn’t save you. The stolen token did.”

The voice is curt, making my smile instantly vanish.

“I did not steal it. I found it.”

“Esmay found it.” Her eyes glitter with disapproval. “She should have handed it back to the Administration, but she didn’t. Instead, she allowed you to misuse it. You will not see her again. She is being sent away as we speak.”

“It was not her fault. I made her get it for me in return for her classes. And what do you mean ‘sent away’? Where are you sending her?” My anxiety rides high as I stomp past the table to stand in front of Rosalind. I thought she was the nicer one. I thought she was…

“It wasn’t Esmay’s fault. Bring her back this instant!”

The next second I am sprawling ten feet away on the ground, having banged against the windowsill and crumpled down. So far Rosalind has not so much as blinked her eyelid.

Urgh! It’s unfair. The way the goddess has granted this species power is really unfair.

I somehow manager to scramble to my feet, rubbing my shoulder that hurts like hell. Rosalind watches me with her cool honey eyes.

“Do not cross your boundaries, William. Do not forget where you stand.”

And do not forget who you are talking to.

I hear her unspoken words. The way she says my name brings shivers to my skin. But it could also be because of the hard edge of her voice that cuts through my defences like a knife through butter.

“I thought you were better than her.” My throat goes dry with disappointment.

Rosalind smiles faintly. “And I thought you were better than a thief and mischief-maker.”

“I said I did not steal the token.” I grunt, pushing my hand in my pocket to feel the object, but it’s not there. My eyes scan the floor where I fell twice in the last few minutes. There is nothing.

“I have confiscated it.” Rosalind informs with cool amusement. “You will not use it again, nor will you try to acquire another. If you do, you will be locked in the palace dungeons like the common criminal you are.”

Common criminal indeed. My anger flares. “Whatever! Just bring Esmay back. This was my idea. She had nothing to do with it.”

“She should have known better than to trust a man. She overstepped her boundaries and will be punished according to our law. And as to you…” Rosalind pushes her chair back to stand up. “You will be punished, too. One more such instance and you will be sent to Serena’s chambers right away.”

“Really?” I scoff in indignation. “You have no sense of justice. I am a prisoner here. I was brought there against my wish. You should be protecting me. Hell, you should have already sent my back to my pack. You blame Esmay for trusting a man, but can you tell me why you have still kept me in Selgurathian? There is nothing stopping you from sending me away.”

“I am protecting you by not sending you away,” Rosalind says in a bored voice. “And as for your safety while you are here–it’s in your own hands. Stay within your limits and you will be safe. Try anything silly and you will be punished.”

“I want to go back to my family. Serena was wrong to bring me here.”

“She helped your family, and you are her payment. It was a fair deal agreed by your family.”

“Fair deal? Then why did you bother to help me the first time?”

“To be honest, I do not know William.” The chill in Rosalind’s voice freezes my heart. “Maybe I should not have bothered. You are a fair game for her, as she received you as a payment for her services. Its unlucky men are not allowed in Selgurathian or she will be within her limits to keep you as a pet.”

A pet. She called me a pet?

“I ask again. Why did you help me?” I am too angry to be carried away by her honeyed appearance now. A witch is a witch, after all. However blinding her beauty is, Rosalind is just one of them.

Rosalind shrugs. “Consider it my goodwill to the Silver Shadows. Although your sister broke the Triumvirate, we are not complete enemies yet. Your sister’s one thoughtless act broke the peace that was cultivated by generations of conscious effort. Protecting you may bring some benefit in the long run.”

So I am a bargaining chip. A goodwill gesture. And here I was hoping my saviour might have more reason to help me. Apparently not.

I seethe, falling silent, not wishing to engage in any more argument. It’s clear that I cannot leave here without her consent. And she said she was doing it for my own protection, as if I was in danger out of these boundaries.

What danger can I be in if I leave Selgurathian?

I grit my teeth, turning away from her. The opposite wall displays some pictures. In the middle is a painting of the same woman I saw in the corridor earlier. Only in this painting, there is a small girl sitting at the knee of the queenly lady.

I cannot take my eyes away. It strikes me with a familiarity I cannot place. The lady and the little girl–both with dark wide eyes, creamy porcelain skin and dark hair. The little girl’s eyes have a mischievous glint that I remember from somewhere. I have seen it; I just do not remember on whom.

“This picture. Who are they?”

“That’s our late Queen Agatha.” Rosalind’s voice has a sad tinge. “And that’s the princess who disappeared after Agatha’s death.”

Princess who disappeared. I have heard this story.

“Where did she go? And why?”

“No idea, and good riddance.” Rosalind snapped in irritation. “Addelyne was the worst thing to have happened to Selgurathian. Her selfishness has cost us dearly.”

I turn to look at Rosalind, her light eyes flickering gold in the torchlight. It feels like they are all peas in from the same pod. Even Rosalind’s features are similar to the late Queen. Only her eyes are lighter brown compared to the two pairs of dense dark in the picture.

I remember a third pair of dark eyes. A sweet, smiling face flits to my mind, but that girl is now gone.

With a shake of my head, I focus back on Addelyne, the absconding princess. she was Rosalind's niece, Rosalind being the younger sister if the dead queen.

“And she was selfish because….?”

Rosalind suddenly winces, looking as if she has spoken too much. “That’s none of your business. You can leave now. I hope I do not see you again.”

I am about to protest when she flicks her fingers and a blinding light takes me. A moment later, I blink my eyes to find myself back in my room.

The night has passed, and a golden dawn has spread its wings. I slump on my bed, thinking back to the revelations of the night.

***** *****