Tam stood with his arms crossed, Eli lingering just behind him, and Luca at his side.
“Ms. Odette Gilly, could you please repeat that?” Tam’s tone was polite but there was a sharpness in his eyes that should’ve given the water witch pause.
“We have sent an order for two ships to come. You will travel with myself. As for Luca…” She eyed Luca disapprovingly, her lips curling in the same manner one did when biting into a lemon. Tam’s eyes narrowed. “The child and Her Highness will travel on the other vessel with her uncle, Duke Harris,” Odette repeated coolly.
“I told you they might do that!” Luca called up to his father, a frown already wedged between the child’s brows.
“You’re a very smart kid.” Tam nodded down at his son.
Luca scowled back up at Odette. “Does this mean I should cover my eyes and hide?”
The water witch raised a quizzical eyebrow in Tam’s direction.
“Maybe. Stay close to Eli while I sort this out with Ms. Odette here.” Tam stepped closer to the woman who stared up at Tam defiantly.
“Nothing you can say will change this decision. It was agreed upon by both covens, and–”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I’m also a member of the coven, and I didn’t agree to that. Furthermore. I have to wonder at being treated like a criminal. My wife and I have been hunted across a kingdom with our son. Why in the world would we need to be separated?”
“Lord Tamlin,” Odette’s tone was thick with insultingly forced patience. “There was a murder of a Giong Coven member, and an unfamiliar witch’s symbol was found at the scene. Furthermore–”
“And why is that related to us?” Tam asked, still looming over the woman.
“Because the covens have logged every witch’s symbol. The only two in any coven that hasn’t been registered are your own as well as Her Highness’s, and you both confirmed for yourselves that you were in Junya around the time of the murder.”
“Not all witches report themselves to the Coven of Giong, or the Coven of Wittica, and are you telling me you also have every witch’s symbol from Lobahl’s own coven?”
Odette opened her mouth to say more, but Tam plundered on.
“I already know you don’t. What you are doing is a gross abuse of power. If you attempt to press this matter, I will be forced to make things incredibly difficult.”
Odette closed her mouth as she stared at the ominous warning in Tam’s face. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes.
Tam tilted his head in astonishment. The fearlessness. The lack of respect and concern for any consequences…
His gut twisted in trepidation.
The water witch shrugged regardless of the close appraisal Tam was clearly giving her. “Like I said before. Nothing you say or do can change this order.”
“And who gave this order?” Tam asked while folding his hands loosely in front of himself.
“Myself and—”
“And are you my superior in any capacity?”
Tam watched as at last the woman ruffled a little at his words.
“Well I am a current coven member working for the coven. You most likely won’t—” Odette stopped herself as her lips pressed themselves shut.
“Oh? I most likely won’t… What? Become the official diplomat for the coven like my father? That’s strange. That was a confidential matter between the head of the coven, the Daxarian monarchy, and my family. The fact that you not only have knowledge of this but are also acting as though the decision has been made when I know for a fact it has not, is grounds for treason. Do you realize that?”
Tam noted the way Odette’s hand curled into fists at her sides. And then her face twisted into a visage of anger and hate. “Who’s going to believe you?”
He straightened.
“You Ashowans… You all think the world revolves around you and that you have the final say in everything. Well, guess what? Your time is over. You were favored by a king. Then you wormed one of your own into the bed of the current king. You’re nothing but greedy, entitled, awful—”
Luca lunged forward and shoved the woman off the grassy ledge they stood on and into the shallow water a foot or two down, making her squawk in surprise.
Tam snorted and slapped a hand over his mouth to stop it from coming out.
It wasn’t a good thing to laugh at, and he knew it. Even if the woman was revealing just how corrupt the coven had become.
“Luca,” Tam managed to say while sounding stern.
Eli moved closer to peer down into the water. However, Odette was a water witch, so she was already rising up from the ocean with a water rope around her waist, her eyes burning.
Luca wasn’t impressed with the magical display as he glared up at her. “Stop saying mean things about my family! You’re just a bully!”
Tam gently rested a hand on Luca’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Luca, go stand with Eli, everything will be alright.”
“What’s happening over here!” Lord Harris’s loud voice sounded just behind Tam as Odette ran her tongue over her teeth, her feet touching back down on the grass.
“It would seem the Coven of Wittica—after a very lackluster attempt—is revealing its true colors,” Tam explained. “They are attempting to separate Eli and I and saying there is nothing I can do about it.”
Harris turned toward Odette, but the witch had her glower fixed on Tam.
Regardless, the duke was the first to speak. “Really? Are we now done with this political intrigue nonsense and finally just saying what we mean? Odette, you’re a stuck up wench and you were a nightmare to travel with—-Gods that is lovely to get off my chest. I was trying so hard to be pleasant.” Harris sighed with a smile while looking up at the sky. “Oh. One more thing. Do you ever wonder how the coven of Wittica is able to afford to feed, clothe, and house witches? Or how they seem to have no trouble getting a magistrate to process qualms and other issues? Or how when there is a magical outburst or fight between witches that there is never a bill for the repairs or settlement costs in the event of damages or injuries?”
Odette at last rounded on the duke, her nostrils flaring. “Your monarchy uses witches! It is the least they can–”
“Ah-ah! We hire witches. That apply for these jobs. I really must ask how much it is to feed that remarkably high horse you find yourself on.”
“We can grow our own damn food! We have earth witches who–”
“Oh? On whose land will they be doing this? I don’t know that myself or, say, the Ashowan duchy will be feeling quite so generous as we have been with these resources in the very near future.”
The water witch’s expression darkened, but the duke kept grinning. “Young lady… It is wonderful to have such passion. You have my sincere compliments on that trait—It’s one of your only few that I can say anything good about— but as you get older, you’re going to find that things aren’t so black and white, and you are also going to find that actions have consequences. Particularly the threatening kind of actions.”
Odette seemed to be having an apoplectic event that stopped her from being able to speak.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“So, how about, we keep my niece and godson together, as they have been most cooperative in agreeing to be hoisted off on a ship.”
The water witch practically quaked.
“I dare you to try and mess with us!” Luca hollered, shoving his finger up at the woman’s face.
Eli hastily shushed Luca, but Harris turned a sparkle in his eye in their direction. “Love the little thug you’re raising there, Tam!”
“We really should be more careful talking about things around him,” Eli muttered from Tam’s side as she too reached out to touch Luca’s shoulder before casting the boy a chastizing look.
Luca did not look chastened, he merely crossed his arms and continued glowering at the water witch.
However the interruption seemed to help Odette recover her ability to speak. “You all will regret not being more-”
“Oh, for the love of the Goddess!” Remarkably the outburst came from Eli. “You are more or less trying to take us as hostages! Did you really expect us to say ‘why thank you, of course we will listen’?”
A surge from the Tinoo Ocean rose up, and Odette’s eyes glowed with flickering blue. “Yes. Because you are not in the position to negotiate.”
“OH. Oh, no, no.” Tam moved in between Eli and Odette. “Knock it off or you’re going to find out how wrong you are.”
Odette gave a derisive laugh. “I already know you can’t manage your power! Stop thinking that—”
“What is that over there!” Tam burst out in falsified shock and horror as he stared at a spot just over Lord Harris’s shoulder.
The duke and most people near them turned, hands flying to their weapons.
And that was all the time Tam needed.
He reached out, flicked Odette on the back of the head.
And suddenly, a seam of black appeared behind her, opened like a mouth, and swallowed her whole.
Having witnessed this sneaky maneuver, Eli’s jaw dropped.
But by the time everyone else was looking back at Tam, the water that Odette had magically risen up like a threatening wall ready to crush everyone, had collapsed back into the ocean with a magnificent splash.
“What the—” Harris blinked, and looked around at the empty space Odette had been occupying just a moment before. Then he looked down at Luca. “Did you shove her into the water again?”
“She just jumped in herself,” Tam volunteered breezily.
The duke looked at the ocean for a long time. Then he slowly turned back to his godson.
“Tam. Did you happen to do something perhaps a wee bit magical?”
He shrugged ambiguously in response. “Did anyone see anything?”
Harris looked around then lowered his voice. “Tam, is she dead?”
“No.”
“Can you… bring her back…?” Harris asked carefully while squinting at the grass, as though he suspected that Tam had merely shrunk the water witch.
“Probably? Do you want me to?”
Harris emitted a soft groan then looked around at the Giong Coven member, an air witch that was already stalking toward them. Then just beyond the witch the armed men Lord and Lady Nam had brought with them started to move warily toward them.
The duke looked back at Tam. “Are you able to do whatever you did again?”
“Yes.”
Harris wrinkled his nose as he visibly braced to hear the answer to his next question. “Does this mean you are starting a rebellion against the covens and a war against Daxaria?”
Tam looked at Eli.
She sighed in resignation. “It looks like despite our best efforts, yes. That is what we’re doing.”
The Daxarian duke reluctantly drew his sword as the armed men caught on that something suspicious was happening, and therefore started to move more purposefully.
“I’m too old for this kind of thing,” Harris all but moaned.
“Luca,” Tam looked down at his son.
“Go hide with Jeong?” Luca looked a little too happy with the way things were developing.
“Yes. And we’re going to have a very serious chat about your behavior later,” Eli chided sternly.
“As much as you want to help, it isn’t good to shove people,” Tam contributed.
“Tam, you really are your father’s son,” Harris called over his shoulder as he widened his stance and faced the nearing soldiers and air witch. “You still have time to lecture your child before a fight.”
Ignoring this, Tam turned quickly to where Jeong was standing in front of the cottage. The Zinferan had been debating with them earlier whether he should try to slip away during the confusion and return home to update his own family on what was happening. But upon catching Tam’s eye, he gave a nod of understanding.
Tam gave a somber smile of appreciation before sending Luca running over to him.
“What is the meaning of this?!” the air witch shouted as he neared them.
“We’re rebelling! What does it look like?” Harris hollered back indignantly.
The air witch, a man in his early fifties with short well-tended hair and a goatee, raised his hand as though intending to blow away the Daxarian duke. He didn’t get the chance to do this, however, as he was a bit surprised when a massive black cat with leathery wings suddenly launched itself over Harris, and crushed him into the ground.
“HOLY BALLS!” Harris stumbled back, nearly dropping his sword while the armed men that had been drawing closer shrieked and either fell over or backed away quickly.“T-Tam? Is that you?”
Tam clapped a hand on Harris’s shoulder from behind, making the duke give a short scream of surprise.
When Harris realized who it was, his eyes rounded and his mouth attempted to form some kind of word, but he was interrupted by the utterly terrifying snarl that emanated from the black cat that was almost the size of a carriage.
Eli really is going through a hell of a growth spurt. Tam observed idly to himself before realizing how jaded he was being about sparking a rebellion. I wonder if I’m going a bit mad from everything that’s happened. I feel oddly alright with bringing down two covens and a corrupt kingdom…
“Tam,” Harris pulled him from his thoughts. “W-what is that?” the duke pointed at Eli who was prowling closer to the men who were scattering like spilled apples.
Smiling, Tam looked at the silkiness of Eli’s fur in admiration and pride. “That, Harris, is your niece.”
The Daxarian duke stared dumbly at Tam. Then, he swallowed, and looked back at the impressive beast before him.
“I’ll be damned. Well… You two probably have this in hand. I’m going to go… Go open another bottle of moonshine.” The duke sheathed his sword, and walked hastily over to the abandoned lunch table just as the cage that had been brought to imprison Eli was flung into the ocean.
“That’s for the best,” Tam said aloud thoughtfully. “It’s also nice to know they wouldn’t have fit her in there anyway.”
As he watched Eli bolt after each and every armed man, Tam briefly wondered what Eli’s parents would think when they eventually received word on what had happened. In a way, he was glad they had already left the scene, as with his mind made up on destroying the kingdom that had been a curse on his beloved’s happiness, he was seriously considering having them join Odette in the void.