spellbound | book #1 | completed

V

edited: 19/07/2017

Maksim grimaced at the sound of his mother slamming the door. He didn't doubt that Annika had already told her about their argument yesterday. She would not be happy.

She was not happy. Her green eyes were narrowed and piercing, looking more like a cat's than ever, and her frail arms were tensed on her hips the way they always were when she was about to scold Maksim. Even after four hundred years, she treated him as though he was a disobedient child. Her red hair seemed brighter and more striking than usual, as though it was on fire. Perhaps it was. He would not put it past her when she was in one of her bad moods.

He decided not to acknowledge Hilda's attitude as he sat on his armchair and ran a hand through his hair. It was still knotted from the rain, or perhaps it was just from the amount of times his fingers had tugged at it today.

"Bad day, Mother?" he questioned in a bored tone, though dread was bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He was tired of disappointing her, but he could not help being himself.

"Do not test my patience, Maksim," she huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Annika told me how rude you were to her. I thought we had made it clear that you are to prove your worth to her so that she can accept your marriage proposal, not drive her away with your cynicism and contempt! This is after you left a portal to the Mortal World open, might I add!"

Maksim rolled his eyes. "I recall it was you who decided that, not me." He was tired after his almost death, and the more his mother looked at him acrimoniously, the more his chest felt heavy and confined against his rib-cage. Hilda was chipping away at him, piece by piece, and soon, there would not be enough of him left to argue with her or have any say in his own fate. One would think that warlocks would have more control over their own lives, what with them being immortal, but it seemed she wouldn't allow him to have eternal life unless she was sure he would be absolutely miserable throughout every minute of it. It was obviously not enough that he was visiting the Mortal World on a regular basis and putting himself in danger in order to get his brother back. It was not enough that instead of going on his own journey, he stayed on his mother's so that she would not have to be alone. He would never be enough for her, and the thought made his throat ache. "Besides," he added as an afterthought, "I took care of the portal...eventually."

"Do not be difficult," she responded coldly. "I have done everything I possibly can for you, Maksim, yet you still disobey me."

"Why? Because I do not want to marry somebody I do not love?" he spat back, rising from his chair with his hands balled into fists. "How despicable of me!"

"Annika is an honourable witch. You would be lucky to have her as a wife."

"If her father was not the Principle Warlock, would you say the same thing?"

Hilda hesitated, her eyes darkening in both anger and the knowledge that he was right. Still, it was unlike her to admit her defeat, and Maksim was not surprised when the next words spilled from her mouth. "Of course I would. Annika is beautiful, and it is clear she loves you. You may not get another chance at that again."

"You seem to have forgotten I can use magic and am immortal. If I wish to marry somebody, I have all the time and ability in the world."

"Not completely immortal," she reminded in a superior tone. "If you had not reached Astracia in time earlier, you would have bled to death without ever having found someone."

Maksim sighed. Arguing with his mother was pointless and every second of it drained him of his energy, but he could not seem to stop. Perhaps he had the silly little hope that she might listen to him someday. "As opposed to bleeding to death knowing that I am married to somebody I hold absolutely no interest in?"