The Opal Witch

Chapter Twenty-Five: Priorities

"It's where I stayed when I acted as the High Sorcerer for the First Circle. Well, really, I guess I was the High Sorcerer in training. I never took over the position officially as my father was still living."

Lux moved around the room, letting her fingers dance across the surface of antique furniture and over vintage wallpaper. Many of the pieces were ones he'd had when living there, and while the wall coverings were new, the style reflected the period the home was built in. The family had put a lot of effort into keeping this place frozen in time.

"Were you and Leora close?" she questioned, stalling in front of a large portrait.

He followed her line of sight and stopped himself from gasping. The Godelieve family as he'd first met them stared soberly from the photograph, the stern lines of their faces in opposition of their true nature.

"Is this her channeling stone?" Lux asked, pointing to the necklace clasped around Leora's neck.

"Yes," he replied, remembering the way she always fiddled with the stone, her blue eyes darkening with the weight of what that stone meant. "She was the last known Opal witch."

"What happened to it? After she died?"

"We weren't able to recover her body, and she was wearing it. I think that's part of what drove your families to bind their daughters and retreat from the supernatural world."

She looked confused. "Why would losing a stone cause them to do that?"

"We don't know a lot about what happened that night, but the Circle had been closing in on a Bloodborn witch. They come out of the woodwork when an Opal witch is declared. If the Bloodborn got her hands on the stone, if she captured Leora's soul in it, it would take an entire Circle to put her down."

Lux didn't look bothered by his words; she merely nodded and continued her perusal of the room. "You don't talk about her much. Did you two... get along?"

"She was one of my very best friends. We fought, but there were few people in this world that I trusted and relied on like her. And I let her down." His voice broke.

"Hey." Her arms snaked around his waist and she rested her cheek on his chest. "I'm sorry."

Afraid to spook her, he kept his arms at his side, though every part of him wanted to return the embrace. "Why would you be sorry?"

"Because I've been so wrapped up in my own hurts and problems, that I never stopped to think you might hurt. For you, this all just happened."

Unable to resist any longer, he raised his hands and cupped her face. She blinked up at him, at once fearful and hopeful. The connection between them awoke, magic seeking magic, churning around them and making the space buzz with tension.

She closed the distance between them, her lips soft against his, but she pulled back when he tried to deepen the kiss. "Lux," he breathed, "I meant what I told you. I will not run again. We can figure this out."

Shadows crossed her face, and she withdrew. "Did you and Leora ever... were you ever... together?"

She couldn't know about that. "No, I didn't have those feelings for her."

"Did she have feelings for you?" His silence was all the answer she needed. "It's late. I'm going to head back to the main house. Try to get some sleep."

When she left, he entered his bedroom but didn't turn on the light. He didn't have the same powers of perception that Lux possessed, but he could recognize when a woman thought she'd caught someone in a lie. She knew something and wasn't willing to say it out loud.