It's true when people say love is trouble. The poor princess who was now suffering from Binder's curse was because she came all the way to the mountains to meet the one she loved. Even though I was not sure how it worked and that is where witches came in.
Tibran went inside the large wooden gate to an area surrounded by tall brown walls while Bretrarum and I waited outside.
He was awfully silent so I tried to get him talking mostly because I was nervous.
"Have you met the witches before?" I asked.
"Yes, King hired two of them to cast a plague on an entire village."
"That powerful?" I asked feeling nervousness change to worry.
"You will see. Don't talk too much and stay next to me and it will be fine. We want the way to break the curse and then we will leave."
"I thought you were the all-powerful but you looked scared," I said lightly.
"Yes because I don't want to wipe whole witches population and alert my father when I am supposed to be at the championship." He answered and I realized he was not at all worried for the reason I thought he was.
"She will see you now." Tibran came out after a few moments.
And Bretrarum started walking in, "Both of you." Tibran added.
Inside the wooden gate was a forest with tall trees and the whole place smelled like incense sticks. Surprisingly there was just a straight path as we kept walking and then came to a wooden cottage, smoke rising from the chimney.
Bretrarum didn't even hesitate as he walked ahead and knocked on the door which opened immediately.
The inside surprised me more than anything else. Even though from outside it was just a normal sized wooden cottage from within it was a huge place built with shining grey marble. The whole place smelled like incense sticks just like the forest. The only source of lights was tea lights burning in the tealight holder attached to the walls.
The curtain selection was unsettling to the eyes, dark red to the grey walls in contrast. Upon entering there was a woman seated in the center of the big hall and behind her were velvet curtain of deep red shade.
On walking closer, the woman lifted her head up and her shriveled skin startled me. Even though her hair was jet black and her eyes lively and beautiful shade of green, her skin was that of a hundred-year-old.
"Oh, I am sorry. A spell went wrong." And just like that she inhaled smoke emitting from a bowl next to her and she was stunning.
"So you are here for the Binder's Curse solution." She said looking at us carefully.
I felt like Bretrarum said like she was looking in my soul to know my deepest darkest secret.
But I didn't cower from her gaze and stared back.
"You are a dark soul." She said looking straight into my eyes and I felt my spine freeze at her words.
"I am?" I asked not sure if she was talking about me or the Prince.
And she nodded with a small smile.
I didn't speak as I felt Bretrarum's glare on me.
Then her gaze shifted to Bretrarum and the whole persona changed, she was now a blind woman with blonde hair and a scar on the upper lip. She was tall for a girl and had too many rings on her fingers. One of her eyes was covered with a patch while other was hazy white.
I was so surprised that I gasped out loud which made her chuckle.
"Oh, you messed up your mission." She said but Bretrarum didn't move a muscle.
And then she stared at both of us for a while.
"Fine." She decided on something and I realized I was holding my breath for it.
And brought forward a glistening sharp knife.
"Kill him." He said offering me the knife.
"No," I said immediately and it hit me, hate aside I valued his life more than anything.
"Okay." She casually nodded, "Then I will."
"No, you can't," I said knowing too well she was bluffing.
She smiled not offended in the slightest.
"But I know what can." She said and I had the flashback to the only time I had seen him injured to the point he was dying.
"Give us the cure," Bretrarum said in a threating tone and witch's smug face faltered.
"What your father did to us, I am not afraid to die at your hands, Prince. Don't think I fear death." She spat out her words even though the fear was evident in her eyes.
"he is not my father." He almost growled in anger.
"And that is why I offer a simple solution."
"That is?" I asked before Bretrarum did any damage.
"If you can't kill him, kiss him." She said now turning towards me.
I was shocked speechless at her words and I thought I was hearing things.
"What?" Bretrarum asked for me.
"Simple, I will give you the breaking spell for the Curse if she kisses you."
"What does that give you?" Bretrarum asked in anger while I tried to reason in my head.
Kissing someone was a big deal for me being the well protected, introvert and sheltered Princess I have kissed twice before and that was with Henley. And I felt guilty about it because my father was strict when it came to such gestures before marriage.
I already had desire budding in my heart for the Dark Prince I was not sure kissing him would help my case.
"Joy of seeing the tragic love unfold in front of me. Love is magic in a literal sense Prince and if yours is what we say, true love, it will give us the power of more magic." She said and it seemed a little exaggerated.
She has never experienced a breach of trust or loss of a loved one, it is no magic.
"Cure first," I said in a small tone and Bretrarum turned to me sharply.
And the witch nodded a little to delightfully.
She handed Bretrarum a scroll who looked through it to check and see if we got the right thing.
"Your turn." She said looking at me and I gulped.
Before I could freak out more, I gathered all the courage for the good did and tiptoeing since Bretraraum was graciously tall I planted a kiss on his lips squeezing my eyes shut to avoid looking at his expression.
But before I could step away, his hands went around my waist pulling me closer and he captured his lips with mine fiercely and sent goosebumps all over my body. I felt a strong rush of heat all over my body and all the energy in my knees were gone. It felt like I would stumble if he let go off me.
He pulled me even closer and kissed me harder making me forget everything, literally everything. I have never been kissed like this in my life. His lips molded around mine like magic and at that moment I know what witch said about magic.
My fingers curled gripping his arm tightly and my toes curled with an overflow of sensations through me.
"That was splendid." The witch's voice broke the blissful trance and I could literally see stars when I opened my eyes.
It took me a moment to calm myself, to get a grip of my body and my heart. I was breathing heavily and I tried to avoid the fact that my ears would be burning red now.
"Now your souls are bonded together." She said and we both were shocked out of the moment.
"What?" Bretrarum snapped.
"If she dies you die." The conniving little bitch said.
I waited for the Prince to explode in anger but he just sighed and nodded.
This was not I expected.
"Why would you do that?" I asked with tears welling in my eyes.
I barely had anything to live for and he would be back to rule Nevarlia, the KIngdom of destruction with his powerful wife, the Sorceress. I would die sooner or later.
"Because that is the price to pay for the scroll I just gave you."
"Undo it," I yelled tears streaming down my eyes.
"Why?" The witch asked, her eyes burning with an intensity she previously lacked.
When I didn't answer she just smiled, "I just gave you a reason to live, didn't I?"
And I felt my heart ache with pain for what just happened.
---
Tibran tried to make me talk all the way back to the cave but the seriousness of the situation was hitting me hard. My soul was connected to Bretraraum now that means he was in danger as much as I was and that idea was not pleasing for me. I had no idea how he managed to be calm about this or why he didn't destroy the witches.
Suddenly we were all on alert as Tibran raised his hands for us to stop.
"What?"
"Quiet, there is a barrier." He said and I rolled my eyes at him.
A barrier was something that should be visible and even though I was two steps ahead of both him and the Dark Prince I can't see anything.
"Do you have sharp vision being a wolf and all?" I asked and saw both of them pale in response.
"What?" I asked.
"You are trapped," Bretrarum said through gritted teeth.
I stretched my hands to see the invisible barrier and was hit with a sharp burn on my finger making me yelp in pain. I was trapped alone behind that invisible barrier now.
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PHEW! A lot happened in this one ;)
So naturally, share your favorite moment lol.
At least they got the scroll right! xD
NEXT UPDATE: MONDAY