
High Witch

(High Witch Book 1)

Mona Hanna

High Witch (High Witch Book 1)

Copyright (C) 2012 by Mona Hanna

All rights reserved. No part of this literary work may be reproduced in any form or by any means -- electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other -- without the prior written consent of the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

Cover Image: (C) Unholyvault | Dreamstime.com

Cover Design: Mona Hanna

# Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

About the Author

# Chapter 1

Brayden gazed into the woman's vivid blue eyes. Her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders, soft, silky. She curled her fingers around the hair at the nape of his neck, and brought her mouth close to his. His heart beat erratically in anticipation of the moment their lips would touch. He shut his eyes, then felt the softest, sweetest sensation of his life. He tasted her sweet lips, shuddered as her tongue played with his. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her closely, tightly. His entire body quivered as it was pressed against hers. She began to pull away. He held her to him. She broke the kiss.

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. He could feel it -- she was leaving. He felt like she'd left him a thousand times before. That they were endlessly reliving this moment. He tried to hold onto her, but she turned and began to fade from view. He grasped at her disappearing figure, but his hands clutched air. She was gone.

He stood there, sorrow consuming him. Then the faint sounds of bells twinkling, and her soft, sweet voice.

Find me.

***

Brayden shot up in bed. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, then he sunk back down, sighing. He stared up at the slanted ceiling of his attic room, trying to control his breathing. Thirty nights in a row. Thirty nights in a row. The same dream, of the same girl. A girl he'd never met. A girl whose loss broke his heart so much, he walked around all day full of sadness.

He covered his face with his hands, wishing more than anything for the dream to stop. He wasn't someone who received visions -- there was no way this woman existed. But she was haunting him. She was in his dreams at night, in his mind all day. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Mourning her. She was torturing him.

He rolled over and tried to force himself to sleep. He would be useless tomorrow if he didn't manage it. He held his pillow, trying to breathe slowly and carefully. But he had the same problem he had every night. He could still taste her.

***

"You look terrible. Worse than yesterday. How could you look worse than yesterday?"

Brayden rested his head on his arms, leaning on the table in the kitchen. His employer pulled up a chair and sat across from him. The cook and her worker were busy making breakfast for the inn's guests, moving between the fireplace and the wooden benches, stirring food in pots and turning it over in frying pans. The smell of meat cooking and fresh bread filled the large room. Brayden had to get to work soon serving breakfast, but he could barely move.

"What's going on?" Alistair asked.

Brayden lifted his head to look at his employer. He couldn't tell him. He would think he was mad.

"Nothing," he mumbled. "I'm just -- tired."

The middle aged man snorted. "You're past tired. You're practically dead. You've been moping around for weeks, working slower than I've ever seen you -- tell me what's going on, or I'll have to get rid of you."

Brayden looked at him in surprise. "I -- I...I'm not doing this on purpose. I'm trying to sleep, honestly."

Alistair's expression softened. He scratched his dark beard. "Your problems are none of my concern, son, but the way you work here is. You have to sort this out -- whatever it is. You're better than this. I don't want to have to turn you out."

Alistair stood and left the kitchen, patting Brayden on the shoulder as he walked by. Brayden rubbed his hand over his face, desperately trying to snap out of his sleepy haze. He couldn't believe it was coming to this. He had to stop thinking about her.

Alistair yelled at him that a new guest had arrived, and he rose to attend to them. He walked out of the kitchen and down the dark hall. He moved through the large, empty dining room, then pushed open the door to the front area where they signed in guests.

A young woman stood before the high wooden counter, surrounded by a large trunk and a few satchels. She wore a light grey dress, and her blonde hair was piled up on top of her head messily, loose strands everywhere. She wore thick, enormous spectacles, which made her look much older than someone who, Brayden assumed, was about twenty-three, like him. He stood there for a moment watching her, then quickly moved behind the counter.

"Hello," he said. "Can I help you?"

"I'd like a room," she said in a quiet voice. "I'll need to be here at least a week."

He nodded, picking up the guest ledger and placing it before him. He dipped a quill in ink, and held it over the paper. "Your name, please?"

"Ariel Williams," she said. He wrote it down.

"What kind of room..."

"Any one is fine," she said quickly. He glanced up at her, curious at her nervousness. He turned and picked up a key hanging from a board on the wall behind him, then handed it to her.

"Room three," he said. "You pay when you leave."

He pointed to the sign on the wall with the costs, and she nodded, some strands of her hair flopping down. Brayden suppressed a smile.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast?" he asked.

"No," she said softly. "I just want to get settled."

His gaze wandered over her belongings, thinking that would take a while, but he didn't say anything. He walked around to her and picked up the trunk. He struggled not to drop it, stunned at its weight. She picked up the satchels, then he led her up the staircase at the other end of the room. They arrived on the first floor, and she unlocked the door.

They walked into the medium sized room, and Brayden put the trunk in front of the desk near the door. The room was plain but comfortable, with a large bed, soft rug on the floor, fireplace along the wall opposite the bed, and a large dresser with a mirror on top next to it. The walls were white, the curtains beige. Ariel placed the satchels on the bed, then sat down on the thick blanket.

Brayden stood there for a moment, knowing he should be saying something, but for some reason forgot what it was. Ariel was looking at her hands, fiddling with the folds of her skirt. He swallowed, he thought very loudly. She looked up at him.

"Do you need anything else?" he finally stammered. She shook her head. He managed a small smile.

"Alright. Let me know if you do."

He began to walk from the room. "Thank you," she called after him. He didn't say anything, just shut the door behind him. He stood there for a while, a peculiar feeling coming over him. He didn't know what it was. Shaking his head, he walked back downstairs. He had to focus on his job. He couldn't let any more thoughts of women disrupt him.

But as he began to finish the ledger entry when he arrived downstairs, he kept reading the woman's name over and over. Ariel Williams. For a reason he couldn't understand, he smiled. He kept smiling. He looked up at the staircase. She was only up those stairs. He grimaced to himself, thinking he was the biggest idiot in the world. Was he mesmerized by anyone in a dress? He sighed loudly.

But he smiled again.

***

Brayden did his best to work well for the rest of the day, trying not to yawn too obviously, and stay focused. He served breakfast and helped the maid clean up afterwards, then went to the market to buy some food and other items for the inn. He stocked the larder, and made some small repairs to items in the guests' rooms. He worked solidly, hoping not to lose his place there. That was the last thing he needed.

He was determined not to think of the woman from his dream, but found that easier than he'd expected. He kept thinking of Ariel. She didn't come down for lunch, and he found he'd been waiting to see her. He felt slightly nervous, knowing he could run into her at any time. He didn't know what it was about her. Something kept her in his mind.

Soon enough it was dinner, and Brayden began serving meals to the guests as they sat at the three long tables in the dining room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace, and candles were placed on the tables, giving the room a warm, cozy atmosphere. Brayden put two steaming plates of meat and vegetables before a large man and his wife, then looked over at the door, hoping to see Ariel walk through. He frowned in disappointment, then went back to the kitchen to get more plates.

When he returned to the dining room he noticed Ariel sitting at the table near the fireplace, a little away from everyone else. He felt his heart beat a little faster, his breathing become more rapid. Her hair was still piled on top of her head, but she'd changed into a light green dress. Brayden tried to calm his nerves.

He picked up the jug of water and a glass from the long cabinet by the wall, and went over to her. His hand was slightly shaking as he poured her a glass. She was fiddling with her napkin, and he hoped she didn't notice.

"Would you like some dinner?" he asked her. She looked up at him.

"I just want a cup of tea," she said, in her quiet voice. "Please."

He smiled at her, happy to bring her anything. As he walked towards the door, he saw the large man he'd served earlier nudge his wife, and point to Ariel.

"Could have at least tidied herself up," he snickered. Brayden gritted his teeth. The man was so bald you could practically see the candlelight shining from his head. At least Ariel had hair. He walked quickly past him, not wanting to say anything that could get him in trouble. He entered the hallway, then heard a loud scream.

"Richard, what happened!" a woman yelled. Brayden ran back into the dining room and saw the man standing up, his food splattered all down his shirt. His wife stood by him, desperately trying to wipe the mess off of him with a napkin. Brayden bent to pick up his plate, lying on the floor. The man growled.

"I didn't do this -- it was her," he yelled, pointing at Ariel. Brayden looked at her. Ariel was sitting there, her hands over her mouth, a stunned look on her face. The large man growled again.

"I was just sitting here, eating my food, and next thing I know it's all over me! She's a witch! Is her kind allowed here? Is that who we're expected to stay with?"

Brayden put the plate on the table, and tried to control himself. Magic haters. He had to be very careful. This could get ugly.

"I'm sorry for what happened," he said slowly, "but you have no proof Miss Williams did anything. Do you?"

The man huffed and puffed, turning red. He shoved back his chair and stormed from the room. His wife scurried after him. Brayden took a deep breath.

"Just an accident, everyone," he said, desperately wanting everyone to stop staring at Ariel. The guests muttered among themselves, then gradually went back to eating. Brayden walked over to stand before Ariel. Her head was down, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly. She nodded, not looking at him. He wanted so much to comfort her.

"He just had an accident, and blamed you," he said gently. "It's not your fault."

She sniffed, then her gaze met his. Brayden had to stop himself from gasping. Without her glasses, he could see she had the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen. Vivid, stunning. She looked away, standing up.

"I don't need the cup of tea," she said. "I'll just go to my room."

Brayden stood there, speechless. He could barely breathe. He realized something as she walked away.

He'd seen those eyes before.

# Chapter 2

Brayden woke up, feeling warm and rested. It was morning -- he wasn't waking up in the middle of the night. He hadn't woken up in the middle of the night. He sat up, realization hitting. He hadn't dreamed. He hadn't seen her.

He got out of bed, stretching, relieved to have the first real night's sleep he'd had in a month. The feeling was delicious. He walked over to the dresser in his small attic room, peering in the small mirror perched on top.

His blue eyes didn't look tired and bleary as they had been. His light brown hair was a mess, but he looked rested. So, you look normal. Well done, he chided himself. Normal was good. Normal didn't make you end up out on the street.

He sat back on his bed for a moment, reflecting on what had happened. He realized he felt a small sense of loss. Although the dreams were torturing him, he slightly missed the connection. In his dreams he was hopelessly in love with the mystery woman, and she loved him. While the dreams were still going, he had the vague hope he would meet this girl. He frowned, definitely feeling a loss.

But you did meet her. She's downstairs.

Brayden took a sharp breath. Ariel. He'd told himself last night, when he'd gone to bed, that he was being stupid. Just because she had the same blue eyes didn't mean she was the same girl. The dream girl didn't exist. It wasn't a vision. It was just something that was happening to him, because he was lonely, or something.

But now, remembering the way she looked at him, he connected more things about the two of them. While her blonde hair was always a mess, it was soft and silky -- he could tell it would flow around her if she wore it down. Flow beautifully down her delicate shoulders. She was the same height, had the same beautiful skin, the same pink lips. It was her. Was it? He bit his lip, finding he wanted desperately to do the one thing which would confirm it.

He wanted to kiss her.

***

Brayden knocked quietly on the door to Ariel's room. He held a tray full of food for breakfast, which Alistair suggested he bring to her room. She was absent from the dining room, probably avoiding Richard and his wife. Alistair was angry about what had happened, but not at Ariel. He thought Brayden should have handled it better. Brayden thought the guest was lucky he didn't tip another plate of food over his head. He didn't tell his employer that.

He knocked again, louder this time. He heard movements in the room, then the door opened. He nearly dropped the tray.

Ariel stood there, wearing a long, silky dressing gown, her hair cascading down her back. She wasn't wearing her glasses, her eyes bright and piercing. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said. "Come in. I'm actually quite hungry."

She stepped aside, and Brayden walked into the room. He was surprised at how messy it was -- Ariel had piled clothes and books and dozens of other items everywhere -- on the floor, on the chairs, on the dresser. Ariel pushed aside several small glass bottles on the desk, to make room for the breakfast tray. Brayden delicately placed it down.

He realized she definitely wasn't just traveling for a short while. She was moving, leaving wherever she was before. He looked at her, concerned about what had happened. But his mind went blank, as she was standing very, very close to him.

"That looks lovely," she said, looking down at the tray. "Thank you." She paused. "Is...is the man alright?"

Her eyes met his. Brayden struggled to breathe. He swallowed.

"Richard's fine. Don't worry, he's leaving the day after tomorrow. You can join us in the dining room again. I won't let him yell at you."

She blushed, fiddling with her gown. "I'd rather not see him. Unless it's trouble to bring me my meals. I suppose I could try..."

"It's no trouble," Brayden said, smiling at her. He wanted to reassure her. And kiss her. Over and over. He inwardly sighed.

"I'll leave you," he said, knowing he was being an idiot. "Let me know if you need anything."

He turned and walked to the door, which was still open. "Brayden?" she called after him. He turned back. She was looking at the floor.

"I didn't mean to -- I mean -- I never mean to do those things. It just happens sometimes. I promise I'll try to control it. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

His heart filled up with emotion. He knew he should be going, but he really wanted to tell her something. He paused for a moment, then walked back over and stood before her.

"My mother's a witch, Ariel," he said softly. "I don't think there's anything wrong with people who have magic. I never have. You probably should try to control it, so you don't get in trouble, but that doesn't mean you should be ashamed." Something occurred to him, looking at how delicate and frightened she appeared. "Do you ever let yourself use your magic?" he asked. "I mean, on purpose?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide. "Oh, no. I can't. Bad things happen if I use it on purpose. It's -- difficult to manage. I have to keep it bottled up at all times."

He couldn't help but smile. "But then someone will criticize you, and they'll end up with their meal all over them," he said softly. "You have to use your magic, on purpose, or it will pour out of you when you don't expect it." He bit his lip, then risked reaching out and taking hold of one of her hands.

"I'm not a warlock, but I spent a lot of time with my mother when she used her magic. I could help you learn to use it, if you'd like. Only if you'd like."

He held her hand, warm in his, and waited nervously for her to respond. Finally, she smiled at him. "Alright," she said softly. "But only a little. Or bad things will happen."

He found he desperately wanted to grin. He only just succeeded not doing so. "I think I can handle it," he said. "I'm free this evening, after dinner. I'll see you then."

She nodded. He reluctantly let go of her hand and left the room. He shut the door behind him, then stood there for a long moment. What if she was the girl from his dreams? What did that mean? What was going on? He was so glad he'd met her, but had the horrible feeling something strange was happening. And the frightening feeling he was starting to fall for someone he'd just met.

***

It was early evening, shortly after dinner. The sun was only just setting, so there was still light. Brayden stood in the grassy space behind the inn, way back, next to the stables. He waited for Ariel.

He'd left a note for her under her door, saying to meet him there. He'd been thinking about her all day, during all his chores, during everything he did. Alistair said he was working much faster today, but his head was in the clouds. He couldn't argue with that.

After a while he saw someone walked around the side of the inn towards him. He stood there quietly, and Ariel finally reached him. Her hair was back up, and she wore a dark blue dress. Brayden smiled.

"I'm glad you joined me," he said. "I wasn't sure if you would."

She smiled back, standing in front of him. "I wasn't sure if I would, either. But I'm willing to give it a try. What do you suggest first?"

He thought for a moment. Her gift must be being able to move things with her magic -- that's how she tipped the plate of food on the man who insulted her. Other people with magic had different core gifts, like receiving visions, or shape-shifting. He thought Ariel's gift should be relatively easy to teach her how to use, unlike something like controlling fire and water.

He looked around them, then led her slightly away from the stables. No point scaring the horses. He gestured to a small pile of rocks on the ground near them.

"Try to lift one, and bring it to me."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, no. Not something that could be a weapon. Bad things..."

"Ariel, just trust me," Brayden said. He wondered why she was so scared. She frowned at him, as if she was frustrated, or disappointed, or something. He felt his heart fall. She sighed, and turned to face the rocks.

She held out her right arm, and sighed again. Then she narrowed her eyes, concentrating. Brayden watched her, wondering if she had to work hard to summon her strength. She remained very still. Then twitched her index finger.

All of the rocks, all of them, flew high into the air with a thundering explosion. Brayden felt sick as he knew they had to come down, when Ariel threw herself at him, and suddenly everything was spinning. They kept spinning, until his feet were on solid ground again. He looked around him -- they were all the way across the yard. He turned, and saw all the rocks crash down, exactly where they had been standing. He stared back at Ariel.

"Are you alright?" he exclaimed, looking at her in shock. She put her hands over her mouth and began to sob. His heart broke, and he walked over and put his arms around her. She took her glasses off and cried against his shoulder.

They stood like that for a long time, and then she stepped back, wiping her eyes. Brayden handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She took it, sniffing loudly.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice croaky. "I shouldn't have -- I mean, you asked me to, but I shouldn't have done that. I should have refused. I should have refused."

He looked at her closely. He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Couldn't believe what she was. He realized this was serious -- Ariel was more than a young witch who didn't know how to control her powers. She was more than someone who just needed to be guided and helped. He felt a sadness overtake him. He didn't want her to be in trouble.

And she was in huge trouble.

"Ariel, I have to tell you something," he began slowly. She looked up at him, waiting expectantly. He took a deep breath.

"You're a High Witch."

# Chapter 3

"I don't understand."

Brayden chewed on his lip. He didn't understand, either. Actually, he understood a few things.

She was a High Witch.

There were only ever three in the world at a time.

If she was trained, she could do practically anything imaginable.

She hadn't been through the test.

He had to make sure she never went through the test.

He rubbed his face with his hand, overwhelmed. He took a deep breath, then looked back at Ariel.

"I'll explain everything, but we need to get inside. This is -- delicate. I don't want to talk about it out here."

She nodded, and they started to walk back to the inn. He looked at her as they walked, thinking she could not only transport herself to the room in an instant, she could bring the whole room out there. He placed a hand on the small of her back, wanting her to feel reassured. She looked at him, smiling a little. He smiled back, in spite of the serious situation. He really was starting to fall for her.

They arrived at her room. Brayden shut the door and Ariel lit some candles. If anyone saw him go in there they would talk, but that was the least of their troubles. He moved a pile of books from the chair at the desk, and sat down. She sat on the edge of the bed.

"Ariel..." he began, then stopped, looking at her. This was going to be very difficult. "Some witches...there are a few..." He paused again, sighing. "There are three witches in the world, who are more powerful than any other. They can do all kinds of magic, every kind, with amazing strength. These witches can tap into every source of magic in the world -- every place where magic exists. There's so much more to it -- so much more to explain. But know this. You are a High Witch."

She looked at him with concern, her brow furrowed. "How can you tell? From the rocks? That didn't seem so...powerful."

Brayden gazed at her. She really didn't understand. He had to be gentle. "It was the way you did it. The way the magic came out of you, with only the slightest movement. And it's more than that -- when you were standing there, concentrating -- you were trying to hold back, weren't you?"

She nodded. He looked at her closely. "Imagine if you hadn't."

She looked down, playing with his handkerchief, which she still held. He knew he shouldn't, but he walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed. His heart started to beat faster, sitting so close to her. She was so delicate, so warm. He reached out and took her hand in his.

"There's a lot more to tell you. As I said, a High Witch can do every kind of magic. Instead of having one core gift, you have all of them. You must have noticed your magic was different to that of other people?"

Ariel nodded. "Yes, but I just thought I was -- strange. I've never heard of High Witches. I assumed some people just had odd powers, a jumbled mess of them. No one told me any different."

Brayden wondered about that for a moment. Not many people knew about High Witches, so he understood Ariel not knowing what she was. It was a little strange that she knew so little about magic, however, but not unheard of -- the way people with magic were still, to this day, hated for being different, meant some were raised with little teaching about their powers -- told to suppress it. Brayden would ask her about that later, but there was something important he needed to tell her first.

"Ariel, I want you to know something." He waited a moment for her to meet his gaze. He took a deep breath. "Those 'bad things,' you said you've done. They weren't your fault. You haven't been trained. Your heart is good, I can tell. You wouldn't have meant to hurt anyone. It's not your fault."

Ariel's eyes filled up with moisture, and she took off her glasses and wiped away the tears which started to fall. Brayden put his arm around her, and rested her head against his shoulder. He held her while she cried. He knew with every part of him that she was good. He could tell. His heart broke for her.

"Do you think you're ready to hear more?"

She moved her head to look at him. "Yes," she said. "Tell me everything."

He smiled at her, endeared. He wanted to protect her so much. He rested her head on his shoulder again, warmed by her. He bit his lip, dreading telling her the next part. "I'll start with the test."

***

Lenora was dragged to the cliff edge by two large men in the dead of night. A stake stood on the hard ground, large, looming over her, with piles of wood at its base. She turned and twisted in their arms, her dark hair blowing about her in the wind. They tied her to the stake with heavy ropes. She stood there, gasping for breath. She didn't know what was happening. The moonlight shone down, illuminating the figure that was walking towards her. The two men disappeared into thin air. It was just her, and him.

The very tall man walked towards her. He stood before her, and reached out and grasped her chin in his hand. She glared at him. He smiled.

"Lenora," he said, his long, dark hair flowing around him, his black eyes piercing. "You're my first. I've longed to do this. I've been waiting for so long to turn one of you."

She began to sob, distraught. "What do you want with me?" she screamed. "What?"

He smiled, but his eyes were still cold. He stood back. "What you did today showed me what you are. The way you tore that man apart, with only a look -- amazing. A High Witch, with no idea. A High Witch."

Lenora looked at him with shock. He'd seen what she'd done. She hadn't meant to do it -- it just happened. She hadn't meant to kill the man. But when he was holding her down, about to...she shuddered. It was an accident. But she had killed him. And this man knew.

"Who are you?" she cried out.

"My name is Julius," he said. Suddenly the two men who'd tied her up reappeared, holding a scruffy looking young woman. She was struggling as they held her by either arm. Lenora looked at her in alarm. She stared back at Julius in horror.

He raised his right arm, then threw a ball of fire at the wood by her feet. Lenora struggled against her ropes, desperately trying to escape the blaze which began. The flames burned brighter, higher. They licked the soles of her feet.

"No!" she screamed desperately. He said she was a High Witch -- she tried to use her powers, imagine herself being free. The fire climbed up her legs, and she cried out in pain.

"Kill her, and I'll free you," Julius said. "Destroy her."

She stared at him, tears running down her face. The fire scalded her, the pain of her skin burning so intense she could barely breathe. She choked from the smoke. She was in agony.

"Kill her!"

Lenora wailed.

"Kill her!"

She screamed, staring at the young woman. She didn't want to, she didn't want to. The girl cried out in terror. Lenora sobbed, screaming again. The pain, the pain. She cried out in agony. Something bubbled in her stomach, something strong, something menacing. She felt it overtake her. She felt it consume her. She cried out once more, in terror, in pain, in release. The power poured out of her. The girl screamed as her body was torn apart, her limbs, her muscles, her organs splayed out. Lenora shut her eyes to the gore. Rain began to pour down.

Lenora felt the burning cease as the water put out the fire. She sobbed loudly, horrified over what she'd done. The guilt consumed her. But then, then...

Suddenly she didn't notice the pain anymore. She felt something new, something different. She wasn't distressed anymore. She wasn't upset. She wasn't -- her.

Water dripped down her as she glared at Julius. He looked at her, eyes narrowed. The ropes fell from her, and she stepped over the wood, crushing it beneath her scalded feet. She walked up to him. She placed her hands on his chest.

"Thank you for freeing me," she said slowly. He put his hands on her waist, as the rain plummeted down. He smiled.

"Welcome to your new world, Lenora."

***

Ariel leapt off of the bed, staring at Brayden in horror. "Why did you tell me that!" she cried. "Why! Do I have to go through the test? What kind of monster would -- oh, I can't believe..."

Brayden rushed to her, grasping her arms. He'd done this all wrong. "Ariel, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to frighten you. I was trying to prepare you."

She stared at him, eyes wide. "What's going to happen to me? Is someone going to come after me?"

He looked at her with concern. "There are those who would want to turn you. The test determines if you're inherently a good High Witch, or not. If you kill another to save yourself, you'll fail, and are turned. If you are turned, nothing can bring you back. And you'll be entwined to the one that turns you for the rest of your life. But that's why I told you, Ariel. I want you to be safe. You have to learn to protect yourself -- protect yourself in case you meet someone who wants to do this to you."

She looked at him with sorrow. "How do you know all this?"

Brayden shut his eyes. He'd heard the story so many times, told to him in that way, that he forgot how horrifying it would be to someone else. He'd really ruined everything.

"I've heard this story all my life. It's been passed down, in my family."

Ariel looked at him sadly. "I don't know what to do."

He bit his lip, his hands still on her arms. "I didn't mean to frighten you. You've been safe this long -- maybe you'll never come across someone who'll try to turn you. But you need to be prepared if you do. If you keep this secret hidden..." He frowned. She looked terrified -- was shaking, as white as a ghost. He had to comfort her. He didn't want her to be too distressed.

Brayden put his hands on either side of her face, so she was looking at him. He gazed at her closely, wanting to take away all of her pain. He'd just told her something that would change her life forever. He brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sorry if I upset you. But you're not alone in this. I'll help you in any way I can."

She took a deep breath. She reached up, placing one of her hands over his. He looked into her eyes, wondering if her heart was beating as fast as his. He wondered if she was feeling the whirl of emotions that he was feeling. He felt nervous, and excited, and so much at once. He should be thinking about their problem. He shouldn't be thinking about her sensual mouth. But he couldn't help it.

Very slowly, he brought his mouth to hers, gently brushing her lips. She made a little sigh. He kissed her more deeply, moving his hands down so they were around her waist. She put her arms around his neck, and he parted her lips with his tongue. She sighed again, beginning to move her mouth against his passionately, her tongue entwined with his. A shiver went through him as he tasted her. It was definitely her. The girl from his dreams. He pressed her up close against him, and she moaned. The kiss intensified. He clutched her to him.

He kept kissing her, his breathing becoming ragged, his heart racing. She gasped, clutching his shirt, and he ran one of his hands up her back. She moaned once more, and he didn't know how much more he could take. He finally broke the kiss, but she kissed him again, once, twice, her lips sensually touching his. He gazed at her, completely breathless. She looked at him, her face flushed, her lips so red. He shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I...I shouldn't have..."

But he wasn't really sorry. He looked into her eyes. She smiled at him. He smiled back, relieved. He knew he had to go.

"I can't stay now," he said. "I'll come back tomorrow. We'll talk more then."

She nodded. He reluctantly stepped back from her, and walked from the room. He shut the door behind him, then walked up the stairs. He sat on his bed, consumed with thoughts of her. He could still taste her.

# Chapter 4

"Hurry up with that. Three guests are leaving today. Don't dawdle."

Brayden nodded as he swept the kitchen. Alistair left the room, grumbling to himself. Brayden barely noticed. His mind was full of questions about Ariel.

He wondered about her past. How she'd grown up. Who raised her. Who she was running from. He was eager to visit her, but was busy all day. She wasn't coming to the dining room to eat, he assumed because she was embarrassed in front of the other guests. He dealt with the people who were leaving, helped the maid sort out their rooms, and served the meals. After dinner he set up a tray of food to bring Ariel, knowing they needed to talk.

Brayden nervously knocked on her door, waiting quietly. He heard Ariel inside, then she opened the door. She smiled at him, her blue eyes twinkling, free of her glasses. He smiled back.

She stepped aside so he could go in, and he rested the tray on the desk. Several candles were lit around the room. She shut the door and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at her, suddenly nervous again.

He sat on the chair at the desk. His heart was beating loudly. She'd shut the door, so she must want him to stay for a while. The thought filled him with butterflies.

"Thank you for talking with me yesterday," she said. "No one has ever really spoken to me about my magic before."

He wondered about that again. He was about to ask her about it, when she stopped him.

"I want to know more about High Witches," she said. "And I want to know how you know."

He frowned. "My family..."

"But how do they know. I don't get the impression that a High Witch is common knowledge."

Damn, she was smart. He sighed. He had to tell her. She'd find out eventually. "Lenora, the woman I told you about in the story," he began. "I'm -- she's..." Dammit. "My family is connected to her. I'm...her descendant. She's my great-great-great-grandmother."

He looked at his hands. Here it comes.

"You're related to Julius?"

He took in his breath. "Yes. Distantly. Distantly, Ariel."

Brayden stared at her, not wanting her to despise him. He wasn't bad just because he was related to a devil. To his surprise she walked forward and kissed him gently. He felt so relieved. She suddenly gasped.

"Are all High Witches...related to each other?"

He grinned. "No, no. Trust me. We're safe."

She sighed with relief, then blushed. He laughed, standing up and putting his arms around her. She nestled close to him.

"What happened to them? Lenora and Julius."

He shut his eyes, a chill running through him. He didn't want to tell her that yet -- it would scare her to death. "I'd rather not talk about that now," he said. "That's a very long story." She stiffened slightly in his arms. He kissed her hair gently.

"I'd like to know about you. Only tell me what you feel comfortable with, but I want to know about your life. It would help me, to help you."

She was silent for a moment. He sensed she was nervous. "There's not much to tell," she said. "My parents died when I was very young, and I was raised by my uncle. He's not a warlock, so didn't encourage me to use my magic growing up. When he saw how much trouble I had controlling it, he told me it would be better if I kept it hidden. He didn't want to deal with the -- repercussions. It bothered him."

Brayden frowned. Bothered him. He decided he didn't like this man.

"Your uncle -- is that who you -- left?"

"Yes," Ariel said, "but it had nothing to do with magic. My uncle wanted me to get married to someone I'd never met. He said a man had asked to marry me, and he'd promised me to him. I wasn't allowed to stay with my uncle anymore, and I wasn't about to marry a complete stranger, so I fled. I don't have a lot of money. Beyond about a month, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Brayden disliked her uncle even more. "We'll sort something out," he said. "You'll be alright."

She nodded, but he knew she wasn't reassured. He stroked her hair.

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked. She nodded again. They walked to the bed and sat beside each other. He took her hand.

"We need to talk about training you. You have so much power, but it's lying dormant inside of you. You need to be able to bring it out, but also be able to control it. I'll help you as much as I can. The most important thing is to learn to protect yourself against anyone who tries to trap you."

Ariel looked at him sadly for a moment, then put her arms around his neck, hugging him. Brayden was a little taken aback, then he held her. He loved the feeling of her softness against him. He felt her breath on his neck, and he trembled.

"I'm frightened," she whispered. He stroked her back.

"It's alright. Remember, you can do practically anything. You just need to be told how."

She laughed softly. "Can you handle it?" she asked him. "I mean, if I really let go."

He was quiet, imagining her using her full strength. He knew it would be astonishing. He wondered if he could handle training her.

"I'll be there for you," he said. She moved her head to face him, gazing into his eyes. She moistened her lips, and he felt his heartbeat quicken. He moved his mouth close to hers, then kissed her, softly at first, gently moving his lips against hers. She responded to him, sighing, curling her fingers in his hair. He held her tightly, increasing the intensity of the kiss, moving his tongue in her mouth. He inhaled her scent, breathed her in, tasted her. He desperately wanted her, and before he knew it they fell back on the bed. He told himself he should stop -- she could become pregnant, it was too soon. But she moaned, and he could barely breathe.

He kissed her neck, then moved his lips lower. She kept sighing, her hands still in his hair. He made himself stop, lifted himself to look in her eyes. He was trembling.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She leaned up and kissed him. He didn't hold back anymore.

***

Brayden awoke very early in the morning, lying on his back in Ariel's bed. She was snuggled against him, her head against his chest, her arm across him. Her hair was flowing down her back. He let out a deep breath, feeling more content than he ever had before. He stroked her arm, and she murmured sleepily, moving her hand over his chest. He felt her wake up, move her head to look at him. He turned on his side, still holding her.

"Good morning," he said, smiling. She smiled back shyly, touching his face. She nestled against him, her face in his neck. He held her closely, loving the feel of her skin against his. He ran his hand over her shoulder.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her. He was worried she would regret it. Worried she would be upset they rushed into things. It was her first time. He hoped she wasn't in any pain.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. She kissed his neck. He sighed with relief

"I didn't tell you much last night, did I?" he said. "We became -- distracted."

She giggled. "There's time," she said. "There's time."

They lay there in silence, holding each other. It was early enough that he could stay for a while, before having to go to work. He wanted to absorb every moment.

"I'm so glad I met you," she said softly. "Glad I didn't marry that horrible man."

He smiled. He was glad she didn't marry him, too. The thought of her with someone else made him sick.

"You know what?" Ariel said. "I remembered something strange last night -- a weird coincidence."

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "What?"

"The man my uncle wanted me to marry. His name was Julius, too. Isn't that funny? It's not a very common name."

Brayden felt himself overcome with rage. No, it wasn't funny! His blood began to boil. He hurriedly got out of bed, and began to put on his clothes.

"Ariel, get dressed. Now."

She sat up, frowning at him. "What's wrong?"

"Now, Ariel! We have no time. We have no time. He's just playing with you -- he knows you're here, he knows I'm here, he knows...he's doing it all on purpose!"

He stood there, shaking, so angry he had to stop himself from screaming. Ariel sat very still, looking at him. He tried to calm down.

"We need to get moving. We leave here, today."

She remained on the bed. "It's the same Julius, isn't it?"

He shut his eyes tightly. Damn him.

"Yes, Ariel. It's the same one."

# Chapter 5

Ariel got dressed then sat on the bed, refusing to move until Brayden told her more. He sat next to her, holding her hands in both of his. He had to be calm. He didn't want to agitate her and have her set the room on fire. He took deep breaths.

"How can he still be alive?" Ariel asked. "If he's your...great-great-great-grandfather, he should be long dead."

Brayden chewed on his lip. "He's -- different from everyone else. He cheats death. I didn't tell you this to begin with, because I didn't want to scare you. I didn't think he knew about you. We haven't heard anything about him in years, but I guess that's the problem. He's due."

He shut his eyes, knowing he wasn't making any sense. He sighed. "There are those that want to turn a High Witch, to be connected to her, and use her power for themselves. The witch will be committed to the one that turns her, will do anything for them. Even though she has all the power, she'll do what the one who turns her asks. She'll be infatuated with him. She'll belong to him."

He gritted his teeth. "Julius became addicted to Lenora's power after he turned her. He became addicted to her, to how he felt with her. But they grew old. He couldn't stand it, knowing he was going to die. Even a High Witch can't live forever. But he found a way that he could.

"He and Lenora were in their seventies. She was still amazingly powerful. He convinced her to help him capture another High Witch -- he said he wanted Lenora to kill the girl. But after they'd captured her, he killed Lenora. She didn't see it coming -- didn't protect herself.

"Julius put the new High Witch through the test, and turned her. He believed with a new witch under his control, her power would lengthen his life. He was right. He became her age, the age of the new witch he'd turned. He started his life again. He'd cheated death. And every time he starts to become old, he does it again.

"Now, he must be ready. He must be due. That's why he wants you, Ariel. He wants you so he can cheat death."

Brayden stopped speaking, waiting for Ariel to absorb the story. She sat there in complete silence, not moving, not speaking. She brought her hands up to her face, and wiped away a few silent tears.

"Why hasn't he been stopped? Why hasn't he been killed?"

"His witch protects him against everything. No one can get to him. Nothing can stop a High Witch."

Ariel frowned. "But why does the High Witch protect him, if he's just going to kill her? Surely she would know -- surely she would have heard about him."

Brayden knew it was hard to understand. "Because she's infatuated with him -- but beyond all reason. She can't break out of it. She'll believe that he won't kill her, that he'll love her forever. It's what binds her to him. It's part of the dark magic."

Ariel sighed loudly. "So I have a deranged devil coming after me, and his High Witch! I have to battle her, and him?"

Brayden held her face in his hands. "You won't battle anyone. We'll run. We'll run, and I'll teach you to hide us. He'll never find you."

Ariel gazed at him. "Nothing can stop a High Witch."

He rested his forehead against hers. "Ariel, I care about you so much. I don't want him to hurt you."

He shut his eyes, feeling tears welling up behind his lids. She moved his hands and kissed him, hard, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back deeply, holding her tightly. His pain and anguish mixed with his passion for her. He felt sorrow and joy. Sadness and ecstasy. He became lost in the feeling. Brayden felt it was the last moment of joy he'd ever have.

***

"Bring as little as possible. Only what you really need."

Brayden helped Ariel pack some of her things into one of her satchels. They had to leave most of her belongings behind. He couldn't bring his things either -- he would just pack some clothes, some food, and what little money he had. He was filled with anxiety as they finished. He took some deep breaths, trying to calm down. He turned to Ariel.

"I'll just go to my room. I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" she called, clutching his arm. "There's so much I don't understand. What did you mean when you said 'he's doing it all on purpose'? What did you mean?"

Brayden kissed her roughly. "I can't explain it now. I'll tell you everything, but we have to get out of here. Fast."

He left the room, running up two flights of stairs to the attic. He hurriedly packed what he could, then took a last look at his room. It had been his home for three years. His life had been there, at the inn, for so long. Now he had to go and never come back. But it wasn't the inn he'd really miss -- if he left with Ariel, he could never go home to see his family. They could never go anywhere they could be found. They'd have to run. Forever.

A new wave of anxiety ran through him, as he realized how serious this was. He and Ariel would be locked together for the rest of their lives. He definitely had feelings for her, but everything was so sudden. It was no way to get to know someone. He didn't even know how Ariel felt about him, really. Did she care about him? Did she want to be with him? He didn't want her to grow to resent him. He took deep breaths. They didn't have time to waste with his worries. They just had to get moving.

He went back to Ariel's room, then they ran downstairs to the front area. Brayden couldn't face Alistair -- he quickly wrote a note for him, leaving it on the front counter. He only said he had to leave -- nothing more. Ariel left some money for the few days she'd stayed there. Brayden was owed two weeks wages -- he hoped that would cover him leaving with no warning. He couldn't really cover the cost of the horses they were going to take. He squeezed Ariel's hand, looking at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Her blue eyes were filled with worry and concern, but she nodded. He felt the anxiety again, but tried to ignore it. They picked up their satchels and walked out the door.

"Transport us to the stables," he said. "It's faster, and you need to practice using your magic as much as possible."

Ariel held onto him, then they were spinning, before arriving in front of the large brown building. Brayden walked in and saddled two horses, bringing one out for Ariel, then another for himself. He went to help her up, but she did it herself.

"I can ride," she said, atop the horse.

Brayden was glad. He mounted his horse also, then went ahead of her, leading the way down the road. They rode quickly, focused, determined. They had to get as far away from everything they knew, as quickly as possible. They had no time to waste. They had no time.

***

They rode quickly for a few hours, then stopped by a river. They led the horses to take a drink, then sat on the riverbank. Brayden put his arms around Ariel, leaning her back against his chest. She took off her glasses and nestled against him. He kissed her hair.

They sat for a long time, listening to the sound of the water flowing by, and the leaves rustling in the trees above them. Brayden kept softly kissing Ariel's hair, holding her closely to him. She sat quietly in his arms. He felt a strong urge to protect her, to shield her from the bad things that could happen. She was so kind, so sweet, so fragile. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hurt her. He just wanted to sit there all day, holding her, comforting her. But he knew she had questions. It was his job to answer them.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked. She sighed.

"I'm okay," she said. "But you need to tell me what's going on."

He bit his lip. This was going to be horrible for her to hear. It was horrible for him to know.

"Julius must have discovered somehow you're a High Witch," he began. "I don't know how -- maybe he saw you use your powers -- I don't know. He would have started a plan to capture you, but there's more to it than that. He doesn't just want to catch you, Ariel. This all works better for him if -- if..." He shut his eyes. His heart broke in two.

"Ariel, you know I care about you, don't you?" he pleaded. "I know this is so sudden, and quick, and we should just be getting to know each other instead of fleeing together. But, please, please believe that I care about you, on my own. I -- I..."

She turned in his arms to look at him. Her eyes were filled with concern. "I care about you, too," she said. "Brayden, I know you care for me -- you're showing me, by being with me. By leaving with me, protecting me. What's wrong? What did you mean, 'on my own'?"

He felt so much pain he could barely stand it. He took a deep breath. "Julius has planned everything. He told your uncle he wanted to marry you, knowing you'd flee. Knowing you'd go to the inn. Knowing you'd meet me. He wants to capture you and put you through the test, but what you don't know is that the bond between you and him will be so much stronger, if...if..." Brayden wanted to strangle him. "If you kill the one you love."

Brayden watched as Ariel's expression turned to shock, then dismay. She looked at her hands, not saying anything for several moments. Brayden let go of her, not sure if she'd want him to be holding her. She finally met his gaze.

"How would he know?" she asked softly. "How would he know we'd develop feelings for each other? You can't control that."

Brayden looked at her closely. "His witch probably had a vision of us together. That's how Julius would have known we'd meet. But she also helped things along slightly. I've been -- dreaming about you. For about a month. Every night."

She looked at him in horror, and moved away from him. Her expression turned to anger. "She saw me go to the inn, and gave you dreams so you would want me!" she cried. "What if you'd never had the dreams? Would you have looked at me twice? No other man has wanted me -- this is all, all -- you've just been tricked into this! Why didn't you tell me!"

"I didn't know it was you at first!" Brayden exclaimed. "I wanted you from the moment I saw you, without knowing you were the girl from my dreams. But it doesn't matter -- I'm not under some kind of spell, some kind of trance. I'm looking at you, the real you, and I care about you so much. You're good, and kind, and sweet, and I'd want to be with you if I'd never dreamed about you. Would I be here if I didn't?"

Ariel sat there, breathing heavily, as if she was trying to calm herself down. She looked away, staring off into the distance. Her hands were clutching her skirt tightly, her knuckles white. Brayden became very worried.

"Try not to lose control," he said. Her eyes flashed to his, her gaze piercing. Her breathing was still heavy. He knew she was right on the edge of her magic pouring out of her. He risked reaching out his hand, and gently touching her face.

"You said I've shown you how I feel by being with you. By leaving with you, protecting you. It's real, Ariel. I wouldn't be giving up my life over something that wasn't real."

She stared at him with sadness, then suddenly her entire body relaxed, her shoulders slumping, her hands letting go of their grip on her dress. She heaved a huge sigh, leaning forward to rest against him. Brayden put his arms around her, relieved. She moved her head so it was against his neck.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "It was just a shock. This is all a shock. I don't know how much more of this story I can take."

"You know it all now, Ariel," Brayden said. "There's nothing else. We just have to work on escaping him."

She lifted her head to look at him. "I would never hurt you. If I go through the test, I'll let myself die. That's what happens if the witch doesn't kill, right? What happens if the witch chooses not to hurt the other person?"

Brayden looked at her sadly. He couldn't believe she was even considering that. "I don't know," he said softly. "No one ever has."

# Chapter 6

They traveled for the rest of the day, then arrived at a tavern at nightfall. It was a small place, a bar with a few rooms on the first floor. Brayden unlocked the door to their small room, then dumped his satchel on the ground. Ariel walked in after him, and he shut the door.

"I'm exhausted," he said, stretching and yawning. Ariel smiled weakly at him, but he could tell she was tired, too. She looked worn out, her eyes sad. Brayden brought her into a hug.

"We'll get some sleep. We deserve to rest," he murmured. She leaned against him, and he wondered if she was going to fall asleep in his arms. He sighed deeply.

"Oh, Ariel. I'm so sorry this is happening to you," he said. She looked at him.

"It's happening to you, too," she said softly, voicing the fact that they'd only just met, and were now entwined together. He kissed her on the forehead.

"It's alright...let's just get changed."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, then Brayden smiled. "I'll turn around. Take your time."

He turned and covered his eyes. He heard Ariel getting undressed, and resisted the urge to look at her. After a while she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Your turn," she said softly. She was dressed in a long nightgown. Brayden went to one of the satchels and got some clothes to sleep in. He glanced at Ariel, and she had her hands over her eyes. He thought it was very sweet.

He got changed, then went up and kissed her once more. She looked at him shyly, then looked down.

"Ariel, we don't have to do anything," he said softly. "I don't want you to feel you have to, just because we're staying together. Don't feel pressured, just because we already have."

She nodded, still looking down. Brayden took her hand and led her to the bed, which was next to the window. He moved aside the blanket, and she climbed in first. He lay down next to her, putting his arms around her.

"Goodnight, my love," he whispered, holding her closely. She rested her head against his chest, snuggling against him. They were warm together under the blanket. Brayden knew he would drift off to sleep soon. He felt Ariel's breathing slow down, and felt incredibly comforted by being so close to her. He'd been wanting to lie down with her all day. He closed his eyes, and slipped away.

***

Brayden awoke to sunlight streaming through the flimsy curtains of their room. He blinked a few times, wondering what time it was. Ariel was fast asleep, still lying up close to him. He shook her shoulder a little.

"Wake up," he said, his voice coming out croakier than he'd meant. She made some muffled sounds in protest, then looked up at him.

"I'm still tired," she murmured, putting her head back down. He smiled.

"Me too. But we can't stay here all day."

They lay in silence for a while. "What do we do next?" Ariel asked. "Do we just keep traveling? I have to practice using my magic. I don't want to be useless if they find us."

Brayden held her more closely. "Don't think about them finding us, Ariel. Don't think about it. But you're right -- you should practice using your magic. I want you to have complete control of your powers. I have an idea of what magic you could do first."

She raised her head again. "What?"

He looked at her fondly. "I'm surprised you wear spectacles. Especially given that you could fix your eyesight so easily."

She frowned at him. "I can use my magic on myself?"

"Of course! You really just have to decide to be able to see. Just concentrate on making your vision clearer. But don't hold back, Ariel. You have to use your full strength."

She sat up and stared at him for a moment. She took a deep breath, then shut her eyes. She sat there for a long while. Brayden watched her closely.

"Don't hold back," he repeated softly.

Ariel opened her eyes and looked at him. She looked at him closely, as if she was drawing her power from him. Brayden became very nervous. He couldn't breathe. She kept looking at him, but he realized she wasn't seeing him. She was so still she seemed frozen. He held his breath again.

Suddenly she threw her head back, and the brightest light he'd ever seen shone from her eyes, huge, stunning. He looked away, blinded. He felt heat radiating from her. Eventually the light faded, and Brayden was able to look at her again. Her face was flushed, her cheeks pink. But her eyes -- her eyes were an even brighter blue, even more vivid than before. She looked around the room. He sat up so he was next to her.

"Well?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"I can see everything," she said. "For the first time, everything's clear. Oh, Brayden."

Ariel threw her arms around his neck, and he laughed, holding her. He loved the feeling of her softness against him. His heart began to beat a little faster, and he desperately wanted to kiss her. As if she knew what he was thinking, she kissed his neck.

"Brayden," she murmured, kissing his neck again. He felt a quiver run through him. He moved her slightly, so her mouth was close to his. He kissed her, holding her tight. She clutched his shirt, kissing him back passionately, her breath coming out in gasps. He moved his mouth against hers, pressing her body to him. He moved her so they were lying down on the bed. His hands traveled down her body.

"Ariel," he gasped, kissing her neck, his mouth moving over her throat. She cried out in pleasure, and he began to undress her. They started making love, Brayden kissing her as he moved inside of her. It was the most intense experience of his life. She kept moaning, clinging to him, moving with him. He couldn't believe how amazing it felt. It had never felt like this with anyone else. He'd never felt so connected with anyone before.

They lay next to each other when it was over, looking into each other's eyes. He didn't want to leave the room. He just wanted to lie with her all day. She smiled at him.

"You're amazing," she said. He looked at her in wonder.

"So are you," he whispered. "So are you."

She kissed him gently. He drew her to him, holding her. He felt so much love for her in that moment. He didn't want to leave her side. They just had to keep away from Julius.

***

"What do you see?" Julius asked. Nadia sat with her eyes shut, concentrating. She looked at him, her dark eyes cold.

"I see them at an inn in a week's time. I can see the sign over the door. It'll be no trouble to find them. We can catch them easily."

Julius nodded. He went and looked out of the window, thinking, his hands clasped behind his back. Nadia came and stood behind him.

"She'll be easy to kill," she said, putting her hands on his back. Julius suppressed a shudder. He didn't want her withered hands touching him. He'd grown tired of her so long ago, could barely remember the last time he wanted her. He remained still.

"Leave me now, Nadia," he said. "I have to plan."

She obediently left the room, shutting the door behind her. Julius continued staring out of the window. He wondered over the things that had happened recently. Despite his disgust at his fifty year old wife, she had been very useful. Once he'd told her about Ariel, she'd had a vision of her going to the inn, and meeting Brayden. Nadia had embedded the dreams in Brayden's mind, ensuring the two would fall in love. Then he'd just had to give Ariel a reason to leave, with the false marriage proposal.

A small smile touched Julius' lips. Now that Ariel was in love -- now that she had something to lose -- turning her would be so much more satisfying. The bond was always stronger, the witch's addiction to him deeper, darker, if she killed the one she loved. He wanted that bond with Ariel. He craved her so much he could barely stand it.

He thought about her, this new witch. She was beautiful, she was powerful, she was young. He was desperate to mold her, transform her from the shy, quiet thing that she was, into the strong witch she could be. She was perfect. She was a storm of power, waiting to be unleashed. She was ready for him to take her, ready to be changed.

He found it a disturbing coincidence that Brayden was distantly related to him -- he would tell Ariel things he didn't want her to know. But Julius would still make it work. He enjoyed the chase. He enjoyed the hunt. He craved that sweet moment, that moment when she would kill her lover, and the change would be complete. He wanted it so much he could almost taste it. He wanted her to be dark. He wanted her.

He would have her, soon enough. He sighed. This time, this time before he would become young again, made him weary. Fifty was too old -- he was glad he'd found Ariel so quickly, after searching for a new witch. He wanted to start again. He was ready to start over.

Nadia would fight her, and bring her to him. His slave would obey him one last time. He didn't relish killing Nadia, but it was necessary. He couldn't turn Ariel while he was bound to another. He would do it, as he had so many times before. It would be worth it. Because he would have Ariel.

He wanted her.

# Chapter 7

Brayden and Ariel arrived at a forest later that morning, to give Ariel time to practice using her magic. They left their horses to rest nearby, then stood together in the center of a clearing, facing each other. Brayden smiled.

"Alright," he said. "What you did with your eyesight was amazing, but there's so much you need to learn. You need to learn to control your magic with finesse. I want you to try to bring some leaves to us. Just relax, and concentrate."

Brayden pointed to the trees circling the clearing, and moved a few paces away. Ariel held out her right arm at a large oak tree, wrinkling her nose, narrowing her eyes as she focused. She leaned her head back, as if she was frightened she'd uproot the entire tree, then twitched her index finger. She scrunched her eyes shut, waiting. Brayden was relieved to see a solitary leaf float towards her. He smiled.

"You did it! Ariel, you..."

Brayden gasped as the tree suddenly leaned forward, as if a giant was pulling it from the top, then all of the leaves became detached from the branches and began to hurtle towards them. The tree flung back upright, causing all the others around it to vibrate, dozens of birds squawking from within and flying away. Brayden stood there as he and Ariel became surrounded by piles and piles of leaves, right up to their waist. He frowned. Ariel grimaced.

"Try again?" she asked. He scratched his head.

"Why didn't that work, Ariel? You were able to fix your eyes without them popping out of your head. Why couldn't you bring a small leaf to us?"

She threw her arms up into the air. "I've only been using my magic a few days, after suppressing it most of my life. I can't just do it perfectly straight away."

Brayden clenched his jaw, as he tried to think of what to do. He didn't want to become frustrated with her, especially as she was completely right. She had no experience -- fixing her eyes was probably just a stroke of luck. He wanted to walk up to her, but didn't think he could wade through the thousands of leaves. He suddenly found himself grinning.

"Brayden!" Ariel exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," he said, "it's just so cute. But this is serious, you're right." He rubbed his chin, trying to stop smiling. Then he thought of something.

"When you were concentrating on fixing your eyes, were you trying to be careful?'" he asked. "I don't mean careful to hold back your magic, I mean careful of your eyes. Was it like a combination of letting out your full strength, but using part of your power to protect what you were using your magic on?"

Ariel stood there thinking for a moment, then she nodded. "Yes. It was like I knew I had to completely release my magic, but I was using a layer of it to shield my eyes, so they would be okay. How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Just an educated guess. It's obvious you have the ability to do what you want, you just need to think about things differently. The question is, how do we make you bring out that layer of protection at all times?"

He ran a hand through his short hair, looking around him. He smiled, something occurring to him. He looked at Ariel. "Use your magic on me," he said. Ariel gasped.

"No! Are you mad?"

He smiled again. "No, it's perfect. I can't walk out of these leaves, so you have to help me out anyway. So, help me out."

He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at her. She glared at him, like she thought he was doing this just to annoy her. She looked around, threw her hair over her shoulder, then magically transported out of the leaves to the edge of the pile. She stood there for a moment, then held out her arms towards Brayden, staring intently. He started to feel very nervous.

Ariel stood quietly for a long time, arms still outstretched, then Brayden suddenly felt like an invisible field of energy was covering him. He felt the force surround his body, making his skin tingle, then was surprised to feel himself lifted off the ground. He was carried up above the leaves, then over to the other end of the clearing. His feet gently touched the grass near the trees, then Ariel walked over to him. She smiled at him.

"I didn't kill you!" she said happily. He grinned.

"No, you didn't. Thank you. Now, think about how you did it."

She narrowed her eyes. "Like I said, I released all of my magic, but I used some of it to shield you from the strength. I had to focus on both things at once. But how does that help me with moving objects?"

Brayden chewed his lip. "It's the same thing. If you're bringing a leaf from a tree, you imagine protecting the tree. Then you can release your magic, while holding back from causing such a huge impact. Do you think you could try?"

He gestured towards the trees, just next to them. Ariel turned and faced them, holding out her arm. She frowned, then wiggled her fingers gently, standing there silently. Nothing happened at first, the air still, silent; then the branches of one of the trees vibrated slightly, and a few leaves broke away and floated towards her. She held out her hand and they landed in her palm. She smiled again.

"I did it, Brayden. It was difficult, though. I need a lot of practice."

Brayden stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, making her drop the leaves. He kissed her neck. "Then practice. But you did do it. I'm very proud of you."

He looked at her fondly, and she blushed. He tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, then stepped back again. She stared at him for a moment, then turned back to the trees. Brayden felt his heart fill up with love for her. He thought she was so lovely.

***

Ariel practiced for several hours at the forest, rapidly gaining much better control over her powers. It was as if, once she knew how to think about her magic, she was able to improve very quickly. They rested briefly for a late lunch, then traveled until it was dark. They stopped for the night at a small, rundown inn, sitting in their room after eating a hot meal. Brayden yawned, feeling like he could go to bed, even though it was early. He looked at Ariel as she sat beside him on the bed, in the quaint room filled with old, rickety furniture, a dusty rug, and ripped curtains. He put his hand on her back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "Tired?"

She nodded. "I learned a lot today," she said, "but there's so much I don't know. We've never really spoken too much about High Witches. I feel like I've been given all this power, but I don't know why. Why me? Why wasn't I just an ordinary witch?"

Brayden shrugged. "No one knows why a woman is chosen to be a High Witch. The story goes that whenever a High Witch dies, another is instantly born to replace her. It's not something that happens to you later in life -- a High Witch is always born with her power, like a regular warlock or witch. The difference is other people with magic usually have one or both parents with magic, but a High Witch can be born to people without magic.

"As to why you -- I don't know. Women with your powers could be born anywhere, to any family. There's no way to predict it. All we know, from what's been written down for centuries, is that there's only ever three in the world at once. But, given how people with magic are often frowned upon all over the world, through no fault of their own, some women who are High Witches might not even find out, as they keep their magic hidden. Like you."

Ariel frowned. "I just wish -- I don't know -- that I could be enjoying getting to learn to use my powers, instead of having to run. I don't want this, Brayden. I just want to be free. And to be with you."

She looked down, fiddling with the folds of her skirt. Brayden reached over and took her hands in his, and she met his gaze. He drew her into his arms, holding her closely. He smoothed his hand down her hair.

"We'll get through this somehow, Ariel," he whispered. "I don't know how, but we'll get through it. I don't want you to worry. I'm with you."

She nuzzled his neck, sighing against him. Brayden wished he could protect her against everything. In the end, though, he knew this was mostly up to her. He completely adored her. He wondered if it was infatuation, but it wasn't a simple case of being attracted to her -- he loved so much about her. Her sweetness, her intelligence, the way she coped so well with what was happening to her. He loved her goodness, her heart. He knew some people never met someone they truly loved, but had he found her already? Was this her?

# Chapter 8

They traveled for a few more days, stopping one afternoon at an empty field to rest for lunch. Ariel had been practicing every day, Brayden astonished at how much she'd improved. They sat eating under a tree in the cold day, sunlight shining through the clouds. They didn't speak, both very tired from all the traveling. Ariel finally stood up, saying she needed to work on her magic some more.

"Try to focus on nature, like we discussed," Brayden said. "Remember, you can draw from every source of magic there is, from wherever there's power. You're doing so well -- try to master this now."

Ariel nodded, then walked several paces away to the center of the field, standing in a large expanse of grass. Brayden watched her from where he sat, thinking she looked so beautiful. She looked at him for a moment, then shut her eyes.

She held out her arms, standing silently for a long while, her hair slightly blowing around her in the breeze. She remained still for several more moments, then gradually the wind grew stronger. Ariel's hair flowed behind her, her skirt twirling around her ankles. Leaves swirled around her; a howling sound was in the air. The wind was focused on her, turning around her as she stood on the spot, as if she was at the center of a tornado. Flashes of lightning cut through the sky. A white glow illuminated her skin.

The clouds above them became grey and dark. Ariel stood, frozen, at the center of the tempest. The wind swirled around her, howling, screaming. She maintained control of the storm. Thunder crashed above them, interspersed with more lightning. Brayden shivered in the now freezing temperature. Ariel didn't move. The air around them screamed, building until it erupted in a thundering cry. Ariel held her face up to the sky, the elements under her control.

Finally, she lowered her arms. The sounds began to fade. The storm began to dissipate. Gradually the wind died down, the clouds became lighter and grew apart, the thunder and lightning dissolved. Eventually, things were as they were. Ariel looked over at Brayden, the faint white light still touching her skin. He rose and slowly approached her. He stood before her in amazement.

"That..." he began, then had to clear his throat. He was still stunned. "That was astonishing. Ariel, you're amazing. I don't know how you did that."

She smiled at him, the glow around her fading, her skin returning to normal. Brayden looked around them, wanting to capture this moment; take advantage of her control of her powers.

"Try to lift one of those rocks," he said, pointing to a small pile of rocks in the distance, similar to the pile that had been in the yard at the inn.

Ariel turned to them, and held out one arm. She moved one of her fingers, and a grey, fist-sized rock rose from the pile, hovering in the air. She moved her fingers again, then the other rocks joined the first, delicately balanced at head height, floating as if they were on water, as light as leaves. Ariel flattened her hand, and the rocks gracefully dropped back down to the ground. She turned to look at Brayden. She smiled.

"It's easy, now," she said. Brayden moved up to her and drew her into his arms.

"You're wonderful," he breathed, embracing her, holding her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Brayden smoothed his hand over her hair. He couldn't believe how amazing she was. He held onto her, mesmerized by her. His body was tingling just holding her. He felt her tremble.

"I hope I can save us," she said, her breath against his neck. He couldn't take it any more. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her, hungrily moving his mouth over hers, his other hand clutching her hair. She held onto him and he pressed her against him, unable to control his feelings for her. He groaned, loving how she tasted, the feel of her lips, the touch of her tongue moving with his. They clung to each other, unaware of anything around them. He couldn't believe how good it felt. He began kissing her neck, and she moaned in his arms. His body was on fire for her.

"Oh, Ariel," he breathed, wishing more than anything they were somewhere private. He was desperate for her. He kissed her lips again, then held her to him, his heart racing. She put her arms around his neck, and gently nibbled his ear. He couldn't breathe.

"We should get moving," he said, barely remembering his own name. "We can't...I mean...we have to...oh, Ariel, you have to stop that."

She laughed, stepping back a little from him. He gazed at her, consumed with thoughts of her. She looked back at him, a mischievous smile touching her lips. Oh, how he loved her.

"Not here, not when we've got a madman after us," he said, kissing her roughly then taking her hand, leading her back to their things. She laughed again. He was addicted to her. Her laugh, her touch, her beauty -- but, really, her. Her heart. Her soul. He wanted to love her for the rest of his life. To protect her. To always be with her. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he lost her. He would do anything to keep them together.

***

They lay in bed at another tavern that night, after traveling for the rest of the day. Brayden lay on his side, staring at Ariel, lying with her naked after they'd finished making love. Their arms were stretched out, holding each other. She wasn't embarrassed in front of him anymore. Their bond was stronger now. She had a small smile on her lips, gazing into his eyes. He looked at her, his heart full.

"Tell me what you're thinking," she asked him. He looked at her, wondering if he should say it. Wondering if he could.

"I love you, Ariel," he said. She looked at him fondly, then gently kissed him. He brought her close to him, cuddled her against his chest. She sighed.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "More than anything. More than you could possibly know."

They lay in silence. Brayden closed his eyes, not wanting the moment to end. He held her gently, loving how she felt against him. She loved him. It was all that mattered.

"Brayden?" Ariel asked a while later, a question in her voice.

"What is it?" he said.

She hesitated for a moment. "You know we can't run forever," she said quietly. "I'll have to fight the other High Witch eventually."

Pain cut into his heart at the thought. "Don't think about that, Ariel. That's not an option. We have to keep running. It's the only thing we can do."

"But Brayden, you said she saw me go to the inn, and meet you. What's to stop her seeing where we go next?"

He shut his eyes, clenching his jaw. The thought had occurred to him, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. He wanted them to keep moving, because at least they were doing something. Moving stopped him dwelling on the thought of Julius and his witch catching up to them. Stopped him dwelling on the fact that Ariel was right -- they'd find them, eventually. He faced her, and looked at her with sadness.

"Do you really think you could kill her?" he said. "Because that's what it would take, Ariel. You'd have to destroy her. And, while your powers are amazing, she has years of experience over you. If we keep running, at least we have more time. More time together. I don't want..."

His voice broke, and he shut his eyes tightly. She kissed him, and he held onto her. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to face it.

"I can't lose you," he whispered. She kissed him again, and again. She kissed away the solitary tear that rolled down his cheek. She put her hands on his face and brought his head to rest against her chest. He held her tightly. He wanted to stay in her embrace forever.

"It'll be alright," she said. "It'll be alright somehow. You saw what I did today. That wasn't nothing, Brayden. That wasn't nothing. And her heart is full of darkness and hate. My heart is full of love. You can't tell me that's not more powerful."

He loved her hope, her belief. "I hope you're right," he said. She stroked his hair.

"You'll see," she whispered. "Love will win. Somehow, love will win. Trust me. I believe it with all of my heart."

He held onto her. They lay in each other's arms all night. Brayden fell asleep listening to her heartbeat. He dreamed of standing with her in a field, her in a white dress, getting married to him. He dreamed of love winning. He dreamed of love winning.

# Chapter 9

They kept traveling for the remainder of the week. Ariel practiced using her magic whenever they stopped to rest. She was able to cast many different spells, with more strength, more power. She learned to control her powers with a much tighter hold. Brayden was astounded at how much she was learning, so quickly. He was barely teaching her anything. It was all her. She was amazing. He could hardly believe it.

On the evening of the seventh day they stopped at an inn, a larger, better place than the others they had been staying at. They rented their room, then sat in the dining room, glad for a hot meal. The large space was warm, lit by candles, the buzz of people chattering filling the air. Brayden felt warmed by the atmosphere. It helped him ignore the growing feeling in his stomach that Julius was catching up to them. They ate their dinner of chicken and vegetables, sitting near the fireplace, at a long table a little away from the other guests. He glanced over at Ariel.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just tired."

He squeezed her hand. "You've been working so hard. You deserve to rest."

She smiled at him, but it didn't touch her eyes. She really was worn out. Brayden knew she'd been training in preparation for the fight with the other High Witch. She fiercely believed it would happen soon. She wouldn't let go of the notion that she had to kill her. It tore Brayden up inside. He wished he could do more. But he knew it was really up to Ariel.

They gradually finished eating, and sat quietly, enjoying the fire. Brayden stroked her back, gazing at her. Ariel leaned against him, snuggling up to him as he put his arms around her. He wondered what she was thinking.

"I don't want you to worry too much, Ariel," he said softly. "I wish I could take away some of your burden. I wish I could protect you."

"You are," she said. "I wouldn't be able to use my magic if it weren't for you. You protect me by teaching me. And you protect me by loving me."

His heart swelled, and he wanted to do something special for her. He wanted to calm her, to relax her. He kissed her hair, then made her sit back.

"Let's go to our room," he whispered, and she nodded. They stood and walked from the room, climbing the stairs. Brayden started the fire and lit some candles, while Ariel sat on the bed. Warmth filled the air, along with a soft light and the sound of the blaze crackling. Brayden went and sat beside Ariel, putting his hands on her upper arms. He looked at her, and she gazed at him fondly. He leaned forward and gently kissed her. He moved his lips to her ear.

"Let me show you how much you mean to me," he whispered, making her tremble. He kissed her again, softly, sweetly, not wanting to rush things. His fingers brushed the skin below her collarbone, moving down to the fabric at the top of her dress. She let out a little sigh. He kept gently kissing her, then began to undo the laces fastening her dress. He unthreaded the string, his fingers moving lower, brushing over her chest as the dress became undone. She curled her fingers in his hair, moaning, her breathing becoming ragged. He took in his breath as he pulled the dress down from her shoulders, and she took her arms out of the sleeves. His heart was thudding loudly in his ears.

He lay her back on the bed, removing the dress, leaving only her thin under tunic. He began kissing her neck, moving his lips to the soft skin below. She moaned in ecstasy, her fingers still in his hair. His body was burning for her.

He removed his clothing, then lay over her, his hand running up her thigh. Their eyes were locked together, their breathing heavy. He lifted her tunic over her head, then kissed her passionately. She clutched his back, and he began to make love to her. He moved with her slowly, trying to make it last as long as possible. He kept kissing her. She gasped with pleasure. He grunted as the feeling increased, sped up. It felt so good. It felt so right.

They kept moving together, clutching each other, then they cried out when it was over. He lay over her, gasping for breath, his heartbeat racing. Eventually their passion died down, and they lay in each other's arms, drifting off to sleep. He'd never felt so content before. It almost made him forget.

It almost made him forget.

***

Brayden's eyes flew open to the sound of Ariel screaming. He shot up in bed, staring at her in the early morning light. She was breathing heavily, then hurriedly got out of bed. She began to put on her clothes.

"Brayden, get dressed. Now."

He frowned. "What's wrong?" But he knew.

"Now, Brayden!" she screamed. "We have no time. She's -- they're..." she screamed again, her fingers fumbling as she put on her dress. Brayden got out of bed and reached for his clothes. They finished dressing, then Ariel stood there, taking huge breaths.

"I saw it -- a vision -- it happens today," she gasped out. Brayden gritted his teeth. He felt sick.

"Ariel, look at me," he said. She stared at him, her eyes wild, her face flushed. He went over to her and grasped her arms.

"You can do this. I know I doubted you, I know I wasn't supporting you enough. But I know with every part of me you can do this. You're strong, you're brave, you're powerful. You're everything you need to be. She's nothing, compared to you. She's not even half as much as you are. You can do this."

She nodded, shutting her eyes, breathing deeply. He held onto her, but he knew they couldn't stay there long. She took his hand, then they were spinning, and were standing at the front of the inn. They stood in a large, empty space, the ground bare and hard beneath their feet, the street vacant beside them. They waited.

An eerie silence surrounded them. It was as if no one was awake but them. Even the birds were silent. Ariel stood there, her fists clenched. They couldn't see anyone approaching them. The anticipation cut into Brayden. He wished he could do something.

Finally, finally, there was a whirl of dark smoke across the large space, and two figures materialized. One was a very tall man, middle aged, with short greying hair and dark eyes. The other was a tall, slender woman, twice their age, with long dark hair and very pale skin. The duo stood there silently, looking at Brayden and Ariel. Brayden recognized Julius, even though he'd never seen him before. He didn't know the witch's name. But he knew who she was.

Brayden squeezed Ariel's arm then walked away from her, stepping close to the wall of the inn. She was staring fiercely at the other witch. Julius followed Brayden's suit, also walking away. The man stared coldly at Brayden. Brayden hated him with every part of him.

Julius held out his hand, a ball of fire appearing above it. He clenched his fist, and it evaporated into smoke. He continued staring at Brayden coldly, his lips in a thin smile. Brayden wondered why Julius wanted to remind him that he was a warlock. Then he realized. Jealousy. He had Ariel, and Julius wanted her. Julius craved her. Brayden wanted to strangle him.

"Nadia," Julius called, turning to the witch. "You may begin."

# Chapter 10

Nadia began to walk towards Ariel purposefully. Ariel remained still, standing firm. Nadia took a few more steps forward, then stopped. She raised her right hand.

She pointed her index finger at Ariel, turning it in a circle. A green light streamed from her finger, a shimmering string, curling and twisting its way towards her. Ariel stood there, staring in confusion. The string of light floated closer, then began to circle her. Ariel screamed as the string tightened around her skin, binding her, wrapping itself tightly around her whole body. She struggled on the spot.

"Ariel, fight it!" Brayden screamed, and she looked at him in horror. She stood there for a moment, then clenched her fists and shut her eyes. Her skin began to glow, a white light radiating from her. Nadia ran towards her, pulling at the green string, but the glow from Ariel became stronger, shining out, blindingly bright. The binding shattered to pieces, shards of green clattering to the ground. Ariel opened her eyes and growled at Nadia. She flattened her hands, spreading out her fingers.

Ariel pushed out her arms. A scorching wind began to blow around them, hot, filled with dust and leaves. It whirled towards Nadia, circling around her. Flames appeared in the wind, flickering brightly, growing close to her. Nadia screamed.

She held up her arms, and an enormous flash of lighting streaked across the sky over dark clouds. There was a booming crash of thunder, then rain hammered down, drenching them, extinguishing the flames. The two witches stood there, breathing heavily. The rain poured down, then finally ceased. Brayden was petrified.

Simultaneously the women held out their arms towards each other, white light pouring out of Ariel's hands, red light streaming from Nadia's. The colors hit each other, two walls of radiance forming, high and wide. Ariel walked forward, arms outstretched, pushing her light onto the other witch. Nadia stumbled, the red light falling back towards her. She took a step backwards, then stomped her foot down, hard and loud.

The ground rumbled beneath them, as if it was an earthquake. Ariel lost her footing, tumbling to the ground, her light disappearing. The red wall screamed towards her, but she transported away, appearing next to the door of the inn. The ground stopped shaking, the red light faded away. Ariel lay there, gasping for breath. Nadia laughed wickedly.

She raised her right hand and a sword appeared in her grasp in a flash of light. She spun it around, then magically transported so she was in front of Ariel. She pulled back the blade, about to plunge it in, when Julius screamed at her.

"No! Don't kill her!" he yelled. "Just capture her!"

Nadia faltered, and Ariel grasped the hand that held the sword and forced her to drop it. She leapt up and shoved Nadia to the ground, stepping on her stomach so she couldn't transport away. The sword flew into Ariel's grasp, and she lifted it high. Nadia cried out in terror.

Nadia thrust out her hand towards Brayden, a knife appearing in the air and hurtling towards him. Brayden stood there in horror, frozen to the spot. Ariel screamed, dropping the sword and transporting so she appeared in front of him. The blade embedded itself in her shoulder. She slumped back, falling against him.

"Ariel!" Brayden screamed, holding onto her, falling to his knees. Julius began yelling at Nadia. Brayden knew they had to get out of there, fast.

"Ariel, you have to transport us out of here!" he yelled, holding her tight. She was barely conscious. "Ariel, please!" he screamed.

Nadia suddenly appeared before them, then reached down to grasp Ariel by the arms. Brayden dragged her away.

"No!" he screamed. He knew Nadia could kill him in a heartbeat, but the one thing they both had working for them is that Julius didn't want them dead. He dragged Ariel further back, then begged her one more time to transport them out of there. She groggily grasped his arm, then they were spinning.

They appeared in a small street filled with buildings, in a nearby village. Brayden breathed raggedly, unable to contain his shock. Ariel finally lost consciousness, and tears began to run down his face. He screamed for help.

Doors opened and a few men ran towards them. Brayden exclaimed to them through his tears, practically incoherent. One of the men said a healer lived nearby. Brayden lifted Ariel in his arms, hurrying after the man down the street. He hoped desperately that she would live. He couldn't bear it if she didn't. He couldn't bear it.

***

Brayden sat beside Ariel as she lay on a bed in the healer's home. Her left shoulder was bandaged, after the healer had cleaned and stitched her deep wound. Brayden gently took hold of her right hand, holding it in both of his. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked at him.

"Where..." she began, her voice croaky.

"Hush," Brayden said. "You're at a healer's home. He said you'll be alright. Just rest, Ariel. Just rest."

She looked at him a moment longer, then lay her head back down. She stared up at the ceiling, her blue eyes vacant.

"She nearly killed me," Ariel said softly. "It was so close."

Brayden kissed her on the forehead. "You were amazing. You were astonishing. She only got you in the end because you're good. Because you tried to save me. Ariel, I couldn't stand it if I lost you."

Tears welled in her eyes, and she wiped them away. "I don't want to lose you, either," she said, and Brayden leaned over and kissed her gently. He held her face in his hands and kissed away her tears. Tears of his own began, and he quickly wiped them away. Ariel touched his face. She smiled weakly at him.

"We have to stay away from them," she said. "I'm not strong enough to fight her again. I don't think I could stand it."

She shut her eyes, and Brayden's heart broke. He took hold of her hand again. She drifted off to sleep, her breathing becoming slow and even. He sat there, gazing at her closely. He loved her with all of his heart. He would do anything for her.

He looked at her, trying to think of a plan. A way to escape. Ariel was right -- they couldn't face them again. He wracked his brain, trying desperately to think of something. But only one thought kept hammering home.

No one had ever gotten away from Julius before.

***

Julius stood in the large room he and Nadia had rented, his hands clasped behind his back, trying not to lose his temper. That was too close. Nadia had nearly ruined everything. He gritted his teeth, then turned to her, standing beside the bed.

"You know what we discussed, Nadia. You capture her, and we kill her together. You can't disobey me like that again."

Julius watched her. She was standing very still, clutching her skirt, her knuckles white. He had to be very careful. He had to maintain the illusion. He walked over to her, putting his hands on her arms.

"You're too strong for her, my love. Remember what we planned? Remember what we discussed, about destroying her together? I didn't want you to take her life too quickly. Imagine how much better it'll be, drawing it out. Imagine how much we can enjoy it. Do you want to take that away from us?"

She relaxed slightly, her hands loosening their grip on her dress. Julius smiled at her. "That's it, Nadia. Remember our plan. Trust that I know what I'm doing. You'll know better for next time."

She nodded, sighing deeply. "Should I try to get another vision of them?" she asked. Julius shook his head.

"No, we'll do things differently this time. Chasing them and forcing a fight is too -- chaotic. We want more control than that. We won't go to them."

Nadia frowned. "Then what?"

A smile touched Julius' lips. "We bring them to us, Nadia. We bring them to us."

# Chapter 11

A week passed. Brayden and Ariel stayed with a woman from the village, who let them rent her spare room. She was a friend of the healer, and took pity on them. No one knew their true story -- Brayden said Ariel had been attacked by a thief while they were traveling. They'd remained indoors most of the time while Ariel healed. She had used her magic to speed up the healing process, her injury improving very quickly. Her stitches were taken out after a couple of days, and her soreness had faded rapidly over the course of the week.

Brayden lay with her on their bed one evening. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He lay on his back, Ariel beside him, her arm against his chest. She nestled close to him.

"Better," she said. "There's no pain any more."

They lay in silence for a long while. Candles cast shadows across the room. Brayden stroked her back.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. "You haven't been -- talking much lately."

She sighed. "I'm just waiting for their next move," she said. "You are too, Brayden. They could have found us so easily, while we were waiting for me to heal. They could have come after us by now. They're planning something, and it hurts so much not knowing what it is."

Brayden frowned, holding her closely. "You're right," he said. "You're right about everything. I don't know what to do, Ariel. I believe in you so much. I just wish Julius didn't know about you. We still don't know how he found out."

He shut his eyes, sorrow consuming him. Ariel kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't know how he found out, either," she said softly, playing with the fabric of his shirt. "I'd barely used my magic in years. I used it when I was a child, but stopped when my uncle told me not to. It only came out when I was angry or upset."

Brayden stroked her back again, thinking. "What about...I don't want to upset you, but do you remember how you reacted when your parents died?"

Ariel was quiet for a moment. "I was three -- I don't know. I don't remember them at all. I was told they died in a carriage accident, and I was with them, but somehow I survived. I don't know how I reacted. I don't remember."

Brayden felt sadness overtake him. "I'm sorry about your parents," he said softly. "That must have been horrible, growing up without them. I'm so sorry you went through that."

Ariel remained silent. Brayden ran his hand over her hair. She sniffed.

"The thing is, I was very young when it happened. How could I have done anything? How could I have used my magic at that age?"

Brayden hesitated. "You'd be surprised what you could have done," he said. "You were born with your powers. You may not have been able to use them on purpose when you were very young, but at a time of great distress, something might have happened. Something big. Someone out there would know."

Ariel became tense in his arms. "You mean Julius could have known about me? From when I was a child? That's horrible!"

"No, Ariel, I don't think he would have known from then. But when he started looking for a new High Witch, he would have spoken to countless people in his search. He knows what to look for. If you did do something very powerful at some stage, he would have found out about it. I'm not trying to upset you, my darling, I was just trying to figure this out. I'm so sorry."

Brayden turned on his side, gathering Ariel to him. He kissed her hair.

"I love you," he breathed. He held her closely. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

Ariel sniffed again. Brayden knew he'd upset her. "I love you, too," she finally said. She kissed him on the chest. He smiled.

"I remember what you said -- what you said about love winning. Do you still believe that?"

She looked up at him. A smile touched her lips. His heart was warmed by the sight. He smiled back.

"Brayden, I want to believe it. I really do. The way I feel about you -- the way I feel when I'm with you -- I can't believe that's not more powerful than the most dark magic. I can't believe that darkness could defeat love. I want to hold onto the thought that we'll come through this, but we have to face so much. I don't know what to think. All I know is that you mean the world to me, and I'd never give up having met you."

His heart swelled in his chest, and he kissed her, holding her close. He wanted to kiss her all night, make love to her before she was taken away from him. He wanted to savor every precious moment they had together, before something went wrong. She kissed him back passionately, and everything suddenly felt good, felt right. He pressed her up against him, then abruptly pulled back.

"Are you ready? I was waiting until you were better."

She smiled at him, and gently brushed his lips with hers. "I think we've waited long enough."

He smiled at her, gazing at her fondly. "Oh, Ariel," he breathed, kissing her deeply. She sighed in his arms. Everything was right. He had her. They'd get through it, whatever it was. They had each other. If their love couldn't win, nothing could.

***

Brayden awoke early the next morning, cuddled close to Ariel. He drew the blankets over them more closely, as they lay in the cold room. Ariel was still asleep. He felt her breathing slowly next to him.

His mind began to drift over what they talked about last night, and over what they were going to do next. The usual anxiety that had been following him the last couple of weeks returned. It only disappeared when he was kissing Ariel; when he was making love to her. He didn't know what they were going to do -- where they were going to go. He sighed. It was all so difficult.

He felt an odd sensation come over him. It was as if a memory was on the edge of his mind, something dark, something unpleasant. He struggled to remember what it was. A dream? Was it a dream? He frowned, then images flashed through his mind.

Julius and Nadia.

His mother's house.

His mother.

He gasped, and quickly sat up. Ariel woke up and looked at him. He scrunched his eyes shut. "No, no, no!" he cried, desperately not wanting it to be real. He rubbed his forehead, then turned to her.

"I had a dream. Julius and Nadia. They've captured my mother. They're holding her hostage. They have her, Ariel! I don't know what to do!"

She took a deep breath, and sat up. "I know. I had the same dream. I know, Brayden."

They sat quietly, while the seriousness of the situation sunk in. Ariel sighed.

"We go to them," she said softly. "It's the only way."

Brayden looked at her, wishing this wasn't happening. He choked back tears.

"You know what will happen. We'll be walking right into it."

Ariel looked down, then nodded. "I know. But we have no choice. It's what they're counting on. We have to do this."

He moved her hair away from her face. "I love you," he said. "More than anything. Whatever happens -- it's not your fault. I'll love you forever. You're everything to me."

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She moved forward and leaned against him. "I'd never hurt you," she said. "I never would."

He held her as she wept quietly against his chest. He didn't say anything. Maybe, somehow, this would work out. Maybe, in some way, they would all survive. But he could see the outcome unfolding in his mind. They might save his mother, but Ariel wouldn't get away from Nadia this time. And Julius would have some kind of elaborate plan in place. There was really only one way this could go.

As good as Ariel was, no one had ever passed the test.

And they were walking right into it.

# Chapter 12

Brayden and Ariel traveled for a tense two days to get to his mother's house. Brayden felt sick to his stomach thinking about his mother with Julius and Nadia for all that time, but there was nothing they could do. They rode quickly, stopping as little as possible to rest their horses and themselves. On the evening of the second day they stopped to camp in a clearing in a forest, when they couldn't ride anymore. Brayden knew they'd arrive at their destination by the middle of the next day. He sat by the fire with Ariel, deep in thought, lost in his misery and anxiety. Ariel placed a hand on his arm.

"Brayden?" she said softly. He looked at her. She was wrapped in a warm cloak, the light of the fire reflected in her eyes. She gave him a small smile, squeezing his arm.

"We'll save her. I promise you. I won't let them hurt her."

He looked down at his hands, surrounded by his own cloak. He sighed, and put his arm around Ariel, drawing her to him. She snuggled up to him, and he held her close, leaning his head against hers. He held her tightly. He was warmed by her nearness.

"I'm so worried about her," he finally said. "My mother's a powerful witch, but her power isn't something that can protect her against them. She's certainly no match for Nadia, and even Julius' power can beat hers in a fight. Controlling fire and water is far more deadly than the gift of being able to bring things to yourself. She can't do anything to protect herself. I feel sick that they have her -- I hate it so much."

Ariel was silent for a moment. "I know this is horrible for you," she said softly. "It's obvious you love her very much. Tell me about her."

Brayden paused. He hadn't really spoken to Ariel about how he grew up. "My whole life it's mainly been just me and her," he said, feeling stung by the memories. "My father left us when I was little. She raised me on her own, selling potions she brewed to support us. Mostly things to cure ailments, help with pain. She tried to never create potions that could be used for darkness. We got help from my grandmother, her mother, and my Aunt Sophie, but really it was just us. I left her to work at the inn, and sent her what money I could, but I've hated that I haven't visited her as much as I should have. I love her so much, Ariel. This is killing me."

He bit his lip, then sighed deeply. "But it's not just that. It's you, too. I...I can't even bear to think of what you're going to go through. What we're going to go through. I hate the thought of Julius putting you through the test. This sickens me. I don't want him to hurt you."

He felt tears prick his eyes, and he heard Ariel sniff. She wiped away her tears, her hands shaking slightly. She took a few deep breaths, then looked at him. His heart broke at how sad she seemed.

"Brayden, I want to tell you something, and I want you to let me finish before you say anything. Just listen for a moment."

He held his breath. Ariel sniffed again, then continued. "I want you to know that I'd never give up having met you. I don't regret it for a moment. You've shown me more love in the last couple of weeks than I've ever experienced in my whole life. You're giving, and sweet, and selfless, and I'll always love you. I'll love you into the next life. I'd do anything for you. Give up anything."

Brayden's heart broke in two. "No, Ariel. No."

"There's no other way."

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. He kissed her hair, tears streaming down his face.

"I wish I could do this instead of you. I wish I could marry you this moment. I wish we could run away, I wish Julius never existed. I hate him with every part of me. Oh, Ariel, I'm yours. I'll always belong to you."

She wept against his chest, then pressed her lips against his, kissing him with sadness and passion and intensity. He kissed her back, tasting their tears, tasting her sweet lips, her tongue moving in his mouth. His mouth moved hard against hers; he kissed her as if it was the last time he'd ever see her. He knew this was the last night they'd have together. It would all end, one way or another, when they went to Julius tomorrow. This night was all they had. He had to feel every precious moment. Had to make every one of them count.

He kept kissing her, holding her tight, heat coursing through his body mixed with his sadness. He shifted her into his lap and fumbled with their clothing, then he began to make love to her, clutching her as she straddled him. She held onto him tightly, riding him, gasping and moaning. He grunted, the feeling intense. Their cries became louder, her movement faster, the feeling stronger. He felt the climax and then the release, and they fell backwards, Ariel lying over him. He held her while they caught their breath, his heart racing. She breathed heavily in his arms. She was perfect. She was perfect in every way. He loved her. Oh, how he loved her. He didn't want anything to happen to her.

They lay in each other's arms, side by side, their gazes locked together. Ariel closed her eyes, and Brayden looked at her sadly.

"Marry me, Ariel," he whispered. She looked at him, then put her hand on his face. She gazed at him fondly.

"In a heartbeat," she whispered back. He smiled, but he knew his eyes were filled with sadness.

He knew one of them would die tomorrow.

He hoped it was him.

But he was starting to realize it might be her.

***

Brayden could barely breathe as they approached his mother's house at noon the next day. They rode their horses quickly into the street where she lived, and he saw her house up ahead. He steered his horse into the garden at the front of her small wooden home, nestled among so many like it. Ariel arrived behind him. He dismounted, shaking, so full of anxiety he could hardly think. Ariel came to his side, and she held his face in her hands. He looked at her, taking deep breaths. He finally nodded, and she took his hand.

They walked under the porch, up to the smooth brown door. Brayden reached out and grabbed the handle, stilled himself for a moment, then pushed the door open. They walked into the front room.

Julius was standing in the right side of the room, by a table. Nadia stood beside him, grasping his mother's arm, holding a knife to her throat. His mother's hands were tied behind her back, her mouth gagged. Brayden looked into her blue eyes, and saw the horror in them. Her light brown hair was plastered to her head, her cheeks were tear stained. He couldn't bear seeing her like that.

Julius stood there, staring at them, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked over at Nadia. "Go, now," he said. Nadia nodded, and before Brayden could even react she put her arm around his mother's waist and they disappeared. He screamed.

"This ends if you kill her!" he cried. Julius only smiled.

"I'm not likely to kill my leverage, am I?" he said. "And, frankly, you're in no position to say when this ends. That's up to me, and it's up to her."

Julius fixed his gaze on Ariel, his dark eyes looking her up and down. He looked at her closely, and Brayden wanted to smack the smile off of his face. What killed him is that Julius was right. He was useless in this situation. It was between Julius and Ariel. She tensed next to him, still holding his hand.

"We'll go with you, but we need assurance you won't hurt Brayden's mother. I'm not exactly going to take your word for it. If she's alright, we'll co-operate."

Julius nodded. "You'll see her, soon enough. I'll release her when things are...underway. No harm will come to her."

Ariel growled. "You mean you'll release her when you've killed Nadia. When you've killed your slave. If only I could get her to side with me, we could rip you to pieces."

Julius smiled again. "You'll be thinking differently in a little while. The last thing you'll want to do to me is -- rip me to pieces."

Brayden saw Ariel go red. "You disgust me."

"You enthrall me."

"I despise you. I'd kill you now..."

"But then Nadia will destroy your little friend's mother. If I don't appear by her side, in the next hour, the boy's mother dies. And so will he. Nadia won't take too kindly to my death."

Ariel's breathing became ragged. She took a step forward. "Then let's just finish this. We go to her, now."

"In time. But there's something I've been meaning to do first."

Julius lurched forward and punched Brayden full in the mouth. He stumbled backwards, his face stinging, then was about to lunge at him when Julius shook his head.

"Touch me, and I'll make sure your mother suffers before I release her. You can't do a thing to me, boy."

Brayden stood there, clenching his fists, breathing deeply. The coward. The devil. He wanted to rip out his throat, but he was just as bound as if ropes tied him. He could barely contain his hate. Ariel touched his shoulder.

"He's not half the man you are. Not even a tenth."

Julius let out a growl, then grabbed Ariel around the waist and pulled her to him. He forced his lips onto hers, his tongue into her mouth, while Ariel struggled against him. Brayden grasped his head, unable to stand it. Ariel scratched Julius on the face, and he released her, laughing. She wiped her mouth.

"You do that again and I'll come back from the dead and cut you up. You'll never touch me again."

Julius roared. "Oh, so you're willing to die for -- him? Really? I'm sorry, darling, but I've done this before. No one ever chooses their own death over another's. Ever. Everyone is inherently bad. You'll kill him, and you'll come to me, and I'll have every single inch of you. And all this passion, this rage, this fire you have inside of you, will be mine to control. You're the best one yet. It's the good ones that become so bad. I can just taste it. Oh, I can taste it..."

"Enough! Enough! Stop it."

"Whatever you say, darling." Julius put his arm around Ariel's waist and pressed her up against him.

"Take hold of your little friend. He needs to come, too."

Ariel reached her arm out, and Brayden grasped hold of it. She was so tense it was like she was made of steel. Julius narrowed his eyes, then they were all spinning, before their feet stood on solid ground again. Brayden took in lung fulls of fresh air. He realized he'd been holding his breath.

They stood on a cliff edge, a wild breeze blowing around them, through the trees behind them and the valley below. Nadia stood nearby with Brayden's mother, two large men next to them. The men walked over and took hold of Brayden's arms, dragging him to stand by Nadia. That's when Brayden saw it.

Near the precipice, tall, looming over them, was the contraption Julius was going to use to put Ariel through the test. Brayden nearly collapsed. Julius had changed his methods. This was worse than fire. This was worse than anything.

He was dead.

# Chapter 13

The clouds above them were dark grey; the wind still howled, an icy breeze blew around them. Brayden stood between the two large men, each one holding him by the arm, while his mother, Emily, was beside him, held by Nadia. The contraption stood several feet away. It had finally hit Brayden. He was going to die today. His mother was going to see it. And Ariel -- oh, Ariel...

Brayden looked over at the structure, wondering how Julius could have made it. It was enormous. It was huge. It was -- horrible.

The base was a wooden platform, as wide as three carriages. Another smaller platform rose from it, the height and width of a small bed, with three half-circle strips of metal spread out along it. One to hold someone down by the neck, waist, and ankles. Growing out of the base stood five tall wooden poles, three at the back and two at the front. The poles held up the roof of the machine. It was at an angle, the front end raised slightly. The roof. Brayden felt all the color drain from his face.

Large circular blades were fastened to the roof, each twice the size of a large plate. Their edges were jagged, sharp, looking as if they could cut through metal itself. The circles were positioned a couple of inches apart, set up so they would come down over Ariel's torso and lower half. It looked as if there were five on the top half, then a space, then more than ten on the bottom half. Ariel would be ripped to shreds. Even if she killed him quickly, the pain she would suffer before...Brayden felt sick. Julius disgusted him. His love -- oh, his love...

At the back of the machine was a complicated set up of ropes and blocks and pulleys, designed to make the blades spin. There was an enormous lever at the side of the device, which Brayden assumed would lower the roof down. And bring it back up. Julius was relying on Ariel killing him before she was killed herself. He was going to control the contraption. Brayden took deep breaths, his stomach in a thousand knots, his stress consuming him. His mother wept beside him. This all hurt so much.

Brayden looked over at Ariel. She stood beside Julius, staring at the machine. Her blonde hair blew about her in the breeze. She looked over at Brayden, her face deathly white, her eyes filled with horror. He wanted to run to her, hold her, but the two men tightened their grip on his arms. He just stared at her in dismay. She stared back, then shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. Julius grasped her arm and led her towards the structure.

"Nadia!" Ariel called out, twisting as she walked to look at her. "Nadia, he's just going to kill you! You don't have to let him! You don't have to protect him!"

Nadia just laughed. "My love would never kill me!" she cried, her long, dark hair flowing around her. "Only you will die today -- die horribly. Don't try to trick me! I long to hear your screams."

"Nadia!" Ariel cried again, as Julius brought her up close to the machine. "It's the test! Don't you remember? Don't you remember him doing this to you? He's going to kill you, so he can turn me! Why do you think Brayden's still alive?"

Nadia's expression became one of confusion for a moment. She shook her head. "You wouldn't come willingly if we'd killed him! My love knows what he's doing. All that will happen today is you being torn apart. Slowly. Slowly."

Julius brought Ariel up to the platform, then held onto her arms tightly, hissing something in her ear. Brayden saw Ariel's eyes widen, then she looked over at Emily. She nodded. Julius forced her to walk up to the wooden bed.

"Ariel!" Brayden cried, unable to keep silent anymore. "It's okay! I forgive you!"

She wept loudly as Julius raised the metal strips over the bed, holding onto her with his other arm. He lifted her and lay her down, fastening the bindings over her neck, waist and ankles. There was suddenly a blinding flash of light from the metal, and Ariel cried out. Her hands were held down by the strip at her waist. The metal clung close to her, so she couldn't move. She would never be able to magically transport out of there. Brayden stared at her, horrified.

Ariel lay there, struggling, staring up at the roof of the machine. Julius stepped down from the platform and walked towards Nadia. He smiled when he reached her.

"You've done so well, my darling," he said smoothly, grasping her arm and making her release Emily. Brayden's mother stood there, hands still bound behind her, and looked over at him. He gazed at her with sorrow, wishing he could hug her goodbye. Tears glistened in his eyes. Her own eyes were filled with sadness.

Julius brought Nadia close to him, embracing her. She placed her arms around him. Julius kissed her neck, tightening his hold on her, pressing her up against him. Brayden knew it was coming.

"It's been more than twenty years," Julius murmured, bringing one of his hands behind his back. Nadia sighed in his arms. Brayden saw Julius bring his hand forward again, this time holding a sharp knife. Nadia was oblivious.

"Let's kill her now, darling. I don't want to wait anymore."

"Yes, yes, just one more moment," Julius breathed. Brayden wondered if the man didn't want to kill Nadia. If he actually felt sorrow. He didn't think he could feel anything but the most disgusting emotions, but he wasn't sure. He winced, his insides squirming.

"Nadia..." Brayden began, but Julius shot him a look. He looked over at one of the men holding him, and the man went over and grasped Emily by the arms. Brayden got the message. Julius didn't need his mother any more; she was of no use to him. She could easily be killed, if Brayden didn't keep quiet.

He began to become riddled with anxiety. Could he just stand there and let Nadia die? Ariel killing her in battle was one thing, but this... Julius kissed Nadia deeply, and she responded to him hungrily. The hand which held her tightened on her back; his other hand still held the knife. Brayden couldn't breathe. The tension became unbearable. He began to take huge breaths, then Julius pulled away from the kiss abruptly and pulled Nadia back by the hair.

He plunged the knife into her stomach, deep, twisting it. Brayden gasped. Nadia stumbled backwards, eyes wide open, blood gurgling out of her mouth. Julius pulled out the blade. She fell back on the ground, her hand over her wound, staring straight up. Julius knelt beside her. He sighed.

"I didn't want to do it," he said, "but I had to. It's time for me to move on. I did love you, Nadia, I did. You were perfect, once. But it's my new time now. Rest, my dear."

Nadia spluttered once more, staring at him in horror, then her eyes rolled back into her head. She became silent, still. Brayden stared at her in shock. Julius lowered Nadia's eyelids, then stood and took a huge breath. He dropped the knife, then turned back to the machine. He strode towards Ariel.

Brayden knew Ariel couldn't have seen what just happened from her position lying down, but she would have heard it. She would know Nadia was dead. It was about to start.

It was about to end.

***

"It's time."

The words rang out in the air as if Julius had shouted them. He stood by the contraption, looking at Ariel. She stared straight up. Everyone was perfectly still. Even the wind had died down. There wasn't a single sound. Brayden stood there in a panic.

Why couldn't Ariel just kill Julius now? Nadia couldn't protect him anymore. There would be no one to hurt him or his mother, if Julius was gone. Brayden's heart beat rapidly. Maybe this was it! Maybe this was the answer!

"Ariel!" he cried. "Kill him! Now's your chance!"

Julius laughed. "I'm protected, boy. There's magic in the metal which binds her. She can't use her magic on me, not while I have this."

He reached into his pocket, and produced a shimmering silver stone. He put it away again, and Brayden stared at him. Then realization hit. That's what the flash of light was about -- something about the metal strips which held Ariel prevented her from using her magic on Julius, while he had the silver stone. It was all over.

He shut his eyes, and thought his last thoughts.

It was all so soon. He was so young. To die, now, right when he'd found his love -- right when his life gained so much more meaning, was unbearable. And there was so much he wanted to do -- he wanted to grow old, he wanted to have children, he wanted a life. He would have nothing, now. It was all over. And who would care for his mother, in her old age? Who would support her? He was leaving behind an unfinished mess, and he had so much he wanted to learn, to prove, to find out. So much he wanted to be. He wanted to grow. He wanted to live.

And Ariel. She would be turned. No one could go through the pain she was about to suffer and not stop it. He didn't blame her -- he didn't hate her. That's why he said he forgave her. She wouldn't care, once she was turned, but in that moment when she killed him, he wanted her to know he wasn't angry with her. She was everything to him. The thought of Julius having her...if only he could be stopped! If only he could be killed! But it was too late.

Brayden heard a grinding sound, and his eyes flew open. Julius was turning a wheel at the back of the machine. The ropes and pulleys began to move, making the blades turn. Julius kept winding, then let go of the wheel. The machine continued to work, making a thundering sound, the workings rumbling, the blades screeching. They spun rapidly, their jagged edges a blur. Ariel began to cry, squirming beneath them.

Julius walked to the side of the machine and put his hand on the large lever. He grasped hold of it, then pulled it down, very slightly. The roof lowered a little towards Ariel. The spinning blades became a little closer. She cried out.

"Kill him, and I'll free you," Julius said calmly. "Destroy him."

"No!" Ariel screamed. Julius pulled the lever down further, dropping the roof again. It was now a foot above Ariel. The sound must have been deafening to her.

"Kill him, and I'll free you," he repeated. "Don't make me do this, Ariel."

She screamed again, tears pouring down the sides of her face. Julius lowered the lever more; this time the blades spun only inches above her body. Julius growled.

"Kill him! I'll do it, Ariel! I'll cut you!"

"No!" she yelled. Brayden couldn't stand it.

"It's okay, Ariel!" he cried. "I love you!"

"Brayden, I don't want to hurt you!" she screamed. She began to wail, and Julius became enraged. He jerked the lever down, and the blades lowered with a sharp cry onto her body. Ariel cried out in horror as the circles cut into her skin. The blood. The blood. She let out a blood-curdling scream, in agony. Tears streamed down Brayden's face.

Julius lifted the lever up, and the blades came off of Ariel's body. She still cried out, her pain clearly throbbing through her. Julius snarled.

"Kill him, Ariel! Don't push me! I won't stop so quickly next time!"

She didn't respond, only crying, her entire body covered in blood. Brayden fell to his knees, still held by his captor, wailing.

"Ariel, save yourself!" he cried. "I forgive you!"

She kept crying, screaming. Julius looked like he was struggling to breathe -- he grasped the lever tightly, then, slowly, brought it down again. The blades touched Ariel again. Brayden didn't think anyone could scream so loudly. Julius didn't lift the lever up.

Ariel was cut. She was cut. Julius was watching her; then Brayden saw what he was staring at. She was pointing her fingers at him.

She was going to do it.

He shut his eyes, and waited for his love to kill him.

There was a final, terrifying scream...

# Chapter 14

I would never hurt you. If I go through the test, I'll let myself die.

"Ariel! ARIEL!"

I'd never hurt you. I never would.

"ARIEL! ARIEL, NO!"

I'd do anything for you. Give up anything.

"Why! Oh, Ariel, WHY..."

Brayden wept uncontrollably, his hands on the ground, head bent down. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

She wasn't supposed to die.

Ariel had become silent, her last scream echoing around them. The machine had stopped -- Julius had silenced it, when it had finished her. She hadn't done it. She hadn't killed him. She'd suffered the intense agony of blades cutting into her, cutting through her skin and muscles and bones, until she died. Brayden couldn't believe it. He sobbed so hard he couldn't breathe. Then, the anger, the anger. He couldn't let Julius get away with it.

Brayden leapt to his feet, glaring at Julius standing by the contraption. He ran towards him, then smashed into him, wrapping his hands around his neck. He forced him to his knees and squeezed, squeezed hard, letting his rage and anger and sadness consume him. He wanted to kill him. He was going to kill him.

Julius knelt there choking, eyes wide, then he grabbed Brayden's leg, fire scalding him through his clothes. Brayden let go and stumbled backwards, breathing heavily. Julius stood up.

The two men stared at each other. The only sound was their ragged breathing. Julius' nostrils flared -- his skin was pale, his eyes wide, his cheeks flushed. He looked shocked, stunned, angry. Brayden gritted his teeth. He lunged for him again.

He forced Julius to the ground, punching him in the face. He kept hitting him and hitting him, wanting him to hurt, to suffer. Julius scalded Brayden's arm, and he yelled; Julius overpowered him and held him down on the ground. Brayden hissed as he lay there. Julius knelt on him and held him down by the throat. He raised his right hand, and fire appeared in his palm. He began to lower it to Brayden's face.

Brayden growled through gritted teeth, not caring that he was going to burn. Nothing could hurt him more than he was already hurting. He shut his eyes. He waited. He felt the flames licking his skin. He knew Julius' palm was about to touch him...

Suddenly, an astonishingly bright light shone from behind them, glowing from the machine. Julius fell back, and Brayden got to his knees, shielding his eyes.

The radiance grew, as if a star was shining from the contraption, covering it completely. The air rung with a high note, like an angel was singing above them, at a pitch almost painful to hear. There was the sound of metal and wood clanging, crashing, falling apart. Brayden stared at the ground, squinting, wondering what was happening. The note in the air became more shrill, even higher. They heard the machine fall to pieces.

The light moved towards them; Brayden covered his eyes. He felt a warmth approach him. The heat grew closer, until it was right in front of him. Warm hands touched his arms. The glow began to dissipate. Brayden risked looking up.

I would never hurt you. If I go through the test, I'll let myself die. That's what happens if the witch doesn't kill, right? What happens if the witch chooses not to hurt the other person?

I don't know. No one ever has.

"Ariel?" Brayden asked. In the fading light he could make out a woman, a beautiful woman, kneeling before him. She laughed, reaching out and touching his face. The light dissolved -- she was clear before him. Brayden gasped.

"Ariel?"

She laughed again, throwing her arms around his neck, holding him tight. He held her back, not knowing what was going on. Was she an angel? But...she was real, he could feel her. What...what was...

"Brayden, my love. I told you love would win. I told you."

Brayden choked back tears, stunned. He held onto Ariel tightly, clutching her as if she was going to fade away. He moved to look at her, holding her face in his hands. His heart swelled until he felt it wouldn't fit inside his chest. She gazed at him, her eyes filled with love, moisture threatening to spill out. Brayden looked over her -- her dress wasn't ripped, there was no blood, no cuts, no wounds. He gazed at her lovingly. He leaned close and kissed her.

The kiss was amazing -- his love was amazing. She was soft in his arms, soft and pure and perfect. He wanted to kiss her forever. She pulled away, then stood up, holding his hand so he would rise also. Ariel turned to look at Julius.

***

Julius stood across from them, looking at her as if he was seeing a ghost. Ariel held out her arm towards him before he could magically transport away, and a stream of white light poured from her palm, covering his body. He stood there, trapped. Ariel took a step forward.

"This is for every witch you turned, every woman whose life you destroyed, to satisfy your need for power." She took another step forward, the light burning brighter.

"This is for every witch you made love you, made love you with dark magic, then ruthlessly killed when you grew tired of her. This is for every person you had killed, every soul you took, every family you tore apart. This is for Lenora. This is for Nadia. And this is for me."

Ariel drew her hand back then thrust it forward, the stream of light hitting Julius in the chest and propelling him backwards. He began screaming in agony, falling to his knees. A white strip like lightning coursed over him, and his body split in two straight down. There was a thundering explosion, and particles of light burst out, expanding over the sky. Eventually they faded to nothing. He was gone.

Brayden went and stood by Ariel, taking her hand. They stared at the spot where Julius had been. Brayden took a deep breath.

"It's over," he said softly.

Ariel nodded silently beside him. She turned, and then they walked over to where Emily was waiting for them. The two men that worked for Julius had gone. Brayden reached his mother and untied the cloth which covered her mouth, and the ropes which bound her wrists. She rubbed the sore spots where the ropes had left their mark. Brayden kissed her gently on the forehead, and she wiped away tears. She gave Brayden a huge hug, then moved to Ariel and wrapped her arms around her. Ariel hugged her back.

"Thank you," Emily said, crying. "Thank you for saving him."

Brayden watched the two women he loved, and was overcome with relief. He sighed deeply. They had won.

***

Brayden shut the door to his mother's bedroom later that evening, after checking that she was alright. She was fast asleep, resting peacefully. He walked to the spare bedroom, then closed the door and went over to the bed. Ariel lay there under the covers, eyes shut. He gently got in beside her. She looked at him.

"How is she?" she asked. He smiled.

"Fine. She's been sleeping for hours. She won't wake until tomorrow."

Ariel nodded, then she snuggled up close to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and stroked her hair. She sighed in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you so much," he whispered, his heart full. She ran her hand over his chest.

"I love you, too," she breathed. His chest rose and fell, as he held her close. He shut his eyes, sleep starting to take over.

"What can I ever do for you, my love?" he murmured. "What can I ever give you? What could match your gift?"

She sighed again, kissing his chest softly. "You can become my husband," she whispered. "You can give me a child."

He smiled. He could do that. He began to drift away, dreaming of a wedding, and endlessly holding her, forever.

# Epilogue

Brayden held Ariel closely, gently kissing her neck as he lay over her. She giggled.

"Brayden, we'll be late."

"Hush," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her more tightly, kissing her neck again. She put her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh, Brayden..." she murmured. "We will be late."

He kissed her on the mouth, his body tingling as she responded to him. He ran his hands over her naked body, desperately wanting to make love to her. She kept kissing him, then gently pushed him back.

"We can't be late for our own wedding."

He grinned at her. "They can't exactly start without us."

"Brayden!" she exclaimed, laughing. He grinned again, but released her. She left the bed, put on her dressing gown, and walked from the room. Brayden lay there for a while. He couldn't wait to continue what they'd started.

***

Three hours later he was anxiously waiting in the garden of his grandmother's home, where they were to be married. Ariel had left their home long before him, and arrived there to get ready. Brayden stood at the end of a path made of a light purple cloth, which stretched from the back of the cottage to a large tree at the end of the garden. The small number of people they'd invited were sitting on the right side of the path on an assortment of chairs, and the tall man who was to marry them waited by Brayden.

The garden was decorated with purple and gold ribbons stretched out over the rose bushes on either side of the garden, the pink, yellow and white roses themselves providing the greatest beauty. Brayden stood under a wooden trellis placed in front of the tree, with roses spread out along it. He became very nervous, and began to fidget. The two friends he'd invited walked over to him.

"Are you alright?" Samuel asked. "You kind of look like you're about to be sick."

Brayden grimaced. "Thanks," he muttered. "I just feel weird with all these people watching."

His dark haired friend looked around. "There's nine of us. Two of them aren't even out here yet." He smiled. "It's alright -- you'll be fine. If not, I'll gladly step in."

"Me too," Jonathan interjected. Brayden playfully smacked him on the back of the head, his long blonde hair flying.

"Hey!" he said, smoothing down his hair. "Watch it. I was just pointing out it'd be nice to be married to the most powerful witch in the world. You know everyone's jealous, right?"

Brayden grinned. "Get used to it," he said, smiling.

The back door opened and Brayden's Aunt Sophie walked out. Her long red hair moved from side to side as she walked over to the chairs, and spoke to Ariel's uncle. The short, balding man rose and smoothed down his clothing, then went and stood by the door. Brayden motioned for his friends to go back and sit down; they went and joined the two girls Ariel had invited, and his grandmother and Sophie. He gulped nervously.

Brayden's mother walked out of the cottage, smiling at him. She carefully walked down the path, then gave him a kiss on the cheek before sitting down. He felt his hands begin to shake, and he clasped them together to try and stop it. The back door opened one final time, and Ariel appeared.

Brayden stopped breathing. He gazed at her -- he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She wore a long white dress, with delicate sleeves which reached her wrists, and a thin white sash. Her hair flowed around her beautifully. She was holding a bouquet of purple flowers. He felt his heart start to beat a little faster, and he had to remind himself this was real -- he wasn't dreaming. He smiled as she put her hand on her uncle's arm, and they slowly began to walk towards him.

He watched them approach, thinking over everything that had happened over the last four months. He and Ariel had stayed with his mother for a while after she'd defeated Julius, and they tried to recover from the horrible couple of weeks they'd had. They'd rested, spent time together, enjoyed growing closer together. Ariel had started helping his mother brew her potions, while Brayden looked for work. It was then they'd discovered something wonderful.

It turned out when Ariel used her magic on the potions, they were twice as potent, and worked much more quickly. More and more people wanted them, and soon Brayden had to help sell them because the demand was so high. He began working at a stall at the market, and after a while he and Ariel earned enough money to rent a small home in a nearby village. He felt much more content working at something his family was creating, working for himself, instead of a horrible employer.

Living with Ariel was amazing. She was so kind, so sweet, so caring. He woke up every day more and more in love with her. She said she wanted to find the other two High Witches like her, and make sure they were protected against anyone who wanted to turn them. She knew one of them would have only been born the day Nadia died, but she still wanted to find her when she was older. She wasn't going to let anyone do to them what Julius had done to her. She still had nightmares about that day -- Brayden wasn't sure if that would ever change. He just had to be there for her when they happened. Make sure she knew she was never alone.

He bit his lip when Ariel finally reached him. One of her friends came up and took the bouquet, and he took her hands in his. Her uncle sat back down, and Ariel smiled. Brayden tried to calm his nerves.

The celebrant announced they were about to start. Ariel leaned close to him, putting her lips to his ear. He took in his breath.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," she whispered. "But I wanted to wait for the right moment."

He became very still. "What?" he whispered back. She laughed softly, her breath tickling his ear.

"Remember that gift you were supposed to give me?"

Brayden's eyes widened, and he looked at her. She smiled, and placed her hand over her stomach. He gasped, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the mouth. He heard the guests laughing.

"What, you couldn't wait a few moments?" Samuel called out. Brayden waved his hand at him, kissing Ariel a while longer. He finally released her, and felt his face was pink. They took each other's hands again, and stood there, grinning at each other. The celebrant cleared his throat.

"Now?" he asked. He sounded like he was trying not to laugh. They both nodded at him. He smiled.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

# About the Author

Mona Hanna is an author of fantasy/romance books. She enjoys writing about love, magic, conflict, trials and the joy of overcoming them. Mona enjoys reading, movies, chocolate, and adores cats. She hopes to release many more fantasy books in the years to come.

monahanna.com

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