Page 93 of The Noldrin Witch

The smell of roasted boar with garlic was starting to fill the warm air in the garden. Morgaine, after speaking at length about her own methods of release, couldn’t help but speak of Sebastian and the vigor the brief romance had awakened in her. It seemed to Elise that the witch didn’t want to give away too much whenever the topics of the king, Kurt, or the war touched her lips, yet every conversation somehow found its way back to them.

“What did you do to that beast?” Morgaine said, taking in the exquisite aroma of the roast drifting from the kitchen.

“It’s my special recipe,” Elise said with a smile.

“I’m dying to try it, darling. Let’s go to the kitchen and keep the celebration going.”

“A celebration?”

Morgaine stood up. “The dreams you are beginning to have are not something to trifle with. I can tell you are close to seeing a true manifestation of your powers.”

Elise nodded. Ever since the terrible night with Kurt and Seth, visions of war had invaded her dreams. At first, she thought they had something to do with her worries about Kurt, but Morgaine seemed to have other ideas.

“Perhaps you are right, Morgaine. Let’s celebrate, then.”

As soon as they entered the kitchen, the smell of the boar became so irresistible that Morgaine grabbed a knife and carved herself a sample.

“Mmmm…” she hummed. “Now this is how you feed a witch!”

Elise laughed and began carving more meat from the leg. As she looked at the fire, she remembered that the magic candle Morgaine had given her for the Healing Potion was almost burned out.

“Morgaine, before I leave, could you make another candle for me?”

“Anything for you, my darling!”

*****

Elise was just tipsy enough from the brews to make her way back to the castle without assistance. Morgaine had missed her cooking, and she was glad to have left the witch enough meat to feed an army. She suspected the roast would be enough to keep Morgaine well fed for at least a week, if not longer.

Despite Morgaine’s many attempts to distract her and make her forget Kurt, something told Elise she shouldn’t let go of him so easily. Perhaps it was the brews, but she was beginning to feel more hopeful about the whole matter.

The sky had clouded over out of nowhere. She walked back to the castle beneath a light drizzle. As she passed the guards, she greeted them and took the opportunity to inquire about the battle in Noldrin. There was still no news. It had been the same all week. It seemed the only thing she could do was wait.

Back in the confines of her small room, Elise slipped into her chemise and slid beneath the sheets. Bruno shook the rain from his glossy black feathers, and as soon as he was dry, he perched atop the small mirror in the room, closing his eyes so peacefully that Elise wished she could feel half as much.

It was there, with her eyelids as heavy as lead and every raindrop lulling her to sleep, that she fell into a deep slumber. The memory of Kurt never left her mind.

It was then that the first gift from Danu came to her.

Unknown to Elise, Danu, an ever-watchful presence, was just about to give her what her heart desired most. It was not in the exact form Elise would have chosen, but it was exactly what she needed, and the ancient divinity was content to leave the rest in her hands.

Chapter 37

Morgaine had eaten the entire boar after Elise left. Beth’s brews always sharpened her appetite, and she couldn’t bear the thought of that delicious roast sitting abandoned in the kitchen.

At present, she wasn’t sure what exactly was keeping her awake: the boar or the pang of guilt she felt every time Elise mentioned the duke. She could only hope Elise’s beloved would be wise enough to reach an agreement instead of continuing the war. She had tried to hold her tongue, but it was hard not to help when the poor girl was in such a miserable state.

She knew that after the work she had done in Noldrin, there was little hope of Kurt claiming a victory there, but she hadn’t had the heart to tell Elise.

“Ah, that boar!” she whispered to herself, stretching her arms wide across her mattress. “Only Elise knows how to cook an entire animal and make it taste like a small morsel.”

How she had missed that girl. It was no wonder they had kept her at the castle after only one day. Those fairies might be weak and pious, but they were no fools. Even to the least discerning eye, Elise was one of those people the world immediately recognized as special. The girl could have been dressed in rags and still turned a few heads.

Morgaine liked to entertain that thought, remembering of course, the remarkable resemblance between Elise and herself. Every compliment she paid the girl was inadvertently reflected back upon her, which made the whole exercise all the more enjoyable.

She shifted in bed, trying to find the softest spot when an alarming groan stopped her cold. The wicked sound had come from her stomach, and for a moment it paralyzed her. It was the boar working its way through her. Just as she rolled over to reach for a jug of water, her stomach let out another groan, and she saw her Mirror of Daimor come to life.

She lazily threw an arm toward the bedside table and, by some miracle, her hand closed around the glass.