Page 21 of Witch’s Ruin

The youngest girl, a curvy blonde with a round, friendly face, burst into fits of laughter. “Oh, I bet the king is falling over with fury. His own son! A loathsome wielder. What can he be thinking about that?!”

Mina’s mouth twitched in response to the obvious sarcasm. She said, “I assure you, he’s quite beside himself with disgust.” In a matter of seconds, these witches had put her at ease. It wasn’t anything like when they’d encountered Helena, Ena’s best friend.

“Well, come, sit, let us have introductions. I’m afraid some of our group are currently away, but I’m sure you’ll meet them later. Are you staying here at the inn, dear? Did Margaret get you set up with rooms?”

“Oh.” Mina hesitated. “Actually, we’re staying at the palace.”

“The palace? Right under the king’s nose!” said the woman with the curly black hair. Her eyes danced with mirth. “How very delightful.”

“That’s Elianna,” said the witch who appeared to be the matriarch.

“Pleasure to meet you, Elianna,” Mina said.

“Viktor is out—my wielder—otherwise I’d introduce you.” Elianna shrugged, like it was no matter. She shifted over, patting the space beside her. “But you can sit with me. I don’t bite.”

Mina accepted. He waited to see her settled before striding across the room and snatching a wooden chair. He carried it over and flipped it around, straddling it. From his place at the edge of the circle, he had a good vantage point of the entire room.

“Well then. My name is Mya,” said the oldest witch. “I’ve been keeping this lot in line for years. They come and go, occasionally, taking other assignments. But Josette—she’s out at the moment—has been here nearly as long as I have.”

“I’m Anne,” the curvy blonde spoke up. “Got assigned here a few years ago.”

“I…I think I remember seeing you in the Citadel,” Mina said.

“You probably did,” said Anne, smiling, pleased to be remembered. “I only bonded with my wielder three years ago.”

“And the quiet one there,” Mya said, “is Lola. That’s her wielder, Julian.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Lola, Julian,” said Mina. They both offered her nods.

“The other brute there is my wielder,” Mya continued. “Flynn.” Mina nodded in greeting towards Flynn, who gave a bob of his head.

Rixon hadn’t met either wielder. They hadn’t crossed paths in his time at the Citadel, nor in the wild, and since Flynn had been stationed here for what appeared decades, it wasn’t a surprise.

He couldn’t help the way his eyes lingered over the wielders present. It was a natural inclination, to size himself up. After years of training in a competitive atmosphere, the habit was hard to break.

“Josette and Odell will be back later, as are Ronan—that’s Anne’s wielder—Cayden, Lucas, and Viktor.”

“I look forward to meeting them,” Mina said, politely. “Now, what can you tell me about the demons in the city?”

“Oh!” A laugh burst from Anne’s lips. Her cup of tea stalled before it reached her mouth. “I like her already. Straight and to the point.”

“Be quiet, Anne,” Elianna admonished. “Not everyone prefers your level of frivolous conversation, darling.”

Anne merely shrugged a shoulder.

“Well,” said Mya, turning serious. “It’s a horrible thing, what’s happening here. Demons roaming city streets. Witches forced to leave them be, or suffer the consequences. Humans pay the price. It all started about eight weeks ago? Give or take?”

“No issues before that?”

“Never,” said Mya. “Been here a long time. Never saw a demon within the city before that. It started slow. A couple demons cropping up, here and there.”

“Huh.” Mina scowled. “And now?”

“A daily occurrence.”

“Daily?!” Anne snorted. “Nightly, Mother Mya!” Anne glanced at Mina, adding, “She’s not really my mother, she just mother-hens us.”

Mya sighed, long and drawn out. “Anne is correct. They usually appear around or after nightfall. King imposed the curfew almost as soon as it started.”