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The castle was darkening quickly. Quicker than I thought possible. I threw myself down the stairs and back towards the main doors of the castle, turning left down the corridor that led to my chamber. The very same hallway I had been dragged down upon my arrival. Returning to this room was easier than expected, but studying ones surroundings was one of mothers many lessons. And it was now being put to good use.
By the time I entered the room and turned to close the door behind me, I was certain I saw a figure standing at the other end of the corridor.
I did not wait long to be sure of it.
My hands shook as I pulled the key from my pocket, locking the door with awkward fingers. I left the key in the lock to ensure no one could undo it from the other side.
Knowing the power was in my hands, I calmed, pressing a hand against my heart in hopes it would still.
“Get it together…” I hissed, almost laughing at the fear that had found comfort in me. “If he saw me now he would think me pathetic.”
Good.The thought passed through my mind.That is how you want him to see you.
The room was dark. Void of light which made the room seem endless as the corners were lost to the shadows. It was a long while since I was fearful of the dark — a luxury I was not blessed to have. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I remembered the scorning Mother gave me as a child who struggled to sleep without candlelight.
Do not fear the shadows, for they do not fear you.But what Mother seemed to forget was it was not the dark that frightened me as a child. It was the creature that was warned to command the shadows.
And now I was in his domain.
4
The creature did not show himself for two nights. And with the time that passed, my anxiety blossomed into a wildflower. Silence bathed the castle both day and night. I hardly slept, constantly waiting for some sign of life. During the daylight the girl did not return, and nor did the beast during the night.
I was alone and it did not fill me with comfort.
Although the castle was seemingly silent and empty, the dining hall was refilled every day when I visited.
So I kept myself busy with eating and drinking. Hardly bothering to investigate the castle beside my chamber and the room that was filled with delicious food.
By the arrival of the third night, I was desperate. Enough to take the scrying bowl from the sack that had been left untouched since I had arrived. It was time to consult with the coven. For guidance, not sympathy at my predicament. Mother was not capable of the latter.
I made sure the door was locked, twice, before calling upon the element of water to open the window required for communication. With one hand gripped on the handle and the other pressed against the door, I pushed and twisted. But the door stayed shut.
It was the only privacy I could ensure. And using my magic was a risk I was willing to take.
Set upon the unmade bed, with the bowl between my crossed legs, I reached out to the water. I closed my eyes to connect with it better. Removing such a mundane sense always helped me connect with my magic. And water was the trickster of the elements. I needed to focus as much as I could for this to work.
Water hung in the air around me. Hidden from sight, but there nonetheless. With my palm held above the bowl, I urged the element to heed my call.
The cold trickle of moisture pooled above my hand in a sphere. It spun, an orb of azure that sloshed in a larger ball the more I pulled from the air around me. Once it swelled, the air dry to the taste, I urged the water into the scrying bowl where it settled. Not a droplet misplaced.
To scry was simple. Look upon the waters cast by a witch and that or who you most desire will be shown. I had done it a few times before. It was easier to visualise my goal in my mind’s eye before coaxing it into the water.
I stared at my face among the rippling blue. At my dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes glaring back at me. The same as my mother’s. “Show yourself,” I commanded, to the water, to Mother, to my reflection.
The command was simple. A snap of will that soon shattered the surface of the water until a face, not much different than my own, looked up at me.
“You should be preoccupied making the creature fall in love with you. I did not think it possible for you to have such time to waste this early on in your task. Why do you call on me so soon?”
I kept my face straight as I replied, “For council.”
“I do not like the sound of that, Jak.”
“Then you really will not like what I have to tell you.”
She knew instantly. I could see it from the slant of her mouth and the pinch of her stare. “Need I remind you that there is no room for failing your task, Jak.”
“I know the outcome well, Mother. This is not the reminder I have called you upon for. I need advice.”
