Chapter 125: Hurry
"You are in quite a hurry..."
The voice came from behind her, and though it was laced with amusement, the great witch nearly jumped out of her skin.
Her body jerked in surprise, and before she knew it, she had lost her balance and landed squarely on her backside with a soft thud. The shock left her heart racing and her back aching...
She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, willing it to slow, and glared up at the man now standing over her.
"Your Highness," she said breathlessly and lowered her head in a half-bow even from where she sat on the floor. "You startled me."
Zen tilted his head slightly and gave a grin as he placed his hands on his hips and questioned,"I startled you? I think it’s the other way around. The sun hasn’t even thought of rising, and you’re already here to drag me off on a journey, Madam Witch?"
She shook her head and frowned. "You can address me as Miss Dorothy or Miss Green. I am not Madam Witch. As for dragging you off right away, Your Highness. I didn’t come for that reason. I..." She hesitated, glancing awkwardly at the ground before adding in a smaller voice, "Could you perhaps help me up first? I am already ninety and it is not easy for me to stand up..."
For a moment, Zen only watched her, his eyes glinting faintly in the dim pre-dawn light. Then he sighed and reached out his hand toward her. "Sure."
But before she could take his hand, something in her expression shifted. Her eyes went wide and her body stiffened as if she had just seen something she shouldn’t have. Zen noticed it immediately. He followed her gaze downward- to his wrist.
His brow furrowed. "What is it?" he asked, his tone no longer teasing.
The witch said nothing and let Zen help her up. Her palms were still trembling slightly as she dusted off her robes, and stole a quick glance at his wrist again.
"Your Highness," she began carefully, "Where did you buy this bracelet?"
Zen frowned and had to suppress the urge to hide his hand behind his back. Instead of answering, he questioned back, "This bracelet? Why?"
Her eyes flickered with something he couldn’t quite name and there was a gleam in her eyes as if fascinated.. She stepped a closer, as if to get a better look and he even noticed her fingers twitching at her side as if she wanted to touch it..
"I was just curious..." she murmured, her tone uneven. "It has... a special stone."
Zen’s brows drew together. The way she said it, reverent and almost covetous, made something tighten in his chest. Slowly, he moved his hand behind his back wanting to hide it from her.
The witch blinked, realizing too late how she must have looked. She quickly lowered her eyes and tried to look only curious...
Zen watched her for a moment longer before replying evenly, "It was a gift from someone."
Zen watched her expression and knew that she was not going to let this matter rest here and that she would question him more. So, he changed the subject, "So, what brings you here? I thought we planned to leave in two hours from now..."
"I wanted to meet Emira before we leave," Miss Green said at last, clasping her hands together as she tried to sound casual.
"Meet her? Why?"
Already Zen could see the witch’s mind working to come up with a lie and stared at the woman, waiting. She might be the Great Witch but there was no way he was letting her see the little fire until he was sure that she was not a threat to her, especially after the council asking for them to break the bond yesterday.
She opened her mouth, but before she could form an answer, a faint sound echoed from the inside and both of them turned.
Emira stepped into view, her hair loose around her shoulders, a pale shawl wrapped tightly around her arms against the cold morning air. She looked tired and her expression was distant as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
Zen clenched his hands. He’d hoped that she would not wake up alone in bed, when he’d gone out earlier but it seemed that had indeed been the case.
Before he could say a word to her, he noticed the greet witch’s eyes light up with something sharp . Her old body moved faster than seemed possible for her age- she almost ran, her limp barely slowing her down as she reached for Emira.
"Miss Emira," she called breathlessly,"I would like a moment of your time."
Emira blinked in confusion, at the sudden intrusion and then looked up at the older woman. "I-of course, Miss Green, but-"
Before either Zen or Emira could protest, the witch looped her arm through Emira’s and started leading her away.
Her grip was surprisingly firm for someone so frail. Emira hesitated for a heartbeat, glancing back at Zen, who only sighed and crossed his arms.
"Don’t wander too far," he said loudly before moving to lean against a tree.
Miss Green didn’t answer. She was already steering Emira down a side path that curved around the woods. When they were far enough that they would not be overheard, she said, " Miss Emira.I wanted to ask you something. About the ruins. The princes have already told me everything they could, but I wanted to hear it from you."
Emira frowned faintly. "From me?"
"You were born in the Moonville Pack, weren’t you?" the witch pressed gently. "You might know details that others overlook."
Emira’s gaze drifted to the ground as they walked, her thoughts briefly flickering to darker memories, She shook her head after a moment. "Nothing, really. All I know is that only Omegas are ever sacrificed there. There have been countless disaster stories related to the Ruins but they are most stories than truth."
The witch’s step faltered slightly and her fingers tightened around Emira’s arm. Her eyes grew distant, calculating. "Only Omegas..." she repeated under her breath the words. "I see."
They walked a few more steps before the woman spoke again, more quietly this time. "Miss Emira, is there a witch near the Moonville Pack?"
Emira blinked in surprise at the sudden question, suddenly feeling wary.. "There was one," she said slowly. "She was quite old. I stayed with her for a few years after my mother passed away. But she went away about two years ago and never returned."
"I see," Miss Green asked in a thoughtful tone. Then her next question came even softer, yet it carried an unmistakable weight. "Was she the one who told you about the ancient magic for slave bonding?"
Emira’s steps slowed. For a second, her pulse spiked and her throat felt dry. She hadn’t expected that question. The witch’s gaze on her was too intent, too perceptive.
She hesitated, searching for a safe way to answer because not answering would only make things worse. So she forced a small nod and replied, "Yes. She had an old book... I only read a few pages of it, but she said it was written by one of the first witches of the Moon Goddess."
Miss Green’s lips curved faintly, though her expression was hard to read, "An ancient book," she echoed, her eyes distant again.
They were now near the edge of the courtyard, and Emira realized Zen had followed them with his eyes the whole time as if he didn’t entirely trust the old witch’s intentions. The realization made her even more uneasy and she wondered if she had done the right thing by hiding the truth.
Miss Green seemed to notice that she was being suspicious too so, she blinked, as though waking from deep thought, and reached out her hand, "You are a good person, Miss Emira." She reached out and gently patted Emira’s head, "Thank you for your help."
Emira nodded awkwardly. "It’s nothing, really..."
The witch smiled faintly but her mind was elsewhere as she slipped something in her hand into the robe for safekeeping.
She then turned to the Prince and smiled, " Your Highness. I am sure you must be eager to be with Miss Emira to say godbye. I won’t disturb the two of you."
She turned around and quickly walked away to make her escape but then Prince Zen’s voice stopped her.