by Cara E Holt
Mistress Isolde looks deep in thoughts, her hand stroking at her chin. “I am not sure but there is no doubt, Elara is a Bennett.” She looks from Kavan and back to me. “Now I see you both together, I don’t know how I missed the resemblance. The eyes, the hair colour, even the way you both smile.”
Kavan looks at me and offers me a small smile. “At least we know why that kiss did nothing for either of us.”
I grimace. “Please don’t ever mention that kiss to me or anyone ever again.”
He laughs. “Trust me, this stays between us, and well.., now Mistress Isolde as well.”
Isolde holds both her hands out. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear this conversation.”
I stand and smooth out my school pleated skirt. “What happens now? I’m presuming once Drayce’s father gets wind of this the engagement will be off?”
Mistress Isolde walks around to the other side of her desk and takes a seat. She looks weary and drained. “He may, he may not. Look, I will speak to him and try to ensure him that you had no idea.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you to lunch.” Kavan suggests and he stands and waits for me to follow him.
“I’m not sure the lunch hall is a great idea. Everyone will be staring and whispering, and Drayce, I don’t know where this leaves me and Drayce.”
Kavan tugs lightly on a strand of my long hair. “We are family now. I’ll have your back Elara.”
Family. I was a Bennett witch. That’s when reality hits me like a train and I clutch to the back of my chair. “Oh my god, I’m cursed. They all die before they are twenty-one.”
Mistress Isolde swallows and comes around to me and crouches down in front of me. “We don’t know that for sure. Let’s just take one thing at once, okay?”
I nod and let Kavan guide me to the door. “I’ll keep you updated on my conversation with councillor Black and on Lorelai. Elara, if you need to be excused from classes today then that is totally fine.”
As we near the dining hall my steps falter. “I can’t go in there Kavan.”
Kavan steps up to me. “Yes you can Elara. You are a Bennett now, and Bennett witches are strong and don’t run away from their problems. We face them.” He holds the dining hall door open for me.
I chew on my lip as I decide whether to flee or face my demons. “No offence Kavan, but do you mind if we go in separately? This situation is bad enough as it is without me walking in with you.”
Kavan’s green eyes meet mine and it’s only now I can see the similarities. “As you wish Elara, but I won’t be far behind you.”
Nodding, I let out a steadying breath and pull my shoulders back and lift my head high as is stride into the dining hall. The second I walk in the busy and noisy room falls silent and I feel every set of eyes in the room on me, all except one. I side-glance over to his table and he is sat there staring at his food, his jaw is tense. Turning away, I grab some food from the counter and then realise I have a decision to make. I can scurry away to my old table or I can face this. I had no idea who I really was and I shouldn’t let him make such assumptions. He saw how I reacted to finding out my parents were not my real parents. So, I make my way over to his table and feel everyone watching and waiting with baited breath as to how this will play out. I reach the table and everyone who is sat there silently looks from me to Drayce.
“Is there room for one more?”
No one answers, all looking to Drayce to see what he will do.
“Bennett witches are not welcome at this table.” He answers coldly, not even looking up and acknowledging me.
I slam my tray down and placing my hand on the table, I lean down and look at him.
“Really Black? This is how it’s going to go?” The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. “You think if I knew I was a Bennett witch I would be wasting my time here at the academy? Three years Drayce. I just found out that I have three years to live.” My voice wavers with emotion. “I’m cursed to die before I’m twenty-one, and all because a witch fell in love with a vampire. It’s your family that gave me this death sentence. You think I tricked you? That this was an elaborate plan to lift the curse? As if I could ever believe that I could make someone like you fall in love with me.” I break then, a sob bursting out of my chest as the realisation of my situation hits me, and how I had no one to fight for me anymore. Norah was gone, and Drayce had turned his back on me. I look around the room at all the students. “Go on take a good look.”
I feel a hand at my elbow. “Come on Elara.” It’s Kavan; he stands behind me, frowning with disgust at Drayce.
I see Drayce’s jaw clench and he turns and looks at me and then at Kavan. “You need to stay out of this Bennett.”
Kavan glares back at him. “She’s family now, so this has everything to do with me Black.”
Drayce jumps to his feet and shoulders past me and pushes Kavan hard in the chest making him stumble backwards. “What goes on between my fiancé and I has nothing to do with you.”
Kavan shoves him back. “Oh, so you acknowledge she is still your fiancée then?” They both get up in each other’s faces; I’m surprised there isn’t steam coming out of their ears. “My family will never allow this engagement to continue anyway Black. Hell will freeze over before our coven will join with yours. Beside, who wants a bride who’s going to die on you?”
The room freezes, and I stumble backwards as if Kavan has physically punched me in the chest.
Kavan’s face falls ashen, as he tries to step towards me. “Elara I didn’t mean that.”
I step back again and with tears falling down my face, I shake my head. “Just leave me alone all of you.” Turning on my heels, I run out of there as fast as my legs will carry me. I think I hear Drayce call after me. But I could be imagining it. I sprint out into the school grounds and I just run. I have no clue where I am going, but I just run and run until my chest physically hurts. I end up deep into the woods and in my distress, I’m not looking where I am going and I scream in pain when I trip and twist my ankle funny, and I hear it snap like a twig. I fall to the ground and the pain is so severe that I can’t get my breath. I look down at my ankle and the funny angle my foot hangs and darkness consumes me instantly.
Curses can be Nasty Things.
“She’s here. I found her.”
Everywhere is black, but I hear a voice.
“Hell’s spells, she is freezing. Someone give me their coat.” I whimper, as I am lifted and the pain I feel is unbearable. “Careful, her ankle.”
I feel weightless as I slowly open my eyes. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
I look up into the smiling eyes of Thorin. “Thorin. What’s happened?”
“You gave us a fright Latimer. No one could find you.”
I wince in pain as I am jostled as he carries me. “My ankle.” I tell him weakly.
“I know girl, you snapped that well and good huh? We got you now. You’re safe. Close your eyes and sleep.”
Nodding I rest my head on his chest and allow sleep to take me, to take me away from the pain I feel in both my body and my heart.
I open my eyes and wince at how bright the light is. I cover my eyes with my hand as I try to adjust. I look around me, getting my bearings and realise I am in the medical wing of the school. I remember the sound of my foot snapping and the immense pain that came afterwards. I lift the cotton covers and look down at my foot to see it is bandaged heavily. It’s then that I notice Mistress Isolde asleep in a chair at the back of the room.
“Miss.” I say and my voice comes out all croaky and dry. Isolde immediately wakens and sits up sharply and looks surprised when she sees me awake. “Elara.” She comes to my bedside and smiling takes my hand in hers. “How do you feel?”
“Thirsty.” I reply. My throat feels parched.
Mistress Isolde goes over to a jug of water and pours a glass and brings it over to me. I sit up in bed carefully and she places it at my lips. “Slowly.”
I drink the full glass but my
throat still feels dry. “Blood.” I tell her as my throat burns inside.
“Of course. I’m sorry, I should have realised. That is perhaps why you haven’t woken sooner.” She pats my hand. “I’ll call Drayce in. He’s outside in the corridor, he has never left.”
“No.” I try to tell her firmly, but my voice still coming out in a whisper.
Mistress Isolde sighs. “Elara you need to feed. It may take me some time to find someone else we can trust.”
I hate admitting it but she is right, although I am surprised that Drayce would agree, or that he is here. He had made his feelings crystal clear the last time I saw him. “In a glass.” I tell her. I would take his blood but not by the vein, it was too personal. “Not by the vein.”
Isolde nods silently and tells me she will be back shortly. She leaves the room and I hear voices outside the door, followed by raised, angry shouting. I jump as the door swings open and Drayce stands there, he scans the room until he finds mine. “Elara, you’re awake.” He moves towards the bed with a relieved smile on his face, but I hold my hand out and stop him before he reaches me.
“No.” I whisper, shaking my head firmly.
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He looks tired; there are dark circles under his eyes. Ignoring me, he comes and sits on my bed and holds out his wrist. “Close the door.” He orders and I look behind him to see Mistress Isolde close the door on us, hearing the sound of the door locking.
“Drink.” He tells me firmly, and when I shake my head he swears under his breath. “I know you hate me right now, but stop being stubborn and drink. Take it from my wrist if you won’t take it from my neck.”
Stubborn?! I want to reach out and bitch slap him.
“You can call me every name you want to later little raven, but you need blood, so drink.”
I look hungrily at the vein that pulses under his skin, putting my pride aside I take his wrist in my hands and bending my head down, I bite into his vein. I groan as his blood hits my system and feeds me. I don’t give him eye contact as I drink from him. I was still angry and hurt at the way he reacted about my parentage. I pull away when I have had enough and quickly heal the wound.
“Feel better?”
I nod, still looking at anywhere but him. “You can go now.”
He sighs and tries to take my hand, but I move it away before he reaches it. “My family know. They won’t break the engagement.”
I shake my head and snigger. “Am I supposed to be grateful? Let me guess dear dad’s decided it will be good for his political campaign?”
The fact that he doesn’t answer, confirms my suspicions. “Well I’m breaking our engagement.” I attempt to take the ring off my finger, but it is so snug I can’t get it off. “Damn ring.”
He fights a smile, which only angers me more.
“I mean it Black. This is over.”
He shuffles up the bed until he is closer to me and I lean back against my pillows in an attempt to widen the gap between us. “You know as well as I do, that only our parents or our high priestess can break off an engagement.”
I fold my arms and glare at him. “Well then I’ll speak with my parents and make them understand.”
“Is this because you are angry with me? Because, look, I know I fucked up Latimer.”
“It’s Bennett.” I tell him. I actually have no intention of taking on the Bennett name, but I say it to irk him, instead he half smiles.
“Okay Bennett. I know I messed up. I’m sorry okay.”
I gasp and touch my chest in mock surprise. “Did the mighty Drayce Black just apologise?”
Drayce chews on his bottom lips and grins. “Yes Latimer. I’m saying I was wrong. I reacted badly.” He runs a hand through his unruly dark hair. “Look please try to understand that I have been brought up to hate the Bennett’s. From a young age I was taught that they weakened our coven and stopped us from having females in the family line.”
I sit up a bit more in my bed and run a hand through my hair. I likely looked like shit. “I’m going to die soon Drayce. Why would your family want to tie you to someone who isn’t going to be around very long? Or is that it? They only have to tie themselves to us for a short while, it does the trick with the election and then you are free to marry someone more suitable.”
Drayce leans in, placing his arms either side of me on the bed. “You are not going to die little raven.”
“Talk your dad into ending the engagement, or I will tell the Wiccan world that I’m a hybrid.”
Drayce laughs off my threat. “No you won’t, beside that would be like giving yourself a death sentence.”
I shrug and remain impassive. “I’m already dying Drayce. Cursed remember.”I laugh. “Why? Are you going to tell me you love me Drayce and free me from the evil curse?”
He bobs his head side-to-side. “Maybe. Just know that you’re not going anywhere. We will be married next September, and we will be stuck with each other for many years to come.”
“Shoot me now.” I reply with a dramatic eye roll. Yet my traitorous heart flips in joy at his words. I straighten out my bed sheet, nervous that he is leaning in so close and worried that he can see through the facade I am trying to pull off.
“Look at me.” He commands softly as he raises my chin with his fingers. “When no one could find you, I felt sick to my stomach. I thought you had been taken like Norah or that they’d find you drained of magic and the last words I’d said to you had been cruel and hurtful. I was out of my mind with worry. So yes little raven, I do think I am starting to fall for you, and I think you’re falling for me. So one day I’ll be saying those three important words to you and I will be saying them because I mean them, not because I want to save my coven.”
I sit there speechless absorbing everything he has just said, and smiling at my clear shock he leans in and he gently presses his lips against mine. I forget that I am angry and hurt and that I should be distancing myself from him, or to save him the pain of having his fiancé die on him and instead I pull him closer and kiss him back with everything I have in me. He pulls reluctantly away and his eyes burn with passion and want.
“You need to rest. Now I’ve been allowed in here, I’ll be staying.” He points at the empty chair in the room. “I’ll be there when you wake up.”
Yawning, I settle my head back down onto the pillow. “This conversation isn’t over Black.”
He shakes his head as he pulls my covers up over me. “The one where we aren’t engaged is. Now sleep.”
I’m discharged from the medical wing the following morning. True to his word Drayce has not left my room; well accept for toilet breaks and food. He even fetched me a banana milkshake last night. My broken ankle was reset and magic used to heal it, one of the many perks of being a witch. So apart from looking like a character from the rocky horror show I am fine and well. I got to speak to Mum and dad over the phone and they were as shocked as I was about me being a Bennett. Mum was less talkative than dad, I could tell she was frantic with worry about the curse and she also told me that she needed to talk more with me. I pleaded with my parents to call off my engagement to Drayce, but they refused saying it was my engagement that was keeping me safe
Drayce helps me to my feet and keeps a steadying arm at my elbow. “You okay?”
“I’m good. You should know, I’m going back to my old dorm.”
“Oh really?” He asks, brow arched and a cocky expression on his face.
“Yes. Really. What the..,”
Drayce hoists me up and over his shoulder and slaps my bottom. “I think you’ll find you’re sleeping in my bed little raven.”
“Put me down now Drayce.” I tilt my head from where I dangle as I hear laughter at the door. “Thorin help me please? I’m being kidnapped.”
Thorin shakes his head, laughing and moves aside to allow Drayce to pass by him.
“Traitor.” I hiss in defeat as we pass him.
“Sorry Elara, but I’m team Drayce.”
Against my will he carries me through the school grounds and to the senior fire dorm house. We pass students as we go and they look at us in surprise, clearly shocked to see us together. Drayce deposits me none to gently on the sofa and then spells his dorm door so that I cannot leave.
“There we are. My prisoner. Now be a good little fiancé and stay put. I’m going to run you a bath.”
To be fair to him, he does run me a bath. Well, he uses his magic to run me one, but it’s the same thing. He also makes me a hot chocolate with a dash of baileys in, just how I like it and a cheese toasty, before he settles down beside me and gives me the television remote.
“Put whatever you want on.”
“Anything?” I ask grinning. He nods with a sigh, likely knowing I’ll pick something he will hate.
“Elf?”
“Yep. Well it is almost November.”
We settle in to watch the film and I realise how natural and relaxed it feels being here with him like this. I play over his words in my head about him starting to fall for me. All it would take would be for us to say those three little words to each other, and mean them and the curse would be lifted from both covens.
The following morning I am woken by a frantic rapping sound, as I open my eyes and come around I realise the noise is coming from our dorm door. Drayce groans and shoves his head under the pillow. So I guess that means I’m going to have to answer it. I open the door to find Thorin stood there looking like he is ready to burst if I hadn’t answered soon.
“Thorin do you know how early it is?”
“Where’s Drayce?” He peers over my shoulder and looks around the room behind me. “Drayce get your arse out of bed, I have something you both need to hear.”
I hear Drayce pad into the room behind me and I open the door wide and let Thorin in. I follow him over to the sofa and sit on the coffee table in front of him, as Drayce perches on the arm, stretching and yawning.
