The Witch's City

by M. Gregg Roe

  Siljan seated herself next to Aliva as she thought about what to say. She glanced at Aliva’s chest and decided to ask something that she had been wondering about. “Doesn’t wrapping them up like that hurt?”

  Aliva glanced down briefly. “Yes. They’re too big. I hate them. I hate being half demon.”

  Siljan felt guilty as she looked into Aliva’s despondent face. Her attempt to change the subject had gone badly wrong, depressing her friend even further. She kept forgetting just how different Aliva had become.

  Aliva had arrived in Andoran’s Realm a vivacious teenage girl blessed with the voluptuous curves and incredibly beauty that typified a half-succubus. She had flaunted her body, wearing tight and revealing clothing that she had made herself. Sexy and shameless, she flirted with nearly everyone.

  But that was before. The untimely death of Aliva’s mother affected her deeply. Now she sought to hide her looks, to blend in instead of stand out. Liveliness had given way to sadness and depression.

  “Isadora figured out my issue with approaching men,” Siljan said, answering Aliva’s original question.

  “Isn’t that a good thing? You don’t sound happy.”

  “It’s both good and bad,” Siljan explained.

  Her date with Gustav had been surprising in many ways. Even though his quarters were attached to the winery, she had never been inside before. He cooked them a surprisingly tasty dinner (served with wine, of course). Then they just sat and talked. She learned things about him and answered his questions about her. Things progressed nicely from there, culminating in mutually-pleasurable intimacy. And she hadn’t been nervous at all.

  Siljan sighed. “Apparently, I have to know a man as a friend first. Then maybe it can lead to intimacy or romance.”

  Aliva frowned as she thought it over. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Isn’t it better to know them first?”

  “It probably is,” Siljan admitted. “But I’ve always thought I’d be having lots of casual sex before I finally found someone and settled down.”

  “Was that what your mother did? I know she was a barmaid.”

  The question shocked Siljan. She didn’t even like to think about her parents having sex with each other, let alone with other people. Now she was both curious if her mother had been promiscuous, and afraid of what the answer might be.

  “I don’t know,” Siljan finally replied. “You have a point.”

  Aliva turned back to look out at the spectacular view of the Valena River and the hills beyond. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “Lower my expectations,” answered Siljan as she watched a robin in a nearby tree. “Julien and Gustav are the only men I work with regularly, and I really don’t have time to get chummy with any of the guards or staff.” There was also the fact that many of them seemed to dislike her.

  “I should have left when everyone else did,” said Aliva, still staring at the scenery. “I stayed because I was worried about Ariel, but she’s better now.”

  That had been a surprise to all of them. “That’s true. And all it took was letting her go berserk and kill a bunch of undead.” But her comment didn’t even make Aliva smile.

  “I’m working on dresses for Alessandra and Isadora now as a thank you. When they’re done, I think I’ll go back to the Witch’s City.”

  “Demon dresses like mine? And what about Ariel?”

  “She doesn’t want one. They will be demon dresses, as you call them, but not like yours. I design them for the person.”

  Siljan had thought that her dress was similar to the one that Aliva made for Audrey, but when she thought about it, there were some significant differences. Her own dress displayed some cleavage, but it showed off her legs almost to an embarrassing extent. Audrey’s, on the other hand, showed off her ample breasts and slim waist. They really were different.

  “I can’t wait to see them,” she told Aliva.

  “It shouldn’t be much longer. The last caravan brought the fabric I needed.” Aliva turned and looked directly at her. “Siljan, there’s something I want you to promise me.”

  “What?”

  “If my demon half ever completely takes over—if I become like Larna—then promise that you’ll kill me. For good.”

  There didn’t seem to be any choice. “I promise. We won’t let you hurt people.”

  “Thank you.”

  Siljan didn’t know what else to say, so she just sat by her half-demon friend and watched the sunset.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  After lunch, Gabriel went outside to the market. It was a pleasant day, slightly cool and partly cloudy, and he was in a good mood. Walking around, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with an all too familiar figure. As always, Mianna was dressed in what was basically her uniform—dark gray shirt and pants with black leather shoes. She was reasonably pretty, with short dark hair and striking blue-gray eyes. Despite being a decade older, Mianna was determined to date him. And the first time she asked him, he made an unwise decision that he still regretted.

  “Gabriel,” said Mianna with a knowing smile that made him uncomfortable. “Good afternoon. Would you care to have dinner with me this evening?”

  “Good afternoon, Mianna. I regret that I am unable to accept your offer at this time.”

  “Polite as always. Go on.”

  That was the hard part. He needed to come up with a different excuse each time. He had promised Mianna to go on a date with her if he was unable to come up with a new excuse. He still wasn’t sure how she had managed to get him to promise that, but he had, and he wasn’t about to break his word. There was also no avoiding her. She knew where he lived and his usual schedule.

  “I don’t have all day,” she told him as she crossed her arms. “I have work this afternoon.”

  Gabriel kept a list of the excuses he had used in his room, but he didn’t carry it with him. Mianna wouldn’t permit him to look at the list, so there was no point. But he reviewed it regularly and also kept a list of new excuses. One of those came readily to mind.

  “My father is very unhappy with his job. I need to spend time comforting him this evening.”

  Mianna dropped her arms and narrowed her eyes. “That’s new, but is it really true? Lies don’t count.”

  “I am aware of that. My father Mardan truly is unhappy, and there is a council meeting this afternoon. Lately, he has been depressed after every such meeting. We usually go to a tavern and speak afterward.”

  Mianna laughed. “All right; you win. How many is that now?”

  “Eleven.”

  “I’ll get you eventually, Gabriel. There are real advantages to dating an older woman, you know.” She smiled saucily. “We’re more experienced. Sexually experienced.”

  Gabriel could feel himself blushing as Mianna laughed and said, “I will definitely be the one to get you. You’re so much fun. Take care!”

  “Take care, Mianna,” he replied as she walked off with a self-satisfied smile.

  “Another close call, big brother?”

  Gabriel looked over at his sister Marryn’s amused face. “No,” he insisted, “I was prepared.”

  Marryn rolled her eyes. “Just go out with her. She’s pretty. You don’t have to have sex with her. Wait. I forgot. You’re so polite that if she asks you’ll just give in.”

  “No, I would not.” Gabriel was beginning to feel annoyed.

  “Yes, you would! What are you afraid of? Maybe she’s the perfect woman for you. How are you ever going to find out if you don’t start dating? I would be dating a different man every night if our parents would allow it. I can’t wait to turn sixteen!”

  Gabriel was well aware that his parents lived in dread of that day. “I will start dating eventually, Marryn. Stop pestering me.”

  Marryn shook her head. “Fine. Just don’t blame me if all of the good ones are taken by then.”

  Gabriel sighed as his sister walked away. Marryn would probably marry the first wealthy man that showed interest. That was
very sad in his opinion. He pitied both her and the one she eventually married.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey thought Erwin looked quite fetching as he sat across from her at the small table at Lucien’s. His hair looked somewhat disheveled, but it almost always did. More brown and curly hair was exposed by his elegant light blue shirt’s collar, to her delight.

  She hadn’t worn her gold dress, with its low-cut front and short skirt, but Erwin wasn’t complaining. What she had worn was basically an invitation for men to stare at her and women to give her either disapproving looks or ask her where she had bought it. She had dithered for quite a while before squeezing herself into the dress that Aliva had made for her. Being ogled was embarrassing, but the interest her dress was attracting boded well for her planned dress business.

  Erwin took a slow drink of his rice wine and then gestured at her. “So, how long until that dress explodes off you or you just pass out?” he asked casually.

  Audrey laughed and took a sip from her own goblet. “It’s definitely not my most comfortable dress. I’ll be needing to take it off after dinner.”

  “And I will be happy to assist you,” he told her with an eager smile.

  Audrey returned his smile. She was very much looking forward to taking Erwin back to her cottage after dinner. He had promised something new and unusual. But it wasn’t all about that. Erwin had asked about Violet and about Audrey’s family. He always expressed an interest in her personal life and asked her many questions. Saxloc rarely did. The mere mention of her family or something like sewing caused him to look bored.

  “Based on your description,” said Erwin thoughtfully, “I have seen the young woman that made that dress. She was dressed lewdly and had huge breasts. Everyone was staring at her.”

  “That’s her,” agreed Audrey. “Although she rarely dresses like that now. She should be coming here this Summer. I’ll introduce you.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  Audrey leaned slightly forward. “How are things going in Rohoville? With your business, I mean.”

  “Quite well. The factory just started operation, and the shop should open within a month or so.”

  “And then what?” She was hoping that he would move back to the Witch’s City.

  Erwin frowned. “I’m not sure. I’d like to supervise things for a while, but that’s really up to company management.”

  “I see.” What he really meant was that it was up to his family. They ran the business.

  “Audrey, I’m not planning on staying away permanently. I want to move back here. I want to be near you.”

  His statement thrilled her, but it also raised questions. “What about all those other women you’re seeing?” she asked seriously.

  Erwin looked off to the side briefly and sighed. “There isn’t anyone else right now. There hasn’t been for some time.” He looked at her intently. “I’m not going to pressure you for an answer, but I am certain now.” He reached out and took her right hand in both of his. “Audrey, you are the one that I want to marry.”

  “What?” Audrey’s heart had begin to pound rapidly, but it was panic, not joy, that she felt.

  “I can see that I’ve startled you,” he said gently as he released her hand. “Just give it some thought. I don’t need an answer soon. Take your time.”

  “Uh … okay.”

  Audrey spent the rest of their meal in a daze. It was flattering, but completely unexpected. She didn’t know what to do.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  It was a place that Saxloc had walked by but never entered, let alone eaten in. The weatherworn sign hanging by the entrance was barely legible, displaying only a single word and a crude drawing of three dice, each displaying six pips on the top face. Lucky’s was a small tavern—very small, with only a single short bar and three private booths in the back. On the way, Rosalind had explained that she was familiar with the place because it was close to where she had grown up.

  Rosalind’s appearance was a surprise, wearing a slinky black dress with a low-cut front. She had been letting her hair grow out and it looked both neat and stylish, nicely framing her face. He could even see that she had used some makeup, which was probably his mother’s doing.

  Once inside, they were soon seated in a booth that had been reserved for them. A smiling, middle-aged woman brought them tankards of apple juice and simply told them that the food would be ready shortly. Rosalind had apparently prearranged everything.

  Saxloc took a drink of his juice and was surprised to find that it was actually apple cider, and fairly strong. Rosalind smiled and took a drink of her own. “They make the cider themselves,” she explained. “The owner owns part of an orchard.”

  “It’s good,” said Saxloc before taking another sip. He meant it. It was the best apple cider he had ever tasted.

  Rosalind took a long drink and then carefully placed her tankard in front of her. “I always used to wonder why I never got drunk like everyone else, but now I know. My body doesn’t absorb the alcohol.”

  Saxloc wasn’t sure what to say. Rosalind had accepted her condition without being devastated by it as they had all feared. He had certainly been impressed.

  They both drank more cider, and he could see that she was trying to decide what to say next, briefly rubbing her left wrist before stopping abruptly. “Saxloc, I want to apologize. I pursued you for the wrong reasons. My family’s reasons. Stupid reasons, I now realize. It wasn’t fair to you and I’m sorry.”

  He knew that she was talking about her family’s odd views. “I’m actually the one that asked you out,” he reminded her.

  “Only because I was too shy. I kept waiting on you and hoped you would ask. I had already researched your family history.”

  That was something he had suspected. “I confess that one of the reasons I asked you out was so that I could date someone shorter than me.”

  “Really?” He thought the smile on her face was adorable.

  “Yes. It’s annoying sometimes that Audrey is taller. The man is supposed to be taller.”

  “That’s what you get for dating a human. And one that’s taller than average.”

  Saxloc sighed. “I know, but—” He bit it off for fear of offending Rosalind.

  “But you love her. I know, Saxloc. I’m ashamed of how I behaved, trying to make you give her up for me. I know Audrey well now. I like her.”

  “And she likes you,” he added.

  Rosalind nodded and took another drink. “I will be moving out before long. I have actually been gaining a little weight, so something we’re trying is working. I like the place that your parents found for me. And I’ll be working part-time for your father’s charity as a shop clerk. What could be more perfect?”

  Saxloc matched her smile. He had only recently found out that his father ran a charity and then shocked both his parents by donating to it. “I’m glad to hear it, Rosalind. I’m certain that we will still be seeing each other. After all, we now have the same magic instructor.”

  “So we do. I really like your grandfather. He’s cute.” Rosalind paused briefly and pursed her lips. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. Once I’ve learned more magic, I may try to become a cleric. I would like to help people.”

  Saxloc was having difficulty picturing Rosalind as a priestess, but he was impressed. “If you do, then they would teach you magic as part of your training. They could even provide you with a place to stay.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said with a thoughtful look. “I’ll have to look into it. I should have talked to Branwyn when she was here. She was very nice to me.”

  The woman returned with plates of mutton stew served over brown rice. It both looked and smelled appetizing. The two of them commenced eating, and he wasn’t surprised that she finished first. After Rosalind paid for the meal, they donned their cloaks and departed.

  “I have a favor to ask,” she said as they began to walk toward the city wall. He was letting her lead and assumed that she
wanted to go for a walk before returning to the mansion.

  “Yes? What is it?”

  “Can I stay in your room tonight? Just this once? It’s been a while since I … copulated, as Audrey’s friend Cinda calls it. I kind of like that word. I’ve already taken AP powder, in case you’re worried.”

  Saxloc looked over at her earnest and wide-eyed expression. Before, he had wanted to avoid such a thing, fearing that Rosalind might trap him by becoming pregnant. But now, she had changed and that was no longer a risk. This was a new Rosalind and an attractive one. And as much as he loved Audrey, he knew that Erwin was the one that she really loved.

  “Rosalind, I do like you, and I will be happy to grant your favor.”

  She grabbed his arm and smiled up at him, making him very happy.

  19

  ‡ Witches ‡

  The pounding on the front door matched the throbbing in her head as Audrey opened her eyes and blinked. It was so overcast that she really couldn’t tell what time it was other than that it was well past dawn. Glancing to her right, she saw Erwin sleeping on his right side, apparently still asleep. She was lying on her back, uncomfortably close to the left edge of the bed. As much as she loved her cottage, the one thing she really wished it had was a larger bed. It was just too small for two people to sleep in comfortably. But a larger bed really wouldn’t fit in the cottage’s small bedroom.

  Audrey carefully pulled back the quilt covering the two of them, admiring Erwin’s bare back and behind as she climbed out. After pulling on her robe, she walking out into the main room through the already-open bedroom door. Audrey’s jaw dropped open as she opened the front door of her cottage and stared at her unexpected visitor. Ermizad’s red hair was braided into a thick ponytail, and she was dressed more conservatively than Audrey had ever seen her, clad in a beige shirt, dark green pants, and leather boots. The woman smirked as Audrey continued to stare in shock, suddenly all too aware that she wasn’t wearing anything under her robe.