Page 14 of Their Witch Bride

You’re the only person left. It’s your turn. The realization hits me like a horse at full speed and every muscle in my body tenses as all eyes turn to me. If I had any powers at all, I’d shrink to the size of a bug and vanish before all of them.

“Princess Tara, come up here,” my mother says, reaching her hand out to point at me, but her expression is unreadable. It’s the one she has when she talks about battling with the shifters.

Rising, I smile because I have to, not because I want to. Whatever happens, she’s going to be disappointed in me. And when she’s disappointed in me, she hurts me. I don’t want to hurt. I just want to disappear.

Why can’t I ever disappear?

I make my way to her, holding my hand out towards her. She doesn’t take it. She doesn’t smile. She doesn't even look at me. Instead, she faces the crowd and says, “Everyone knows my daughter didn’t exactly take to magic.” She laughs, and the crowd erupts with laughter. My outstretched hand falls to my side.

What is this? The ceremony is always the same. My mother says nice things, things that explain a person’s role, and then she gives the role. People don’t laugh. This is a special moment.

At least it’s supposed to be.

“She’s tried Crystal Magic. Did you all hear the screeching and scraping sound? Yeah, that was when she tried to get them to sing.”

Everyone’s laughing. Edna howls, turning to Lilac and nodding. It’s a joke. On me. That everyone finds funny. I keep my smile in place, tilting my head up higher.

My mother continues. “Remember that time she tried Green Magic?” Laughter breaks out before she reminds them that I was trying to grow one flower, and the entire room exploded with weeds. It had taken half the coven to use their magic to get rid of them.

I hang my head while they continue laughing. It goes on for a full minute before dying down so my mom can list more of my “accolades.”

“How many fires has she started… on accident?” She looks around the crowd. Everyone seems to be recalling an incident. And as each witch in the coven lays their eyes on me and laughs, it feels like tiny knives stabbing me, deflating my joy and excitement. I smile through it. She'd have worse things to say if I cried right now.

And then there would be later. Her words would be harsher. The pain would be worse. I can smile. I can play my role.

“She started a fire a few days ago!” Edna calls out.

My mother looks at her and nods knowingly. Like she wants to say, “Of course she did.” My stomach clenches and sweat dampens the back of my neck, but I don’t drop my smile.

“I’ll never forget when she tried to use Kitchen Magic to make me dinner on Mother’s Day.” She makes a disgusted face. “I thought she was trying to poison me!”

People are laughing so hard they’re crying. One witch falls out of her chair.

I want to sit back down. No. I want to go to my room and hide under my covers. Instead, I laugh too. After all, I am a disaster at magic. It’s not the reputation I’m going for, but it is what it is. I just wish she'd talk about all my beautiful, powerful weapons instead. Or, better yet, I wish she’d get on with it and tell me what I’ve been assigned.

The laughter finally starts to die down.

My mother’s dark gaze falls onto me once more, and in that moment, I hate that our eyes are the same cruel shade of brown. “It’s taken me a while to figure out what to do with her. But I finally got it. The something she’s meant for. She’ll be so good at this, and I’m excited to see how well she’ll do.” Fragile hope flutters to life in my heart. “I know you’re going to make us all proud in this role. I can’t wait for you to take this on.”

I don’t know what I’m even good at, but she’s figured it out. Of course she has! My mother is good at everything. Maybe with her blessing, I can actually be good at this role. Maybe I’ll finally be able to give back to my people.

Something steely and cold flashes across her face, and I have the urge to protect my throat from her for reasons I don’t understand. “Tara…. will be a Peace Bride to the shifters! Surprise, everyone! Today is not just the Crystal Ceremony. It’s also Tara’s wedding!”

SEVEN

Arlys

The witches’ lands are strange. The smells aren’t as vibrant. The scents of green life are dulled by dusty rocks, and the vegetation is built for survival. It’s no desert, but it’s not lush the way the shifter lands are. Surprisingly though, I thought it’d smell more like blood. How can such cruel and evil beings not smell like they’re bathed in the blood of their enemies at all times?

I can’t wait to get out of here.

Glancing at the towers within sight of us, I spot witches watching our party’s every move. There are more witches within the castle walls, all standing at attention, ready to attack should we make the wrong move. Most of my men are lounging near the fountain in the center of the courtyard, eating and drinking cautiously, but only because we have another long journey ahead of us tonight. I can tell even from where I stand that they haven’t let their guard down. If any witch makes the wrong move, we’ll shift, and there will be battle.

Releasing a slow breath, I glance toward Drogo, who paces near me. Drogo is of the Fury Pack, and he has the temper of many of his ancestors before him. Anyone who saw him would be cautious of him. No matter how much I run and fight, his strength could crush me, and I’m a powerful shifter alpha of my own right. What’s more, I swear that on a weekly basis he adds more tattoos to the ones that run over his entire body. He’s a dangerous-looking shifter in a dangerous mood.

All because he’s being forced to marry a fucking witch princess. Him, Rinan, and I, as sons to the alphas of our pack. That was the deal. The only way to make this treaty happen.

I don’t want to marry Princess Tara. None of us do. But our fathers had agreed, and we have to obey our alphas.

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