Page 62 of The Fearless Witch

Chapter 26

Samara

“Here goes nothing,” I murmured as I looked around the thick forest surrounding me. The place was quiet and dark, making the whirlpool of thoughts and questions in my head seem even louder. The pounding had returned, if only a little more bearable now, but I was sure it was just a matter of time before I needed something extra to stay focused. I only hoped that ‘extra’ thing was in the form of a spell that the oldest, most powerful witch in the world could conjure.

A sound on my left made me freeze. I sent a sliver of magic out to find what was stalking me. According to Paula’s surveillance, a large portion of the shifters that had been expelled from the city had settled in these parts. I knew from Regina that this was Roman’s territory, even if technically, everything was under his butler’s name. I had to admit it was a smart move since now, aside from the magical wards around the place, he had another layer of protection. Magic couldn’t stop a vampire, but they needed to be invited into a house by its owner, so this way, his lair was protected from all manners of supernatural creatures.

My eyes landed on the fox that peeked from behind one of the trees, studying me with dark, curious eyes. For a moment, I thought it was Regina’s familiar, but then I remembered how she screamed when the creature died. I had never felt such anguish and pain in her voice before.

I shook my head to get rid of any thoughts of her and resumed my walk.

I had expected there to be more people around, considering the large number of shifters that lived in the city, but I had only sensed a few, as I evaded them from afar.

A soft orange glow emanated from the ward surrounding the heart of Roman’s property when my magic brushed over it, but there was no further reaction. Nothing was going to happen when I crossed it either, as long as I held no ill intent, except that Roman would know exactly where and who was entering his lands.

I could only hope he wouldn’t kill me on sight because, short of dying, setting Mathias loose on the world was the worst thing that could happen today.

Rolling my shoulders back, I tried to disperse any hesitation from my mind. This was my only option and as much as it pained me, I had to admit that my hatred for the Ancient one might have been… a little misplaced.

Considering everything I had witnessed Regina do while playing the role of the benevolent Head Witch that only thought about the good of her Coven… I was starting to question what I was told about Celeste. But most importantly, I trusted my family, my real family.

I might not have seen them for over ten years, but I refused to believe they had changed that much. The family I knew was warm, good, and fair. If they were willing to tie themselves to her, to wear her mark for everyone to see, and put their lives in danger for her… then she couldn’t be the irredeemable monster everyone painted her to be.

An icy chill crawled down my spine when I passed through the ward.

‘There is no going back now,’ I told myself as I continued to walk toward the mansion that I could faintly feel with the help of my magic. The moment I was close enough to see patches of the giant black building through the trees, I let go of my powers. I didn’t want to appear threatening, and they wouldn’t work on a vampire, anyway.

The house had an old-fashioned feel to it, and all those dark stones and panels, large windows, and intricate decorations made it look oddly elegant in its somber beauty. The spacious yard with gravel and a giant fountain in the middle left no space for hiding, especially with all the light spilling from the windows and the garden lamps set up meticulously around the path.

The second I stepped away from the treeline, I raised my hands in surrender.

I barely had time to blink between the opening of the front door and the moment a set of icy-cold fingers wrapped around my throat. I had purposely chosen to come here during the night so he would feel in control, but I was starting to regret that.

Pain exploded at the back of my head when he slammed me against one of the trees, squeezing my windpipe until I was sure it was going to snap. I kicked with my feet in search of the ground, but he was holding me too high to reach it.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.” Roman bared his fangs at me, his eyes flashing bright red. Fear coiled in my gut as I watched the monster emerge, evoking memories of Regina’s warnings about the undead.

I distantly realized I was trembling, but I fought to find my voice.

“I…” I started, but I didn’t have enough air to speak. Even as his hold loosened a fraction, my head continued to spin, the words coming jumbled and barely articulate. “If I die… a male witch… set free… the world...”

Roman blinked several times like he couldn’t understand what I was saying, then suddenly, his eyes narrowed. He slammed me against the tree again, his fingers digging into my throat until the skin broke under his nails. Panic filled my chest, fear like I had never felt before squeezing my heart. I hit his hand in desperation, trying to get him to release me. I couldn’t die here, not yet, not before doing something.

Roman didn’t budge.

“I’m not… lying!” I rasped, tears stinging my eyes. “Please… help… me!”

His face was so close, all I could see was red. I closed my eyes, letting out a desperate whimper as I whispered a prayer to the Hallowed Goddess to protect my family from what was to come. Time seemed to slow while I waited for the blow when suddenly, Roman snarled and dropped me.

My feet buckled and I crashed to the ground, gasping for air.

“If you’re lying to me, death would be a mercy you will not be granted,” he said, and despite the even tone of his voice, I knew he meant it. His eyes were calm, if guarded, but what surprised me the most was that he didn’t look shocked at all.

Every supernatural creature in the world knew the danger a male witch posed. Even vampires were not immune to their power. So why wasn’t he more bothered?

“I’m not… lying,” I whispered hoarsely. Roman just cocked his head to the side.

The cobblestones dug into my knees, but I ignored the pain as I pushed myself up.

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