Page 232 of His Blazing Witch

“Are you sure? Those witches want to get inside Silver City, and the barrier is almost gone…”

“I... I have a feeling it's all connected actually. The witches' interest in Silver City, the curse, and me. Even your presence in Silver City... I'm sure there's something bigger we haven’t grasped yet. But my gut tells me it's all linked, and maybe those other witches know more too.”

“If you manage to make them talk, that is.”

“I know, Selena, but I should at least try. It's obvious they aren't fond of werewolves. They don't like me either, but... maybe I'll find common ground for us to exchange info.”

“Oh, whatever. You're the witch, and it's not like you'll let us stop you anyway.”

“Alright, but stay with Liam, okay? ...I feel your new bond, I'm so happy for you two!”

“Thank you, Nora,”I blush.

“We'll celebrate when those two come back alive from the border! I can't believe Liam found a more stubborn mate than him... You're the most reckless pair I know, and that's saying a lot.”

I chuckle, but basically, they gave me all their support, if I needed any. We keep chatting about the curse, what I found out, and how it correlates to their story. Nora agrees with my theory that Diane's children probably weren't as miraculous as having no father at all, but Selena is skeptical of Danica's role.

“In my opinion, it would have made even more sense that the betrayed one was Nephera's birth mother. She left her daughter to Danica, didn't she? I don't believe Danica would have raised a child that wasn't hers if something big hadn't happened. Moreover, she almost sent her away as soon as she could.”

“She sent her to Silver City,” adds Nora. “It would all come back around... and she would have sent Nephera away so she wasn't cursed by staying around?”

“That's a lot of ifs once again, but at least with that curse, a lot of things make more sense!”

“Even for my parents…”

“Nora?”

“Nothing, Mara, don't worry. Thank you for sharing this information, though. I'll think on it a little, I feel like it might explain more than we think!”

“Don't think too much, Nora, I'd rather think about it in a more practical way. Let's see how it goes for Mara at the border before we agonize over a legend, okay?”

“I know, I know…”

The two of them agree on asking me to be careful, but that's a given. I can't help but smile throughout our conversation. I feel like I’ve gained two more older sisters, and it's rather nice... In the end, Selena still insists that she will put some of her wolves on standby near the northern border, and asks some to go to the university, just to accompany Kelsi and Ben if they need more backup. Strangely, I feel like there isn't an ounce of animosity left in her behavior toward me. Since the curse left my body, or at least hasn't made itself heard at all in my head, Selena seems to be ready to fully trust me. I feel it in her voice, she doesn't talk to me like a child, but more like a... younger sister. The same way Liam's older brothers address him, in a way, and I do understand we are the "young ones'' of their pack.

Still, I'm the only witch in Silver City right now. I am glad for the werewolf in me that links me to everyone else, but by now, I've learned that this isn't the only thing I need. No, even if I wasn't a werewolf… it probably wouldn't matter much. I was Liam's mate before we even had any idea I might also be part werewolf. I felt a connection to Nora before that, and we didn't wait for my inner wolf before getting into some trouble either...

Liam finally brings us close to the border, and I realize there isn't much of a border anymore. It's like a spider web, full of holes and so fragile too. I could probably break it, with a lot of time and energy. Which makes me wonder why Ravena and the other witches haven't done so yet.

We get off the bike, and I feel a little boost of adrenaline kick in out of the blue. I hope Kelsi does well at the university, but I'm feeling pretty confident here... not overestimating myself, hopefully. I can feel the other witches too, and to my surprise, they are close, but not together. Do they not get along, or is it meant to be some sort of trap? Liam glances behind us, and I can tell some werewolves are hiding nearby, as Selena promised. Good, because I may not have time to worry much about my mate if things get bad...

We leave our helmets and jackets with the bike, and both start walking silently, getting past the border without any trouble. What a difference... It didn't feel much more than a tingle on my skin this time. It's nothing to be glad about, unfortunately. It just means trouble has gotten a lot closer...

"There she is!"

I glance to the side, and sure enough, Ravena appears, her arms crossed, a haughty smile on her lips.

"Someone has gotten a lot stronger without my guidance," she chuckles, tilting her head.

Once again, her appearance is atypical. She's wearing a different, long patterned dress, and her hair is held up by some wooden hair pins too. Her makeup is still as horrible, a thick dark burgundy layer on her lips and some dark eyeshadow that would make Kelsi cringe.

"I did my research," I retort.

It's so different from our first meeting. I feel my inner wolf growling and even without looking, I can tell exactly where Liam is standing, ready to shape-shift at any moment. Even Ravena looks different to me. Not just physically, but I can gauge her and... she's definitely weaker than I am. She doesn't let it show though. She has the mighty attitude of a witch who knows her spells and curses.

"That's too bad," she sighs. "I would have loved to groom a promising student like you..."

"That's funny. The other witch I met wasn't too fond of me or my power."

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