Page 35 of Midnight Witch

“She’s the Queen of Soul Reapers.” Nikolai hesitated. “She did mention something about the lingering remains of the dead.”

“Queen of Soul Reapers, huh?” Mrs. Son-Ha grew thoughtful. “I’d like to meet her one day. And she’s correct, of course. What I’m talking about are the remnants of souls that have clung to our realm.” She leveled a steady stare at Cortes. “I’m sure they have Shamans in your country. And, from what I can see around you, this wasn’t your first time encountering that nasty spell either.”

Cortes’s shoulders tightened. “What do you mean?”

Mrs. Son-Ha ignored his deadly tone and frowned at something on his left. Her face grew unfocused. “It looks like it was some time ago. And it appears you lost someone precious as a result.”

Surprise widened Cortes’s eyes.

“Wait,” Mae mumbled in a strained voice. She met the Columbian’s shocked gaze. “Is she talking about when Raya killed your familiar and cracked your core?!”

Tension thrummed through Nikolai. Few people outside their circle and Cortes’s coven knew what Raya Medeiros had done to the sorcerer when he was a teen. The old woman’s next words sent a chill down his spine and made Mae pale.

“The magic that erased everyone’s recollections of who Mae is tonight, and that was used on your friend in the past, is a mirage,” Mrs. Son-Ha said in a measured voice. “It distorts the memories of the people it affects. Even I am not immune to it. Although I am certain your apartment is still there, it doesn’t appear that way to me.”

Mae’s jaw tightened. “So, my father hasn’t really come back to life?”

Vlad gasped. “What?!”

“We went to Mae’s home after we left the coven headquarters tonight,” Nikolai explained in a hard voice. “Her father opened the door. He didn’t know who Mae was and neither did her mom.” He glanced at Mae. “We’re pretty sure what we saw was an illusion.”

“Shit.” Violet’s knuckles whitened on the table. “That’s low.”

Something that looked like sympathy filled Mrs. Son-Ha’s eyes as she observed Mae. “I’m sorry.”

CHAPTER16

Cortes staredunseeingly at his hands, his face ashen. “Is that why my family acted like that at the time Raya attacked me?” He looked up at them, his expression turning wild. “I knew something had changed. I could feel it in the way they looked at me, like I was some kind of parasite that had crawled out from under a rock. And they were all too eager to abandon me to my fate after my core cracked.”

A fraught hush followed.

“Did your family ever try to make amends?” Mrs. Son-Ha said, her tone not unkind.

A muscle jumped in Cortes’s jawline. “They did some time after the incident, but by then I was already in the cartel’s line of sight. Truth be told, I couldn’t trust their words.” A mirthless laugh left him. “Now that my core is healed and I’ve subjugated our coven, all their attempts to approach me feel like the efforts of desperate people trying to cling to power.”

Mae’s heart ached as she looked at the Columbian. Popo crooned worriedly on his sorcerer’s shoulder.

Mrs. Son-Ha drummed her fingers on the table.

“I believe your family is still trying to make amends,” she told Cortes curtly. “They must have been as shocked as you were after they recovered from the effects of that magic. You should listen to what they have to say.” She paused, as if listening to something. Her expression relaxed a little. “It seems that dove has been keeping watch over you all these years. She’s happy you found another familiar.”

Cortes blanched. “You can see Della?!”

Mae blinked.Is Della the name of his dead familiar?

A sad sound left Brimstone.It seems so.

“No. The other spirits told me.” Mrs. Son-Ha cut her eyes to Popo. “He’s a strong one and more than a match for you.”

For once, Popo didn’t come up with any smart repartee. He inched closer to Cortes and pressed his body against his neck in an attempt to comfort him. Cortes touched the familiar gently, his face haggard.

“The magic you wield can protect you against this mirage spell,” Mrs. Son-Ha said. “I suspect whoever attacked you with it the first time didn’t realize this.”

“How do you know all of this?” Suspicion darkened Violet’s eyes. “I’ve never even heard of that magic and I was born in a family of witches and sorcerers.”

“She’s right,” Mae said, equally troubled. “When I awakened as the Witch Queen, I inherited a repository of spells Azazel and Ran Soyun had taught their daughter Na Ri, my original incarnation. I’ve never seen magic like this.”

“Hmm.” Mrs. Son-Ha rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “He did tell me it was rare.”

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