Page 74 of Witch Queen

“You sure you want to talk about this?” Alicia asked Azazel warily.

“It is better that I say it now than never.” Azazel hesitated before meeting Mae’s anxious stare. “Barquiel, Ran Soyun, and I used to be close friends. Which is why his betrayal stung all the more.”

A heavy feeling formed in the pit of Mae’s stomach.

“You were friends?” Cortes said, stunned.

Alicia sighed. “This is a bad idea, Zaz.”

“Ran Soyun mentioned something similar when I was in the cave, but I wasn’t certain if she meant it,” Nikolai murmured awkwardly.

“She truly cherished Barquiel,” Azazel said.

Anger heated Mae’s blood. “Whereas he only coveted her!”

“Your mother was a powerful woman. Many were attracted by her incredible magic.”

“Don’t defend him!” Mae snapped.

She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled miserably. “But I—all I can see when I think about him are Na Ri’s memories of the war he brought to your doorstep and what he did to Rose.”

Azazel reached out and clasped her hand. “It is quite alright, child.” Sorrow tainted his voice. “I do not expect you to forgive him. I have known Barquiel far longer than you. After all, we were brothers in Heaven before we became enemies in Hell.”

Vozgan spoke up in the hush that followed.

“I know you’re all having a deep and terribly meaningful conversation, but would you mind awfully if we went to explore that lake for a minute?” the dragon said sheepishly.

“What lake?” Alicia said suspiciously.

Vozgan shot over the edge of a bluff.

The land dropped vertiginously beneath them. Trees blanketed the flanks of the cliff they had just passed and the distant valley below. A dark body of water occupied the center of the depression.

“That lake,” Vozgan said brightly.

Mae’s eyes teared up at the speed of their passage as the dragon dove.

“You’re not thinking of going for a dip, are you?!” Cortes yelled.

Vozgan flinched guiltily. “Why do you ask?”

“Because we’re on top of you, lizard brain!” Vlad snarled.

The dragon looked over his shoulder and huffed out smoke at their frowns. “Jeez. Alright, I’ll just dip my toes in for a moment.”

He was above the lake in seconds and skimming the surface of the water with a delighted sound, his claws and wing tips leaving white trails in his wake.

Nikolai grabbed Mae’s shoulder, startling her.

“I just sensed white magic!” he barked.

Her breath caught.

“Stop, Vozgan!” Azazel roared.

The dragon startled and snapped his wings up and forward, his abrupt deceleration almost sending everyone tumbling into the lake. He circled around to the spot he had just passed.

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