Page 15 of Midnight Deception

In cartoons and movies on the TV, they always depict witches in a certain way. After meeting Luna and seeing many witches as I moved around Haven, I quickly realised they were wrong. With most of the witches I’ve seen, I’d have no idea what they were just by looking at them. It’s only the power that comes off them that tells me they are something other.

However, the woman before me is the closest thing to a stereotypical witch I’ve ever seen. Maybe some of those old TV shows had it right after all. Her old, wrinkled face is set in a scowl as she stares at me, her greying brown hair a mess around her head. She wears a flowing purple dress with large, hanging sleeves, and her neck is draped in half a dozen necklaces with various crystal pendants.

It’s not just how she looks or is dressed, but the room as a whole that adds to the stereotypical witch persona. She stands by a fireplace, which the cauldron is perched over, making the room scalding hot and smell of herbs. Bundles of dried plants hang from the ceiling, and a huge old wooden table takes up most of the space and causes the room to feel claustrophobic. There are stacks and stacks of old books everywhere—the table, the floor, atop a dresser, and many more places you wouldn’t expect to find books. There are no windows in here, the only light coming from the fire and a floating ball of light over the witch’s shoulder.

“Madame Constance, blessed morning,” Luna greets with a bright smile, dipping her head in reverence. Glancing over her shoulder and finding me hovering in the doorway, she reaches out and grabs my arm, pulling me into the room. “This is Laelia. She’s to be your new student.”

The witch gives her a once-over before dismissing her completely and fixing her gaze on me. Interest and surprise flicker across her face, and she makes a noise in the back of her throat. “Come closer, child,” she demands, holding her hand out for me to take.

She’s not the type of person you disobey, and part of me is terrified that she’s going to put a curse on me if I don’t do as she says. I reluctantly give her my hand, and she takes it with a surprisingly tight grip and turns it over to study my palm. Humming, she traces one of the lines, muttering something under her breath. Unnerved, I look over at Luna, silently begging her for help.

Lips twitching, Luna leans against the wooden table and crosses her arms over her chest. “The queen has requested you release her magic but put a tracking block over her to stop her mates from finding her.”

The woman releases my hand, and her frown deepens as she looks between us. Reaching over the cluttered worktable, she pulls a book towards her, flipping through the pages before pushing it away and grabbing another book, grumbling under her breath the whole time. Books, quills, and sheets of paper topple to the ground as she reaches for another book, but she doesn’t seem to care, her focus entirely on the page before her.

“Mate magic is difficult to block. It’s different from our own.” Looking up, she narrows her eyes on me, focusing on my chest as if she can see the bonds between my mates and me. “I shall do what I can, but if her mates get close, they’ll find her despite the block.”

Hope blossoms in my chest, and I can’t stop myself from pressing my hands against the table and leaning in, eager for more information. It’s not just the fact that my mates might still be able to find me despite the block, but knowing I’m getting my bonds back. Before any of my bonds were woken, I was happy and independent. I didn’t know anything different. Now that they are active, though, it feels like I lost a piece of myself when they were taken away.

Pressing my hand to my chest in the hopes it will ease the ache, I meet the witch’s gaze. “Will I be able to feel them?” She must hear the desperation in my voice. I’ve done a pretty poor job of hiding it, and in this moment, I can’t find it in me to care.

She purses her lips, her eyes scanning my face before she dips her head slightly. “Yes and no. You’ll sense that they are alive and feel any strong emotions, but beyond that, it will feel like a fog between you.”

That’s a hundred times better than what I have now, and I’ll take anything to know they are safe. Now for the next important question. “What about my wolf?”

“What about it?” Madame Constance seems irritated, her attention split between me and the cauldron that’s currently boiling over. Cursing under her breath, she hastily pulls something from her pocket and sprinkles it over the bubbling mixture, and that seems to calm it for the time being.

“Laelia’s different from other werewolves,” Luna jumps in, saving me from having to explain. “She doesn’t become a wolf, but instead, her wolf manifests out of magic.” There’s a heavy pause, and the change in her is so different that I glance over to see her uncharacteristically sombre expression. “She can control the stars.”

A shudder passes through me at the hushed, reverent way she speaks, making me feel uncomfortable. I don’t understand what’s happening or why she’s suddenly acting strange. The clang of a metal being dropped doesn’t help my frayed nerves. Jumping at the noise and pressing a hand to my pounding heart, I look around to discover Constance has dropped her ladle on the floor and is looking at me as if she just saw a ghost.

“You’re Paige’s lost daughter,” she whispers, her eyes wide.

“Paige.” My voice comes out as a croak at this new piece of information. “That was my birth mother’s name? You knew her?” I’ve always stated that my true parents are my adoptive parents, and I didn’t care that I knew nothing of my birth mother. That was true then, but being here now, and having answers dangled in my face, is causing a crack in my resolve.

Constance nods slowly, grief shining from her eyes as she takes a deep, shuddering breath. “I knew her well. She was one of my students.” Clearing her throat, she turns her back to us as she retrieves her ladle, stirring the foul-looking mixture in the cauldron. “I thought there was something different about you. You’re goddess blessed.” Her voice is croaky with emotion, but when she finally turns back around, she’s composed herself again, looking between me and Luna with a deep frown.

My chest tightens, and I have to work on holding back my real feelings on all this. “I just want to learn to control my magic and return to my mates.”

Whenever someone calls me that, goddess blessed, they always seem to expect something from me, some miracle or reason that I’ve been chosen by the goddess. Really, I’m just as mystified by why I was picked. I was never asked if I wanted to be special. All I want is to live a quiet life with my mates, but it seems the goddess and the rest of the world have other plans.

Constance raises her brows and looks at Luna. At first I think she’s seen through me and can somehow read my thoughts, exposing me for the ungrateful pup I am. However, I quickly realise that her disbelief is over my comment about leaving, which doesn’t fill me with confidence that the queen will fulfil her side of our bargain.It was sealed with magic, I remind myself silently,so she can’t go back on it.

“The queen promised she’d release Laelia when she learned control,” Luna explains in a neutral voice, again making me feel uncomfortable about the situation.

“Did she now?” Constance sounds sceptical, but soon shrugs and makes a shooing motion. “Well, it’s going to take me some time to create the block, so come back tomorrow and we’ll get started.”

We’ve obviously been dismissed, but it was so abrupt it takes a moment for it to sink in. I don’t know whether to thank her or question her some more. Thankfully, Luna rescues me and grabs my arm, shaking her head and pulling me towards the exit. As I step through the door, I glance over my shoulder one last time and find the old witch watching me with a concerned expression. There’s definitely more going on here than anyone has told me, and it all seems to revolve around the queen. Seeing as she’s the one who will ultimately release me, I need to find out what everyone is so on edge about.

“So what did you think of Constance?” my companion asks as we walk down the corridor.

I shake my head and give a short laugh. “She’s what I expected you all to be like,” I reply honestly, smiling slightly at Luna’s grinning face. “She seems interesting, like she has a lot of stories to tell.”

“If that’s a polite way of saying she’s batshit crazy, then you’d be right.” Luna chuckles, a slight skip in her step as we walk. “She’s as old as the hills and likes her privacy, but she’s one of the best witches we have and will always tell you how she sees it. In fact, she’s a littletoohonest sometimes.” Shrugging it off, she jumps from one conversation to another, almost giving me whiplash. “It’s time to meet your other tutor.”

Taking an abrupt left turn, we enter the main corridor once more, passing several other witches in the process. Attempting to ignore their stares, I focus on her last comment. “Why do I need more than one tutor?”

“Constance will teach you about unlocking your magic and what it means to be a witch. Usually she would help you discover where your talents lie and what type of magic you possess, but we already know that.” Nodding along to show my understanding, I gesture for her to continue. “Dune will help you learn to protect yourself and test your strength to see what you’re capable of.”

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