Page 38 of Fake Fae-Ancée

"Esmeralda Margrat Yli-Pekkala,"it read in squiggly letters crowded with sprawling floral patterns.

"Consulting Witch and Medium.

Your fate in the best hands."

How reassuring.

The Witch took off her coat, revealing a sunny yellow dress that looked just as luxurious as the rest of her, and thrusted it into the hand of the butler.

"Thank you, Bates," she said with a warm smile as he shuffled away, and then turned to me. "Let me have a look at your wound."

I shrunk back. "What wound?"

The Witch smirked. "The one on your back. The one that hurts like a fresh cut. You don't remember anything, do you?"

I shook my head, but said wound chose this moment to remind me of its presence with a sudden flare of pain. I winced and sank down on the couch.

"Don’t worry, that's perfectly normal after being sealed up. But I would have thought Yuri would have at least told you what happened."

Sealed up what? — I wanted to blurt out, but pressed my mouth into a tight line.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

The Witch sighed, measuring me with another cutting look.

"But you do feel a whole lot weaker than you did yesterday, don’t you?"

A tight knot curled in my belly at her words. She knew. But how?

"Turn, please." The Witch sighed exasperated, making a twirling motion with her hand. I was too dumbfounded for any resistance and complied, teeth clenched.

"Yuri, make yourself useful," the Witch said, sitting down behind me. "Help Bates bring in the tea. The poor man is far too old to be cleaning up after you."

Yuri grumbled something in his mother tongue and trolled off, not without shooting me another grim look. At least the jerk would not get another peek at my bare backside.

"If you know so much, do you have any answers ?" I asked, slowly pulling my sweater and shirt over my head, exposing my back to the Witch. Not my favorite feeling in the world. Her touch on my shoulder was warm.

"Depends on what you remember." The tension in my shoulders melted a little, and only now did I realize how wound up I was.

"Relax. Breathe," the Witch commanded in a gentle tone as she stroked searching fingers across my skin, tracing along my back. The sore slash between my shoulder flared up, but immediately cooled under her touch. She grumbled a few times, as if she didn't particularly like what she saw.

"That just about held up," she finally said. "Nox would have sliced you open if Yuri hadn't intervened, and put that ring back on you."

I pulled the sweater back down and turned.

"This one?" I wiggled my fingers in front of the Witch's nose, the ring flashing. I was getting so tired of everyone just dropping cryptic hints "Then tell me why I can’t get it off."

The Witch smiled, her eyes bending into almond shapes.

"Very well." Saying that, she snatched my hand.

I gave a startled cry — or tried to, but was cut off as an avalanche of information kicked in the door to my mind and waltzed in, flooding me with images in nauseating speed and clarity.

Normal operation. Kevlar it is. I jump into the squad car. Throw sword and belt on the seat. Confirm mission on the radio. Fasten seat belt, turn key, accelerate, drive off, tires squealing.

Operations site.

Nothing to see. Darkness.

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