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I go to the box and expect to have to put force into trying to open the box. When I pull at the lid, it opens with ease. “Is this a joke?” I say as I open the box up completely.

“Woah,” she says as she pulls an athame out of the wooden box. It is a ceremonial blade made of obsidian. I take it from her to inspect it closer. It’s beautiful.

“You look entirely too happy holding a knife,” Kael jokes. I smile at him as I set the blade on the table.

Next, I pull out a circlet made of a simple silver wire. It dips in the front, right where my brow would be with two more wires twisting around the primary band. I set it next to the blade and pull a wooden goblet out. It looks to be made out of red oak and has three different claws wrapped around the stem of the glass. On the side of the goblet are three carvings: a bear, a dragon, and a panther. I smile and hand the cup to Kael.

“Woah,” Kael says as he turns the cup in his hand to look at the carvings. “This is amazing. But it also makes me think we are connected to you by more than just mates.”

“Because you are,” Leli says as she pulls a necklace out and hands it to me. It’s a witch’s knot on a silver chain. I set it down before pulling out a piece of ripped parchment paper.

“I have no idea what that says,” I say as I hand the paper to Leli.

“Yeah, this is old Voldarian,” she says. “I might be able to pick out a few words here and there, but it’s not taught or spoken anymore. I know some of the elders are still fluent. I speak regular Voldarian, but they are very different.”

“This is getting annoying,” I huff. “I am being expected to trust people I’ve never spoken with. I have no idea what their intentions are with me. I am only just realizing that I have spent the last five years being raped regularly, so excuse me for being hesitant to jump on a plane to go visit people that could be worse than Zypher and Morwen. For all I know, you are no better than the dark witches that started this bullshit and cursed their families to begin with.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask…” she starts to say.

“Do you?” I ask, raising my voice. “You may have dealt with Zypher and Morwen for a few days, but I went through that for five years. For five fucking years I had no reprieve from what he made me do every single day.”

“I know,” she says softly. “No one is saying this isn’t hard for you. I can’t understand what you have gone through. I came here with the understanding that there was a possibility that you have been traumatized for your entire life. I was warned that you may be reluctant.”

“You either give me answers right now or the world can burn for all I care,” I say seriously.

“No. I can get in contact with Mazvyn,” she says with a sigh. “Let’s go back to the house. The chest is safer here than anywhere else, so we can come back tomorrow.”

“Why is it safer here than in the house?” I ask with a frown.

“Because you are the only one who can get in. No one will be able to enter unless you are also here and willing to allow entry,” she explains.

“Who is Mazvyn?” I ask.

“He’s on the council. He is the one who set up the program to send us to find you. I was supposed to reach out to him when I found you anyway; I’ve just not had a moment to do it.”

“Fine,” I say as I start placing the items back into the box. I slam the lid shut and look back at her. “Let’s go.”

Leli sits beside me and places a bowl of water on the coffee table that she has pulled close to us. Kael has his arm around my waist as he sits on my other side. We watch as she sprinkles herbs into the water before pulling a small folding knife from her pocket.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“The communication spell requires blood to connect me to Mazvyn,” she says as she makes a small cut on her palm and lets the blood drop into the water. When the last drop hits the water, she murmurs, “Mazvyn.”

The water begins to swirl in the bowl and emits a soft white glow until it forms a mirror. A face appears in the bowl of a man. He looks to be in his mid-forties. He has jet-black hair and pale white skin. His eyes are a piercing, icy blue. Something about him gives me a sense of familiarity, like I had with the wisp. When his eyes meet mine, they widen.

“Lilith…,” he chokes out. “T-They found you.”

“She found me, technically,” Leli says. “She was pulled from the home she was placed in. I was her replacement. Do you want to know all of it?”

“Yes,” he says simply.

“Are you sure?” she asks cautiously.

“Leli,” Mazvyn frowns.

“Alright,” she shrugs. “Lilith was pulled from Zypher Fallins’ home to report to Morwen, the mayor. He sent her to the Capitol to the Three Kings. When she saw them, they figured out they were mates. I’m not entirely sure what led to them finding out she’s a witch, but she ended up explaining to them what happened with Zypher and Morwen. When they came to the house today, Lilith was able to get me alone outside so we could talk. She told me they were her mates, so I told her we had been looking for her. She explained she had a dream where she talked with Ashara and her mother told her about the prophecy. This is the point where her mom got her to realize that she was being assaulted, which led them all to Zypher’s house today.” Leli takes in a deep breath as she waits for his response.

“Outside of being a maiden?” Mazvyn asks with anger in his tone.