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“Because there was usually a ceremony.”

“Okay, then. Well, how would you want to die?”

There was a long pause as Valerie’s eyes moved from the girl sitting with her to the flames dancing in front of them.

She spoke so softly that Geryon could barely hear her from the distance. “I want to be cleansed in dragonfire.”

Geryon reared his head back at her admission.

She wishes to be burned?His spiked brows furrowed deeply. It didn’t matter if it was a Witch or a human; it was awfully alarming to hear. It would be one of the most painful ways to go. If he knew it, then she knew it. He couldn’t understand why she would seek her death this way.

Geryon hated Witches because they were evil, vile, and monstrous.

They pulled the wings from innocent fairies for spells, killed them, and took their blood. They shook pixies to take the dust their magic emits while also stealing their teeth and bones.

They hunted Dragons just to take from them. No part of his kind was left unused. Their fangs, bones, scales, wings, tail, even their eyes and tongue were not spared from defilement.

They took from humans. They even took from their own kind, were cruel towards their own species.

They smelt putrid, like their magic was toxic and odorous. They smelt unclean, tainted from the inside out.

He should hate the two he was watching. He once had. In the beginning, he’d wanted nothing more than to chase after them and kill them.

Now, with a safe distance between them so the younger one couldn’t see him, he realised he no longer did.

Watching them interact with each other over the past two days made him see them for what they were. They were harmless in the ways that mattered.

He knew Valerie had used dark magic, but she didn’t smell corrupted. Her scent was still pure, and he was realising he actually...liked the rich, deep scent.It suits her much better.

Although she had used dark magic, with the hex locking her magic in, she was of no danger to anyone.Except for that sword she has strapped around her waist.Still, anyone who died from the fairness of a sword deserved it.

It wasn’t Valerie’s lack of abilities that caused him to no longer hate them. It was what he learned of them as they spoke with each other freely, like he wasn’t there. The conversations weren’t being used to manipulate him, since it was the child who instigated most of it.

Valerie seemed relentless in teaching her different things about witchcraft, and she would often direct their conversations to it. Throughout the day, she even collected different herbs for the child to play with, telling her to experiment with what she had in her hands.

Kaeylyn had begun to open up about her magic again after the previous night. She used a spell to show them they were travelling in the right direction, and she respected her sister enough to take all her advice and teachings.

She called my kind beautiful...She also called him, directly, magnificent. Words and praise like this could make any Dragon puff their scales out in appreciation. His cheeks grew warm, susceptible to it.

They spoke often of Dragons. It should bother him they were speaking of his kind with him so close. It didn’t, though, not when most of it had been of wonder from the child.

It was obvious their coven thought them sacred.

It should also bother him to see witchcraft being used so easily in front of him. Yet, it was soft and light, and it smelt wonderful. It wasn’t harsh and filled with blood and malice. Instead, it was pure, and his nostrils found that satisfying.

There weren’t many pure-hearted Witches left in the world, and not only had he found two, but there was an entire coven of them.They honour us with their words.

Geryon hated dark Witches for what they did. He couldn’t hate what he couldn’t see in these two.

No, instead he heard Valerie tell the child about the sanctity of life, how it must be cherished and protected at all costs. She was teaching this child to remain in the light when she herself had walked a path of darkness.

She has not been corrupted yet.He wondered if she ever would, if her heart would turn black, if she would seek to destroy rather than protect.

It was hard to imagine after observing her as she was now. She seemed to have such hard-set opinions about her beliefs, was headstrong about them. She spoke of the right path in what seemed like unwavering resolution.

Can someone who has beliefs this strong still turn?Or was she able to beat the power of corruption with the power of will?

Geryon hoped so.