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“Shhh, shhh, it is okay,” Valerie said, patting the back of her head. “You need not speak of it.”

“I am so sorry for teasing you. I did not realise the piece you gave to him burns you.” She shook her head on a heavy cry. “Or that your heart aches for Mother, Aldora, Kaeylyn, and me. You know how much you will miss us. You are worried about what will happen when you are not here to protect us.” She dug her fingers into the back of Valerie’s dress. “You are filled with so much shame, regret, and guilt. You are not even allowing yourself to feel happiness at bringing Kaeylyn home.”

“I can barely feel it, Carwyn. I mostly feel numb.”

“You always say that,” she laughed. “Why is it every time we do this, you end up comforting me when it is I who should be comforting you?”

“Because your powers of empathy mirror the hidden depths in which I have buried myself. A cut only bleeds when it first happens. After that, it merely stings, and the longer you wear it, the less it hurts.”

“You have always been so alone.”

“I am not alone, Carwyn.” Valerie leaned back so she could face her. “I have always had you. You know I have always loved you dearly, and I think I will miss you the most.”

She stomped her foot as she whined. “You are only saying that to make me feel better.”

“Mayhap.” She gave a small smile, a forced one. “But it is still true.”

Then, like she couldn’t help herself, Carwyn reached up to touch Valerie’s cheeks, just so she could share in the truth with her sister. She once more began to sob.

Valerie turned to look at the sky, as if to pull strength from it.

Geryon wanted to back away from what he learned.Her sister is crying for her pain.Pain that Geryon didn’t know she was holding.

She is filled with shame, regret, and guilt?To know she must be riddled with these emotions wasn’t a comforting thought. He hadn’t thought on how much she would miss her family when he took her away from here.

But there was one thing that was more damning than the rest.She gave a piece of herself to me?Something that was hurting her?

I do not understand what this means.

Her sister had spoken as if it was burning her now, aching her this very moment.Did she feel more for me than desire?Had she felt something tender? Did she still?

He’d originally planned to kill her once they left her home. He couldn’t let her be free. She knew his human face, knew what he was, where his hunting grounds were. By Dragon law, she must be killed or imprisoned in his lair.I have not been to my lair in decades.

So, what should he do with her? He feared his own answer was not what it should be.

They pulled away from each other, and Carwyn gave her a bright smile, even though she was still crying.

“I want you to step through the ward, Valerie.” She motioned her hand behind her.

“No, I would much rather not know the truth if it is unpleasant.”

Carwyn walked around her and began to push her towards the house. Valerie fought her by digging her heels in.

“You are still a white Witch, and I plan to prove it!”

She shoved her hard, and eventually, they both went tumbling to the ground.

Carwyn sat up and pointed to her. “Ha! I told you. You are not turning yet.”

Valerie looked at her position, where she was sitting in the clearing, and gave a singular laugh. “It appears as though you are right. I was able to pass through the ward.”

Geryon eyed the sheen of the magic barrier he could see now that he knew about it.She did not want to know if she was starting to become corrupt?Did that mean it kept dark Witches out specifically?

Valerie stood, brushing off her pale green dress. It was light and simple, nothing like the intricate dresses she’d been wearing. She wore no shift, so the dress sat around her shoulders and revealed the bare skin of those rounded joints, as well as the top half of her chest.

“You are planning to leave now.” Carwyn’s saddened eyes fell away.

“Yes. I cannot remain here any longer. Mother is not out here, so she does not intend to kill me like she is supposed to.”