Page 30 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

"Oh?" she says, smiling. "So you want to play with fire?"

"I can do more than play," I growl, and suddenly launch one of my fireballs at her.

However, I'm not that precise and strong that I would hit her on the first go. My flame almost felt dull and too slow, she doesn't even bother to step aside, and lets her new wave extinguish it first.

"Come on, little one, I know you can do better than that!"

She is provoking me on purpose. I know she sees the black markings on my arms, how weak I am as I try to stand on my own two feet.

"Liam, Ben, tell everyone to get the fuck out of here. She can only send more waves, but she's still behind the barrier."

Liam exchanges a glance with Ben, and the red-brown wolf suddenly howls loudly. All wolves, still down or already up, turn toward him. Some growl, but some are happy to scurry out of the witch's reach. I need to win time so that everyone manages to get out. Kelsi is still passed out, and only half the wolves leave, Liam and Ben not included.

"...Who the heck are you?" I ask the Water Witch.

"Why should I tell you?" she frowns.

"Because this is my city you're threatening!"

"Your city? It doesn't belong to a Cursed One like you!"

Cursed One...?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I mutter, shocked.

"You were born without magic, weren't you?" she hisses, squinting her eyes, full of anger. "Cursed Ones like you aren't even real witches! How the hell did you get your fire power?! No Cursed One can acquire such power by themselves! Whose witch's powers did you steal? You witch thief!"

I'm shocked beyond words.

Not only do I have no idea what she is talking about, but it makes zero sense to me.

Cursed One? No powers? It doesn't sound like me, but it does sound like... Clarissa.

I keep reliving those memories. She was desperate to prove her mother was really a witch. She knew about magic, she knew Silver City had witches. Yet, if Clarissa's mother was a witch, what happened to her? She was clearly born without any powers, from what I saw, so... how did it come to me, to Mara? There were traces of Clarissa using magic, or at least studying it. If she was powerless, what happened? Why was she born without powers despite her mother being a witch, and how did I come to have this fire?

I remember Kelsi's words. According to her, the cycle didn't make sense for Clarissa to have an Earth Witch as a mother, but... what if we had it wrong from the start? What if it didn't make sense for her to have the powers of a Fire Witch?

Once again, I get more questions than answers, and this Water Witch bitch is probably not in the mood to answer them.

"How would you know I'm cursed?!" I yell back.

She shakes her head.

"You know nothing, and you call yourself a witch! Look at those burns! Would a real Fire Witch have those?!"

From the way she glances, she isn't talking about the black markings, but about the older scars, those of the first fire that have still not disappeared. The pinkish ones I still have left, visible on my legs under my burned shorts. ...So those shouldn't be there? I'm confused. I always thought those were due to the fire, and the doctors said I was healing crazy fast, but, judging from her words, it's not enough.

"You really know nothing, do you?" she hisses.

"Liam!"

A gigantic shadow suddenly jumps over us, and three of the most impressive wolves I've ever seen stand like a wall between the witch and us. The largest one is as big as a fucking bear, and I recognize it immediately. It was the one I saw in Nora's garden, watching the children. However, it's not the most impressive... even without seeing his face, I recognize the King, his aura is as dark and scary as his wolf form. His growling even scares me enough that I unconsciously step back. And I'm only seeing him from behind...

The third wolf is cream white with golden eyes, and I'm pretty sure that's Selena. Moreover, her husband and Nora arrive next to us, running.

"Are you alright?" asks Nora, looking worried.

"How the hell did a witch get inside the barrier…?" growls Nathaniel Black.

"She isn't inside," says Liam. "Just waiting right outside and having fun sending tsunamis at our faces..."

As Selena is standing before him, Ben whimpers and retreats a bit, pulling back to go and check on Kelsi. To be honest, I feel bad for not doing the same earlier, but I can't be in both attack and defense mode, or whatever this is.

We turn our eyes to the witch, and Nora is impressive. Her blue eyes are strangely shining at the moment, and I can feel her white aura growing stronger. It's as if she is spreading her strength to all of us, and the dark clouds are about to retreat just because she's standing there. The witch notices it too, and squints her reptilian eyes.

"A Royal..." she mutters, looking very displeased by the arrival of more allies.

It's not just them. So many werewolves arrive out of nowhere on the docks, some going to help out the ones still lying on the ground, some taking defensive positions. I'm not sure this is what we need, but it does make us feel a bit stronger.

"Yes, and this wouldn't be our first time getting rid of a witch," says Nora. "So, I strongly suggest you leave my family and my city alone and go back to wherever the hell you came from."

"Your city?" repeats the witch, frowning. "This city doesn't belong to werewolves or humans!"

"Well, it does now."

"You bastards, killing your own witch and replacing it with a Cursed One?! How dare you!"

Nora frowns and turns to me.

"A Cursed One?"

"I have no idea, either," I mutter, shaking my head.

Nora sighs and glares back at the witch.

"Well, cursed or not, we don't care. Mara is Silver City's witch, and we don't need a replacement at the moment, so you're welcome to leave and never come back."

The witch seems shocked. What? Is this because Nora is a bit too polite despite their current situation? Yet, the witch turns her head to me, looking stunned. She stays silent and stares at me for a long time. It’s really weird, until Nora and I exchange another look. The King suddenly steps forward, growling loudly, and it wakes the witch from her slumber.

"...What did you just call that girl?" she asks.

Nora frowns, unsure how to respond. Is it bad if she says my name? Yet, before she can decide, the witch brings her wave closer, looking like she wants to take a better look at me.

"Mara? You said... You're being called Mara?"

I slowly nod, a hint of hope appearing. Does this witch know about Mara? No one has been able to tell me anything about that name so far, not even the slightest clue! Yet, that witch is shocked. She ought to know something.

She suddenly starts laughing hysterically. ...Seriously? Her laugh goes on and on... Crazy as hell, until she has to hold her flank, almost falling off the wave she’s standing on. Then, her eyes return to me, and this time, she's clearly glaring. Not just a glare... I can feel her murderous intent.

"Mara! How dare you use that name... How dare you use that power, you Cursed One?! You monster!"

"What the... What do you know about me?" I ask, completely lost at her sudden change of attitude.

"Oh, I know enough! Cursed Ones like you are always preying on others’ power! How dare you take the powers of that child?! You should rot in hell! I hope that flame burns you down and kills you!"

I'm the shocked one now. What the hell is she talking about...? They are all staring at me now, but I feel like the child in the middle of a class accused of something she didn't do. I have no idea what's going on and what the hell caused her to suddenly freak out...

"What about Mara? What child? I am Mara!" I protest.

"You're Mara? How dare you use that name?!" she yells. "I should have known! A Fire Witch, in Silver City, a Cursed One? How dare you steal those powers?!"

"What the fuck are you rambling about, I didn't steal anything! I don't even know why my name would be Mara, who am I?!"

"You're not Mara!" yells the witch. "You're not Mara, Mara is dead! She died in her mother's womb, she died because of the damn werewolves you stand next to, she died because of vampires!"

"Holy shit..." suddenly mutters Nathaniel Black.

I turn to him, but I realize he's not the only one making that face. They all know what she is talking about, but I don't. Even Liam looks like he's about to throw up. I turn to Nora.

"What is she talking about?" I ask, desperately.

"That's right, you know... don't you?" hisses the witch. "You caused all of this. Of all people, you dare steal Nephera's daughter's powers!"

What the... Nephera?

It takes me a little while until I take the full measure of what she just said. Nephera's daughter? Mara was the name of... Nephera's unborn baby? Everything Liam and I found comes back to me, like dozens of flashes in my mind. The Witches’ Ancestral Tree. That burn mark next to Nephera, that strange feeling I had every time I saw that erased name. No, even before that. Why did I feel such unfairness toward Nephera, to begin with? When they told me her story, I was... angry, and sad for her. To the werewolves, that woman was a defeated enemy, an evil witch that caused more harm than good, and yet, I was the only one who possibly felt pity for her.

...Was it all because of Mara?

"You're saying... Mara was the name of Nephera's daughter?" mutters Nora, as shocked as I am.

"That child was never even born," protests Nathaniel Black next to her. "This makes no sense."

"Oh, we don't need to wait for our physical envelopes!" roared the Water Witch, still furious. "You werewolves think you know anything about witches? There's incredible potential in a witch's womb, from the moment her child is conceived, magic is gathered! Mara's name appeared on the Witches’ Ancestral Tree like all of her ancestors before her!"

So I was… right, and wrong at the same time. So much of this finally makes sense. This feeling I have toward Silver City, is it because... Mara was conceived here? It's her birthplace, in a way. However, there are still a lot of questions. What about Clarissa, and what is this Cursed One thing? Because Clarissa was born powerless?

"You're the scum of witches..."

I wish I had more time to wonder and could ask more questions, but that witch definitely has me at the top of her kill list right now. She's glaring right at me, as if the werewolves had suddenly become a secondary matter. I light up another fire in my hands, but I'm almost out of fuel, it's a dim flame. I'm literally exhausted too. The memory trip from earlier drained all of my energy, and although my burns have subsided a bit by now, I'm not in any condition to face a witch, a water one at that.

"I think we got the message," Nora retorts. "It doesn't change our answer. You get away from Silver City and our territory before I get seriously mad."

The Black Luna's sapphire eyes are shining, and despite her petite figure, she's much more imposing than any normal werewolf present. Nora has that white aura that is impossible to ignore. The angrier she gets, it feels like being in the middle of a snowstorm picking up.

Right ahead of her, Selena is growling too, and her golden eyes are burning like a fire. Both Lunas are furious and ready to fight. I know it's not for my sake, but I'm still a bit happy to hear that. Having those two powerful, strong women by my side was what I needed to spark my courage again. I focus a bit more on my inner flame, and bring my hands together, making my fire stronger, as if I was about to hammer it.

"You're all pathetic," hissed the Water Witch. "I'll have Silver City, and I'll never leave it to a Cursed One."

"Unless you stop whining about all that shit and start explaining what you mean, you can fuck off!" I yell, annoyed.

How can she call me a Cursed One and keep insulting me, when I have no idea what she's rambling about?!

"Hmpf! I have nothing to discuss with the likes of you! I'll crush a fake witch like you anytime!"

"Come on, then!" I yell back.

However, before I can raise my hands, an arm blocks me.

"Mara," says Nora, stepping in front of me. "The barrier is doing its work, don't be reckless now. You're tired too, you can't fight in this state. Don't worry, let's just make sure she leaves."

"But–"

"Nora's right," adds Liam. "She can only send waves at us, but she'll get tired faster at that rate. The barrier won't grow weak because of this kind of attack."

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

The werewolves may not spot such details, but for me, the barrier is like some translucent paper, and I'm getting better at determining how strong it really is. It may be thicker and stronger than at the north border, but I wouldn't say this is completely fine either. I am not sure how it works, but my fire ball crossed it to hit beyond that witch. Isn't that proof enough that the barrier isn't doing so well on this side too? I'm not as optimistic as they are, although Nora might just be trying to dissuade me.

Finally, the witch starts moving her arms again, and in front of me, Selena growls louder, in warning.

The witch seems to hesitate. ...Is she scared because of Selena's aura? Can she sense the Royals? Or the Black Brothers' dangerous auras? Damian Black, the King, steps forward too, unafraid of the pending waves.

"You damn dogs!"

This time, we are all prepared for the attack. Everyone moves at the same time. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Selena and Damian crouch down, while the gigantic brown wolf jumps between us and the wave, blocking it with his body. Just then, Liam suddenly gets in front of me too, taking me into his embrace.

I'm shoved in his arms, unable to see anything, but I feel the violence of the new wave. It hits in several shock waves, like a hurricane, and I feel Liam's body move. I grab his shirt to hold on to, making sure he stays close to me, and we wait for it to stop. It only lasts a few seconds, but I'm worried for everyone. I keep thinking about Kelsi, half-conscious behind me. Isn't she going to drown? I should have done something for her instead of withstanding that attack! Yet, it's too late. I have to wait for the next moment we can move.

"Is she gone?"

I didn't recognize the voice, but I know I can finally look up behind Liam's shoulder. The sea is still wild, the waves going in all directions, but there's no sign of the witch. Liam steps back to check all around too, but she is nowhere to be seen. Did she really leave? For a few seconds, we are all alert, cautious of a new attack.

But the harbor is strangely silent now, and the sea is slowly returning to its natural, peaceful state.

I see Nora and Nathaniel run to their respective partners, but both wolves seem fine. Selena is even still growling toward the sea, looking mad. To my surprise, she starts shape-shifting back into her human form, and all the males around turn their heads while her husband hands her his shirt.

"What a bitch!" she growls as soon as she's able to. "What the fuck was that?"

"I didn’t do anything," I immediately say out of reflex.

"No, but it turns out you may have more... issues than we thought," sighs Nora, draining the water from her hair.

"...Do you think it's true?" suddenly asks Liam.

Everyone turns to him. I don't like the tone of his voice, or how pale he looks. I turn to him, but he's not looking at me, he's staring at Nora and the others. The Lunas exchange a look, and Nora glances my way briefly before looking back to him.

"I... I mean, there's no way to be sure for now, Liam."

"About what being true?" I ask him, a bit annoyed.

Why is he acting like this now? Despite me staring at him, Liam is still stubbornly staring at his sisters-in-law, not me. I don't like that at all.

"Mara," says Nathaniel Black, "it would mean you're... kind of our half-sister."

"Yeah, I caught on to that part," I retort. "However, did anyone else catch the part where I only have her powers, not her body? Or is it just me?"

"W-well, we are not sure about anything..." mutters Nora.

"Why did you call yourself Mara, then?"

I glare at Liam. Now he's looking at me, and to talk to me like that too? They all take one step away from us, probably a bit embarrassed about the situation, but right now, I don't care. I'm not ready to take this kind of attitude, not from Liam. Why the hell is he mad at me all of a sudden? He was protecting me not five minutes ago, now he's staring at me as if I'm some gross monster!

"I don't know," I retort back. "Like a shit ton of things, I don't know. I don't know why I woke up with that name in mind, or why I have no memories. I don't know why the hell I'm paired with a guy who could be the half-sibling of a deceased witch whose powers I'm using, but as far as I know, I'm still getting answers, and waiting before judging a fucking thing!"

"Mara, maybe the whole let's-find-who-I-am thing is a funny little quest for you, but this is fucking serious! You carry the name and parts of that witch's child! I feel sick about how my father treated that witch, but–"

"Her name was Nephera!" I suddenly yell.

Liam stares at me, shocked at my reaction, but I'm so fucking done now.

"Stop with ‘that witch’ thing!" I go on. "We have damn names, all of us! Why is it that the only one you can use is Sylviana? All of you! That witch, this witch, the witch! Do I always call you guys werewolves, that wolf, wolfie guy? Or is it because it makes it easier to forget we are actual living beings as well? Yes, her name was Nephera, and yes, she was evil and a mean bitch, but she wasn't just a witch! Stop linking us all together like we're the same kind of freak! Witch is not my identity, it's part of who I am, and as far as I know, I am not Sylviana, I am not Nephera, and I am not her baby!"

A long silence follows my words as they all go quiet. Even Selena lowers her head, they all know I'm not just talking about Liam's attitude at this point. Yet, he's the one I'm most mad at.

"If you could forget for a minute that I'm a witch, you'd see that finding my real identity is not a fucking joke to me. Yes, I'm shocked that I'm somehow bound to your unborn half-sister, and I don't know anything about that! However, one thing I do know for sure is that I'm bound to you! For Moon Goddess knows what reason, I'm bound to you, not anyone else! I don't know about Clarissa Garnett, and I don't know about Mara either, but I do know the feelings I have for Liam Black are real!"

The more I talk, the more his anger seems to dissipate. He still has that darkness in his eyes, but it looks different. We are no longer that playful couple from earlier. I feel like we collided before we could even find out which part of the puzzle we are, and it's now brutally coming back to us.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Mara, I'm–"

"No, listen. I don't know what my relationship to... that Mara is for now, okay? I don't know why I woke up with that name, and I still don't know what happened to Clarissa either. I'm still looking for answers, and if you're not ready for what I might find, I can just do this alone."

Without letting him answer, I turn around and finally go to Kelsi's side. I'm just too angry to even listen to his answer now. I'm tired, worried for my friend, and fed up with all this shit. I haven't had time to put everything I learned today together, and I feel like everyone is back to sending daggers at me because of what happened, because there was another witch attack and once again, it was my fault, somehow.

Thankfully, Kelsi is just unconscious. Ben covered her during the previous wave, and aside from a mean bump on her head, she looks fine. We help her get back to her senses, slowly, but she just seems a bit lost and groggy.

"...I think it's better we go back for today," sighs Selena. "Seaver can... Where is that idiot, for starters?"

I turn to look, and a young pregnant woman arrived at the docks, leaning over a big gray wolf. Selena walks up to her to explain the situation, but this is werewolf business, and I've had enough of that lately. I help Kelsi get back on her feet, Ben’s fidgeting next to us, obviously worried.

"I'm fine... Oh, my head... It hurts... Is it ugly?" she asks with a grimace.

"Kind of? Boo, you're going to need ice."

She chuckles despite the pain.

"You called me boo... Oh, I'd love some ice cream right now..."

"No, Kelsi, I meant some actual ice. Are you sure you don't need a CT scan or something? Shall we stop by the hospital and have Bonnie look at you?"

"No, no, I'm fine..."

I'm not sure of that, but she doesn't seem completely lost either. Nina, who must have been hiding during the attack, comes out of her shop to bring us another pack of ice for Kelsi's forehead. Meanwhile, I can't help but listen to the werewolves, who have apparently decided to ignore the private matters for now and focus on the big ones.

"Seaver's handling this for now," says Selena, coming back, "but I don't think that witch will be coming back anytime soon."

"We can never be too sure," sighs Nora. "I will go check on the tree right away. You should watch out for the north border, if anything happens again, she can use the river there against us..."

"I know. I'll have more wolves on patrol for a little while, just in case."

"...Babe, you still don't remember where you heard or saw Mara's name?" suddenly asks her husband.

I turn to Nathaniel Black, surprised. Of all people, I didn't expect him to care about that, as well... He sends me a quick glance, but then, his eyes go to Liam. So he's actually worried about his younger brother. It is pretty legitimate. Is he trying to figure out my relationship to Nephera's daughter, then? I can't be the only one thinking that would make no sense if we are fated mates! ...Did Liam already tell his brother? Is that why he's the one curious?

Selena growls and crosses her arms, visibly frustrated. I don't know how she can be that sexy and confident while only wearing a man's shirt in the middle of a harbor...

"No fucking idea, and it's annoying as hell. I know I saw it somewhere!"

"...Wasn't it at Sylviana's house?" asks Liam.

"No, I'd know. Damn, this is why I usually stick to numbers, I have a shitty memory... I'll ask Danny, maybe he'll know. He's like an elephant with those kinds of things."

"Alright, then let's just go home."

Although she's still frowning and looking upset, Selena nods. Nora is standing next to her partner too, and still staring at the sea with a complex expression. She looks lost in her thoughts, until she notices me staring, and smiles faintly.

"Do you want to come with us, Mara? Or we can drop you off somewhere…?"

I exchange a glance with Liam, but we are both terribly awkward at the moment. I shake my head.

"No, thanks. You guys should go back, I'll go home with Kelsi and Ben."

"Are you sure? If you need to go to the hospital–"

"I can take you," says Liam, stepping forward.

This time, I'm the one who backs away, shaking my head. I'm not really ready for that.

"Sorry, Liam, I think it's better if you go with your family... for now."

We exchange a long stare. I'm not pushing him away, but it's been a... confusing day for the two of us. I think we need some time apart. Things have been going too fast until now, and now, they're going backwards. Everything is messed up between us. It's not like I don't want to hug that idiot and tell him we're fine, but... I'm not sure we are, for now. I'm not really sure of anything, and I need to be.

"Alright," he says.

He turns his back to me a bit too quickly, and follows his brothers. Nora gives me a faint smile before leaving too. Slowly, all the wolves leave, and it's almost as if nothing had happened. I sigh and turn to Kelsi, who's still making a grimace, the ice pressed against her forehead.

"...We are not going home yet, are we, boo?" she asks.

"I was going to ask if you're okay with that."

Kelsi shrugs.

"I'm getting a bump, but if you're fine, I can hold on a bit longer too. So, what's the plan?"

I turn to Ben and sigh.

"...Do you think you can take me to meet that Alpha, Jones?"