Page 53 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

"Boo!"

I open my eyes, getting out of the half-asleep state I was in just seconds ago. Damn it, I really tried not to fall asleep. I wanted to at least wait until Kelsi was here, but after we got to Nora's house, I was pushed to the bathroom for a much needed hot shower with Liam. He and I were so dirty and tired, we didn't even think of doing anything... naughty. He just changed back into his human form, taking some of his brother's clothes, while I also changed into a tank top and a pair of jeans, probably Selena's, judging by the size. Sadly, the leather pants went straight into the laundry pile...

Once we got back to the living room, it was apparently around lunchtime already, and Nora had magically gotten food ready for everyone. On the table, several plates were displayed like a buffet, including a large pan with an impressive quantity of bolognese pasta, a pyramid of burritos, and some cold slices of beef. I can only imagine how full their fridge must be to be ready to welcome werewolves at any moment...

However, I was almost too tired to even eat. I set myself in one corner of a couch with the plate I managed to fill up before the others got to it, and I just ate mindlessly, fighting the urge to sleep. With Ayesha still in the room with us, I really didn't want to give in, but it looks like I lost the fight...

Kelsi runs to me, while behind her, Ben's got both eyes on the table.

"Hey, can I get some?" he asks, his hand already reaching for a burrito.

Spark jumps on my lap, while Kelsi takes a seat next to me. She places a huge pile of papers and some books on her lap, probably everything she didn't have time to check or copy. However, she crosses her arms on it and looks at me with a frown.

"Boo, you look terrible... Are you alright?"

Liam comes to sit on my other side with his second serving of burrito. Like me, he seems tired, and just leans against my shoulder while he eats.

"Sorry, Kelsi, I'm just... exhausted. Can you update me on what you found?"

"You could take a nap," she suggests.

I look around. Yeah, maybe I could. Nora and her husband are chatting in one corner, busy catering to their guests. Selena is with Ayesha, who actually begged to get some food too. I can't blame her, if she used as much energy as I did... Now she's trying to eat with her injured hands, but I suspect she must be healing already, judging by how she can already hold a burrito. At least, I don't think she's dangerous anymore. She's seated in one corner, and with the house filled with werewolves, I don't believe there's any risk... Selena's husband took over the bathroom, and more wolves arrived inside and outside of the house. It's an almost continuous flow of werewolves, in their human or wolf form, coming in quietly to grab some food and go back out. It looks like Nora's cooking is the official roll call of the pack...

"...I promise I'll take one later, but I really need to hear what you found."

"Okay."

She grabs Spark to switch his position with all the documents that were on her lap for mine. The cat protests, but still curls himself in a ball of fur to get petted by Kelsi, while I have to open the documents and books. She already marked a lot of them with folded corners and some sticky notes she found Moon Goddess knows where. Next to me, Liam grabs some to help me look through the pile, checking the contents as well.

"Can someone translate these for me?" he asks.

"Those are necromancy rituals," I say out loud.

I know a lot of ears in the room are listening, although the discussion may seem to be going on only between me and Kelsi. She nods, and grabs a page to show me a new pattern.

"This is the most similar one I found to that of the tattoo. I don't think that professor was only spreading it, I think she actually may have helped create that tattoo for... whichever witch she worked for. I found a lot of different sketches she had done, and a ton more of them in those creepy necromancy books."

The necromancy books she mentioned are actually filled with dust, very old, and even stink a bit. I need to manipulate them carefully for the pages not to fall apart in my hands. Kelsi grimaces while petting the purring kitty.

"Yeah, they were hidden... Sparky found them in some secret panel under the rug. I think those are real witch's books, they don't have any information about a publisher or an author..."

I raise the book for Ayesha, sitting across the room, to see.

"Ring a bell?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow.

She shakes her head.

"Nope... but have you seen those runes?"

I nod. The runes on the cover... They are very thin, but to a witch, they are hard to miss. I put my finger on it. Those are a bit more complex than the key Clarissa had on her journal. An older witch, then? It would match the... dust.

"I'll bet that professor collects witches' possessions to study them," I sigh, still looking through the pages.

The handwriting inside seemed like it had been printed at first glance because of how regular the letters were without having lines, but the more I look, the more this was done with fresh ink. There are even some stains on the paper. It's written in a foreign but modern language I don't understand.

"Selena, is that Spanish?" asks Liam.

She frowns and comes over.

"...Portuguese," she says after just a few seconds of looking at it. "I don't think I can translate it, but I can find someone if it's urgent."

"...Maybe, but I don't think we have time," I shake my head, putting that book aside.

I go through the other documents, massaging my sore neck while reading. As Kelsi had said, it's a lot of random research, more sketches of what eventually became the tattoo design, and tons of notes... There are even parts of the genealogy of some witches. Not the full tree we saw, more like just a few branches of it.

"It's strange; can't all witches see the tree?"

"Maybe that professor was doing some digging of her own," says Kelsi. "I found a lot of research on witches, and for all three elements too. I think she was fascinated."

That's a very plausible theory based on everything Kelsi found... The one part I'm worried about though is that there's still a lot of necromancy involved. It's in the choice of runes for the patterns, the two history books, and even those rebirth symbols that keep coming up.

"...It looks like she was digging for some very ancient magic," I declare after a while. "It looks a bit like the revival circle that was used for me..."

"The one in the hangar?" asks Ben, coming to stand next to Kelsi.

"Yeah. However, this one was meant to call back something much more ancient and powerful... I think they tried to climb up the genealogy of the Witches’ Ancestral Tree to find the best way to get to the original Luna."

"Wait, what?"

Ayesha suddenly stands up, abandoning her food, and walks up to me before Selena can stop her. She doesn't want to harm us though, she comes over to glance at the document lined up in front of me.

"Those bitches..." she mutters, visibly upset.

"Are you willing to cooperate now?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm the kindergarten representative compared to these crazy bitches," she retorts. "You see all this? This is not what I would come up with, I'm more of the upfront attack kind of gal."

"I noticed."

"The one you should be worried about is Ravena. I had told you she was a schemer! You know this has to be her work, right? Look at this! This crazy bi–"

"Hey, no swearing in this house," growls Nora.

Ayesha glances at her, probably shocked this is the kind of thing the mistress of the house cares about at the moment, but she is met with all the werewolves present glaring right back at her. She makes a sour expression, but comes back to me with a sigh.

"That crazy hag doesn't want to end the curse. From these, you should be able to tell too, right?"

I nod, my eyes going back down on the documents. Kelsi leans toward me, visibly worried.

"Really, Mara? What is she looking for, then...?"

"...I think she wants the Dark Magic stored in that curse," I say, looking for Ayesha's reaction.

"Wait, what? Is that even possible?" asks Liam.

I shrug, grabbing the sketches of the tattoo to study again.

"...She seems to think it is... This curse is basically a huge bundle of dark, untamed magic. I felt it too, while it was... inside me, and active. That thing contains a lot of power, enough to even have its own conscience. It is powerful, for real, but a single witch should have issues controlling it... especially if she's the only host."

"Oh, goodness," says Kelsi. "Is that what the tattoos are for? To get... more hosts?"

"...Maybe. I don't think humans are normally affected by the curse, which is why she might force it inside them. It won't come to them naturally, but if Ravena forces so many humans to attract the curse, it will be spread between them, while the Dark Magic will resonate with hers..."

"Okay, I'm completely lost now," sighs Ben.

"Basically, Benny, that Earth Witch Mara had met before wants to share the curse with the humans because they are not affected, but the curse will have to fight their minds. Meanwhile, she will be free to focus on the Dark Magic of the curse and control it. That magic won't go to a human since they can't host it, you know? Like... I can't shape-shift into a werewolf even if I really wanted to. It just won't work. Only the... the bad feelings involved in the curse can affect humans."

"Exactly," I nod, since Kelsi summed it up well. "I had those... voices in my head, and all that anger and jealousy long before I mastered my magic properly."

"So, will the humans be in danger, or not...?" asks Ben, frowning.

We all turn our heads to him. Really?

Kelsi grabs his ear lobe and pulls, annoyed.

"Benny, a witch is about to use humans as vessels to host a dark curse! What do you think?!"

"Ah... Okay, okay, I got it... Stop pulling..."

Kelsi lets go, and turns back to Ayesha and me. From the way she glances at the other Fire Witch, she still doesn't trust her, but Ayesha just grabs her burrito to finish it, her eyes still going over the documents spread on my lap, Liam's, and the little corner of the table in front of us.

"What about the Water Witch?" asks Selena.

"I think she and Ravena have different objectives."

"Of course they do," sighs Ayesha. "A lot of witches have tried to end and destroy that damn curse. I mean, a lot, a lot. As you already know, everyone failed."

"What happened to them?" asks Kelsi, looking worried again.

The witch shrugs.

"Either the curse killed them, cursed them, or they got away, I suppose. The only sure thing is that everyone failed, since it's still here... It's strange, though."

I agree.

"By now, someone should have found the solution... especially if there have always been witches in Silver City. How come none of... Nephera's ancestors were able to undo it?"

"How do you undo a curse like that, exactly?" asks Nora.

Licking her fingers, Ayesha turns to her.

"Most curses are born from strong negative feelings. Hatred, anger, jealousy, wrath, sadness, pain. Most curses are created during wars or after a crime was committed, because it asks for a very, very strong resentment and a Dark Witch to do it, but none I've seen before are as popular as this one... Actually, it might be the oldest and strongest curse ever."

It probably is, indeed. If it is as old as its tale, dating back to the oldest of witches and the first werewolf Luna... I sigh and pile all the documents back together while Ayesha resumes talking.

"Breaking a curse usually asks for a Light Witch to solve the feelings that created it in the first place. All witches are sisters. It takes one of us to undo what another witch has done."

"There has to be some sort of trick to it," says Liam, shaking his head.

He puts an arm around me.

"If,” Liam continues, “as you said, many witches have tried and failed, although you all seem to know the tale and its origins... There must be something that goes wrong every time, right?"

Ayesha gives him a strange look, checking out my mate from head to toe... Can she stop leering at him like that? I growl, bringing her attention back to me.

"Indeed..." she says. "First, this isn't just your witch next door who created this curse. I guess that would be the first and main issue... like I said, it will take a strong witch to undo this. Second, the location. No one was sure until a while ago, either. If some knew, they probably didn't share it too much either for fear young witches would run here and get caught while playing with fire... Moreover, witches are territorial, yes? Let alone the fact that you werewolves are all over the place, and the previous local witches didn't let many of us in..."

Indeed, the barrier was keeping those three out until recently. I suppose now it's going to be more than two or three witches flocking to Silver City like moths drawn to a flame. They will try their luck at undoing the curse and, at the same time, gaining control of such a big place.

"Finally, the curse itself. As you already know, it's growing, and powerful. Over the years, it probably grew until it became pretty much unstoppable. Not all of us are in a hurry to get killed, either. Each time a witch loses to that curse, she adds fuel to the fire, the curse taking her magic. Who wants to fight a few-centuries-old curse now, risking their lives and their magic? Nope, I'd rather stay away from it.”

"You were rather close for someone who meant to stay away," says Selena.

"Well, things changed recently, didn't they?" shrugs Ayesha. "Two witches dying. A new one came out of literally nowhere. A pair of Royals showing up in the area too. That's enough to appeal to a few power-hungry and curious witches like me."

I don't really care about Ayesha's motives at the moment. From what I've experienced so far, she was at least the most honest about it... I keep staring at that paper, and finally grab one of the sketches, and take Kelsi's purse to rummage around for a pen.

"...Mara?"

"We need a new plan of action," I mutter.

I start to write things on the paper, aware that I have at least three pairs of eyes above me trying to read it.

"...Oh, not bad," chuckles Ayesha.

"Mara, what are you doing?" asks Liam, confused.

"Like Ayesha said, the curse has grown too strong. For now, our best chance is if we can weaken it, and find where all the other witches before us failed. We already know where that curse started: here, in Silver City. I mean, it would be great if we could narrow that some more, but... first, we need to find as much information as possible about the people related to that curse."

"You mean the two Lunas?"

"Those two, and the male werewolf too. That professor was probably researching who their blood descendants are to weaken that curse too."

"Well, aren't you... one?" says Kelsi. "That would explain why that... Ravena witch was so interested in you, and the other one so... upset about your history, as well."

I nod, tracing the most basic organigram to symbolize that triangle, between the original trio, and now... between their descendants in this time.

"Exactly. Well, I'm very likely a descendant of that first witch, from my relationship to Nephera, while Nora and Selena are... descendants of the first Luna."

The two cousins exchange a look.

"So now, we'd need to find who are the descendants of the first... male werewolf in the tale? The one both Lunas fell in love with?"

I nod. This is probably harder, though. I mean, unlike in the first story, we have literally no clue... Kelsi makes a sour expression too, and grabs one of the papers to read it over again to try and find another clue.

Suddenly, though, Ben scoffs loudly, almost coughing out his mouthful of rice. Kelsi grimaces, but hands him a napkin.

"Benny, what is it...?"

However, he starts laughing, while we're all waiting for him to finish his mouthful and calm down without choking. Nathaniel Black walks back into the room, changed into clean and casual clothes, still drying his hair with a towel. Ben starts laughing again as if he had seen something funny. Nathaniel exchanges a glance with his wife.

"For Moon Goddess' sake, Ben, explain yourself!" yells Selena, finally annoyed.

"S-sorry," he chuckles, barely able to contain himself, "but... isn't it obvious who the descendants are? I mean..."

He stares at all of us, but I'm as lost as the others. Ben rolls his eyes.

"Seriously, guys? You can't tell me no one realized that all three of you fell for a trio of siblings ! All three descendant chicks from the story, both the witch and the she-wolf, each one falling for one of the Black Brothers? I mean, seriously? What other proof do you need?!"

We all turn to our partners, the three brothers pretty much as baffled as us. Liam opens his mouth, but soon closes it with a little embarrassed smile. I glance at Nora and Damian, Selena and Nathaniel. ...Okay, maybe he's got a point.

"You think... Nate, Damian, and Liam are the descendants of that male werewolf from the story?"

"Don't you think so?" chuckles Ben. "I mean, I always thought it was a huge coincidence that you and Nora fell for... two of the Black Brothers when you're actually cousins, but now, Mara is Liam's fated mate too? That's rather... big, isn't it?"

He isn't wrong. I mean, what were the chances of that happening? Even if Selena isn't actually Nathaniel's fated mate, she still ended up with him regardless. Plus, Nora and I did get paired up with Damian and Liam. Like Ben says, it would be a pretty huge coincidence if the Moon Goddess had just chosen to pair us with those three like that.

"Wait a second," says Kelsi with a frown, "I may have missed something but... weren't the children of the first Luna and that werewolf the same... children? Why are Nora and Selena Royals while the... Black misters are just normal werewolves?"

I chuckle. Black misters... I'm glad to see I'm not the only one impressed by the Black Brothers.

"Blood and genetics among werewolves don't exactly work like other characteristics," explains Nathaniel Black. "We inherit mostly from our fathers if the werewolf is male, and mostly from their mother for she-wolves. I'm not talking about our physical traits, but our werewolf ones."

"That's why I'm not as powerful of a Royal as Nora is," nods Selena. "Although my dad and her mom were twins, my mother was human. Hence, I inherited more human characteristics, and my father probably didn't give me as much... Royal power as what Nora received from her mom either. It's true for our children too, Nora's sons have less Royal characteristics than their sister and cousins because they take mostly after their fathers' Alpha genes."

Oh, now that I think about it, I did notice that even if he kept his blue eyes, Nora's son's fur was pitch black like his dad, not white like Royals... Whereas Selena's daughters had white fur.

"That probably explains why there are no... male witches," I suddenly realize out loud.

"The witch gene is female-only," nods Ayesha. "Witches can have sons, but they'll be human."

"I get it," says Kelsi. "So, although the parents were the same, the genes of that Alpha male werewolf was passed along to his male descendants, while the Luna gene went to the female descendants..."

Everyone nods.

Aside from the history and biology lesson, it does also explain a few more things. Why the Black Brothers are so powerful, for one. If those three are directly descended from the first male werewolf, they probably have some of the purest Alpha genes too.... The rest were probably diluted by having children with humans, or simply meeting other werewolves that were created differently. Maybe there are more stories like this, of witches creating werewolves. We don't even know exactly how much of that tale is true. She may not have actually created a werewolf, but just made him stronger or something... Oh, I don't know. That's too much thinking for me right now.

"Alright," I state. "So, we do happen to have... the descendants of those three key characters right here."

"Will that help?" asks Nora.

"I believe so. The curse becomes stronger each time a witch gets betrayed by a werewolf, right? But here, the curse has three examples of werewolves who did not betray their mates..."

My voice goes down once I realize the glare Selena is sending her mate, her arms crossed. Nora makes a little grimace too, while Nathaniel has no choice but to stand there.

"Oh, really?" she says.

"I thought you'd forgiven me?" sighs her husband. "It's been years now, I have no intention of leaving you..."

Selena growls, but she doesn't say anything. Alright, maybe just a little bit of bad blood left between those two, but I don't think he betrayed her for a witch... The only witch known in the area was with Liam, so I'd be very surprised. Once again, from what I know, Damian and Nora have always been solid, and Liam and I... Well, despite a rocky start, he chose the werewolf and the witch, so I guess that works.

I clear my throat, trying to ease or ignore the tension in the room.

"A-anyway, the point is, the curse will probably be weaker against any of us three."

"What else can we do?" asks Nora.

"...We can try and narrow down the actual location where that curse began. There was always a mention of a powerful source of magic in Silver City, so... we don't have to wait for one of those witches to act for us to try and find it. If we can get to it first and fight that curse before they meddle, even better."

"How do we find that?" frowns Selena. "From what you said, no one else has been able to find it yet, right?"

I massage my temples, trying to think of the actual solution to this.

"I'm not sure... I could use a location spell of some sort, but I'm probably not the first witch who tried that..."

"Nope," nods Ayesha.

"What else?"

I bite my thumb, but Liam immediately grabs my wrist to take it away from me. Well, I'm still nervous and I really have no idea...

"Don't worry, boo," says Kelsi, putting a hand on my knee. "I'll try to think of something too. Who knows, so far, all witches have failed, but I'd be the first human to try!"

"Our witch specialist," chuckles Ben, giving her a little wink.

"Good idea. We can help you too," adds Nora.

I can't help but smile, feeling a lot better. It's true, I don't have to be the only one to look... and they are not pressuring me either. It doesn't mean there's nothing I can do, though. I don't want to sit on the sidelines while they do all the research, I have to be more prepared than that. I grab the list.

"Another thing is try to understand the curse."

"Didn't we know that already?" frowns Liam.

"Well, I thought so too, but if everyone knows exactly the same story, why have so many witches failed? I believe there is more to it, and I plan to dig deeper."

"How?"

"W-well, it may be quiet for now, but the curse is still inside me..."

"Oh, no, Mara," he growls. "No, no, no."

"What is it?" asks Nora, stepping forward, visibly worried.

"The curse is still inside Mara," says Liam, although he's still frowning my way. "She wants to seek it out and have a little chit-chat with it. Mara, do you realize how sick it made you, no later than last night? You were shivering!"

"Shivering?" repeats Kelsi, visibly shocked too. "Mara can...?"

"Yes, she can, and I'm not letting her do that again, I've had enough boiling hot showers for one lifetime!"

"Liam, I know, but just how are we going to fight that curse if I can't even understand what's wrong with it? I can't just let it dominate me like last time, I need to overcome it. I'll be just as useless if I can't even calm down the part that's inside me!"

"No, Mara," he growls. "I'm a hundred percent against this crazy idea. The mere thought that this stupid curse is still inside you already makes me worried sick. Now you actually want to go and wake up all that crazy and risk making yourself sick again? I know you're strong as hell, tiger, but that thing messes with your head! It just did last night, Mara! You're already tired as hell because you couldn't even go back to bed, now you want to do that all over again?"

I let out a long sigh, but I don't know what to say to that. I know Liam's right to be worried, and as my mate, he knows better than anyone how risky this is for me. However, I just can't sit still. It's not like me to give up, but I also don't want to make the mistake of provoking that curse on whichever birth place it's hiding if I can't even contain the darkness inside me.

"Mara," says Nora, "I think Liam is right... I know you really want to do well, but... there's been a lot happening these past few days, and honestly, there's probably more to come. You should rest a little."

Just as Nora said that, I feel a wave of fatigue suddenly come over me. It's not as if I hadn't felt it before, but... it was like a little thing in the back of my mind until Nora mentioned it. Plus, we just had lunch, and the digestion coma might be kicking in too. Liam wraps his arm around my shoulders again and pulls me in to gently kiss my forehead. I nod.

"Okay..."

Nora smiles gently.

"You can take one of the rooms upstairs and have a good nap. I promise we will wake you up if anything happens, alright?"

"Get a good rest," nods Kelsi. "I'll just keep studying this stuff and see if I can find more clues!"

"You're just impatient to dig into all that old witch stuff some more, eh?" chuckles Ben, teasing her.

Kelsi blushes, but we all know he's right. Ayesha suddenly lets out a long sigh.

"Finally! I'll help the human chick too."

I stare at her, giving her a clear warning.

"Ayesha, if anything happens..."

"Hey, I'm out of magic, alright? I'm not stupid enough to do anything when I have this many Alpha werewolves around and plus? I am actually interested in all this stuff too. Also, you guys fed me and no one actually killed me, so I guess I can behave for a few hours."

"We'll watch her." Selena nods behind her.

I know she and the others actually have enough power to keep Ayesha contained if anything happens... I guess I just feel a bit nervous about leaving her alone with Kelsi, but she won't be. Moreover, Kelsi happens to know a lot about witches. She might even be the first one to notice if anything is wrong, but I hope it won't get there. Ayesha even takes another burrito before sitting on the other side of the table, already grabbing one of the old, dusty books with a grimace.

Selena sighs and leans against the mantel. Meanwhile, Nathaniel and Damian Black keep exchanging glances, but whatever it is they are mind-linking about, they don't want to share. Nora smiles again, and gestures for us to go upstairs.

I am a bit embarrassed that Liam and I are taking a room with all his family here, but he guides me so naturally to the stairs, we leave the room in just a few seconds.

He picks an empty bedroom, probably one of Nora's guestrooms. I didn't realize how big the house is from the outside, but they do have several guest rooms on top of theirs and one for each child... Now that I have a bed right in front of me, I'm just dying to get in there and close my eyes. I take off my pants to be more comfortable, and climb on it, Liam chuckling behind me.

"That's... cheating," he says.

I chuckle.

"Stop being a pervert and come here."

"I'm not a pervert," he protests, climbing on the bed too. "My girlfriend is in panties right in front of me and I'm supposed to lie down and be a good wolf..."

"You can sleep on the floor if you want."

He makes a vexed expression, but he knows I wouldn't make him. He shakes his head, and comes to lie next to me. He takes off his top, but not his bottoms. Hm... afraid to lose control, perhaps? I smile a little and curl up against him. I can't help but cheat a bit, and put my fingers on his pecs, following the lines of his muscles.

"Hey..." he growls a bit.

"Don't move," I protest.

"Oh, you're a sadist..." he grumbles, closing his eyes.

I chuckle, but really, I'm... too tired for that. Maybe when we wake up? This is still his brother's house, though, and with everyone downstairs, I'm not sure I'd dare... I lazily trace circles on his chest, feeling my eyes wanting to close. Liam is already breathing slowly too, not reacting to my movements. He puts an arm around my waist, and I like his heat against mine... The smell of his skin too. We smell like the same soap, but it's still Liam's smell underneath... my mate's smell. My wolf is content, and she lies down like a good girl too.

I have trouble actually giving myself up to that deserved rest though. I really hope Kelsi can find a solution or a clue to help us... I'm glad we made some breakthroughs together, but I have this lingering feeling of fear and angst that won't go away... Is it the curse playing with me, like Ravena said? She did mention it would try to make me mad. I won't go mad. I don't want to be the crazy witch again...

"Mara, sleep."

Liam's slow and deep voice takes me by surprise. How did he know? His eyes are still closed... He sighs slowly, and snuggles up closer to me. He wraps me in his arms, and after another kiss on my forehead, he leaves his face against my hair. I can tell he's taking slow and deep breaths, as if he's content with my smell too.

"No witch stuff, okay?" he whispers. "Just try to sleep."

"Mhm," I nod.

He's right... I won't be able to do anything if I'm exhausted. I've been at this for hours, and it hasn't been that long since I left the hospital, either. I try to calm down, and instead of all those thoughts coming to my mind, I focus on my wolf and his. Is it because this is the less witch part of me? I suddenly feel a lot better, and lean into that, letting the sleepiness take over for real this time...

I fell into a deep slumber. I must have been really tired, because I really fell heavy into that nap. It takes me a while to really wake up, and remember where I am. Oh... Nora's guestroom. I smile automatically upon recognizing Liam's smell next to mine. Unlike the cute position we fell asleep in, he's now rolled onto his belly, his face half-engulfed in the pillow. I smile and watch him sleep for a little while. Moon Goddess, he's so... adorable. He seems younger when he's like this. I realized before how much he's like his older brothers when he frowns, but now, he's just Liam... I really, really want to brush his short hair, but it might wake him up. He only has an arm around my waist now.

How tired was he that he didn’t even feel me waking up? I can tell even his wolf is in a very deep slumber. Well, the big wolf had two rough nights because of me, and after eating, he probably deserved that nap... I chuckle. Moon Goddess, thank you for putting him by my side... I really love Liam.

He's kind, gentle, funny, and caring. He's a powerful, imposing werewolf when he needs to be, but he is also incredibly human at times. He reminds me that I am human too. Not just a crazy Fire Witch. He helps me to keep both feet on the ground, and think about... who I am. Who I want to be, the Mara he's known since the beginning. Liam never met Clarissa or little Mara. He didn't have any expectations of me. If anything, he was the only one who didn't judge me because I was a witch, but because I was this mate that suddenly attracted him when he hadn't asked for it. It probably was hard for him, but he didn't reject me... He protected me, and trusted me when I needed him to.

What would I have done, or become, if it wasn't for Liam? Even more reckless, probably. I smile like an idiot, but I'm just... happy. I don't really care what will befall us later. I don't want to think about witches, curses, and fights right now. I need to enjoy the quiet while I can... while we can still have this little bit of happiness. This room is like a little bubble. Once we step out, I'll have to become Silver City's witch again, and Liam will be a Black brother. Now, it's just Liam and Mara. A pair of fated mates like any other... or maybe not.

“ Mara? ”

I raise my head slowly.

“ Nora? ”

“ I hope I'm not disturbing you... I felt that you were awake, and Liam's still sleeping. I wanted to offer you something... My help, actually. ”

“ With...? ”

“ The curse that's still inside you. I felt it earlier, when I was healing you. How about... we try to do something about it, but together this time? ”

I smile. Now, that sounds like something we can try.

I move very slowly to get out of Liam's embrace, and off of the bed. My man must have been really tired because he doesn't react, and instead, his snoring intensifies. I smile and pinch my lips together so as not to laugh. Moon Goddess, he's way too cute for me to handle. Once I'm up, I stretch slowly. How long did I sleep for? I feel a lot better and rested already...

Grabbing my pants, I sneak out of the bedroom, ready to join Nora. I quickly put my pants back on, hoping no one is going to show up at the end of the hallway. It's actually quite quiet... Where is everyone? I thought it was because we were upstairs, but as I go downstairs, I realize the house is really quiet. I walk past the living room, and Kelsi doesn't even notice me passing by. She is frowning while staring at a book, her glasses sliding down her nose. Curled up on her legs, Ben's big brown wolf is sleeping, and she has an arm around his neck, as he covers most of her legs. They really are a good pair... Across from her, Ayesha is sitting on the floor, legs crossed and also studying a piece of paper. She's the only one to notice my presence and glances up, giving me a little nod. Looks like that's another Fire Witch tamed...

I leave those three to their study, or nap, and keep walking, heading for the kitchen. As suspected, Nora is there, just putting something in the oven.

"Did you sleep well?" she asks with a soft voice.

"Like a baby," I nod.

"Oh, I wish my baby slept that quietly."

"Where are they... I mean, where's everyone?"

Nora chuckles and takes off her apron, undoing her ponytail too.

"Well, Damian is watching the children in the garden, and Selena and Nate went to... reconcile."

I lift an eyebrow.

"I hope I didn't get anyone in trouble..."

"Oh, no," she chuckles. "Don't worry about that. Those two love to fight, I think. It's their way of expressing their feelings better... They both went through a lot, so it's always better when they talk it out. Trust me, they must already be happily reconciled by now."

Oh. Well, I guess, if it works for them...

"How is it going, by the way?" she asks. "Between... you and Liam?"

I blush. Oh, damn, are we on the love topic now? I wasn't ready for that... I nod.

"Y-yeah, I guess we're good. We... pretty much sorted out our feelings recently, so... it's a lot easier for me."

Nora smiles, making me even more embarrassed. Why do I feel like a teenager sharing her love life with her mom or her big sister?

She picks up a couple of mugs, and starts boiling some water, nodding with that satisfied smile on her lips.

"I'm glad he found you, Mara. That you're his mate."

"Don't you think it would have been easier for everyone if... I was just a normal werewolf?"

"I never thought of that," she shrugged. "Liam is someone who needs... motivation. He's always tried to protect everyone, and he's pretty stubborn too. He grew up looking up to Damian and Nate. After what happened, I was worried about him... He kept dissociating himself from us, and I feel like we weren't there enough for him. Those three brothers, they all do that same thing where they don't share when something is bothering them."

She hands me a cup of hot cocoa, and turns to me. We both walk to the little kitchen counter to sit at.

"I guess it's part of how they grew up, but... they have a hard time trusting people and they put others before themselves, all of the time. I was afraid Liam would be alone, or find someone that wouldn't suit him."

"You think I... suit Liam?" I ask, surprised.

Nora chuckles and nods.

"I think you do so perfectly, Mara," she chuckles. "You don't realize how much you've helped him since you arrived. This Liam is the Liam I knew when we were younger. The spunky, curious, will-driven Liam. Moreover, you're not just a girl in need of saving, are you? You're even more stubborn than he is, which is pretty amazing in itself. You constantly challenge Liam, you motivate him without knowing. You went and sought him out when he didn't want to be found. Now, every time I see you two together... I just wish he had met you sooner, Mara."

That's it, I'm officially as red as a tomato... I blush, and hide in my hot drink as if it could help justify the heat. Nora's striking blue eyes look like they can see right through me, and they are just making me more and more shy...

"You're cute together," she chuckles behind her cup.

"Th-thanks..." I mutter, dead embarrassed.

Are we really? I keep seeing those couples of wolves together as if they'd always been, and Liam and I might be a bit of... an odd pair, in the midst of that group. Yet, Nora makes it look so easy.

"...I don't think his brothers like me, though..." I finally mutter.

Nora looks surprised, and she puts her cup down.

"Mara, he's their little brother. You're a witch we knew nothing about until recently... Those two just have their big brother instincts kicking in. Don't worry about it. Nate and Damian are like that to pretty much everyone... Elena too."

"You mean Selena?"

"She was known as Elena for a long time. I still call her that from time to time... Anyways. Don't worry too much about first impressions, Mara. You're family to us all now. You're part of the pack. They might be big grumpy Alphas but I swear to the Moon Goddess, Nate and Damian would never let you fend for yourself. Not with everything you did for their little brother, really. Those two are just... grumpy around the edges."

"Grumpy around the edges?" I chuckle.

"You know what I mean," she says with a little wink.

I nod. The truth is, I can't forget how the two older Black Brothers jumped in against Ayesha, just this morning. Their position was very clear. They weren't just defending Liam, they were between me and her too. I touch the mark on my neck, brushing the scar. It's true. I'm part of their pack now... Maybe I've just been too shy to act on it. Unlike them, this wasn't my world to begin with...

"Alright," she smiles, "I know you were worried about that darkness, that part of the curse still inside you."

I nod and put my cup down, licking the chocolate off of my lips quickly.

"Do you think you can help?"

She smiles.

"I may be nicknamed the Black Luna, but my specialty is more about light..."

Suddenly, her hair begins to... glow. Not just glow, but it turns white slowly, from her roots, going all the way down to the curls on her shoulders and below. I gasp. This is... amazing. It's not just the new hair color, but the way her aura moves with it. It's like a river of light around her, an aura so calm and peaceful, I can barely believe it. It feels so smooth, pretty and cooling, just like snow.

"That's... impressive," I whisper.

"It’s a Royal power," she smiles. "I used to only be able to use it from time to time, mostly at night... I've been practicing, and now, I can use it during the day too if I channel my energy. It's a bit hard to explain, but you should be able to understand."

I nod. I'm probably some sort of aura expert, I know most werewolves can't see it like I do. I'm absolutely impressed with Nora's, though. I almost feel like I can touch it, but I wouldn't dare lift a finger. There's definitely something that feels... sacred, or holy, about it. I feel like I'm drinking a cup of hot cocoa with a half-deity right now. I think I finally grasp why all the werewolves react like they do around Nora. It's not just because she's their Luna, or a mother figure. It has nothing to do with her mate either, she's just... like the moon herself. A power so pure and innocent.

"That's amazing," I insist. "This... It's magic, but it's also different. As if you were nothing but... Light Magic, as opposed to the dark one harnessed by the curse. And you can control that?"

"Not fully," she tilts her head. "To be honest, I only began working on it because my baby would cry when he saw my hair white... I think he couldn't recognize me. I dyed it at first, but it made me wonder if I couldn't control it somehow, and once I did, I decided to just keep my hair black all the time. It came just like that, but basically, if I try to control my healing and purifying power, my hair turns white, and I'm much more efficient..."

I nod. I finally understand why Nora thought she could help me. With her like this, I don't see how the darkness could be able to control me... But then again, I've never tried. She takes my hand gently, her pale skin making a nice contrast with mine.

"So, do you want to try?" she asks.

"Definitely," I nod.

"I said I'd help, but you're the witch," she says. "I can lend you my power but this curse is still inside you, right? You'll have to do the hardest part."

"Don't worry, I think I know what to do now," I smile confidently.

I hold her hand a bit tighter, and Nora just nods assuredly.

"I'm going to... try and dig it out," I say. "If anything happens, don't react. I'll just hold your hand and try to rely on it. If Liam wakes up, tell him I'm sorry too."

"Roger that. Anything else?"

"No... Please, just don't let go of my hand, alright?"

"I promise," she smiles gently.

Well, now... It's a bit embarrassing, but I lay my head on my other arm, like a student about to take a nap at her desk. It's a bit hard to try to take a nap in Nora's kitchen, with her holding my hand, but this isn't just about me falling asleep this time. I have learned enough to actually know how to dive in my subconscious state...

It's much faster than trying to fall asleep. I find myself jumping and crossing an invisible barrier, like I'm floating. I'm in that strange state again...

This time, I am back in the strange, dark room. However, I feel a pinch of sadness, as little Mara isn't there anymore... It feels so big and empty without her. I feel like it was ages ago since she taught me all about my magic, the runes, and magic circles. So many things happened in such a short time. I wonder when I'll be able to take a break and feel all of this. At least my wolf appears. She slowly comes up to me, staring with her blue and gold eyes. I smile and caress her fur... What's on my hand? There's a strange white glow coming from my left hand... Oh, is that Nora's power? It's... nice. I didn't realize before that this white glow was still following me. It's covering the hand she's probably still holding, giving me that gentle, cool effect. I feel so incredibly calm thanks to it.

I look around. Now... How do I do this? Before, the curse always came to me. Through the voices, through those hallucinations, it always tried to get to me first. Now, this place is just so... quiet. I know the curse isn't gone. It's just biding its time, isn't it? Just like Ravena said. It will stay in the shadows, look for a way to drive me mad, very slowly. I won't let it do that.

“ Are you that sure? ”

There you are. I turn around, and facing me, the curse took my appearance once again... with a few different details, though. It isn't an exact copy, the curse won't mimic some of my features. On this version of me, my skin is perfect, all the little defects are gone, even the thinnest wrinkles. This Mara's hair is perfectly combed too, not a frizzy mess like usual. The one thing that bothers me most though are the eyes. The eyes are blue, once again. Why always blue? Was the first witch a Water Witch?

“Yeah,” I respond. “I decided it was either time you pay rent, or get out of my body.”

“ I like it here, ” she chuckles, “ in your head. Your little head, always so full of thoughts. Of doubt… ”

I don't give a damn how small my head actually is, but I hate her preying on my thoughts like that. She smirks, and starts walking in circles around me. She's really trying to mess with my head. She's wearing a very sexy black dress for some reason, heels, and she is confident like a queen. I keep my fist closed, trying to stay calm. I know she's going to try and mess with me again. I've been here before. I have Liam's words with me, Nora's words too. It won't be as easy as the last time.

“ What is it? ” she giggles. “ Mara has decided to get rid of me? ”

“If you already know, time to take the way out,” I growl.

My wolf growls in unison with me, but she ignores her.

“ There you go again... Fighting me... Fighting the darkness inside you. Because that's what you're afraid of the most, Mara, aren't you? You're not afraid of me. Of course, you wouldn't be. What really scares you is what you so desperately want to ignore… ”

“Liam loves me,” I retort. “Don't you even bother to hint at anything regarding my mate. He knows exactly who I am, and he loves that part of me. Not Sylviana. Not Clarissa. Me, the me who is broken.”

She starts laughing hysterically. Alright, I guess that's all my speech does to her... I knew this wouldn't be easy. I look down at my hand. Nora's white glow is still there. I'm still there.

“ Oh, Mara, Mara… ” she sighs. “ You don't even realize. Liam doesn't love the broken you. He loves you because he doesn't know the wreck you are inside. ”

I freeze, and glare at her. The way she's walking in circles around me, like a predator playing with its prey, annoys me. Why is she doing that?

“ You're so broken, Mara, you don't want to know who you are. ”

“I already know plenty.”

“ No, you don't. Because you're just ignoring the real answer, the one you had from the start... The witch inside of you, Mara. ”

“Oh, so now I'm not witch enough? That's new…”

She chuckles.

“ Oh, no, Mara, that's not it... You're a witch. You just haven't realized you're a Dark Witch. ”

I feel my blood suddenly go colder.

“Shut up with this nonsense.”

“ This isn't nonsense, it's the truth. You were born by feeding on two other lives... You were born with a curse already engraved inside you. Don't you even see? You were born a Dark Witch, Mara. You were born powerful. Yet, you're constantly trying to tame your power, to tone it down. You're so scared Mara, all the time. You're scared your mate will realize how dangerous you are. You're scared you'll hurt someone... Aren't you? ”

I'm about to answer, but something appears. A vision.

It's my fight from earlier, with Ayesha. I see us fighting, as if I were someone else watching. The fireballs exchanged at an incredible speed. I'm... I'm quite amazed by myself. I look so confident, standing there, sending back each blow. And then, this attack... I grimace, witnessing that scene again. My most powerful fire, thrown right into Ayesha's circle. Her smile, just as it enters... and then, unleashed over Silver City. I feel a knot in my throat.

“ See what you can do, Mara. You could erase that city off the map anytime if you wanted. You could kill all those witches who roam around your territory... Aren't they so annoying? ”

“Enough of this,” I growl. “I'm not like you. It's true I'm cursed, it's true I was born out of Dark Magic, but it's no use. You won't possess me.”

Then again, she smiles and suddenly stops walking around to come up to me.

“ Do you know why you can't chase me? ” she chuckles. “ You can't, because I am you. I belong here, just like she does. We are both you. ”

I follow her finger, pointing at my wolf. My wolf stares, but she doesn't dare to growl again. The other Mara smiles and, to my surprise, she grabs the wrist of my hand covered with the white glow. She raises it to my eye level, and I feel the glow disappearing, without me able to do anything about it.

“ This Light Magic? It won't be of any use to a Dark Witch like you, Mara. She is pure and you're cursed. You will never be able to wield this Light Magic. In the end, your fate is to be consumed by the curse. By me. By us. ”

“You don't make any sense... I was able to defeat you once already!”

She laughs.

“ No, Mara. You merely shut the door. I'll destroy the wall if you do that again. Just watch, Mara. Unless you finally accept who we are, you won't be able to beat me. You're too weak, and you're too scared. ”

She takes a couple of steps back, going back into the darkness.

“ Don't worry, Mara. It isn't so dark once you stop focusing on the light… ”