Piercing My Heart

54

(So like I didn't realize how long this chapter ended up being)

I was surprised the lady was so eager to help. I recognized her knowing smile to be identical to the witch that cursed us here. She must be related or know the witch in question. I was still apprehensive that she might be playing a trick on us, but our options were slim. I know the wolves will be on our heels, so we don't have much time.

The witch seemed to understand the impending danger since she wasted no time in gathering the necessary supplies. I glanced over the papers and saw the complicated spell. No wonder it was hard for the others to crack. I wasn't even sure if I was talented enough to successfully perform the spell. I'd need to draw on the - I glanced up and saw the smile on the witch's face. She appeared to understand what I was thinking and nodded. We'd both be doing the spell.

I intently read over the spell to commit the words to memory . I silently sounded out the words since I didn't want anyone to be harmed if I messed it up. When I was satisfied with my pronunciation, I turned to Mila.

"We need our blood to assist with the spell."

The witch handed me a blade. I used it to make an incision on my arm. I hovered my hand over a bowl to allow my blood to pour into it. Mila offered me her arm to slice. I made a cut and held it over the bowl, so our blood could mix together. Our wounds quickly closed before we placed our hands at our sides.

My face scrunched up when I read what had to be mixed into the blood. Even alcohol infused blood would taste better than this disgraceful mixture. I didn't make eye contact with Mila because she didn't need to know we'd be drinking that black sludge just yet. The witch finished and began pouring the mixture into two small glasses. I gave Mila a teasing smile and spoke.

"We'll have to consume some of the mixture before we perform the spell."

I handed her a glass. I chuckled as I watched her hold back a gag. She made the mistake of sniffing it, which caused her to look even more ill. I decided to have a little fun and make a toast.

"To fulfilling my promise to Zena and taking her to the beach." I clicked our glasses together.

"Bottoms up." Mila mumbled.

I began coughing after tasting that vile thing. Mila tried to find a rag to wipe her tongue. The witch caught our attention when she tied a ribbon around our hands. I lifted my right hand to see my wrist attached to Mila's. She held my hand to make the position more comfortable. I grasped onto the witch hand and began chanting the spell.

I felt my eyes get darker as I concentrated on the spell. I knew it was working since the temperature in the room dropped. While chanting, the witch passed some memories into my head. I now knew who had my child. It was an organization that my former courtesan's family operated. They had organized for my child to be kidnapped, so that experiments could be run on her.

The witch's memories allowed me to see that her sister had been recruited to steal Zena. Zena would then be passed onto some smugglers and taken out the country. I realized the witch's sister had a personal vendetta against me since I had slaughtered her family a few centuries ago. I silently apologized to the witch, but she calmed me and said that her sister had been killed by Naomi's family.

I wondered why she was willingly helping me after I committed such a heinous deed against her family. She claimed that when her parents were dead, she and her sister were abused as children. Even with all her hatred towards me, she couldn't subject another child to that fate. Her sister tasked her with coming to this world and returning Mila and I home.