The Elf Witch |Book 1|

Chapter 21

Imani paced alone in Tanyl's rooms, peering at the clock every few minutes. It was unusual for the prince to keep her waiting this long.

Feeding from the Heir these past few weeks made her feel normal again. It put her in an amiable mood to confide in him. Unlike her sister, Tanyl could talk about magic for hours, and he knew as much as Imani. They were becoming friends in a way.

Tonight, something in the air increased her unease. Usually, she'd take this opportunity to snoop. But servants bustled around in the other rooms.

Voices murmuring in the hallways caught her attention.

She crept closer. Easier for an elf, Imani much preferred eavesdropping over snooping regarding secrets.

"An argument with my mother about a precarious situation with our navy," Tanyl said, sounding bitter.

Confused, Imani furrowed her brow. She didn't know their kingdom had a navy.

"Reinforcements were gutted. Less than half returned. Fighting the Lochheim breeds decimated us, even with the extra Leonines we sent."

Lochheim breeds? Imani only knew of Essenheim and Niflheim breeds.

Suddenly, an unbidden image of Meira running from something came into view. Someone yelled, but Imani didn't understand, and her sister tripped then cried out. Imani placed her hands on her temples, gritting her teeth, willing it to stop.

This had happened more lately—not just when she slept. Flashes of strange places with Meira and Dak or just Meira—places she didn't recall ever being, but it was the voices, never clear enough to understand anything. What was it? Why did it happen? Was she suffering from delusions as a side effect of the magic she'd taken by force?

A heaviness settled on her shoulders recently, like someone always pushed down. It was a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and she couldn't shake it.

Eventually, it dulled, and Tanyl's voice became louder as her head cleared.

"We have double the number of high sentinels they do, and we're more powerful with a monarch on our side. But we can't take any more breaches. The border skirmish out on the Neshuin Sea was the worst yet. My mother patched the slip up, but it's only a matter of time before it becomes a rift."

"We're getting concerning news from the outer territories too. Unfortunately, more seals are weakened, with a handful of slips discovered across the kingdom. Whatever is happening in these other realms means these other creatures desperately want to make this their new home," said the captain.

Her heart began beating faster. Another realm? Those have been closed for thousands of years.

"We need more armed forces."

"From where? The number of branded declines every year. You know this, Sid."

"Then tell your mother—"

"—You think she listens to me? Essenheim has always depended more on witches to defend us over brute strength, but now she'd prefer to exterminate the wielders in favor of selling us out for alliances elsewhere. Anything to protect her power."

They fell silent. Imani waited.

"Our position grows more precarious by the day. The Illithiana's activity around our borders also concerns me," the captain muttered. "Our days of peace between them are numbered."

"Tell that to my mother. She and I only just agreed on a plan to buy us time, although that's certainly not why she acquiesced."

The captain sighed. "You know that will weaken our position against them in the short term. So how did you get her to agree?"