The king shook his head with exasperation but kept hisattention on the woman floating in front of him.
And his voice was quiet, and even mildly forlorn, when hesaid, “You know the punishment for this.”
“My king!”she cried, which meant she knew, and it was lessfun than being at the king’s leisure.
“I wouldn’t have denied you,” he informed her.“I havedenied no witch who has come forward.If her intentions were pure and good, shewas granted my leave.We have many witches who have greatly grown in theircraft since we defeated Minerva and her connivers.I’ve even sent some talentedyoungsters toLunwynto study with Lavinia.”
“I…did not know that,” the witch replied wretchedly.
“Because you didn’t submit your application,” he returned.“And because public sentiment will need much healing in its regard of witchesbefore these women feel safe and comfortable to practice again openly.And, Iwill note, something that doesn’t assist in this matter is witches who practicelike you.”
She grew silent again.
“You’ve given me no choice,” he stated.“And itdisappointments me, because it’s clear you have a gift, and it has been a giftsquandered.”
He waited.
She said nothing.
He turned to the redhead.“Is she bound?”
“She is,” the redhead replied.
“Is her curse broken?”he continued.
“On the women, yes.On that man, no.”
On the women?
Mom and I weren’t cursed anymore?
Noctornosighed.“Release him fromthe curse.”
The woman in green rolled her eyes, kept them rolled, liftedher fingers and snapped.
“There.That odious man can speak again.Happy?”she askedinsolently.
Who was this woman?
The king didn’t answer her.
He looked somewhere else and murmured, “You can take hernow.”
Two women, well-dressed, eyes focused on the witch, cameforward, and it was then I glanced around the room to see no guard, no person,no one but the king’s retinue, our group, the witch, and those two women.
One lifted a hand and the witch who brought us to that worlddrifted toward her.
They didn’t use the main doors to leave.
They went out a door in the back.
It was over.
I watched, feeling weird.Hollow and listless and spent andnumb besides.
So it was slowly that I realized whenNoctornospoke again, he was doing it to Mom and me.
“You are no longer under her curse.You are also no longerimprisoned in this world.”He lifted a hand in the direction of the redhead.“Valentine will spirit you home.And I will allow, if it is your wish, theother you”—he was looking at me—“to return with you.”His regard went to Mom.“Say your goodbyes, if that’s your wish.Valentine will be ready first thingtomorrow to take you home.”
