“Well,” Dawn went on, “as we were traveling with these thousands of soldiers I overheard one talking about … a blood witch.”
I stilled with my hand over the chicken. “Okay … I’m listening.”
Dawn began to pace the kitchen. “Apparently she can … project your soul anyplace in the realm. Inanyrealm. She normally communicates with the dead—”
“The dead!” I shrieked. “Whoa, that sounds dark. What are you suggesting?” I tossed some diced potatoes and leeks into a pot of boiling water and then started ripping some rosemary to add as well.
“I’m suggesting she project our spirits or whatever to Isolde. So we can warn her not to listen to my mother. Not to kill Adrien or Zane or whoever she’s going to be sent to assassinate.”
It was a good idea. But a blood witch? I didn’t know much about them,we didn’t have them in Faerie, they were a special kind of unseelie that had great and terrifying magic. More so terrifying from what I’d heard.
But if there was a chance we could talk to Isolde and prepare her, it was a risk worth taking. If she came to Ethereum set on killing one of its lords, someone could get hurt. It could be a game changer if we could get her on our side quickly.
A bubble of hope rose in my chest. Perhaps whatever Isolde could learn from the Wise Ones would bring us closer to ending the curse for both our realms.
“Let’s do it. After dinner,” I said resolutely, and Dawn nodded her agreement.
It was decided. After Stryker mended things with his brothers, we would find this blood witch and try to reach Isolde.
* * *
When we finally entered the dining room with a few giant platters of food the men were laughing.
“I was six years old!” Zane yelled. “Everyone wets the bed that young.”
Dawn and I shared a look and burst into laughter with the rest of the brothers.
“Let us help you.” The men suddenly realized we were there and all four stood, rushing forward to grab the hot trays of food for us.
“Thank you for cooking,” Zander told me.
Dawn scoffed. “How do you knowIdidn’t cook?”
Zander gave her anoh pleaselook and she grinned.
It wasn’t until we were all seated again that I realized Adrien’s fiancée Elisana was here. She was so quiet, sitting there eying the kitchen door.
“Can I make some tea?” she asked.
“Of course, I can boil some—”
“No, you enjoy the hot meal. I’ve got it.” She slipped away into the kitchen and we all served our plates.
“It’s good to see you, brother.” Zane kept sneaking glances at Stryker, at his scar. You could tell he hadn’t seen his brother in a long time.
“It’s good to be looking on the bright side of life again,” Stryker admitted as he held my hand.
When he took his first bite of chicken he moaned and then looked at me. “I’m firing my chef.”
I smiled, and Zane and Adrien shared a look.
“So what’s with this?” Zane pointed to Stryker and I, and Zander and Dawn. “Two mates happen to be from Faerie?”
Zander and Stryker shared a look and Stryker cleared his throat. “Like Ethereum has four territories with four lords, Faerie has four courts with four princesses.”
Zane nodded.
“And we think that each princess is the mate of one of ours,” Zander finished and both Adrien and Zane froze with a fork full of food to their mouths.
