Page 92 of The Noldrin Witch

A broad smile returned to Fabian’s face at once.

But to his profound misfortune, the Chancellor of Magic went on. “I’ll take Elise with me so she can explain the parts I missed.”

Emery squealed at Elise’s side.

“At last!” he cried.

PART 4

A Vision from Hell

Chapter 36

Eight days, seven nights, and endless hours of regret.

That was how long Kurt had been gone. That was how long Elise had spent regretting the infamous kiss.

She blamed luck, Seth’s fiendishly handsome face, the rain, her eagerness to develop her powers, her dread of ending up in Hell, witchcraft, and magic itself. She felt she could even blame Kurt for coming to see her that night instead of the following morning.

But deep down, she could not bring herself to place the blame on the circumstances or anyone else. Kissing Seth had been her decision. It had even been enjoyable, sure, but so was drinking a whole barrel of ale.

Elise was entertaining these tormenting thoughts while she watched Morgaine stir a brew made from one of Beth’s secret recipes. Morgaine had told Elise she needed to relax and find a way to “release” herself now that her powers were starting to bloom.

“Someone had to satisfy your needs, my dear Elise,” Morgaine said, taking a few whiffs of the steam rising from the cauldron. “If anything, I’m glad that demon took the initiative. From the little I saw at the festival, I thought he wanted nothing to do with witches. It could be he’s a prince. I’ve never met royalty from Hell before. But I wager he truly fancies you. He didn’t kiss you like that as a sacrifice or a favor, darling.”

“You really think so? It’s hard to imagine him looking at me that way. With Kurt, everything seemed more natural.”

A shadow crossed Morgaine’s face, but she said nothing. She took a small sip of the brew and smirked with pleasure. “Well, if you ask me about the duke, I think he took far too long. All this time and not even a timid peck? What sort of man is that? It’s his loss!”

Elise’s spirits sank even lower. Morgaine seemed to notice at once, and in what looked like an attempt to soften her remark about Kurt, she added, “You’ll have a chance to see him again, don’t trouble yourself too much.” The witch grinned, though her smile failed to reach her eyes.

“I just wish I could have told him everything,” Elise sighed. “I was about to, but—”

“But nothing, dear. What is done is done. The demon was not wrong. Let me tell you, a kiss is nothing compared to what you truly need. I remember being absolutely ravenous when I was becoming a witch.”

Morgaine handed her a mug of the steaming brew.

Elise couldn’t help but smile. She had come to visit the witch in hopes of distracting herself, but she was starting to realize she had hardly tried to stop talking about Kurt. She could tell Morgaine was growing weary of hearing about him. In the spirit of fairness, Elise decided to change the subject and repay her with a hearty meal.

“Why don’t you go relax in the garden, and I’ll prepare the boar for us,” she said.

Morgaine didn’t need to be told twice. After just a nod of confirmation from Elise, she filled a large goblet with the brew and sprang out of the Potion Room and into the garden.

Elise went to the kitchen, and while she admired the beautiful greenery and Morgaine relaxing by the small bench nestled among the bushes, she began preparing the giant boar the witch had received that morning as a gift from one of her clients. A lady by the name of Regina. There had been no last names, but apparently the lady had been most grateful for Morgaine’s wise advice and timely remedies. Along with the fresh game, she had also sent a small coffer full of jewels.

By the time Elise finished preparing the boar for roasting, Morgaine was dozing off with her empty goblet in hand.

Elise joined her in the garden with a fresh one and a full mug for herself. The day was beautiful. A clear blue sky made the green of the trees and plants around them seem even richer.

“Thank you, darling,” Morgaine said as she reached for the fresh brew.

Elise sat beside her. “You really think I’ll need a way to release my…needs in order to awaken my powers?” she asked with a shrug.

“Not only do I believe it, I could carve it in stone,” Morgaine said with renewed vigor after a few sips of Beth’s secret recipe. “At some point your nature is going to overcome any prudery. I, for one, will be the first to celebrate.”

The witch looked absolutely stunning and as poised as ever, speaking like a true master of the craft and looking every bit the queen. An emerald necklace hung from her neck, and ruby bracelets adorned her slender wrists. They were among the jewels Lady Regina had sent, and they seemed made to order for Morgaine.

Elise stood there admiring her for a moment. She said nothing more about Kurt, but deep down she hoped it would be he who would help her “release” whatever needed releasing.