The Blind Witch
Chapter 12

The creatures that dwell within the darkness are cunning. They adjust to the nothingness around them. They learn to creep in the shadows, stalking their prey.

Victor took the sheath and wrapped the black leather around Clarissa’s waist. He took her hands and ran them over the clasp.

“This is how it goes on,” he said as he stepped back. “You are now the holder of the sword. Keep it on you at all times. And when the time comes, you pass it onto your own children.”

Clarissa nodded her head as she sheathed the sword. She ran her fingers along the leather, feeling the roughness against her skin. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Victor walking away. She smiled to herself. In the weeks he had been here, this was the first genuine interaction they had with one another.

Victor left Clarissa without a word. He felt conflicted in his heart. She looked so much like Edith it hurt him. For over 15 years, he had lived his life, forgetting that she existed. But now that he was here, forced to watch and protect her, it pained him. He wanted to hate her, but he couldn’t. Nothing in him hated Clarissa. But he fought back the love that was growing. He would keep his distance, only protecting her. Once she was the Queen, he would leave. He would rather spend the rest of his life in sorrow than with the reminder of his dead partner.

Walking through the palace, he made his way to Ophelia and Azrael. Since the attacks the prior night, he had not gotten a chance to speak to them in private. Though he tried not to care for the girl, he was worried. A vampire that saw her, saw her powers, lived.

Ophelia and Azrael were in his study. They were surveying a map. The question at hand is where vampires could hide out during the day that was a reasonable flight distance from the palace. Azrael was able to mind link with his guards, helping to lead them in the directions they needed to go. Haerford Palace sat in a valley. There were areas where caves had naturally formed over time.

But this attack also revealed a hole in their security. They were able to sneak in during the storm. But how do you guard a place when you cannot hear, smell, or see clearly? Azrael would need to enlist the help of witches. There were those who could put up an invisible boundary that could block out magic, vampires, and even wolves. But this required a powerful witch and one who would be willing to risk their life to protect the King.

They looked up from the map when there was a knock at the door.

“Enter!” Azrael called out.

The door opened, and Victor walked in. He went to the table and bowed to Azrael.

“How is Clarissa?” Ophelia asked.

“I think she is tired more than anything,” he answered. “But she seemed to be in better spirits when I left her.”

“She was lucky you were there last night,” Azrael remarked as he looked up to Victor. “Both she and Aiden could have died if you had not been there to help. How did you know to be in the corridor waiting for her?”

“I don’t mean to come across as rude, but have you not taken the time to learn anything about the girl?” Victor questioned with a scowl. “She is scared of storms. I knew that one of them would go to the other. She would need comfort.”

“I have an entire world to hold together,” Azrael retorted as he stood. “And it is being held together by twine. I have human kingdoms slaughtering their citizens as they try to gain more land. I have wolves who hunt vampires for sport, which in turn means vampires are kidnapping wolves to use as blood bags. And on top of that, I have witches going rogue and putting curses on the world. I don’t have the time to talk to the girl!”

Ophelia placed her hand on Azrael’s shoulder.

“What can we do for you, Victor?” She inquired.

“I wanted to talk to you about Clarissa. A vampire escaped last night. He saw her, and he saw her powers.” He replied as he put his hands behind his back.

“Do you think they will tell the Requiem?” Ophelia questioned.

“I would be surprised if they didn't,” he answered. “I’ve noticed more and more of those with dark magic are joining their ranks. Even I was once approached.”

“And if the vampire saw her eyes, he would know she holds dark magic,” Ophelia scowled. She put her hand under her chin in thought.

“Why does it matter if Requiem knows about her?” Azrael inquired curiously. He was not a coven member, even though he was half-witch. As the King, joining a coven would have meant he showed favoritism.

“They may try and force her to join their coven,” Victor explained. “As they have done with others who are inclined with dark magic.

“They may also call a Gathering of the Wicca,” Ophelia interjected. “If they deem her dangerous, they can force the other High Priests and Priestesses to pass a proscription against her. Meaning, they will condemn her to death for the safety of the Earth.”

“The witches haven’t sentenced another to die since the end of the Long War. I can also put a stop to it. I am King of Kings, after all.” Azrael added.

“Then you risk backlash for keeping her alive,” Ophelia replied. “But don’t worry. I intend to do a Katallasso Oath with her. If they try to accuse her of a crime, I will take the punishment on her behalf.”

“And if that sentence is to die, you will die willingly?” Azrael questioned angrily.

“That girl has a reason for being here!” She snapped.

Azrael frowned at his mother. There was something she knew. Something he didn’t know. But before he could say anything, howls were coming from outside.

“They’ve returned,” Azrael said as he looked toward the window. He mind linked to them before looking to Ophelia. “They are on their way up here now. They found something.”

After a few minutes, several members of the search group came into the King’s study. He looked at the faces but didn’t see Aiden.

“Where is the prince?” He inquired.

“He went to check on the princess,” a man answered. “He shall join us momentarily.”

Azrael nodded as he sat down. Ophelia and the men from the search group sat as well. Only Victor stayed standing. He crossed his arms and leaned against a wall.

“In one of the caves that we searched,” one man said as he pointed at the map. “The one just outside the King’s Woods reeked of vampires. It looked as if they were there for several days.”

“Do we not do patrols near that cave?” Azrael questioned.

“It was a mile from the border. We have had no reason to patrol just outside of our lands.” The man explained.

Azrael growled as he hovered over the map. To the Northeast of the palace, nearly three days away, was a Vampire stronghold. It was tucked between the Twin Mountains. There was a good possibility of the vampires originating from there.

“Send the vampires' bodies to the Twin Mountains,” he instructed as he sat back in his chair.

“No retaliation?” Victor questioned.

“And do what exactly? If I were to approach the Lord of this stronghold, he would claim they were rogues, going off on their own.” Azrael growled as he looked over at Victor. “I also cannot attack anyone without majority agreement from the Leader Council. My sole responsibility is to protect others, not go after those that wish to kill me.”

“No,” Azrael continued. “Let them receive the bodies of their own as a warning.”

“A warning to bring more,” Victor scoffed.

“Do you want to contribute ideas then?!” Azrael snapped at Victor.

“Everyone in this room understands that the Prince’s life is at risk, yet you do nothing to aid in his protection. Now Clarissa is in danger because she is associated with him!”

“That’s some talk for a man who abandoned her to die as an infant.” Azrael retorted. “You think me so high and mighty, but I am limited to what I can do! I can add to my defenses, but I do not have an army. I rely on the Kings and Alphas of my allies to provide those. I am an ornament! Aiden, too, shall be an ornament. If you want to do something, you go to the Twin Mountains and slaughter the vampires yourself!”

Victor grumbled and looked away from Azrael’s gaze. Victor spent much of his life away from the politics and nuances of leadership. He didn’t understand the depths at which Azrael was trapped. This palace was indeed a prison for the King of Kings. He was more of a mediator than a king.

The power of the King of Kings had dwindled in time. With the first King, Konrad, his word was absolute. All looked to him and his Queen, for they were the ones who defeated the witches from the Fallen Coven. But with each generation, the world around them grew, but they didn’t change.

The King of Kings was more title than anything now. The King made no laws and there had been no wars to rage; peace had softened them. And now that there was turmoil in the world, Azrael was too weak to help. He would not live long enough to be able to assist in any way.

Ophelia noticed that Azrael’s hands were shaking. His anger was causing him to become sick. She needed to heal him.

“Let’s reach out to the kingdoms and packs surrounding our borders. We should ask their help for patrolling.” She suggested to him.

Azrael nodded and waved his hand in agreement. She looked to the guards, and they nodded as well.

“I’ll go approach them myself in the coming days,” she said as she stood. “But, we all need a good night's rest. None of us have slept much since the attack.”

The guards bowed to Azrael and left. Victor followed them out as well. Once alone, Ophelia stood behind Azrael. She held her hands out to his back. Her hands shined brightly as her magic pulled the curse away from his lungs. He took a deep breath, able to breathe without feeling his chest tighten. He sighed.

“What do you know about Clarissa?” He asked as he turned to face her. “You hide something; I know you do.”

“It’s not that I hide information,” she replied softly. “It is only assumptions. Thoughts even.”

“What are your thoughts?”

“There is something about her that isn’t normal; I just don’t know what. Her magic feels off. It’s not just that she is strong, but it’s something I’ve never felt before.” She explained. “But there is a way for me to get an insight into her magic, an insight into her soul and what lies within.”

“How so?”

“Put her into a meditative state and pull her into the Astral realm.” She answered.

“Then do it, why wait?” He inquired.

“You need two people to do it. But I can’t use just any witch. It needs to be someone blessed by Mihr. And it needs to be someone we can trust. Because if we don’t like what we see, I don’t want to cause a panic.”

“Sybil?” He asked with a smile.

She nodded her head. Her daughter was blessed by Mihr, just as she was. The problem is Ophelia called for her months ago. She had no idea where Sybil was in the world. She did not have blessed crystals to transport to the palace. She was going to have to walk on foot to get there. It could be some time before she arrived. But Ophelia worried they would not have the time to wait.

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