The Blind Witch
Chapter 24

Being eternal can take its toll. You are always hungry, always thirsty. That is why the darkness is ever reaching, always growing, trying to satisfy the emptiness.

Aiden laid in his bed, his arm resting under his head. He had been up for some time, thinking to himself. Last night was the start of the fourth moon, which meant that Clarissa was now 18. For years, he waited patiently, earnestly. Even Cyrus had begun to grow restless. He wanted his mate, to feel whole, to claim her as his.

He glanced at the window, excited to finally see the sun's rays coming through. He threw the covers back and shot up from the bed. With haste, he dressed himself and smoothed his hair. He then opened his desk drawer, pulling a small box from within. He tucked the box into his trouser's pocket, giving it a gentle pat to ensure it was secure.

Aiden left his room and went down the corridor to Clarissa's door, but it was already open. He peeked his head in but only saw servants. He frowned. He wanted to be the first to greet her, but it seemed she had been up for some time.

"Where is the princess?" He questioned one of the human servants. It startled her, causing her to fumble with the broom in her hands. He glared, impatiently waiting for her to speak.

"She left before dawn, Your Highness," the girl finally answered as she looked down to the floor.

Aiden growled but chose not to ask her any further questions. He sniffed the air, but he could not smell Clarissa. She must have been up for hours, yet he did not notice. He walked down the corridor, searching for her. It was not uncommon for Clarissa to wake early in the morning. She found it soothing to meditate in the gardens before the sun rose into the air.

He checked her favorite places, but he did not find her. Cyrus growled within him, begging to be released. Aiden could mind link with the guards; one of them surely knew where she was. But he smiled, excited for the chase of finding his mate.

"Werelia Inttum," he said as he waved his hands over his clothes.

He closed his eyes, and when they reopened, he was in his wolf form. Cyrus now sniffed the air, his sense of smell stronger than Aiden's. There was a hint of cedar in the air. She was not here, but she was definitely on the palace grounds. He began to sprint, his nose staying keen on the scent. But then her direction changed. She was no longer outside. He rushed through a set of doors, skidding across the stone floor.

Cyrus did not care that Azrael abhorred wolves being inside the palace. He would incur his uncle's wrath later, but he was on a mission. He wanted to see her, to hold her. His urges were stronger than his loyalty to the king.

Clarissa could hear women gasping behind her. She turned, quickly drawing her sword, causing it to burst into flames. She could hear something running across the stone floors. At first, she could not discern what could be making the sound. But then she saw him, she saw Cyrus. Even in his wolf form, Aiden stood out to her.

Cyrus stopped, looking at his startled mate. He growled lowly, licking his lips as he approached her. But as they neared Clarissa, Aiden took control, forcing himself to return to his human form. Hearing his growls made her back up into a wall, her gaze frozen on him. Her heart was racing, but not in fear. No, she could feel something, a feeling she had been suppressing when around Aiden. It was her own desire for him. His voice had become intoxicating to her, weakening her resolve as the years passed.

Aiden smirked as he watched Clarissa hold her breath. But then he noticed her sword, still on fire in her hands. His fingers grazed her wrist, sliding down to her hand and finally stopping on the flames. Though the blade was made of silver, the fire was a barrier, protecting him from the harmful metal.

"Are you going to fight me?" He questioned as his head leaned close to hers.

"No," she gasped as she withdrew her flames. She quickly sheathed her sword, blushing with embarrassment. "I heard women gasping; I-I didn't know it was you."

"Where did you go this morning?" He questioned in a low growl as his hand moved up to her arm, gripping it gently.

"I went to meditate," she answered as she tried to push herself further against the wall. "Nyx spoke to me last night."

"What did she say?" He asked as his other hand rested on her cheek.

"Something about always being hungry, never satisfied." She murmured, melting under his touch.

"And are you always hungry?" He teased as his hand left her cheek. It traveled down her jaw and neck, barely grazing her chest before resting on her waist.

"Aiden," she whispered, putting her hands against his shirt. She was weak against him. She wanted him, wanted to be his. "I can't. We can't. Our bonding ceremony is in two moons."

"I don't need a bonding ceremony to make you mine," he growled as his lips kissed her jaw. He moved to kiss her cheek, but she moved her head, forcing his lips to meet hers. "I will take you right here, right now, should you let me."

"Aiden," Victor's low voice said from behind them. "Morning Court has started. You're late."

Aiden pulled away from Clarissa, shooting Victor a glare. But he was right; Aiden was late. Again. Azrael was going to be furious with him. He put his hands in his pockets, suddenly remembering his gift. He pulled out the box and turned back to Clarissa.

"Issa, I have a present for you," he said as he quickly put the box in her hands.

Clarissa smiled as she gently opened the square box. Inside, she could see a bit of red magic, swirling, trapped within something.

"I put some of my fire in a glass marble," Aiden explained as he took it from the box. The marble had been secured to a chain, making it into a necklace. He placed it over her head, watching as the glowing marble rested on her chest. "I put an incantation on the fire and the marble, so the fire should stay lit forever. Do you like it?"

Clarissa nodded as she held the marble between two fingers. Tears slipped down her cheeks, overwhelmed by the gift. It was a piece of Aiden, a part of him that she could see. Something she would be able to hold onto for eternity. Aiden leaned down, kissing her one last time before heading to the throne room.

While Clarissa was occupied looking at her gift, she did not notice Victor slip away after Aiden. Victor ran up to him, grabbing him by his shoulders.

"Prince Aiden!" He said, trying to get his attention.

"Look, Victor, we weren't going to do anything," Aiden said defensively as he pulled away from Victor's grasp.

"I did not come to you to scold you," Victor replied, shaking his head. He reached into a coat pocket and pulled out a gray bracelet. "I wanted to give you this."

"What is that?" Aiden questioned as he stepped back, fearing it to be silver.

"This is a circlet," Victor explained as he held it to Aiden. "It is made of palladium, not silver. It shall not burn you."

"What is it for?" Aiden asked as he took it. The circlet was simple, with no designs, no precious gems.

"For your bonding ceremony, for you to give to Clarissa," Victor answered as he stepped back. "It was Edith's. When I first found Clarissa, she had this wrapped around her tiny fingers. I think before she succumbed to the fire, Edith got to hold her, even if it was for a moment."

"Thank you," Aiden replied as he gripped the circlet. "You actually just saved me a lot of trouble searching for something for her. She isn't one for jewels. She says why buy her expensive things that she cannot admire. But, I think something simple, something from her mother, it would be perfect."

"Good, now hurry on to the throne room," Victor instructed with a smile.

As Aiden walked away, Victor turned around. He began to walk back to Clarissa, but he saw that Vi and Sybil were with her. He smiled as he stepped into the shadows. He would not bother her, but he would watch from a distance.

"That is a beautiful necklace," Sybil remarked as she led Clarissa to a small gathering room. "Did Aiden give that to you?"

"He did," Clarissa nodded as she sat in a soft chair. "He and I were just talking, but unfortunately, he had Morning Court."

"Azrael is going to kill him if he continues to be late," Sybil sighed as she plopped onto a couch. "Aiden isn't but a few years, if that, from taking the throne. He needs to take these things more seriously."

"I think once the two of them mate, his head shall clear," Vi commented as she sat beside Sybil. "Unmated wolves are useless until they finally mark their mates."

"Can I ask you two something?" Clarissa questioned hesitantly.

"Of course, princess," Vi answered happily.

"So, I grew up in a human village. I know what a marriage is, what a husband and wife are. But, what is the difference between a marriage and a mating or bonding ceremony?"

"So a bonding ceremony is something witches do," Sybil explains as she takes Vi's hand. "It is similar to a marriage. You vow to love one another for the rest of your lives, except there is a bit of magic added in. For weddings, they symbolize their love with rings. For witches, we do it with a bracelet called a circlet. You say an incantation when you place the circlet on one another's wrist. For as long as the wearer loves their partner, the circlet stays. But, the moment you stop loving them, the circlet breaks and falls off."

"So those two bracelets that Lady Ophelia wears are those circlets?"

"They are," Sybil nodded. "One was for my father and one for Damien. The circlets will remain on her so long as she continues to love them or until she dies. Whichever comes first. Speaking of which, has my mother talked to you about what kind of a circlet you want to give Aiden?"

"She briefly asked me about metals and gems," Clarissa replied with a shrug. "I told her I wanted him to have something that had all of the races represented. Something that a king would wear."

"I'm sure she will find you something that Aiden will love," Sybil reassured her.

"So, what happens with mating?" Clarissa asked.

"There shall be no jewelry exchanged," Vi said as she glanced at Sybil hesitantly. "Rather, wolves mark one another. It is a bite that goes into your bare skin. For wolves, the bite changes the smell of the person. It signifies to other wolves that this person is taken."

"But you do not have to be marked," Sybil interrupted. "My mother did not allow Damien to mark her. For those that are not wolves, the bite hurts, and it will hurt for a while. And since you are not a wolf, you could not mark him in return."

"Could I mark him with magic?"

"There really isn't a spell for marking," Sybil replied.

"But there is," Clarissa argued. "Vi has marked the walls for me in certain places of the palace so I know where I am. I could use that spell to mark him."

"The spell was just to mark stone, princess," Vi murmured. "It was not meant for flesh."

"But, if he bites me, if he marks me, I want to be able to mark him in return." Clarissa insisted.

"But you do not have to be marked," Sybil asserted. "You can tell him no."

"I shall not," Clarissa replied with a frown. "I am Aiden's fated mate, not his chosen mate as your mother was. He can barely contain himself around me. Do you think for one moment that he would let me leave our room without marking me?"

"Zulaoalo Taraeaque Ithate," Vi whispered.

"What?"

"That is the spell," Vi explained. "Zulaoalo Taraeaque Ithate. But you ask his permission. If he has to ask your consent to mark you, you should do the same."

"Why did you tell her?" Sybil questioned angrily.

"Because she is right, Aiden will have her marked. Clarissa will not deny him that. So, I shall not deny her the chance to return the favor. But I doubt that her mark shall hurt the prince. He does not get hurt by her fire, so her mark will probably be just a scar on his shoulder. It is not for you nor I to persuade her to do anything different."

"Thank you," Clarissa said as she touched the marble that rested on her chest. She could feel its warmth against her skin. She blushed as she thought about the day when she would be Aiden's and when he would be hers.

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