High Witch
Chapter 12

Brayden and Ariel traveled for a tense two days to get to his mother’s house. Brayden felt sick to his stomach thinking about his mother with Julius and Nadia for all that time, but there was nothing they could do. They rode quickly, stopping as little as possible to rest their horses and themselves. On the evening of the second day they stopped to camp in a clearing in a forest, when they couldn’t ride anymore. Brayden knew they’d arrive at their destination by the middle of the next day. He sat by the fire with Ariel, deep in thought, lost in his misery and anxiety. Ariel placed a hand on his arm.

“Brayden?” she said softly. He looked at her. She was wrapped in a warm cloak, the light of the fire reflected in her eyes. She gave him a small smile, squeezing his arm.

“We’ll save her. I promise you. I won’t let them hurt her.”

He looked down at his hands, surrounded by his own cloak. He sighed, and put his arm around Ariel, drawing her to him. She snuggled up to him, and he held her close, leaning his head against hers. He held her tightly. He was warmed by her nearness.

“I’m so worried about her,” he finally said. “My mother’s a powerful witch, but her power isn’t something that can protect her against them. She’s certainly no match for Nadia, and even Julius’ power can beat hers in a fight. Controlling fire and water is far more deadly than the gift of being able to bring things to yourself. She can’t do anything to protect herself. I feel sick that they have her — I hate it so much.”

Ariel was silent for a moment. “I know this is horrible for you,” she said softly. “It’s obvious you love her very much. Tell me about her.”

Brayden paused. He hadn’t really spoken to Ariel about how he grew up. “My whole life it’s mainly been just me and her,” he said, feeling stung by the memories. “My father left us when I was little. She raised me on her own, selling potions she brewed to support us. Mostly things to cure ailments, help with pain. She tried to never create potions that could be used for darkness. We got help from my grandmother, her mother, and my Aunt Sophie, but really it was just us. I left her to work at the inn, and sent her what money I could, but I’ve hated that I haven’t visited her as much as I should have. I love her so much, Ariel. This is killing me.”

He bit his lip, then sighed deeply. “But it’s not just that. It’s you, too. I...I can’t even bear to think of what you’re going to go through. What we’re going to go through. I hate the thought of Julius putting you through the test. This sickens me. I don’t want him to hurt you.”

He felt tears prick his eyes, and he heard Ariel sniff. She wiped away her tears, her hands shaking slightly. She took a few deep breaths, then looked at him. His heart broke at how sad she seemed.

“Brayden, I want to tell you something, and I want you to let me finish before you say anything. Just listen for a moment.”

He held his breath. Ariel sniffed again, then continued. “I want you to know that I’d never give up having met you. I don’t regret it for a moment. You’ve shown me more love in the last couple of weeks than I’ve ever experienced in my whole life. You’re giving, and sweet, and selfless, and I’ll always love you. I’ll love you into the next life. I’d do anything for you. Give up anything.”

Brayden’s heart broke in two. “No, Ariel. No.”

“There’s no other way.”

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. He kissed her hair, tears streaming down his face.

“I wish I could do this instead of you. I wish I could marry you this moment. I wish we could run away, I wish Julius never existed. I hate him with every part of me. Oh, Ariel, I’m yours. I’ll always belong to you.”

She wept against his chest, then pressed her lips against his, kissing him with sadness and passion and intensity. He kissed her back, tasting their tears, tasting her sweet lips, her tongue moving in his mouth. His mouth moved hard against hers; he kissed her as if it was the last time he’d ever see her. He knew this was the last night they’d have together. It would all end, one way or another, when they went to Julius tomorrow. This night was all they had. He had to feel every precious moment. Had to make every one of them count.

He kept kissing her, holding her tight, heat coursing through his body mixed with his sadness. He shifted her into his lap and fumbled with their clothing, then he began to make love to her, clutching her as she straddled him. She held onto him tightly, riding him, gasping and moaning. He grunted, the feeling intense. Their cries became louder, her movement faster, the feeling stronger. He felt the climax and then the release, and they fell backwards, Ariel lying over him. He held her while they caught their breath, his heart racing. She breathed heavily in his arms. She was perfect. She was perfect in every way. He loved her. Oh, how he loved her. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

They lay in each other’s arms, side by side, their gazes locked together. Ariel closed her eyes, and Brayden looked at her sadly.

“Marry me, Ariel,” he whispered. She looked at him, then put her hand on his face. She gazed at him fondly.

“In a heartbeat,” she whispered back. He smiled, but he knew his eyes were filled with sadness.

He knew one of them would die tomorrow.

He hoped it was him.

But he was starting to realize it might be her.

Brayden could barely breathe as they approached his mother’s house at noon the next day. They rode their horses quickly into the street where she lived, and he saw her house up ahead. He steered his horse into the garden at the front of her small wooden home, nestled among so many like it. Ariel arrived behind him. He dismounted, shaking, so full of anxiety he could hardly think. Ariel came to his side, and she held his face in her hands. He looked at her, taking deep breaths. He finally nodded, and she took his hand.

They walked under the porch, up to the smooth brown door. Brayden reached out and grabbed the handle, stilled himself for a moment, then pushed the door open. They walked into the front room.

Julius was standing in the right side of the room, by a table. Nadia stood beside him, grasping his mother’s arm, holding a knife to her throat. His mother’s hands were tied behind her back, her mouth gagged. Brayden looked into her blue eyes, and saw the horror in them. Her light brown hair was plastered to her head, her cheeks were tear stained. He couldn’t bear seeing her like that.

Julius stood there, staring at them, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked over at Nadia. “Go, now,” he said. Nadia nodded, and before Brayden could even react she put her arm around his mother’s waist and they disappeared. He screamed.

“This ends if you kill her!” he cried. Julius only smiled.

“I’m not likely to kill my leverage, am I?” he said. “And, frankly, you’re in no position to say when this ends. That’s up to me, and it’s up to her.”

Julius fixed his gaze on Ariel, his dark eyes looking her up and down. He looked at her closely, and Brayden wanted to smack the smile off of his face. What killed him is that Julius was right. He was useless in this situation. It was between Julius and Ariel. She tensed next to him, still holding his hand.

“We’ll go with you, but we need assurance you won’t hurt Brayden’s mother. I’m not exactly going to take your word for it. If she’s alright, we’ll co-operate.”

Julius nodded. “You’ll see her, soon enough. I’ll release her when things are...underway. No harm will come to her.”

Ariel growled. “You mean you’ll release her when you’ve killed Nadia. When you’ve killed your slave. If only I could get her to side with me, we could rip you to pieces.”

Julius smiled again. “You’ll be thinking differently in a little while. The last thing you’ll want to do to me is — rip me to pieces.”

Brayden saw Ariel go red. “You disgust me.”

“You enthrall me.”

“I despise you. I’d kill you now...”

“But then Nadia will destroy your little friend’s mother. If I don’t appear by her side, in the next hour, the boy’s mother dies. And so will he. Nadia won’t take too kindly to my death.”

Ariel’s breathing became ragged. She took a step forward. “Then let’s just finish this. We go to her, now.”

“In time. But there’s something I’ve been meaning to do first.”

Julius lurched forward and punched Brayden full in the mouth. He stumbled backwards, his face stinging, then was about to lunge at him when Julius shook his head.

“Touch me, and I’ll make sure your mother suffers before I release her. You can’t do a thing to me, boy.”

Brayden stood there, clenching his fists, breathing deeply. The coward. The devil. He wanted to rip out his throat, but he was just as bound as if ropes tied him. He could barely contain his hate. Ariel touched his shoulder.

“He’s not half the man you are. Not even a tenth.”

Julius let out a growl, then grabbed Ariel around the waist and pulled her to him. He forced his lips onto hers, his tongue into her mouth, while Ariel struggled against him. Brayden grasped his head, unable to stand it. Ariel scratched Julius on the face, and he released her, laughing. She wiped her mouth.

“You do that again and I’ll come back from the dead and cut you up. You’ll never touch me again.”

Julius roared. “Oh, so you’re willing to die for — him? Really? I’m sorry, darling, but I’ve done this before. No one ever chooses their own death over another’s. Ever. Everyone is inherently bad. You’ll kill him, and you’ll come to me, and I’ll have every single inch of you. And all this passion, this rage, this fire you have inside of you, will be mine to control. You’re the best one yet. It’s the good ones that become so bad. I can just taste it. Oh, I can taste it...”

“Enough! Enough! Stop it.”

“Whatever you say, darling.” Julius put his arm around Ariel’s waist and pressed her up against him.

“Take hold of your little friend. He needs to come, too.”

Ariel reached her arm out, and Brayden grasped hold of it. She was so tense it was like she was made of steel. Julius narrowed his eyes, then they were all spinning, before their feet stood on solid ground again. Brayden took in lung fulls of fresh air. He realized he’d been holding his breath.

They stood on a cliff edge, a wild breeze blowing around them, through the trees behind them and the valley below. Nadia stood nearby with Brayden’s mother, two large men next to them. The men walked over and took hold of Brayden’s arms, dragging him to stand by Nadia. That’s when Brayden saw it.

Near the precipice, tall, looming over them, was the contraption Julius was going to use to put Ariel through the test. Brayden nearly collapsed. Julius had changed his methods. This was worse than fire. This was worse than anything.

He was dead.

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