Chapter 56 THE HUMMINGBIRD'S MESSAGE (2)
GALLAHAN'S POV
A hand flew to Maliya’s mouth as she gasped loudly, earning the attention of a few people around. Meanwhile, Zuleika blanched, which was quite a feat considering the light layer of makeup she had applied on her face.
But she managed to quickly gather her composure. She stood straighter and completely let go of her hold on me.
She then removed her bead bracelet made of onyx and muttered a spell on it.
“Take this. If you need anything… A potion for the children, a spare set of clothes, a backup. Anything. Just crush a single bead and say whatever it is that you need. I will know what it is, and Mal and I will find a way to get it to you. Okay?”
My rigid body went lax a little at the thoughtful gesture. “Thank you, Zee.”
“And,” Maliya piped in, looking at me with a raised brow and a small, endeared smile. “Before you go, please allow me to finally heal that wound on your neck. I reckon you will need to nest with your pups. It would do you and the children no good when you’re all wounded and bloody.”
Somehow, I managed to return her smile, albeit only a little. “Fine. Carry on with it then.”
She beckoned me closer with a curl of her finger, and I dutifully obliged. Then, she ran the same finger down the side of my neck where Willa’s claws had punctured the skin.
“There,” Maliya chirped happily. “Now, for cleansing.”
“What?” I said as I tried to step back.
“Just stay put,” she shot back sternly as she held me in place by the shoulders.
Then, she stood on the tip of her toes and stretched her arm up as if she was going to pat my head. But what she actually did was sprinkle me with glittering magical dust that left me feeling like I just stepped out of the shower.
I let out a disbelieving breath. “That's convenient.”
“I know. I just love being a witch,” she said dreamily with a sigh.
Zuleika rolled her eyes at her in mild amusement before she turned to me and said, “Now, remember, be careful with your temperament. Alright? No more losing your composure, and no more threats about war. Do you hear me? This is your golden ticket to win over your mate and your pups.”
“No promises,” I replied.
Both Zuleika and Maliya looked ready to argue, their disapproval clear in the way their brows furrowed and their lips pulled down in a frown.
But I quickly amended before they could nag my ears off, “But I will try. Okay? Especially now that my children are in a dire situation.”
Zuleika stared at me sternly. “You better.”
For a moment, a certain warmth washed over me.
I may have lost my sister so early, but I somehow found two in the form of beautiful and great witches who had stuck with me through thick and thin.
So, before I could think it further, I pulled the two of them in a tight embrace as a rare display of my affection.
But I quickly dropped the hug, a flush of embarrassment creeping on my neck, face and ears. I didn’t let them get a word in and simply fled the scene as quickly as I could.
Then I navigated my way out of the hedge maze with no difficulty, just by following the path that looked the most trodden and trudged on.
When I reached the manor, it was equally easy to find the pale brown door with the Alfiero family insignia on the fourth floor of the east wing. And it was mostly because there was no need for any skulking or maintaining appearances when the entire manor was free of any breathing being, courtesy of the ongoing feast at the Glass Dome.
“Okay,” I mumbled to myself as I mentally gathered my composure and kept my worry in check.
With an exhale, I held the brass knob, which was peculiarly shaped like a flame.
“Embre Ta Bulan Alfiero,” I chanted as I opened the door, my mind vividly envisioning Willa with her striking red hair and enchanting green eyes.
Suddenly, I felt myself get jerked a little, and the next thing I knew, I was no longer holding the pale brown door’s flame-shaped knob. Instead, my hand was wrapped around a simple and ordinary knob of a dark blue door.
I took in my surroundings for a moment, and realized that I was right outside a homey two-storey cottage in a quiet, deserted, and unbelievably windy moorland.
“So this is where she’s been hiding all along,” I muttered beneath my breath as I twisted the knob and pushed open the door.