Chapter 100 Chapter 100

Chapter 100 Chapter 100
LENORE
If the witch had asked for my name after she walked into the room, I wouldn’t have minded giving it to her, but with the way she was acting now, I minded. Hell, I kind of didn’t even want the protection spell anymore—I just wanted to go back to Killian.
“What’s your name?” she repeated, her smile straining as her grip on my hands tightened. Before I could do or say anything, Killian’s uncle’s hand came down on her wrist, his fingers wrapping around it.
“Gesella, that’s enough.” His tone carried an air of finality and it was either that or his hold on her wrist that made her lift her gaze to his.
“I…” She blinked once. Twice. “Sorry, I just…” She took a deep breath before her gaze bounced from him to me, then back to him, and she smiled again, wider this time. “She’s so adorable. Can I have her?”
“I’m afraid not,” Killian’s uncle said without missing a beat as my brows snapped together. What the fuck? Trying to pull my hands out of hers was met with nothing but resistance, and my frown deepened when she didn't even seem to notice—or care.
“Let go of her.” Killian’s uncle's expression hardened, and she ignored him for a moment before clicking her tongue and releasing her grip on me. I didn’t hesitate to scoot over to the other end of the couch which wasn’t very far seeing as it was a two-seater.
“You never give me anything. And she needs a mother-figure in her life.”
Again what the fuck?
She looked at me, beaming like she wanted me to agree with her or something, and my gaze slid past her to the door. The thought of Killian barging in popped into my mind and though that would be beyond relieving, there was the very major issue of his history with the witch’s coven, and the fact that she wouldn’t be able to kill him if she attacked him didn’t mean she couldn’t make him wish he was dead. The chance of him barging in was pretty low though—our conversation in this room so far hadn’t indicated that I was in danger, and it wasn’t like he could read my mind.
If I screamed however…
A knock came on the door and my brows jumped. Killian?
“Your Highness.” It was Aurel and he sounded a bit exasperated. “Your guest is demanding your presence.”
Oh… The corner of my mouth twitched. I guess Killian liked the witch wanting to have me as much as I did.
“You have a guest?” the witch asked. She and Killian’s uncle had also turned to look at the door.
“An old friend.”
She nodded and patted his hand which was still holding her wrist. “I can stay with her while you attend to them.”
“No.”
“He’s really demanding your presence,” Aurel added and Killian’s uncle worked his jaw.
“I’ll be right there,” he called out towards the door before shifting his attention to the witch and letting go of her wrist. “You should leave.”
Yes, please. I was more than willing to be the one to leave, but her gaze had latched onto me again, making even breathing uncomfortable.
“Why are you chasing me away?” she asked, pouting, as she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his thighs.
“I have to attend to my guest and Alana—” He gestured at me and I blinked at him before schooling my expression. “Has to get some rest. She’s a bit under the weather.”
She flashed me the first warm smile since she figured out there was an undying spell on me—something I was still heavily confused about. “Ooh. I can help with that,” she said and began to slide across the coffee table towards me, but Killian’s uncle grabbed her again and pulled her to her feet.
“She just needs rest,” he replied, ushering her towards the door as she groaned.
“Does she stay here with you?”
“Yes.” He said it so smoothly and without hesitation that I actually wondered if I lived here for a moment.
Gesella glanced at me over her shoulder and just as she opened her mouth to say something, her body suddenly seized and she fell forward. Killian’s uncle caught her instantly, his free arm wrapping around her midsection as my eyes widened.
Uhhh… I had no idea what was happening, but the moment the expression on Killian’s uncle’s face changed from mild annoyance to concern, I figured it was serious.
“Hey. You’re okay, you’re okay,” he said in a rush as her hands flew to her head. His other hand, which had been holding her arm, came to rest on her back, moving in slow circles until she finally pushed herself upright once more, using him as leverage.
“Karmic rubbish.” She winced, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, and realization dawned on me.
Everyone knew there were two types of witches… I didn’t remember the names, but they were basically witches who usually had their eyes covered and those that didn’t. The ones who didn’t had to pay in a karmic way whenever they used magic or something.
“I’ll have Harper drive you home,” Killian’s uncle said as she glanced at me again, and I wasn’t as put off by her attention now. Probably because blood began to drip from her nose.
Killian’s uncle used the lower edge of his shirt’s sleeve to wipe her nose and she winced again before saying, “I could just stay instead.”
“Harper will stay with you until you feel better. I’ll come see you in the evening.”
She rolled her eyes and gently pushed his hand away from her face as she turned towards the door. Only a step had drawn her closer to the door before she moved to turn around. “Ah, the protection spell—”
“Absolutely not,” he stated immediately and I didn’t know if it was mostly because he was trying to keep her away from me or because of the karmic rubbish that had just affected her now.
She raised her brows, blinked at him, then smiled. “Okay.” Then she turned to me once again and said, “See you soon, Alana. I’ll be visiting.” With that, she blew a kiss at me, and Killian’s uncle caught it before it could reach me, his fingers closing around the imaginary kiss. “...You’re so greedy.”
“You know me so well,” he replied, his eyes narrowed at her as his fist tightened around the invisible kiss like he was crumpling it. Then he picked her up and dashed off with her before I could even wonder what that was about.
Her departure granted me the ability to take my first full breath since she walked into the room, and the breath had barely settled in my lungs when someone else dashed into the room. Someone who brought a rush of citrus and cinnamon with him.
Another wave of relief flooded me. “Killian.” I got to my feet as he strode over to the couch I was sitting on, meeting him halfway. His eyes were no longer glowing and irritation was evident on his face, and when his arms reached for me, I practically melted against him.
Honestly, I’d have preferred we just stayed in bed all day rather than… whatever this ended up being. Learning I had an undying spell on me was something though—quite the something.
“Did—Did she—” Killian pulled back, keeping his hands on my arms as his eyes scanned my face then my body like the witch had somehow stabbed me without me realizing.
“I’m fine.” Just weirded out. That did nothing to ease his irritation and I pressed my lips together, tilting my head to the side as I asked, “What’s an undying spell?” I’d already concluded that it most likely didn’t grant me immortality, and seeing as the witch had said it was rather powerful, I’d like to know exactly what it was.
Killian’s hold on my hand tightened slightly, his throat working. “A spell that will bring you back if you die.”
My brows snapped together, my mind stuttering for a moment. “What?!”
A spell that will… what?!
Once again, the whys, hows, whos, whens, and what the fucks of the spell flooded my head, and I blinked rapidly, trying and failing to make sense of any of it.
“It only works once,” Killian added, curiosity now taking over the irritation in his expression. “Do you know who—”
“You couldn’t wait for a couple of minutes?” came his uncle’s voice and I turned my head to see him walking into the room.
“You told me she was sane,” he bit out, his irritation back. It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the witch before my thoughts immediately reverted to the spell that had apparently been on me for who knew how long.
His uncle furrowed his brows slightly. “She is.”
“What was all that about then?”
“I truly have no idea.” His uncle’s attention then shifted to me and his frown deepened a fraction. “I apologize for her… behavior. However, I have to ask—who placed that spell on you?”
“I…” My chest tightened and I swallowed, shifting my gaze back to Killian who was also waiting for my answer. “I didn’t even know there was a spell on me.”
My chest tightened again and again and… It wasn’t my chest.
It was that feeling—the one that had lashed at the witch’s magic, the one that had brushed against the King’s magic when he’d mind-controlled me—and it wasn’t tightening. No, it was curling in on itself over and over until…
…It was gone.