“I ought to give it to you, Lord Lucius. You have a graceful way of appearing abruptly.” Madonna presented an amusing smile to the Lord who came barging into her coven like he was the Emperor of the establishment.
How Charming! Madonna thought, as she looked at the well built Lord who stood before her like a raging demon.
It was no wonder that she felt attracted to him. He was man who screamed attention wherever he went.
But that wasn’t only the matter that amused her; it was also that he came with empty hands. He did not mind bringing what she asked for but still stood there with the determination to get what he wanted.
“Ah, but you were expecting my arrival, aren’t you?” He asked as he sat in the chair opposite to Madonna’s. He observed every nook and corner of her cave, he noticed every inch of her movement so as to know what she was thinking.
If there was anything that Lord Lucius was thankful of to his mother, then it was the ability of sensing the intentions of the other person that he inherited from her. Although it did not work on his family, he was more often than not accurate in reading other people.
But when it came to the young gorgeous witch, he was not certain what to think of her. He could only sense her strength but not her intent. He could not tell why he was attracted to her in such an intense manner.
Was it the curiosity in the first place that was making him think about her more often or was it just how a man of youth would feel for a woman.
There was something about the woman sitting in front of him made him wary. No, it was not her powers, but it was the calm and serene ability of hers that was getting on his nerves.
“I cannot supposedly lie about that.” She chuckled as she opened her palm and produced a burst of orange flames. She played with the flames on her whims and smiled as she intensely closed the palm and opened again to produce blue and orange flames dancing side by side.
She loved the feeling of controlling the fire she has inside her. It was exiting!
“You could not have just wanted to see the beautiful young witch so what forced you to pay a visit to me, My Lord.” Madonna was enjoying this little play of wits with the Lord.
“Why do you need Alys possession? What was in the black box that you would risk the whereabouts of one of the most powerful witches without a second guessing?” Lucius asked without a moment of late.
He was still complying if he would get a truthful answer or not. From what the filthy monster Knox had said, Madonna was good with playing with words and minds so he wanted to know what it was that she was looking for.
“Let it just be my little secret, My Lord. However, I shall assure you that it was nothing fatal to you or any other person.” She brushed off as she scoffed a little at the Lord who narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. “You want to find where Witch Orla resides, give me what I wanted and I shall lead you there myself.” She completed looking at the Lord attentively for his rely.
Lucius was puzzled at the witch. He was anxious to find his evil mother and undo all the wrong she had done from several years but there was another issue with Madonna who was still a question to him.
If Madonna has nothing to do with Orla or any other Witch who was related to Orla, then she would not be prepared to give her situation of his mother.
Lucius had previously explored and found out that Orla had nothing, whatsoever, to do with the young witch. Madonna was always alone there and was never visited by any witch. He used his spells to look into her past and all it had was her helping Knox Garrick with the issues of Shadowvalor.
Then why does it still feel that something was amiss?
What was it that was telling him, Knox was a biggest pawn?
On the other hand, Madonna was stopping herself from touching the Lord intimately. She had played few tricks and games with men before to get what she wanted but it never went beyond the restrictions. Orla had made sure to teach her how entice men to her whim but also warned never to lose herself to them.
Lucius was a different tale though. For the very first time ever, she wanted to get warm and hot in someone’s arms and that someone turned out to be Lord Lucius Emor, her guardian’s son.
“I can easily overpower you and seal all the abilities with just a flick of my finger and you shall never be able to cast a simple spell if it has to come to that condition.” Lucius threatened as he was slowly loosing his cool.
He was going nowhere with this woman. She was neither negotiating nor considering his superiority over her. He could not decide whether she was a fool for disregarding him or has something under her sleeves that was braving her.
He mumbled few dangerous spells and flicked his fingers few times creating a large globe of bright energy in his palm. It was a globe of red fire surrounded by black mist assuring Madonna that the Lord was using both the white and dark of energies to create a powerful seal.
Madonna gasped slightly at the change in the colour of his eyes. Now that she had noticed the change in his warm hazel eyes to cold grey ones, she could positively tell what the cause of it was.
Orla had influence on him.
The older witch had taken the reigns of his mind. He did not know about it yet but he was influenced by Orla and it was not the first time.
How and why, she did not know but was confident that the Lord has been under her influence from several years.
His eyes were enraged as he glanced at her with anger and frustration. His hand moved to his front and threw the energy towards her except, Madonna made no effort to avoid it.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly at him as she opened her arms to receive the energy. Lucius was petrified when the energy he released went through her body and had become one with her. He did not expect to find his spell to be unsuccessful. She was not affected by it moreover her body has consumed the vile energy.
“H-ow?” Lucius exclaimed as his eyes turned back to his usual colour.
“You have plainly underestimated me, My Lord. Now that we have tested me, I shall request your leave.” Madonna prompted as she stood up and stretched her body like a wild cat, giving him one of her sultry smile.
Although she was smiling, she had many questions for Orla. Orla had been controlling her son’s mind from quite few years which Madonna understood the reason behind but what would happen if someone comes to know about it?
It was no easy feat to control someone’s mind from a far distance.
Now that she saw with her own eyes, she realized how Orla managed to keep Lucius away from his sister when his sister was being forced and murdered. Orla made an astounding preparation in murdering her daughter without even moving her finger.
“Intriguing. Very intriguing” Madonna and Lucius heard a deep throaty voice. Both turned their heads at the uninvited guest who was standing at the mouth of the cave with a small smirk playing on his face.
Lucius was yet again perplexed to find the man there while Madonna was getting the entertainment for the day. She grinned and nodded at the man as she walked to him.
“Lord Alder Emor, to what do I owe your presence here?” She asked playing a role of a polite host. “Father?” Lucius questioned noting his father’s arrival.
“I am impressed by the abilities you hold, young one. You are one special witch, I see.” Alder smiled intently as he moved into the coven. Madonna followed them inside with a knowing smile. “Looking at how my son was not successful, I want you to lead my son to Orla.”
“What would I get in return?” Madonna asked knowing too well that the old man shall give her anything she asked for to find his evil wife.
“Anything you ask of me, a share of my powers, territory of your own, anything but only if you marry my son and become the Lady of the region.” Madonna had to give it to the old man; he knows how to surprise someone.
He wanted her to marry his son? Does he even know that she was cursed?
But what was more surprising was she had seen it coming. She knew she would be given a choice to marry the Lord one day, one way or the other.
Lucius was shocked by his father’s request. What was he thinking when he was asking the infuriating Witch’s hand for him?
Was his father out of his mind?
Madonna glanced at the furious Lord for a moment and turned to his father, “I accept to marry Lord Lucius and find Orla for him but I do not wish for your powers or territory. There is a small village, folksland, at the edge of the region. There is a small lad with the name, Aiken. I want you to kill him yourself and bring his skin for me.”
Both the son and the father stiffened at the witch’s request, speechlessly.
Why would she need pelt of some unknown poor human lad?
~*~*~*~*~*~