Page 9 of Bewitched

Medea threw her hands in the air. “Well, if that is supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t. You might as well stop right there and don’t even say another word.”

“Ladies?” Rhys stood there, nodding toward the house. “Sorry to interrupt your little family quarrel, but why don’t we go inside?”

“I’ll wait out here,” said Zann, sounding reluctant to enter the cottage.

“Nay, Brother, you won’t.”

“I have no desire to go inside, Rhys.” Zann purposely looked in the other direction, away from the house.

“You have to face her sometime, you know,” said Rhys.

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“It sounds like we’re not the only ones with a family quarrel.” Medea pushed past the men and boldly let herself into the house without waiting for Rhys to go first. She opened the door and stopped short. A man and woman were embraced in each other’s arms, kissing. This was the last thing she wanted to see right now. She cleared her throat and slowly they looked up.

“Huh? Who are you?” asked the man with the long black hair.

“Darium, sorry about this,” said Rhys, brushing past Medea. Rapunzel was right behind him. Zann hovered in the doorway without actually stepping inside. “We need to talk.”

“Again?” asked Darium. “Brothers, your timing is always off. I told you that I didn’t want to be interrupted on my honeymoon.”

“Sorry, but this can’t wait,” said Rhys.

“You just got married?” asked Medea, feeling as if anywhere she went, people were getting married, or at least falling in love. Everyone but her.

“Yes, we did just get married,” said the man named Darium. “Now, tell me. Who in Zoroct’s name are you?”

“Who is Zoroct?” asked Medea.

The man looked at her as if he thought she was addled. “One of the gods of The Haven, of course. Why do you even need to ask? How do you not know that?”

“Where exactly is this Haven?” she continued with her questions.

“Rhys? What’s going on here?” asked Darium under his breath.

“Honey, you’re being rude,” said the woman in his arms. She walked over to Medea. “I am Darium’s wife, Talia-Glenn. Are you Rhys’ new girlfriend?”

“What?” Medea gasped, feeling disgusted by the suggestion.

“Nay, she’s not,” Rhys interrupted. “Her name is Medea de Bar and she came through a portal with her sister, Rapunzel.”

“On a dragon,” added Zann from the door.

“Wait. What? Seriously?” Darium looked from one brother to the next.

“It seems you were right about seeing another portal,” Rhys told him.

“Damn.” Darium ran a hand through his long hair, and when he did, Medea noticed a bright white streak going down the middle of his hair. She almost laughed aloud since it looked so silly. “I had hoped I was wrong. This isn’t good at all.”

“Excuse me. What is the white streak in your hair?” asked Medea, her curious nature getting the best of her.

“He’s a Sin Eater,” explained his wife. “That’s just what happens to one of his kind.”

“He’s a what?” asked Medea, blinking twice in succession. She had never heard of such a thing before. It intrigued her.

“Sit down,” said Rhys, pulling out a chair and nodding to it.

“I’d rather stand,” she answered, only to purposely aggravate the man even more. She didn’t like the way he acted toward her.