Page 106 of Wicked Curses
“Don’t be. You didn’t kill them. It was those judgmental assholes who did it, and all because my parents committed the cardinal sin of saving a child attacked by a wendigo,” Elsa explained.
“How was that a sin?” Zeth demanded.
“The child was a vampire. The wendigo had already killed its parents.”
Zeth and Sahira both sucked in a breath.
“Oh,” Sahira murmured.
“My father was a warlock, and my mother a witch, but they were always outsiders to their kind. They didn’t reside with the witches and warlocks; they’d found their own little realm and settled onto it.
“They preferred to be away from the drama and fighting that often came with being a part of those worlds. I know it sounds unusual, considering most witches and warlocks grow up in that life and it’s all they know, but they found each other when they were children.
“They loved each other from when they were nine years old and simply wanted to start a family together. It shouldn’t have been too much to ask for, but apparently it was, as the two groups refused to let them go.
“My mother’s sister would often drop by without any warning. My mother believed she reported back about them, and she was right.
“They had just found and brought the child home to help him heal when that bitch arrived. My mother kept her out of the house, but she must have seen something. That night, with my aunt in the lead, the witches and warlocks came for them. The two sides had grouped together to destroy what they deemed to be the traitors amongst them.”
“Warlocks don’t usually hate vampires like the witches,” Sahira said.
“I know, but theyneverliked that my father preferred to live a simple, happy life with his wife and child. His family always tried to get him to return and were pissed that he wouldn’t fall in line.
“The child gave them the excuse they needed to make him pay for what they deemed as his disloyalty. They preferred to see him dead rather than happily living with my mother and me; how awful is that?”
“It’s pretty awful,” Zeth said while Sahira nodded her agreement.
“They killed the child and my parents. Then they took me away. At first, they forced me to stay with my aunt, the woman who helped kill my parents and tore my perfectly happy life apart. I was twelve when it happened, and as soon as I could start opening portals, I left and never looked back.
“I’m seventy-five now, and until I entered this realm, I had succeeded in staying far away from witches and warlocks for over fifty years. For the past decade, I’ve had to interact with them in this realm. None of them know who I am or the so-called atrocity my parents committed, but I worry about the day when someone who knows me arrives. Then, like you, they’ll turn on me too. I can’t be here when it happens.”
“You’re risking them turning on you by spending as much time with me as you do,” Sahira reminded her.
Elsa ran a hand through her chocolate-colored hair as her chestnut eyes surveyed the gathering on the other side of the lake. “I don’t like judgmental assholes, and that’s all they know how to be. Do I want them to turn on me? No. But I won’t live in fear because I’m spending time with someone they don’t approve of. Who are they to approve or disapprove of anyone?”
“A bunch of pricks,” Zeth said.
Sahira agreed. “What reason did you give them for choosing to live separately from them?”
“I didn’t give them one. I don’t owe them any explanation about my choices, but when I arrived here, the previous resident of my cabin was just killed in The Reaping. I hated living in the pub, so I moved in there. Some might have found it morbid, but I like morbid.”
The grin she flashed showed off all her white teeth and beautiful smile. At seventy-five, she was young for an immortal, yet she seemed so much older, probably because of what she’d endured with her family. Her devilish smile made her appear more youthful, and Sahira grinned back at her.
“I got rid of most of the previous owner’s things and made their home my own. When the witches asked why I hadn’t joined them, I told them I was a solitary practitioner. It’s the truth, but they don’t trust me as much because of it. I’m okay with that.”
Solitary practitioners were rare, but they did exist. Sahira had considered herself more of one before meeting Kaylia, but any existing coven would have shunned her.
Even with Kaylia, she didn’t consider herself part of a coven; she had a friend to create potions and spells with, and the other witches didn’t spurn her as much. She was happy being mostly alone or with Kaylia. She enjoyed her privacy and the freedom that came from not being tied to a coven.
“I don’t know what they’ll do if they discover my history. When I was a child, they didn’t hold me responsible for my parents’ actions, but who knows what they decided after I ran away from them?” Elsa continued.
“Who knows, indeed?” Zeth murmured before shifting his attention to Sahira. “When I saw you were working in the gardensandthe library, I suspected something was up. I’m coming with you too. Over the years, I’ve stashed extra supplies away in case it all went to hell here. I never considered returning to the Barren Lands, but maybe I always knew I would.”
“I’ve managed to save some things too—not a lot, but some. If you can wait another week, I’ll also put in extra hours and earn more from Belda,” Elsa said. “With all of us going out there and with more supplies, it should be safer, and we’ll make it farther than ever before.”
“Plus, if we go with you, you’ll have a blood supply,” Zeth said. “Without us, you’ll have to rely on catching some of those things out there, and believe me, they’re not mouthwatering morsels.”
Sahira inwardly recoiled at the idea of drinking anyone else’s blood after experiencing the ambrosia of Orin’s, but it had to happen. She suspected that bastard was smugly biding his time until she returned to him to feed.
