Memories of that impossible, endearing witch.
I was still awake in the early hours of the morning when I heard a knock on my door.
“Kiev?”
The knocking grew louder. I ignored it.
“Kiev, it’s me. Tiarni.”
I lay deathly still.
“Do you not want to see me tonight?”
She knocked a few more times but eventually saw the futility of it. I listened as her footsteps disappeared down the corridor.
Chapter 27: Kiev
After a sleepless night, I found myself sitting in my sister’s room. She sat on her bed while she manicured her nails. I’d already passed through an hour of small talk so that it wouldn’t seem like I’d come specifically to ask about this.
“All these humans we have in the dungeon. We use them for food, as well as the rituals. All of them are kept in that basement, correct?”
Helina nodded. “Normally the witches take a human out of there to prepare them before the ritual, but otherwise the supply is always in the dungeon.”
“I see,” I said. “I wonder where the humans come from?”
“You’ve asked me that question before. The witches bring them to us.”
“Yes, I know. But where do they come from? I’m just curious how the witches get hold of all these humans.”
Helina’s eyes darkened and she shook her head.
“I couldn’t tell you that, Kiev. I have no idea.”
“You’ve really never thought to ask?”
“Yes, we have. Erik and I have questioned the three sisters before. But they claim not to know. They say that only Isolde, Rhys and Efren know where the witches come from. The three of them disappear for a day together, every now and then, to top up the supply. My guess is that they steal from the ogres.”
“Hm… interesting. Where do you think they store all those humans, once they’ve stolen them? I mean before they’ve brought them here.”
She narrowed her eyes on me.
“You seem awfully interested in logistics, Kiev.”
“I’m just curious.” I shrugged. “Because it must be quite a task to keep procuring more, both for the rituals and for our consumption.”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” she said, relaxing a little. “I guess they must keep them somewhere on their own island before bringing them here.”
“Interesting.”
After that, I shifted the conversation elsewhere. I stayed for about half an hour longer chatting with her, and just before I left, I asked, “Any idea where Erik and Julisse are?”
“They’re in the cave, tidying up from last night’s ritual.”
Perfect.
I left my sister’s quarters and walked a few feet across the corridor to my brother’s. The door was unlocked, which wasn’t a surprise to me. People didn’t seem to feel the need to lock doors around this castle. I pushed it open and stepped inside.
I’d already scanned my sister’s rooms for a bottle of liquor I could take with me, but it appeared that she wasn’t fond of drinking. I’d noticed, however, that my brother had a sizable stock and likely wouldn’t notice if a bottle went missing.
I headed straight for his sitting room, opened up the glass cabinet in the corner of the room, and pulled out a particularly fine-looking rum from the back of the cupboard. Then I left his apartment, careful to close the door behind me.
I returned to my room and placed the bottle underneath my bed.
Chapter 28: Kiev
After the ritual that evening, I made my way to Tiarni’s room. I knocked on the door. When there was silence, I knocked again and called, “It’s Kiev. Open up.”
The door opened instantly. The short redhead stood in the doorway, hands on her hips.
“What happened to—”
She barely had time to finish her sentence as I leaned down to kiss her. I kicked the door shut behind me and pulled her into the bedroom. Her face flushed and she breathed heavily.
“I missed you last night,” I said.
“What? I came knocking on your door.”
“And I was so, so sorry that I wasn’t feeling well enough to open it.” I sat down on the bed, and gripping her hips, I drew her closer to me, placing both her arms over my shoulders. “And I know that I need to make it up to you now.”
She cocked her head to the side and gave me a sultry smile.
“How will you do that, Novalic?”
“I remember that you mentioned a few days ago how much you’d love to take me to your island… how it’d be just the two of us in that old empty castle… away from everyone… for a night of passion.”
“Oh, Kiev. Yes. Yes,” she said breathlessly.
“Let’s leave. Let’s leave now,” I whispered into her ear. “Take me there. I’m yours.”
“Hold my hands,” she said, grabbing both of my hands.
She mumbled a spell and a few seconds later, after a whirl of colors blinded me, I found myself in another bedroom. It was a much darker room, filled with black wood furnishings and velvet fabrics.
“Welcome,” she said. “You know that not anyone can enter this island. They have to be invited by one of the members of our coven. And certainly not just anyone can enter my bedroom…” She gripped my shirt and tugged me toward her bed.
“Wait, Tiarni. We have all night. Let’s have a drink first.”
Her eyes lit up and she hurried toward a cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out a bottle of blood-red wine.
“I thought you said you didn’t like liquor, darling?”
“I don’t,” I said. “But this is a special occasion.”
She poured out two large glasses. In her excitement to be drinking with me, she swallowed down the wine in a few gulps. I insisted on pouring her another. And another. In the meantime, I was careful to take just a few sips of my own. I kept her so entertained with suggestive quips that she barely seemed to notice that she’d finished the bottle by herself.
Once she was decidedly drunk, she got up and once again tugged at me to follow her to bed.
“First won’t you show me around?” I asked.
She seemed pleased with my request and happily led me out of her bedroom and around the dark, empty castle. We started at the highest level—where Rhys, Mona, Efren and Isolde resided, according to her. There was only one room that she wasn’t able to show me on that floor. A room with a red door. She claimed that it was for witches only.
“It’s where they conduct the most complicated spells,” she slurred. “I’ve been in there before. It’s really nothing interesting. There’s just a round table and a few shelves with potions and things…”