Chapter 7

• Madonna was pacing in her chamber like an anxious bird fraught to reach its nest by sunset. Although she was the one who laid the trap, she was stricken with panic every moment of its consequence.
• She knew whom she was associating with and they had worked for far too many years to let them see the face of disappointment.
• Aiken's death would be marked as a huge objective that would lead them purpose eventually. It just depends on Alder Emor now to see whether he choose his desperation or his sense because for one, Alder was never an easy man to fool.
• "Alder proposed his son to wed me." Madonna said as she stopped pacing and took a gulp of her ale. Madonna knew it, knew that Alder was no fool to just arbitrarily propose his dear son's matrimony to a Witch like her.
• There must be something. There was certainly something going about in the older Emor's mind.
• Madonna arched her head and glanced at Orla who was frozen in deep thoughts. Orla had not touched her ale nor her sweet drink, her fingers were drumming on the board as she reeled closely at whatever Madonna had informed.
• "I do not believe that Alder wanted you to wed Lucius just to have you as an ally. However, a wedding as such shall be advantageous to us." Orla spoke slowly as the concocting older Witch was deriving another of her games.
• She wants the Emors' to out of her way and she would do just that no matter how dangerous that game was.
• "Your son would not live a day if I were to be his wife, do you not remember the curse?" Orla's lips curved into a conceited smile that Madonna was too familiar with.
• "Then let him. You would make a beautiful widow." Orla shrugged as she rotated the outsized blue stone ring around her finger.
• Orla smiled at the young Witch in amusement as Madonna tried to conceal her surprise. Madonna has her faith in her and she knew one day she would beyond doubt understand the motive behind every decision she had taken.
• Orla sighed as she thought she had yet to teach Madonna many a things. Magic and manipulation was one thing but there were far many aspects that Madonna has to learn to become one of the greatest Witches of all time.
• "Deem it a hunch, but I have an inkling that we are being played by someone unidentified." Madonna voiced out as she ignored Orla's previous statement.
• "You should wed my dear son, Madonna." Orla was adamant in getting what she wanted by whatever way it was and if a nuptial bond between Lucius and Madonna was essential, so be it.
• Madonna sighed as her guardian brushed off her worry and brought her back to the ominous subject in hand. Madonna was not ready for marriage especially not with the charming Lord.
• "You like Lucius, do you?" Orla's eyes examined her as she merely stated what she felt.
• "Nah." Madonna's response was too quick and breathy. She indeed liked the Lord, besides, she enjoyed to taunting him.
• "In that case, we can happily wait for the impending wedding. Answering to your previous concern, I had already informed you that we are only a part of the play, Madonna; except, we are trying to take reigns of it when the other players falter any time."
• Madonna nodded calmly and breathed out harshly as her eyes are fighting the exhaustion that was pressing over her. She was exhausted further after consuming the Lord's energy.
• "I am positive Alder will not blindly kill an unsuspecting human just so he could get the niceties on you. He would never, so I have something in my mind." Madonna articulated.
• Orla was now giving her complete attention to the young Witch who seemed to found a way out for the concern.
• Knox was uncertain why he was there in the first place and how. The young Witch had managed to free him from the death grip of Lord Lucius.
• How? He had no doubt on her capability and he was grateful to know her loyalty for him.
• But why? He has no notion of it.
• Why would Madonna play a dangerous move and save him when he was no use to her or anyone in that case.
• He was in the brink of death and like a candle of hope; she had effortlessly saved him daring enough to go against someone as powerful as Lord Lucius.
• His battered body had taken a good season to gain the strength to move on his own. The Witch had provided him a place shielding it with magic so it could never be found. Her health potions and few of her spells lessened the pain inflicted by the Lord's magic.
• "I am ever so grateful for your help, your sacred greatness." Knox bowed a little and winced in pain. Madonna had to conceal her mock laugh and play the part of good Witch with a sweetening smile.
• "It was naught a worry, Knox. You were always a good ally so it was given I save you when you desired aid." Madonna replied in an emphatic tone giving Knox a good theatrics of the magnitude of care she has for him.
• She indeed had cared for him, for he was now a very important pawn.
• "Nonetheless, I was not skilled enough to reduce the pain inflicted by the Lord. It was the Lord's magic that was performing as the cause to impose pain." She handed him a bamboo urn that has murky colored water in it.
• Gulping down the content without inquiring back, he felt the throbbing lessen as the potion settled inside him.
• "I fail to comprehend who could possibly relieve me from the Lord's tormenting magic." Knox was of the idea that Madonna was one who shall never step back when something challenged her. He was aware of the hungry for power the young Witch possessed.
• It was rather astonishing to see the Witch helpless in eradicating merely magic from his body.
• "The Lord inherited a portion of his magic from his mother and if not the Lord, then only his mother can aid you." Knox gasped at the mention.
• Why would his mother aid him when he forced and bloody murdered her daughter?
• Knox hadn't known of the maiden's person when he had done the wrong. The young Lord's revelation had knocked the sense out of him and that was when he realized that he had ruined everything he had gathered until then very cautiously.
• Only the heavens and hell know what had he ruined for himself.
• "There was no way the Lady would aid me after what I had done." Knox sat slowly on his bed as disappointment charged over him.
• He would have to live with the pain and there was no one who can rescue him from it. He was getting to the conclusion that he would forever be bonded with the hurt.
• Madonna passed a devious smile to her now naïve ally as she spun a thread of wool around her and him pulling him close to her.
• "Ah, but dearest Knox, what if the Lady does not know of your act?" Knox leaned forward as the alluring Witch captured his interest by both her statement and her enchantment. Know eyed the young Witch closely as his eyes landed on red of her lips.
• She was biting her lower lip for him and Knox could not steal his eyes away anymore. Her clothing was just the same as he realized how her soft treasures were pressing him closely.
• "Witch Orla" Madonna whispered in his ear as she rubbed her cheek to his and blew a breath of warm air behind his ear.
• Knox had to close his eyes as he was slowly filling his senses with her and only her. Slowly enough, the only sound he could hear was hers, the only touch he could feel was hers and the only thing he could think was her.
• "She is the Lord's mother. She was banished from the family years ago." Madonna provided.
• Knox was wafted by her smell as he nodded his head aimlessly and soon when she inched back from him putting a decent distance between them is when he finally grasped what he heard.
• That was why the young Lord was so furious. His mother was discreetly the reason for what he had done.
• Hail to the hell, he could not comprehend how he shall take the information. He had offended the whole of Emor family altogether.
• "Orla was the maiden and Lord's mother?" Madonna nodded her head while she tossed a pair of dice up and saw them floating in the air. The dice fell on a manuscript as the young witch whispered spells.
• "If there is anyone who can save you from Lord Lucius, then it can only be Orla." Madonna alerted him. "I do not know the exact position of the Witch but I can direct you to the nearby destination. There is a town by name Farcall by the lake Kearworth, I have a notion that the Witch might be somewhere near that region and you have to find her by your knack."
• Madonna enlightened Knox and left him to think of what she had said. She smiled as she had completed her mission, now it all depends on Knox Garrick to make his move.
• This was what she loved about Knox. He was very easy to play with since she knew where this piece of information shall go to.
• ~*~*~*~*~*~