The Blind Witch
Chapter 3

Darkness is the natural order of things. Light can only last so long. When one realizes this, all that remains is the intrinsic sense to travel to the darkness. Why fight what is to come?

After several minutes, Lady Ophelia walked into the throne room. She was tall, wearing a long, flowing dress that made her look as if she was floating. She looked young; only a few strands of gray in her immaculate bun exposed her actual age. She held her head high, looking at no one except King Azrael. She was a witch, an advisor to the King of Kings. As she neared the group, Clarissa winced. She covered her eyes, blocking Lady Ophelia from her sight.

“Who is this gem?” Ophelia questioned as she took notice of Clarissa. She noticed Clarissa’s bright red hair first. Though it was filthy and tangled, she could see it was long and wavy. It was familiar to Ophelia.

“Lady Ophelia, this is my mate, Clarissa,” Aiden answered as he stepped to the side.

“Your mate? Your fated mate?” She quizzed, intrigued that the prince had located his mate so soon after he first shifted.

“She is my fated mate. The one given to me by the Goddess Bil,” he replied.

“Then you must make an offering to the Goddess,” Ophelia remarked as she stared at Clarissa. She felt her aura. But she was curious why the girl refused to look at her. “Why do you cover your eyes, Clarissa?”

“You are bright,” Clarissa whispered.

She flinched when she felt cold hands touch her. It wasn’t Aiden; she didn’t need to look to know that these were not his hands. Ophelia had Clarissa’s wrists and gently pulled them from her face. Ophelia’s face remained emotionless as she finally saw Clarissa’s black eyes. She let her go and turned to Azrael.

“Where is she from?”

“A slaver near the kingdom of Rovia bought her. But she does not know where exactly she is from.” Azrael responded. “But she said humans raised her, but I don’t think they gave birth to her.”

“I agree,” Ophelia nodded her head. “I can feel her aura. It is strong.”

“She can produce fire magic,” Azrael added. “She was able to make a wall around herself that was nearly ten feet high."

“What about her eyes?” Aiden interjected. “She seems like she can see me, but then sometimes not.”

Ophelia turned back to Clarissa. She watched as the black eyes squinted, trying to get a glimpse of her. And she was bright to the girl... There was only one other with eyes like Clarissa’s. Ophelia reached her hand out and touched Clarissa’s forehead.

Ophelia’s eyes suddenly went black. She was putting her soul into Clarissa, trying to see through her eyes. And then she saw herself, a bright white light that shined and radiated. White orbs scattered about in fluid movements. It was her magic that was held within these orbs. She then looked over to Aiden and Azrael through Clarissa’s eyes. She saw red and orange orbs around Aiden while dark orange orbs flittered through Azrael. These orbs bundled in their bodies, flickering like fire in their souls.

Except not Aiden. His magic was gathered higher up. She reached out to touch him; then she pulled away from Clarissa. As her sight returned, she saw her hand on his chest. His heart. His magic was circling around his heart. This was strange to Ophelia. Aiden was mostly wolf; his powers should originate from his soul, like other wolves, like Azrael.

“She can see auras and magic,” Ophelia explained as she looked back to Clarissa. “She probably doesn’t realize this, but I’m almost certain her human parents had no idea.”

“Can you teach her?” Aiden inquired.

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “But I know someone who has eyes like hers. A witch named Lydia. She wasn’t always blind; in fact, she didn’t lose her sight until she was nearly 30. Lydia can teach her.”

“Lady Ophelia,” Azrael starts. “Why was a pure witch living with humans? Witches are not born every day. It is a joyous occasion, and yet she was hidden.”

“Clarissa, what moon do you celebrate your birth on, and how old are you?” Ophelia questioned. Her tone was severe, almost harsh, as she spoke.

“The fourth moon,” Clarissa answered softly. “And I am 15.”

Ophelia frowned, and her eyes grew angry. She knew who Clarissa’s birth parents were. But rather than instantly leave, she knelt in front of the girl. She gently touched her twisted ankle. Bright light shined from Ophelia’s hands and onto Clarissa. She winced as she felt her ankle heal under the magic. Once finished, Ophelia stood.

“I must go, King Azrael. I need to call the counsel of the Lode Star. I will return in a week or two. Will you be fine until my return?”

“Of course, Lady Ophelia,” he nodded. After Ophelia left, he looked at his nephew. “I am going to inquire where that slaver is. The old woman should be here by now.”

Aiden sighed happily as he stood beside Clarissa. They were alone in the vast throne room. He inhaled her scent of cedar and jasmine and relaxed. This entire day had been a roller coaster of emotions for him. But then, he couldn’t imagine what Clarissa was feeling. He sat down on the steps beside her.

“What are you thinking about?” He inquired.

“I was just wondering what the Lode Star was,” she replied as she looked towards him.

“It’s a coven,” he chuckled. Clarissa was a witch; she should know the covens. But yet, she only looked at him with more confusion. She didn’t know. Of course, she was raised by humans. “A coven is like a human kingdom. Witches join these covens to learn, for protection, to belong somewhere.”

“And the Lode Star is a coven?”

“It is. It is formally called the Coven of the Lode Star. But most just call it Lode Star. This coven consists primarily of pure witches, meaning their parents were also witches. The members of this coven are highly regarded, many becoming advisors for Kings, Alphas, and vampire lords.”

“Is Lady Ophelia an advisor from the Lode Star?” Clarissa asked.

“Indeed she is.” Aiden smiled. “She has served the King of Kings on and off for over 108 years.”

“Wait, how long has she been an advisor?!” Clarissa continued her questioning with a shocked expression.

“Do you really not know anything about your own kind?” He queried. She knew nothing, absolutely nothing. Why did her human parents hide everything from her? “Witches can live upwards of 400 years. On rare occasions, perhaps 500. Werewolves can live to be nearly 150. Humans have an average lifespan of 80. And lastly, you have vampires who, well, they live forever.”

“How old is she?”

“She is 214, I believe,” he answered after doing quick math in his head.

“Are there other covens?” She asked, growing excited by everything she was learning.

“Yes, there are three others.” He smiled. Watching her face light up made her even more beautiful. And her smile was infectious. “There is the Witches of the Sacred Mountain. They are known for their healers that reside high above and deep within mountains. They believe they need to practice their magic high enough to reach the heavens, and low enough to reach the soul of the Earth.”

“Then there is The Earthen Circle. These witches seek to preserve the balance of the world. They help those afflicted by war and are the sole protectors of the Great Chasm. They aim to try to heal the world of the damage that has been done.”

“Lastly, there is the Requiem Coven,” he continued. “This coven consists of many witches who have been turned into vampires. Many of their members become rogues, or so they claim. The rogues go out and inflict damage across the world. They slowly spread their magic and seek to make others into vampires. To them, nature needs to be altered...perfected.”

“So that is just four covens for the whole world?” She asked.

“Yes,” he laughed. “Covens don’t require vast plots of land like human kingdoms. Nor do they require all of their witches to be near. Witches are scattered worldwide, practicing their magic freely and helping. But there was once a fifth coven. I don’t know its original name, but now we call it the Fallen Coven. Over a thousand years ago, when the Long War ended, all of the other covens voted to disband and rid the world of the Fallen Coven.”

“Why?”

“Someone from the Fallen Coven created the Great Chasm. It is a fracture in the Earth that is many miles long, several miles across and goes to the very core of the Earth. It scorched nearly a third of the world, making it unusable. There is an entire section of our world that no one inhabits. It forced many to relocate, causing wars over territory. And still is, as you have been a victim to it.”

“So, where shall I go?” Clarissa questioned as she grew sad. A tear slipped down her cheek. “My home was destroyed. I don’t even know if my parents are still alive.”

“My uncle shall send someone to search for your parents,” Aiden reassured her as he reached for her hands. “And you, you are not going anywhere. You shall live here, with me. You are my mate, the future Queen of this world. You are now a princess; you shall never want for anything again.”

More tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head.

“I can’t be a queen,” she mumbled through her tears. She had been belittled for most of her life. Living in darkness and hiding amongst humans weakened her confidence. “I’m blind. I’m worthless.”

“No!” He asserted as he squeezed her hands. “You are not worthless. You are a witch with unimaginable power. A bit of training and you’ll be stronger than any High Priest or Priestess. And you can see, you just see differently than everyone else. The gods have placed us together for a reason. I don’t intend to question that.”

He sighed as he looked into the darkness of her eyes. He could see her sadness, her fear, and her anxieties. Today was overwhelming for her; he knew this. One moment, she is just a slave, hiding in a tree, and the next minute, she is being told she is the future Queen. It was a lot to take in, a lot to process. She needed time, or perhaps she needed space. But Aiden was hesitant. This was all new for him, too. He didn’t know what to do or how he could comfort her. They were both young, and they were both going to have to learn to traverse their new world... together.