Heidi was aware with the fact that witches were hated the most in the four empires. With the amount of ambush and death that was caused by the black witches, white witches were also not tolerated but times were slowly changing with the acceptance of white witches but in very few town.
âI knew you were different since the first time I met you. You are very accepting, Heidi,â Lettice wiped her tears away with her hand.
âI think people like us, who are somewhere similar to outcasts are always accepting,â she responded back, âHow did you break it to Rhys?â she asked her curious.
âI didnât have to,â the blonde girl smiled, âHe found out about it when he came to visit me, misunderstanding that my parents had kidnapped me from another family. You see not all black witches are bad nor are all white witches good. My family is one of those who are trying to change. My mother told me that they werenât sure why I had turned out to be human. It might be due to the change of heart theyâve had you know. But thereâs no telling if I might change. I am trying to control what little magic runs in my veins but sometimes like now, things just happen without my control.â
Lettice looked like she was ready to see Heidi flee and when Heidi picked both her hands in hers, she smiled at her, âI think itâs quite amazing that you have the witch blood in you. Frankly, I wish I could have a special lineage,â but then the truth was Heidi had no clue where she had come from and why she had ended up in the slave establishment. She was a nobody with no identity. Her past before the establishment was a clean and a wiped out slate.
âThank you. Thank you, Heidi, for being such a good friend.â
âI hold the same words,â Heidi smiled to see Lettice open her mouth to say something.
âThere is something else I need to say.â
âYes?â
âAfter my mother found out that I was a human with no reach to magic, she placed a charm name on me to keep the ill omen from following me. Lettice is a charm name. My actual name is Emma.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âOh...â
She had always known Lettice as Lettice and now that she had revealed her actual name to be Emma, it took her awhile to get used to the fact about her name and her parents being black witches. When Heidi returned back to the Rune mansion, Heidi found Nicholas with the head council, Reuben walking out from the study room.
âMs. Curtis,â Reuben noted Heidiâs arrival, âHow have you been?â
âVery well, Sir Reuben. How about you?â she asked him.
âGood actually. We have finally solved the mystery with the witchâs lair and the problems that have been occurring with the massacre of the towns. Things should settle down in a week,â the old man replied, the crease lines on his forehead gave away the journey of time he had in life, a half vampire by birth, Reuben was one of the many men who took in the appearance of the Lord of the Bonelake the way he was.
âThatâs good to hear.â
âIndeed it is,â Lord Nicholas piped in, âReuben here is looking to rest once all the matters in the south settles down.â
âTrue that. I hope to see you in Mythweald. Good day to both of you.â
Heidi saw the councilman get inside the carriage which was pulled in front of the mansion. The coachman closed the door to the carriage, hopping on to his seat. As the carriage began moving, she felt Nicholas come to stand next to her.
âWhen are you supposed to leave for South?â she asked Nicholas once the carriage disappeared from sight.
âProbably by next week. All of us who are taking part in this have been asked to wait for a signal. A small mistake might alert the ones who are not supposed to know,â he answered.
âSeems like a big fight,â Heidi remarked and the turned to see him staring at her, âW-what is it?â
âNothing at all. I was only admiring you,â he smiled and then walked inside with her, âWe actually havenât found the witchâs lair. What Reuben meant was that we will be creating one. The Valerian lord has a plan. According to his insights, thereâs going to be a mass murder again and the queen bee is right there.â
âQueen bee?â
âThe one who is orchestrating these massacres. Itâs going to be one of the biggest massacre in history of the four empires and we need all people who can fight them. After all witches are tricky people,â Stanley walked towards them with a tray and Nicholas picked the glass before dismissing him.
âDo you think all witches are bad?â she asked him. Nicholas raised his brow, staring at her and spoke after taking a sip from the glass.