“A curse that has condemned my sister to a certain death, unless I can see it broken,” Annis said, growing misty-eyed, something she did far too often. It was a trait that annoyed her and one she fought to contain. Though, Bliss had insisted it meant she had a kind heart.
“The very reason I came in search of you. This quest you take is fraught with perils. The most dangerous one of all—making contact with the witch in the hills. She is no myth. She is real and she is powerful. I warned Bliss that she demands a price for her magic.”
“I will pay whatever she wants to see Bliss safe,” Annis said without hesitation.
“Nay, you will not, for she will take far too much from you,” Cumina warned. “Listen when she speaks and be wise, not quick with your responses. Watch for you see more clearly than most and be mindful of what your eyes tell you.”
“I appreciate your guidance,” Annis said.
“You are a brave soul, Annis, and you will need all of that courage for this quest.”
“It is Bliss who is brave, not me, and I will not fail her.”
“I don’t possess the far sight that some wise women do. I only know that this quest will go far different than you expect,” Cumina cautioned.
Annis was quick to ask, “Can you see if Bliss survives her forced marriage to Lord Rannick?”
“I see nothing but distress at the moment, but that would seem reasonable given her current situation. The witch you seek can tell you much more, but again I warn you she extracts a steep price for her knowledge.”
Annis hurried to her feet, having lingered long enough. “I am good at bargaining.”
Cumina stood. “And the witch has superior powers. Be careful, Annis, and do not let your tongue rule when you meet her.”
Annis tucked the advice away to use when needed as she continued on her way. She had no doubt this would prove a challenging task, but it was also a necessary one since it had been her fault that Bliss had sacrificed herself.
She shook her head annoyed at the memories of how careless she had been when speaking with Lord Brogan. It hadn’t helped upon meeting him that she had fainted from the blood on his face. Too often misty-eyes weren’t the only weakness she had—the sight of blood was the other. An abundance of blood. A small smattering didn’t affect her, but a large amount—she stopped, feeling lightheaded from just the thought of it. Or maybe it was the memory of seeing the blood on Brogan. Her sister Bliss, the clan healer, had been called to the keep to tend him and she had also been ordered to bring one of her sisters with her.
Bliss had warned her to hold her tongue, draw no attention to herself. Two men had recently arrived at Clan Loudon in their search to find women to wed the three cursed lords, Lord Rannick being the most feared of the three men. He had lost three wives in six years. No woman survived a marriage to him.
Unfortunately, Brogan had enjoyed sparring verbally with her. That soon became apparent to the two men, Lawler and Cadell, who after an extensive search and rejection from clans fearful of being involved in any way with the cursed lords, had to turn to the peasants to find wives. It became apparent that Brogan favored someone—Annis.
She stopped, her hand going to her lips, recalling his kiss. It had been unexpected and more enjoyable than expected. Though, not the words that followed.
See what you’ll miss.
She shook her head to rid herself of his voice as she continued to walk. “Fool. Fool,” she mumbled, though wasn’t sure if it was Brogan or herself who she called the fool.
He had been quite adamant that her quest would fail just as his search had failed when he went looking for the witch of the hills. That he had dismissed her quest as useless made her even more determined to prove him wrong.
It had upset Annis to leave her sister Elysia all on her own. She worried what might befall her since she was too sweet and kind. Her only solace was that Elysia would seek a marriage with Saber, a farmer on an outlying croft. It had been obvious that they favored each other and with Saber being a sizeable man, her sister would be safe. Elysia had agreed and Annis hoped that they had wed or would soon wed, or else she would worry for her as she did for Bliss.
Annis kept a steady pace, determined to cover a far stretch today. The hills where the witch supposedly lived was another day or two away, though she had her doubts about the hills being the correct location and the reason no one had found her there. Had others been misdirected on purpose? Was the witch’s true location someplace entirely different?