Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

*Chapter 11*

The dagger rose.

'This will be your last chance Zara,' the witch said, her lip curling. 'Where is she?'

A younger woman who looked in her twenties made no movement. She stayed where she was, at the witch's feet, her head bowed to the ground.

'Speak!' thundered the witch.

Zara opened her mouth but uttered no sound.

The witch retreated, the dagger still in her hand as she clutched her raven necklace that hung around her neck all of a sudden. Her coiffed ombre black-blonde hair swept over her shoulders as she turned around, her back facing Zara. She hissed.

The screech of a raven was heard; a dark-blue raven crashlanded into the dark hall on summon, settling itself upon the witch's shoulder.

'Perfume,' whispered the witch softly in a dangerous voice. Zara tilted her head to look at her.

'I said, perfume!' the witch's voice rang through the hall.

'R-right, Your Majesty.' Zara got up hastily, stumbling as she reached into the cupboard to retrieve a small, round bottle filled with purple vial inside. She handed it to the witch. She took it, puffed it twice, inhaled it deeply, and handed it back to Zara.

Zara was convinced that the vial was anything but perfume. In her many years working for Nicaea Valdis, she had handed her that exact same potion and it never seemed to run out. Sure, it smelt good, but she felt dizzy whenever she took a whiff out of it.

'Well, Zara,' Nicaea said, turning back to face Zara. Zara took a step back.

'Y-yes, Your Majesty?'

'Do you know why I've called you here?'

'Y-yes.'

'Why?' the witch pounced spontaneously.

Zara now knew she didn't have the slightest idea why the witch had called her here.

'I'm not sure, Your Majesty.'

'I called you here because I want to know what happened to the task I set you that you failed to accomplish,' Nicaea hissed, baring her gleaming white teeth. 'I asked you to do one. Simple. Job. Where is the girl?'

'I honestly do not know!' Zara cried.

'Where have you been searching all this while, Zara?' Nicaea hissed. 'Staying here? Staying in my kingdom? Idiot girl! Wren Carezby wouldn't be wandering around in my property! Go out of bounds! Search further!'

Zara nodded, petrified.

'I want you to lure her in to me,' Nicaea whispered dangerously.

'What about the Her Majesty, Queen Odyssey, Your Majesty?'

'I want Wren Carezby!' Nicaea roared. 'I'm not interested in a stupid queen! I want Wren, heir to the throne, I want to destroy her and her kingdom!'

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

Nicaea paced the hall up and down. It was dark outside. The clouds were heavy and dark. They were in a dark, empty hall in Nicaea Valdis's palace, just the two of them, alone in the night.

'This girl has a strong mind,' she muttered. 'I can't seem to make nightmares and visions seep into her mind.'

'Is that because she's conscious, Your Majesty?' Zara couldn't help asking.

'Conscious fiddlesticks!' Nicaea scorned. 'You think I give a damn about her being conscious? I don't. I need a diversion for her, something that will distract her from whatever she's doing ... something to lure her away from herself and to me ...'

'Maybe the Shadow Angels could help,' Zara said wistfully.

Nicaea stopped pacing.

'What did you say?'

'I ... I - maybe the Shadow Angels could help?' Zara whispered, petrified, hating the thought she might have said something wrong.

'That,' Nicaea breathed, 'is a marvellous idea.'

Zara swallowed.

'It-it is?' she stammered, hardly believing what she was hearing.

'Of course it is!' Nicaea said, cackling. 'Angels from the gates of hell, coming to Earth to the unknowing deceitful creature, Wren Carezby. This girl will pay for the downfall of my kingdom! Because of her, my kingdom is now in ruins!'

'Isn't that because of Queen Eana and King Tristan, Your Majesty?' Zara whispered.

'Over my dead body with them,' Nicaea snapped. 'They're dead and even if they aren't, God knows what happened to them. We have to move on, Zara. I will get my hands on that wretch Queen Odyssey and Wren Carezby. The world will see me and my comeback for revenge.'

Zara didn't say anything.

'Oh darling, vengeance tastes so sweet!' cackled Nicaea, clapping her hands in delight. 'I won't rest until I finish them off! Especially that Wren girl,' she snarled menacingly.

'I-I don't understand, Your Majesty, why especially her?'

'Because,' Nicaea shouted, 'she is the only one that can defeat me! Do you understand? I have failed countless of times trying to get hold of this girl and kill her ... but it isn't working. It never has worked. I can kill anyone else but her.'

'With the death spell, Your Majesty?'

'With the death spell,' the witch whispered. 'It works on everyone else but her. There is something in Wren Carezby, and I cannot be powerful when she is alive.'

'How is that so, Your Majesty?' Zara said, her lip quivering.

'Don't you see?' the witch hissed. 'Wren and I. It's a never-ending battle. One of us has to die so the other will survive. And she will be the one perishing.'

'Why can't you kill her, Your Majesty?'

'Sometimes, Zara, you can be very, very foolish,' the witch said before Zara could finish her sentence. 'Death spells don't work on Wren. At least, I don't think so. But something can kill her. And I'm sure I'll find out what.'

Zara dared not say anything else.

'Wren Carezby,' Nicaea whispered dangerously. 'I'm coming for you.'