The Ether Witch Volume 2

Eli watched the duchess regard the cabin she shared with Tam with an appraising eye.

Captain Sun and the sailor that had helped carry Tam to bed had just left saying they would go retrieve the physician—Hamil was most likely being tended to first as he had withstood a head injury. Henrietta had been placed in the care of the captain while the two women waited to see if Tam would wake up once more.

"It's interesting," Annika started to say while still peering around their surroundings.

"What is?" Eli busied her hands with brushing Tam's hair out of his eyes that were closed.

"As a chicken, I could see more colors."

Eli paused, then turned to look at the duchess who had yet to look in her direction. "Interesting."

"Quite." The duchess sidled over to the round table that was covered with drawings and notes from the children as they worked on their homework.

"I can tell this one is Penelope's," Annika smiled at the tidy handwriting lining up her addition and subtraction. "And this, Luca's." The paper beside Penelope's had lots of answers crossed out, followed by a doodle of a cat and chicken. The duchess laughed softly.

Eli said nothing.

At last Annika turned around to lock eyes with her. "So. You and my son are courting?"

Eli wasn't entirely successful hiding her grimace. "Kind of."

The duchess arched an eyebrow, and an involuntary sweat flushed up Eli's back.

"Do you plan on getting married?"

"Most likely."

"Then why not say you are courting? Or betrothed?"

Eli almost whimpered. "We've been busy."

The duchess nodded as her sights drifted over to Tam, who appeared to be sleeping quite peacefully throughout this discreet interrogation.

Godsdamnit, Tam…

Clearing her throat, Eli decided a change of topic would be best. "Once we land in Daxaria, do you think it will be safe to send a message to the duke?"

Annika's gaze flit back to Eli. "I'll get in touch with my contacts at the brothels, but a bird would most likely be intercepted. I don't even think we should go to my estate in Rollom. It'd be too easy for the coven to find us there." She paused. "Can you please enlighten me on what exactly it is that my son's magic is?"

Eli had opened her mouth to ask where she thought they should go next, but was forced to close it and adjust her next words. "That is best answered by Tam."

Annika studied Eli, her emotions unclear before she folded her arms and started to walk toward the bay of windows. "You know… We've always wondered what it was that terrified him so much. Fin and I… we'd stay up late into the night trying to deduce what it could be. They say a witch's power is evident to some degree in their personalities. He was always observant. We wondered if he saw death's carriage driver. Or if he saw something in people that no one else could see." The duchess continued peering out over the sea as the deck beneath her boots started to slant. A sure sign they were taking on water. She showed no signs of distress. "We've been worried about Tam for more than two decades."

Swallowing, Eli forced herself not to fidget.

Annika rounded back to the bed. "I won't make you tell me. Though, this," she gestured at the bed vaguely. "Is unwise if you don't wish to marry."

Eli couldn't hide her twitch.

The duchess smiled. "I'll stop now. I hear the physician."

Eli turned, and found that, sure enough, the heavy, clomping footsteps of the man were echoing down.

"I'm guessing that Tam has taxed himself a little too much with his magic and that was what happened. In your familiar form, do you think you'd be able to transport everyone to safety?"

Oh, Gods. How can I explain I'm hesitant to shift unless it is an emergency? Her stomach clenched.

The Goddess chose to smile on Eli, as the cabin door swung open, and in stumbled the physician.

"Lady Elisara! I heard there was a skirmish! I was told your husband fainted, but that it was you who stood against the witches! In your condition you should—"

Eli leapt to her feet so hastily and nimbly that the man stopped talking.

The Goddess, on occasion, had a cruel sense of humor.

Her wild eyes locked on the man who blinked in astonishment at her reaction.

"Condition?"

The duchess's comment drew the man's eyes upward. "Why, I… Lady Elisara, is this a witch?" the physician asked in a panicked whisper. The man had never laid eyes on the duchess in her human form before.

Eli seized the front of his tunic and flung him toward Tam. "Lord Tamlin is the one who needs your assistance. I am perfectly healthy. And normal. I shall leave you to treat him in peace. Excuse me, I should check on the children."

She fled.

Hurrying down the passageway her mind instantly tried to reason out where was the safest place to retreat from the duchess.

The Goddess must have felt badly for ousting Eli's news before she wanted to, as Luca and Penelope charged up to her.

"Is dad really okay?" Luca burst out as he was the first to skid to a halt in front of her.

Before Eli could answer him, Penelope joined his side. "Is the boat really sinking?"

"Yes, and yes. He is going to rest, and then we are going to try and land in Rollom. Are you two alright?"

"Yeah!" Luca crowed back with a bounce.

"I didn't like… the void…" Penelope added, while shooting a questioning look to Luca as though to confirm she was referring to the black eternal space correctly.

He nodded and twisted his mouth sympathetically.

Eli reached out and gently cupped both of their faces. "I'm sorry you had to go there. We'll try to avoid you having to go back. Now, we should most likely start packing."

Luca bobbed his head in agreement while Penlope's eyes lowered to her toes.

Eli's hands fell from their faces. "What's wrong?"

The little girl's eyes darted around Eli.

She guessed it had something to do with the duchess quietly drifting forward.

"It's just… I finished it this morning."

Eli's eyebrows rose. "Ah… I'm sorry. I'm sure she'll still enjoy it."

"She doesn't need it anymore, and I don't want to give it to the new chicken. She was a bad lady." Penelope's lips quivered.

Pushing past her surprise, Eli knelt down. It was rare for Penelope to show her vulnerability. The stress of the day most likely had worn her out more than she realized.

"What about the new chicken?" Annika joined them.

Penelope hastily wiped at her face. "It's nothing!"

Eli gently clasped her hands in her own. "You can tell the duchess. It's alright."

The little girl's chin was practically pressed into her chest when she said, "I made you a hat. Not… Not you now. When you were a chicken."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"You made the duchess a hat?" Luca interrupted interestedly.

As though saying the words aloud broke free the last of her control, Penelope broke out in a sob.

Eli gently rubbed Penelope's arms.

"Oh, dear," Annika knelt down beside Eli. "Penelope, I would love to see this hat. And you know, I think I'll ask Henrietta to change me back into a chicken now and then. It was so handy getting to talk to Kraken, that I think it'd be great fun to do again."

"Re-Really?" Penelope sniffled, her red eyes lifting to the duchess.

"Really," Annika smiled, a suspicious shine in her eyes. "It means the world to me that you made that, thank you, Penelope."

Somehow, this renewed a wave of tears from the little girl that had Annika pulling her into her own arms, hugging her and comforting her the best she could.

Luca reached over and tugged on Eli's sleeve. "Can I get a hug, too?"

Smiling, Eli pulled him into an embrace, and felt the tension in her body from the fight earlier melt away.

"Eli, will the baby be able to turn into a cat, too?"

Eli's heart clogged her throat.

"You dummy! I said it was a secret!" Penelope exploded, whirling out of the duchess's hold.

"Oh, right! Sorry! I was just asking!" Luca flushed guiltily. "Sorry, Eli! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tell!" Tears of his own started to mount.

Eli couldn't speak even if she tried with all her might. So she decided not to overthink it and pull Luca into a tight embrace.

She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know the duchess's eyes were boring holes into the back of her skull.

If the Goddess could make up her mind on whether or not she likes me, I'd be grateful.

"I go down for a nap, and next thing I know the boat's sinking and my mother's not a chicken."

Everyone's heads snapped round to see Tam slowly trudging up the passageway, his face pale as the doctor hurried past him and even managed to scoot around the children in an effort to flee the Ashowan family. They really had not made the best of impressions on him.

"Is everyone okay?" Tam asked while taking stock of both Penelope and Luca's tear stained faces with a concerned frown.

Then he noticed the way his mother was gaping at Eli.

Tam shot Eli a questioning look.

She gulped, and she could tell he saw.

Annika's head turned with all the smoothness of a rusty hinge, her eyes flashing up at her son.

He gave a guilty smile while nervously slipping his hands into his pockets. "Ah… So… Would anyone like a cup of tea?"

*

Aradia opened her eyes blearily and flinched.

She was surrounded by a sea of colors that hurt to look at.

She raised a hand to her head that was already starting to ache.

She was lying on a hardwood floor.

The smell of incense wafted over her…

Distant shouts echoed farther away from her. She tried to force herself to sit up, but the movement made her dizzy.

"Aradia, first witch, daughter of the Gods. You are under arrest for treason against Zinfera and Daxaria."

Aradia managed a half smile, though she still pressed her fingers into her eyes. "Hi, Kat. It's been a while."

"I wouldn't have minded if it were longer," the Daxarian queen retorted acidly.

Cracking open an eye, Aradia peered up at the redhead who was flanked by two Zinferan soldiers. "Come now. We never did have a proper night of drinking during our time in Troivack."

"Yeah. Because you arranged a rebellion and war that kept me busy."

"It's important to keep busy. Have hobbies. They make us women so much more interesting." Aradia forced herself to sit up. "Have you ever met a woman without hobbies? She's either barely surviving or boring as dust."

Aradia leaned back on her hands as she continued to adjust her senses to being back in the real world. Had she shifted forms again?

Ah.

Yes.

She must have died of starvation or dehydration in the void and regenerated.

She now was a young blond woman judging from the lock of hair over her shoulder.

Rough hands seized Aradia under her arms and hoisted her up. She yawned.

The Daxarian queen stepped forward as though intending to search her. If she did, that would be a problem with her vials of water from the Goddess's Pool that would help her wield magic once more still being stowed within the inner pocket of her coat.

"Before I get locked up for eternity, and so on," Aradia made a show of appearing as tired and weak as possible. "Mind telling me how your brother came to be the devil?"

Kat froze. "He's not the devil."

Aradia allowed a smug smile to tug at her mouth. "He said he was. He wields darkness and fear from what I can see… I just don't know how he managed to put himself in the Ashowan household for so long. Did he simply kill off the real Tamlin Ashowan?"

Kat slapped her.

Aradia had expected she'd do as much, and so she reached up to touch her face, and didn't lower her hand instantly. If she moved casually enough she could grab the bottle and down its contents.

"My brother is not the devil. He has been by my side since the day I was born. Your own brother is somewhere off in the world. I don't know where."

"Oh, so you are absolutely certain that the child is his own, too?" Aradia asked lazily.

Kat's eyes narrowed, then she looked at the guards.

Now!

Aradia grasped the bottle, flicked out the cork with her thumb from within her black jacket, then in a blur of movement downed it in one gulp.

She saw Kat's sword spark with red, but it was no use.

Pure magical power surged through Aradia's veins once more.

The ground shattered as an earth spike shot upward, knocking everyone but Aradia back as she grasped its pointed peak.

She knew Kat would recover quickly and come after her, so Aradia directed a few fireballs at the surrounding palace walls, right before she blasted open the ceiling with a powerful burst of air.

The instant she saw the blue sky she smiled freely, and allowed her body to go weightless.

By her next breath she was flying through the air, and the palace was shrinking off to the ground.

Sighing in pleasure, Aradia stretched as her body soared toward the harbor.

She would have to thank Tamlin Ashowan the next time she saw him…

He really had given her the gift of the best night's sleep of her entire life.

And now?

She felt perfectly ready to get back to work.