Chapter 12
Elise entered the house with a smile and a sigh. The witch had clearly been waiting, settled in her chair by the fire and sipping her special tonic from a steaming mug—an infusion Morgaine claimed had medicinal qualities. “Good for the liverish,” she always said.
“I see you returned the basket,” Morgaine croaked, her voice roughened by the brew she had just swallowed.
Elise’s eyes widened at the memory of the basket slamming against Henrik’s giant frame.
“I sure did.”
Morgaine laid her concoction on the table beside her chair and joined Elise with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“Tell me, what happened?” Morgaine began, glancing at the velvet cape on Elise’s shoulders. “I see you found time to mingle.”
Elise soon understood the true purpose behind sending her to the city in that dress. She felt rather less inclined to please the witch now that she realized the whole outing had been arranged for Morgaine’s amusement.
“I was groped, robbed, and rescued,” Elise muttered. “Are you satisfied?”
Morgaine gasped. “My child! But that’s the very reason I gave you the potion. Didn’t you think to use it?”
Elise nodded, a slight bitterness rising in her throat. Then the scent of the cape made her soften in spite of herself.
“I destroyed part of the apothecary and relieved a man of a tooth,” Elise said. “It would have been worse without the potion.”
“At the very least the scoundrels fared worse, darling. I consider that a successful outing.” Morgaine smirked. “And the rescuer?”
“Why do you care about that? I’m telling you the outrage I just went through.”
Morgaine settled back in her chair by the fire. “Ah, dear,” she chuckled. “Even I am fond of a good love story now and then. I was at the window when I heard the horses approach.”
Elise moved to the kitchen, and in the reflection of the glass panels she could catch a glimpse of what had caused so much trouble in the city.
Her eyes widened at the way the dress accentuated her bosom and hips.
The bodice drew tight at her waist, shaping her in a way that left little to the imagination.
Morgaine was still waiting for her to recount the tale of her rescuer, though, looking back, Elise realized she had not needed one.
“If you already know it was the duke who saw me home, what do you wish me to tell you?”
“Everything, darling…details. The devil is in the details. I won’t recommend falling for a man like that, but we can’t deprive ourselves completely of the pleasures of the flesh.
Love among the poor is best if you want my opinion.
Nothing quite matches their passion. That is why I go about in humble clothing from time to time and play the part. ”
Elise sighed. She did not trouble herself with the witch’s views on love. “Nothing happened between us, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Well, something must have been said during the ride, I presume. I would have made more of it if I were you, but I can see you are still under the yoke of Noldrin. No virgin has ever become a witch, you know.”
“You needn’t worry about that,” Elise said. “As for becoming a witch, I am not so certain anymore. Perhaps I should be a fairy, if their guild would have me.”
“Ah!” Morgaine laughed. “So that is what the conversation came to?”
Morgaine took another drink, as though the thought required it.
“The fairies are nothing but a pack of harpies,” she murmured. “A false clan of cowards, and so insufferably proper they make Falaine look like a brothel.”
Elise gasped. The more Morgaine rambled about the fairies, the more she thought they might be a better match for her...at least until the talk of false powers began.
“You can recognize a fairy by the way she seeks attention. It’s like watching an infant reach for its mother’s milk.
No woman with real magic has ever resorted to that.
They have no command over any force of nature.
They’re quite good at making teas, but no fairy has ever stopped a war or performed the sort of miracles witches are known for. ”
Elise listened with growing interest. Until now, it had been hard to convince Morgaine to take her under her wing, but the fairies seemed to have ignited the last remnants of doubt.
For a reason she couldn’t understand, Morgaine was aghast at the idea of Elise showing any curiosity about the other group of magic women.
Perhaps it would be good to feign some interest in the fairy world, even if just to fully convince Morgaine to initiate her as a witch.
“The duke mentioned there’s an opening in the king’s staff among the fairies,” Elise said carefully. “Even if they’re not as powerful as witches, they might be more inclined to take me in as an apprentice.”
“Ha!” Morgaine scoffed. “Go on, try it, and tell me how it turns out. That world is full of pampered nobles and their toadies. Good manners alone won’t win you a seat there, dear.”
“I might as well try,” Elise said, as if the thought had only just occurred to her. “I can survive a rejection. Besides, I need to return this cape. If Kurt isn’t there, I’m sure someone will have the sense to see it returned to him.”
“Ah,” Morgaine grumbled. “You’ve barely been a fortnight here, and you’re already thinking of joining others. Have you no loyalty?”
Seeing Morgaine’s agitation grow, Elise held her tongue. It was plain something had passed between her and the fairies, or perhaps between fairies and witches at large.
“So that means you’re taking me on as an apprentice?” Elise ventured after a moment.
“Magic has to claim you,” Morgaine said, recovering her composure. “But stay for now, and I can begin instructing you in potions.”
Elise could hardly believe what she was hearing.
She was now on her way to witchcraft. She felt as though the whole place had brightened at once.
A small trick, and she had accomplished what weeks of hard work had not.
No words came to her; the excitement was such that she restrained herself from jumping up and embracing Morgaine.
She soon began to imagine all the things she might do once she finally became a witch.
“It would be just a trial period,” Morgaine said. “I’ve already been thinking on the matter, and I think you might have some potential for it.”
This time Elise couldn’t contain her excitement and hugged the witch with enough strength to force a squeak from her.
“Remember you still have the effect from the potion,” Morgaine cried.
Elise let go of her new mentor. She knew full well this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and suspecting Morgaine could change her mind at any moment, she offered just enough of her newfound knowledge of potions to suggest she was already well along in the craft.
“I brought some Heartblooms,” Elise said. “Perhaps we can start with a Love Potion.”
“You can’t trap the duke with that, honey,” Morgaine chuckled. “Unless you only want him for a night, and I suspect you could manage that without my help.”
Elise’s body quivered for a moment at the memory of Kurt.
“I’m not interested in using it for myself,” she said. “But I was thinking the Love Potion is among the most popular remedies you mentioned.”
Morgaine smiled. “You have a good memory, don’t you?”
“I try,” Elise said carefully. It was one thing to be clever, and another to let people measure one’s full wit. Some grew wary when they sensed one could see too much. Fortunately for Elise, people had always taken her for kind and little more.
“As I’ve told you, magic has to claim you. You’ll be my pupil for now, and when one of the Four Winds finds you, we’ll see what can be done. It all depends on how generous they choose to be with you.”
Four Winds?
Elise nodded. As she had done these past weeks, she kept her lips sealed and her ears sharp. It seemed the most reliable way of ensuring Morgaine shared her wisdom in abundance rather than in dearth.
“May I finally enter the Potion Room?”
Morgaine hesitated, then, as if remembering something, muttered, “Give me a moment. Magic is finicky. I must prepare the place before bringing company.”
The witch took up a broom and went to the famed chamber with more caution than concern. It seemed she was indeed readying herself for dangerous work.
As the witch disappeared behind the magic door, Elise wondered about the function of the broom in all this.
She braced herself for something grand or obscure.
But after just a few moments, the mystery was solved as a faint trail of dust began slipping from beneath the door.
Elise blinked and promptly convinced herself it would be wise to lower her expectations… if only a fraction.
*****
Morgaine was coughing after just a few sweeps around the room.
She didn’t remember the floorboards being golden brown, nor that the hinges were made of silver, nor that dust settled on the tongue like gossip of an uninvited pregnancy.
This chamber was her most valued room in the house, but as is often the case with one’s most prized possessions, one grows neglectful with use and time.
She cleared her throat with a sound that she hoped Elise didn’t hear.
The pleasantries of cleaning had never come easily to her, and she barely remembered the last time she had used a broom to sweep instead of fly.
But one needed to make an impression when showing an aspiring witch the powers of the craft.
Her throat seemed to grow drier at the mere thought of Elise joining the fairies.
The girl was not as smooth as she fancied herself to be.
Morgaine could see how she had used her leverage, but still, she had to give her credit for securing her apprenticeship.
“We don’t need another fairy to come and disturb the Shield of Ravenon,” Morgaine grumbled.