Chapter 3
Nevan
Ihobbled into the throne room, the setting sun shining through the big yellow stained-glass windows lining the walls on either side of me.
Golden banners hung between the windows, each depicting a different godwitch, showing how larger than life they were. Normally I loved studying the tapestries, remembering the greatness of the godwitches, the impact of their magic.
It motivated me to want to do more with my alchemy, to use the magic they left behind to make amazing potions. But today all I felt as I passed each banner and got closer to my brothers and my mother was anger.
Cillian, Wolfe, and my mother stood at the other end of a long white and gold runner, speaking in hushed tones.
I wondered if word of my mother’s meddling had spread. Maybe they were discussing it right now, wondering if I’d found the love of my life already.
I cleared my throat, and they stopped talking and turned to look at me.
Wolfe towered over everyone, crossing his muscled arms across his broad chest and scowling, which was pretty usual for my eldest brother.
I wasn’t sure the last time I’d seen him smile, unless he was looking at Niamh, his wife and the only person Wolfe actually liked.
Cillian’s head reached just over Wolfe’s shoulder.
He was leaner than our older brother, but still muscular and the most good-looking of all the Wolfgang brothers, which he liked to remind us of regularly.
He shot me a dazzling smile and shook the dark hair from his forehead, his ice blue eyes stark against his pale skin.
“Ah, Nevan, good of you to join us.”
My mother’s brows furrowed as she took me in. “Nevan, dear, did you sleep at all last night? You look horrid.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Wolfe assessed me with his dark eyes and stroked his thick beard. “She’s right. You look like shit.”
I was regretting my decision to come here. “I might’ve stayed up late.” Or all night. I shoved my hands into my trouser pockets. “I was reading and dozed off at some point.”
Creases formed on Mother’s forehead as her frown deepened.
I knew that expression all too well. It was the same one she’d had when she looked at Wolfe after he’d gone on one of his benders.
Before he’d met Niamh. It was the same expression she’d had when the castle had chosen Cillian as its ruler.
He’d been so young, and she’d been so worried about what the responsibility would do to him.
The thing was, Mother had never looked that way at me. Not until this moment.
Cillian tilted his head. “I can see your eye bags from here. With all those fancy tinctures you make, you’d think you’d create one to get rid of those.”
I approached my bothersome family, walking down the length of the long room. “I probably look so tired because I’ve been seeing patients nonstop all day.”
I’d finally closed for dinner, telling everyone in line if they were still feeling ill to come back tomorrow. I hoped that weeded out all the fakers.
Mother stepped forward, laying her hand on my arm. “Is there some kind of illness spreading through Fairwitch?”
“Oh, that’s all we need.” Cillian groaned and shoved a hand through his thick, dark hair.
“I should check on Niamh,” Wolfe said. “I don’t want her getting sick.”
“No, no illness. Unless you count being lovesick as an illness.” I stared pointedly at my mother.
She pursed her lips, the lines near her mouth and eyes becoming more pronounced. Her hair used to be the same dark brown shade as mine. Cillian’s and Wolfe’s, too, but now she was more gray than brown.
“Love sickness?” she repeated. “I’ve never heard of that.”
Cillian picked a piece of lint off the golden silk shirt that was tucked into perfectly tailored black trousers.
“What is love sickness? Please don’t tell me it’s a new disease spreading through Fairwitch.
” He put his fist in front of his mouth.
“I cannot deliver more bad news to our people after everything we’ve been through these last few years. ”
And we’d been through a lot, including moving our entire city to this bog, something that everyone was still getting used to.
I inhaled deeply, then breathed out through my nose. All the times Mother had worried, I’d been the one who made her feel better, the dependable one she knew she’d never have to fret over, so I’d need to approach this delicately. “You told the entire town I was ready to get married?”
Cillian snorted, and Wolfe’s lips twitched.
Mother gazed up at me with bluish gray eyes that matched my own. “I might’ve mentioned something about you being ready to settle down—”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, having a hard time keeping my voice even. “Half the women in this town showed up at my lab today, hoping to get my attention.”
“Did it work?” Mother asked innocently.
“No!”
Her shoulders slumped.
“Someone could have had an actual emergency, and I was bogged down with fake coughs and imaginary sprains.”
Cillian laughed, and I shot him a glare.
Mother raised her chin, and I was surprised to see anger flashing in her eyes. “Would you like to know why all those women showed up at your work?”
I pushed my spectacles up my nose. “Because you told them to?”
“No.” She took a deep breath. “It’s because that’s the only way to see you.
You don’t ever leave that tower. After your lab reappeared two years ago, you moved the healer’s quarters there.
You even sleep in the small bed chamber attached to it.
We can barely get you to come to our family dinners anymore. You’re hardly even sleeping.”
Her voice had gone wobbly, and I could feel the heated glares from my brothers.
“I just want you to be happy.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Oh, fuck. She was going to cry. I needed to fix this.
“You don’t have to worry about me.” I gathered her in my arms as she sniffled, her head resting below my chin. “I’m happy.”
“I just don’t understand why you spend so much time in that lab. You don’t have a life outside of it.”
I didn’t know how to explain that I simply didn’t have time for anything else.
When the previous town healer wanted to retire, my family encouraged me to step up and shadow them, become their replacement.
With my love of science and potions, it had made sense.
Over the years, though, I’d realized how much I hated this job.
But if I admitted that, it would mean having to find a replacement and disappoint a lot of people.
Mother continued to stare at me with glassy eyes. Her bottom lip quivered, and Cillian mouthed “fix this” over her shoulder while Wolfe stared at me menacingly.
I had to think of a solution that didn’t involve me in a relationship.
She took a stuttering breath. “I just want to see you happy and in love like Wolfe.”
“I am,” I burst out.
Mother stilled and slowly looked up at me, hope flashing in her eyes.
Fuck. Why had I gone and said that?
She clutched my shirt. “Really? You’re in a relationship?”
“With who?” Cillian cocked a brow, clearly not believing my lie.
Who indeed. I couldn’t just name a woman because then my mother would expect to actually see us together, see us happy. And any woman I chose wouldn’t want to pretend. They’d want the real thing. I was totally fucked.
“Um—” I scratched the back of my neck, feeling the tips of my ears turning red as Mother’s eyes practically burned through me. “Well . . .”
Screams erupted outside, and we all stiffened before breaking into a run to the windows. Down below, Enid stood in the middle of the street, carrying what looked like one of her flytraps, which was snapping at passersby.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Cillian dragged a hand down his face. “Eight weeks. I gave her eight weeks to get her act together or she’s getting exiled, and now she’s waltzing through town with a giant plant that eats people.”
“I don’t think it eats people,” I said. “It mainly eats insects, but it will bite if agitated.”
Cillian shot me a glare that could kill.
“Wait.” I replayed his words. “Enid is getting exiled?”
Cillian crossed his arms. “Unless she can completely change her reputation in eight weeks.” He tipped his head toward her as she kept walking, ignoring the townspeople yelping and jumping out of her way.
“We’ll be holding a town vote to determine whether she stays or goes.
Majority wins. I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d count on the wicked witch finally being gone. ”
I winced. I’d always thought the nickname was a little unfair. It wasn’t her fault we’d landed in her home, and it also wasn’t her fault that the sentient bog acted out. Although it did seem rather loyal to Enid above everyone else.
The plant’s head reached out and snapped at an elderly woman, who fainted. Enid didn’t notice, or if she did, she didn’t care. I snorted. She wouldn’t want to date me. Was probably the one woman in Fairwitch who couldn’t care less if my mother told her I was looking to get married.
My eyes widened as I watched her, an idea forming. She’s the one woman in Fairwitch who wouldn’t want to date me.
Holy shit.
My mind whirled with possibilities. She was terrifying and angry and hated pretty much everyone, which was exactly what made her perfect for this ridiculous idea. There would be no chance of her falling for me or wanting to monopolize my time.
Plus I could help her. She needed someone to improve her image.
Courting me could do that.
I could do this. I could fake date Enid and solve both our problems.
“I have to go,” I said, backing away. “I forgot about a patient I need to see. Very urgent.”
Mother reached for me. “Wait a minute, what about—”
“I’ll see you for dinner soon!”
I turned and ran before anyone else could ask more questions and hoped that this insane plan might actually work.