Chapter 10
Nevan
My family sat around the long rectangular table in the dining hall, a roasted chicken in the middle, surrounded by small plates and side dishes.
I took a bite of my sautéed cabbage, barely tasting the food as I thought about that morning, how Enid had saved me from drowning, how her robe had barely covered her body, exposing her thick thighs and smooth stomach, the swell of her breasts.
Her green skin had glowed, dewy and flawless.
I hadn’t been able to stop staring, and I could’ve sworn I’d caught her staring at me.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of that.
My father cleared his throat from across the table, nudging his head toward my mother, who sat next to him, chewing a bite of her chicken and pointedly staring at me.
Cillian sprawled back in his chair at the head of the table.
“Well, this isn’t awkward at all. We’ve only been sitting in dead silence for a quarter of an hour now.
” He took a drink of wine from his goblet.
“Nevan, you said you wanted to tell us all something, and yet you haven’t spoken a single word this entire dinner. ”
The jug of wine lifted from the table, Castle’s white glittery magic swirling around it, and topped off his goblet. He raised it in a toast and took another drink.
Wolfe sat next to me and Niamh across from him. Her gaze kept darting to me, far too conspicuous.
Wolfe slammed his fork on the table, the dishes rattling. “What’s going on?” he asked his wife. “You’re unusually jumpy tonight.”
Niamh averted her eyes to her plate. “Nothing. I don’t know anything.”
Wolfe sighed heavily and shot me a look.
“We all know that means you know something,” Cillian said to Niamh, “and from the way you keep looking at Nevan, I’m guessing it’s about him and whatever news he has.”
Niamh’s cheeks turned pink. “No. I didn’t see Nevan in the library yesterday and give him advice about his love life.”
Godwitches, she was so bad at this. Then again, so was I.
“Very convincing.” Cillian patted Niamh’s hand and sent her a wink.
My mother just watched the entire exchange, silent.
Father widened his eyes at me. “Now would be a good time to say something, son.”
I groaned. I’d been so lost in my thoughts about Enid and that silky black robe that I’d forgotten I told everyone I had an announcement to make.
“Well?” Mother asked. “Are you finally going to reveal the identity of this mystery woman, or does only Niamh get to know that information?”
“The mystery woman who doesn’t exist,” Cillian muttered under his breath, and I shot him a glare.
“Oh, I don’t know her identity,” Niamh said quickly. “Just a few other details about a recent fight they had.”
“A fight?” Mother asked.
Cillian leaned forward, a few strands of his wavy dark hair falling over his forehead. “You’re fighting with this nonexistent woman now?”
“She does exist,” I said. Godwitches be. Why was this so fucking hard? Probably because I was about to tell them I was courting the most hated woman in Fairwitch. I was not prepared for this.
Sweat gathered on my upper lip.
Cillian threw up his arms. “Just admit she’s fake and let Mother set you up with a suitable woman already.”
I licked my lips right as Sir Arthur burst through the door, brandishing his sword. “Invader! We have an invader in our midst!”
Cillian and Wolfe shot to their feet, instantly on guard as the suit of armor clambered in . . . dragging Enid behind him.
The blood drained from my face, and I shot Enid a questioning look. She glared at me, then wrenched her arm from Sir Arthur’s grasp.
“She’s the invader?” Cillian gestured at Enid as Wolfe sat back down to continue his meal, apparently deciding Enid wasn’t that much of a threat.
“Indeed,” Sir Arthur said. “I caught this wench sneaking into the castle.”
My father wrinkled his nose and leaned over to my mother. “I thought we weren’t allowed to use that kind of language anymore.”
Cillian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sir Arthur, I’ve explained many times that it is offensive to call the female population wenches.”
“Hi!” Niamh waved at Enid, smiling bright. My sister-in-law truly saw the good in everyone.
“I walked right through the front doors,” Enid said with an edge to her voice. “That’s hardly an invasion.”
Cillian took another long drink from his goblet. He didn’t normally drink this much, and it set me on edge. “Maybe eight weeks was too generous. Maybe we need to hold the vote tomorrow.” His jaw locked. “Actually, maybe I’ll just make the decision right now.”
Enid’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t do that! You said eight weeks. I didn’t even do anything wrong.”
Wolfe shot me a concerned look and tipped his head toward Cillian. I gave a small shrug. I had no idea why Cillian was so snippy. Maybe he and Ceri had gotten into a fight. Whenever he fought with his best friend, he was always moody until they made up.
Cillian spread out his arms. “Well, I changed my mind. You’re exiled. Goodbye.”
Sir Arthur grabbed her arm again. “It’s the guillotine for you!”
Cillian held up his hand. “Sir Arthur, as you well know, those are outlawed and have been for centuries.”
“Then it’s the dungeons for you!” He started to pull Enid away, and she shot me a wild, terrified look, which propelled me into action.
I jumped to my feet. “Stop this at once!” I yelled.
Everyone froze, including Sir Arthur, and I was surprised by the authority in my voice.
“You can’t arrest her or exile her,” I said.
Cillian’s brows furrowed. “Why not?”
“Yes, why not?” Wolfe asked, staring with his deep brown eyes.
Mother’s gaze bounced between me and Enid, and Niamh sat frozen, her fork inches from her mouth.
“Because she’s the woman I’ve been courting!” I burst out.
No one said anything, apart from Sir Arthur. “Courting? This deviant? Then we’ll throw them both in the dungeon!”
I took Enid’s hand and tugged her toward the table, everyone staring at us in shock. Even Cillian had been struck silent.
“You and the witch—Enid?” my mother said faintly, hand going to her chest.
I cradled Enid’s hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and pressing a gentle kiss on her palm.
Her sweet rose scent washed over me, leaving me slightly dizzy.
“Yes, me and Enid.” I looked around the table, Niamh the only one smiling, and it was that small gesture that gave me the courage to continue. “I know this is probably a shock.”
“Probably?” Cillian grabbed the jug of wine, drinking straight from it.
“How did this happen?” my father asked, pushing his spectacles up his nose. His question was more curious than horrified, which I was grateful for.
My father and I were similar in that respect. We tended to want to study things, understand them, before judging or making assessments.
Enid and I looked at each other, and I realized how unprepared we were for this. We hadn’t discussed anything. I knew nothing about this woman. Of course my family would have questions about our relationship, and I didn’t have any answers.
“She saved me from drowning,” I said at the same time Enid said, “I threw him into the bog.”
Mother squeaked, her hand coming to her mouth.
Sir Arthur stepped forward. “That’s attempted murder. According to the Godwitch Manifesto, the punishment should match the crime, so we must throw her into the bog as well.”
Amusement flashed in Enid’s brown eyes, so dark they almost looked black.
“I’d like to see you try. Besides, that’s a bastardization of that law.
It doesn’t mean the punishment should be the same as the crime—just that the severity of it should be the same.
Throwing me into the bog wouldn’t equal what I did to Nevan because I can swim. ”
I widened my eyes at Enid, trying to tell her to shut up. Also, since when was she an expert on the Godwitch Manifestos? We didn’t follow that Manifesto anymore, and it was typically only historians who argued the nuances of the many laws inside it.
“Well, then,” Sir Arthur’s deep voice rumbled, “I’ll just hold your head under water. That would be the equivalent of you throwing a man who can’t swim into water, correct?”
Enid tapped her chin thoughtfully, not looking as remotely horrified as I felt right now.
“Nobody is shoving anyone’s head under water,” Cillian said. “Sir Arthur, thank you for your service tonight, but I think you should get back to your post. Wouldn’t want anyone else slipping into the castle undetected.”
“Yes. I must continue to uphold the veils of justice!” Sir Arthur marched out of the room, armor clinking and clanking as he went.
I turned back to my stunned family, everyone sitting there, staring.
“She threw you into the bog?” Cillian asked, a look of horror on his face.
“She didn’t know I couldn’t swim,” I said.
“I got him back out,” Enid added like that was the problem.
“She saved my life, and what can I say? It was love at first sight.” I reached for Enid and pulled her into me. She resisted a bit, but I yanked her, and she bumped into my chest as I awkwardly put my arm around her, her entire body stiff.
Everyone continued to stare, and I really wished someone would say something. Anything.
“I just want to make sure I understand.” Cillian paused. “You’re courting the woman who tried to kill you?”
Maybe I didn’t want anyone to speak after all.
My father ran a hand over his thinning gray hair. “Let’s all calm down. This is clearly a shock, but Nevan is a grown man, and he is capable of making his own choices.” Father elbowed my mother. “You wanted Nevan to find someone, and he has. Let’s be happy for the new couple.”
No one looked happy. In fact, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen my family so thoroughly disturbed.
“Would you like to join us for dinner, Enid?” Niamh asked.
Oh, godwitches, I couldn’t imagine this night getting any worse. “No,” we both burst out at the same time.
Mother’s gaze snapped to me.
“Enid has plans.”
I elbowed her, and she cleared her throat. “Yes, I have to feed the crocodiles.”
I internally groaned. Why couldn’t she just say one normal thing in front of my family?
“Feed the crocodiles?” Mother asked with alarm. “What do you feed them?”
She gave a small shrug. “Whatever Vine catches for them. It keeps them from eating your people.” She paused. “Vine also sometimes eats the crocodiles, which also helps your people.”
Fucking fuck.
Mother’s face paled.
“Okay,” I said with a laugh. “Well, I will see you later tonight.” I shoved Enid toward the door. “After you’re done . . . feeding the crocodiles.” That was a sentence I never thought I’d say.
Enid opened her mouth to speak, and panic jolted through me, then she closed it and nodded. Thank the godwitches.
“It was lovely to officially meet you!” Niamh called as I pushed Enid out the door. It slammed, and I pressed my back against it.
“What in the actual fuck?” Cillian asked. “Nevan, I know you’ve basically been holed up in your lab for years, but there are other women out there. Ones who don’t feed crocodiles and shove people into bogs for fun.”
He had a fair point. I sat down, pushing my plate away, appetite gone.
“The heart wants what it wants,” Niamh said, a slight reprimand to her voice.
“You’re just saying that because you fell for the grumpiest man ever.” Cillian tipped his head toward Wolfe, who just crossed his arms, not arguing.
“I did, and I’m eternally grateful for it.” Her gaze softened as it landed on Wolfe, and his lips twitched. “Giving this grumpy, closed-off guard a chance was the best thing I ever did.”
Cillian just rolled his eyes, but Mother relaxed back into her chair.
“Well, I would love to get to know Enid,” she said. “Get to know you two as a couple.”
“Y-yes, absolutely.” Absolutely not.
“You’ll both plan to be at our next family dinner?”
I wanted to say no, make up some excuse, but my brain wasn’t working properly. “Yes” was all I could manage.
Enid and I had a lot of work to do in just four weeks. If we were going to make this convincing, we had to know each other better, and that meant it was time to get to know the mysterious woman of the bog.