Chapter 11: Chapter 11

The sun was at the rim of the mountains before moon shined in the dark of the times. The hogan was previously positioned by Lucius’ butler, Devon, for their fleeting stay was their shelter for the first night.

It was small cabin which was enough to spend one night in the cold wooded area. Devon had outdone himself by preparing candles and pleasant smelling herbs to scent the hut. It could arouse any hot blood person but looking at his nonchalant wife, he gritted his teeth gulping down the sudden rise of desire.

Lucius was warned of the long journey they had to go through to find Orla and his now dear wife had quite adorably mentioned how tiring it shall be. Lucius had set on the quest with his dear young Witch wife Madonna early that morning and he was exhausted very well, not due to the trip but due to the companion he brought with himself.

Madonna was giving him a chilling shoulder to him. She hadn’t talked for once in all the hours of them riding a horse alone; heck, he did not even heard a sound from her.

She was being less voluble from the moment he revealed about his act of sealing her magic but the woman was getting on nerves from the moment they set out on a hunt.

He had heard many things about Madonna and one of the prominent one was the fatal charms she used to seduce men. She was well known for her tricks to get men although he was uncertain about the gossips seeing the way she was acting right then.

She did tried to charm him to get the details from him the first time he met her but that was all because she was tricking him to get what she desired. Later on, she had never tried to do the same ever again.

He liked her more when she was being conniving and selfish. The silence was playing tricks with his mind as it was disturbing him like it should not have.

Will she ever speak, Damnation!

“We could have performed a rite and appeared to the place where Orla is in a night and yet you chose to take an exhausting trip of fortnight.” Lucius mocked quietly expecting at least a response of mocking sound in return.

Lucius opened his trunk and pulled out his night suit as he buttoned down his traveling suit. He eyed the Hogan house Devon has built for their stay and smiled with an appreciated nod.

Once he took off his shirt and has no clothing on his upper body, he turned towards the infuriating woman who was standing beside a window and was looking at the moon chanting something with closed eyes.

If it wasn’t for the very slight sound of whisper that the wind carried to him, he almost thought he had gone deaf.

He gripped his clothes in a tight fist and closed his eyes to control his arising annoyance that his dear wife was giving him. He still could not tell what was so wrong with her to be having behaved with him in such a way.

He was a Lord and a Royal to a whole realm, he was a warlock with greatness, he was a man with immense strength and a man of magnificence; yet the young Witch was disregarding his command quite indifferently.

He sighed realizing he shall not be getting anything from her. Her magic was sealed and almost gone still she has the energy to chant spells to enhance something.

Lucius did not know which was more annoying, his twaddle talking wife or his noiseless wife.

Madonna, on the other hand, scowled at his attempt to talk however smirked when she had completed chanting spells. She smirked cause she was not silent for the reason that she was not fascinated in having a conversation with him, Nah, instead she was planning to make a slip out of him so he could do her bidding.

She was known for being conniving Witch and she was ever so ready to be every inch of that to get the Lord to unseal her magic.

If he thought just by sealing them she would not be able to perform any matter of magic, then he was mistaken. She still had small tricks up her sleeve which she was going to utilize just at the right time.

Madonna glanced towards the bed and noticed the Lord resting on it in a deep sleep. She smirked wickedly as she snapped her fingers and an owl produced itself on her arm.

“Inform Orla about the coming of her son and his wife in a fortnight period.” She whispered to the owl as the big brown and black Owl flew in the air cutting through the thick mist.

Madonna made her way to the bed rested on the other side of it as sleep overtook her without delay. The last thought she had before she lost to the sleep was that the Lord had done something he should not in a wrong time so she was not going to answer any of his suspicions. If he wanted then he shall have to hunt for his answers by his own.

It was her part to inform him about his sister and the curse she got from her. Other than that, she was preparing to be a huge burden to the Lord. She was intent on confirming him how mistaken he was when he thought he could play with her.

~*~*~*~

The next morning, Madonna had woken up before Lucius and prepared for their impending trip while she shared an amusing smile with herself. Not long after, Lucius woke up with a quiet yawn and saw that everything was already packed back in their trunks.

He recalled the ill treatment he received from his wife and vowed the first thing in the day to make her talk by any darn manner.

Both of them had a light breakfast from what they had brought with them and set out on the path to carry on their journey. None talked from the moment they rose up in the morning.

“Stand by.” Lucius almost could not believe his ears when he heard her talk for the first time ever after they set out on the voyage. He instantly stopped his horse and stood beside Madonna who mounted down from her horse and was glancing into the thick woods.

“Here forth, we shall leave our horses here and walk.” Madonna replied brusquely.

“If you must have heard me the previous night they could have reached there within moments.” Lucius mocked yet again which made her chuckle.

“I must have mistaken you, My Lord. I took you for a clever person but with due admiration, I did not take you for a naïve man.” Madonna answered as she stepped forward towards a huge tree which could easily be living from hundreds of years.

As she touched the tree, the roots crawled out and stretched to her pulling her down on the ground. Lucius straight away ran to her to help her but Madonna lifted her hand and stopped him from taking out his sword and cut the roots.

Lucius stopped and stood by as he realized how relaxed Madonna was despite of being wrapped in the thick living roots of the tree.

“There are mages on the way, several mages that Orla had positioned cleverly for the people who intend to meet her. We have to cross the mages as per her commands to reach her. If failed, we shall not be able to go further.” Madonna detailed as she motioned her hand towards the roots which crawled out and were forming runes on the somewhat wet mire ground.

She could still recall the parchment she received from Orla the night before they set out on the journey. She had mentioned about the mages on the way to reach her.

‘May you spend good time with your new husband on the way to me before he leaves the world for good.’

What humored Madonna the most was when Orla informed that the mages were real and fatal produced from the strong magic only so Madonna and her husband could get closer to each other in tough times.

What Madonna could not understand was why Orla was tiring herself from getting them closer. Why was she bent on making Madonna having good, divine, passionate time with Lucius when he was to die no matter what?

What was Orla thinking?

She had made all the arrangements to have passionate feelings for each other? Why?

Madonna knew of every single trap Orla and she had prepared for the Emor family and the motives behind them but what Madonna could understand was the very fact that Orla was getting her close to Lucius when he would die anyhow.

Madonna was saving her heart from breaking when the person she was passionate about to die but Orla on the other side was making certain she sprout the feelings of desire between her and Lucius which was not sensible.

‘Orla, what are you intent on?’ thought Madonna as she glanced at Lucius and together looked at the task they had to complete to cross the mage.

~*~*~*~*~*~