CHAPTER 324: MOTHER

Uva didn’t waste a second before flagging down a waiter to place her order, her tone brisk and her gestures precise. It was a deliberate attempt at appearing composed. Violet on the other hand didn’t even glance at the menu herself, instead folding her arms over her chest and muttering under her breath, "I’m not hungry."

Uva turned to her with a gentle smile, trying to mask the tension tightening her jaw. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice carefully pitched to sound casual, though her eyes betrayed concern. She motioned to the menu. "You should try something. She might take a while to get here. And honestly, the food’s delicious."

The effort it took Uva to keep her voice from shaking was immense. Every syllable seemed forced through a mouth too dry to speak. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she was certain Violet could hear it. Lady June’s presence loomed even before her arrival—just the thought of being in the same space as her again was enough to send cold sweat dripping down Uva’s back. She could barely keep herself from trembling.

To anchor herself, she ordered an expensive wine, spending far more time considering the vintage than the food itself. She didn’t care what she ate—if she ate at all. It was the wine she needed now, something strong enough to dull the sharp edge of her nerves.

The waiter returned swiftly, placing their meals and the bottle of deep crimson wine on the table. Uva barely acknowledged the food, her gaze fixed on the glass she raised with trembling fingers. She sipped, grateful for the warm trail it left down her throat. It gave her something to focus on, something other than the tightening dread curling in her stomach.

Violet didn’t touch her food either. After a moment of watching Uva silently sip her drink, she reached for the wine herself. She hesitated for only a second before pouring a modest amount into her own glass.

"How long exactly are we supposed to wait before she gets here?" she asked, her voice low as she brought the glass to her lips. Her brows knit slightly after the first sip—it was too bitter for her taste—but she still took another, as though the distraction it offered was worth enduring.

"She should be here soon. Trust me—" Uva said, her tone taking on a sharpness that wasn’t quite convincing, "—she’s worth waiting for."

Violet didn’t argue. Not out loud, at least. If this woman truly had the power to help Cain, and if the cost wasn’t too steep, then yes—she could wait. She would wait, no matter how unsettling it felt to sit here sipping a drink she disliked while waiting for aa witch who was most likely untrustworthy regardless of how well Uva spoke of her.

She was halfway through her second glass when Uva suddenly jolted upright, her spine going rigid like a marionette pulled by invisible strings.

Relief washed through Violet. Uva wouldn’t react like that unless the person they were waiting for had arrived.

Uva stood, her movements a touch too sudden, too rehearsed, and Violet followed suit. She turned toward the entrance—and froze.

Standing just a few feet away was a middle-aged woman draped in an elegant black coat, her long black hair cascading like silk down her back. Her face was calm, almost kind, with features arranged in an amiable expression. But what stunned Violet wasn’t her aura or her entrance. It was her face.

The woman’s features bore an uncanny resemblance to Violet’s original face—before the mask, before the concealment. It was as if she were looking into a mirror distorted by age, lineage, or something more sinister. Her mouth parted slightly in shock, the glass in her hand trembling.

"I hope I didn’t keep you both waiting," the woman said warmly, offering a smile that revealed perfectly even teeth. If Violet had glanced sideways, she would’ve seen Uva’s face blanch. She bowed instantly—low, respectful, and far deeper than any greeting she had offered before.

"I only just heard from Uva about this meeting," the woman continued smoothly as she approached the table, settling gracefully into the extra chair. "It was rather last minute."

"Y-yes!" Uva said quickly, her words tumbling out too fast. "I did contact her quite late. The meeting wasn’t planned ahead of time." She forced a tight smile, internally praying that the warmth of the wine would steady her nerves and prevent her from slipping up. Any wrong gesture, any misplaced word, could end in disaster. Lady June would tolerate no failure, not here.

"It’s fine," Violet said quickly, composing herself. "We haven’t been waiting long. If anything, we should be thanking you for agreeing to meet with us." Her voice trembled faintly, but she masked it behind a small smile. Despite herself, she kept stealing glances at the woman’s face. The resemblance was uncanny, and it stirred something deep in her—a question, a fear.

She wanted to discard the mask of a face she wore, resisting the urge to rip it off. A powerful coven witch or not, she wanted to see how the woman would react to her real face. But she held herself back. It wasn’t the time, and certainly not the place.

Lady June exhaled lightly, relaxing into the chair. "What would you like to order?" Uva asked politely, attempting to maintain control of the situation.

But Violet’s patience had run dry. "Can you tell us what you want in exchange for completely healing Lord Cain?" she asked, her voice firm and direct, speaking over Uva without realizing.

Both women went silent for a heartbeat, surprised by the overlapping question. But to their relief, Lady June didn’t seem offended. Instead, she turned her head toward Violet, her violet eyes sharp and perceptive, assessing her.

"My name is Lady June. I’m not sure if Uva had told you that," she said with a pleasant tone. Violet nodded quickly, though the name didn’t mean much to her.

"She’s given me some details," Violet admitted. "And if you really can help Cain, then... thank you." She exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders as she dared to hope.

Lady June’s lips curved slightly. "It’s a complicated condition," she said, "but yes. I can fix it. It won’t be easy, but I’m more than capable."

A visible breath of relief escaped Violet’s chest, her eyes softening. "That’s wonderful," she said, her voice catching slightly. "Really. That’s—thank you."

Then, cautiously, "...And what do you want in return?"

There was no use pretending. Violet knew no magic of this kind came freely. She expected some rare herb, a promise, maybe even a future favor. But Lady June’s answer stunned her.

"It’s something quite simple, actually," she said. "And I believe it’s something you’ll find just as valuable."

Violet blinked in confusion, glancing at Uva. Uva poured herself another drink in silence, her eyes lowered, trying to appear unbothered. Of course she knew what was coming—Lady June had made her intentions clear long before this meeting. And yet, she still didn’t know how Violet would respond.

’If your mother wasn’t a cruel maniac, I wouldn’t be so opposed to this,’ Uva thought grimly, raising the glass to her lips and taking a long drink as she thought within herself.

Lady June leaned slightly forward, her eyes still fixed on Violet. "I want to help you awaken your magic," she said softly, "and teach you how to wield it. But for that to happen, you’ll need to come with me—back to the Coven."

Violet stared at her, frozen in disbelief. "What?"

"That’s my price," Lady June said simply. "Did you really think your secret would remain hidden forever? You’ve already slipped through the cracks long enough. Most witches your age were taken back to the Coven years ago."

Uva, from her seat, gave Violet a tiny nod—confirmation that the words were true.

Violet’s heart pounded in her chest. The wine was bitter on her tongue now. The calm, kind-faced woman sitting across from her had just shattered everything she’d thought she understood about the deal.

The price wasn’t a trinket. It was her.

"I also refuse to believe that wielding magic is not something you’re interested in," Lady June added while Violet was still having trouble digesting the words she had heard.

"It would only be for a couple of years and then you can return!" she continued to explain. "You can still leave and visit for a while but we urge new witches to stay to breed a sense of belonging!" Lady June continued even as Violet silently listened.

A few months ago the offer was one she would have taken with an outstretched hand, hell she would have begged for it. But after forming a bond with Cain the thought of leaving him for so long especially knowing how fragile his mental state was.

’There is no way he would let me go even for a couple of months’ when Violet spoke next her voice was low enough to show a bit of unwillingness in her tone.

"I can’t leave! I can’t go to-to the Coven. I’ve formed a bond with Lord Cain!"she said not surprised to see the woman smile as she lightly shook her head.

"I’m not asking you to break the bond. Its just a bit of distance. You can still call and communicate–"

"Lord Cain won’t allow it!"Violet interrupted only to be shocked when the woman’s face grew a hardened edge to it as she shook her head.

"I thought you were a free woman!" she said with a frown on her face as she moved to get up, "...Either that or you don’t want to be a witch badly enough!" rising and making it clear that the conversation was over.