CHAPTER 287: _A WITCH NEVER STOPS LEARNING

~~~~FOUR MONTHS LATER~~~~

"What’s the point of watching you cast spells constantly if I can’t cast any myself?" I asked with a frustrated sigh when Althea showed me a demonstration of a transmutation spell for the umpteenth time.

It’s been four months... Four months since the video of Kaelos killing his father was leaked to the entire world. Four months since I found out about the dark sigils locked to my Hybrid blood and connected to the Vein.

I was sitting in the mansion’s main garden which had quickly become a spot for hanging out and training with both my aunt and Kaelos.

My aunt tutored me on how to better control my magic without letting my emotions be its guide, while Kaelos taught me how to tap into my wolf side.

I could use my wolf claws and fangs now and had better control of my sonic howl... But there was still not much success in shifting into Sirena.

It was frustrating since I’ve really never seen her form.

The morning birds chirped above us, seemingly in sync with the hum of Althea’s magic.

Her right hand was pointed at a tulip flower, her fingers lighting up with sparks of bluish magic. She had her back facing me, her purple dress trailing the ground as she spoke.

"If you haven’t learnt anything this past four months, you should at least know this one thing when it comes to witchcraft." Althea’s voice was calm as the tulip’s pink petals bloomed and closed repeatedly in sync with her finger movements. "A witch never stops learning."

Suddenly, the pink tulip transformed into a rose petal, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

I sighed, resting my right hand on my baby bump. I tightened my jaw at first but then smiled warmly when my gaze landed on the baby bump.

My light... Apollo.

Yep, turns out the baby is a boy. And it was safe to say Kaelos was excited about it. Scratch that... He’s been hysterical these past few months, helping with arranging the baby’s room and picking out toys his mom got him when he was little.

"Odessa?" My aunt’s voice snapped me out of my reverie, forcing me to raise my head only to see the slight frown on her face. "Come on, focus. Where’s your mind at?"

I clicked my tongue, getting on my feet and adjusting the white day dress I wore. I fixed my gaze on the vast bed of tulips stretching behind her.

"My mind is on the fact that I’m already capable of the simple spells you’re still teaching me after so many months." I blurted, waving my right hand forward.

Althea’s eyes widened as she stepped aside and glanced behind her. Within a couple of seconds, the bed of tulips sparkled with a faint violet light before undergoing a breathtaking transformation.

All of them bloomed first before turning into butterflies, their wings spreading before they fluttered all around the garden in a vast swarm.

I smiled only for a few seconds... Until my eyes fell on my right arm. A cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw the dark sigils pulsing underneath my skin.

’You need to stop doing that.’ Sirena echoed in my mind as I hid my arm behind my back, plastering a smile on Althea, who gave me an awkward look.

"See? I know all this already." I said, shrugging.

But then she walked toward me, shaking her head. "Odessa, you need to be careful with how much magic you let out. Those dark sigils—"

"I know, I know." I sighed, laughing dryly. "I risk being a key to a chaotic source of magic underneath the continent and causing the end of all life. No need reminding me."

Not to mention the risk of my magic exploding mid-pregnancy. Gods...

I curled my right hand, which was still behind my back, into a fist, watching Althea part her lips with a dumbfounded expression.

Fortunately, as the butterflies fluttered around and the tension seemed like it was going to get overwhelming, a cherry voice chimed from the entrance of the garden.

"Odessa. High priestess Althea. I brought y’all some tea and..."

I swerved my head to the garden’s entrance, smiling warmly when I saw Caroline walking toward us with a tray containing a teapot and cups on it.

She wore a beautiful pink gown and had her hair tied into a ponytail.

However, she paused abruptly when she saw the butterflies fluttering around, her mouth falling ajar and her eyes widening.

"Woah..."

I giggled, glancing at Aunt Althea, who didn’t seem all that impressed. I gave her a wink, patting her on her shoulder. "I’ll be fine, aunty. Don’t worry."

I proceeded to walk toward Caroline who quickly shook her head and regained her composure.

"Are you guys throwing a butterfly rave or what?" She queried with a teasing smirk, causing me to giggle again.

I grabbed one of the tea cups, staring at it for a bit before bringing my gaze to Caroline’s face. "You know I’m more of a coffee person."

She shrugged. "Don’t blame me... Your aunt Althea insisted you take this mixture. Besides, it’s kinda sweet."

I glanced over my shoulder at my aunt who already had her right hand raised, casting a spell.

With a simple twist of her wrist, the butterflies burst into sparks of violet light which floated back to the ground and transformed into their original form as tulips.

"Oh, and lest I forget..." Caroline muttered, forcing me to bring my gaze back to her. "... Your husband seeks your presence upstairs."

I pouted my lips, shaking my head. "Seeks my presence? I’m a pregnant woman. Does he expect me to climb all those stairs to come see him or—"

"I had a feeling you would say that." A familiar deep voice spoke with a chuckle from the garden’s entrance.

My eyes flicked to that direction just in time to see Kaelos walking toward me with his arms folded in front of his chest, a sly smirk on his face.

I tilted my head as Caroline stepped away quietly, giving us a little space.

Kaelos was dressed in a sharp red suit that emphasised his muscles and somehow managed to make him seem taller than he already was.

His black hair was suspiciously packed up into a stylish bun, and he had an extremely sweet cologne clinging to him.

"Well, good morning to you too, dear husband." I blurted when he finally got a few feet in front of me, smiling with a little more sass than usual. "You look... Ravishing. But what’s the occasion?"

His smirk widened as he glanced briefly at Caroline before gently grabbing the teacup in my hands, leaning in closer until my heart quickened at his proximity.

"It’s a surprise." He whispered, sending warm tingles throughout my body.

Ou, la, la...