CHAPTER 240: A WARNING

The darkness-enshrouded witch took her time before answering.

Darkness enshrouded because I couldn’t see any clothing material on the figure floating in the air a couple of feet away from us. Only darkness. Pulsing darkness from her head to toe—bodily features I couldn’t even see.

The darkness formed a cloak around her, even making a hood over her head and boots around her legs. You just couldn’t see any of her bodily features, not even her eyes.

From our perspective, she was looking at the floor, if the inclination of the hood was any indication, but I knew she was staring right at me.

I was tempted to take my phone from my pocket and check the time, but I was slightly afraid that a single movement might alter this moment. I could always check the time later. Hopefully, Laura and Peter wouldn’t have my head when I finally came back with Diana.

"Are you not going to speak?"

This time it was Raul who spoke. I was not sure what gave him the confidence since I could still smell his suffocating fear.

The witch laughed at his question.

Why? Could she smell his fear, too?

"You must think yourself on par with her, don’t you? But you are not. Neither is anyone from your family. Imposters, y’all!" The witch spoke after her cackle died down, confusing me and my friends.

Imposters? I turned to Rachel and Raul; they were confused, albeit terribly annoyed.

"Are you talking to us?" Rachel squeaked out, but the witch didn’t bother to respond this time.

Rather, she looked at me. "Why are you with them?"

I ignored the chills running down my back as her voice grew scarier.

"It’s okay to be with Diana. She is good for you. Your two friends, too. But why are you with them? Do you want a repeat of the past?"

I opened my mouth and shut it. El was still calm, but I had the feeling that she was at ease with the witch.

’Is she an oracle?’ I couldn’t help but ask El while contemplating the past the witch was referring to.

I would be a fool if I convinced myself that I didn’t know the event the strange witch was talking about. Yet, how could Raul and Rachel pose a threat to me? I was stronger than them. The Queen, however, was a different case.

’Yes. You will do well to listen to her. I’m not sure where she came from. Her kind aren’t usually seen around these types of forests. She must have come from a long way.’

Types of forests? There were more forests like this, humming with energies?

’Of course! Do you know how many communities like yours exist around the globe?’ El’s voice was tainted with disbelief, like she couldn’t believe I asked the question.

Oh, so every witch community comes with its own forest.

’What do you mean by coming a long way? Where is she from?’

’I don’t know.’

’I thought you knew everything?’ I asked, frustration boiling within me.

’I never said that. If I gave you that illusion, I’m sorry.’

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about it.

"You know it’s rude to be talking with someone else when another is in front of you? It’s disrespectful." The witch’s next words dragged my attention immediately, and feeling a supernatural compulsion—which I knew came from her—I apologized with a bowed head. "I’m sorry."

Beside me, my friends were aghast.

"But can you be clearer with your parables?"

The witch paused, then took steps back. "Be careful of the ones you call friends—they are liable to betray you. Sometimes those we call enemies are not the ones we think they are; maybe they are the ones who would go through hell for us. Be mindful, especially of your decisions this season; it will set the pace of your destiny. Don’t always take things at face value. And lastly, you’re not just a witch; you’re more than that. Don’t limit yourself. Your other knows better, so listen to it, always. Is my message clear enough?"

I wanted to shake my head, to advocate for a clearer message—perhaps for the latter to add names too—but somehow I knew she wouldn’t. That would be a futile endeavor. So I nodded. "I’ll try to make sense of what you said. Thank you."

"Never let go of your younger sister, Diana."

I held back a chuckle and nodded. Why would I ever let go of Diana, or the family that hadn’t rejected me, the family that had nursed me to good health?

"And don’t take any drink from a flowered cup on the full moon."

I raised a brow. Now what? But before I could ask any more, the figure vanished right before my eyes.

"Where did it go?" Levina asked, letting go of my arm and looking around the forest, the others following her cue.

"I don’t know." I muttered, my brows furrowing. What was going on?

"And what did she say to you?" Rachel asked, making me frown.

"What do you mean? Weren’t you..." I paused. Of course, the witch had used the cloaking mechanism to keep our talk private.

"You didn’t know she used the privacy screen?"

I shook my head in response to Sinclair’s question. I was too involved in my thoughts, in the words she was telling me. Maybe it was better they didn’t know.

"So, are you going to tell us what she wanted with you? It’s obvious she came for you." Rachel persisted.

But I would rather be damned than hand the Queen bullets to kill me.

"Nothing of importance. Let’s go home. Our parents will be getting worried by now." I stated in a voice that left no room for more questions before tugging Diana along, leading the way.

And when my little sister squeezed my hand reassuringly, when I looked down and met her knowing gaze, I knew that the witch hadn’t hidden our conversation from her.

Why was that?

And what was the witch talking about, regarding friends and enemies?

I sighed and let it all go for the moment. I was terribly hungry.