Archive of Our Own

“you know,” kieran said conversationally, “if i’d known i was going to get arrested, i probably wouldn’t have stepped foot in a hundred meter radius from this stupid village.”

the blond-haired boy glanced down at him impassionately. “poor you.”

the girl standing beside him gave him a pointed, accusing look. “maybe you shouldn’t have tried to steal, then. ever thought of that?”

kieran groaned, letting his head fall backwards onto the paved road. “for the last time, i told you i didn’t steal!! who even saw me do it, anyway?!”

the girl flicked her blue hair away from her face as she began to tick off names. “me, will, the ten other peddlers along the street, the poor old grandma you tried to rob, god himself-”

a muffled “are you serious?” came from the tied-up offender on the ground.

the blond boy scoffed and waved at his partner’s hands to stop her from indulging in kieran’s antics. “kym, stop talking to him. we just have to get him to the rendezvous place so our work will be done.”

with great difficulty, kieran rolled over so that he faced up towards the blue sky, void of clouds. “you already arrested me, you don’t have to be so kind. you can just say ‘prison.’”

“we’re not taking you to prison,” kym dismissed, before yelping at the elbow jab that will sent into her side.

he perked up. “so where are you taking me then?”

~❉᯽❉~

kieran stared down at the ten more ropes binding him to a tree trunk with abject horror.

“you’re leaving me to die over taking a few apples?!”

“aha!” kym exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. “so you do admit to stealing!”

“i did not, i-” he stared at will’s back as the boy began to exit the cave. “hey! you aren’t seriously just leaving me here tied to this tree?”

will shrugged. “what’s the worst that could happen?”

“i starve, get eaten by wolves, robbed by bandits, have an urgent need to go to the bathroom-”

“someone will come around to get you, anyway,” kym said, waving a hand at both kieran’s expression and will’s pointed glance. “don’t be so loud. don’t you know what’ll happen if you attract too much attention to yourself?”

this made him perk up. “something will happen if i make a lot of noise? should i scream so somebody can come save me?” he opened his mouth, and will quickly stopped him.

“stop, you idiot! haven’t you heard about the dragon?”

“dragon? what dragon?”

they both gave him incredulous looks. “everybody knows about the dragon,” kym supplied. “the one who eats ten men in one bite, had razor sharp teeth and claws, and its scales are like an impenetrable shield. it lives at the top of the mountain. for the past hundred years it’s been dormant, most likely because it’s sleeping amongst all of its treasure.”

“the more stupid ones who’ve dared to venture into the dragon’s realm disappeared, never to be found again,” will added. “it’s always been taken as fact that the dragon eats anybody who disrupts its sleep.”

despite himself, kieran felt apprehension creep at his edges. he cleared his throat. “and you’re still going to just leave me here, defenseless? don’t you think this will weigh a little too heavily on your consciences? at least give me a knife or something!”

kym scoffed. “the first thing you’ll do if we give you a weapon is to free yourself. do you think we’re that dumb?”

“of course that’s the first thing i’ll do! and i’ll leave this stupid, godforsaken, backwards town and never show my face around here again!”

his cries were to no avail, and kym and will were soon long gone.

kieran sighed, trying to find some way to escape. he craned his head to look at the bonds that held him to the tree.

frankly, he couldn’t even move a centimeter. even his fingers were all tied to his palm, preventing him from wiggling them.

what the hell!!

he was just about to list out his elegies and regrets that he did not take in this life before he heard the sounds of footsteps outside of the cave.

kieran immediately yelled, “hey!! anybody there!! can you get me out of here?!”

a girl entered the mouth of the cave with her hands in her pockets, and kieran felt his breath leave his lungs.

she was easily the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. and that was saying a lot, seeing as how he existed.

her figure was slender, and face angular. she stood peculiarly, on the balls of her feet as if she was preparing for a fight. her scarlet red hair tumbled down from her face. the most peculiar thing about her was her golden eyes, which were a fiery, pensive color.

she cocked her head, assessing him, and kieran swallowed dryly.

finally, she sighed, taking out one of her pale hands from her pockets and rubbing her forehead with it. “i told them i didn’t need…”

kieran blinked, forcefully drawing his eyes away from her long, angular fingers. he attempted a flirtatious grin. “would you be so kind to set me free, beautiful maiden?”

from the looks of her face, his skills were useless.

“what’s your name?” she asked.

“kieran! kieran white. and you?”

“lauren sinclair.”

“a beautiful name for a beautiful lady! after you help release me, we could always go to the village a few miles down and have a drink together, if that’s what you’d like.”

lauren revealed both of her hands, looking slightly sheepish. “i… don’t have a dagger on me.”

kieran gave her an incredulous look. who didn’t have a knife wherever they went, especially with the threat of beasts and fiends? kieran had had one too many encounters with a goblin to wander around in the world without being armed.

“so i’m still going to die. great to know i’ll go at the hands of a bloodthirsty and angry dragon.”

lauren coughed. “a dragon.”

“you didn’t know about the dragon, either? the two cops who left me here for dead assured me that a dragon lived somewhere at the top of this mountain, more than happy to gobble up any trespassers. you sure you don’t have some sort of sharp object on you? even a hairpin will do!”

“everybody who lives in this kingdom knows about the dragon,” lauren replied.

“i was overseas. forgive me for not being informed on another country’s legends.”

“so what are you going to do?”

kieran sighed, looking up at the sunlight that streamed through the cracks of the cave. “i suppose i’ll just wait to get found by a giant lizard with teeth as swords, fire breath, and an angry vengeance. if you can’t free me, you should at least head along if you don’t want to be subjected to the same fate as mine.”

the woman seemed unfazed. instead, the barest glimpse of a smile flickered on her face.

“you don’t want me to be the one to free you,” lauren said, and wow, that’s the last thing that he’d expect for her to say.

“i assure you i’d like nothing more.”

“you really don’t,” she pressed.

“i want you to be the one to free me so much, that i swear i’ll write songs and poems in your name afterwards.”

she let out a short laugh, almost aborted. “you… that won’t be necessary.”

she took a step closer, and from here, he realized that she kept virtually nothing of importance on her except for her clothes. no jewelry, knapsack, and certainly no weapon.

curiouser and curiouser.

“you know,” she said, “the way you described dragons? that’s not how they are at all.”

“what do you mean?”

“the scales, teeth, fire, and claws? their possessiveness over gold and gems? tales of them eating live humans? it’s all made up. the only real thing about them,” lauren paused, “is that they’re shape shifters.”

“they’re what?”

“shape shifters. they can turn into another living creature.” she turned her head away from him to look up at the cracks of sunlight. “in all honesty, humans are greatly advantaged over dragons. with their small sizes and fingers and all. underrated tools, fingers.”

“right.” kieran was sweating from the sweltering heat of the daytime, and something from the tree was digging into his back. this was not a conversation he’d like to be having at the current moment. “nobody really knows though, right? after all, nobody’s ever met a dragon face to face and made it out alive.”

lauren hummed. “but you should know that if you ever meet one, that they’re unlikely to eat you. they have too much time on their hands to worry about silly human lives.” she turned, now grinning. “we’re immortal, after all.”

“we? but you…” kieran feels the realization slowly sink into him. “you’re kidding.”

a perfectly sculpted eyebrow lifted. “do i look like somebody who kids?”

“nope, not really, just an imposter human who likes to feast on innocent human beings.” all of the flirtation and playfulness dropped from his voice. “i suppose you’ll hide me somewhere to cook up as evening stew so the rest of the world won’t know that you and your kind like to eat human flesh?”

“i told you that i don’t eat human beings,” she said flatly, and it was the form of address that hit the last nail into the coffin.

“if you’re not going to eat me then why can’t you free me? seeing as you can have claws.”

“i…” she stepped even closer, and against his will, kieran’s breathing hitched. she brushed the tips of her fingers over the ropes that tied him down, just barely making contact with it. she sighed, dropping her hand back to her side.

“me freeing you… comes with a catch.”

“i’ll do it,” he said automatically. “what is it?”

the furrow between her eyebrows deepened and her lips pursed slightly. kieran was so entranced that he almost didn’t hear what she said next.

“a year,” she said slowly.

“a year?”

“a year with the mountain.” lauren sighed, stepping back slightly. “a year with me.”

“what...do you mean?”

“tying you to this tree establishes a deal between the tree and you. or more specifically me and you. she’s a sentient being, and likes to give me more trouble than i’d like. once i free you, it means that you automatically agree to the terms of staying for a year in the mountain. then, you’re free to go.”

kieran thought about it. “and you promise you won’t eat me?”

she gave him a look. “i promise.”

kieran sighed. a year in a single place would be the longest he’d stay in one place without traveling. still, it was only a year, faced with death in the next week due to starvation and dehydration.

“i’ll do it.”

“it’s a deal,” she said simply, and drew a line in the air with her index and middle fingers in front of kieran’s chest. as if she’d taken a knife and cut the ropes, the bonds fell to the ground beside him. kieran stood up on feet that were on pins and needles, rubbing out the soreness in his wrists.

wow. magic. she had magic. actual magic.

“well,” he said, trying to feign calmness. “where to now, darling?”

~❉᯽❉~

“you know,” kieran said in between haggard breaths, “i think i get what you were saying about the mountain spirit being one annoying bitch.”

“i did not call her a-”

“you might as well!”

kieran’s foot narrowly avoided a tree root sticking out of the ground, and he stopped for a second to wipe the sweat from his brow. he glanced up.

lauren was hiking up the mountain with agility and the ease of someone who was well acquainted with their surroundings. when he looked at her face, she was not even strained at all. oftentimes, she turned her face to the direction of the breeze, one that seemed only she could feel, since kieran could only feel his clothes sticking to his skin uncomfortably. they’d been hiking for about two hours now, with no end in sight.

“so,” kieran started, in an attempt to slow her down. “i really have to stay with you for an entire year?”

she shrugged. “it depends. most people usually only stay for two or three months at most. then they’re free to wander the world as they please.”

“if i try to escape right now, what’ll happen? will a pack of wolves run me down? a tree fall over me? some bloodthirsty fiends rip up my clothes?”

the questions didn’t seem to faze her. “the mountain leads you back. every path you try to take if you’re trying to purposely escape loops back to the mountain.”

kieran inwardly groaned, before lauren stopped and said, “we’re here.”

kieran blinked at the grassy clearing. “what’s… here?”

“my front lawn,” lauren replied, striding forward to the wall in front of them, not looking back to see if he was following.

as he watched, lauren shook out her arm. in the span of half a second, a burst of flame appeared on her palm.

his eyes widened. she waved the flame over the wall’s surface, whispering something, and a black opening stretched out from the area that she held the fire to until it resembled a doorway. lauren kept the flame alight as she turned her head back slightly and cocked it forward to wordlessly urge him to follow.

wishing he had something on him, kieran stepped over the threshold, gaping as the walls immediately closed as he did. he had to jog to catch up with lauren, as she was the only light source.

she continued talking. “while you stay here, you’re free to venture anywhere you’d like on this mountain, as long as you don’t have the intention of escaping or running away. she always knows your intentions. she wouldn’t have accepted you to stay here for a year if you were a bad person.”

kieran felt slightly pleased. then he scowled, remembering that the stupid mountain spirit still decided to bind him to this place.

they passed through the tunnel and kieran stared at the room that greeted him.

it was clearly a greeting and a living room all in one. vines and ivy climbed the stone walls, and on every wall hung several lamp banisters, filled with the same type of flame that lauren had held in her hand. a luxurious velvet couch stood in the center of the large room, situated over a thick carpet, facing towards the fireplace. cuts in the stone walls allowed for sunlight to stream in, but there were no birds or flying insects in the living area. kieran suspected that magic was acting as a barrier for living creatures to prevent them from entering the room through the windows.

to his right was the kitchen, almost equally as vast. a stone table stood as an island, and against the walls were cabinets, ovens, a sink, and everything that belonged in a kitchen.

kieran craned his head up. a glittering, jagged crystal hung from the ceiling.

but after seeing all of the splendor, kieran grimaced as he took in the state of lauren’s living area.

“how do you live like this?”

she had the good decency to flush ever so slightly.

dishes were stacked high on the stone island in the kitchen, left unorganized. there looked like the splatter of something dark green over a cabinet door. unfinished plates of food were lying on the floor, on the living room table, on a stack of books. kieran swore he could see a tinge of mold over an abandoned sandwich. a blanket was left unfolded and rumpled over the couch, and more than one book was left over every inch of the floor surrounding the sofa.

“at least i do the dishes regularly,” lauren shot back. “they’re all clean.”

“great! less work for me.”

lauren shook out a wrist, and ran her fingers through her red hair. “i don’t have guests often. the last guest ended up staying for a week before she was allowed to leave.”

she waved him towards the hallway that branched off from the living area. “i’ll show you to your room.”

unlike the first tunnel that they went through, the corridors of the inner mountain was lit with the same flame banisters from the living room. they took a right, then a left. lauren pushed open a large door with a gilded handle the length of her forearm.

a master bed stood against the opposite wall with sheer-white hanging curtains. there was a desk next to the bed with a lamp and some writing utensils. the same flame banisters hung on the wall, along with the same type of windows.

despite the level of extravagance that everything seemed to exude, kieran noticed that most of it seemed almost… absent of human presence and feeling. the paintings that hung on the walls were of random objects, like an empty vase, or simply a fruit suspended in midair. as he peered at the desk, he noticed there was the thinnest layer of dust over it.

“what are you looking at?”

“your paintings. they’re dreadfully dull.”

a roll of her eyes. “no one’s ever complained about it before. it doesn’t matter to me or to them.”

lauren led him to the adjacent room. “here’s your bathroom. it’s equipped with everything that you’ll need. the closet in the room is yours, too. i’m pretty sure the sprites have already filled it with clothes fitting to your size.

“aren’t sprites known for stealing shiny objects? isn’t it dangerous to have them in a place like this?” kieran had several encounters with sprites. he’d lost his belt and the buckles on his shoes once to them while he was sleeping in the forest at night.

lauren shook her head. “these ones are nice. i’ve known them for a while. if i remember to leave out some valuables on the living room table, they’ll occasionally clean up my place for me. glorified servants, if you will.”

she began walking to the doorway to go out of his room. “again, you’re free to do whatever you like, though i suggest that you take a rest. frankly, you look like you’re about to keel over.”

now that she’d mentioned it, he felt the exhaustion pull at his limbs and slowing his gait.

“there are pieces of parchment inside the desk drawer. before sleeping, please write things that you think you’d need during your stay here. i’ll take a look at it after and help you obtain them.”

the door swung shut behind her.

kieran first pulled out a set of sleep clothes from the closet, where he saw the wardrobe that the sprites had chosen for him. he took a moment to admire and observe the rich fabrics under his fingers, before quickly changing and dropping his dirt-covered clothes into the basket next to the towel rack. he took a few more minutes to scribble down a list with a quill and onto the paper before collapsing onto the bed.

what a weird day.

his eyes closed, and he succumbed to dreams.

~❉᯽❉~

kieran woke up slightly disoriented.

he was first greeted with pitch-black darkness. however, the room only stayed submerged in shadows for a few seconds before the flame banisters lit up of their own accord, sputtering slightly.

kieran quickly changed out of his sleeping clothes and into a loose white shirt with black slacks before he glanced out of the window. the sun was still present, though it was hanging right above the treetops and was about to set.

he walked out of his room, retracing his steps to head to the kitchen. there, he took inventory of everything in the kitchen, including the available food products and cooking utensils. true to lauren’s word, all of the dishes were sparkly clean, save for a glass cup in the sink.

kieran began making a quick stir fry with vegetables in the icebox and egg noodles from the cabinet. he had cooking experience from surviving on his own for many years, ever since he was in his teens. without parents or relatives, it was necessary to learn how to live independently, and he even picked up a few skills from cooks and chefs in kingdoms that he traveled through.

the sizzle of onions over heat was followed up by the sound of soft footfalls behind him. he turned to see lauren appearing out of the dim hallway, rubbing her eyes. the shadows under them were apparent.

kieran briefly allowed himself to wonder what she did in her free time, before lauren came close and peered over his shoulder, asking him what he was making.

“just something quick. set the table?” he suggested. lauren nodded, probably intrigued by the promise of food, and took several utensils and two plates to the room next to the kitchen.

when he carried the pot into the grand dining room, kieran glanced at the cobwebs in the corner of the room and the dust that covered the crystal hanging from the ceiling, along with the walls and tapestries. the table, at least, was swept clean.

lauren grimaced slightly as she noticed. “i… don’t eat in this room very often. maybe every ten years.”

“seems like you never have guests,” kieran presumed lightheartedly. he immediately regretted saying anything when he saw the slightly downcast look over her face.

“yeah. not many.”

they quickly divided up the food between the two plates and sat on opposite sides of one end of the long table. they dug in, and kieran grinned at the euphoric sound that left lauren.

“this is great, what the hell.” there was a note of surprise in her voice.

kieran gave her a look.

she shrugged. “you just don’t seem like the type to know how to cook.”

he shot back, “well, i’d expect a hundred-year old dragon to be able to feed herself.”

“i had servants who made food before, and besides, i don’t eat often. it’s not like i’ll die or anything, i’m immortal, i just feel uncomfortable every now and then.”

kieran took in her hands, her jawline, cheekbones, and forearms from where they shone white under the light of the crystal hanging above them. bones and veins stook starkly against the pale ivory of her skin. only now did he realize the similarities between lauren and her house. both were gorgeous at first sight, breathtakingly so, but were uncared for and neglected.

inwardly, kieran grinned. it’d be his new mission to get lauren on a healthy lifestyle.

said girl glanced up from her plate. “you’re staring.”

“and you’re beautiful.”

she immediately scowled. “does that line work on all the other girls you've tried that on?”

kieran began twirling noodles around his fork. “if we’re going to be stuck together for the next few months, you’d better get used to it. i’ve been told i’m very charming.”

“don’t kid yourself.” before he could splutter in protest, lauren changed the topic. “did you write out a list of things that you’ll need during your stay here?”

kieran slid over the piece of parchment that he had folded up and kept in his pocket, and lauren’s golden eyes skimmed quickly over the words. after a minute or so, she snapped her fingers, and a quill appeared in her hands with a flash of light, the tip already stained with ink.

“most of the foods and staples are delivered to the mountain on a regular basis,” she said, crossing off items like grain and butter from the list. “as for new shoes and a new bag, i can get the sprites to find something that fits your tastes. and… paints, canvas, and drawing materials?”

“it’s a hobby. i’m guessing it won’t be a problem for a rich dragon who lives in splendor to procure a couple extra leisure items.”

“it won’t. and for the rest of the items,” the feather of her quill brushed over the unmarked words on the list, “you’ll have to see my friends for that. they’re forest witches. they’ll be able to supply you with these herbs and plants.”

she gave the list back to him. “lukas will be around tomorrow to drop off the monthly groceries. i’ll be busy, so feel free to meet him at the door. he knows what to give me.”

the two finished their dinner and brought their dishes to the sink. lauren waved off his offer to help her. “you made dinner, it’s only fair that i clean the dishes.” with that, he bade her a good night and returned to his room.

he washed up and prepared for bed. the flames in the banisters had begun to dim, as if the room could tell that he was about to sleep. the minute that his head hit the pillow, his eyes closed, and once again he succumbed to the darkness.

~❉᯽❉~

the next morning, kieran woke to minimal surprise at a new environment, before preparing himself for the day. he found a new, shiny pair of boots at the foot of his bed that had somehow miraculously replaced his older pair.

he opened the curtain blinds to gape at the scene that sat outside.

a tropical beach glittered and shone, with swaying palm trees and gently advancing and retreating waves. the water was a rare shade of blue, one that he only recognized from coastal, tourist areas.

all of this appeared in his line of vision despite the obvious- that he was still at the top of a mountain.

“magic is so weird,” he muttered.

after breakfast, he greeted lukas outside the cave’s entrance and prided himself for not instinctively screaming and running away when he came face to face with a troll.

even though kieran thought he had managed to successfully erase any sense of fear from his face, lukas’s eyes, shadowed by dark bags, stared at him knowingly. “i’m a subspecies,” was the first thing that he said.

kieran swallowed. “right.”

he graciously accepted the offered help from lukas, as there were large crates of food products sitting around his feet. how lukas had managed to get all of these items up the mountain was a mystery to kieran. after they’d brought everything into the interior of the cave, kieran waved goodbye to lukas as the part-troll ambled back down the mountain.

five minutes later, he stood with his back facing the mountain’s entrance, a knapsack over his shoulder blades and his new boots donning his feet.

last night, lauren had told him to visit her witch friends for extra supplies that he needed. the only problem was that she hadn’t told him how to get there.

kieran blew his hair out of his eyes. “right.”

the sun glared down at him, almost like a taunt.

“ms. mountain! i’d like to visit lauren’s friends, if you’d please!”

a bird cawed in the distance, and kieran sighed. “might as well.” he began walking down the opposite path that lukas had taken.

as he hiked through the forest, he marveled at the calm stillness of the nature surrounding him. there was an almost ethereal glimmer that shone over the green leaves, the sunlight that filtered through the branches, the wildflowers dotting the side of the road. kieran grinned as he saw a family of squirrels scamper up a tree and disappear into its leafy depths.

with all things considered, this had to be the best place that he was forced to stay at. it certainly beat a prison cell.

thirty minutes later, he reached a clearing that was surrounded by trees. a homey cottage, though not small nor shabby in appearance, greeted him. a beautiful garden with an array of flowers, plants, and the like were organized in the front yard.

he even saw several plants that seemed to be oddly sentient. roses swayed back and forth, soft tittering sounds rising into the air as they turned their faces towards surrounding flowers. a prickly vine crept into a small bush of blackberries before the bush shook violently, and the vine was forced to retreat to avoid the stinging thorns. the grass itself rippled and moved despite the lack of wind.

“glad to see you like our garden,” a familiar voice quipped behind him, and kieran turned, surprised.

“you!”

will gave him a friendly smile. “it seems like the mountain’s taken better to you than the other sacrifices. you got here an hour earlier than the others had taken.”

“we really need to find a better term than ‘sacrifices,’” kieran muttered, before snapping back to attention. “you lied to me!”

“about what?” another voice sounded, and kym stepped into the clearing, bracing a basket filled with odd-colored stones and bundles of plants against her hip. “you know, usually i’m the troublemaker. it’s the first time i’m hearing that this stick-in-the-mud did something bad. tell me what he did, come now.”

will squawked at kym’s coaxing tone and her insinuations before kieran cut in. “you both lied to me! you said there was a bloodthirsty dragon waiting for me and that i was doomed to die over stealing a couple of apples!”

the two strangely lapsed into silence. “well, we technically didn’t lie,” will said.

“you said it yourself that it was out to kill me for disturbing its peace.”

kym winced. “still, we were right about the dragon!”

“and you never said that you two were friends with her!”

kym and will both froze. “okay, so i guess we did lie,” will relented.

“a lie of omission!” kym added fervently.

“and you both are witches? meaning you can do magic?”

will gestured to kieran as kym opened the door to the cottage. “we have a limited scope of magic. certainly not as much as lauren. we spend most of our time collecting special herbs and plants and making potions, salves, powders, magical crystals, and the like to sell.”

“will’s a plant type.” kym grinned as she pointed a finger to herself. “and i’m light! we’ve been working together for decades now to help people with ailments and personal calamities.”

“decades.”

“yup. we go down the mountain occasionally to get supplies like food or candles or other things like that, but mostly we spend our time here.”

“so the cop facade isn’t real, i’m assuming,” kieran said accusingly.

kym waved her hand in the air dismissively. “semantics. it’s wonderful how far simple forgery can take you.”

will cocked his head into the general direction of the house as he took the basket from kym. “feel free to make yourself at home.”

the two began bustling around their house with a natural, comforting ease, as if they truly had stayed in this place for many years. they even seemed to communicate wordlessly, will dropping a pencil into kym’s already outstretched hand and kym reaching into will’s bag to pull out a leather notebook, without objection on his part.

kieran briefly took in the house’s interior. two stoves were situated side by side in the kitchen, with one burner being covered by a pan filled with what looked like the remains of a fried egg, and the other stove completely taken over by a large cauldron that had steam floating out of it.

dried plants and herbs were hung upside down on strings along the edges of the room. the main table in the kitchen was completely covered with tools stained with the green remnants of plants, crystals, measuring tools, and thick worn down books that had all sorts of information inscribed into them. with a second glance, kieran could see a diagram of an arm covered with warts with organized notes written on the side.

the living area had a green plush sofa covered with thin blankets and pillows. the floor was covered with a rug, the color an odd mix between burgundy and pomegranate purple. a fireplace stood against one wall with a crackling blaze under it, except it, too, was covered by a large black cauldron with a simmering teal liquid. he blinked as he realized that there was a spoon already moving by its own accord in the potion, mixing the potion in regular clockwise motions.

“so, you two really have lived like this for decades? it’s surprising you guys haven’t argued each other half to death by now,” kieran said, recalling how the two had bickered as they’d ‘arrested’ him.

will rolled his eyes. “oh believe me, she gives me thousands of reasons to throw her out every day.”

“you can’t get rid of me now, darling!” the woman took her focus away from her notes to press a loud, obnoxious kiss against his cheek. surprisingly, without getting annoyed, will simply huffed a laugh and raised her charcoal-stained fingertips to his mouth to give her a matching kiss there.

kieran just raised his eyebrows in surprise.

kym grinned at him as will turned back to sprinkle something into the cauldron atop the stove. “we got together around thirty years-”

“forty, love.”

“-forty years into our mutual witch partnership. of course, will had been pining for a while before that, as he’s told me.”

will rolled his eyes at his partner’s shameless revealing of their secrets, but kieran noted that his eyes were soft as he caught kym’s quicksilver smile.

“and lauren? what about her?” there was a sour, bitter feeling in his mouth as he regarded the possibility of lauren with another person, moving with the same ease that kym and will had with them, looking at them like how will looked at his lover.

kym’s grin faded slightly. “she’s… she’s been alone for a long time. as long as we’ve known her.”

will nodded. “we’re the closest to her out of all the witches on this mountain. as far as we know, she’s the first creature to inhabit this mountain. she, unlike us, has full control of the mountain’s powers. the rest of us get smaller packages. rocks to a boulder, as you will.”

the bitter feeling in him had already melted away into something uncomfortable. it made him feel uneasy, in a way, knowing that lauren had spent so much of her time alone. kieran remembered how the mirth had drained from her face when he’d offhandedly mentioned that she probably didn’t have many guests.

realization sunk in. “so that’s why you two collect sacrifices. so that she’d have company.”

“you guessed it. something about the mountain’s magic keeps her isolated from the others. maybe it’s because of the other witches’ envy of her for having more power than them.”

“we try to visit as often as possible but…” kym shrugged a shoulder. “she’s always busy working. i swear that woman never rests. it’d do her good to have some living company every now and then instead of books and scrolls.”

“and she’s stuck here? all of you too?”

“move away from the mountain, move away from the power source,” will said matter-of-factly. “most witches wouldn’t give up their powers for anything. the mountain also suspends our life forces, keeps us alive for decades.”

“jeez. i don’t know how anybody could stay in one place for that long.”

will passed over a plate of rolls that he’d procured seemingly out of nowhere. kieran sat down at the dining table where the witches’ tools didn’t take up the eating space. he bit into the roll, pleased to find it buttery and warm.

“all of them leave after their time is up,” will said. there was something indiscernible in his eyes. “we try to make her less lonely but we can’t force the mountain’s will on how long to make a sacrifice stay.”

“maybe there’ll be a day,” kieran added, “that someone does stay.”

kym’s golden eyes glittered, resembling the hue of a yellow full moon or a diluted sun. “and maybe they’ll find a very good reason to do so.”

~❉᯽❉~

the trek back to lauren’s home on the mountain took far less time than it took to get to will and kym’s abode. kieran had an inkling that it was the mountain warming up to him.

true to lauren’s word, the two witches truly had the rest of the things that kieran needed. after glancing over the list that he’d made the previous day, they sent him off with an extra bag full of the traveling herbs that he realized that he needed on his role as a wanderer. he’d come into contact with one too many goblins to refuse additional strength and stamina potions.

the house was silent when kieran dropped his knapsack and things on the floor next to the kitchen’s island table. there was neither tail nor hide of the dragon that dwelled within the halls.

he ventured down the hallway. after depositing his things into his room, which was somehow miraculously reorganized with his bed made and the items on the desk placed in precise order, he ventured throughout the halls to try and locate lauren, for reasons that he couldn’t bring himself to name.

the first door that he opened revealed a storage room with cleaning supplies. the second door, garnished with gold and bronze around the edges, led to a space not even a foot wide, containing an ironing board.

kieran sighed. his breath displaced the dust in the cabinet.

“this’ll take a while,” he lamented.

time crept by as he ambled down the desolated hallways, opening each door and closing each one. he was about to give up just as he pushed open a double-door entrance to reveal a grand library.

kieran gaped at the bookshelves that stretched up to the sky, some even separated by different flights. a skylight, covered with glass, shone overhead, depicting the crescent moon and several pinpricks of starlight. all of the flame banisters were lit and were flickering merrily. at the center table, a large circular one with every square centimeter of space covered in all types of knickknacks, was a familiar redheaded woman.

lauren was completely engrossed in writing something over a long piece of parchment, one that had already reached the opposite end of the large round table (kieran guessed it to be at least ten feet in diameter) and had fallen over the edge.

kieran walked over to join her and cocked his head as he examined an innocent crystal sitting atop a bronze scale. “now what does this do?”

lauren immediately jerked to attention, seemingly having not heard him enter the room. her eyes were wild as she took him in. “you.”

he gave her a dazzling smile. “me.”

she groaned as she rubbed at her eyes fiercely, the tension in her posture lessening slightly after recognizing he was a familiar face. kieran noted that she was still in her clothes from last night.

“my apologies for not hearing you. i must be a terrible host.”

“no worries. you’ll have plenty of practice with yours truly.” kieran glanced over her shoulder at what she was writing.

she noticed his interest. “i’m doing research on this new invention that i’m trying to make. it’s supposed to be a light source and emit… well, light when the user wants it to. i supposed it’d be helpful for people who can’t afford to constantly buy candles or who live in areas that don’t have wood or fuel.

“my first test round involved more of a candle than what i’m aiming for now. it was supposed to light up with a small flame. but then i’d guessed that it might be harmful in the hands of those who wished to destroy instead of create. so here i am.”

lauren frowned, leaning back in her chair slightly to tap the tip of her feathered quill against her chin. “but now i’m thinking that a light caster that emits flame might be better for people who don’t have access or who find it hard to create fires for survival. say someone lives in an icy, tundra-like area. a flame would be able to keep them warm.”

she snapped out of her stupor. “i’m sorry, i’ve gone off on a tangent. this must be incredibly dull.”

“no, it’s ingenious.” and kieran meant it. he was in awe of how she was trying to use her powers to aid the common people, people who didn’t have access to magic like she did.

the awe must have shown on his face because she quickly diverted her gaze. “well, it’s still in the testing stages. at the same time i’m working on another invention.”

“could i hear about it?”

“of course. feel free to take a seat.”

he did so, pulling out a luxurious velvet chair next to hers.

“my second project-” she pulled out a couple of thick books and scrolls from under the parchment that she was writing, with remarkable ease. “-is to create something that can prevent others from tracking them. it eliminates traces of magic, makes them harder to track down. i thought it’d be helpful for the other witches on this mountain.”

“they’d need such a device?”

lauren smiled a bit ruefully. “people often have the misconception that witches are completely associated with evil and dark magic. though there are some that do practice dark magic, i like to think that most are kind and live by morally good ways. still, it doesn’t stop people from capturing and burning them at the stake.”

kieran winced inwardly as he recalled all of the assumptions that he’d had about creatures of fantasy. he’d believed that sprites were just naughty thieves, before he realized they could be fairly helpful when they were paid. the fearsome dragon and witches that he’d met were devoting their eternal years to aiding the human race. hell, he’d even come face to face with a part-troll full-time grocer just this morning.

kieran glanced over the surface of the table, piled high with all types of random things. there was a distinct lack of dishes or utensils, indicating that she hadn't eaten. “and you've been doing this all day?”

she gave a light chuckle. “for the past three weeks. i don't think i've gotten real sleep in a month, at least.”

he shook his head. “i’ll get you on a regular sleeping schedule any day now, sinclair.”

“i’d love to see you try, white. oh, and before i forget-”

she snapped her fingers, and kieran’s eyes nearly bugged out of its sockets as a large set of painting materials appeared out of thin air on the floor.

“-i remember you asking for art materials yesterday. i hope these are to your liking.”

kieran was silent as he inspected the materials, turning them over in his head. something was rolling around in his chest as he saw they were of the highest quality. she’s gotten him paints of every color and type, from acrylic to oil to watercolor. she’d even included a set of charcoal pencils and drawing tools. a sketchbook laid innocuously over a set of canvases.

“thank you.” his voice sounded odd in his ears as he tried to convey his gratitude.

she blinked. “it’s really no problem. though…” a small smile crept over her face. “my one request is that you replace as many of the paintings in this place as possible. as you’ve seen, they’re absolutely horrendous.”

he grinned back at her, something lighter falling back into his body. “you got it. this place needed some serious renovation anyway.”

“are you calling my home ugly?! get back here, white, i’m not finished with you!”

~❉᯽❉~

the days passed by in a similar manner, like honey leisurely falling out of a jar.

every evening, kieran made sure that they had dinner together. it was always him cooking the food, making sure to bang the pots and pans as loud as possible to bring out the dragon from her den.

[white, what the hell are you doing?! you’re going to scare away the faeries from their own home!

oh no, the faeries, what a shame.

you continue saying that and one day you’ll find moldy mushrooms in your boots.

but i have such a trusty dragon on my side to scare them away!

shut up.

yes, yes, now would you please bring this pot to the dining table? i’d hate to spill my stew that i spent two hours making.

why would you spend two hours making a single dish?

don’t act like you’re not sniffing at that soup, sinclair.]

during the daytime, he ventured out of the mountain to take in the scenery. he always brought his sketchbook with him and trusted the mountain to lead him to the most beautiful places that it had to offer. already, about a quarter of the pages in his book was already covered in sketches.

when the sun started to creep past its peak in the sky, kieran allowed himself a duration of rare peace that he’d found himself missing on his years while on the run. some days, he collected bundles of wildflowers, or stashed a handful of iridescent stones into his bag. other days, he walked to will and kym’s house, where they were more than happy to welcome him in.

on the good days, kieran extended offers for them to walk back to lauren’s cave with him for dinner. they accepted every time.

[so you’re telling me there’s a passage in the cave beside your house that leads exactly to lauren’s home? like a portal?

yup. surprised?

you two couldn’t have offered that route to me the first time i visited your house? wow, some great friends you both are.

c’mon! you needed the exercise!

… for that, ladell, you’re not getting any of the creme brulee i made this morning.

well jokes on you, i have a lovely husband to share with me. right? will? light of my life, treasure of my heart? you’re sharing with me, right? how come you’re not saying anything?

… it’s creme brulee, darling.

will!]

~❉᯽❉~

kieran hissed when his feet met the ground and a slight twinge of pain shot up his ankles. he rubbed at them absentmindedly while glancing at the surroundings around him that were cloaked in darkness and shadows.

sometimes, he went out at night to get a fresh change in perspective. he enjoyed the silence of the night, the loneliness of the moon, and what the mountain had to offer when the sun disappeared from the sky.

an owl hooted softly in the distance. kieran tugged out his sketchbook and a pencil from his bag, silently creeping forward to look for something that sparked his interest. his days as a runaway from palace guards and gangsters had given him crucial practice in moving about stealthily and silently.

his boots made virtually no sound as he moved through the thicket, craning his head to look up at the tree branches, or the parts that were illuminated by the glowing moon.

kieran narrowed his eyes when he saw the slightest movement in the depths of a tree. round yellow eyes turned to him, blinking once, slowly. gradually, his vision adapted to the darkness, allowing him to see the outline of a spotted owl, keeping sentinel over the forest.

he grinned, sitting himself a far distance away so as to not scare the bird. seeing that kieran wasn’t getting any closer, the owl ruffled its feathers as it relaxed once more. it ducked its head to a spot next to the depths right next to it.

intrigued, kieran frowned before glancing up at the tree that he was leaning against.

he grinned, already rolling up his sleeves.

five minutes later, he was sitting precariously on the branches of the tree, peering over at what the owl was doing. elation caused his mouth to lift up into a smile when he saw a small nest right next to the owl, with baby chicks in them. the owl was rubbing its head against one of its children, silently urging it to go back to sleep.

he began to draw, first sketching out the bird and its nest’s outlines, before beginning to draw angular lines to make up the branches and leaves beside it. the sound of his pencil lightly scratching against paper joined the orchestra of a nighttime forest, the cicadas humming their songs in the background, the rustle of some small furry animal burrowing back into their homes, and the slight whistle of the wind through the trees.

he felt serene, at peace. much more at peace than when he was forced to find shelter in ditches to avoid detection from authority figures.

his drawing was interrupted by the abrupt sound of branches snapping under heavy feet. kieran’s pencil paused as he stopped moving, seeking out the source of the sound with his ears.

heavier rustles overtook the other sounds in the forest. more branches snapped, something brushed against the bark of a tree. even the owl that kieran was watching had gone alert, silent, waiting, watching.

without making a sound, he stashed his drawing things away before slinging his bag back over his shoulder. after a moment of consideration, he drew out a knife, a simple one that he used for the occasional self-defense.

he looked down at the inky darkness, trying to make out what was causing the disturbance. seeing nothing, he waited for a few minutes before making his way down the tree.

his feet had just hit the forest floor when he paused.

three golems leered at him, their black eyes glinting with malice.

“well look at what we have here,” the leader, kieran presumed, said. “looks like we’ve caught ourselves a little rat, boys!” its partners chuckled, their grins widening.

the knife in kieran’s hand was practically useless against the thick skins of golems, which were as thick as cement and rock. he lamented his situation, but still kept the knife in hand.

another lackey spoke up, its voice high. “you think we can cook him up for dinner?”

kieran smiled, suave. “i promise you, i’m way too skinny for a proper meal. perhaps you’d like to find someone else?”

“he does look a bit skinny, boss,” the third said.

“shut up!” the leader stepped closer, and kieran could see just how pasty their skins were. his pocketknife would literally bend before it broke the skin barrier.

“we already caught ourselves one, and i’m not looking to waste more time in these woods waiting for other prey. tie him up and let’s get to it.”

kieran stared imploringly up at the sky. the mountain would give him a helping hand, right? he was still bound to her, right??

the sky remained silent.

just as the two other golems stepped closer, one preparing a thick corded rope over his knuckled hands, kieran took a deep breath before turning and running away.

“hey!” one yelled as kieran jumped over a tree root. “get back here!”

“sorry, boys!” kieran yelled back. “maybe another day, eh?”

he was followed by harried breaths and branches cracking, but the golems didn’t seem to run out of energy. kieran’s heart pounded as he considered how he could get out of this.

he veered sharply to the left by grabbing onto a tree branch to aid his momentum, registering the exclaims of surprise as he did so. before the golems could turn their heads or change direction, he hefted the blade in between his thumb and index finger, giving himself a half second to aim, and threw the blade into one of the lackey’s ears.

he had picked up tips from other runaways while he was traveling. one, an ex-killer who was rumored to have killed an entire tavern full of people, had educated him that the ear was the softest and easiest part to get to the brain.

the golem immediately went down. the other lackey yelled its name, before chasing after kieran with renewed vigor.

now weaponless and out of breath, kieran could only wait to be meeted with his death.

just as the remaining two golems were about to be upon him, a crackle of tree leaves sounded to his right. both of the golems stopped.

“who’s there?” the leader yelled.

someone stepped into the clearing, glancing at kieran briefly, who was on the ground. they were dressed in simple clothing, nothing extravagant save for their long, billowing cloak. the hood was drawn over their face, concealing their identity. they didn’t have any weapons on them, no rifle, no knife at the belt.

wordlessly, they pulled their hood back. scarlet hair, as red as blood, as cherries, tumbled down over their shoulders. she cocked her head, the barest smile tracing her face.

“oh, you both are done for,” kieran muttered, feeling a grin creep up his face.

“you think we can eat her too, boss?” the lackey asked his boss, who looked perplexed at seeing another person join the group.

“maybe. catch them both. we’ll be having a feast tonight!” the leader replied. immediately, both of them came at lauren and kieran, clubs raised.

lauren let out a light tch, waving one of her hands as if she were flicking away a fly. one of the golems was immediately tied down by vines that had shot up from the ground in a single second.

the other was still barreling towards kieran. he tensed, climbing onto his feet and bracing himself, before lauren waved a hand in his direction too. the club dropped from its hand as his arms were bound tightly to its body by thick, sinewy vines.

by now, the golems had realized that the woman was no ordinary woman. they glanced at each other in fear before looking back at lauren, whose smile had completely melted away from her face.

“if i see you around these parts again,” she said conversationally, as if speaking about the weather, “i’ll burn you both alive. understand?”

“who the hell are you anyway?!” the leader golem exclaimed, clearly not giving up.

“are you serious?” kieran cut in before his partner could say anything. he stepped closer to the leader golem, smacking it upside the back of its head. “she’s the dragon. i expected you both to be dull, but not this idiotic.”

the two golems froze. “the-the-the dragon?!” the lackey stammered out.

“we’re extremely sorry!” the leader said, bowing its head fiercely. kieran suspected that if he were untied, he’d be prostrating on the ground by now. “we’re sorry for messing with your subordinate! it won’t happen again!”

“subordinate?! who’s the subordinate?!” he squawked before lauren waved her hand a third time. the vines receded, and the two golems immediately bolted, stumbling and falling over each other to escape. the third golem was forgotten, left laying on the forest ground with a knife in the side of its head.

kieran turned back to lauren, who was watching him. “are you hurt?” she asked. her hand was raised halfway, as if to touch him.

her eyes were so golden. she was so beautiful it made his chest hurt even more than when he was running for his life.

he wanted nothing more than to run headfirst into her storm, into the destruction that her magic promised.

“i’m alright.”

lauren nodded, satisfied, before turning to the third golem. she inspected the knife that was buried to the hilt. “nice shot.”

“i have a lot of practice. how did you find me, anyway?”

she scoffed. “i just knew. here, take this.”

she took out a crystal from her pocket. kieran immediately recognized it as the crystal that she told him about in her library, the one that she said she designed to erase the magical traces of witches to prevent them from being found.

baffled, he did, taking the crystal. it was a fiery red. “why? is it gonna help me? i thought it would only be helpful for witches.”

“i changed its design at the last second. now, it’s supposed to be connected to my magic and mine only. i reversed its purpose, so if you’re ever in danger or if you need help, you’ll be able to locate me or to alert me to come.”

she coughed, suddenly looking everywhere else but him. her hands were shoved back into her pockets. “it’s the only one of its kind. it’s connected to you, too, so you’ll be the only one who’ll be able to use it.”

he didn’t know what to say.

she turned to glare at him, her cheeks stained the slightest tinge of pink. “but you can only use it in emergencies, alright? no calling me for random things.”

he grinned, pocketing the crystal. it felt warm in his pocket. “you do realize you just gave me enormous power now to draw you away from being cooped up in that mountain all day? you’re sure you won’t be bothered by my heeding?”

lauren spun abruptly around, heading back up the mountain. “maybe i like your stupid face.”

he beamed shamelessly.

[so do you give these kinds of gifts to your other sacrifices too?

no.

ohohoho!! glad to see i hold a special place in your heart, mon amour!

do you want me to take it back? because i gladly will.

after the trouble you went through to save me? of course not, darling!]

~❉᯽❉~

in his free time when he returned to the mountain, he painted and drew. kieran was convinced that his room would now forever reek of paints, and that the undersides of his fingernails would always be stained with charcoal.

something had broken between them after that night that she saved him. she initiated conversations more, held them for a longer duration of time, and relaxed in his presence.

on some days, he took his supplies to the library, where he knew lauren was. she was always there, either poring over a book, scribbling notes, or experimenting with potions and magic. if she was irritated with his presence, she never showed it.

rather, kieran thought secretly with a bit of glee, he thought she was happy to see him. her brief chuckles and moments of relaxation successfully eliminated the harsh lines of her face, instantly making her seem younger.

once, she’d laughed outright at a joke he told her, and to this day for the life of him, kieran couldn’t recall what he’d said to make her laugh like that. all he remembered was the curve of her smile and the musical sound of her laughter, sweet as a jar of syrup.

other times, he chose a book from her bookshelves and they sat together in companionable silence, reading together. time seemed to pause in those moments.

on her good days, kieran was able to convince her to go out of the mountain in the morning with him. he always made sure to pack a basket of food.

it was on one of these days that had begun to appear more frequently than not, that they’d decided to have a picnic beside a lake.

“so tell me,” kieran began after their conversation had mellowed down, “if you were to rank all of your sacrifices, where would i be on your list?”

lauren considered it, tilting her head. a grape turned over and over between her fingers. “hmm… maybe around the fifties?”

“fifties?! love, i’m offended.”

she grinned at his joking tone. “i’m kidding, subordinate. you’re in the top fives, at least.”

“much better.” he paused.

she picked out another fruit from the laid out basket. “what is it?”

“you said you’re not one to kid.”

“I said that?”

“one of the first things you’ve said to me. ‘do i look like somebody who kids?’”

lauren groaned. “oh, curse you and your memory.” kieran had to grin at that.

she chewed on the grape, staring at the water’s surface for a moment. then she said, “maybe it’s because i hadn’t had a reason to joke in a while.”

kieran prided himself on getting better at pulling her out of her low moods. “it’s an honor to be of service, love.” as expected, she gave him another eye roll and pushed at his shoulder.

“but really, it’s been nice to have someone to make me laugh every now and then. i’d forgotten what it felt like.”

“what, laughing? or smiling?”

“feeling happy.”

kieran stopped. something twinged in his chest, like as if someone had tugged at one of his heartstrings.

“well, i’d be glad to keep you happy for the rest of my stay.”

lauren went quiet again. “how long has it been?” her voice was controlled and even, and her gaze was once again directed to the water’s surface.

the question made him pause again. somehow, he’d forgotten to keep track of his days with the mountain. since when did he stop counting the days until he would be freed? since when did it not matter anymore?

“five months, give or take.”

lauren smiled. “you’re one of the sacrifices who’s stayed the longest in a while. the last one who stayed as long as you did was about 25 years ago.”

“really? where are they now?”

her smile lessened to a smaller one, though no less genuine. “she’s married now, to a princess from a country several islands away. if i remember correctly, they have two children.”

“don’t you ever want to travel? to see the world and everything that you’re missing out on?”

she sighed. “abundance of power always comes with a catch. the more power you have, the greater control that the mountain has on you.”

“so that’s why the other witches like kym and will are able to visit the village at the base of the mountain.”

lauren nodded. “and that’s why you’ll always see me somewhere on this mountain, never off of it.”

“it must be lonely, being stuck here while everyone else has a semblance of freedom.”

“yes,” she said, smiling ruefully. “very lonely.”

the gloom disappeared from her eyes. “but it’s not all that bad. the mountain isn’t such a bad companion. she needs me just as much as i need her for her power.”

kieran was intrigued. “she needs you to stay? why?”

lauren took a breath, and he suspected something big was about to be revealed, the reason why she was forced to stay on this mountain about to come to light.

“just as the mountain forced a deal between you and her so that you’d stay for no more than a year, she can also offer pieces of her magic to those who she deems worthy. i was the first to discover her. when i found her in this mountain, she was just about to explode. the backlash of her overabundance of magic would’ve decimated villages, towns, and kingdoms all the way to the eastern sea.

“she offered a deal, the first of many. i would have complete access to her magic, and in turn, she would be able to use me as a vessel, of sorts, to keep her tethered. my constant use of her magic prevents the risk of her exploding in herself from happening again.

“the other witches have gone through similar experiences. every now and then, someone will be drawn to the mountain, where she offers them a deal of immortality and a small portion of magic in exchange for her to use their body as a vessel. after my deal with her, she’s never offered full access of her magic to anybody else. it was too much of a risk.

lauren rolled back her shoulders, sighed a little, and narrowed her eyes over the landscape. “because i was the first, and because i am the most powerful, i’m the one who’s the most connected to her. if i desire to, i can locate any other witch who inhabits this mountain. after all, they’re just an extension of the mountain’s power.

“i’m not blind or deaf; i know that the other witches envy my power. frankly, i can’t do anything about it. my entire family has faded from existence, mortal friends have come and gone, and for the last hundred years, all i’ve had for company are my books, my magic, and the few other witches who don’t want to rip my heart right out from my chest.” she caught his eye and grinned. “and the occasional annual sacrifice that kym and will so kindly supply to me.

“plus,” she added, “most people would stay away at the threat of a bloodthirsty dragon. even if there were rumors that leaked out of a power source that constantly required vessels, the legend of a dragon, combined with the occasional people that disappear when they venture into the mountain, are enough to keep power-hungry monarchs away.”

“so the rumors about you being an actual, reptilian dragon and you being a shapeshifter, are they true?”

lauren paused at the question as the wind blew strands of her scarlet hair over her serene face. “no,” she said finally. “i’m not actually a dragon. just a human vessel, as human as an immortal could be. the threat of a vengeful dragon keeps both friend and foe from coming close.”

there it was, all of the secrets laid out in front of him for the taking. “why are you telling me all of this?” he asked. “aren’t you afraid that i’ll go running to the nearest villager to tell them your secrets?”

lauren’s lips curled up into a lazy smile, and kieran felt himself inch towards her direction. towards that smile that was as rare as gems, her eyes that flashed with every emotion that she felt, her soul that she kept hidden from the rest of the world. the very soul she offered to him now.

since when did he stop counting the days until he would be freed? since when did it not matter anymore?

since when did he fall in love with lauren sinclair?

“you won’t,” she said simply, factually, her golden eyes shining with complete trust.

she was the first to ever look at him with eyes like those.

~❉᯽❉~

days faded away into time as kieran found himself becoming more accustomed to magical life. inventions and forces that moved of its own accord didn’t even make him blink twice anymore. the invention that gave off light, which lauren had finished creating several months back, was used on a frequent basis on nights that he decided to explore the forest under the cover of shadows and starlight.

more importantly, kieran made his own mark upon lauren’s home. rough sketches of faces, flowers, creatures, and others were tacked on the wall surrounding the desk in his room. paintings of vivid colors and varying tones replaced the lifeless ones that frequented the walls. he’d painted memorable scenes throughout his life of travel, secretly hoping it’d give lauren comfort to see other parts of the world through someone else’s eyes.

a painting of a familiar cottage amidst a garden of colorful, magical plants hung in the dining area. another painting done by the perspective of a sailor atop his ship looking out over the dark waters at night and seeing a lighthouse in the distance was placed in the library. green valleys overlapping each other and stretching out far into the distance replaced the ones in his room.

his favorite by far was one of a still lake surrounded by trees, the sunset a mirage of violets, oranges, and reds, with a picnic blanket spread out over the ground and a fruit basket placed on top. the smile on lauren’s face when he finally presented it to her convinced him that if she asked him to give her anything, that he’d do it in a heartbeat.

after careful consideration on her part, lauren decided to place the picture of the lake sunset in the living room, so that the first thing that people saw when they walked into the mountain would be a glimpse of that bright, setting sun.

new magical inventions became commonplace. it was on one night that the piano was playing its own keys that kieran extended a hand to lauren, asking, “dance?”

she looked up at him from where she sat on the couch, holding a book in her slim fingers. a blanket covered her pretzel-folded legs, making her seem smaller than she was. “i don’t dance.”

“don’t flake on me now, darling!” and without further discussion, he snatched up one of her pale hands and pulled her to her feet. she made a sound of protest before she settled into his arms.

“i’ll get you back for this, subordinate, i swear i will.”

“of course, mon amour, i don’t doubt it.”

their feet settled upon a rhythm as the piano, somehow sensing the change in mood, began playing a smooth, slower tune.

from over her arms that she’d had over kieran’s shoulders, lauren scowled in the direction of the piano. “stupid mountain.”

he leaned down and brushed his lips slightly over the outer corner of her eyebrow that had been turned up to him when she glared at the instrument in the corner of the room. lauren’s head snapped back around, surprise dispelling every other emotion in her eyes.

“for the dance.” his throat was curiously dry, and his heart was beating so fast that he could hear it in his ears. so fast that for a moment, he feared lauren would be able to hear it too.

her eyes were so clear, so impossibly golden. he wanted to drown in them, to burn forevermore in the blazing fire of her existence.

“right,” she whispered back.

they swayed back and forth in the living room, holding each other close in the rising tide of the storm.

***

“i’ll be off,” lauren said as she pulled a dark midnight-black cloak over her shoulders, her scarlet hair bunched up from underneath the collar. kieran rose from his seat to help pull her hair from where they were stuck under the cloak.

at dinner the night before, she’d told him that she had to go to the magical conference that was open to every vessel. it was a mandatory event that was held once every ten years, and attendance was demanded and expected rather than questioned.

as kieran was only a sacrifice and did not have any magic, he could not follow where lauren went.

“stay safe,” kieran said as she turned around to face him. he smoothed down an errant lock of hair from her head.

“what’s there to stay safe from?” she retorted.

“still, i’m not willing to lose my dragon anytime soon. i heard she's one of a kind.”

she grinned. her smiles were becoming more and more frequent. kieran was willing to take whatever she was willing to give him, everything she was willing to share with him.

“alright, you mother hen, i swear i’ll be back by midnight on the dot, if the other witches won’t keep me back with their arguing. don’t stay up for me.”

then, she rose to her tiptoes and pressed a fleeting kiss against his cheek, daringly close to his mouth. kieran was left gaping at her as her bright smirk disappeared into the darkness of the hallway and out the mountain’s doors.

his own lips curled up into a smile out of its own accord. he touched the place where her lips had made contact with skin, feeling his cheek burn underneath his fingertips.

“witch,” he laughed, fondness threatening to split his lip from how hard he was grinning.

~❉᯽❉~

kieran woke to pitch-black darkness, unease ringing unsettlingly inside his chest.

as always, the flame banisters flickered to life a few seconds after he opened his eyes. unable to dispel the feeling in him, he quickly got dressed, pulling on a loose white shirt and black pants and tugging on his boots.

he quickly jogged out of his room and into the living area, then the kitchen, dining area, and turning back around to search the many rooms in the mountain. the library was empty. even lauren’s bedroom, so scarcely used, was void of a red-haired dragon.

the next door that he opened revealed a large expanse of darkness, creeping far into the distance.

“now this is a cave.”

the door swung shut behind him.

by the time kieran had turned away from the door, he was greeted by the sight of a woman in all white. her silver hair stretched down past her feet and was just brushing the ground, as she was somehow suspended in midair. her hands were clasped in front of her. her skin, a deep bronze shade, seemed to glow from deep inside her bones. even the simple white dress she had on didn’t take away any of her allure, instead drawing attention to the very obvious magic that was thrumming from her.

she, without a doubt, was the mountain.

then a feeling not unlike a bucket of cold water being thrown over him broke kieran out of his stupor. why would the mountain reveal herself now, unless…

“where’s lauren? what’s happened to her?”

the mountain opened her mouth, and a harmony of bird songs came from her mouth. to kieran’s ears, though, a melodic voice relayed the mountain’s words. “the dragon has been taken captive by the other vessels. she will die if she is not saved.”

before kieran could process what she said, a small circle of images appeared to the right of the mountain. he had to step closer to make out what she was showing him.

lauren had been shackled at her wrists and ankles, but she was not propped up or even conscious. her vivid red hair was diluted, the glow from her pale skin drained away. a trickle of blood was dried at the corner of her mouth. she was frighteningly small, frighteningly still.

“she- how?! how could this happen?!”

“it was a fault on my part. the other witches’ envy over lauren’s power has finally overfilled. a large number of them have bonded together to form a witch’s coven. thus, they are able to share each other’s abilities, and their powers are much stronger overall. yet it is still not enough as the amount that lauren has. they’ve resorted to dark magic to transfer her power to them. this plan has only caused more witches to join their coven.”

“dark magic. if they completely drain her magic then lauren will…”

the mountain’s silence spoke volumes.

kieran turned to face the mountain’s still, immovable expression. “please,” he whispered. “tell me if there is a way to help her.”

“if there is a way, would you take it? despite the consequences?”

“yes, anything.” please say yes, his mind begged.

“you realize that what i am offering may be more of a hell than salvation for you.”

an inkling of what she meant was beginning to form inside kieran’s mind. “i don’t care. if i can save her, i’ll do whatever it takes.”

something softened in the mountain’s expression. “never doubt that love isn’t the strongest force in the world,” she murmured, soft as the whisper of water trickling over stones.

one of her hands turned upwards, and a simple golden chalice shimmered into existence, hovering over her palm. when kieran glanced inside, he saw that it was filled ¾’s of the way with a dark, viscous liquid that looked suspiciously like blood.

the mountain’s blood, he realized. that was how all of the witches obtained their powers. through the blood of the mountain.

“kieran white. are you willing to become a vessel of the mountain, to share in her powers, and in turn, allow your life force to be used by her?”

the mountain phrased it as a question, phrased it as if he had a choice. a choice to save lauren, or to save himself from the certainty of eternal life. from loneliness, a shadow that still tormented lauren with every passing day.

but maybe he’d never had a choice at all. from the first moment that he met lauren, kieran was wholly, completely, utterly, enraptured and enamored by her. maybe all of the paths he’d taken, all the trips he’d voyaged, all the choices he’d made, were to lead him to her. his end destination. the one thing he’d been subconsciously looking for ever since he ran away from his village.

to find his home.

maybe, from the very beginning, this was his fate after all, a fate destined and a fate to take.

there was no choice, no hesitation as kieran reached for the chalice.

~❉᯽❉~

thunder rumbled through the night, and a brief moment of lightning flashed through the night sky. the many witches that were gathered at the base of the mountain, far inside the array that the coven’s leaders had made to keep the mountain from directly interfering with their ritual, glanced up at the sky apprehensively.

“we should start soon,” one of the witches muttered to her friend. “why are the leaders waiting?”

“for the auspicious hour, of course!” her friend hissed back. “you know better than to question them. have patience.”

just then, the head witch of the coven rose to his feet. his perfectly coiffed hair was pale gray, along with his trimmed beard and moustache. his angular eyes glared out over the gathered crowd. immediately, all of the whispers dissipated into a hush.

“get the dragon prepared. put her on the altar and lock her in place.”

some of the stronger lackeys grabbed lauren on the undersides of her arms and began dragging her to the center of the array. their strength was not needed. lauren, barely conscious, groaned in pain as one of the witches jostled her too hard. her lips moved, formed a name that none of them could hear nor discern.

they deposited her none too gently at the spot where all of the lines of the array converged. then they began to stoop down to pick up the chains on her limbs, clearly planning to tie her down at each of the four corners of the array.

but just as one of the witches picked up the chain that was connected to her left wrist, a captivating voice resonated over the gathering.

“hands. off.”

out of pure surprise, the witch did so, and lauren’s arm fell once again back to the ground. all of the witches turned in the direction of the voice, and even the head witch stood up, angered.

“who dares?!”

the crowd parted as the witch stepped forward. he was dressed in all black from head to toe, a cloak fluttering behind him despite the lack of wind. a sword was sheathed at his waist. blue hair so dark it seemed almost ebony laid messily over his forehead, cerulean blue eyes shining a cold glint from behind them. his mouth was curled into a devilish smirk.

“i dare.”

the head witch straightened, clearly perturbed. “who do you think you are?”

now, the mysterious witch’s eyes glinted with fury. “who do you think you are?! to decimate the strongest of your kind to this extent? to be so foolishly ambitious?

“you will regret ever letting the notion of draining away her life force get into your miserable, good-for-nothing heads.”

“get him!” the head witch shouted.

immediately moving to his bidding, all of the witches surged forward. but before the closest one could use their magic, there was a flash of light, followed by a splatter of blood.

the crowd paused, horrified, as the witch’s body sunk to the ground, void of a head attached to it.

“who’s next?” the witch drawled, boredom practically dripping from his voice and blood dripping off his sword.

a witch snarled before curling both of his hands outward. twin blue flames flickered over his palms, and just as he prepared to focus them towards the sword-wielding witch, the latter sighed, and flicked out a hand dismissively.

the flames disappeared, and the witch fell to the ground, clutching at his chest.

“malcolm? malcolm! what’s wrong?” one of his friends urged as she fell to her knees beside him to check up on him. just as she laid her hands on his shoulders, she jerked back, as if burned.

“you… you… what’s happened to you?” she whispered, horrified. “malcolm?”

the witch in question turned his palms upward again, fingers shaking, as he tried to summon his flames. they were silent.

“you took my powers away!” malcolm screamed. shocked whispers emerged from all of the witches nearby.

“yes! fitting, don’t you think?” the witch said animatedly.

“i’ll kill you!” malcolm surged forward, before his chest was shot through with the witch’s blade.

“better luck next life.”

a voice sounded right behind the witch as another came rushing towards him with twin daggers. his sword was still lodged within malcolm’s chest, he wouldn’t be fast enough to defend himself.

just as he raised a palm towards the witch, blinding light erupted. the witch with the blades cowered back, howling as she covered her burned eyes.

thankfully out of blast range, the witch turned to come face to face with a familiar blue-haired witch.

“kym?” he said incredulously. “where’ve you been?”

“trying to get inside the array, dumbass! it was thanks to your distraction we were able to get in!” she flashed three successive blasts of light at the crowd, making them stagger back.

to his other side, a vine erupted from the ground, curled around the ankle of a lavender-haired witch, before tossing her out of the array to be slammed into the ground. a tall, blond-haired witch appeared right next to the first, defending his other side.

“you need to get lauren out!” the second newcomer yelled. when he spread out his fingers, dandelion pappi drifted in the direction of the witches that were moving forward. they screamed and fell back as the dandelions made contact with their eyes and blood began to streak down their faces.

the dark black-haired witch nodded. “don’t die. meet up at the mountain as soon as possible. don’t bother fighting them all,” was the last thing he said before surging forward to the still red-haired witch who was still on the ground.

“hello, darling.” he began brushing his fingers against her shackles, each one giving way under his fingers.

lauren’s eyes fluttered open ever so slightly. “you,” she sighed. “what are you doing here?”

“saving your ass, of course. won’t i get a thank you kiss after this?”

the dragon didn’t even bother to reply. he grinned before taking her into his arms, carrying her princess-bride style.

“i’ll see you two later,” he said towards the other two fighting witches, before disappearing into the night.

~❉᯽❉~

lauren had passed out again the moment she was in his arms, and by the time he laid her atop his bed, she was completely unresponsive.

thirty minutes after the encounter with the witch coven, kieran, will, and kym had returned back to the mountain. with their expertise on healing herbs and crystals, will and kym supplied the tools and medicine, while kieran sat next to where lauren was tucked under the covers, using a rag soaked with water to clean away the dirt, grime, and blood from her face.

“here,” will said, handing him a cup of water. kieran only tested the temperature of the water with a clean spoon before giving it to lauren instead, gently and carefully helping her swallow small amounts at a time.

kym deposited a basket of herbs next to the bed, her face pinched and worried. “i’m not so much of an expert to help her. i’ll have to contact lila. she’ll know how to help.”

“can she be trusted?” kieran asked, finally putting down the empty cup on the desk. he returned to wiping down lauren’s neck with the rag, gentle so as to not disturb her.

will nodded. “she’s one of our oldest friends. lauren’s friends with her, too.”

“i'll be right back,” kym murmured, and left after will pressed a kiss to her forehead.

kieran felt something curl uneasily in his chest as he saw lauren’s condition. even he didn’t need a doctor to know she needed help. the dullness from her hair and skin had not yet disappeared. the only thing that brought him comfort was the best of her pulse from where he was holding onto her wrist, and how her chest rose and fell with each breath.

will sat on the other side of the bed to keep them company.

“lauren’s the strongest person i know, even without her magic,” will said. “she’ll be okay.”

kieran nodded, rubbing his thumb over her fingers slowly. “you didn’t need to tell me that,” he replied. “she’s…”

he didn’t have words for who she was in his mind. she had somehow been imprinted into his heart, into his very soul. every beat of his heart was for her.

as will watched kieran fumble for words, he smiled slightly in spite of the grim situation.

“you love her.”

kieran stared down at her face, beautiful in her slumber. beautiful despite everything she’s endured, all of her years of solitude.

“i do. i’d do anything for her.”

“like becoming a witch and being subjected to eternal life?”

kieran only nodded, not taking his eyes off lauren.

will was silent for a moment, then, “you should know her past. she’d want you to know.

“she and i were childhood friends, though she was closer to another. dylan. they were true best friends. though lauren came from nobility and dylan was a commoner, they were as close as siblings.”

something passed over will’s face. “they were children.”

“what happened to them?”

“he died,” will replied simply. “and lauren never forgave herself for it. that’s partly why she doesn’t let a lot of people become close to her. that’s why kym and i thought it’d be good for her to have human company every now and then.

he smiled. “you’re good to her, you know. you bring out what she had kept locked away since her childhood. she’s looked happier in the last few months than she had in the past century.”

kieran felt as if he couldn’t breathe. he had that much of an impact on her?

he braced his elbows against the edge of the bed, bringing lauren’s fingers and pressing his mouth against her knuckles.

she’d gone through so much. he vowed to himself to never cause her pain or strife, and to stay by her side for the rest of his eternal life, if she would have him.

the sound of footsteps arrived outside of his door, and kym came in with another woman with brown bobbed hair. her face was the picture of amiability and kindness.

“oh dear,” she gasped as she saw lauren’s figure on the bed. “what’s happened to her?”

“no time to explain, lila,” kym urged. “can you see if you can help her?”

lila’s face took on a newfound determination as she nodded, and she moved to the side of the bed that will had quickly vacated for her.

“hello, i’m lila,” she greeted kieran when she came close. she gestured to lauren’s arm. “may i?”

“of course. please.”

lila quickly took lauren’s wrist in hand, checking for her pulse. after a while, she moved on to pull back lauren’s eyelids slightly, checking her pupils, then moved to the rest of her body, checking for fractures and broken bones. she laid her open palm over lauren’s heartbeat.

she was muttering all the while under her breath, face drawn in concentration. he felt as if he were on the edge of a knife, waiting for her verdict.

finally, lila drew back, turning to them. “she’ll be okay. though first, i’ll need herbs, healing crystals, and a cauldron. and some helping hands.”

~❉᯽❉~

lauren had multiple lacerations and wounds over her body, along with a concussion, some broken ribs, a twisted ankle, and more. the list went on.

kieran forced himself to stay calm as he helped will prepare herbs, helped kym arrange healing crystals in specific arrangements around the bed and lauren’s head where it was pillowed, helped lila with her potion making. he had to stay calm. for her.

the minutes blurred into hours until sunlight began streaming through the windows of his room. lila treated lauren’s wounds with a quick efficiency, laying down pastes over her open wounds and wrapping them, inspecting the breaks and fractures, slipping potions past lauren’s lips. she instructed kym to activate the array that they had created with the crystals to promote faster healing, told will to begin bottling the leftover potions in the cauldrons so they could be used later on.

“you seem very well versed in healing,” kieran noted to her.

lila gave him a friendly smile. “oh, i’m just a minor witch. the mountain gave me an increased ability to heal and promote growth in other organisms. i usually spent my time patching up the occasional injured creature, or to eradicate diseases within plants or animal populations.”

“thank you for helping to heal lauren,” he said sincerely.

“it’s my pleasure, really. not only are lauren and i friends, but she’s introduced me to one of my now closest companions.” she flushed slightly. “his name’s lukas.”

“i know lukas! he brings over the groceries every month. he’s…” kieran paused, unable to find the appropriate word to describe lukas’s reclused personality.

“he’s amazing, isn’t he?” lila sighed. “he’s so kind and gentle.”

kym snickered from where she was attaching labels to the potion bottles. “you sure he’s just a friend, liles?”

the witch blushed even pinker.

dawn broke, and the flame banisters soon winked out to allow natural light to flood the room.

gradually, lauren’s complexion began to improve. her skin brightened in color, the stress lines between her brows faded. still-

“how long did you say she’ll need to recuperate?” kieran asked.

lila shook her head helplessly. “the least i can confirm is a couple weeks at best. with the number of internal injuries…” she lapsed back into silence.

kieran stopped and pondered.

“what if… there was a way to undo her broken bones and fractures? to undo the damage done to her organs?”

“you mean you’ve had something like that this whole time?” will said incredulously.

“i was afraid it would hurt her or i would accidentally remove her powers. after all,” he hesitated, “i only just got my ability last night. i’m not entirely sure how to control it.”

the reaction in the room was immediate. shock replaced every other emotion on the other three’s faces, yet kieran mentally applauded them for not inching away from him.

“you can do that?” lila asked in a hushed whisper. “take away a witch’s powers?”

kym snapped her fingers with an epiphany. “that’s right! you did something to malcolm yesterday. made him lose his flames.”

will crossed his arms over his chest and began thinking. “it’s true that every witch’s powers are different, distinct and unique to them. malcolm had blue flames. i can promote growth in plants and control them; kym can produce light and manipulate it for other purposes, like activating crystals. lila can promote growth and healing. and it seems like you,” he directed his last sentence to kieran, “can undo things. powers, magical deals, even the locks that were around lauren’s wrists and ankles.”

kieran nodded in the affirmative. “that’s right. i’m worried though that if i can’t control my powers that i might take something bigger from lauren. i won’t ever hurt her.”

kym cracked a grin. “she’d want you to do it anyway. knowing that she’d be on bedrest for the next few weeks, it’d drive her insane.”

he looked down at lauren. her face was beginning to show signs of liveliness, though it still had a pale pallor. even her breaths were slightly uneven due to her broken ribs.

“alright, i’ll do it. but somebody needs to tell me how to control their powers.”

an hour later after having practice on locks, ripped fabrics, small papercuts, and the like, kieran sat once again by lauren’s side. her friends gathered around them, barely hiding their nervousness.

“now just remember,” lila said, “your magic is an extension of you. you should be able to feel it working, like an extra limb of sorts, or a tool. feel how much to twist the screwdriver, and just when the nail is where you want it to be, remove the screwdriver.”

“have confidence in yourself!!” kym piped up. “doubt only makes it worse!”

will just gave him an encouraging nod.

kieran took a deep breath, swallowed, and lightly placed his fingertips over lauren’s ankle, where it had swollen up. he closed his eyes.

he activated his magic.

they all waited with bated breaths until kieran slowly took his hand off and opened his eyes. all of the gazes in the room concentrated on the ankle.

it was back to normal, no swelling to be seen.

lila, amazed, stepped forward and inspected the limb, turning it this way and that to see if it moved normally. lauren’s breathing remained steady, there was no pain from the ankle.

she grinned up at kieran, who was looking at her, waiting with an expression that paralleled a man on death row.

“you did it. you did it!!”

after a moment of celebration, kieran moved onto lauren’s ribs, fixed her internal bleeding, even mended her open wounds. with every effort that he put in, lauren seemed to recover faster.

after he’d undone her concussion, lila did a scan over lauren’s body once more to see if there was anything that they missed. when she answered in the negative and declared lauren once again in prime condition, kym let out a big whoop and tugged kieran into a hug. even will thumped kieran on the back, grinning broadly.

a voice came from behind them.

“why are we celebrating?” lauren asked groggily.

~❉᯽❉~

ten minutes later, lauren was propped against the headrest of the bed, a cup of tea in hand and a slight, focused frown on her face.

“so the other witches have begun to try and take more of the mountain’s power?” she asked.

kieran nodded. his hands tingled from not touching hers, already missing the feeling of skin contact. “and your power, too,” he reminded.

“and you’ve become a witch.” the divot between her brows became more pronounced, causing kieran’s heart to itch.

the knuckle of his index finger brushed against the back of her hand. without hesitation, lauren had turned her own upwards and grasped at his hand, holding it steady.

“truly, i don’t mind, darling.” the rest of his assurance went unsaid but not unheard: i have done it for you. all of it was for you. “i have no regrets.”

“how did you find me after the mountain Turned you?”

kieran beamed. “the crystal, of course.”

she smiled back, and something inside kieran’s chest bloomed. “i knew it would be helpful.”

someone coughed abruptly, and both kieran and lauren turned to see will, kym, and lila sporting awkward yet warm expressions.

“i’m glad to see you’re doing better, ren,” will said.

“yeah, laur,” kym added, voice wobbling. “you made us worry so much!!” lila bobbed her head rapidly in agreement.

lauren huffed out a laugh. “i can’t thank you all enough for saving me. truly, if there’s anything i can-”

“oh, you don’t have to worry about anything, lauren,” lila said, flapping her hands. “its all mostly thanks to loverboy over there that you’re here in the first place.”

the smile on lauren’s face relaxed to a smaller, more comfortable one, and kieran felt the small hand in his squeeze once. he squeezed back gently, knowing what she had wordlessly said.

“now that lauren has healed, we have other pressing matters to deal with,” will initiated, “like the witch coven?”

lauren nodded, a solemn expression falling over her face. “without a doubt, it was dark magic.”

“is there a way we can get them back on the same magical path again without the presence of dark magic?” kieran asked.

kym shook her head. “dark magic is a double edged tool. it certainly increases one’s storage of magic. on the other hand, once a witch has delved in dark magic, the rest of their magic would be tainted. over time, the consistent use of their magic tainted with darkness will cause them to turn into dark witches. by then, there’s no saving for them.”

lila added, “that’s how the terrible image of witches was developed and cemented over time. now most people think that anybody and everybody who uses witchcraft is bad, but it's only the ones who use dark magic are the ones who should be avoided.”

“so how can we stop the coven?”

the red-haired witch grinned once more. “well, now that we have a witch on our side who can undo one’s powers…”

~❉᯽❉~

in the next few months, their group had completely devoted their time and efforts to eradicating the members of the witch coven. they had hidden back into their burrows after that night kieran had come to save lauren, but with the dragon’s ability to seek out every other witch presence on the mountain, the feat of locating them was no issue.

in a single day, they would be able to remove at least three witches from the mountain’s power. most of them put up a fight. lauren, will, and kym were by his side to help hold down the fort and to protect him while kieran undid the deal that each witch had with the mountain. lila supplied the potion that removed their memories of the mountain and its source of power, and after that, the once-witch-turned-human was guided back down the mountain by lukas, who looked just human enough to not arouse suspicion or fear.

the coven was larger than they had expected. members were arranged all over the mountain, some forming even smaller covens and alliances within the original one. despite the large number of witches who had begun using dark magic, there were still others who aided kieran's group on their goal. some whispered secrets as to where members of the coven were hiding out. others even joined their cause, agreeing to spread out across the mountain to capture the dark magic witches so when lauren and her group got to them, it saved them time and efforts.

the last witch that they had to eliminate was the most memorable. he was the head witch on that one night who directed the processions to drain lauren of her magic and life force.

by the time they had stormed his mansion-like cottage, he was already prepared for them. booby-trapped snares with curses attached to them, arrows that were charmed to target on their bodies and not stop in their flight until they had made contact with the intended victim laid in waiting, rooms filled with poisonous gases, crystals that blinded and burned. even some of the doorknobs were lined in some kind of acidic potion.

“jesus, he sure is prepared,” kym muttered as she used the tip of her gloved finger to push open a door, revealing an empty bedroom.

will had remained suspiciously silent from the moment they had stepped into the house. kieran watched him out if the corner of his eye, slightly worried for his friend.

the blond man noticed his glances. “the head witch of the coven, he’s… my father.”

“what?!” lauren spun on her feet to face him. “this guy is stefan?”

will nodded, looking a bit queasy.

kieran hesitatingly placed a hand on will’s shoulder in sympathy. “if there was a method that i could save your father another way…”

will shook his head with a note of finality, resolve washing away any other nervousness in his blue eyes. “he’s a prick. he’s been lusting after power for so long, even when we both were human, and even Turned me so that he would have another strong magical lackey under his arm. when i told him i had fallen in love with someone unbefitting of our status, he…”

kym reached over with a rare silence and squeezed her lover’s hand. will seemed to take strength from her touch more than anything else, smiling fondly at her.

“between kym and my father, not for one second do i regret choosing the former.” will nodded at kieran. “let’s go get him.”

stefan was waiting for them in the last room of the house. he was sitting behind a mahogany desk, spinning a stirrer in his teacup. even when lauren and the group burst into the room, he did not deign them with a glance, instead choosing to sip at his tea.

finally, he placed down his teacup and looked up at them. his gaze shot past lauren and kieran, honing on his son.

“william.”

“father,” will replied tersely. kym rubbed at the back of his palm soothingly.

stefan’s eyes turned to kym, who stared him down stonily. “so this is the person who you’ve turned down everything for. your status, your riches, your family.”

“you’d understand what that’s like if you even loved your own wife in the first place.”

“what are you talking about, william?”

“don’t you think i know what you did to mother, or what you didn’t do?!”

something in stefan’s face softened, which looked odd on a man with so many lines etched onto his face. “saving her from her illness would’ve killed me. it was a life for a life. after everything i’ve done, everything i’ve accomplished, can you blame me for choosing my future instead of a decrepit woman on her deathbed?”

will growled and before any of them could make a move, vines of ivy sprung up past the floorboards and bound stefan to his chair. they wound over his arms, his chest, his legs, even inching close to his clavicle and neck area.

“will! will!” kym grabbed at his arm. “stay calm. you’ll regret doing this if-”

“i’m alright, kym,” will replied gently. there was no bloodlust in his eyes, only a somber resignation. “i’ve said my goodbyes a long time ago.”

he gave a single nod to kieran, who nodded back.

just as kieran rose his palms toward stefan, looking impassive as always, will uttered out one last sentence. “the days of when you lied to me and used me for your own gain are over.”

“goodbye, father.”

for a moment, stefan remained still, his expression still imprinted into his face. then he began blinking and breathing rapidly for a few seconds before he went still. the magic had left him.

the vines receded, and will stumbled back. kym was there to support him.

“here,” kym whispered, passing over the potion from her bag over to lauren.

she went closer to stefan and gave him the potion. for a moment, kieran feared stefan would throw down the potion in a moment of anger and storm at them.

but the man only looked once more at william, searchingly, before downing the entire bottle.

he swallowed, blinking a few times after. then he turned his gaze upward, looking at them. his eyes passed over lauren, kieran, kym, and will.

“who are you all?”

lauren sighed in relief as she helped him to his feet and guided him out the room. after all, he was just an old mortal man now.

her voice, clam and reassuring, disappeared down the hall. “mr. hawkes, there’ll be a friend who is going to come by later to lead you down to the nearest village…”

“good job,” kieran said to will as they followed her. the man nodded back at him.

“thank you,” will said, his voice scratchy. “my father… he should've had that done a long time ago. gotten rid of his magic. i’m glad he’s human again.”

the group walked out of the mansion as will’s green vines began creeping up the sides, covering up the windows and barring entrance to the doors. it would forever remain an abandoned residence, a place instilled with too many memories and too many regrets.

the sun was just beginning to drop below the horizon, glowing a stark red. and yet their dawn was just beginning, a legend to be engraved into history.

~❉᯽❉~

life returned back to normal, or as normal as it could be.

lauren and kieran returned to the mountain, and will and kym to their cottage. lukas still came by regularly, and lila showed her face a couple of times too. but the both of them were soon integrated into their circle. dinners were filled with music, rowdy laughter, and good food.

if this was eternity, kieran thought, maybe it was alright.

then one morning, kieran woke up to a lightness in his chest, one that he didn’t know was absent before. he absentmindedly got changed for the day and went out into the kitchen, where lauren was checking up on something that she had put into the oven.

“wow, sinclair and cooking. a combination i never thought i’d see.”

“yeah yeah, subordinate, i suppose i have you and your nagging ways to thank for it.”

kieran rubbed at the center of his chest. “by the way, do you know if today is special? i feel oddly light.”

lauren stilled, her hands pausing on the oven door from when she closed it. it seemed like she even stopped breathing.

kieran looked at her curiously before she turned and removed her hand mittens. “how long has it been since you've stayed here?” her voice was casual, steady.

he stopped, dread seeping into every bone in his body as he mentally counted the days. “its… a year now, i’m pretty sure.”

the silence between them hung thick. he broke it, stepping forward and sighing. “lauren, i-”

“stay.” the word broke out of her, broken into something fragile. “i want you to stay. with the mountain. with… me.”

she was avoiding his gaze. “i- i’ve been practicing to ask more for what i want instead of staying silent. for who i want.”

“i want you, if you’d have me.”

her voice was hushed, brought down to a whisper.

kieran stepped closer. she finally looked up, meeting his ocean blue eyes with her own.

“lauren.” it was only her name that was uttered, and yet she flushed.

“from the very beginning you’ve had my heart. from the moment i met you your name was already carved into mine. everything i am, everything i stand for, it’s all for you.”

he gently took her hand and raised it to his chest. she gasped inaudibly as she felt his heartbeat race under her fingertips.

“it’s for you,” he whispered. “my heart has always been yours.”

“i love you, lauren.”

his declaration was messy, unprompted. and yet with the fervor of which she pulled him down and kissed him, he’d have it no other way.

“i love you, kieran.”

~❉᯽❉~

["so why do you migrate instead of staying in one place?"

"i haven’t found a reason to stay."

"and have you? found one?"

lauren's eyes were so golden, like fire, like amber, like sparklers. he thought he'd never get over how a single one of her glances could cause both his heartbeat and breath to stutter.

his life had always been filled with uncertainties, with temporary things that were soon to burn out. and yet the one thing he knew he was completely certain about, the one thing he knew was pure truth, was that he loved her.

he loves her.

"i have."]