The Witch They Bullied Is the Secret Curse QueenChapter 2

“No.”

Father’s answer came so fast I almost laughed.

“Absolutely not.”

Elder Rowan frowned at me. “This is not one of your childish love tricks.”

“Oath is not a trick.”

“Golden venom couldn’t break the contract,” another elder said. “Your cat can?”

“She doesn’t need to break it.”

I pointed at Lucian.

“He does.”

A few witches actually laughed.

“Mara’s gone mad.”

“She thinks romance magic can save the grove.”

“Maybe her cat will make Lucian fall in love with a chair.”

I glared at them.

“That happened once.”

Father caught my wrist.

“Enough.”

He pulled me behind one of the pillars.

His voice dropped.

“Lucian has already asked questions about you.”

“So?”

“So you are leaving.”

“What?”

He pressed a pouch of coins into my palm.

It was heavy.

Too heavy.

I stared at him.

“This is everything you saved.”

“Take the back path through the northern woods.”

“What about you? What about Elena?”

“Don’t argue.”

His voice was harsh.

His hand was shaking.

“You’re the most useless witch in Ravenwood, remember?”

My throat tightened.

He looked away.

“So be useless somewhere far from here. Don’t stay and become another thing I have to lose.”

Before I could answer, Lucian’s voice carried across the hall.

“Master Vale, why send your younger daughter away?”

Father turned.

Lucian smiled.

“I’ve heard Mara has a talent for love charms.”

His gaze moved over me slowly.

“Once Elena and I are married, perhaps her sister can stay too.”

Father’s face changed.

“You touch Mara and I will cut your hands off.”

Lucian laughed.

“We’ll see who owns the mountain by nightfall.”

An hour later, Father had me locked in the watch cottage at the edge of the northern woods.

Two cousins stood outside the door.

“Mara, he’s trying to keep you safe.”

“I know.”

“Then stop kicking the door.”

“I can know he loves me and still think he’s being stupid.”

The wedding bells began again in the valley below.

I climbed onto the windowsill.

From there I could see armed men blocking the road to Moonshade Grove.

A boy came running up the path.

“Lucian’s men took the herb gatherers!”

I froze.

“What?”

“He says if the wedding isn’t completed before the final bell, he’ll accuse them of trespassing on Voss property.”

“It isn’t his property yet!”

“He says it will be.”

I shoved my coin pouch through the window.

“Open the door.”

My cousin backed away.

“No.”

“All of it.”

“Mara—”

I pulled off my silver bracelet.

“And this.”

“No.”

I yanked the moonstone pin from my hair.

“Last offer.”

His eyes widened.

A moment later, the lock clicked.

I ran.

The ceremonial hall was packed when I reached it.

Elena stood in the center, pale beneath her veil.

Several herb gatherers had been dragged inside with their hands tied.

Two were children.

Lucian stood beside them, perfectly calm.

“Half an hour,” he said.

“Complete the ceremony and everyone goes home.”

Elena was crying.

“I’ll marry you.”

“Elena!”

Father’s shout cracked through the hall.

She looked at him.

“If we lose the grove, we can survive somehow.”

Her voice broke.

“But I won’t let people go to prison because of me.”

Lucian smiled and lifted her veil.

“That’s my good wife.”

I moved through the crowd.

Father saw me first.

His face went white.

“Mara.”

He dragged me behind a pillar.

“I told you to leave.”

“I can fix this.”

“No.”

“Oath—”

“No.”

He shoved the iron-cabinet key into my palm.

I stared at it.

“Take your mother’s things from the storage room and go.”

“Father—”

“Go.”

The final bell began to ring.

I closed my fingers around the key.

Then I ran in the opposite direction.

Back to the storage room.

Back to Oath.