The Devil's Cursed Witch

Standing by the window of his little mate's chamber, Draven's mind was conflicted over things he had to face with his mate.

'If we are to complete the bond between us, chances are high that the seal on her powers will break, and it's easy to predict that the divine being who put that seal on her will know about it too. She will be forced to deal with the unfamiliar power inside her and face potential enemies at the same time. The peaceful life she has barely started enjoying will be destroyed. I have doubts whether she'll be able to handle all of these changes at once when she's yet to even adapt here.

'However, if we are to delay fulfilling the bond, accidents like what happened today will reoccur. Both of our lives will become more difficult the longer we resist the pull of the bond, and in the end, our sanities will be lost and we may end up regretting why we held out in the first place.

'It is impossible to avoid the inevitable--what must happen will happen.  Both of us must get the answers to our past, and those who messed up our lives must pay for what they did.

'In any case, I should not dwell on the problem itself but the solution. For now, the best way to proceed is, to be honest with her and make her understand our situation. She is my mate, my partner and my equal, and this decision involves her life so she should have a say in it.

'I have to prepare her for what is awaiting her while I can still resist the pull of the bond before it gets worse to the point my urges rein over my rational mind. Whether it's the completion of our bond, the handling of the dangerous powers inside her or the enemies she would be facing, I have to prepare her to face them.'

Draven clenched his fists with determination. What he planned to do next might not go as smoothly as he liked, but at least, having a direction was better than nothing.

'My mate ought to be powerful for a divine being to intercede with suppressing her powers. Once she regains her ability, she will no longer remain weak and helpless. No matter what truth our past holds, no one is allowed to toy with her life. Those who had harmed her will pay for it, whether they be humans or gods.'

Just then, his ears caught the sound of movement coming from his mate and he turned to look at the bed. For the last half an hour, she had been sleeping soundly, but now she was looking restless once more.

Draven went towards her and saw she had turned all sweaty. She seemed to be having a nightmare as tears rolled down her pale cheeks. Draven sat at the edge of the bed and held her hand to let her be comforted with his presence. He had experienced something similar before with her, and his presence seemed to have become more effective in calming her after he had marked her as his.

The moment he held her hand, Ember woke up in shock, eyes wide while gasping heavily as if something had been suffocating her mere moments ago. She sat up in bed and touched her free hand to her heart while still panting from her nightmare.

Ember was paler than she was before she fainted, her lips cracked and colourless. She was covered in a cold sweat, her eyes unfocused, as if she hadn't truly woken up. She didn't even seem to have realized he was in the room with her.

This reaction surprised Draven. 'What kind of nightmare did she have to be like this?'

"Breathe slowly," he told her, sounding as gentle and patient as he could. "You need to calm down."

His mate looked lost, scared, and in pain. She didn't say a word in response to his words but her hand that Draven was holding tightened its grip on his as if seeking for comfort.

"Breathe," he told her again. His voice was firm and warm, hypnotic even, as he tried to make her focus on him. "Listen to me. Whatever you saw, it was merely a bad dream. You are here and I am with you. There is nothing to be afraid of."

The frail-looking girl looked at him as tears continued to roll down her face and no sound came out of her mouth even though she opened it to say something. All she could do was follow his words and try to slow her breathing, but even as she did so, tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

Draven pulled her into a gentle hug and simply allowed her to cry. The act felt foreign yet natural at the same time; he didn't know he was able to act this way, but seeing his mate like this, it was as if his body had moved on its own. As if holding her in his arms was the most obvious thing to do.

Ember allowed herself to be comforted by him and continued to cry till her tears dried up and turned into soft whimpers. Her hands gripped onto his top to hold him close and stayed like that for a long time. His scent, his warmth, his presence--this man was like medicine to her woes, and she wanted to drown in the comfort he brought.

Once he felt her calm down, Draven, who was behaving with much self-control even though her scent was affecting him the same, moved a little back and looked at her tear-stained face. He raised his hand to gently cup that small face.

"Are you fine now?" he asked in a low voice.

Ember nodded but then shook her head as if she wasn't sure what she felt. Instead, tears started to roll down her eyes once again. Her right hand moved towards her chest as if she was suffering some kind of phantom pain.

Ember's action puzzled Draven. 'What kind of nightmare did she have? Was it not about what happened earlier on the balcony? I am sure it is not a dream about the mountain fire in Valor as well.'