Chapter Twelve: What we forbid

Baila's Pov

Baila was anxious.

It was not a new feeling neither was it uncommon to her. In fact, she could not remember ever going more than a week in her life without the usual feeling of anxiety gnawing at her chest and causing her to sweat like the sun was right above her head.

Baila paced the room, biting her nails as she waited for Sara to come to her. She had a vague idea of what the consequences of both her and Sara’s actions were. She understood Nolan’s anger but still, she hoped he would be lenient with Sara.

Baila could still feel the discomfort she had endured when Aaron walked her to her room minutes ago. He had not said a word to her which was normal but what wasn’t normal was the tension in his stance, the way his jaw ticked with worry and annoyance every time Baila tripped on the way back to the castle and the fact that he had not glared at her like he usually did. Baila found it strange and disorienting.

She shook her head.

Aaron’s strange behavior was not important at the moment. Her pressing concern was Sara and Nolan’s anger.

Baila’s door swung open and she stiffened, staring at the man who walked into the room. His head was

bowed, his hair was unruly like he had run his hand through it a few too many ties. She watched in silence as he closed the door behind him. Nolan pulled a chair from the table in Baila’s room and took a seat facing the bed.

He nodded towards the bed and Baila got the unsaid command. He wanted her to sit. She sat.

Choking silence filled the room as Nolan held Baila captive with his blue eyes. She held the eye contact, fearful of what would happen if she broke it even for a second.

“When you first came here, I ignored all the rules for your sake,” he begun.

Baila opened her mouth to speak but Nolan held up a finger, silencing her. She pursed her lips, breaking eye contact and looking away from him. Her cheeks burned.

“I did not probe further when you gave me your flimsy excuse for coming over the wall, for trespassing into my territory. Even when I knew that every word you said was a lie, I did not probe.”

Baila’s heart lurched against her ribs. Could he know? Had the high king finally sent out letters, demanding for her head?

“I know exactly what you are and yet I have never……not once called you out. I have feigned ignorance so your stay here is comfortable. I took you in out of the kindness of my heart, nothing more. You’re like an infection. Befriending my friends, leading them astray, leading them wayward.”

“Sara is not wayward,” Baila whispered in Sara’s defence. Sara was everything good and Baila loved that about her. She was not wayward or a bad person and what they had both done was not wrong. It was a simple swim in the lake.

“You defend her the same way she defended you,” he shook his head. “Did you cast a spell on Sara too?”

Baila gasped, surprised. There he went, accusing her of spell casting again. “Sara too?” she asked.” Have I cast a spell on someone else?”

Nolan’s eyes went wide. He looked like he had said something he was not supposed to. Baila could not figure out what. Nolan stood to his feet, pushing the chair backwards. It hit the wall with so much force that it broke into a million pieces. Baila flinched at the sound of splintering wood.

Nolan was more than angry. He was enraged.

“As of today, you will stay in your room. Far away from Sara. You will not leave this room until I say so. Your meals will be brought here along with any other thing you might need. I have stationed two guards outside your door. They’ve been ordered to cut you down if you so much as step an inch close to the door. I will not hesitate to kill you. You are an intruder, you are a witch and the first thing I should have done when you came over that wall was order your execution but I did not and it was a fool’s mistake, one I will not repeat again. So for your own sake, I advise you stay here while I decide what next to with you.” he ranted, storming towards the door.

Nolan paused. “If you’re foolish enough to step out,” he breathed, pushing the door open so Baila could see two armed guards standing outside her room. “my guards will be waiting to kill you,”

He slammed the door shut on his way out.

Baila trembled as she collapsed into one of the chairs at her table. She needed to run. She needed to leave. He had no knowledge of what she done and he was already threatening death. She feared for what he would do to her if he came to know.

The knock on her door was followed by a petite maid carrying a tray of food which she hurriedly set before

Baila. Baila used this as her chance to find out if Sara was fine.

“Do you know the healer?” she questioned.

The maid bit her lip, avoiding her stare as she arranged the food on the table. Baila wondered if Nolan had ordered the servants to be silent around her as well. She would not be surprised if he had.

“Please……”

”I know Sara.” the maid replied, plopping into the wooden chair across Baila. “She has not returned from the tavern. I doubt she will be back soon,”

“You’re comfortable for a maid,” Baila observed. The maid had leaned back in the chair and crossed her leg.

Her initial innocent facade had vanished. “I knew it the moment I walked in. Those rumors of you being Sara’s dancer friend from some far away village are lies. You’re a witch,”

Baila swallowed, tapping her foot beneath the table. “What do you want?” she asked.

“I am Samani. My grandmother was a witch too but I did not inherit her gift,” the maid explained, pouring herself a goblet of wine and gulping it down in one go. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled. “It breaks me into countless pieces to see witches pursued and slaughtered. You are my people after all. Which is why I have come to offer advice. You should enter the bride trials, win and become Queen of Northwood. If you do this, witches….we’ll be untouchable,”

Baila almost laughed. There was no way in the seven hells that she would ever willingly marry Nolan. She could not stand him. Not anymore and eternity with him would be the end of her world. Besides, she doubted she would win.

Nolan would kill her if she entered the bride trial.

“I am grateful for your counsel but I think I’ll remain faithful to the unmarried life,” Baila shrugged.

Samani nodded, rising to her feet. “I have offered great advice. I’m curious to see what you will do with it.

This is not the end,”

Baila laughed this time. “The only important thing to me is staying alive,”

“I know,” Samani replied. “Sara is at the Rogers tavern. You can jump out the window. There’s a tall tree outside. From here on, you’ll fear for more than your life,”

Baila’s heart fluttered in her chest at Samani’s words. Samani spoke like an elderly woman who had passed away three years ago in next to Baila’s home. She had been Baila’s closest friend but there was one thing about her the witches feared.

She was a seer

And so was Samani.