Chapter 21

The festival continued as people socialised and ate food, watching a few displays of Magic here and there on the stage.

Minthe just stood next to Kore, smiling mischievously as the group looked at her like she was insane.

"Is it that time already?" Kore asked her, checking her watch quickly. The smart screen lit up with time. "Oh, it is nearly midnight. Everyone, this is Minthe Loset. She's gone through the trial and has been confirmed as a Redwater."

They stayed silent, almost like they didn't know if they should be happy or not for that. It made Kore take pity on them.

"It's good news," she said. "While there aren't any Blood Witches, the bloodline Magic isn't gone."

"Okay, great news then."

Kore nodded before asking, "There's a tradition for anyone under the age of twenty-five to go swimming in the lake on the Summer Solstice. Gets rid of bad energy for the next half of the year. I was wondering if you'd like to partake?"

"Do we go in our dresses?" Annaliese questioned.

"Wouldn't we be wet for the rest of the festival?" Silas asked calmly. "Even if I'm a Siren, I don't like being wet for hours."

"We have reversal spells that will make it almost like you never went in, fixing makeup, hair and clothes in a flash," Kore checked her watch again. "There's another couple of minutes before we go in."

Markus looked at his friends, watching many of them on the edge of deciding. "It would be an honour, Kore."

Her smile was beautiful and warmed a part of him he had long forgotten.

It wasn't rare for her to be smiling, it was something she did to make others comfortable around her. But for her smile to be genuine and soft and actually true, it was something that happened once in a blue moon.

The first time Markus had seen the smile was right after he had given her advice on how to deal with the Crowns. He remembered the way her palms were comforting on his jaws as she relieved the ache of thirst before she changed the matter of his drink. The second was right after she told him about how she killed Davina, the adrenaline still in her system that just made her Magic lively. The third was when she was in the bath and teased him to get a reaction.

He loved to see her smiling.

"How's this supposed to work?" Silas asked, glancing over to the lake as more and more people began to gather there. Many of the girls were hiking up their skirts and slipping out of their heels, getting ready to run into the lake in a few moments.

The group of teens started to walk towards the lake shore too, slipping their shoes off. They watched as Kore walked forward, the other people seemed to make space for her and her group. Perhaps it had to do with the fact she was a Crown, or that there were Arcanes right behind her.

With a countdown to midnight, a good several dozen teenagers and young adults sprinted into the water of the lake, quickly dropping into the water to become completely emerged in the strangely warm water.

It was warm but refreshing as they just went deeper into the water until they could stand without their heads above it. Some people swam deeper into the lake, getting to the deepest bits where there was no ground to touch for metres.

Kore was one such individual, being taught to swim well by her father when she was younger. Her dress darkened as water gathered, making the colour a couple of shades darker and sheerer as it floated around her.

The triplets quickly joined her as they swam to the deeper parts. Minthe wasn't far behind, loving the fact she got to join in with Witch traditions she didn't get to when she was growing up. Annaliese and Silas were quick to get into the deeper parts of the water, letting their Magic relish in the fact they were in there.

Wylan laughed at them as Annaliese pulled Silas under.

Richard and Ruel seemed to stay at the shore, letting their feet get wet but nothing more.

Silas was quick to try and get Cera completely under the water now, launching himself at Cera and tackling her into the water. Everyone almost cackled a deep satisfying laugh as they watched the two struggle in the water. Cera tried to drown Silas back in good humour as they both tried to get the other off of them before trying to drown the other too.

The group waited for them to finish the water fight but paused when they both suddenly stopped struggling and turned to them, grinning menacingly.

"Oh, shit," Bereket mumbled, starting to swim away quickly.

Usher just laughed and more or less jumped out of the way as they came for Kore who was left. They wouldn't dare touch Markus.

Kore screamed, "NOT THE HAIR!"

But it was useless, they grabbed Kore and dragged her deeper into the water, all the while laughing and spitting out water. It was a mess of flailing limbs as Usher and Berket joined them, clothes floating around them as they all suddenly surfaced.

"Shit," Kore swore, touching the top of her head. "My circlet fell."

She gave everyone a quick salute before she dived back down, the strangely warm water encasing her as she allowed her Magic to consume her. Heat filled her bloodstream as her Magic began to change her a little, making her a little less human.

Water consumed her.

Between her fingers and toes came webbing to help her swim as she tried to get to the bottom of the lake where her circlet sat.

Dark purple scales covered her forearms and legs in areas, changing her to adapt to the new environment. It was a temporary thing, lasting only long enough for her to do what she needed. She looked like how a Siren would, or partially.

Kore loved the silence of the lake.

Even if she knew there was life within the lake, the sereness of the quiet waves brought something out in her. If she ran her tongue against her teeth, the pricks of sharp teeth would bite at her tongue.

Getting to the bottom of the lake took a good solid minute of swimming in her new form. The circlet just sat on the sandy ground, half tangled in a bit of seaweed. How there was seaweed in a lake, she had no clue but she pulled at it to get the crown out of there.

Pushing herself from the ground, she kicked away from the floor to get a good distance before she began to swim upwards.

Almost to the top, Kore stopped and pressed her pointer and middle finger to the side of her temple, throwing her hand out a little to show that she thought he was being stupid.

Instead of staying above water, Markus had sunk down a couple of metres, letting his dark shirt and hair float around him as he narrowed his eyes at her. She stuck her tongue at him, laughing when he just shook his head. Her laughing showed off the sharp canines she had in this form.

Markus pointed upwards before they both began to swim.

They broke the water.

"Where's everyone?" Kore asked, shaking off the transformation quickly. The fangs would be the last to go.

"They went to shore," he said. "You were gone for a good few minutes. The triplets assured us that you would be fine. Something about Dunner blood being resilient in water?"

"Dad taught me to swim before I could walk,"

They began to swim towards the shore, but they had a good minute of swimming before they got there.

Markus was able to stand out of the water quicker than Kore, her dress weighing her down. She tripped because of the weight, swearing quietly as she just lifted the skirt so it was showing off a lot of leg and thigh. He gave her a hand as they walked onto shore, both of them squelching with water.

Uncle Neptune and Aunt Ops stood with their children, holding a tray of small shot glasses that had a bright green fire on the rims. Kore guided Markus over to them, taking two from the tray and handing one to Markus.

"Reversal spell is woven into the alcohol," Kore said, tipping the glass to the sky an inch before swallowing it whole without cringing.

"Alcohol?"

"Technically, this forest is private property so anyone above the age of five can drink," Aunt Ops said, handing Annaliese and Wylan a shot each. "But we limit it to above sixteen. Anyone younger gets juice with the drying spell. Bottoms up, everyone."

Kore snickered. "Being underage never stopped me."

"If you're getting drunk, go see your father first," Uncle Neptune said, nodding to an area. "He's speaking to someone at the moment."

"He's here?" Kore turned her head like a meerkat, suddenly alert. "I thought he couldn't come?"

"He was just late," he said. "He's always late. Thank the Saints you didn't get that trait of his."

"I got some of his other traits,"

Aunt Ops laughed. "Like his trigger-happiness, temper, and penchant for alcohol and chaos instead."

"Penchant for chaos is correct," Markus muttered, downing the shot as it sent a warming sensation throughout his body and dried him like he had never even gone into the water.

Kore just took one of the shots that weren't spelled and drowned it, stinking her middle finger at him.

Markus just grinned at that, pushing her middle finger down so it just made a fist and made her roll her eyes and laugh.

"Mr Torren is calling me, excuse me." Markus squeezed her elbow before walking away.

Annaliese and Wylan also excused themselves, going to sit down at one of the tables as Annaliese sorted out her hair once again and checked her makeup. Wylan just watched her with a soft look, letting her fuss over both of their appearances as Wylan had his hair as messy as usual.

As a server walked around, Kore got two glasses off the tray, filling hers up with coke and a Red Stag, a rum that was flavoured with cherries, and another light cider for Richard.

Kore sipped her drink as she passed Richard his.

"So," Uncle Neptune grinned. "When's the wedding?"

Kore almost choked on her drink, swearing as Richard gently patted her on the back.

Neptune laughed. "She's blushing! It's true!"

"A little bit too soon, I think, 'Tune," Aunt Ops said. "They still have the passive aggressiveness between them."

"Ah, young love and passion," Neptune smirked as Ops just rolled her eyes. He looked at Kore, pointing his finger at her face. "Wrap it before you tap it, missy. I mean it. I don't want to be a great uncle."

"Really?" Kore laughed, a touch of blush on her cheeks. "I hate you. Go bother Cera and Silas about that talk. They need it more than I do."

"You sure about that?" Ops raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow like she didn't believe her niece. "I've already spoken to Cera about it."

"And threatened Silas,"

"Of course," Ops smiled. "It's my duty as Cera's mother to intimidate any of her suitors. Does your father know?"

"Know about what?"

Ops nudged her in the arm lightly. "Don't play coy with me, missy. You Greylights have a strange courtship style. Hate to love someone but so ferociously loyal. And so possessive." She gave her husband the stink eye which he just fake gasped at.

"Yeah," He agreed. "Greylights don't share. Hey, Mr Lee, how are Vampires when they date?"

Richard smiled politely, not at all forced for once in his life at an event. "Call me Richard, please. Well, Vampires... Vampires are strange with their courtship. Compared to all the others Arcanes, they're quite different. They don't like to settle for anything less than the best. They crave certain features in their lovers but their Beloveds are their reasons to live."

"Do you have a Beloved, if I may ask?" Ops asked.

"I'm not a Vampire, I'm a Baihu," He said, "But all noble Arcanes were taught about other Arcane mating types. Finding a Beloved is difficult and when they find them, they do not give them up. Vampires become possessive of two things, humans who serve their blood, though the practice has decreased in the last few years, and their Beloveds. A possessive Vampire is a dangerous Vampire."

"Sounds almost lovely," Ops said. "But in what respect do they become possessive? I don't think our concept of it would be the same."

"A Vampire who has a Beloved starts their courtship by getting rid of any obstacles that could prevent their Beloved from being with them, either getting rid of something or forcing them to face a fear or whatnot," Richard said. "They want to be the only thing their Beloved thinks of, the only one they go to but it doesn't always work that way so they settle for being near them, making themselves available if they need us. Providing and protecting is one of their main instincts, wanting to show that they are able. Providing usually means food or other sorts of things, gifts could be an example."

Kore didn't let any expressions besides a neutral one that was listening onto her face. She fiddled with the necklace for a second before forcing her hand away from it.

"Vampires want to be able to provide, to show that they care and that they are there for them," Richard continued. "They aren't possessive as in they want to know exactly what they are doing or who they are with or whatnot. They're possessive in the way a lover is protective, they don't like other people touching their Beloved until they are secure in knowing they also feel the same thing. If their Beloved is sick or the like, they have the instinct to be near them at any cost, but that is usually due to the fact that the Beloved does not have to be another Vampire."

"So interracial marriages are fine?"

"Yes, though frowned upon sometimes," Richard continued. "Orion and the Chamber have helped the hatred but sometimes there are groups that frown upon it. A Vampire's permission is a great deal in our world. Like a Crown saying yes when a Clan leader said no, without all the political fuss."

"That's really interesting," Neptune said, sighing as he looked at his watch. "Hey, Ops, let's get some food before all of the kids nick 'em all and leave us scrapes."

Ops nodded. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Richard said.

While Neptune and Opsa walked away, Kore and Richard found a table to sit at in the forest. They found one that held only four chairs, sitting down quickly.

"You sounded sad earlier, why?" Kore asked, fiddling with her glass.

"My father is trying to get me to marry an heiress from another family," Richard said, looking down into his glass like he kinda wanted to just accept it and go. "But, while I like the female form, I have a preference for the male. And he doesn't approve of the person I've chosen. He's not Baihu."

"Yeah," She sighed. "I understand. I have a preference for all forms but you're allowed to like who you like, regardless of race. If you don't want to marry, then don't. I'll have to marry someone but that doesn't mean I have to love them. There's an expectation of me having at least one kid, or Cera would have to have a kid later. A First-born needs to take the Greylight Crown from me when I decide to step down. If I was serious, as in soulmate kinda serious, I'd Bond if they were applicable to it."

"Bond?"

"Soul Bonding. The literal union of two beings and their Magic. It's a beautiful ceremony, I've only witnessed it a couple of times." She smiled in memory. "Uncle Neptune bonded with Ops. Vampires become possessive of their Beloved, but Witches become feral at the thought of someone taking our Bonded. There've been wars caused because a Bonded was taken away from their love."

"Vampires have grown rabid with insanity when their Beloved was killed," Richard said. "There's a reason there are only so many Vampires left. Arcanes try and get Vampires to marry someone but a spouse is not the same thing as a Beloved, though they can become one."

"You can't force a Beloved onto someone. The same is with a Bonded. It just can't be done."

Richard glanced at her, watching her as she looked into the dark-coloured liquid of her drink. "At the event the Torrens hosted, you said you had your eye on someone. Who is it?"

Kore drank a little more of her drink, needing the liquid courage. "It's complicated."

"Do you like the person?"

"Yeah,"

"Do you see your future with the person?"

"I haven't thought of anything past the Winter Solstice when I take the trial," Kore finished the glass, hating the fact that her body burned off alcohol so easily. It was hard for her to get drunk. "I don't know if I'll even live past it. My trial will be harder than Minthe's, I know that. If I live, I might lose my Magic. What am I without my Magic?"

"You are a ruler, a leader, Kore Greylight," A voice that hadn't been heard in years said, making Kore stand from her chair and bow her head in respect.

"Saint Gaea," Kore greeted, suddenly aware that the whole forest became quiet.

All of the Witches bowed, men dropping into crouched bows while women went down to extremely low curtsies. The Arcanes didn't have to bow but they all did small ones to show respect.

Saint Gaea was a beautiful woman with dark skin that didn't show her true age and waist-length twists with golden cuffs here and there. She didn't wear much makeup besides for black around her eyes and a tad of gold on her eyelids and a bit on her cheeks for highlight. Hands painted with henna, the designs were beautiful and elaborate, going from the tinted tips of her hands and almost reaching her elbows.

Her dress was tight and was a dark bronze colour, accenting her skin as it stopped under her breasts but had two thick straps that went over the breasts to maintain modesty. It fell to her ankles, completely tight but allowed her movement like it was Magic.

She had several pieces of jewellery on; thin golden chains around her neck, going down in different lengths along with several piercings in her ears and two studs in her nostrils. Thick wired cuffs were on her biceps, and another on her wrists to attach a black shawl that moved with her. Bracelets and anklets finished it off with no shoes.

"The Crowns did not realise you were going to attend, Saint Gaea," Kore stated, finally rising to her true height with the confidence of a ruler. "We would have made a welcome worth your visit."

"Nonsense," Saint Gaea said. "Everyone, stand up. I came here, not to interrupt the festivities, but to partake in them with you. Kore, I am sad to hear about the death of your mother."

Everyone went back to whatever they were doing, creating space between them and the Saint and Greylight Princess.

Kore nodded stiffly. "Thank you."

Gaea grinned, pulling bronze lips back to reveal white teeth that were a hint too feral. "I see you have a Familiar now, Kore."

"Yes," Kore said, crouching down to pick up Tsar. "Little basta... Little guy got hurt in a forest and I healed him but I accidentally bonded to him."

"Familiars are no accidents. May I?" Gaea gestured for Tsar, letting the fox choose to either let her touch him or not. He was limp in her grip but he wasn't aggressive. "How adorable. His bow matches your dress. Let us take a walk, shall we? Get away from everyone and their ears."

Kore couldn't refuse, not when a Saint asked, especially when it was the Ancient Saint. "Of course."