Chapter 89
Zynie couldn’t fully decipher what Alnazir had written, but the nuance alone was enough.
[Want me to help a little?]
When the young witch showed him her notebook with a meaningful look, Alnazir almost scoffed. A trivial, human, and on top of that childish witch offering to help him? He was dumbfounded.
He ignored Zynie and moved toward Fay instead.
The moment she saw him approaching, Fay’s expression visibly stiffened.
“Let’s go report to Lady Merga.”
Virelda suggested just then.
Relieved, Fay immediately invited Zynie to come along, but she didn’t say a single word to her own invoked about joining them.
Instead, she asked him to stay behind.
“I’ll stay here. I don’t want to get in the way.”
Zynie refused with a pout and circled a word in her notebook.
Help.
Alnazir deliberately ignored it. Surely Fay wasn’t intentionally excluding him.
“You two shouldn’t stay together. It’s dangerous.”
He did hear Fay whisper that to Zynie, but he dismissed it as his imagination.
Why would he be dangerous?
Leaving Zynie alone with Alnazir made Fay uneasy. She kept glancing back until Virelda spoke up.
“Zynie’s a witch too. Even if something happens, she can protect herself.”
Fay muttered, “Still…” at being told not to treat her like a child. She knew Zynie was capable, but she couldn’t help worrying.
They walked down the corridor with lingering unease. Near the bedroom, they encountered a physician who had just come from checking on Merga. Her face was grim.
“Today will be the turning point.”
It wasn’t unexpected. Neither Fay nor Virelda had voiced it aloud, but Merga’s health had been visibly declining over the past few days. They had both sensed this day was approaching.
Before opening the bedroom door, Virelda spoke quietly.
“Fay, don’t cry in there. Let’s send Lady Merga off peacefully.”
Fay was surprised. She knew how deeply Virelda revered Merga. She would have expected her to beg her not to leave, not to speak of letting her go calmly.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“What does it matter if I’m not? Lady Merga’s peace comes first.”
Virelda shot her a sharp look, though the rims of her eyes were faintly red. Fay gave a small smile and nodded.
When they entered, Merga, lying in bed, recognized them and smiled brightly.
“My daughters.”
Fay and Virelda held the old witch’s hands together. She had grown so thin that bone was easily felt beneath her skin.
“Lady Merga, the enemy has withdrawn.”
“I thought your face looked brighter.”
Though the doctor had already told her, Merga smiled gently as if hearing the good news for the first time.
“You’re doing well as Guardian. You’ll surpass me, far beyond what I ever managed.”
“No witch could ever do better than you, Lady Merga.”
“Nonsense. I tried to fight in this frail body and only held you two back. I wanted to at least serve as a shield for you youngsters…”
Merga’s once sharp and steady eyes began to lose focus.
“Please don’t say that. Lady Merga, you’ve always—!”
Virelda swallowed her tears, unable to continue. She realized Merga was no longer seeing them.
“Viviante… You were so much younger than me. Why did you leave so soon? Leaving behind a daughter barely out of infancy…”
At the sound of her mother’s name, Fay could no longer hold back her tears. She turned away and wiped them on her sleeve.
“I’m sorry, Viviante. I left you in that hell and ran. All I could do was bring Fay back with me.”
Merga pleaded for forgiveness to the vision before her.
After wiping her tears, Fay gripped Merga’s hand tightly and spoke.
“Thank you for keeping your promise to my mother—saving me and raising me as a witch. I’m sure she came to tell you she’s grateful, too.”
Fay pressed a firm kiss to Merga’s forehead. The scent of medicinal herbs drifted from her frail body.
The tension in Merga’s face softened into a faint, relieved smile. Her focus returned, and she looked not at hallucinations, but at the goddaughters before her.
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