Elvira didn't say anything to Quinn's bloodthirsty oath. It was hard to hide her fear when a wizardess, specifically after her kin's blood, was sitting right before her. She already knew that her mother had done terrible things to a lot of people, but she never thought it would affect her and her family as well.
Swallowing her fear, Elvira took a deep breath. How much influence could Quinn have? She was a citizen of a fallen kingdom. She would never be able to touch even a single strand of her family's hair without the help of an entire army.
"Lilith Cain," began Wivior. "That witch is wanted by many across the world. It would please you to know that she is also on my grandfather's kill list now."
"Who is she? And what did she do to hurt him?" Elvira pretended to be a clueless human.
"She is one of the most brutal monsters and the former princess of the long-fallen kingdom Zovell. She was presumed dead in the war until Quinn and a few other survivors swore to have seen her in prison. The majority of them believe it to be a lie..." Wivior's tone carried so much hate for her mother.
"They'll believe me when I'll decorate the city with her and her family's head!" Quinn announced.
"Grandfather has spies looking for her. He wouldn't do that if he didn't believe you," said Wivior.
Quinn gave him a mocking smile. "I have many spies searching for her right now. She hides well now, I must say. Not the lioness I heard she was back in her days when she openly committed crimes and murdered people."
"Quinn has a reason to hate her. But what did she do to your grandfather?" Elvira dared to ask.
"I don't know. Many things, but he doesn't like to discuss much. Lilith and her parents took one important person from his life. I don't know who exactly it was. I remember him saying on multiple events that the world would be better without her. He has many others on his list, but she takes the first spot," Wivior answered unsuspectingly.
Elvira wondered what her mother must have done to deserve the first spot on someone's kill list! She was coldhearted and brutal, but was she the cruelest witch alive? Worse than Agror?
"His spies are well trained and great in number," Quinn began. "I am surprised they didn't find her by now. Where are they even looking?"
"According to one source, they believe she is hiding in plain sight among humans, elves, or perhaps fairies. We have a lot of ground to cover if that's the truth. Fairylands are almost impossible to enter, and they would have no problem joining hands with a witch as long as she proves useful," Wivior replied.
"The Lilith that tortured me not long ago was too proud of her kind. I don't think a woman like her would join hands with just anyone. I believe she has been hiding in a dark and forgotten place, waiting to regain her power and increase her numbers," said Quinn.
She was one frightening wizardess because her theory was so correct! Her mother even despised dark entities like spirits. She would never join hands with morally grey creatures like fairies. So, perhaps it was good that they had evacuated their village and moved to a kingdom. Well, it wasn't too good because Agror seemed to want to eliminate all possible heirs from Lilith's side.
"Hold tightly." Ezra's voice came from the driver's seat. "It's time."
Wivior immediately put his arm around Elvira's waist, and she looked at him skeptically. "Time for what?"
"The carriage is about to take flight. It'll move at the speed of lightning, and then we'll reach our destination. I am holding you so that you don't fall out of the carriage since you don't have your magic to protect yourself," said Wivior.
"Thank God," said Quinn rolling her eyes. "For a moment when you put your arm around her, I thought I had to endure the eyesore of some travel romance now."
Wivior smiled coyly. "Now, now, Quinn. I wouldn't do something like that in front of you. It's a personal thing between two lovers."
"You were all over the last woman you loved. What was her name? Princess..."
"Who?" Elvira asked. She felt the sting of jealousy for some reason.
Before anyone could answer, the carriage started shaking and ascended into the air. Elvira rushed to gander through the window, but everything became blurry for a few moments. There wasn't enough time to think, and the carriage hit the ground again and halted.
Elvira was sitting on Wivior's lap, wrapped tightly in his embrace. Their lips were only inches apart, and she just stared into his captivating eyes, noticing the dazzling color of his irises.
"If you two are about to kiss right now, I am leaving," said Quinn, stepping out of the carriage.
Elvira tried to get up, but Wivior wouldn't let her out of his grip. "Prince Wivior!" she exclaimed while still struggling.
"You would like to know that the woman Quinn mentioned was way back in the past. When I was exiled from my homeland and pushed out, she abandoned me. She married another man and is now living happily with him."
"You don't owe me an explanation." Elvira tried her best not to look into his eyes.
"I am telling you this because I sensed some jealousy from you upon the mention of her. My heart is no longer hers, and you are the only woman I desire now," Wivior said, causing Elvira to lift her eyes to look at his face. When she met his alluring gaze, she felt trapped by his bewitching gaze.
Temptation knocked at her heart as she listened to all that while sitting on his lap. They had just kissed not more than an hour ago, and she could still feel every sensation of that passionate kiss they had shared. It was her first kiss after at least a decade, and it was magical! Wivior affected her unlike any other man she had ever liked.
Wivior leaned in for another kiss, and Elvira just closed her eyes. Before their lips could touch, they heard someone knock at the door. Elvira pushed his hands away and exited the carriage as fast as possible. She couldn't believe they were about to kiss again! What was he doing to her? Had he used some sorcery to draw her towards him?
"Sorry to interrupt your romantic moment," Quinn spoke sarcastically.
"Don't worry about it," said Elvira.
"Being sorry won't bring back our moment, Quinn!" Wivior came from behind and stood beside Elvira.
Elvira coughed loudly, desperate to change the subject. "Is Doctor Oliver here?" She looked around her and saw nothing but wheat fields stretching endlessly. There was one tall windmill with half-broken wooden sails at a considerable distance.
"Ezra saw him here a day ago. He usually only stays in one place for a few days," said Quinn.
"Why?" asked Elvira.
"Walk with me," said Quinn, and the other three followed her.
Quin moved her hand into the receiving position, and a smoking pipe fell into it. She inhaled it, and a cloud of smoke escaped her mouth before she spoke again. "Witches are not happy with the cures he has discovered lately. He was a nobody for centuries when his cures provided only five to ten percent efficiency. The percentage has increased to a whopping sixty percent, more than anyone had ever expected. He continues to travel the world in search of more."
"I have heard of him as the miracle worker." Wivior's spoke from behind. He walked faster to match the ladies' speed. "People have even started seeing him as their savior."
"Yes, a special gift can get you a lot of applause, and with that, it also attracts unwanted enemies that want you dead for that same special quality." Quinn casually put the pipe in her mouth again.
"True. But where are we headed?" Wivior inquired.
"That mill you see in front of you," said Ezra, pointing with his hand. "He is already expecting us today."
Elvira took another brief look at the gigantic mill that looked queer, old-fashioned, and broken from the exterior. It was quite an ordinary place to meet a great wizard doctor. She was expecting a massive lab, an underground castle, or at least one decent house, but instead, she was strolling in tall wheat fields to meet the man who could save her life for the first time.
A pitch-black smoke ball appeared in the sky out of nowhere, and she felt Wivior arm's slide around her waist from behind as she watched it move with immense speed and land directly on the tower, causing a massive explosion. Bricks fell everywhere like shattered glass, destroying most of the mill. She grasped Wivior's arm on her waist as she watched such a horrific scene. Whoever was inside was either dead or trapped under rubble.
"Assassins!" she heard Ezra yell, pointing behind them.
They all turned around instantaneously. Three men on horses standing far away came into sight. Their energy was the same as hers! Those assassins were none other than warlocks!
Quinn set her hands ablaze with magic and got into a fighting stance. "Quickly get into position! There are three of us and three of them. Warlock assassins are well-trained and hard to fight. Be quick with your hands, or they'll get to you."
Wivior released Elvira and stood before her, shielding her from the warlocks' predator gaze. They were ready to fight, but Elvira blankly stared at his back, thinking how sweet he was for covering her.
A blinding light spread across the wheat fields. It came from the mill's direction, and all eyes turned to see what had happened there. The rumble on the tower's base was trembling, and a sparkling bright golden light came from underneath it.
The warlock assassins advanced their horses towards the tower with the speed of the wind, and as soon as they reached it, everything became static, and the golden light vanished.
"He survived and teleported. He created a barrier first to make it untraceable," observed Wivior.
"How? How can he make it untraceable?" Elvira asked.
"He has many things to make that possible," he answered.
She was glad they were all so consumed by what had just happened that they didn't even notice that her question was so peculiar for a human without magic.
"Should we go now?" asked Wivior.
"These goons won't quit following us. The doctor won't see us while he is on the run," Quinn stated.
"Then we stay," said Wivior.
The warlocks searched in the rubble for a while, and when it proved to be of no avail, they got back on their horses and rode toward them. Elvira felt a chill run down her spine.
"We should leave and find more wizards to take them down!" Elvira shouted.
"Don't worry, get behind me, Elvira. I won't let them hurt you," Wivior reassured her.
"Don't be frightened. It must be scary for you to watch these filthy creatures up so close. The smug look on their face is to intimidate us. Until they are dealt with, they won't quit," said Quinn like it was a daily occurrence for her.
"Then let's fight these worthless pieces of shit and drop them to the ground!" Wivior shouted with vigor.