What to expect of a place where only the cursed lived? Elvira pushed the door open and saw a couple of wooden huts lined in the lonely wilderness under the weak light of the sun that was close to setting. The obscure thing was that it had no roads, marketplace, or fields. There were only huts and massive leafy trees.
Elvira stepped forward and halted when the ground felt wet and mushy underneath her boots.
"Careful, it rains a lot here, so the soil is always wet." Wivior assisted her in lifting her skirt. Her eyes fell upon her dress. Luckily, its length was above her ankles. However, the heels of her boots were covered inches deep in mud.
Elvira took her skirt in her own hands and moved forward. The clean atmosphere and the smell of damp earth, wet leaves, and grass hinted at recent rainfall. The aura of a place largely depended on its inhabitants. And walking in that village, she could feel the burden of misery and sorrow that the lands carried.
"How do they live here? They don't seem to be producing their food," Elvira asked.
"They are not. They get their necessities and much more via donations from all over the world. My grandfather himself makes sure supply wagons reach these people every week."
"Won't his men recognize you if they came here? They won't be pleased to learn about our relationship," Elvira voiced her concern.
Wivior put his arm around her waist and pulled her close together. "I am not afraid of anyone. My feelings for you, my lady, are no joke. I am not afraid to say I am losing my heart to you. And if you choose to stay with me, I promise you, I won't let anyone come between us. I'll take care of you for life." He planted a quick yet sweet peck on her lips.
He wasn't afraid to express his feelings and fight for love. Elvira wouldn't even have the guts to tell her mother that she had fallen for a spirit, let alone a human or a wizard.
Elvira's eyes fell upon his arm wrapped around her waist. There was something in his touch that ignited more than just the emotions of lust. Being close to him made her feel safe and loved, something she had barely ever felt from any of her past lovers.
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes to feel the warmth. Upon opening them back, Quinn's scary face was the first thing she saw with Ezra by her side. That wizardess was the second obstacle in her love life, the first being her mother!
"I have delivered the warlock. He is stubborn, but our experts are interrogating him," Ezra reported to Wivior.
"Thanks, my brother, for taking him in my stead." Wivior gave him a giant man hug.
"Are they coming to capture those warlock assassins?" he added.
Ezra pursed his lips. "No, they are not."
"Did they care to say why?" Wivior asked with disappointment.
"Well, you know why. They remember very well that Doctor Oliver was sentenced to exile a long time ago for his unreliable and strange experimental medicine and treatment that killed many of his subjects. According to them, he is nothing but a killer," Ezra jogged his memory.
"Rubbish! Quinn clenched her jaw. "Those people were already dying, and he was their last hope. Those families knew in advance the risks of undergoing his experimental treatments. Testing it on people was his only chance because witches don't curse animals. Those who passed away were saints. Due to their participation and sacrifice, Doctor Oliver has saved the lives of thousands of people."
"If that's true, then I am with Quinn," said Wivior. "I'll never understand the justice of the people in charge of our homeland. They think they are doing the right thing, yet they have twisted ways of punishing people who don't even deserve it."
"Yes! They offer plain water dipped with their egos as a cure. Doctor Oliver is a miracle worker, and no one has died from his treatments for decades. He saved my life, and I will forever defend his honor. I am willing to kill those warlocks with my own hands to repay Doctor Oliver!" Quinn rolled up her sleeves.
"I honor your courage and desire to repay your savior, but it's madness to go after them alone. The three of us might prove useless against them. We only saw three warlocks, but there could be more. You know the message we found from the doctor back in the town where we followed those assassins...," began Wivior.
"Message! What Message? There was a message?" asked Elvira, and Quinn glared at her. She didn't want her to be part of that conversation.
"We found a message written in a strange substance over a wall, asking for our help to kill those warlocks, signed by Doctor Oliver. He wouldn't have asked for help if he wasn't in grave danger," said Wivior.
"Why didn't you kill those warlocks when you had the chance to use the red staff?" Elvira questioned him.
"Uh, you don't know how it works. It has limitations," said Wivior and immediately turned towards his friends.
Elvira was utterly confused by his response but had to remain quiet. What did he mean by limitations? She read about a witch killer that looked exactly like the one he had in the book that her uncle gave her. According to what she found there, the staff had killed many in wars and was a deadly weapon. Her kind wouldn't print such information if it weren't true. What was he hiding?
"I think I should talk to Cornelius or someone else. We might be able to get some help. What do you think?" Wivior propounded.
"You haven't stepped into your homeland for a century. No one would listen to you until you present yourself in court and ask for forgiveness. You will forever lose your dignity when you admit to the crime. So, don't go back there. I can call some of my followers here and ask for their assistance in capturing those sons of bitches," said Quinn.
"I am not going back to apologize to anyone!" began Wivior. "You can summon your followers, but I want to bring my brother Cornelius here. I want him to see how well Doctor Oliver has worked for others so that he can go and spread the good word about him. Many cursed people back in cities could benefit from his cures. I am sure he'll get acknowledged worldwide if he has the faith of one of the strongest kingdoms of wizards."
"Sure! Cornelius is your brother. If you trust him this much, then go ahead. I'll fetch some of my men, and you go talk to your brother right now," said Quinn.
"Fine! I'll go see him," Wivior agreed.
"You're leaving right now!" Elvira exclaimed. "Can I come with you? I don't want to be alone." She didn't even care that his friends could hear her words.
Wivior took Elvira's hand and massaged it with his fingers. "I would never leave if it wasn't important. It would have been a pleasure to take you with me, but I can't introduce you to some people for your safety yet."
Elvira looked down in disappointment. She was looking forward to spending some time with him alone. Now Wivior needed to be somewhere he couldn't even take her!
"Look," Wivior lifted her chin. "I'll leave you in Ezra's care, so don't worry. And I promise to make it up to you later for lost time and leaving you here, my love."
Wivior pulled her close and embraced her warmly. Elvira wrapped her arms around his waist and sniffed his neck to smell his scent. But he wasn't wearing any cologne for the first time. He must have been worried about her when she was unconscious.
Quinn's annoying cough entered her ears and ruined their special moment. "Are you two done with this lovey-dovey stuff? I already threw up in my mouth multiple times, and Ezra has already walked away."
Elvira tried to pull away, but Wivior didn't release her from his grip. "We are not done yet, so you can look away if it makes you nauseous." His response made her smile, and he tightened his arms around her waist. However, she was scared to put her arms around him again. Quinn disliked her a lot, so she didn't want to make her even madder.
"You should let your man leave without worries," began Quinn. "Bombarding him with your fears and anxieties is selfish. It'll distract him from his goal. After all, everything he is doing is for you."
Elvira's brows furrowed in anger. She was deeply offended. She tried to push him away, but he still wouldn't release her from his arms.
"She is letting me go without worries because she knows I'll only be able to feel okay once I have eased her inner fears. I feel brave when she is in my arms, so she is charging me with all the right emotions." Wivior came to Elvira's rescue.
His sweet words touched her heart in such a way that took all the anger away. A smile of bliss appeared on her face.
"Give me a moment to recharge and prepare for your journey in the meantime," said Wivior.
Elvira heard Quinn's loud and angry footsteps as soon as he said that. She was one bitter woman. It was pointless for her to stay after how sweetly he defended Elvira and then asked her to give them space.
Wivior finally released her from his embrace and looked at her apologetically.
"How are you even friends with her?" Elvira queried.
Wivior looked slightly amused. "Quinn might use harsh words, but she means well. You might not believe this, but she wasn't always like this. Traumatizing events in her life have made her this way. She is a wonderful human being, fights for the right cause, and stands against corruption and brutality."
"I am sorry about what she said to you. I already feel guilty about leaving you here," Wivior added.
"Don't be. I was looking forward to spending some alone time with you," said Elvira, curling her lip.
"You don't know how much it hurts me to leave you like this." Wivior tapped his fist lightly on his chest several times. "We were finally close. You don't know how many times I have fantasized about making love to you. You're too beautiful." He took her hand and planted light kisses on it.
"I have been fantasizing about you for weeks, too...," she began.
"I knew it!" Wivior interrupted. A flirty, victorious grin was on his face. "So, how was it now that you have tasted a bit of it?"
Elvira smiled. Talking dirty before leaving wasn't a good idea, but she wanted to tell him how much his touch pleasured her because she had high expectations from their first night together.
"You know how to pleasure a woman. I was impressed, to be honest," she said coyly.
A big smile of accomplishment stretched on Wivior's face. "I am glad you liked it, and I would have been able to do so much more if your clothes hadn't come between us."
"I was so eager that I wanted to rip your clothes apart, but I didn't want to do too much too soon, in case you didn't like that," said Wivior.
The thought of him tearing her clothes turned her on, but it was a bit too soon to tell him about it. For now, she was only dying to look at his naked body. It was surely going to be a feast for the eyes.
Elvira was still thinking about it when Wivior's hot mouth fell on hers. A deep kiss that caught her off guard made it even sexier. His hands cupped her cheeks, and his tongue teased her tongue, moving around it in a circular motion.
Excitedly, Elvira slid her fingers into his curly hair and opened her mouth wider to give him more access. Things got even more heated when she gently sucked on his tongue, and he responded by sucking on hers even harder. His tongue movements were so enjoyable that she didn't want him to stop teasing her.
His hands traveled around her waist and massaged her back gently as his hot mouth worked his magic on hers. She was so lost in that kiss that she lost track of what was happening and just went with the flow.
After kissing for a while, he broke the kiss with a teasing bite on her lower lip. Her hands were still in his curly locks. That amazing kiss had left her completely speechless! It surpassed all previously shared kisses.
"I am a fool for leaving a woman like you behind!" said Wivior, fisting his heart. "I wanted this to be something to keep us both waiting."
"Mr. Wizard Man," a young girl's voice came from behind. Upon turning around, Elvira saw the same little girl that had walked into them kissing before in that hut.
"I am going to my resting place now. You promised to keep me company till I fall asleep tonight," the girl added.
Elvira turned towards Wivior. He was standing at least two feet apart from her now. "I am afraid I won't be able to do that today. My apologies for bailing on you. I promise to keep you company tomorrow."
The girl's eyes lowered with utter disappointment. "It's okay. I am used to being alone. Not even my mother wants to be around me when I rest."
"Look," said Wivior. He kneeled on the ground to get to the little girl's level. "I don't want to disappoint you. A promise is a promise. I'll come with you. I can go after you fall asleep."
The girl's face lit with a smile of happiness. She was a beautiful child with long brown hair and wide brown eyes. And she looked even cuter when she smiled.
"Now go along. I'll come to you in a moment."
The child immediately ran off happily. Elvira was perplexed by their exchange. Why did he need to put a child he barely knew to bed and delay his meeting with his brother and their first night together?
"I know what you're thinking," began Wivior. "This is not as simple as putting a regular child to bed because this girl sleeps in a cage in which she is locked by her mother every night."
"What a terrible mother! She must be cursed, but this is still cruel," Elvira remarked.
Wivior cleared his throat. "Her curse is that she turns into a horrendous, bloodthirsty giant beast not long after the sun sets. So, it's important for her safety and those around her. Come and join me so you can see for yourself."