As Kalyn shifted the sleeping girl in his arms, a familiar voice echoed at the entrance of the alcove.
"What are you doing here?" Lancelot asked as he stepped inside, following Kalyn’s scent through the narrow passage.
He took two steps forward, then stopped short. His eyes widened slightly at the sight before him. In Kalyn’s arms lay a soft-looking damsel, her small face pale from unconsciousness and her golden hair falling loose over his arm.
Lance raised an eyebrow. "You found a wench? She is pretty... Your taste is as always impeccable..."
Kalyn snorted. "She is no wench. The girl was hiding here and fainted from fright because she thought I was going to eat her. She even told me that she is not tasty enough to be my next meal.
Lancelot lowered himself to sit on the other side of the alcove, stretched his legs with a tired sigh and sent him a look of amusement, "You’ve taken up scaring girls now... and threatening to eat them?" he murmured, shooting Kalyn a lazy side-glance.
Ever since entering the Witch village and then enduring the banquet hours ago, Lance had been feeling a little cooped in. The rules were strict and the air was too thick with remnants of magic, and every corner watched by wards he disliked. He had come here only to look for his mate, yet even that was starting to feel like a mistake.
His gaze drifted back to the girl. "Who hides in a place like this?" he muttered. "And alone? Do you think she came here to meet a lover? Also, why did you come here?"
Kalyn looked down at her face again and sighed. "When I came here, she had a few butterflies fluttering around her," he said quietly. "I found the magic to be a bit familiar and yet I have never seen anything like that. It was interesting, so I came to investigate. But the moment I entered, the butterflies disappeared and then..." He looked down at the girl in his arms again. Holding her was quite comforting.
Lancelot’s brows lifted slightly. Until now, he had not paid attention to anything except the unconscious girl, but when Kalyn mentioned it, he finally noticed the faint traces of magic in the air. He reached out his hand and let his fingers hover above the straw floor. There it was-soft and warm, like a gentle hum.
It was nothing like the strict wards outside, which were sharp and cold and prickled against his skin whenever he walked past. The residue here felt different. Almost soothing and innocent.
"She is different," he remarked thoughtfully. His gaze drifted back to the girl, and this time, he studied her more carefully.
Her hair was golden which in itself was rare in these parts of the Witch lands, where most had dark or muted tones. She did not look like someone who should be hiding alone in a small alcove. Could she be on the run...
Lancelot leaned a little closer, trying to remember where he had heard of a young witch with such an appearance. Then his eyes widened. The name came to him. There was indeed a person in this place that had golden hair. How had he forgotten such an important detail?
This person was probably Mira Stav... the other candidate for their probable mate and the only dark witch among the Light ones.
He let out a slow breath, unsure whether to laugh or curse. Of all places, of all moments, to stumble into her. Lancelot gave her another look and said," This is probably Mira Stav."
Kalyn followed his gaze and frowned. "Mira Stav? The one who stood us up today?"
***
Kalyn looked at the girl again at Lancelots words, his interest peaking even further.
Just then, a familiar voice came through, "What are both of you doing inside? Did you find some treasure?" Zen asked as he ducked into the narrow opening.
He took one more step, then stopped completely. His eyes landed on the girl in Kalyn’s arms, and surprise flickered across his face. "Ahh... what is this one doing here?"
Both Kalyn and Lancelot turned sharply toward him.
"You know her?" Lancelot asked.
Zen nodded casually. "Hmm. I met her in the kitchens today. She was hiding between the flour sacks."
Kalyn blinked. "She was hiding there? She was hiding here when I entered."
His voice held a hint of disbelief now. "Does she spend her entire day hiding from people?"
Zen snorted softly. "From the way she was comfortable there and how prickly she was when she saw me, I would say yes."
Without another word, Zen moved further inside and slumped down beside Lancelot, making the already small alcove seem even narrower.
The three tall lords sitting shoulder to shoulder in a cramped witch hideout was almost comical, but their gazes were fixed on the girl.
Kalyn adjusted his hold on her slightly, and the movement made a strand of her golden hair fall over his wrist. For a moment, none of them said anything.
They simply stared at the young witch who seemed to appear in all the wrong places at the strangest times.
Finally, Kalyn spoke. "This is Mira Stav."
Zen, who had been resting his forearms on his knees, lifted his head. "Mira Stav? The missing one?"
"The one who stood us up today," Lancelot added dryly.
Zen let out a slow breath. "Well... that explains a few things especially the hiding."
But all in all, even with the girl unconscious between them, the three were suddenly pleased with the woman amidst them.
Just then, Mira came back to consciousness. But the sight almost frightened her into fainting again.
Even though it was dark, she could still make out the shadows of those sitting there. And they she felt the slight softness beneath her, realising that she was no longer lying on the straw but someone was supporting her.
With a wave of her hand, she quickly used defensive magic...