The room was filled with the scent of herbs and smoke.
A young girl stood by the hearth, her back facing them. She did not turn, as if not sensing their presence, as she stared blankly at the fire.
"I wasn't expecting this many guests," she said calmly, her voice smooth.
"How many guests were you expecting, if I may ask?" Lucas asked.
She spun around, facing them. "Just him." She pointed at Ian.
"I've been expecting you, Ian Lyrien Draven," she said, intrigue burning softly in her eyes.
Lucas and Thomas glanced Ian's way before facing the young witch again.
"You seem to be interested in our brother," Lucas commented.
"Mmm, you could say so," the witch said, taking leisurely steps toward them.
"But can you blame me? Who isn't interested in the one vampire who conjured the sun." She brushed past Thomas and Lucas, coming to stand in front of Ian, her hands crossed behind her back.
Ian had a completely blank look as he stared down at the girl, meeting her curious eyes without reaction.
"I am simply fascinated to be in your presence. And your eyes… they're green, just as the rumors mentioned," she muttered, gazing at him like she was staring at something unreal.
"Would you look at that. I think the witch is into you, brother," Thomas chuckled.
"We're here for answers, witch. So I suggest you get on with it," Ian said coldly.
The girl smiled faintly. "Oh yes, of course. Have a seat, please," she said, walking over to the three chairs positioned in the middle of the room.
Lucas stared at the chairs suspiciously, neither he nor his brother making any move to sit.
"We'll stand, thanks," Ian said curtly.
One major thing witches were known for was jinxing and cursing people just for the pleasure of it. Eating, drinking, or even accepting to sit in a witch's home would be a reckless and naive idea.
"Okay then," she started as she took a seat. "The Alpha asked me to tell you everything I know, and I intend to do that. But the problem is my memory is a bit vague, and I can only remember a few details about what happened that day," she paused briefly.
"I was an emissary for that other pack, and one day the Alpha came to see me, seeking advice concerning an ancient scroll. He did not mention where he got the scroll from, and it was not my place to ask," she said, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward slightly.
"What was the scroll about?" Ian asked.
"Werewolves, no, no," she shook her head, a frown appearing between her brows as if she was struggling to recall something important.
Her eyes brightened when she remembered. She jumped up from the chair.
"It was on lycanthropy. The origin of lycanthropy," she said, snapping her fingers, as if the repeated thought was helping her focus her memory.
"I remember that it took me some time to finally translate the ancient language. I explained to him that it was a ritual on how to transform a werewolf into a Lycan, and I also explained that it was an extremely dangerous process," she said, pacing back and forth.
"But he still performed the ritual on himself anyway. He refused to heed my warning due to his greed for more power."
Her pacing stopped, her frantic movements gradually calming.
"Do you know the original story of werewolves?" she asked.
"There are a few stories," Thomas said contemplatively. "But no one can tell for sure which one is actually the original or the true story."
"There is one account that predates the rest," Ian said calmly. "The oldest, in fact."
"A noble family once served a king human flesh during a banquet. They believed it to be a joke." His gaze remained steady. "They were unaware the king was a god in mortal form."
"The god cursed the bloodline," Ian continued. "They were turned into beasts driven by hunger. Werewolves. But one daughter was spared. She was not present at the banquet."
The witch's attention sharpened as she listened intently to Ian speak.
"She prayed to the moon for mercy," Ian said, speaking as if reciting something memorized long ago.
"She offered herself in devotion. The moon goddess answered, but the curse could not be undone. The family was permitted to return to human form during the day. But under a full moon, the curse reclaimed them." His tone did not change, remaining relaxed as ever. "The girl was affected as well, a cost she had to pay for the moon goddess's grace."
"You truly are fascinating," the girl chimed, clapping her palms together. "But that scroll revealed that the family were turned into Lycans, not werewolves. The only person who was turned into a werewolf was the daughter."
"How does this tale relate to the rogue attacks? If that Alpha did the ritual on himself, what happened to the rest of the pack?" Lucas asked, clearly wanting her to get to the point.
"You still haven't figured it out?" she asked. "An Alpha is bound to his pack, and the pack is bound to him. When he performed that ritual, every wolf in his pack, including himself, was affected. Cured, you could say," she chuckled, as if finding it amusing.
"They all went feral and retreated to live in the woods. Most of them have probably lost their minds by now, while others might be losing their sanity this very moment."
"So the rogue attacks are not actually rogue attacks," Thomas said, a frown forming between his brows.
"It seems like it," Ian commented quietly.
He turned to the witch. He could feel it, that she was hiding something.
"Is that all you know?" Ian asked.
"Yes. I know nothing mor–"
Before she could finish her statement, Ian was in front of her in a flash.
"Rethink that answer again. Do you think you're smart, mixing lies with the truth? Keeping your heart steady so that we wouldn't notice it," Ian said, his voice calm just as it had been, but there was a frightening warning beneath his tone.
"I haven't spoken a single lie–"
Cough
Cough
Her sentence was cut short as she covered her mouth, coughing and wheezing violently.
When she removed her palm from her mouth, she saw black blood, remnants of dark smoke floating off it.
Her eyes widened in fear. She raised her head to look at Ian as she stumbled backward, retreating away from him.
"Stop this. I've told you the truth."
She coughed again. This time, more blood and black ooze spilled from her mouth. Slowly, she began to age. The once twelve-year-old-looking girl now appeared closer to a woman nearing thirty.
"This can go on until you vomit every last bit of blood and black magic flowing in your body. Until you slowly wither away. I have all the time in the world to wait and see how long you endure," Ian said, watching her shiver beneath his gaze.