Chapter 125 - Maggie says - Part 4

"You're doomed," said Maggie, shaking her head, then proceeding towards the door without even bothering to give me a further explanation. 

"Care to elaborate?" I scoffed, annoyed at how she talked crap, and then just left. At least tell me why she thinks I'm doomed. "Are they not normal snake bites?" 

"Of course not," she said as she sat back down, sighing as she still needed to stay longer. "Those snakes—I ȧssumed they were initially a statue, yes? Then they turned to real snakes," I nodded in response to her query. "Those snakes are the guardian."

The guardian? What a silly name for a snake. 

"And what are they supposed to do?" 

"To kill and to protect," Maggie said with a smile, as if pleased with the outcome. "They're made to protect whatever lies behind them and to kill anyone who goes beyond them." 

"You mean, anyone without magic?" I asked, recalling what she had said about magic giving the other magic bearer too much leeway. But why am I doomed? Ronald didn't say anything about the bites being poisonous, and I didn't feel anything either. I felt fairly well, nothing out of the ordinary. 

"Quite bright, aren't you?" She chuckled, seemingly content with the disaster that fell on me. "Unfortunately for you, their bites are extremely lethal, and no one has survived them to this day. That, unless they managed to find the antidote." 

I frowned, wondering whether or not I should believe her words. Maggie was known for her lies, and I didn't want to fall for any of them. I should've had a reaction to their bites if they were as lethal as she'd claimed them to be. They didn't sting, didn't cause redness or swelling, and certainly didn't do anything after a few hours.

"You don't believe me, do you?" She sighed. "You can only feel the effect of the bites a few days after the incident, which is why you feel fine right now. I'm trying to be nice for once by telling you about your impending death, but what? That frown of yours is all I got? At the very least, a thank you would be nice."

Annoyed at my constant lack of trust, she decided to leave but stopped when I thanked her for her kindness. She couldn't even hide her surprise at hearing my gratitude.

"Thank you," I said, stopping her from leaving. Though she was the one who asked to be thanked, both of us couldn't help but feel weird about this new interaction. We've never said anything remotely nice to each other. The closest thing to being nice was a backhanded compliment. "Tell me more," I asked her, but she didn't seem to appreciate my tone. "...please."

She finally returned to her seat. 

"To think that the mighty Alpha would ever ask for a favor instead of an order to a black witch," she guffawed, clearly satisfied with me swallowing my pride. I never thought such a day would ever come either. "I suppose I should lend a hand to the desperate wolf." 

She crossed her arms over her ċhėst and held her head high, pleased that she was in a higher disposition for the first time. This old lady sure knew how to hold a grudge.

"The poison will take its time to attack all of your organs—with your brain being the first and your heart the last," Maggie explained, still with that smug smirk of hers. "You'll probably feel the poison after three days, and should you fail to find the antidote, you'll only have a week before you take your last breath." 

Three days before the poison took effect, a week before I died. Shit. Was she telling the truth right now? I can't tell. But one thing I knew for sure was that I couldn't die. Not when I've just met my mate, when I've just gotten her to kiss me. And certainly not when the black witches were planning another war and when my people were at risk of dying. 

Those fuċkɨnġ guardians—those snakes. I should've killed them back then. 

"Wicked, isn't it?" She burst out laughing. "They led you to believe that those snakes were not poisonous, when in fact, they were deadly. By the time you realize the danger they pose, you're already at the point of no return." 

"Very wicked, indeed," I sighed.

I couldn't stay as calm as her, knowing there was only a week until my death if we didn't find the antidote. I still have so much to do. And I obviously can't leave Violet behind. I'd probably stay as a wandering ghost only to be by her side. How am I supposed to leave when my heaven is here?

"How do I find the antidote? Do you happen to have it?" 

"Me? Of course not," she answered nonchalantly. "The only thing that can cure you is the fruit of the Wishing Tree." 

"And what the hell is that?" It seemed that I still had a lot to learn about this realm of magic. So I definitely can't die. 

"It's a tree that will give you anything that you want—should you have the purest of hearts," she couldn't help but grimace at the word pure. "Do you know a place called Larion?" I shook my head. "Larion is the Land of Magic, and the Wishing Tree stands at the peak of the highest mountain in Larion." 

Larion? It was the first time I'd heard of a place like that. Was that where the witches hid from the people's eyes for all these years? 

"How come I never knew such a place existed?"

"It's called the Land of Magic for a reason," she rolled her eyes. "Only those who have magic will be able to see and feel its existence. You won't be able to find Larion without the help of a witch."

"Then it's certainly possible for me to have the antidote, right?" I smiled at Maggie, hiding the real meaning of my words behind my smile. 

"Didn't I tell you anything about the Wishing Tree only granting the wishes of people with the purest of hearts?" She scoffed. "Do you believe I have a pure heart?" 

The smile quickly faded from my face, replaced by a heavy sigh. Certainly, Maggie won't be able to bring me the fruit. No matter how many years from now, Maggie and pure will never be in the same sentence. Hell, it will grow even further apart as more time goes by.

There could only be one witch with the purest of hearts—my Violet. 

This is quite troubling. I needed Violet's help to stop the ritual and bring the antidote to my poison. However, given the constraints of time, it was only right for us to prioritize the ritual. The ritual will take place in two days, so I still have a day left before the poison takes effect. I'm sure I can still handle the poison if it's still in the early stages. 

"This Larion, is it a dangerous place?" 

"It depends on the weather," she said, shrugging. "If you go there on a sunny day, then you're in luck. Everything there will be happy and give you a warm welcome. Flowers will bloom with each step you take, and cute animals will guide you to your destination. But if you go there on a rainy day," she paused, shivering at her past recollection, "You're as good as dead."

"Can you take me there?" 

She raised one of her brows, then made a gesture with her fingers—money. Of course, nothing's free when it comes to her. I wonder what she was saving all that money for. I'm sure the amount of money I gave her was more than enough to build a house or two. Was she trying to renovate her house? It seems quite plausible, given the fact that her current house looks more like a pile of garbage than a house. 

"I'll give you enough," I said, and a smile immediately sprawled across her face. 

"Then you should call me anytime you're ready," she stood up, smoothing her dress. She then glanced at the clock, seeing the time showing that it was an hour past ten. "I suppose our amicable exchange should come to an end here, wolf. You've spent enough, and I've also earned enough."

She picked up her belongings, bid her farewell, then returned to her home to take her delayed beauty sleep. Despite the fact that she'd lost an hour of her sleep, the amount of money she'd earned today was more than enough to make up for it. I sighed.

Perhaps Violet was right. I'd soon lose my entire fortune if I spent any more time with Maggie. To think that I'm spending money on a black witch to solve problems caused by another black witch. 

Very infuriating.