Chapter 279 - Wrapped Schemes

"You didn't!" the witch growled. "You have to go back to Draoidh and finish the task given to you!" 

Anxious and tasting bitterness of fear as she gulped bile back, Lilette said, "Since I have already threatened them that I was the one who started the rumors, if I go back, chances are that as soon as I enter the wizard kingdom, I will be killed or taken a prisoner." She sobbed and her shoulders shuddered. "It's not that I didn't try. Please leave us. We have nothing to do with Anastasia. Her mother, who is my father's sister, rarely ever came to Óraid. When I met her in Óraid, it was for the first time. Do you think we have any feelings for her or that she has emotions for us? There are no ties. It is empty." 

Iona clacked her nails and her pointy teeth. "Yada, yada, yada," she mocked Lilette. "I don't care. We will disguise you and send you back, but you go back. And till then your father stays with me in that condition!" 

"Please dark witch," Lilette wailed. "Anastasia hates me and so does Ileus. If you leave us, we are never ever going to show our faces to you. We will leave the hamlet and disappear somewhere." 

"And then how are you going to be useful to me?" said the witch as she took two steps away from Lilette. "You are useful if you are alive." 

Lilette was now absolutely frustrated. More than fear, hatred pierced her heart for the witch. She got up and lunged at her, however, the next instant, the witch twirled and kicked the girl with so much force that Lilette was hurled in the air. She crashed on the wall and became unconscious. She slumped on her ground with her head bleeding from the back. 

"Disgusting humans!" Iona snarled. 

"Why don't you sit down, Iona? Calm down, hmm?" said Etaya. "The tea is waiting for you." Etaya called the guards inside and asked them to take Lilette back to the prison. 

Iona cocked her head to look at the guards as they dragged her away from the room leaving a trail of blood. The maids came and cleaned it immediately. 

"Come Iona," said Etaya with a sweet voice. 

Iona walked towards Etaya, and as she walked, her blackness rippled and peeled off her skin like waves of water, revealing a lovely nude eighteen-year-old girl with amber eyes. Her long black hair cascaded on her back.

A smile appeared on Etaya's lips. She poured tea and gave it to the girl who was now in her original form. 

Iona extended her delicate fingers to take the cup. She sipped the black tea and sighed, "Sometimes I do miss the simple pleasures of being normal." She giggled and drank more. The darkness was still hugging her right leg, greedily, hungry for her power, for her magic, for the abilities she was born with. 

She smacked her lips and threw the cup on the side. She picked up a biscuit from the plate and started eating it as she twirled a strand of her hair with the other hand. "I forgot what normal food tastes like," she said. "It's fine, but I like the flesh and blood more." 

"Well, there are two more people waiting to be sacrificed for you, Iona," Etaya said. "We will send them by midnight." 

Iona crossed her legs and covered her breasts with her hair. "Good," she replied pensively. 

"So, what do you think we should do now Iona?" asked Etaya. "Lilette couldn't really throw Anastasia out of Draoidh. When you had sent her to the wizard kingdom, I was extremely sure that she wouldn't be able to separate the two. I mean why would Anastasia come out because of her? She is no match to Anastasia."

Iona chuckled. She finished eating the biscuit and said, "The reason to send her in Draoidh wasn't to throw Anastasia out. My brother is too enamored with the fae princess. The main reason was to plant the seeds of hatred amongst people. And Lilette did that very well. I am not bothered that the two sisters fight. If Anastasia wants, she can kill her for all I care. But the main purpose is fulfilled. Let the rumor gain momentum. I am going to send Lilette again to add to the rumor that Iona was kidnapped by the faes on orders of the fae princess whom Ileus has married." 

At first Etaya looked at Iona with raised eyebrows with surprise. And then she burst into laughter. Iona's lovely face got split in two by a grin. 

"You are brilliant, Iona," Etaya said. 

"I know. It's a curse," Iona replied smugly. "I am much better than Ileus. Both of us can summon the dark forces, but I chose to embrace them." The darkness around her leg started swirling up as if hugging a lover. It entwined around her body slowly until it covered her completely. "It's so comforting…" said Iona, closing her eyes. 

Suddenly Etaya narrowed her eyes and said, "But what if Adrianna attacks Vilinski out of anger?" 

"The situation would soon get out of control to the extent that a civil war would ensue. Adrianna would have a hard time containing the situation and then— and then we are going to attack Draoidh!" Iona snarled, and peeled her lips back. "I will take over the throne of Draoidh and throw Anastasia to you. You can kill her or marry her to Aed Ruad. I am not bothered. Once I get Draoidh, no one can stop me from ruling the Lore!" Her eyes became fiery orange. "I will take revenge from my parents, revenge!" Furious, she got up from her place. "I will kill Adrianna and Dmitri!" Then she turned to look at Etaya who was already trembling with fear. "If you hadn't made the deal with me, I would have killed you too Etaya." She laughed in a way that it could make your ears bleed. "The deal…" she whispered. She started walking towards the window of the room. The gauzy curtains were fluttering even though there was no wind in the room and everything else was still. She caught the curtains and all at once burst into smoke, which rose up and swirled out of the window. 

Relieved, Etaya poured yet another cup of tea for herself. She hated Iona and was waiting for her task to be finished. Once she got what she wanted, she knew how to get rid of Iona. "Dark witch, my bloody foot!" she cursed looking at the window. There were greater plans. How could she let Iona live? She chuckled and shook her head at the young girl with a dark heart but no sense of the world. After all she had sacrificed her husband for her ambitions. She had killed him with jambiya. Time is coming… Her reverie broke.

"Mother!" Aed Ruad walked in with his chest heaving. He scanned the room and said, "Where is Maple?" 

Etaya sighed. She lowered her cup to the table and said, "Iona couldn't help us retrieve Maple. She was only interested in her plans. She wasn't even interested in listening to me. Sorry, son." 

"What?" Aed Ruad yelled. He picked up a chair from the side and threw it on the ground. "I will kill that witch! I will kill her!" Another chair splintered.