Chapter 2240

"Pfft," said Daniel."She'll be following us to makesure we're okay. Right Grace?"

He said the last bit into the air and felt Grace curse across the bond from upstairs in her room in the inn. Oddly, he felt Bitty close by her, as if she were... He grinned.

"Yeah," laughed Amy, sensing what Bitty andGrace were up to."She will. Come on. Let's go! She'll have opened the store by now."

Minutes later, they all stopped at the door leading into the seamstress shop in Acron. Amber's mother Amanda ran the shop and had for years. She lived above it in a small apartment. Amber turned the knob and pushed open the door. A small bell over the door rang loudly.

"One moment!" shouted a woman from theback room."I've only just opened."

"Mom? It's me!"

"Amber?" came an excited voice."Is that really

you?" The voice came closer and then a middle-aged woman, with white-grey hair, and a crocheted shawl over her shoulders despite the summer heat, came out from the back room. She took one look at Amber, Amy, and Jasmine and came to a halt. Then she spied Daniel and horror crossed her features."You didn't!Oh, my Gods!Amber!Tell me you didn't!"

"Kind of, yeah. It's a long story, mom."

Amanda rushed to her daughter and hugged her hard, weeping. "You have to run! Hide!They'll find you! Kill you! Oh, my sweet Amber! How could you? I warned you!"

"It's okay, mom!Look!The king gave us these."Amber held up her adventurer badge."See? All official. We're the first witches circle allowed by the king. Glenda taught us."

Her mother's face went ashen."Glenda? The king? What's going on? Oh no, it's time. Just as she said..."

She looked ready to faint and Daniel moved beside her and took her arm. Amanda looked up at his face and her eyes fluttered. Daniel

grimaced at the momentary look of lust that crossed her face. He looked at Amy."Maybe we should go upstairs. Get a cup of tea or something."

"Good idea, Daniel," said Amy and she toldJasmine to lock the store door."Let's go upstairs."

A few minutes later, they sat in Amanda's small living room. Amy, Amanda, and Amber sat in the single couch facing the corner and the windows. Daniel sat in a lounging chair beside the couch. Everything in the room was covered in doilies and crocheted things. The walls were covered in cross-stitch art of flowers, cats, and dogs.

The two closed corner windows allowed the early morning light to stream through, and Daniel could already feel the summer heat rising. Dust floated and shimmered in the sunlight. The place was tidy and neat, but Daniel couldn't help but notice a small worktable in the corner loosely covered in clothes being mended. A small wooden chair was placed before the table, also covered in clothing. Daniel imagined Amanda must work

there, looking out the window to the dusty streets of Acron.

A small hallway led to where Daniel presumed the bedroom of Amanda and the childhood bedroom of Amber lay. It was a cosy apartment, but the room smelt overly strong of stale flowers and old people. And it was stifling hot, and it was still morning.

Jasmine was in the small kitchen that wasn't much more than a small alco ve off the living room. She was trying to breathe life into the small po t stove that vented out the side of the building. Then she cursed and used her magic and instead of lighting the fire she heated up the kettle. It whistled loudly, startling everyone. "Sorry. I used a bit too much juice there."

Rather than talk, everyone watched Jasmine pour hot water into the teapot and then scoop some loose tea out of a tin and toss it in. Daniel frowned at what she did. Jasmine brought over the teapot, and some chipped cups and placed them on the coffee table. Then she plunked herself right down on Daniel's lap, her arm around his neck, and looked around the room.

Amanda was eyes wide open staring at all of them."My gods," she muttered.

"It's okay, mom, really. Glenda really taught usat the Academy. With Roger, her husband. Grace Gales was there, too, with her party members Jason and Brian. I should say that Grace is the one who brought us to Whitehaven to train. But mom!"Amber bounced a little on the couch beside her mom."We passed our testing and really made a mark at the Academy. Now we're trained witches in a circle with Daniel here.” Amber looked so happy and looked to her mother with a hopeful expression.

Except Amanda didn't look pleased."You bound a spell caster and formed a circle. They'll hunt you down and kill you. Nothing else matters. No one will care. No one."

"No, mom. This is different. We are in a partywith Grace. She's the daughter of the Night fae queen. And we have a paladin and cleric of Syn with us! Syn blessed us, mom!"Amber had her mother's hands in hers."We bound Daniel in a different kind of binding."

"Different, how?"

"Well, Amy and Jasmine started it. They boundDaniel without knowing but they were already in love, you see. Then later, Daniel helped me with a curse placed on me, and then I bonded with him. Oh, and Amy's the heart, not me. I'm not right for it. But I'm the strongest, right girls? Well, except for Daniel, of course."

Amy and Jasmine nodded enthusiastically.

Amanda reached out for the teapot, but pulled her hands back when they shook violently.

Jasmine tutted."Allow me." She sat forward on Daniel's lap, causing Daniel to wince in pain, and she poured tea for everyone. Everyone could see the loose tea leaves pouring into the cups. She looked for the sweetener, saw she forgot it, and bounced back into the kitchen, causing Daniel to wince again. Daniel made a quick motion, and the tea leaves in the cups swirled out and returned to the teapot.

Amanda was staring at Daniel now. No one could mistake the look of envy that crossed her features for a brief moment.

Jasmine came back with a small honey pot and

plunked herself back down on Daniel.

"Dear, you're hurting him," scolded Amanda.

"Yup, he deserves it."

Amy grinned."He wouldn't let her sleep on him last night, said it was too hot outside."

"And that's not going to happen again, is it,love?" declared Jasmine.

Daniel shook his head."Nope."

Amanda shook her head."Are you all right, Daniel?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm just messing with her. She barely weighs anything... ooof..."Jasmine bounced hard on his lap."It's no problem at all."

Amber made a cup of tea for her mom the way she liked it and soon they all sat with hot cups, sipping. Amber sat fidgeting for a time, sipping her tea, and watching her mother. Finally, the words spilled out.

"Mom, it's time to tell me everything thathappened that day. I know about Gwydion. And all about the Witches'War!Did you know she taught us for a brief time at the Academy? She was horrible! But she's dead now. She tried to steal Daniel from us. She thought I was the heart, but it was Amy. Her spell backfired on her and killed her. She said a lot of things about my father. How you stole him away from her. Glenda said it started the witches war all those years ago.

"I really need to know everything. I was cursed,mom!I had a remnant of my father inside me that Gwydion placed there! Making me hate men!Everything was so dark all the time, but I thought it was so normal! But now, mom,I can see so clearly!Daniel freed me of the darkness. And everything seems so bright!"

Amber, urged by Amy, told the story of what happened at the Academy. Then she seemed to run out of air."What happened, mom? That night... you know the night. Please? I have to know. The truth. Tell me."

Amanda placed her cup down on the coffee table, the bottom rattling for a moment before

she let go of it. Her face had undergone several transformations listening to her daughter's words. It settled on horror."I'm not ready for this, Amber!I can't... It's too much at once. You were cursed? That's... horrible! I had no idea, Amber!Believe me!"Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her head and shook it slowly back and forth.

Amy, sitting next to Amanda, rubbed her back a little."For the strength of our circle, I must insist you tell us everything, Miss Aine. This wound has festered for far too long. Amber needs to hear everything so she can move past it. Take your time, but I'm sorry, I must insist."

Amanda gave a short laugh and half sob."That sounds like the true heart of a circle!Amber,I really thought you would be the heart if you ever formed a circle." She looked startled at her own words."Not that I wanted that for you."

Amber blushed and looked away."Well, the curse kind of messed with that. I really wanted it, but Amy is the better heart, mom. We can all feel that."

Amanda looked wistful."I remember those days

and those feelings." Then she sat up straighter and seemed to steel herself."I knew this day would come. So be it. All right, I'll explain what happened. You have a right to know, Amber, my darling daughter. You all know circles are evil. I know you say yours is different, but I have trouble believing that. You might start off that way, but the power always corrupts. My circle was made up of thirty-nine witches of varying skills. Three by thirteen, the lucky number, a perfect number. We found each other through search rituals, as was often the case back then. We grew in numbers and then started to make a difference.