There was a dance Bonnie remembered learning about, the last one she learnt before her father decided her education was all finished. All slow movements, heavy tension until the music became faster and everything became lively, before ending just as suddenly as it began, leaving her heart thumping in her chest. A dance considered so corrupting the Church was arguing about banning it. That's what it felt like between her and Kai.

A tango.

At first, knowing he knew coloured every interaction between them with apprehension- she was treating him like a cannon that could go off at any moment. At times he stared at her with such intensity she thought he was planning on killing her, making it look like it was an accident and then lay claim to her throne. Maybe he was figuring out the best way to get her on his side.

Or maybe he had no idea at all.

Her mind was a pendulum, swinging between the thoughts, to one or the other as the explanation for any of his actions.

He held the door open for her- he must not know.

He walked behind her for a beat longer than she was comfortable with before joining her side- he was analysing the best way to stab her and make it look like she did it herself.

Nothing was too far-fetched anymore.

She spent a day hiding flinches every time he so much as smiled and by dinner time she was ready to slap herself. Slap the doubt from her bones that she couldn't handle herself if he tried anything. She couldn't help the residual fear trickle through her.

He had magic too.

She wasn't sure how strong it was but judging by what he'd accomplished with it, it was a match for her own.

Sitting down to dinner together, Donovan had smartly decided to dine with the other nobility, leaving them to each other, she felt the magic radiating from him. Now more than before. Knowing about it made it easier to sense. Ignorance worked just as well as cloaking. While he was busy with his food she decided to take a chance. Curiosity pushing her to find out just how strong he was.

Actively searching for it meant she could feel his magic more so now, careful to shroud her own so he wouldn't be able to sense her. If it did come down to a fight she wanted it to have a surprise upperhand.

She sliced into the pot pie, chewing as she skirted around the edges of his power and he ate quietly opposite her, equally drowned in thought. She was drawn towards it. Like wobbling a half attached tooth, or picking a scab over and over again. There was something instinctive and familiar, despite how crude it was. Undeniably darker than her own, she sensed a shiver crawling down her spine when she wandered too close to a tinted part of his magic- practically sucking her in- clouded from being used to upset the balance of nature.

A curse she was sure he was unaware, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting there so casually.

Around it, she drifted towards the center, much lighter than the darkness coating it. The closer she got to the heart of it the more she felt yanked, anticipating a supernatural click on impact.

As if it would just fit.

His eyes flicked up to lock onto hers before she could get any closer.

Caught snooping. He felt it the minute they sat down, an unknown entity intruding on him. On his magic, to be precise. And it's not like he was spoilt for suspects. There was only one other person in the room, barring the odd servant entering here and there. But how did she know he had magic?

Another secret dear sister Josette let slip.

The general sensation of her poking around his power wasn't something he was completely adverse to. On the contrary it actually felt sort of nice, with a homely feel to it. The closer she got to his siphoning ability the more he felt like melting ice, tight muscles falling to pieces in his shoulders. It's when she started shifting closer to his supply of borrowed magic that he couldn't allow her to continue.

Impulse forced him to take her gaze, breaking whatever concentration she needed to search his magic. She probably thought she was being smart. Sizing up his own magic while hiding her own. But what she utterly failed to think about, and would probably kick herself about later on, was that the only person who could sense a witch's magic, was another witch.

Queen Bonnie the witch.

It all started to make sense. Why everybody loved her, where her power came from- her father's mysterious death releasing her from her oath with Lucas. Technically Kai was responsible for that but he doubted she'd ever thank him. She used magic for it all.

Cheater. He wanted to sneer.

She was a cheater, just the same as him.

Here she was working with his sister, trying to bring him to "justice" for killing his family, when she was no better. Glass house and she was throwing stones.

'I was thinking that we could go for a ride after dinner.' He said, watching her release held tension- not what she was expecting him to say.

Maybe she was hoping he'd bring up his findings. Break the permeating unease between them. But he didn't. It wouldn't be polite. So instead he had his fun watching them step around their secrets as they spoke.

'It'll be a little late won't it?'

'Yes but I've heard local talk that there's going to be preparation for a lunar event.' He popped a carrot into his mouth, waiting to see how she'd wriggle out of the situation.

'Blood moon.' She corrected, covering her irritation. 'It's just a few sacrifices hung in the forest ready for the moon tomorrow.'

'Sounds enticing.'

She smiled to hide her frown. He was going to keep pushing the subject until she gave him a real reason to suspect her or she gave in and wandered through the dangerous woods with him.

'Tell you what we'll go for that ride. You can see it for yourself.'

The sudden change of mind did something to his face that she caught before he concealed. He didn't like having his games cut short, making that clear by delivering dry dinner conversation after the fact. Until he drove her to inhaling her food and cutting their meeting short, promising to meet him in the stables in an hour.

She was true enough in that. Arriving promptly, but with six other individuals. His heart sank at the extra company only to rise a little when he saw their insignia.

Royal Guards.

Figured.

She caved too quickly to actually have the intention of meeting him alone in the woods. At least their guests were bound by oath to keep to themselves. No Lord Saltzman or Lady Gilbert to interrupt their conversation.

'Shall we?' She gestured for him to get a horse before her and he stood to the side, insisting she go first instead and watching her march towards a white stallion.

'Favourite?' He asked, heading straight for his own black stead.

'We're good friends.' She replied, giving the horse a quick smile as she stroked it. Hiding it as soon as she caught him looking at her.

'Friends with a horse.' He repeated automatically, pushing away his reasons for wanting to say it.

They began their slow trot, side by side, while her guards scoured on foot, flanking them. Covered under the darkness of night with only quiet rustling giving away their position; a reticent threat from her, reminding him that she had backup.

'Where to?' He asked.

She nodded in a particular direction.

'There's a small grove nearby that would be perfect.'

'Perfect.' He patted the strings of the horse's satchel. 'Because I brought dessert.'

'You did?'

They reached the grove in no time, rustling around them becoming quieter and quieter as Bonnie assumed her guards learnt to move better.

He laid out the blanket he brought and sat down, patting the pace next to him for her to do the same. Taking some freshly baked scones and a jar of jam with a small spoon, he set them up as a barrier between them. She went for them instantly, to have something to do with her hands, while he surveyed the area. In the surrounding treeline there was nothing but pitch black, but every few spaces objects embedded in the view sparkled.

She spotted his rising curiosity and pointed deeper into the treeline for him to follow, at a distant object laced in white moonlight.

'It's one of the sacrifices.' her words came muffled as she helped herself to a bite with the other hand. 'Left in the woods by superstitious folk as an offering the night before the moon.' She said, trying her best not to sound patronising when exhibiting the underwhelming reason for dragging her butt out in the cold.

'An offering to who?' He took his first bite while she went for seconds.

'To whatever god a blood moon brings.'

'I heard these things brought demons out to play.'

'Those too.' She smirked.

There he was again. Suddenly all too close to her and eyes staring through skin. He wanted to unnerve her and it hadn't escaped his notice how many goosebumps mounted her arms that night in the kitchen. Just like that night, she blinked and he was away again. Quick enough to make her wonder whether he was ever really that close.

'But don't worry, I'll keep those away.' She joked, breaking the suspense his proximity brought.

Waiting a beat, bread to his lips, he replied so casually, 'With your magic?'

Instantly she wanted to reply with a yes matched ever so casually with his own tone. Before remembering that he wasn't supposed to know about her magic. A sheen coated his smirk as he watched her own face draw in, guarding every thought until he was left staring at a blank wall. Silence until he was forced to pry it apart if he wanted to get her to talk.

'I felt it snooping around my own. You're not really good at the whole subtlety thing.'

Silence until the doe in the headlight's look vanished from her features, dropping to grass and falling in the heap alongside crumbling bits of their charade.

'So you admit you have magic too.'

'Hah. You got me.' Sarcasm echoing through the silent forest.

'So what now? You blackmail me?'

'Blackmail? You think that little of me? I killed my family. Blackmail is a little dainty for me. Don't bother with the surprise Daddy-killer.'

She closed her mouth in response, frowning at the nickname.

'I know you know.' He explained.

'Great.' She huffed, looking more annoyed than anything. Beneath the annoyance he could have sworn he spotted the slightest relief. 'How much do you know?'

'I know that lackey of yours Enzo told you.'

'How do you know that?'

Did you see Jo? Was what she really wanted to ask without giving much away. This planned revelation included a cover-up for that. 'I heard you both squabbling in the hallway.'

Jo had this thing about her that made her impervious to people's hatred, something Kai apparently lacked. The woman constantly looked like she was in need of a hug. It also meant people were more inclined to protect Jo out of the two of them. So as long as Bonnie thought Jo was safe from him, then the more receptive she'd be.

'Okay.' She reran their argument in the hallway, satisfied that nothing she said would give away that she was working with Josette. To any onlooker, specifically Kai now she knew about his snooping, it must have sounded like Enzo was simply warning her. Bonnie thought back to the noise she'd heard as they plotted and kicked herself.

Of course Enzo never saw anyone, cloaking was a thing.

'Okay.' He echoed, finishing off the last scone before she could get to it. 'So what did you think of my magic?'

She folded her arms. 'What did I think of it? Do you want me to compare sizes?'

His ernst chuckle sounded so much more boy-ish than she expected.

'No I just meant did you notice any darkness in it?'

Kai's eyebrow arched up at the subtlest angle and she knew she was in danger. Felt the pulse beat straight to her chest.

'I'm sure you must have.' His whole head tilted towards her now. This time she was sure she wasn't imagining it. He really was close enough for her to feel his breath fanning across her cheek..

'I have you surrounded by my guards, not to mention the fact that I could take you on myself.' She warned.

'It's quiet.' He made a show of putting a hand to his ear. 'Almost as if we're all alone now.'

No sound.

There was no sound.

Her guards should have been murmuring about around them, patrolling the area.

'Don't worry it's a sleeping spell. They'll wake up in a few hours none the wiser. I'd recommend firing a few though. Sleeping on the job sends a bad message.'

'Wake them up now Kai ' She ground out stubbornly.

But even as she asked she didn't have the heart to insist. It was her brain that made her bring the guards. Her brain warning her that he was dangerous and not to be trusted. Her brain, as intelligent as it was, was entirely separate to her heart. It was her stupid heart, hammering encased in ribs, that felt curious excitement at the idea that they were finally alone again. Alone, with their secrets dwindling to a much more manageable number.

'You and I have some things to discuss first.' He replied.

'What things? You know I know, and going up against each other it would be mutually assured destruction. So there's nothing left but to end this peacefully and go inside.'

'I like the sound of that. Mutually assured destruction. What does it spell out? M-A-'

'It doesn't matter what it spells out, what it means is we don't have the luxury of ending this badly.'

'I agree which is why I propose a third option.'

'Which is?'

'I propose.'

'Propose what?'

'No that's the option. I propose and we get married.'

'And you kill me after the honeymoon? Doubtful.'

'Why would I kill you? Your people love you too much to accept my rule alone. I'd need you alive and healthy for the rest of my life if I married you.'

She faltered, allowing her to feel some of the shock, then barolling over it to head straight for accusations. How could he be the author of such heartfelt words without a lick of actual affection? What would it take to get him to feel something other than smug?

'So we get married.' She played out. 'And you don't kill me. Then what?' She said, thinking all the while of different ways to douse the grin from his lips.

'That opens us up to do whatever married people do. I imagine it's along the lines of sewing, cooking, ruling our respective Kingdoms, taking long and boring walks together- that sort of thing.' He leaned over their dessert barrier, closer to her face, lowering his voice an octave as he admired the resurfacing goosebumps. 'Of course there are other things married couples do that I haven't mentioned. Are you blushing Bon?'

'No.' She snapped, looking past his ear to focus on the rim of trees. His smirk dropped a fraction as he carried on. She didn't miss the falter.

'So what do you say?'

'I say no. In fact, I not only say no, I say hell no.'

'Blasphemour.' He grumbled. 'But I expected that. Anything other than no and I would have thought you were a naive idiot.'

'Aw, is that from your vows?'

A chuckle again and this time when he finished the smile stayed, reaching his eyes. 'You're funny for a Royal. Did your scholars teach you that?'

'That and how to say goodbye in twenty different languages. Vale.' She tried to push herself up only to drop back down as his fingers ghosted her wrist.

'Bene. How many languages can you say I do in?'

'I'm not marrying you Malachai.' She huffed.

'I bet I can change your mind.'

'How's that?'

'By proving I'm not a threat to you.' He wrapped a quick hand around the wrist he'd been hovering over, listening to her hiss at the instant burn where his fingers ringed around her pulse.

Bonnie yanked back, futily, stuck in his grip, her body crumbling under the sharp pain until he suddenly let go, leaving her light-headed and breathless to swear out.

'You're not off to a great start.' She winced, moving back from him.

'I know, I'm sorry. But that was a necessary evil. An introduction to my darkness. It's called siphoning. That's how I get my magic.'

'You could have just told me.' She circled her middle finger and the pad of her thumb around the aching, invisible ley lines on her wrist.

'Showing you makes more of an impact. Now focus.' He tapped her nose with his finger in a bid to get her attention back on him rather than her sore arm, feeling a slight twitch of guilt trying to surface before he drowned it. 'Other than instant pain what are you feeling?'

'Like I want instant revenge?' She growled weighing up whether it would be too detrimental to give him an aneurysm. But as she tried, reaching for her own well of power, she came up blank. Her mind began beating her heart for ever thinking that being alone with him would wind up in anything other than Kai revelling in her pain.

'Push beyond that- close your eyes, it'll help,' he stared her down until she did. Fully aware of her failing attempts to rejuvenate her power the whole while. 'Alright focus and describe it.'

Frowning the entire while she did, without her power she wasn't in a position to argue.

'It feels empty…' her frown now was because of the molasses curling inside her 'Kai give my magic back.' She ordered, much more sternly this time. Without her power sheltering her from mortal frailty she felt sickly, skin beginning to itch at the thought of magic.

'It'll come back. I only took a little. The rest is just hiding from shock. Give it a few minutes. It's why you feel empty.'

'Not just empty,' she kept her eyes closed, continuing the investigation without fear marring her intrigue now she knew this wasn't permanent. Hovering around the static in place of her power she shifted mentally towards it. 'It's this deep hole building up inside of me. Kind of just pulling me in-'

'-And the more you lean into it the more you feel yourself slipping. Like you don't know who you are anymore. There's just you, and this constant need to fill up that hole inside of you before your sanity falls out '

She gulped. Exactly.

That was exactly how she felt. Instead of agreeing she receded. Identifying with him too much and too quickly, she felt herself tangling between the threads of his psyche.

'Intense much?'

'Necessarily. You see my point. It feels like crap. Worse than crap. It's what a siphon feels like. What I feel like every single day.'

'You feel like crap and you want me to feel sorry for you.' Bonnie surmised, shattering the illusion that he was worth even a little sympathy.

'I wouldn't have put it exactly like that but yeah, that's the gist of what I'm trying to do here.'

'Right because if you had it your way I'd have a seven hour speech on why I should feel bad for you.' She replied, irritated at being manipulated into feeling undeserved compassion towards him.

'Do you?' He asked, dropping his cheeks to earn it.

'A little.' She arched an eyebrow 'But only because you're annoying me.'

'I'm annoying you into being sad for me? That's a new super-power.' He wiggled his fingers playfully, folding his legs under him to get more comfortable.

'Yes, use it wisely and sparingly I beg of you.'

He chuckled. Smiles unknown to either, each reflecting on the other, a sudden light through the darkness seeping from locked memories. Before being quickly shut away.

'So?' He asked after a moment passed in soft silence.

'So what?'

'So marry me please?'

'Because you said please.'

'Really?'

'No! I will not really marry you.'

'Why?'

'Because of the whole killing your family thing. And the fact that you'll most likely kill me and take over my Kingdom as soon as I have an heir.'

'Why would I do that? I need you alive. I've literally told you all the reasons why. I want to marry you Bonnie because think about it- we'd be amazing together. And I'd rather not get into it but my family had it coming.'

Great. Not only was he a killer, but he was remorseless.

'We'd be terrible. Constantly bickering and fighting, not to mention the whole I have magic and you're a siphon which means I'd be in constant threat of that. You know you'd come to resent me at some point for it as well-'

'Would not.' He replied sternly, no hint of his lighthearted banter from earlier. 'I don't hate you because you have magic and I don't. It's not as simple as that. If there's one less person in this world who doesn't have to deal with this constant curse eating away at them then I'm glad.'

Bonnie swallowed down her reply, forgetting it already. She was slipping down a dangerous slope, heading to the realisation that she had no more excuses to hold onto.

'I killed my family because I had to.' He said quieter than before. 'You of all people can understand what it means to have a crappy family. And no matter what you think, my sister wasn't blameless. She let them treat me like crap while she was loved by everyone. Maybe I went about it the wrong way Bonster,' the nickname fell naturally from his lips, 'but what's done is done. Look at my track record, you can't deny that the Kingdom is doing so much better under my rule. No one is persecuted for having a different faith anymore, literacy is on the rise and the economy is at its highest level of growth.'

'I wouldn't be marrying you as King. I'd be marrying you as a man. No matter what you say I'm still afraid of the man in front of me.'

'There's no need to be.' He crooned. 'I won't hurt you Bonnie.'

She scoffed, feeling a residual tingle in her arm. 'Hurt me and then tell me you'll never hurt me. God you'd make an amazing husband.'

'Oh say it once more, I like the way it sounds coming from your mouth.' The grin resurfaced.

'Sarcasm?'

'Husband.'

'Pass.'

'Wife?'

'You sent a letter to your father about wanting to marry me the first time you came.' She said, derailing their banter.

It was on the tip of his tongue to question where she found that knowledge- knowledge his mind had buried in the sandscape of locked thoughts- before he decided better. There was only so long they had before her guards woke up and talking had a bad habit of taking up most of their time.

'I did. I thought you were the most bea-'

'Don't lie.'

'You were my soulma-'

'Really? Are you that much of a child that you can't tell me the real reason. Or is it because the real reason is that you wanted to use me for your little coup. And when your father said no you killed him. Now you want to marry me to prove some kind of point to your dead father.'

'Whoa, hey there. That's a very long walk for a short drink of water. Why is it so hard for you to believe that as much as I want to marry for political gain, having feelings for you is an equal part of that.' The emotional groundwork he laid, for her to walk over to a simple yes I will marry you, was collapsing as she sniffed the truth.

'I'm not questioning the fact that you have feelings for me, I'm questioning what those feelings are.'

'Affection, ardour, adoration. Those are just the A's.'

'Try artifice, asinine, apollyon.'

'God,' he smiled over her chosen description of him, imagining her in her youth hunched over hundreds of books, memorising all those words. 'You're so fucking biblical.'

She watched the silent giggle slowly spread over his features, lift of his lips catching onto curving cheeks, looking down to let only the musical wheeze be any indication of amusement.

That's what she was to him, she realised. An amusement. Entertaining him with her presence and reactions all for the sake of his game. A game he was currently winning having pulled out his trump card of honesty.

'I'll marry you.'

His eyes shot up.

'If,' she added to reel him in, 'There is a clause in our marriage contract that says should I die without an heir, Alaric becomes King. And if I die with an heir then Alaric becomes regent.'

Either way he would never be King, he knew what she was really trying to do. Screw him out of the one thing she thought he wanted.

But she miscalculated.

He didn't want to be her King.

He just wanted her.

'Alright.' Kai took it as the insurance on her life she was presenting it as, taking her word completely. 'Tomorrow night we get married.'

'Tomorrow night?' She yelled. 'What's the rush?'

'Whether we get married tomorrow or in a year there's no difference. So the sooner the better and we can get on with life instead of spending ages planning and yada yada. A long engagement didn't work so well in the case of my brother.'

Because you murdered him, she wanted to say.

'Don't worry about the formalities' he continued. 'You're the Queen, I'm a King. I don't think anyone is going to say anything and if they do I doubt they'd say it to our faces. Besides, everyone will be way too happy with the union to care about missing a wedding.' All the answers to her objections wrapped in a neat bow and handed to her before she had a chance to utter them.

It was a test.

Yes, and she was trapped into marrying him.

No, and he had the confirmation he needed of Jo's attack.

Submit or die.

She took a moment, inhaling and pressing the oncoming air into her lungs as if with it, she'd receive a better third option.

'Tomorrow.' She agreed. Third options were fallacy for the trapped. 'I'll bring the contract.'

'And I will bring the romance. We'll be good together.' Under the white moon a silver glow shone over the ridges of his lips, more and more visible as he encroached. 'You'll see.'

God he looked so smug again.

She hated that look on his face. Hated the way it made her chest ache and palms warm. It made him look so invincible to the world around him. She searched for even a modicum of magic to hit him with, squeeze the smallest nerve in his brain, and came up with replenishing magic too weak to use. There had to be something she could say to wipe the look off his face. Words to bring about the smallest victory as she felt the crushing defeat of her acquiesce.

When the idea hit her, she ignored her condemning conscience and took full hold of it.

Pulled by wanting to shift their balance of power, Bonnie launched slowly forward- watching with satisfaction as the smugness turned to disbelief the closer she got- to catch his bottom lip between her own, twisting them into the cushion on impact. He let out the softest gasp for air, pleased to have his supply suddenly cut off.

Sitting side by side on the blanket, basket between them, gave him enough space for him to run his thumb across her cheek, fingers skidding up the back of her neck to grip a heavy chunk of her hair, keeping her close as his tongue pushed through wetted lips, met by her own and ready to do battle. She placed a hand on his chest to steady herself, whole body singing, sinking tentatively under the increased pressure of his face.

Layer upon layer of melting heat drew down into the pit of her stomach, sinking further the more he ran over her taste buds with his own. The hand tangled in her hair scratched down her spine, catching her shiver as it did, to cup under her thigh. With his free hand he wrapped it around the other, jolting her off his mouth as he did. Her stomach flipped when he used his grip to scoop her up, knocking over the empty basket and letting it loll onto the grass for the ants to feast on the crumbs. Her legs dangled uselessly beneath her as he dropped her onto his lap and she gripped his shoulders. Slotting her above his groin, he jerked against the sudden pressure of her grinding.

She rotated another small circle with her hips, fingers gripping the cotton of his collar, and he fumbled to trunk his hands at his side and stop from falling onto his back- brushing the jar and feeling his fingers become sticky with jam. He brought the hand back up, fingers to his lips ready to lick off the sweetness. Bonnie beat him to it, bringing his index finger to her mouth and burying it inside, smack her lips as she drew the clean fingers out.

Kai gulped, his mouth suddenly dry.

Watching her lips kiss the top of his thumb and then encase it, swirling her tongue over the pad, he moaned and she felt the material of his trousers rise.

'What's brought this on?' he mumbled, feeling her clean the last finger, the sensation pooling into his hardness. A hazy mix of arousal and suspicion as her seduction clouded over him. And the definite feeling that this had happened before. The last finger left her lips with the slightest pop and the moment it was free he used it to pull her back into him for a sloppy, slow kiss. Completely forgetting to let her reply.

Bonnie pulled back, letting the sound of their panting rest between them for a moment. 'I wanted a taste' She raked a nail over the back of his neck, clarifying 'of you.'

'Did you like the sample?'

'I might need more.'

'Might?'

She shut him up with another kiss, longer and deeper than before. When she drew away for air he pulled her back, latching onto her mouth again and taking the fresh oxygen from her lungs to punish the break. His hands fumbled around her ribs as they ran up from her hips and she felt herself starting to slip into him, losing control.

Satisfied that his smug grin wouldn't be resurfacing, she pulled away, catching his tongue for a second before release, leaving them both disappointed.

'Tomorrow.' She promised and he echoed in affirmation, looking up at her with swollen lips and messed up hair, awe under the light of the moon. She liked this look on his face, much better than any other. Kai let her stand up and leave him on the ground to collect himself. Watching as she left, he realised how much he was looking forward to tomorrow night's charade.

She was subdued on the way back to her room, walking back up the stairs with less of a bounce and blaming it on her poor choice, but planning the most restful night of sleep she'd had in a while from left over endorphins to make up for it. Her foot hit the first step of the staircase the hairs along her arm stood to attention.

Grass rising for the dead.

She continued up to the roof.

Enzo stood in the same spot as if he'd never left. This time flanked by two other individuals, only one she recognised. Jo turned to see her coming out of the door and onto the open space of the rooftop, meeting her halfway with a hug.

'You're back early, so I'm hoping it went well.' Bonnie said as she drew back, giving Jo's arm a reassuring squeeze.

'Really well,' Jo replied. 'It kind of helps when you can bend everyone to your will,' she chuckled uncomfortably, gesturing to Enzo.

'You're a Bennett.'

She looked at the speaking newcomer, about a foot taller than her, messy hair from years of neglect and a wild look pressed into a gaunt face. As tired as she looked, the electric buzz of magic poured out of her, immense power that Bonnie had never seen before.

'What's that?' Bonnie asked more in need to say something to the stranger than to actually know the answer.

'A Bennett witch,' she repeated. 'You're part of the Bennett coven.'

'Yes' Enzo replied for her, 'she is. How do you know that?'

'So was I.'

'Family reunion then. Bonnie, this is Qetsiyah.' He introduced.

Bonnie froze instantly upon hearing the name.'

'Sheila once told me a story about a witch named Qetsiyah.' It was one of the first stories she memorised by heart, enthralled by the tale. 'One of the few members to be exiled for misusing her magic.'

'Defying the laws of nature they called it. Honestly all I did was curse the two people who ruined my life. It's not like I'm the only witch to have done that.' Qetsiyah's eyes rolled as she defended herself.

Bonnie nodded slowly and decided not to argue. 'How are you here, you must be over hundreds of years old.'

'A lady doesn't like to brag about her age but yes. You are correct. And I wouldn't exactly trust the coven's biased viewpoint on what happened.'

She gawked unashamedly at the mythical figure, materialising from her bedtime stories. A wild, crazed look constantly blurred thoughts of beauty when people first looked at her but the more Bonnie stared, the prettier she became.

A legendary god in mortal flesh.

For all she was freaking out she stayed calm looking on the outside. 'Why are you here?'

'I'm asking myself that.'

'You're here for me.' Jo whined, there was an edge to her voice that hadn't been there last time they spoke. From pressures she inherited on the trip. Having an ungratefully saved witch pine to go back into incarceration added to it.

Truthfully she brought Qetsiyah along in the hopes that she'd continue mentoring her. Making her strong enough so that when she finally saw her brother he would have no chance of escaping. A thought all in itself that chilled Jo to the bone and a hope that faded with every whine from Qetsiyah.

'Jo are you okay?' Bonnie asked to smooth the edge.

'I'll be okay when I'm safe from him.'

One look at the fear and pain in her eyes when Jo thought of her brother knocked any growing affection Bonnie was starting to have for him. He was capable of doing terrible things and he lied. She looked at Jo's hurt.

He lies.

She corrected. He was lying to her about not wanting to hurt her. He had to be. There was no other reason for him to keep her alive and want her so badly.

'I'm ready to get him now.' She made to walk past Bonnie and hunt him down immediately but Bonnie put an arm out to stop her.

'He's pretty strong.'

'I know.'

'And it's not like he knows you're here. I learnt my lesson and put a cloaking spell on you all the minute I walked onto this rooftop. Which means we have the element of surprise.'

'So we surprise attack him right now.' Jo said, breathing faster than before as she hyped herself up to murder her brother.

'The element of surprise can afford to relax a bit. Recuperate.'

'Then the more time he has to find out.' She shook her head, clenching her fists as images of the abandoned bloody dining room floated to the surface of her mind.

'I'm trying to be nice about this Jo, but I'm exhausted. I need to rest. And…' Bonnie bit her lip. Ever since she'd been backed into a corner, coerced into saying she would marry him. She'd been thinking of several thousand ways to get out of it. Killing him was the obvious one but he wasn't hers to kill.

Now Jo was back and it solved the problem of who would kill him, it was just when and where they needed to fix. In the middle of the woods, all alone seemed like the perfect place. He'd already hand delivered himself on a platter for the following evening. Which meant they had time.

Time to rest and to relax and for Josette to get her head ready for murder.

'And…?' Enzo prompted at her long pause.

'And I have a plan,' she said, resolute in what she was going to do.