Note: Hey guys! Happy October! I will be posting a bit more this month. It's spooky season, after all! Reviews are welcomed! (Also, I swear Cornelia will be MVP soon! lol)


Chapter Twenty

The Goodness that Grows in Lies

Will knew in her gut that dinner was going to be a clusterfuck.

There were so many moving parts with not enough resolved.

Elyon was reasonable. Once she got over the ick-factor of Will having an intimate relationship with her brother, she agreed to let Will see him unhindered. Yet, the queen side of her reminded Will one sign of Phobos trying to plot anything, it would force her to reinstate all his bonds, including staying away from the Guardians. Elyon's goal, despite what Phobos and the kingdom might think, was keeping the prince alive.

The situation deeply bothered Cornelia, because it was Phobos. If Will was shacking up with Tynar, the blond would have been far more understanding. But forgive and forget wasn't an option when he turned her best friend against her for near a year. Had been their first foe all those years ago.

Hay-Lin was the most accepting, able to feel his emotions and, to Will's delight, able to confirm his positive feelings aimed at Will. Interestingly, there was also a lot of mixed, somber emotions, but Hay-Lin wasn't sure what those were, as she tried not to pry with the reclusive prince.

Irma was going with the flow, as she punfully pointed out. Happy Will was finally in a better mood and willing to let things play out. She did point out she thought the thing between them was more 'fling' than 'courtship', and warned Will to not get to obsessed with a guy who was technically a magical war criminal.

Taranee was reluctant to voice her approval or disapproval. Just said this was Will's choice and, as long as she was safe, and Phobos was technically acting within his guidelines to not escape or hurt anyone, then they were already prying too far. As putting this much focus and attention on the two of them could make it hard for it to end naturally, or continue, with them on display for all the realms to debate over.

Will appreciated that sentiment the most.

Taranee was right.

Knowing Kandrakar was so against Will's relationship with Phobos, on top of her letting Xin Jing awaken, was making her nervous. The Oracle was vouching for her, but he was one person against the Council of Kandrakar. With members from every realm. At some point, either the Oracle got Will back in line, or they found a new holder.

Actually, there was a third option now.

Now that Xin Jing was awake and learning.

Watching them as they talked, her thoughts brushing against Will's.

Will could still make Xin Jing go, for a lack of a better term, dark for a while. She could silence the nymph's mind, putting her into a temporary sleep, as she trusted Will to wake her again.

Will found she only did so when her encounters with Phobos became more heated, as that was something she did not want an audience for.

When awake, Xin Jing was curious about everything.

Her mind was still budding, with just emotions, feelings, and one word thoughts that were barely coherent.

And, interestingly, Xin Jing liked Phobos. She didn't see him as a threat, as he had voiced his approval of Will staying connected to her and had recognized she was awake earlier than even Will. And there was something else Will couldn't quite understand, as the nymph seemed to giggle endlessly about a frog. Yet, seeing Will's own fondness for the animal, she just figured Xin Jing might show an affinity for them as well.

The group grabbed some snacks and went back to Elyon's office to continue a less heated version of their conversation, with them filling Will in on what they learned on Kandrakar. Elyon then opened up about the issues with the kingdom.

While the populace and every official faction called for Phobos' execution, most noble houses still supported him as king behind the scenes. With a few attempts already on Elyon's position and, alarmingly, life. She could only trace minor details back to each family, not enough to confirm who was behind what, but was sure of the origin of the threats.

And Will posed a new problem to them.

Metamoor's high society was more aligned with relationships pairing for power and status, strengthening magical bloodlines and hopefully tying themselves to the royal line one day. With Phobos a member of the royal family, and the only sibling born to the royal line in recorded history, a male no less, there was a new opportunity to become royalty, as the lesser status of princess was now available.

Meaning a new bloodline that could inherit the Heart of Meridian could now exist.

While Phobos didn't have a rightful claim, him having a daughter before Elyon could pose an interesting situation. He might sire an heir that could take the Heart, as it was based on the first daughter born of royal blood.

While it was only a theory at the moment, there were countless houses willing to put it to the test.

So Will openly pursuing Phobos meant one thing to the noble houses; she was competition. As Meridian didn't have a concept of dating for 'fun' and 'see were it goes' with those of high status, which included now all five Guardians.

Yet, Will had such firm support from the populace of Metamoor that there was a spark of support for Will as a member of the royal family.

"That's insanity," Will blurted out, feeling light-headed at the news.

"No, boss, it's politics," Cornelia said, looking annoyed but slightly sympathetic.

Irma chuckled and added, "Since when are those mutually exclusive?"

"I'm not trying to mar- to become a princess," Will argued, looking at Elyon, feeling a wave of desperation flood through her. She wasn't doing any of this to cause Elyon trouble. She knew that, right?

Elyon smiled lightly, eyes tight. "I know, Will. I really do. That just doesn't change how things look to, well, everybody. I can't just release a public statement that the Light of Kandrakar is just 'having fun' with the prince of Metamoor. You would lose a lot of support in all the magic based kingdoms; especially Nune-Boreal."

Will groaned. "They act like we're pop stars."

Elyon nodded. "As long as you have the support of the Oracle and the major magical kingdoms, like Meridian and Nune-Boreal, no one can force you to 'retire'."

"So," Taranee spoke up, interested in the info. Will wasn't the only one kept in the dark among W.I.T.C.H with the current state of Metamoor. Only Cornelia was up to date with everything.

While it was understandable, as Cornelia was closer with Elyon than any of them, Will still felt like they should have informed her of everything when they all were forced to holiday in Metamoor for the summer.

"If the noble houses support Phobos and the public supports Will. Them together is…" she trailed off, a deep frown on her face before asking. "Why exactly is Phobos supported by the nobles?"

Elyon sighed. "He let them rule their lands with absolutely no oversight. Every territory was basically a separate ruling state."

"Why is that so bad?" Hay-Lin asked. "If they make, like, their own mini government if they want it?"

"Magic makes it complicated," Elyon answered, sounding tired. "Without oversight, and with no accountability, far too many of those territories started abusing their power over the common folk. Nobel families tend to have magic and mage councils, which they used to keep the non-magicked in line. I'm the only authority that can challenge them. Honestly, Phobos probably left them alone because he couldn't directly challenge their combined magic, as he didn't have access to the Heart of Metamoor."

"What do you mean they were abusing people?" Hay-Lin asked, worried.

"Well, some places just hiked up taxes... others started slave trades with prisoners and those unable to pay their debts. And some…" Elyon looked away, eyes lost.

Irma gave a nervous chuckle. "Um, what's worse than slavery?"

Elyon didn't answer, and they let the question hang in the air, ominous and dark.

"Okay," Taranee said, not needing more on that topic and asked. "Have you thought of just exiling Phobos? Severing his ties to the kingdom?"

Elyon nodded. "Considering he wants the throne, and knows more about magic and spells than he would ever tell, having him away from the kingdom to plot a takeover isn't a good idea." She let out a long sigh and looked at Will. "I understand he's different with you, Will. I really do. But he's not different with me. Or Caleb. Or Meridian. Or Kandrakar. He's a risk to everyone. You understand that… right?"

Will felt a strange swirl of emotions in her chest as she answered, honestly, "Elyon, the only reason I approached him was because of you."

Elyon opened her mouth to say something, but Will pressed on.

"Because of what I now know was a lie. You told us you were treating him like a brother. That he had free rein of the castle and there had been no incidences. And your spells made him… different. Calmer. Easy to talk to."

It was true.

The more Phobos pushed at his bonds, the more she realized he was the same underneath. Their encounter earlier that day was a prime example. He was needy, demanding, and had to be in control. Hell, he stopped her from 'servicing' him because she teased him.

And it made her realized she never really knew Prince Phobos, all those years ago. Even his short time on Earth didn't show the depths of the iceberg looming beneath his frozen sea.

She had thought he was different, because he spoke gently to her. Helped her process her break-up and kept her company. Held her hand tight when that was all he could touch. Tried to tell her from the depths of his bonds he wanted her.

Did any of them know him?

Once buried under his obsession with the crown, his quest for the Heart of Meridian.

Now buried under layers of magic that both kept him alive and took away his will to live.

It was hard to forget how empty he was compared to now. Now that she knew, his gaze still had blue fire in them.

"Elyon, do you actually want to give him a second chance, like you said? Or is all this really because you don't want to kill him?" Will asked, confused. This all started with a lie, yet it was far beyond that now. She cared for him. Saw the potential in him. Had hoped his goals in life differed vastly from before.

Elyon bit her lip, looking away as she answered. "I remember several months after I was brought here… kidnapped," she corrected, the word a bitterness in the air that soured their moods more. "I was feeling lonely. I missed you guys. Even when I thought you were against me, I missed all of you every day. I went to Phobos' sitting room. It was late, and I thought he was going to get mad at me for walking around without Miranda or someone with me. But he was reading a book and…"


Phobos sighed, his peace once again disturbed by his little sister. It was far past her bedtime and they were scheduled to do some magic exercises in the morning. While he didn't give her a robust cultural education, he was giving her an honest magical one. It was helping her come into her powers sooner. And the more they surface, the greater the chance he could siphon her magic with little harm to her.

…Not that it mattered.

The day was nearing of her coronation and his plan would finally come to completion.

He was too close to stop now. Not even if the risk was now leaving a rancid taste in his mouth. Making him research other ways to possibly transfer the Heart of Meridian to him. But there was always a risk to either her or them both.

Phobos was sitting before a fireplace in a grand chair, the flames bright and healthy as they danced before them. He sat his book on the small wooden table next to him and looked over at the princess, clad in her nightdress and, unsurprisingly, barefoot.

"It is late, Elyon," Phobos said, remembering she had trouble sleeping. "Do you need assistance?"

It was far easier to help her with her needs himself than hunt down her sitters, as she often wanted him to do it anyway. Some tasks were annoyances that made him want to retreat to his chambers and not speak with another person for days. Others were… tolerable. Not something he enjoyed, but not the worse thing to deal with.

Elyon shook her head, golden, messy hair tossing with each wild movement. "No, I just…" she started, chest heaving with effort as she forced herself to speak. "I don't know. I just miss my friends. I just…" She looked down, hands rising to block the fat tears now rolling down her cheeks, trying to hide them from view. "I don't know what to do anymore."

And she ran to him, flinging her arms around him and crying into his shoulder.

There was a swell of disgust that rose in him at the contact and the display of emotion. He grabbed her by the shoulders, ready to push her away. Only his eyes went to the book at his side.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry. Eventually, she fell asleep, hiccuping and sniffling, nestled against him.

I don't know what to do anymore.

Her words hung around him as he picked up his book. Unsure for the first time in his life. But that small seed of doubt was nothing compared to the vastness of his wants, of his quest, of his purpose.

Still, something twisted in his chest.

Something that didn't belong.


"I woke up and he had fallen asleep in the chair. I looked at the book he was reading and I didn't understand what it was then." Elyon stood, walking over to her desk, and pulled an old, worn book from a drawer. She walked back over and handed it to Will.

"Protectants Against both Known and Unknown Force Magic?" While magic allowed Will to read the alien language, she was still confused at it's meaning.

Taranee was quick to understand and said, "Force magic? Like siphoning the Heart away? He was trying to… lessen the effects?"

Hay-Lin looked conflicted at the news. "So he didn't want to… hurt you?"

Cornelia sighed heavily, and said, "He almost did. He still made the choice to go through with the coronations, even knowing what could happen to her. And, like, isn't that worse? Knowing that he cared, even a little, and still did… that?" She looked at Will. "Are you really safe? With him? How can you be sure when it doesn't matter if he cares? Because we're all expendable to him, in the end."

"Hey," Irma said, voice hard. "You have spent the least amount of time with him, Cornelia." It wasn't often the water guardian was serious, so hearing her tone and using her friend's full name was enough to give her their full attention. "You also have had the most damn info yet still almost fucked everything up."

Cornelia bristled and said, "This again? I didn't-"

"Oh, shut it!" Irma snapped, angry. "I was there. You cornered him like a fucking wild dog. It was like words didn't matter. Like you weren't seeing a person. You keep arguing that he's dangerous, that he just takes and does what he wants. Well, you know what? So do you."

Cornelia looked like Irma had just slapped her across the face.

"If you think you're right, well, damned the ones in the wrong. You bulldoze over people, thinking that as long as you mean well, it's cool. But it's not. You can't claim to be better than him, but also treat people like they don't matter."

"Irma," Hay-Lin gently chided. "You know Cornelia doesn't mean it like that. She's just passionate sometimes. And she worries a lot about us."

Irma sighed, looking away towards the garden. "That's my point. She's pigheaded as hell. Just like him."

Cornelia looked pissed and defended herself as she took a step towards Irma. "Have you forgotten my sister is the fucking Light of Earth? Only I didn't try to kill her for her power? If we are so damn alike, then don't I have more insight why he can't be trusted?" she countered, eyes flashing. "Do you know how badly twisted he has to be to do what he did to Elyon? Because just the thought of harming one hair on Lilian's head for even half her power sickens me?"

Elyon looked away, eyes downcast.

Taranee spoke up, looking worried as tensions rose again. "Let's stay civil, guys. We have a lot to still go over and there is something… something else I've been meaning to mention."

That caused them all to look at her, all wanting a less heated topic.

Taranee shifted on her feet, scanning them before locking eyes with Elyon. "When Will was missing, me and Cornelia went to Phobos to heal him."

Oh, so that was what happened to his wounds? He really let Cornelia heal him? Were they that bad?

"He said something interesting."

Elyon nodded and admitted, "Cornelia told me what he said. I… I'm not sure I believe him."

"Yo, believe what?" Irma asked, annoyed at being left out again.

Taranee explained, voice raised in slight excitement, like she was figuring out a puzzle, "He said Weira made him immortal."

"What?" Will spoke up, confused again. She really wasn't liking how little she knew about… everything.

Taranee went on. "Elyon, you said the only thing that can kill him is magic from the Heart of Meridian, right? That makes sense, if the Heart of Meridian is actually feeding his healing abilities."

Elyon went still, brow drawn together as she gave a very slow nod in agreement.

"Also," Taranee said, eyes flashing, "I found his tomb."

"His what?!" they all exclaimed, shocked.

Taranee eagerly nodded, mouth pulled into a wide smile as she explained. "So he said he was already dead when Queen Weira made him immortal. Meaning it was a resurrection spell, not a longevity one. Resurrection spells require multiple elements for them to work. Nerissa took weeks to revive Cassidy even with access to the Heart of Meridian, and even then she used her connection to quintessence to do the bulk of the work." Taranee looked around, making sure they were following before she went on. "And Phobos' resurrection is imperfect. He doesn't heal properly internally, meaning his body was already decaying when he was brought back."

"Pause, girl, I need you to pause," Irma said, confused. "I'm hearing a lot of fancy talk for Phobos is a zombie. Is Will fucking a zombie?"

Will glared at Irma only for her anger to slip away as she earnestly asked, "Wait, am I?"

Taranee rolled her eyes. "Resurrection magic differs from necromancy."

"I mean… does it, really?" Irma pressed, now grinning. "I'm kinda on board with Zombie Phobos. Explains a lot."

"He's not a zombie," Will weakly defended, now unsure herself.

… Was he?

No…

But… No!

… Well… maybe

Will felt her head ache in confusion.

Taranee mumbled something under her breath, sounding exasperated, as she pushed up her glasses. Then, so they all could hear, said, "Guys, he's not a zombie! What I'm trying to explain is, since his resurrection was delayed, and tying him to the Heart would have never been approved by the Oracle, Weira had to do it in secret. His body had to be hidden away while she prepared everything."

"And you found where?" Elyon asked, voice oddly flat.

Taranee nodded. "At least I think I have. I found it written in a log for the old castle undertaker in the enchanted library. They talk about a section of catacombs that just appeared one day and… seem to disappear just as quick that fits with the timeline of things."

"And you think that it's still there, just hidden?" Elyon pressed.

"Considering how late Weira was with, um, healing Phobos, there aren't many spells that would work. And all the ones that do leave dark magic behind. She wouldn't have been able to erase the place, even if she conjured it, only seal it away." Taranee looked at Will. "Only the Heart of Kandrakar can absorb and destroy dark magic. Like it did with the Seal of Phobos."

Will nodded, remembering the rare moments Xin Jing acted on her own in the early years. "That was one of the first times Xin Jing acted on her own. She was dark for a long time after that."

Taranee looked at the Heart and said, "Until we came here? Ever since we've been in the castle, she's been 'waking' faster, right? And she's been… drawn to Phobos? Pushing you near him?"

Will froze, remembering the circlet, how Xin Jing always tracked him down, how she approved of him.

"Because of the dark magic in him?" Hay-Lin asked, trying to make sense of what Taranee was explaining.

"She's drawn to dark magic, to purify it. And she's already cleansed part of Phobos' magic with the seal. It would explain a lot if she's trying to finish what she started."

"Why would she push Will and Phobos together for that?" Irma asked. "I mean, I support the ship too, Willos for life, but that just seems like much for a magical nymph, you know."

Oddly, Hay-Lin grimaced and quickly said, "I thought we agreed on Phil? I hate Willos."

Irma shrugged. "Sure. Both are better than Wiobos." They both shuddered in horror.

Will could only stare in detached confusion as she wondered what the hell went through her friend's head sometimes.

Cornelia was looking equally perplexed as she asked, "Why not just cleanse him, then? Why… play matchmaker?"

Taranee looked to the side, guiltily, and admitted, "That was the part I couldn't figure out. I asked the Oracle, while on Kandrakar."

Cornelia snorted, annoyed. "So he could answer that, but not help us find Will? Old man needs to reassess his priorities."

"Well, he didn't give a straightforward answer. Just said dark magic can fester in people's hearts and the lights can keep it at bay. What ever that means." Taranee sighed. "Sometimes I wish there was a magic wiki, because even I'm tired of all this cryptic talk."

"So," Hay-Lin ventured, hopeful. "Light like… Light of Infinity?"

"Hold up," Will spoke up, worried. "I'm not keeping anything at 'bay'. I'm not… we're just… hanging out," she ended, weakly. Only there was something else that was now clicking in the back of her mind.

"Did the Oracle say 'lights' plural?" Will asked, and Taranee nodded. Will felt a flare of hope, not for her and Phobos, but a different, broken pair. "When Xin Jing wanted to give Phobos a gift, it was for… Elyon's sake."

Elyon's face pulled into a grimace as Will pressed on. "She wanted everyone to get along. And she was thinking of you. I had thought it was from how close you are with Cornelia. But, if she's trying too… help Phobos, then you are kind of a big part of that."

"I," Elyon started, only to stop, lost in thought before saying, "I find it hard to believe that, Will. I mean nothing to him. He hates me for even keeping him alive."

"No," Hay-Lin piped up, swallowing as she nervously confessed. "Do you remember how I said he's feeling some type of emotion I couldn't make out? I… lied. I just didn't see the point of telling you. And I wasn't sure if I should say anything at all. I don't know how I feel about him anymore. He almost feels like a… friend. And we agreed not to pry with our powers. But I still don't trust him, so I dug a little more than should have and felt… a lot of stuff. Elyon… he's… sorry."

Elyon waited, face disbelieving.

"I can't say exactly what he's sorry for. But when you are around, there is so much regret towards you and anger at himself. And…" she stopped, looking down. "I'm sorry. It's not right. I can't say anything else. Just that you both mean a lot to him and it confuses him, to care for someone other than himself. He's not a nice person… but he's not the monster I thought he was."

That was all they could manage, agreeing to stop for the day and get ready for the formal dinner, as Will's disappearance needed to be handled publicly with her seen in court.

Leaving the office, Will faced a confrontation she wasn't ready for and wanted to forget as soon as she parted from her former lover. So she wasn't surprised her next stop was the prince's room.

Where she let herself forget the bizarre weight on her shoulders. On both her and Elyon's, helping the prince overcome the darkness left in his heart, and acted normal, like she wasn't inching closer and closer to finding secrets long forgotten about him. Like she didn't know the emotions swirling in him as he captured her against the door, as he clung to her, embraced her, trusted her.

Like she didn't know what it meant as he smiled and laughed, sweetly kissing her neck, calling her name like a lover only could.

It may have started with a lie and manipulation.

A lie from Elyon. Someone she thought too sweet to ever deceive her.

Manipulation from Xin Jing. Who Will foolishly thought she was in complete control of this entire time.

But not from him.

He had been as honest as he could, pushing her away to lessen the hurt his apparent rejection caused.

Will was now seeing the man underneath the bonds and she liked him.

So, no matter the start, it was there, and she wanted to see it to it's conclusion.

Only, she didn't know that summer's end was that finish line. And there would be nothing but heartache and bloodshed in the end.