The Ether Witch

Gently shaking Luca awake, Tam sat on the edge of the bed in the quiet room with Eli standing at his back.

The birds outside were only just starting to chirp and the sky had barely lightened…

“Mm?” Luca murmured groggily.

“Luca,” Tam whispered. “We need to leave now, alright? We’re getting on a boat.”

“Mmwhat? Boat…? Again…? Sleep… I just… Food?”

Despite the precarious situation they were in, Tam couldn’t help but smile as Luca struggled to rejoin the land of the waking.

So, with a glance at Eli over his shoulder who wore a similar expression, he scooped Luca up in his arms, and pushed himself up to standing.

“You have his coat? Or a blanket?” Tam asked softly.

Eli nodded, lifting the black coat in her arms that had been fitted for Luca.

Tam gave a half smile in appreciation, then, with his free arm, he reached out and grasped Eli’s hand, and gently guided her from the room to outside where Haewon waited. The housekeeper’s long hair was for once not styled into a bun at the back of her head, but in a long braid that was draped over her shoulder, as she still only wore her robe and nightshift underneath that.

“I am sorry to hear that family matters have called you away, Mr. and Mrs. Voll.” The housekeeper bowed dutifully.

Tam bobbed his head in acknowledgment. “Thank you for all of your attention and diligence to us during our stay.”

Haewon lowered her chin in a dignified manner. “I will alert Luca’s tutor that he will no longer be requiring his lessons.”

From his sleepy spot on Tam’s shoulder, Luca suddenly mumbled. “I carried… the two… no, it’s not three… Not the cabbage. Please not… cabbage…”

Even Haewon wasn’t immune to the bit of humor to the child’s incoherent sleep mumblings as she worked to suppress the smile on her face.

“Thank you again,” Eli said politely.

Tam lowered his head once more in thanks, and then they proceeded to the front of the house, and down the steps to the front courtyard doors where Jeong was waiting with a carriage to take them to the docks.

Bong was still collapsed and fast asleep by the table where Tam had left him.

Tam wished he could’ve said a proper goodbye, but knew there was no chance of waking the man– he had tried and failed too many times before on previous nights.

As they climbed into the carriage, Eli was the one to pound the ceiling, alerting Jeong they were ready.

“I instructed Haewon to ship the rest of your books later today,” she explained as Tam adjusted Luca so that he was slumped at his side, with his father’s arm around him.

“Thank you,” Tam said with a smile directed at Eli in the faintest of lights that ebbed in through the gauzy curtains. The smell of morning dew hung thick in the air. “How’re you feeling?”

“Glad.”

Tam’s eyebrows drifted upward in surprise.

“I worried you would be like your sister, Her Majesty, and want to stay behind and find a way to fight everything on your own,” Eli expounded bluntly.

Tam laughed quietly and shook his head. “I can’t take down a dragon, widespread corruption, and the daughter of the Gods on my own. I’m not Kraken or Pina.”

Eli tilted her head in serious acknowledgment of the two familiars. The one belonging to the Daxarian queen, Piña Colada, or simply Pina, was known to have a way with the hearts of people to the point where it bordered on obsession. While Finlay Ashowan’s own familiar, Kraken, somehow managed to rule the beasts he came across and had long ago dubbed himself emperor. Though the extent of his command when it came to the human realm was murky at best.

“Knowing your family legacy, you’ll wind up with the dragon as your familiar,” Eli scoffed while being only partially serious, and leaning forward to glance at Luca who somehow remained deep asleep.

Tam released a sigh mixed with a laugh and shook his head.

“And how are you feeling about… Other matters…?” he ventured carefully, while noticing Eli had not pulled her hand free from his with no small amount of gladness.

Her grip on his hand tensed, and Tam could tell she wanted to fidget.

“I’m… nervous.”

Tam raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. “You didn’t say that you’re horrified, so I’m tentatively optimistic.”

Eli slid a flat expression his way, then gave her head a shake. “Can you please promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“That’s ridiculous. Don’t say that kind of romantic garbage that has no meaning.”

“You know, most people who say that sort of thing, say it to convey the gravity of their feelings. I’ll have you know that is not why I said it.”

Eli scoffed. “Oh?”

“I said I’d promise you anything because I will promise you anything.”

“What if I asked you to kill someone?”

“Depends who it is.”

“See?”

“And who do you want me to kill?” Tam asked interestedly while flashing her that mischievous smile of his.

Eli’s eyes narrowed.

Tam laughed before persisting. “What is it you wanted me to promise?”

“Promise me you won’t tell Luca about us until I say it’s alright.”

Tam’s good humor faded from his face, and he lowered his chin seriously. “Of course. Whenever you’re ready, we can tell him. I have a question of my own though.”

“What?” Eli managed without masking her suspicion.

“Well now I’d like to ask why you seem so suspicious of me, but we’ll circle back to that.”

Eli rolled her eyes at his jest.

“How do you want us to be in Daxaria? And at night? And do you want to still be my assistant? Knowing you, I’m assuming so, but I’d just like to know what your thoughts are and your boundaries.”

An indescribable look filled Eli’s face as her eyes widened and she turned to stare ahead of herself. “Good Gods, how the hell anyone didn’t get romantically attached to you beforehand I’ll never understand.”

“I want to take that as a compliment, but I know with you I should double check.”

“It is a compliment. Just… Anyway,” Eli shook herself free of her amazement. “I want to continue being your assistant, and for the time being, I’d like our relationship to remain private between the two of us.”

“And the sleeping arrangement…?” Tam wondered with a mild tone that he paired excellently with an innocent expression.

“We should most likely only keep sharing a bed to keep up the facade of us being a married couple until Daxaria.”

Tam nodded reasonably, though the playful shine in his eyes shifted to one of a very different nature when he looked back at Eli.

“You’re going to have to be very clear about what you are and are not alright with when I’m in your bed. And if you can’t be? I’ll sleep on the floor.”

At first Eli blushed scarlet, but then let out a breathy laugh of disbelief. “Honestly… It is baffling that you are unmarried with your respectful charm…”

“I think my dear son’s presence does continue to serve as proof I’m not quite as pure as fresh snow as you seem to think I am,” Tam reminded wryly.

Eli opened her mouth to say something but was forced to stop when the carriage halted. Both Tam and Eli glanced out the window and discovered that they had successfully made it to the harbor.

The two once again remembered that they were about to try and sneak out of Zinfera and report back to the Daxarian monarchy that there were serious threats present, which snapped them free of their flirting.

Fortunately by this point, Luca was lifting his head up, and blinking dazedly around himself.

“Wh- Where are we?” He sat up straighter, his head turning every which way right before the carriage door opened and Jeong appeared.

“Ah! Good morning Luca!” Jeong greeted with a smile, his eyes darting briefly to Tam and Eli.

Tam gently touched Luca’s back drawing his son’s gaze. “Luca… We need to go back to Daxaria. I have an important message for my family that I have to deliver.”

Luca’s face tensed in panic. “W-Why?”

Wincing a little, Tam rested his hand on Luca’s shoulder. “Because it is a really important message.”

The young boy slumped forward but held Tam’s gaze. “Are Bong and Jeong coming too?”

Behind Luca, Jeong’s hand rose up to clutch his chest out of emotion as he stared at the boy.

“I’m sorry, but they can’t. We’ll see them again though. I promise.”

Luca’s eyes welled up, but he blinked furiously while trying to keep them at bay.

He then swung around, and upon seeing Jeong, crumbled into a sob before throwing his slim arms around Jeong’s neck.

Caught off guard momentarily by the suddenness, Jeong’s beefy arms encircled the young boy and he began gently patting his back.

“I’ll miss you too, Luca, but we’ll see each other again, just as your father says.”

“You were my first real friend,” Luca croaked as he continued clutching onto Jeong.

Jeong blinked, his bloodshot eyes looking suspiciously wet.

Tam and Eli decided to not hurry them and exited from the other side of the carriage, and came round the back of the vehicle while noting the scant number of people milling about the docks that were coated in moisture with a thick fog whirling around the hulls of the ships a foot or so off the ground.

Upon approaching Jeong who was murmuring comforting words to Luca, Tam was forced to interrupt.

“Which ship is ours?”

Jeong gave Luca a final mussing of hair before stepping back and nodding down the line of ships toward one that had a figurehead sea serpent carved in her bow that could be seen thanks to the braziers that were still lit along the dock edge.

“That one there. The captain was out drinking with Bong and I last night, but his first mate will be the one casting off this morning. They should be here soon,” Jeong’s eyes drifted up toward the quiet decks while Tam did the same in the hopes of seeing someone that would lower the gangplank for them to climb aboard.

“My lord,” Eli whispered quietly while gently tugging on Tam’s sleeve.

“Mm?” he asked with a frown as he observed how oddly quiet it was, but then reasoned to himself that the drizzly weather was most likely delaying most of the ships from leaving.

“Something is wrong.”

The future duke turned to look down at Eli who was peering into the shadows with still alertness.

“What is it?”

“I keep seeing men drifting closer, and–”

“They’re over there as well,” Jeong interrupted as he glanced over his shoulder behind them.

Tam turned and spotted four men casually meandering closer to them.

“Four on this side as well,” Eli whispered while inching backward toward the carriage.

“There might be more on the other side of the carriage…” Tam speculated softly, his senses prickling. “Luca, get out here right now.”

The sharpness in his father’s tone had the boy springing from his seat to Tam’s side.

“Luca, I want you to climb under the carriage, and lay under there in the middle. If someone that isn’t myself, Jeong, or Eli tries to grab you, scream.”

Luca’s eyes rounded, and he turned his head to try and see what threat was making his father give such a frightening order, but Tam knelt down in front of Luca, filling his vision and resting his hands on his shoulders.

“Don’t look, Luca. Alright? Do you promise?”

Behind Luca, Jeong undid the tie of his green coat, and tossed it into the carriage while rolling his shoulders.

Tam could feel Luca starting to tremble.

So he pulled his son into a hug, waited for him to nod, and then watched as Luca sank down onto his belly and crawled under the carriage.

Tam stood and stripped off his coat and tossed it into the carriage as well in anticipation of a fight.

“Eli, do you need to be under the carriage with him?” Tam asked evenly as he stepped over to stand back to back with Jeong.

“Who would have ordered this?” she responded with instead, the hushed dread in her voice threaded with a rasp of dread.

“We’ll keep one alive and ask them,” Jeong replied with surprising ferocity.

“My money is on your brother’s assistant,” Tam speculated grimly while pulling his daggers from their sheaths at his back. “I wouldn’t put it past him to have us followed.”

“But why–”

“Chul wants to name any son you have as the next heir to the Nam household.”

Eli rounded on Tam instantly. “What? Who told you that?” The warning note in her voice was not lost on Tam, but he was a mite fixated on the men drawing closer to them that were near enough for him to see that they were all Zinferan…

But then Tam noticed that one had the peculiar physical characteristic of black nails…

“Damnit,” Tam breathed and flipped the blade in his hand. “Witches.”

Eli’s tentative anger toward Tam morphed to shock. “What?”

“The safest thing might be to reveal my identity,” he explained quickly. “Even if they are in the pocket of the first witch, to attack me is to start a war with the Coven of Wittica.”

“Then she’ll know you’re here,” Eli argued, her voice mounting in volume.

“I know. But we need to survive this.”

Eli fully faced Tam, desperation bright in her eyes. “We’ll be fine! You’re capable and-”

A flame erupted in the palm of one of the Zinferan’s that stood in front of Tam.

The fire witch smiled excitedly while revealing flashing gold teeth.

However, it was a man wearing a fine, dark blue coat that Tam could see on the right in the light of the fire witch’s flames that spoke first.

“By the authority of the Coven of Giong, I hereby arrest you, Mister Joe Voll, under suspicion of your identity being Satan, son of the Gods.”

Tam’s stomach plummeted.

While he had already known things weren’t good, he hadn’t known they were going to take quite as dramatic of a nose dive.

Well… Shit.