The woman opened the window and breathed in the fresh, slightly frosty air from the morning. After waking up, she had already managed to do a lot of things, take a bath, have breakfast and even yell at her sister, not without reason.
She again dragged her "fiancé" into the house, who did not inspire much trust or sympathy among the members of the ruling family except for Elena.
"Morgan Grave. In a luxurious jacket and with a charming smile, he stood next to his beloved and chatted about nothing. Blond hair, deep brown eyes and generally not bad looking, but not crippled by intellect. Behind the attractive appearance hid something not so good. He clearly knew how to throw dust in the eyes, and so well that he was able to turn Elena's head. A cute face, that's definitely all this guy had.
And not far from the lovers and the gathering of guests at this social evening, Anna Black-Saintwood and her respected father sat at a small round wooden table.
-What a nightmare. Keep in mind that if you find yourself a husband like that, I will disown you.- the man said quietly after turning to look at his daughter and her companion, the "bride's" father did not like the "groom".
-Okay, I won't choose blondes, besides, he'll hardly be less than forty. And that's if Crystal doesn't get her way and I don't get married.
"Then good," Santwood answered in a calm voice, taking the cup in his hand and preparing to take a sip."
Anna Black missed her father, how could she not? Once the closest person, the best relative, the best friend.
They say time heals, but the heiress of a great family did not think so. "A great family", and why is this about the Blacks and not the Santwoods. And in general, there is almost no family left there, an old palace in Cora, where her grandmother, who hates everything and everyone, and her uncle live. Risalis was like Sagewin, honest and brave Santwood brothers...
The harmony of Anna's thoughts was broken by the sound of footsteps, which became louder with each passing second. Witch hearing, you can hear more than a normal person, sometimes even too much.
-Good morning Black. I heard you are, so to speak, hunting one of your enemies.-The werewolf slowly entered the room.
"It's a stupid thing to say, of course, but yes," the brunette answered, turning around.
-And who is he, would you be so kind as to tell us?
Why would the werewolf be so interested in the killer's affairs? Either he was sucking up, or he took it upon himself to find out the secrets of the inhabitants of the Main Castle.
-Next time you listen to gossip, listen more carefully and you'll find out.
"I can offer you my help," having said these words, the brown-haired man came closer.
-Firstly, you are completely useless in this matter, and secondly, even if you could offer something worthwhile, I still would not agree.
-Why do you think I can't offer you anything?
-I don't think so, I know it.
-You know, I'm not your enemy, I could even become your friend.
False words from a lying liar.
"No, we couldn't," the brunette said before turning her back to her opponent and heading away.
"I will still help you, killer," the werewolf shouted after him, but the woman had already disappeared into the depths of the long corridors of the mysterious Main Castle.
*******
"The clearing by the Lae River was certainly Anna Black-Saintwood's favorite place to practice her sword fighting skills. Together with her father. After all, there is no better teacher than the famous warrior from the Santwood clan.
-Will we start today or will we continue to contemplate the landscapes, or as I already said, "stare at the river and trees"?
-Can't wait to get started? Then defend yourself, princess.
The singing of birds and the sound of the wind drowned out the sound of sword striking sword.
- Is it appropriate for me to defend myself? I attack.
The blows of steel against steel, over and over again, in a sense it even resembled a melody. This long-awaited fight was not that long, after all the heiress skillfully handled the sword at nineteen. You rarely see such a thing among her peers, and perhaps among her peers too.
"That was good, Anna, very good. But there's work to be done." Saintwood lowered his sword.
- It's not that I'm making excuses. It's tough when you're facing a warrior with a sword made of cursed steel.
-That makes sense, then we can exchange. - The man turned his gaze to his daughter. - Swords.
"We don't exchange swords." As she exhaled, the girl leaned her back against the tree.
-Who said?
-They don't exchange if they don't intend to give it back. Father, you said it yourself...
That sincere look made the girl realize and understand the unambiguous hint.
- No, you can't do that. The sword was made especially for you and should belong only to you.
-No? I'm starting to doubt that we're related. - The old knight's answer was a slight smile and a slightly raised eyebrow.
-Even if this sword was made especially for me, I want to give it to you as a gift. It seems to me that it was always meant to be yours and I am like a mediator here. You are suitable for each other.
-What do you mean, "come here"?
-That's what it means.
-Thank you.- She used just one word to express her gratitude, but her look replaced a thousand words.
Anna clutched the gift in her hands and realized that she had received, perhaps, the most precious gift. Precious in the material sense and unconditionally moral. That was what this sword was for Sagewin Santwood and his daughter.
-You're welcome, dear."
"Anna, wake up," the stern witch desperately snapped her fingers in front of the heiress's face.
And so, in an instant, the enchanting landscapes were replaced by the living room of the main castle.
-Oh, yes, I'm listening. What were you saying?
-I told you that you were deaf. What are you thinking about?
-About my troubled past.
-About your father, right? - Crystal bowed her head sympathetically.
"Yes." The woman's voice was calm, but a storm was raging in her heart.
An awkward silence hung between the friends, interrupted by the loud, heavy sigh of the killer.
-Okay, it's time for us to go. - The woman stood up abruptly from her chair and extended her hand to her friend.
The Crystal witch didn't feel sorry for Anna's father, she felt sorry for Anna herself. She simply had no right to feel sorry for Saintwood, for one reason only: she was Crystal. What the hell did it mean to be Crystal? Crystal was a family name, a town, a clan, a way of life.
Extract from the Chronicle
"...This happened a long time ago, somewhere around 1200-1250 years before the appearance of the Great Ones, and before me it was not recorded in the annals, so I will do it. Crystal, a city that now belongs to the clan of revenge. But once it was not like it is now. Harold Darby seized power, cutting out the entire ruling family of Crystal, with the exception of one woman, Shahi Crystal. Whom he took as a wife, naturally without her consent. Darby was a tyrant who introduced cruel laws in the city, and in his own home. In addition, Darby, being a follower of the teachings of Misso, step by step took away the rights of the women of Crystal. Up to the point that the life of a witch from a noble family was valued less than the life of a male slave, who had more rights.
Darby's tyranny lasted for four and a half years, until the moment that made the Crystal clan known as the "vengeance clan". The Shahs of Crystal killed the tyrant Harold Darby and shouted from the terrace of the Crystal Palace so loudly that her words could be heard in every corner of the city, she screamed "Death to the oppressor".
Within hours, there was no man left in the city, and Crystal was forever branded a "vengeance clan." Shahi Crystal became the head of the clan and the city, which a few weeks later the witches cast a spell on. A spell for which some even paid with their lives, a spell that would not allow a single male into the city. The Crystal witches called the city the holy land. The holy land of immortal witches. Crystal is a family name, a clan, a city, a way of life..."
Monk Cedric Walters of the monastery at the foot of the Immortal Mountains.
******
Black and Crystal left the Main Castle and headed for the carriage. Now they were heading to Doar, one of the four parts of the capital. Iris, Doar, Kona and Siava were the names of the parts of the city of the Witch's Domain. And they needed to go there for one simple reason: a relic of the Black family, the moon dagger, was kept in one temple there. And here's the question: why the hell drag themselves so far for the moon dagger, if Anna Black has such a weapon as "damned justice"? This same question had been tormenting the stern witch since she learned about the trip and was accidentally invited.
-I still can't understand why you need a moon dagger if you have a sword, and such a sword at that?
-I don't want to stain it with Coldwein's blood.
A very interesting excuse, considering that staining the sword with Coldwain's blood was the right thing to do. After all, the sword belonged to her father, and her father had asked her to kill Coldwain.
-And what about all this talk about "And let this sword sprinkle the blood of my enemies"?
- Crystal, I have reasons, and I have already named one of them. - The answer, of course, was not very sharp, but still forced the stern witch to stop asking questions.
It is strange that the killer did not want to share her thoughts with practically the closest person, that is, the witch. Strange? And this, perhaps, suggests an idea.
"So where is Coldwein now?" asked the Crystal Witch as soon as the friends got into the carriage.
-Remember the Castle of Darkness?
-Yes. But if I'm not mistaken, now instead of a castle there are some cute little ruins.
-Yes, that's right. And just yesterday Lord Rhoyne managed to sell these nice little ruins to Coldvayne.
- Probably, like you, she loves antiques, or rather, outright old stuff. - said the stern witch, playing with her eyebrows at the same time.
- Crystal, stop it. - Black rolled her eyes dramatically.
-Okay, don't freak out, everyone has their own cockroaches in their head.
-Yeah.
-Especially those who are attracted to men who look sixty.
- Crystal, - the woman tried for the second time to stop the discussion about tastes.
-What?- the witch was surprised as if nothing had happened.
-Let's drop this topic for now.
-But only temporarily. You understand, I can't hold back my sarcasm for too long.
-You know what's weird?
-And what then?
-Koldvain showed up at the ball, bought some ruins, which, by the way, are worth a fortune due to their historical value. He doesn't hide at all, even the opposite.
-Maybe he's a suicide.
-Oh Great Ones! - such a sudden reaction was caused by the memory of a recent conversation.
-What has already happened?
- Yes, I just remembered something.
"It's unlikely that a member of the ruling family from thousands of miles away would show up at the Witches' Landing and say, 'Anna Black, kill me.'"
-I hope the part about Verin doesn't come true.
-What, what? - Grace heard perfectly well what Anna said, but she didn't understand the meaning of it.
-There is nothing.
Black knew that if she said what she was thinking, her friend's sarcasm and jokes would be unstoppable.
****
While Black and Crystal were heading to Doar, the one who every civilized person was filled with hatred for, the dog, remained in the Main Castle. The man sat down at the table and took a pen in his hand and began to write. To write a message to his masters, which he naturally would not deliver through Charlene.
"Maurice, I greet you. I am sending you a message after the negotiations with the witches and ask you to pass it on to Alpha. The negotiations were unsuccessful and not serious, what else could you expect from a bunch of slow women who rule the kingdom. Nerys, I think, said that she will not allow tolerance for our culture in these lands. However, when everything happens, no one will ask her. After the negotiations, her granddaughter Anna Black threatened me, using the sword "damned justice. This bitch thinks that she was able to scare me, but she only showed that she has a valuable weapon. I liked this girl and, if you do not object after our victory, I would take her for myself, although for what she did she should be executed. Otherwise, I can only say one thing, everything is as we expected, a crazy old woman in power, and next to her a bunch of weak aristocrats. Victory will be ours.
Sincerely, Harris Shade."
****
The ancient temple of Lakon, immersed in a mystical fog in the depths of the forest on the outskirts of Doar. Its stone walls were covered with ivy, which slightly hid the runes, which seemed to emit a slight light. The air was filled with the scent of earth after the recent rain, and only the whisper of the wind broke the oppressive silence.
"Here we are," said the woman, opening the carriage door and stepping onto the wet ground.
-Yeah, who the hell knows where. - muttered the stern witch, leaving the carriage after her friend.
-There is such an atmosphere here...
-Terrible.
- Crystal, I can't understand why you're so irritable today?
"I don't know, it's a five-hour drag to the middle of nowhere…" Crystal was about to start her old song about the inconvenience of the trip, but was interrupted.
-I wonder why you agreed to go then?
"And I'm worried about you," the witch came closer to her interlocutor and spoke a little more quietly. "I want to be close."
-Yes? So be it, friend. - Black somehow held back her laughter and managed to keep a serious face.
But after a few seconds, the women could no longer hold back their laughter.
-Let's go, my love.
Black knocked on the stone door and it opened, revealing a pale, tired male face.
-What do you mean? - the man said monotonously.
"Who are you and why have you come?" - translation from Yaorin.
-Anna Mary Black-Santwood.
-Grace Crystal.
-Li ba nisse ka, zaan qui liara lixarei. Koun adeo.
"I have come to take what belongs to my family. The Moon Dagger." - translation from Yaorin.
-Ru enia lin?
"How will you prove yourself?" - translation from Yaorin.
Anna tore the vein on her wrist with her teeth and six drops of blood fell on the temple step. And as soon as Black's blood touched the step of the nightstone, runes began to appear. Runes that hid the answer to the question of "Is Black really standing on the threshold of the sacred temple of Lacon?" The wound on Anna's hand instantly healed.
-Bano.
"Pass" - translation from Yaorin.
A not very friendly man, dressed poorly and grey, opened the door and the witches entered the ancient temple. To be honest, it looked no better from the inside than from the outside. Dusty, old, forgotten.
Light barely seeped through the small windows, and only torches properly illuminated the temple. Stone shelves with ancient, tattered books and forgotten relics of vanished families.
This was not what interested the murderer and her faithful friend here, the man led the witches down the half-ruined stairs. And here they were, two steps away from the pedestal where the moon dagger lay alone. And around it, a dome of blue light sparkled, the eternal guard of the eternal relic.
One Black once cast a protection, and another Black will remove it. It's time for Anna to show off her knowledge of magic, and the ancient witch language of Yaorin too.
The woman came closer to the pedestal and, turning her palms towards the dagger, began to whisper spells. Thoughtfully and confidently, pronouncing each word with steel in her voice, like a true witch from the great Black family. Just like her noble grandmother Nerissa a thousand years ago. The dome of light around the dagger began to sparkle red, black, green and yellow... and finally disappeared completely.
"Did it work?" asked the stern witch standing near the heiress.
-Yes, it worked. - Anna took the weapon in her hand and pulled the dagger out of its sheath.
This shining blade was inscribed with runes thousands of years ago. The Moon Dagger has been cursed and illuminated by hundreds of witches and sorcerers of the Moonlands, and has killed vampires, mages, mermaids, demons, and werewolves. It is imbued with hatred, betrayal, and enmity. The most valuable weapon that once belonged to the Black family.
"It's time to return to Kona, Crystal," Anna turned her head to her companion, "to return and fulfill her duty."
****
The killer stood at the threshold of Castle Dark. At the threshold of freedom from debt. And now this moment had come, the moment when Anna Black-Saintwood would fulfill the oath she had given to her father. She felt such a mixed feeling, it was hard to even describe. Pride, confidence, sadness for her father, a sense of victory, and something else, something strange. Something incomprehensible, and so new. How can I describe it… I probably won't succeed, there aren't enough words.
Just one step forward and here is victory, here it is right here and now. In the life of Anna Black-Saintwood there were many empty promises and lies, many empty lies, but this oath, this oath was as if woven from the grains of honesty that remained in the killer.
An oath will always be higher than a simple promise. Balancing between lies and truth, Anna Black-Saintwood lived, lived or maybe just existed.
The Blacks and the Saintwoods, a stronghold of immorality and cruelty, but also of some righteousness and compassion. The two most contradictory families in the world, and the killer was an heir to both. What is truth? What is a lie? The truth exposes the wounds inflicted by lies, and lies will heal the soul after the nightmarish truth. If only we could not lose the line between them.
Be that as it may, today would change a lot, Anna thought so, she knew it.
The woman stepped over the threshold of the ruins of the Dark Castle. Walking along a half-ruined corridor, she found herself in a large hall, which must have once been a ballroom. Once upon a time, ladies and gentlemen danced here, exquisite music played, and someone got drunk to the point of losing their memory.
But now the only reminders of the old days were the worn, faded carpets, the once luxurious furniture that had fallen apart, and the scattered chandeliers. A huge hole in the ceiling and crumbling walls of black stone, the ruins remained in place of what was once one of the most beautiful castles in the kingdom.
And why did Coldwein buy it? Anna left the hall and began to wander through the ruins of the castle, looking for the one she was supposed to kill. But she couldn't find him. Making her way carefully, like a wild cat, she seemed to barely breathe. Her excessive caution, however, did not help her in her search. Entering another half-ruined room, the witch looked around and finally, during her entire search, said loudly:
-Koldwine? - the woman kept looking around, waiting for her victim to appear.
-Yes, princess. Good evening to you. - a voice was heard from somewhere, only Black couldn't understand from which side.
"Greetings," the killer said emotionlessly, she recognized the voice, the voice of the same stranger with whom she danced at the ball.
-What did you come for? To the ball, - she asked and turned around sharply, thinking that Coldwein was behind her, but he was not there.
-When I found out that they wanted to kill me, I thought I should meet the killer. Face to face. - a second and the man appeared right in front of her.
-Face to face then... Just out of curiosity, why did you start dancing?
-I think I already said it, at that very ball. Don't you remember? - the brunette came a little closer.
-Yes, I seem to remember.- The woman instantly pulled out a dagger and plunged it into Coldwain's heart, he didn't even resist. But why would he need it?
-Something clearly went wrong, huh? - the brunette slightly raised his eyebrows and smiled, before casually pulling out the dagger in one sharp movement.
His fresh wound healed instantly, a common practice for someone like him, or rather even for people like them, witches and vampires, demons. But unusually for a moon dagger, any creature would say goodbye to life from it, well, and death too. Apparently, events are not developing at all as expected.
- What are you talking about? - the killer snatched the weapon of "under-murder" from the hand of the man standing nearby and thrust the dagger again, only this time a little to the left.
I wonder why she thought it would work a second time? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
-Listen, of course, nothing will happen to me, and it's not that I'm complaining, but the sensations are not pleasant," the man said, pulling the dagger out of his chest for the second time.
- Didn't I get it? - Anna slightly narrowed her eyes, asking.
Quite an unusual conversation, too calm.
- No, why not, it hit, both times. - Coldwein gave the dagger to its owner. Either he liked the feeling of a dagger in his heart, or he was just a complete idiot, or... something else.
"Nightmare," the woman shook her head slightly.
There was only one thought spinning in her head, "Either stall for time and run away, or bravely accept my death. I'll be resurrected anyway." And yes, the ring of Tearey on the hand of Neryss, the head of the family, would bring every dead Black back to life. While Neryss was alive, all the Blacks were alive. Let it be better to bravely die and be resurrected than to run away like a coward, there was no third option. The woman did not have a sword with her, she did not want to take it with her, only the moon dagger. Killing Coldwain, no matter how important it was for fulfilling her oath, did not seem to her a worthy way to use such a valuable weapon. However, the moon dagger is much more powerful than the Cursed Justice. So even if she had the sword now, it would be completely useless.
-Exactly. - Oddly enough, the man was calm, especially for someone who had to pull a dagger out of his heart twice.
-Are you here for long? - the woman meant the castle and the capital too.
Since he will kill her, but she will rise again, extra information will not hurt.
-The castle is okay, not bad and the city is full of secrets, so yes, I'll stay longer.
- Just a little leak in the roof? - the woman said sarcastically, hinting at the Gothic and slightly ancient castle ruins.
-A little repair wouldn't hurt, - the man adopted a calm tone of conversation.
-Yes.
-Besides, these are not all the reasons.
-Is it true?
- True. You came to talk, I thought not?
-No, I came to kill you.
-I don't think you succeeded much.
"Do you think I don't know?" Black asked, smiling a little.
-So why are you still here, Anna Black?
- I'll answer a question with a question, but still. I tried to kill you twice, and you stand there and calmly talk to me, what's the matter?
-Did you decide that I would kill you? - the vampire tried to keep his voice even, but some sensuality was breaking through.
-But isn't it? - the witch sounded completely confident, her voice didn't tremble.
Coldwein looked meaningfully at the killer, and then put his cold palm on her shoulder. The woman raised her eyebrows questioningly, but before she could understand anything, she found herself in... in her living room, hearing only one word in her head: "No."
*****
She left Castle Dark without fulfilling her oath and without giving her life. It's strange when the one you're trying to kill reacts so calmly and peacefully, and does nothing to you. He could have killed her. At the ball too, he could have, but he didn't.
Why then? Why did he approach her at the ball and start dancing, why didn't he tell her his name? And did Coldwein himself know the answer to this question?
Yes...yes, he definitely knew, he had understood it all perfectly well back at that damned ball. Standing on the half-ruined terrace of the Dark Castle and smoking a cigar, he thought about her and about what he had realized about himself.
He realized that he was in deep trouble, more than ever, it was still tough when the woman he loved at first sight wanted him dead. Oh, he loved her, at first sight and from the first words they said to each other. Her voice, her appearance, her imperious nature made Coldwain go crazy. He saw her twice, one of which was when Black tried to kill him.
"It's probably impossible to love a person at first sight," Coldwein thought so all his life, perhaps it was for such skepticism that fate presented him with such a gift. Impossible... he loved her more than it was possible to love. Or maybe it was a crazy sympathy, an intoxicating obsession, or maybe a thirst for forbidden passion. No way, this love was just love, forbidden, suffocating and, probably, unrequited. Unrequited for sure, Anna Black wants to kill him, to fulfill her oath, and he, like the last idiot, fell in love with her.
"It seems that events are taking an unexpected turn," the man said heavily, exhaling smoke.
It certainly won't be easy for him now. His own killer has penetrated his frozen old vampire heart.
As for Anna Black-Saintwood, she had hoped tonight would change a lot, and it did.
****
The inhabitants of the Witch's Domain have long since greeted the dawn, which brought with it new problems.
"You understand that all Morgan has is good looks," the killer screamed, standing in the middle of the living room.
- Stop it! Why do you keep slandering him? Can't you just be happy for us?
Elena, with her hands on her hips, could not abandon the hopeless task of proving to her sister, mother and grandmother that her newly-made fiancé was guided by purely good intentions.
- Be happy for you? For the fact that he is using you?
-He doesn't use me, he loves me. I know that. I believe him.
-You are young and naive, Elena, Grave has fooled you, and you are happy.
-Don't talk to me like that, I'm not a child.
-Yes, you are not a child, but you behave like one. I am not trying to hurt you, I want to protect you. It is a pity that you do not understand this.
-Protect yourself, Anna. I have found my happiness. - The blonde headed for the door, but stopped at the last moment. - Or maybe you are just jealous? As long as I show you attention only because of your position and gold, you will probably see deception everywhere.
The door creaked shut behind Elena, and it was possible that the door separating the Black Saintwood sisters also closed at that moment.
-What the hell? Are we really going to let her go? - Billean turned to her daughter.
-If we don't let her go, she'll run away with him and hate us. - The brunette lit a cigarette and continued:
-Well, let him blame himself.
****
Grave spoke to the coachman while nearby servants, under the direction of Billean, loaded the carriage, and nearby stood Anna Black and her wayward sister.
-I'm sorry, for, well, for what I said then.
-It's okay, I know you did it in the heat of the moment, - the woman sighed heavily. - I'm happy for you, sister.
-Really, you don't mind? - there was hope in his voice.
"Yes, I don't mind," sounded as truthful as Anna could say it.
She could masterfully lie to anyone and anytime, but now it seemed she had lost this sinful skill. Even though it didn't sound very convincing, for Elena it was quite enough.
They gave each other sincere glances, one full of happiness, the other of regret.
Elena got into the carriage. The coachman touched the reins, and the carriage moved off, from that moment on a new beginning, the beginning of the end, awaited Elena Black. Pressing herself against her lover, she rightly thought that she had won the battle for her happiness, it was a pity that when she realized that she had actually lost, it would be too late.
"Make your mistakes if you want, sister," the killer said, exhaling cigarette smoke.
Anna would have locked her in the palace, tied her up, forced her with a spell... But it made no sense, her blonde sister would have run away anyway. Anna may have been too harsh on Elena sometimes, but she loved her. She loved her and wished her all the best in life, but Elena didn't understand it or didn't want to understand it. It's hard, hard when the connection breaks down. But as one philosopher said, "Somewhere there's a loss, and somewhere there's a gain."