Page 5 of His Queen

I don’t know what it is about her, but I can’t think of a more beautiful woman in any of the three realms. Blonde hair like spun silk, luminous blue eyes, and a small but curvy figure have me going out of my mind.

“How long do we have to stay in Alluvium?” my best friend Hayden questions the minute I walk into the cottage I rented earlier today.

“Until we find what I need.”

“Explain that to me.” He sits forward. “What are we looking for? You never told me what the Oracle said.”

Taking a seat across from him, I lay out everything I was told. “There is an age-old prophecy, one that almost no one knows about. If the High Ruler is to take an Alluvium witch as his Consort, the two realms will be bound. But the witch must be incredibly special.”

Hayden watches me closely thinking over my words before he speaks. “How special?”

“The kind of special that is only born once a century under a blood moon,” I reply with a sigh. “The Oracle told me I would find her here.”

“Well, there’s that,” he mumbles. “But what if we find her and she already has a husband? What if this witch wants nothing to do with you? What if…”

“Yes,” I grumble cutting him off. “I see all the problems that might lay ahead in this endeavor. Let’s just find her and then deal with everything else. How does that sound?”

“Fine.” Hayden crosses his arms over his chest. “How are we supposed to find one witch in less than three weeks?”

“Simple,” I say and smile. “I already have. Now, I need to get her alone so I can convince her to join me in Runic.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“I spelled the town water supply. Everyone but her will be sick come morning.” I smile at my own genius.

“Are you insane?” Hayden yells as he jumps from his seat. “You can’t poison an entire town!”

Laughter flows from deep within me. “Not poison. Just a little spell that will make it seem like they have the flu. It will only last a day.”

Hayden shakes his head as he walks away. “You really are crazy.”

“Not crazy. Just desperate.”

****

Cassandra

The café is deathly silent. Tayla called in this morning with the flu, as did her helper, Sindi. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to cope alone but not a single soul has been in since I opened two hours ago.

The strangest feeling has settled in the pit of my stomach the entire day. Worry, for not only my friends but the entire population of Bantry Bay has me on edge. After talking myself out of calling my mother for advice a hundred times already, I grab my phone to call her just as I hear the jingle of the bell above the door.

“Good morning, Cassandra,” Niko says as he enters.

Last night, I convinced myself he couldn’t have been nearly as gorgeous as I remembered. But seeing him now, I know that was a lie. The man is much better looking than I remembered and a hazard to my health.

“Niko,” I reply softly.

He looks around the empty café before making his way toward me. “Quiet today?”

Clearing my throat, I smile back at him. “Seems everyone came down with the flu or something.”

“Well, if you’re not busy, maybe you could join me for a coffee?”

I hesitate, not sure if this is a good idea.

“Please?” he asks gently.

“Sure, why not?” What’s the worst that could happen? “Same as yesterday?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com