The Devil's Cursed Witch

Ember walked further inside from the entrance as she tried to identify that particular pull she was feeling. Along with that, her gaze observed the interiors of that drawing room which was more like a throne hall of the queen. Huge glass windows allowed one to see the outside but that was mostly fog out there.

In the center of that empty circular hall, there was a short, stony, well carved pillar-like platform which had a big, circular, flat metal container. Ember walked towards it and found it had water and there were the Camellia flowers floating on it. The same flowers which covered most of the outside garden and made it look beautiful.

"These flowers have been here for more than a century now. They are still the same as on the day Her Eminence left them," Cornelia infomed as she saw Ember looking at the flowers.

"For more than a century? How can that be…Won't they…" Ember stopped as she realized something. In this kingdom, with the help of magic everything could be possible.

As if Cornelia guessed her thoughts, she answered, "You are right, Miss. It's because of a magic spell."

"The pull I felt is coming from these flowers," Ember commented as she wondered what it was for.

"From these flowers?" Cornelia mumbled and then explained as she thought about something. "I don't know why Her Eminence did it but she had put a part of her powers in these flowers. Either she loved these flowers so much and wished them to be the same in her absence or she wished to leave something as a mark of her presence, as a sign that this place belonged to her or once she lived here."

When Cornelia was explaining, Ember happened to touch one flower on an instinct. The moment she did it, she felt as if she knew that energy which was flowing in that flower.

"So familiar. Such a comforting warmth. I feel like I know this."

Cornelia and Erlos simply observed her as they heard what she said. She put her palm under one flower to lift it out of the water but just then something snapped and Amber heard some voices.

'What is it?' Her hand froze in a place.

She closed her eyes and focussed on it. Her brows knitted and furrowed likened appeared on her forehead as she held that flower in her hand. Her other hand resting on that metal container, held its border tightly.

Erlos thought something was not right, "Miss…."

But Corenlia held his arm and shook her head lightly, asking him to not disturb her. Erlos listened to her and stayed quiet.

Cornelia didn't know what was happening but knowing their Queen and her powers, she was sure it would not harm Ember.

​ Ember continued to focus on those voices.

"Eavnthe, please help me."

"What happened, —?"

"I—am scared, Evanthe."

'This voice? It's the voice of that green eyed woman. And who is this Evanthe?' Ember tried to understand but at the same time she once again started to feel emotional because of that green-eyed woman. 'This woman Evanthe called that Green-eyed woman's name but why couldn't I hear it?'

"I am scared of the powers I possess. I feel like I am getting pulled into an abyss of darkness. It's scary. I—can't handle it. I am losing myself," the green-eyed woman cried with sobs.

"No one could possess it, not even the deities stronger than you. But only you could control it and posses it. That means you are the one who can control it and rule it. If not for you, everything would have been destroyed. You are strong and you have to be strong, —"

"But this power is destroying me. It's consuming me slowly. Instead of me controlling it, it has started to control me. I worry....I worry one day I will destroy everything. I can not handle it. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't. Trust me. Sierra And I are always there to help you and protect you. You will be fine, —"

"I—" she continued to sob, not being able to say anything.

"Don't cry, —"

Ember also started to cry with her eyes still closed as she continued to hear that conversation. At the end of conversation Evanthe once again called that green-eyed woman's name but Ember could not get it.

Ember finally opened her teary eyes and looked at that flower in her hand. "Evanthe!" she mumbled and was about to lose her balance but Erlos held her.

"Miss!"

Cornelia and Erlos heard her say this name. No one called Evanthe by her name but only by her title except for her old close acquaintances.

"Miss, are you alright?" Erlos asked worriedly, as he held her firm and she stood taking his support.

"Let's take her there," Cornelia said as she signalled towards one stone made chair in that drawing room.

Ember seemed so exhausted that Erlos carried her in his arms towards the chair and made her sit in it.

Cornelia had already signalled the servant around to get water who brought it just in a moment. Ember had that water and heard Cornelia, "Are you feeling better now, Miss?"

Ember nodded while Cornelia passed her soft folden cloth to wipe her tears. Ember accepted it and heard Cornelia, "How about I take you back to my residence first and you rest?"

"No. I am fine."

Cornelia didn't insist her. Once she looked calm, Cornelia asked, "Would you like to tell what you felt or saw?" Ember's tears were proof that she had seen or felt something emotional.

"I heard voices, voices of two women but I didn't have any particular clear vision about them to see their appearance."

"What did those voices say or talked about?"

Ember explained what exactly she heard and what those two women talked about and then said, "One woman I know. She was that same green eyed woman in my dreams. I know her voice and I could feel her strong presence in this vision as if it really happened."

"And the other one?" Cornelia asked as she had already heard Ember saying her name but needed to make sure.

"Evanthe! That green eyed woman called her Evanthe."

Cornelia and Erlos looked at each other and then both looked at her.

Their reaction puzzled Ember, "W-What happened? Who is she?"

"Evanthe is the name of Her Eminence, the Queen of Witches, the one who had left us due to some reason," Cornelia answered. "As you have touched the flower having the essence of her powers, you must have seen or heard something related to her."

Ember only looked at her in shock, "How does she know the green-eyed woman in my dreams? They….They felt so close to each other as if they were closely familiar…" Ember stopped as she tried to think more.

"It's really surprising thing- green-eyed woman," Cornelia said as she realized things were not so simple anymore. With new discoveries related to Ember, things were getting complicated. When she received a message about Ember's arrival, not even her wildest dream she would have thought that this visit would lead them to something new about Ember.

'As His Majesty predicted, if Ember is that green-eyed woman in her past life, then she knew Her Eminence but….how? And exactly when? When Her Eminence was here with us or after she left us? Too complicated,' Cornelia shook her head and asked, "Miss, anything more you would like to tell? You can think carefully if there is anything."

Ember thought about it and then said, "There is one thing that I find really strange."

"What is it?"

The woman Evanthe...I mean Her Eminence called that green-eyed woman's name many times, but I could not get it... It was like I heard but at the same time I couldn't…I don't know why but her name passed by just like that and I could not get a single letter of it."

"Miss, your thoughts and emotions must be so chaotic that you missed it," Cornelia suggested.

"No! I am sure it's not the case. There is something really strange I felt. In my last dream when I saw that woman chained and she said her own name while taking an oath, I thought I could not hear it because of the sounds of thunder bolts but….seems like I just can't hear her name. I am sure I am not mistaken. Something is stopping me from listening to her name."

This was surprising for the other two as well and they didn't know what to say. Though Ember had wiped her tears, she could still not stop feeling emotional. That green eyed-woman's emotions had affected her greatly as if it were her own and she could not stop herself from getting affected by them.

Seeing her emotional state, Cornelia instructed, "Miss, for now let's go back to my residence. You need to rest. Rest of the city, I can show you later."

Ember immediately agreed as she felt suddenly drained as if she had worked heavy labor. She realized whenever she had dreams about that woman, she always felt this tired.

With Erlos' help, Ember returned to Cornelia's residence where the guest rooms were already prepared for them. Meanwhile, Cornelia sent the message to the king about what happened here. It was about his mate and she was in the care of the Witch Clan so it was necessary to tell him what happened here.

She had already informed her aides to prepare for the visit of the King as she was sure the moment he would get the message, he would appear here without a delay.