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IVY We made the rest of the meal in silence. My movements were mechanical, and whenever Thaen got close to me to grab something, I would stiffen. It happened a few times, and he stopped coming near me. I don't know why I was being so awkward. Before the great calamity, even though I was a Norm, I've had my fair share of confessions, so why was I feeling so edgy?! Thirty minutes later, when everything was set, he finally turned to me. "I'll be going," he muttered. I barely glanced at him and nodded. I started stirring the broth. He didn't leave, and I could feel him watching me. My grip on the wooden spoon tightened until my knuckles turned white. Then he turned and left without another word. My shoulders sagged, and I sighed in relief. I turned to look just in time to see him walk through the wall into his hut. I sighed yet again, and my mind returned to his confession. I didn't dislike him, but I can't say I liked him either. He was just so far away. He was our next coven leader, a full-blooded wizard, and a wind controller to boot. He could have any witch he wanted, but not me. I shook my head and returned to my task. Besides, I thought, my sister loved him. She never said so, and she didn't need to. The way she looked at him said it all... Also, I may have taken a tiny peek at her diary. The thickset communal tables had been set. It was the only thing the coven did for me because no matter how much they hated me and wanted to bully me, it couldn't change the fact that I could not move those heavy tables, even if they killed me. I muttered a small untraceable spell, and the immediate tingling at the tip of my finger told me it worked. I speedily moved the serving bowls and filled them up with savory meat and vegetable broth. Three minutes passed, and I started slowing down. But at least I was done. There were barely any vegetables left in the pot, the seemingly endless meat was all gone too, and what little broth was left would be my food. The camp was illuminated by the glaring sun, and doors started opening almost simultaneously. The coven moved to the table. They mostly ignored me; a bored few sneered at me before sitting to wolf down the food I made. They should be thankful I no longer wished to poison them all. It's not like I've never had the opportunity. Several times I have gotten a hold of the poison, with blurry eyes and a wounded body. I had wanted to just end it all, but I always hesitated, always stopped. My eyes met red-brown ones; Thaen smiled at me, but I didn't respond. Because of him. I always stopped because of him. As soon as a tall, thin man walked out of a better-looking hut, the table calmed. That was Thaen's father and our coven leader, Asath. Behind him was a man in a hooded fur coat. The man sat at the head of the table, a place that was originally Leader Asath's, while Asath sat at his right hand in such a manner as if it was only natural. I frowned, just who was he? When everyone was seated, I bowed and walked away. I was not allowed at the table. At this point, I could go dance in the forest or jump off a cliff for all they cared, but I didn't want to leave. Once I was out of sight, I snuck back and hid in the storage room. It was convenient. If anyone found me, I could say I was cleaning, or better still, use a quick teleporting spell. The door was ajar, so I could see and hear them clearly, but they couldn't see me. But the drama I was expecting did not happen. The strange man picked up his spoon and started eating. Then the chief, followed by the rest of the coven. And that is all they did for the next twenty minutes. I was starting to regret not jumping off a cliff. Watching them eat made my empty stomach grumble aloud. I inhaled a sharp breath and leaned forward to make sure no one heard. Thankfully, their heads were all bent over, stuffing themselves with food. I smirked; no one can resist the appeal of my food. I held back a giggle when the thought of poisoning them came again, but then I froze. It was so dark, maybe that's why I didn't see it. The stranger's eyes. Unlike the rest, he sat straight as a pole, and a gloved hand elegantly scooped from his bowl. But then his head turned in my direction, and dark eyes stared at me from under his hood. Subconsciously, I shuffled back and tried to hide, but his eyes followed me. It was like I wasn't hiding in a building but standing out in the open for all to see. And his eyes, those dark orbs, did not seem normal. The next second, he bent his head and continued eating like nothing happened. With a racing heart, I muttered the teleportation spell I barely just memorized and found myself on the riverbank a mile away. Immediately, I turned and vomited into a bush. It felt so awful, like my insides were all jumbled up. I should not have used a teleportation spell when I wasn't familiar with it yet! I felt my body and sighed in relief; at least all my body parts were in the right place. I rinsed my mouth in the river and tried not to think of all the fishes that did their business there. *** I walked around, enjoying the few moments of peace I could get. Once the sun reached the center of the sky, then I had to return to prepare lunch. I picked up a stone and tried to knock down a fruit for the umpteenth time. The stone missed by a long shot, and my stomach grumbled in complaint. I bit my lip and tried again. If I don't get it down, then I will have no choice but to climb up. But before I could take a shot, a fruit fell. I blinked, pleasantly surprised, and ran to pick it up. The shiny red skin looked absolutely delicious. I bit into it, exposing purple-red flesh. It tasted heavenly. As I chewed, two more fell, and I picked them up with a hint of confusion. I looked up at the tree. Was some small animal dropping its food? I shrugged; well, finders keepers. If I had turned then, maybe I would have seen the hooded shadow watching me.