The loud sound echoed repeatedly, filling Rowena’s ritual room. It came from a large mortar filled with fresh herbs that emitted a pungent aroma. With blank eyes and an expressionless face, Rowena’s hands continued to lift the pestle and pound the fresh herbs. It seemed that something had taken over her mind, making her unaware that the herbs had been crushed ten minutes ago.
The faint sound of footsteps gradually drew Rowena’s attention. She blinked, instantly alerting her entire body. Rowena stopped pounding. She put down the pestle and turned to greet them. “Alpha.”
Usher’s steps suddenly stopped and he looked at Rowena as he returned the salute. “Rowena.”
“What is it, Alpha?” Rowena asked, leaving the crushed herbs in the mortar. She went to the table to get more ingredients. “Was there something you wanted to say by coming to see me?”
Usher squinted. He hadn’t expected Rowena to speak so casually.
“Surely there’s a reason you sought me out here.” Rowena picked up a crystal bottle filled with dark blue liquid. Then she turned back to Usher. “Isn’t that right, Alpha?”
Usher nodded, feeling no need for small talk. “Indeed. There’s something I need to talk to you about, Rowena.”
“What do you want to talk to me about, Alpha?”
“I want to know what you’re really up to, Rowena.”
Rowena furrowed her brow. “What do you mean, Alpha?”
“I’ve never met a kind-hearted witch who would help without expecting anything in return,” Usher replied straightforwardly. At the same time, he resumed the steps he had stopped. The distance between him and Rowena decreased. “So, tell me, what do you want in exchange for healing and helping me?”
A faint smile appeared on Rowena’s face after she took a breath. Then she calmly answered Usher’s question. “I don’t think you forgot when I mentioned that I’m a close friend of your parents, Alpha.”
“Is that all?”
Rowena could clearly sense Usher’s suspicion, but she seemed unaffected. “Of course, Alpha. What other reason do I need when I know my good friend’s son is in trouble?”
It sounded reasonable, but there was something that kept Usher from fully accepting Rowena’s answer. His gut feeling was strong and made him certain that Rowena was hiding something.
“For someone who wants to help the son of a good friend, I must say you’re very self-sacrificing, Rowena,” Usher continued, staring intently at Rowena. He tried to find some clue that might answer his suspicion. “You are willing to sacrifice your life.”
Rowena didn’t comment; she just smiled.
On the other hand, Rowena’s attitude only increased Usher’s suspicions. For he knew that Rowena had been injured while healing herself, an injury serious enough to threaten her life.
“Besides, I heard from Ayla that you’ve been hiding in the forest because you don’t want to be involved in worldly problems anymore. Your actions say otherwise,” Usher said.
Rowena nodded once. “You are right, Alpha, and it has made me realize that fate is a mystery. We will never know what tomorrow will bring. We won’t even know what will happen a minute from now.”
“Don’t you want to be honest?”
Rowena’s smile widened, revealing her still white and strong teeth. “I am honest, Alpha. I have no hidden agenda to help you,” she said with a shrug. “I think that’s what you meant, isn’t it?”
Usher felt no need to answer.
“Well, I hope you can dispel your suspicions of me, Alpha. After all, the most important thing for you right now is to recover,” Rowena continued with a controlled and confident manner. “Isn’t that right?”
Silence remained Usher’s choice, especially since he could sense a strong implied meaning behind Rowena’s polite words, as if he was being urged to believe. So, his natural instinct led him to observe Rowena once more, trying to find signs of lies. Whatever he found, however, seemed insufficient to provide the answers he hoped for.
Finally, Usher decided not to continue the conversation. He turned and left with a conviction: Rowena would surely cover it up as best she could.
Still, Usher wouldn’t let his guard down. He wouldn’t ignore his instincts that kept warning him that there was something behind all of Rowena’s kindness. He would remain cautious.
Usher’s departure created silence. Rowena’s ritual room, once filled with the sounds of pestle and mortar grinding, followed by their conversation, now fell silent. Only the occasional sound of their heavy breathing could be heard.
Rowena closed her eyes. Then she quickly put down the crystal bottle she had been clutching. Her fingers were stiff and pale.
*
Vione could sense that something was wrong with Usher. Apart from the fact that she often caught Usher with a somber face, something was different this time. Usher wasn’t just sad; his expression showed that he was thinking deeply, his forehead was furrowed.
“Usher,” Vione called as she approached Usher, who was sitting near the window. She saw Usher looking up at the crescent moon and the star-filled sky. Usher turned and she asked, “Is there something on your mind? I’ve noticed you’ve been lost in thought a lot lately.”
Usher took a deep breath and allowed Vione to join him. Then he reached for Vione’s fingers as he shook his head. “I’m not thinking about anything. I’m just looking at the moon.”
Vione narrowed his eyes in uncertainty. “Is that so?”
“Of course,” Usher replied with a smile, and Vione breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t wasted the opportunity when something had occurred to her at the right moment. “Vione, to be honest, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
Usher hesitated for a moment, looking slightly unsure, but finally he expressed his concern. “It’s about Rowena.”
“Rowena?” Vione furrowed her brow with a puzzled expression. “What about her?”
Vione’s reaction made Usher think. It wasn’t difficult for him to pick up the signs that Vione trusted Rowena. He just had to open the conversation with the right words.
Usher looked intently at Vione, then asked, “Don’t you find it strange, with all the kindness Rowena has shown us?”
“S-strange?” Vione blinked in growing confusion. “What do you mean, Usher?”
Usher gripped Vione’s fingers with both hands. Then his voice sounded deep and full of conviction as he replied. “I think there’s something behind Rowena’s good intentions towards us.”
*