“Vione, what do you think? Do you feel the strangeness as I do?”
For a moment, Vione was silent as Usher expressed his suspicions. She said nothing and seemed to become a statue. Even for a moment, her gaze seemed empty.
Usher narrowed his eyes. He waited a moment, hoping Vione would respond to his words, but she didn’t. After five minutes, Vione remained silent.
“Vione?” Usher called with a furrowed brow. He touched Vione’s shoulder gently. “Are you listening to me?”
Vione flinched slightly. She blinked several times before finally focusing on his eyes. Then she nodded. “Uh-oh, yes, Usher. O-of course I heard what you said earlier.”
Vione’s behavior puzzled Usher. The furrows in his forehead deepened. “What is it?” Usher asked later, watching Vione’s condition. “Is something wrong? You don’t seem like yourself, Vione.”
Vione shook his head hastily. “No, Usher. There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine and nothing happened. You don’t have to worry.”
That was not the case in Usher’s eyes. So, he wanted to ask again, but unfortunately Vione got up from her seat.
“I made some snacks for you, but I forgot to bring them here,” Vione said with a smile. “You wait here. I’ll get them.”
Usher naturally raised his hand to stop Vione. But Vione had already left the room. “Vione.”
Vione’s attitude made Usher even more suspicious, as did his increasingly uncontrollable uneasiness. So, he thought carefully and decided to refuse Rowena’s help.
Usher clenched his fists. His decision was final. I can’t risk Vione’s safety. And I can’t trust Rowena just like that. No. This is too risky.
*
Vione stepped quickly, glancing back several times to make sure Usher wasn’t following her. Then her footsteps stopped at the end of the hallway, her eyes never leaving her room, and after she was sure that Usher was indeed not following her, she returned, this time faster than before.
Vione’s heartbeat increased and the cause was Usher’s suspicion. At that moment she realized that it was natural for Usher to suspect Rowena. Anyone in Usher’s position would have similar suspicions, including herself.
It was not from now on, but Vione had felt the suspicion since yesterday. Especially when she saw how Rowena almost lost her life to save Usher from death. She remembered vividly how pale Rowena’s lips were, not to mention how cold her body felt, how weak she felt.
In fact, Vione and Usher had similar suspicions, especially after what had happened, so it was no wonder that their anticipation was growing by itself. Their subconscious minds were on guard, alert for any possibility that could happen.
However, Vione and Usher took different approaches to this suspicion. While Usher tried to reject Rowena’s help, Vione did the opposite. It was actually a relief for her, and that’s what made her hastily look for a reason to leave the room.
Vione immediately sought Rowena’s whereabouts, and the swirling aroma of herbs in the air led her to the ritual room. She entered at the same time as Rowena, who had just finished brewing medicine for herself.
“Vione,” Rowena greeted Vione’s arrival with a thin smile. She put the medicine back on the table. “What brings you here? Are you looking for Alpha?”
Vione frowned. “Did Usher come here earlier?”
The question made Rowena realize that her assumption was wrong. Still, she had no problem answering. “Yes, Alpha was here earlier, but not for long. Why? Is something wrong?”
“Yes,” Vione answered bluntly and without hesitation. “But first I want to know, why did Usher come here?”
“Well, that…” Rowena took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her hands rubbed together helplessly. “It seems Alpha doubts the goodness in my heart. He thinks I have hidden motives behind all the help I’ve given, and I can’t do anything about it.”
Vione remained silent as she listened to Rowena’s explanation, just as she suspected.
“What about you then, Vione?” Rowena’s question snapped Vione out of her momentary reverie. She blinked several times at the sudden question. “Do you suspect me as well?”
Vione was silent for a moment before smiling sincerely. “I don’t care if you have hidden motives or not, Rowena. As long as you can save Usher, everything is worth the risk.”
“Vione.”
“I don’t care,” Vione continued, staring at Rowena with complete surrender. So, she approached and reached for Rowena’s fingers. “As I told you before, I’m going to give everything I have to help Usher recover. I wasn’t lying when I said that.”
This time Rowena couldn’t speak. She remained silent; her eyes fixed on Vione’s sincerity.
“Still, I hope you can help me again, Rowena.”
Rowena sighed briefly. “What is it? Tell me. I will definitely help you.”
“I’m worried that Usher won’t want to be paired with me again.”
Finally, Vione expressed another worry that had been on her mind all day, and Rowena didn’t need any further explanation; she could guess the reason for that worry. So, she nodded once, fully understanding.
“So, what do you want me to do? You may not know this, but the soul binding spell is only for those who are bound. That’s why it’s called a soul binding spell. You have to be a mate.”
“I know,” Vione replied, nodding repeatedly. “So, since you’re a witch, can you make a potion for me?”
Rowena blinked. “A potion?”
“Yes, maybe a love potion, I don’t know what it’s called. The point is, I want Usher to love me again and be willing to mate with me again.”
For a moment Rowena was silent. She just kept looking at Vione with an indescribable gaze. “Vione,” she whispered as she gently took Vione’s fingers again. “Do you know? I saw something when I healed Alpha from death. Specifically, when I squeezed his heart, and there, deep in his heart, he kept calling your name. His last memory was seeing you cry, and it made him suffer.”
A lump of bitterness formed in Vione’s throat, making her unable to breathe. She swallowed saliva, then felt a brief throb in her chest.
“He always loves you, Vione.”
*