“Are you going to do it, or not?” Alice folded her arms over her chest and asked while the trembling of her leg increased in frequency.

Reina weighed her options, aware that she was running out of time. Commit or back away, either way, she was going to be in trouble and there was no one else to blame than herself. Her own mistakes were the reason she was in this situation. If only she had been more cautious and had kept her mouth shut.

“I went through a lot of trouble to obtain this,” the First Witch’s voice took a frosty inclination as she pointed with her chin towards the cloth bundle on the short table between them. “And now, all of a sudden, you’re hesitating. This makes me a little suspicious.”

“It’s not like that!” Reina denied the accusation in a hurry, keeping her eyes glued on the lavender-coloured cloth. “I’ve done it only once. Under the guidance of an experienced witch…”

The moment the words left her mouth the girl knew she had made a mistake. Without thinking she had insulted the bloody First Witch. To make matters worse, Arthur’s guttural laughter split the air. So far, he had kept quiet preferring to entertain himself by making sure the logs in the fireplace were consumed evenly by the flames. Even Rot’s ears perked at Reina’s statement, the fur around the monstrous werewolf’s neck rising at the assumed insult directed at its master. But the biggest surprise was that Reina could speak in such a candid way, to begin with. To think that she had changed so much in just a month.

Sadly, that was the only difference from the initiate who was forcefully taken in by Alice. True to her word, the woman sitting across from Reina, had dedicated herself to ironing the girl’s will. Or rather, she had dedicated both Arthur and Rot to do it. For four weeks, all the young witch had been doing was meditating and improving her overall constitution. Admittedly, the results from the latter were beginning to show. The issue was with the method used. Being chased and flung around by the massive werewolf was something Reina could do without. Nor was she fond of being bitten with a stick, as the knight tested her reflexes.

The biggest change, however, was in the way Reina perceived the First Witch. Having gotten used to her constant, albeit distant, presence, the girl was speaking her mind without fear. Of course, that was partially Alice’s fault who behaved far too human. If asked to describe the First Witch, any initiate without exception would speak of a callous woman constantly engaged in incomprehensible rituals with a heart as dark as that of one of the Infernal Lords. Instead, the person who was sitting across from Reina, was a borderline drunkard fond of swearing and belittling those around her. A person who viewed the world as something boring and exasperating to deal with. All of Alice’s time was spent reading out in the garden or nursing a dirty tankard of stale ale while leisurely dozing on the couch in front of the fireplace. Still, it was dangerous for Reina to forget who she was talking to. No matter what, Alice was the bloody First Witch.

“With all due respect, what you’re asking for is unreasonable.” The girl added quickly in an attempt to escape the grave she was digging for herself.

As soon as the words reached her ears, the woman’s expression grew colder and her fidgeting stopped. For a single heartbeat, her emerald green eyes flashed gold as she pointed at the cloth bundle with one finger.

“You will show me your skill,” Alice’s flat tone made it clear that refusing was no longer an option.

“But without proper guidance, the consequences could be devastating!” Reina protested without thinking.

Sure, she was to blame for this development, but she wasn’t the only one at fault here. The girl meant it when she said that the request was unreasonable. Even if she was to believe that the cards inside the bundle were created solely for her to use, there was an inherent danger in fortune telling. Yes, Alice held the title of being the First damn Witch, but that meant little to Reina. She was yet to see her self-appointed mentor cast a single spell. Not that she thought that Alice was weak, for that would be insane. Rather, without knowing what extent of her power was, Reina risked failing at best or becoming a demonically possessed abomination at worst. And without a contracted demon to protect her, the scales were tipped against her.

“Brave, is she not?” The disembodied grating voice was unmistakably that of Alice’s accursed companion. Laughter akin to shattering ice echoed throughout the living room. “Reminds me a lot of Margo, when she was her age.”

“I told you to remain hidden,” Alice hissed her expression twisting into a frown.

“And I grow tired and bored of waiting,” the voice growled making Reina’s skin crawl. “Dangle this tasty snack all you want, none of my kind will dare come near to take a bite. And those that are foolish enough to do so, will be burned by the radiance of your soul.”

“Spare me the lecture,” Alice sighed, leaning back into the sofa. “I’ve heard it a hundred times. Besides, I’m after a different game, but with you around, my prey won’t dare show itself.”

In the time it took Reina to blink an identical copy of the witch stood behind her, gently running its fingers through Alice’s hair. A normal person would think that the two were identical twins, however, the girl could see it as clear as day that this was not the case. Where the woman’s eyes were shining green jewels, those of the monster behind her were dark pits filled with eternal hunger and sadistic anticipation. Reina wanted to vomit as the infernal gaze of the demon met with her own, thankfully she was frozen in place by uncontrolled terror.

For a demon to manifest itself in something resembling human form, it had to be tremendously strong, belonging to the higher echelons of the Infernal Realm. Because of the strain, this placed on the one it had a contract with, only the oldest and most powerful witches had ever dared to force one to do this. Only as a last resort when escape was paramount to their survival. Even then, such mimics were easy to spot with the way they jerked into sudden motion before becoming as still as statues. It was the same explanation from all of the young witch’s instructors and teachers whenever the topic came up. To have one become a perfect copy of its contract holder was unheard and for it to reveal itself in such a way without being commanded to defy reason. As a result, Reina remained petrified in her seat, while her mind tried to accept what her eyes were seeing as truth.

“Is that what you wish for, child of man?” The thing purred like a hungry predator. “You would stoke the fires of the long war, just because my master refused you?”

“You’re free to inform my cheating husband,” Alice flicked the demon’s nose with her finger before a lunatic smile decorated her face, “if you dare.”

The thing laughed, a sound as cruel and unforgiving as the coldest winter frost. “Letum Mors was wrong to have scorned you. But my master’s loss is my gain. Now, I have you all to myself.”

The demon returned its attention back to Reina, letting out a series of unholy screams and growls which cause tears of blood to run down her cheeks. Forgetting all about the fear that had her in its hold, her hands moved to cover her ears, in a futile attempt to put an end to the abominable sound.

“Fine. I will remain hidden for a little while longer,” the demon screeched as it materialised itself next to Alice. “But first, I wish to see what this little toy of yours can do. Her card trick sounds interesting.”

Reina’s heart thundered in her chest as she undid the knot of the lavender cloth. As expected, inside it was a full Drochrath deck, but unlike the ones she had used in the Covenant of Shadows, each of the thirty-six cards was painted on the scales of a Moon Bird. The avian moth-like beasts were a rarity in the Wilds and at a glance, the girl could tell that at least six of them were used to make the deck, distinguished by the different colourful hues of the silvery plates. Old folk tales and beliefs claimed that the Moon Bird was the one who guides the souls, of those who died valiantly in the Wilds, to the afterlife. Not that Reina put much trust in such things, but that didn’t change the fact that they were one of a handful of creatures who actively avoided humans. That and also being bloody nocturnal and nesting in the forsaken depths of the Wilds.

Still, the Drochrath were masterfully crafted. Polished to a near-mirror shine on the backside, while the front had artistic paintings in detail the young witch hadn’t thought possible. As for the individual sigils painstakingly engraved in the lower left corner of each card, just a passing slide of her thumb was enough for Reina to feel the unholy demonic energies trapped within. This deck wasn’t made especially for her as Alice had stated when she returned from her afternoon hunt. Creating a standard Drochrath took a year, as such, this masterwork must have been a decade in the making.

With shaking hands, the young witch spread the lavender cloth on the table and placed the cards in two even columns on either side of it. Taking a deep breath, Reina pricked the index finger of her left hand with the large double-tip needle, which had been secured at the bottom of the deck, and very carefully drew a large circle on the cloth. Next was the harder part. Swallowing hard, the girl made three smaller circles which intersected the larger one, making sure that they never touched. Within each, and using the tip of the needle as a guide, she traced two complex sigils.

“A drop of blood, if you’re ready,” Reina looked with teary eyes as she flipped the needle around, her voice pleading with Alice to put an end to this madness.

Smilingly, the First Witch pressed her thumb against the sharp tip, letting a generous drop of bright red blood drop in the middle of the larger circle. The demon next to her purred in delight, its hungry carnivorous eyes, following the precious liquid. All the while, Reina screamed internally, begging for anything to come to her rescue. Be it human, beast or other, it mattered not, as long as she was allowed to step away from the short table.

“First…” Reina’s voice faltered and she had to pause before giving it another go. “First, comes the present.”

Taking two cards, one from each side, the girl placed them in the smaller circle nearest to Alice, with trembling hands. She had trouble breathing, feeling as if someone was trying to choke her. The Moon Bird scales shone in the low light cast by the fireplace and the few scones on the walls. The air around Reina became stuffed and thick, embracing her like ooze. Something like this was normal when trying to use the powers of the Infernal Realm in order to try to take a glimpse into someone’s soul. What wasn’t normal, was how hot the scales had become. The young witch had expected that nothing would’ve happened and her attempt would be met with failure. After all, she didn’t have a contracted demon or a guide to lend her the necessary power.

“Next are…” Reina tried moistening her dry lips as her heartbeat increased. “… are the past and future.” Picking two cards at random, she placed them inside the smaller circles on the sides. “One immutable and the other everchanging.”

Placing one last card on top of the First Witch’s drop of blood, the girl barely had the strength to mutter the required words.

“Finally comes the so-soul… It binds and… and shapes all three.”

“Be careful, witch,” the thing wearing Alice’s face leaned forward and grabbed Reina’s wrist before she could remove her fingers from the last Drochrath card. “Knowledge is…”

“Power.” She finished the age-old saying, not daring to look away from the demon.

“Knowledge is power in the hands of the strong and mighty,” it smiled its sickening smile at her, before slowly releasing her wrist. “In the hands of weak, knowledge is death made manifest.”

“I thought you considered this a mere trick,” Reina spoke suddenly emboldened by the warning.

Of course, it was this same misplaced bravado which was responsible for her current torment. All she had to do was say that she got lucky when attempting to do a fortune telling. Because that was what it was, pure luck that she had gotten anything correct. Instead, she boasted about her skill in a crazed attempt to impress the First Witch. What did Reina expect to happen? Arthur had been warning her, every single day, that she had to be careful and watch her tongue. But like a child, the young witch had assumed that the warning only referred to possible insults or slights.

“Although entertaining, your attempts to unravel the mysteries of time are pathetic.” The demon chuckled sending a wave of despair through Reina’s heart. “However, your kind can sometimes be far too perceptive for your own good. You see patterns where there are none. Reach correct conclusion, based on falsehoods.”

Reina was at loss. It was common knowledge that the words of demons couldn’t be trusted. If one of their kind told her it was day, she had to look at the sky before believing it. Therefore, the young witch hadn’t the faintest idea what the monster was trying to accomplish with this warning. She blinked a few times when she realised what should have been obvious. It was trying to make her doubt herself in order to feed on the fear raging inside her.

Steeling her heart, the girl flipped the soul card. The depiction of a single bright star in the night sky stared back at her. Reina looked at the image, unsure what it could mean, but that was normal. The meaning of the cards would become apparent only when the other six were exposed. One by one, the young witch turned them over, becoming more confused after each one. Without the constant mad chattering of demons and the powers of the Infernal Realm coursing through her, Reina didn’t know what to do next. She could try syphoning a fraction of Alice’s power, as her instructors at the covenant had taught her. However, there was a good chance the attempt would kill her. The Drochrath were meant to be used on those less powerful than the one doing the fortune telling. But the gap between her and the First Witch was like an impassable chasm.

Desperately, Reina stared at the sigils, urging them to trigger, however, the eldritch symbols remained dormant. And like them, the cards kept silent. It was all up to her to interpret their possible meaning. Slowly, the girl moved her eyes away from the cards and looked in the direction of Arthur, hoping that the knight would offer her some miraculous way out of this situation. To her surprise, both he and Rot were no longer present in the room. Most likely, both of Alice’s servants had existed the moment the demon took corporeal form. Which meant that she was all alone with the First Witch and her pet monstrosity.

“Well? What do you see?” Alice asked with just enough boredom in her voice to make it believable. Or she might have truly lost interest, it was hard for Reina to tell.

“You can see the cards too,” the girl shook her head content with the knowledge he had failed miserably.

“Hmm.” Alice scoffed and clicked her tongue with obvious disappointment. “What I see and what you interpret are different things. But perhaps there’s not much incentive for you.” At that, the witch’s eyes turned bright gold. “Let’s do it like this. For each thing you get right, I’ll answer one question. Get it wrong, and Ferox Tac, here, will take one of your fingers.”

Reina froze in horror. As far as punishments went, mutilation was taking things too far. She wanted to protest, scream in outrage, but instead nodded in agreement. Although the prize for success was tempting, the girl had far too much to lose. The only real problem was that she no longer had the option to refuse because there was no telling what might happen if she did.

“In your present there’re the Dark Heart and the Lone Island,” Reina began, forcing her brain to come up with something vague enough that it could technically pass for being correct. “You have secluded yourself to avoid matters of the heart, preferring to suffer in silence. If allowed to fester, the pain will turn to hatred and close your heart forever.”

“At least you’re a good listener,” Alice’s eyebrow rose and a warm smile formed on her face. “Two fingers.”

Before Reina could make a sound, the pinkie and ring fingers of her left hand were dangling from the demon’s mouth. The monster swallowed the digits and crushed them with its teeth moaning with perverse pleasure at the sound of splintering bones. The young witch began to hyperventilate as panic set in. A small part of her was convinced that the woman was bluffing, however, the sharp pain in her disfigured hand showed how mistaken she had been. Letting out a strangled yelp, Reina bent over in her seat, clutching her bleeding wrist next to her chest.

“Right. Next pair.” Alice clapped her hands and almost sang.

“My…. My fingers…. Y-you really did it…” Reina stuttered too afraid to look at the ancient witch. The girl had made a terrible mistake by assuming that this insane woman wasn’t as cruel as the Matrons of the various Covenants.

“Look on the bright side. You still have eight more fingers remaining. But if you insist, we can call it a complete loss. Of course, that means that Ferox Tac will be taking four more. So, which will it be? Continue or surrender?”

Forcing her trembling hand to move, Reina touched the two cards on the left. The young witch knew it was futile, but her instincts for self-preservation had taken control of her actions. Even if the chances were slim, it was better than doing nothing at all.

“T-The Well… it hurts,” Reina struggled to force the words out between her silent sobs. “And the D-Demon’s Eye are… argh… are in your p-past.”

She took several laboured breaths fighting through the pain. However, no matter how long and hard she looked at the two cards, there was nothing. Anguish enveloped her mind, as the girl realised that she was going to suffer even further. This was unfair. She hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve such a fate. All her life, Reina had worked hard to be the best. Done everything according to the rules. She had paid in blood and sweat to stand above her sister initiates within the covenant. And now, she was being punished for it. Just because she was more ambitious that the others. Just because she dared to dream big. What was the point of the Covenant of Shadows? Instead of being punished, jealousy was rewarded and those with true potential were discarded.

“It’s not fair…” Reina let out the cry without thinking.

“Of course, it’s not.” Alice shrugged as if the statement was directed at her. “The life of a witch is never fair. From the moment you chose this path, all you had to look forward to is betrayal, misery and pain, followed by eternal torment promised by the Infernal Lord.”

The First Witch stretched her arms over her head, letting out a soft moan of pleasure. However, the moment she looked back at Reina, something had changed about her expression. On the surface it was the usual combination of boredom and smugness, yet, there was something else behind it this time. Something that Reina knew she recognised, but couldn’t make out in her current state of mind.

“It wasn’t always like that, you know,” Alice spoke softly as if the strained sobs of pain from the girl across her didn’t exist. “At first, we genuinely helped one another. Back in those days, witches were killed the moment they showed even the slightest inclination of their powers. Girls as young as five were burned alive or used as live bait for the beast of the Wilds. Or simply abandoned into the wilderness, by their parents who couldn’t be bothered to dirty their hands.”

With a glance, the woman silenced the demon sitting next to her before continuing. “Those that survived and managed to hide rarely made it to see their sixteenth year. In a manner of speaking, the first proper witches were my daughters.”

“Lucky… them…” The sarcastic comment escaped Reina’s mouth before she could think better of it. Fortunately for her, Alice chose to ignore it and continued with her story, while the girl cursed herself for not using the time to think of how to interpret the four remaining Drochrath.

“Well, I did allow them to indulge their pursuit of power, while they galloped in an attempt to surpass me. Still, I watched over them. Fixed their mistakes wherever I could.” Alice’s expression became darker as she continued to speak. “Instead of being grateful, they mocked me because I treated them as equals. Still, it wasn’t all their fault. Twisting the hearts of mortals is what demons do best. A mistake I realised too late. Skip a few centuries and the covenants meant to be sanctuaries for our kinds, had turned into dens of debauchery and unhealthy ambition.”

The nightmarish creature next to Alice laughed earning itself a weathering glare. Ignoring the interruption, the First Witch turned back to Reina and nodded toward the cards.

“But enough about that. Continue.”

The girl swallowed and looked at the Moon Bird’s scales. She could try using the information from that tale in order to come up with another vague interpretation. Quickly, she dismissed the idea fearing that trying this trick again would most likely anger Alice. The young witch was running out of options, leaving her with choices that she would’ve tried to avoid at all costs. Losing the remaining fingers of her left hand or risking syphoning a minuscule fraction of the First Witch’s power. Well, with the former her life would become quite difficult, but at least, she would have a life to live.

“I…” Reina began and as soon as her mouth opened, two warm voices sang in her head. Barely whispers, she thought she had imagined them, regardless, they were very real and became lauder the moment the girl focused on them.

“Misguided one, we can help. We can ease the pain and show you the truth of the cursed one’s past. In turn, we asked that you help us escape this awful place.” The two songs stated in unison. “Do you agree, misguided one?”

The voices were nothing like those of the demons. There was a complete absence of the venom and falsehood which accompanied everything the denizens of the Infernal Realm said. For a moment, Reina considered that this could be a trap, however, like a drawing man she took the offered straw.

“Yes…” Reina whispered while keeping her eyes glued on Alice and her pet demon.

A wave of warmth spread through her body, enveloping her soul like a mighty bulwark. Alas, before she could continue with her act, pretending that the word was part of her interpretation of the cards, the demon’s head turned around with unnatural speed. The bones in its neck snapped with a sickening crunch, escaping the bonds of the flesh protecting them. In a heartbeat, the thing became a cloud of darkness and dove into the shadows. Blood-chilling screams echoed through the house as the walls shook. Unholy incantations were followed by yells of primal pain and a moment later the windows in the room shattered. The demon manifested itself once more, wearing a significantly bloodier and more distorted image of Alice. In its talon-shaped fingers, it held two orbs of blinding light. Ferox Tac snapped its jaw at them and growled when they tried to push against the cage it had created.

These were spirits Reina realised. Despite never having seen their kind, it was easy to guess the nature of the orbs. Entities on par with the power of demons and sworn enemies of the Infernal Realm. And in her attempt to find salvation, she had allowed them in her soul. Any hopes Reina had of contracting a proper demon evaporated. The mark those two had left on her soul would remain with her until the day the young witch died. Without a contract to extend her life, it was going to be sooner than she wished.

“That took a little longer than I expected,” Alice chuckled her eyes fixed on the two spirits. “Still, you played your role as bait perfectly, Miss Sylvestre.”

Reina blinked several times, trying to comprehend the First Witch’s words. Was that it? She was tortured and mutilated just so that this twisted insane woman could capture a pair of spirits? As if reading her mind, Alice’s head slowly turned towards her. The boredom of her expression was replaced by the smile of a hungry predator.

“Let me share a secret with you, child. You would never have been offered a contract. Thanks to those idiots who you call teachers, you can’t understand the words of demons unless they speak the tongue of mortals.” Alice stood up and walked next to Reina, placing a hand on the side of her face, the woman leaned in and kissed her forehead, before whispering in the girl’s ear.

“You might be broken, but you’re not useless. I will become your teacher and you will have the power to exact bloody vengeance on the whores who pushed you in my grasp.” The words dripped like honey from the First Witch’s mouth. A poisoned deadly honey, but sweet and tempting nonetheless. “I offer you a new kind of contract and a step into the unknown, but only if you are willing to accept it.”

“Good,” Alice stepped back as soon as Reina nodded. “For too long you have ignored me, curious spirits. Because of me, your kind can no longer freely move through the mortal realm. But you can ignore me no more, for I have an offer for you that you cannot refuse. For a contract with this mortal girl, and I shall grant you the same power as the servants of the Infernal Realm.”

Songs of anguish and despair flooded Reina’s head, followed by crippling guilt. On an instinctive level, she understood that her action this night were going to echo throughout eternity. Countless lives would be lost because she had allowed herself to be used as bait. And yet, the girl also knew that it wasn’t her fault and that the blinding spirits had forgiven her.

“In that case, I name thee Luned and Trahaearn.” A wave of power passed through Reina like a merciless gale. “I, Alice Tetradon, shall bare witness to the first contract between spirits and this child of man.”

A scroll of golden light appeared on the table before Reina. Words made of light hovered over it as the First Witch spoke.

“You swear to protect and serve Reina Miss Sylvestre for as long as you live. Should you betray this sacred oath, you forfeit the names you were given and the power that comes with them. In turn, Reina Sylvestre pledges her soul to serve and protect you. Should she betray this sacred oath, her life will be forfeit and her soul will be cast into oblivion never knowing the peace and warmth that the Realm of Spirits has to offer.”

Allice paused and looked at the spirits and the young witch in turn. “Do you agree to this contract?”

“Yes,” Reina spoke the word with certainty she couldn’t explain, just as two painfully beautiful songs mimicked the same answer.