The Calamity of a Reborn Witch

Book 3: Chapter 14: A Risky Alliance

Chapter 14: A Risky Alliance

The moment her body slipped through the icy barrier and entered the Frozen Hearts cortex, Carina felt her heart skip a beat as relief slipped past her lips in a quiet breath. A surreal ash-white sky overshadowed a barren plain of snow and ice. Waves of icy mist rose and fell across as they spread outward to greet the ice witch, who strode through the inch of snow which gathered in piles around the rough domain of her small island.

As before, Viktor waited at its center. The bright, flickering of the cortex wove around his bones like a beacon. Beneath the dragon, a small garden of vines and flowers had gathered around the immortals corpse. The frost-formed leaves had woven themselves together, replicating the scales of the creatures massive body and filling out his once-proud wings. Carina could feel the rhythmic pulse of cold magic that emanated from Viktor and the cortex beating gently against her as if attempting to brush away the anger and anxiety that had followed the ice witch across the threshold.

Youre notangry with me? Carina murmured cautiously as she followed the narrow path left between the frozen-throne stems of winter roses.

Do children often confuse worry for anger?

The ice witch arched a brow and looked away, focusing on the vine of glittering flowers that had coiled its way around the dragons giant talon. I dont know. Its been a long timesince I had a parental figure who worried about me.

The man on the train.

Carina sucked in a slow breath and then nodded as she stepped forward to place her hand against the cold, ridged white bone of his snout.

Is that why you developed such a strong need to protect the people around you, even strangers?

The ice witch said nothing as she focused on the glowing frost beneath her hand. When she lifted her palm, small buds of flowers bloomed beneath as the glowing white tendrils of the cortex wrapped themselves around her wrist and fingers, filling Carina with even more of Viktors power and a comforting sense of security.

The strong desire to claim the lake and prove that she deserved this power filled Carina, but the sting of Viktors earlier disappointment was still fresh. That, and the knowledge of how quickly time flew by while training inside the cortex, forced her to pull away and step back.

I know it hasnt been that longbut Ive realized my mistake. I will be more cautious while training in the future, but I must grow stronger. The ice witch looked up to meet the dragons empty eyes. I have to learn how to fight with magic so that I can protect myself and those who support me.

Ivy, Hana, Gus, Bryson, the members of Cerberus, and even the knights of Bastiallano. I put them all at risk if I continue to remain as weak as I am.

I will train at every opportunity, not just when Im asleep. AndI promise to listen to you and not push myself beyond my mortal limits, Carina continued determinedly. But time is not on my side. There is someone I must protectand others I must destroy. I am tired of being mocked and underestimated. If I could live in peace, I would butif that is impossible, then I will give them a reason to fear me instead.

You mean to use your magic openly? Viktor replied thoughtfully.

Does it make sense to hide it? I know that powerful covens exist in Lafeara, Strugna, and especially Ventrayna. We exist but must hide our magic to avoid being persecuted?! Carina shook her head futilely. I spent half of my life here running away from this power because I thought it would corrupt me. But I have seen how corrupt those without a drop of magic in their veins can be. Even in a world without magic, people find a way to push their resentments unto others under the blanket of bias, discrimination, and fear.

The ice witch grimaced and rubbed her neck as her enthusiasm and gaze faltered. I know it's foolish to think that I can change centuries of bias or make up for generations of cruelty. No, not just foolish, naive. I thought that if I could show witches arent to blame for every disaster and calamity that strikes. Carina dropped her hand with an exasperated sigh as her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. But now Lafeara is facing a truly horrifying Witch Plague. The ice witch leaned back to look at the ashen sky and let out a feeble laugh. So it would appear that the gods themselves have outplayed me.

Arachne has certainly played a part, Viktor agreed with notable resentment.

If I cannot stop this Witch Plague through mortal measures, then I will stop it with magic. At least that way, I can prove that magic is not inherently evil. That it can be used for good! The ice witch huffed as she straightened, then folded her arms as she returned her gaze to Viktor. Is my thinking wrong? Is there no way to exist in this world without hiding who I am?

Mortals are not so easily organized under one common belief. Why do you think there are so many gods and witch covens? But what you said before also holds true. If they will not listen to reason, then make them kneel in fear. The cortex dancing around the dragons skeleton flickered as the immortal fell silent for a moment. As to your desire to grow stronger, there is more than one path to obtain it.

Carina nodded silently as she waited, hopeful for some useable advice.

However, in this case, the quicker method does not come without risk.

I expected as much. The ice witch tightened the arms wrapped around her waist. What sort of risk?

Kirsi.

Of course, her name would come up. Carina clenched her eyes shut with a heavy sigh and then raised her brows expectantly. What about Kirsi?

All the knowledge you lack, Carina. All the experience you so desperately needKirsi can give them to you.

Ha! Only if shes willing! Carina scoffed and then raised her right hand to rub her tired eyes. And I dont see Kirsi handing over that kind of power without demanding something in return.

And I dont trust her. I warned Kirsi to stay away from Percy, and yet she goes right to him and allows him inside Bastiallano without warning me.

You are the same soul, Carina, Viktor replied with gentle firmness. Can you notas you mortals express itput yourself in Kirsis shoes? Would you really offer up the same advantage without taking something in return?

Carina sighed against her palm and then dragged her fingers down her face. Is he suggesting that Im the one whos being unreasonable? Why does this feel like my deal with Maura all over again? I didnt ask to be reborn, let alone as some split soul to a cursed ice witch.

The quickest way to grow stronger would be if you both worked together as one united soul. Part of that unification comes from sharing each others experiences and memories until looking at the other feels like looking in the mirror.

And yet the very thought of being melded into Kirsi completely terrifies me.

The ice witch clenched and unclenched her jaw while her right hand dropped against the silk cord of the nightgown she wore. When I woke up in this body, Mauras body, I felt like a thief. I had stepped into a life that wasnt mine, and even though I didnt know what was going on, I knew that I had taken that life from someonewho only wanted a second chance.

It was Arachne who carried your soul to this world and that body, Viktor replied soothingly. And Maura would not have had a second chance if Viktor hadnt turned back time to allow Arachne to do so.

I didnt know that then. All I knewwas that I wanted to live. Maura and I had both just diedwe both wanted a second chanceand yet I was the outsider who took over her body and stole that opportunity from her. Maura has every right to hate me, but Kirsi? How many second chances has she had? Carina shook her head and laughed bitterly. Listen to me. Here I am, doing the exact same thing I did when I woke up in Turnbell eight years ago. Trying to rationalize my existenceand find excuses for my own selfish desire to live.

There was nothing you could have done, Carina. Mauras spirit had already been severed from her body by Arachnes hand. Your connection to it was no less tenuous. Without the Frozen Heart, the body you feel so guilty about possessing would have rotted away like any other corpse.

Carina shuddered at the thought even as she rubbed her fingers against her chest. I knew this heart wasdifferent. Maura was so surprised the first time I used magic. Her trembling fingers tightened into a fist as familiar guilt clawed its way through her chest and throat. But every time I hear her nameI feelrotten. She blinked as a small tear washed down her cheek and blurred into a snowflake as it fell free. The only way I could bury this feelingwas by agreeing to help Maura get her revenge. If she could not have a second chance, then the least I could do was punish the people who tormented her in the previous life!

The tendrils of the cortex reached out towards the ice witch as vines of flowers spiraled and blossomed beneath her feet.

After living with thatfamily of hers. Experiencing Mauras death over and overevery time I closed my eyesI forgot why it was that I wanted to live so badly. It was easier to accept Mauras demands as my purpose for being herebut I still feel guilty! Carina blinked away her tears rapidly, fighting against the bubbling anguish that spilled through her clumsy words. I thought that if I could save people during the plague, that would make me feel better. But instead, my actions have turned what was already a deadly plague into a truly terrifying Witch Plague.

I thought that fulfilling Mauras request to save Hana, someone who didnt deserve to relive such a horrible fate. The ice witch hid her face as her voice cracked. After a few steadying breaths, she cleared her throat and brushed the frozen snowflakes away from her cheeks. But there is more at work here than just fate, isnt there, Viktor? Her ice-blue eyes fixed upon the immortal dragon with a note of accusation. How else did Jade, an old friend from another world, follow me here after all these years? And now, not only is Jade some sort of witch monster, but shes cursed Ivy of all people with some sort of affliction that appears to be connected to the Witch Plague!

A long moment of silence followed, broken by Carinas unsteady breaths as she fought to regain her composure, only to feel her twisting anger and despair erupt. Why!?

Remorse and hopelessness surged in to overwhelm the ice witch the moment her chaotic emotions broke free. Carina pressed both hands against her mouth to smother the sob that quickly followed. What good are tears now? I dont have time to break down and cry. I have to find a way to save Ivy!

The gentle, glowing tendrils of the cortex draped themselves around the ice witch like a blanket as a blinding god-like figure appeared in front of the skeletal dragon. Long white hair woven from snow fell down over the immortals shoulders. Two brows etched from ice and frost rested in a neutral expression above languid, pale-blue eyes, a shade lighter than Carinasbut infinitely colder. Viktors lips, all but invisible, were pressed together in a thin line, their complexion a pale gray hue that melded with the ashen color of his skin. The rest of the immortals body, below his shoulders, was little more than clusters of snow that tunneled and flowed between the cortex and this new appearance.

It is a lesson that Kirsi learned a long time ago, Viktor explained solemnly. All those she shared any sort of intimate relationship with were either twisted by Arachne to destroy her or manipulated by Veles to betray her.

But IvyIvy wouldnt do that, Carina protested as she pried her clenched fingers apart to speak. She would never!

Those they could not corrupt, they ruined as another means to punish Kirsi, Viktor continued as a swirling arm and hand of snow extended towards her chest. Because Kirsis only weaknessyour greatest weaknessis that Frozen Heart.

Myheart? Carina stammered as she rubbed the cold vines of frost that ran down her cheeks. But its your heart, Viktor. The heart of an Immortalhow can that be my weakness?

Because the emotions of a mortal have weakened it. The immortal sighed with apparent frustration as his arm evaporated into a cluster of snow that spiraled back towards the cortex. Kirsi spent many lifetimes burying her emotions. For her own survival, she learned to remove herself from all forms of emotional attachment. She simplified all decisions by viewing the world as black and white, good and evil. She defined all her relationships as necessary or unnecessary based on the subjects strength and loyalty.

Those Kirsi considered weak were discarded, least they become her weakness. Those who did not swear allegiance to her name and her cause could not be trusted and were considered traitors and enemies.

But Kirsi did not alienate herself out of pure selfishness. She has seen what the gods will do if given a chance to twist the knife further. So she chose to rely on the surviving members of the Ice Covens because they had sworn their fealty to her long ago. But even now, she questions their true motive. The weaker I grow, the more their powers wane. They are becoming desperate. And desperate people are dangerous.

Carina couldnt help but think of Octavia in that moment, though she couldnt explain why. She pushed the thought aside as she regarded Viktor incredulously. And yetyou want me to trust Kirsi? To become one with her?

As I said before, you are two halves of the same whole. Arachne split you apart for a reason. You each lack something that the other possesses. Those imperfections can be made whole if you become one again.

I doubt the Isbrand Queen would agree with you. She seems to regard herself as perfect already, Carina growled with unmasked resentment.

You have both developed into your own separate and unique identities, which, in many telling ways, resemble each other, Viktor commented. His words held a hint of warmth but also a note of weariness. You both want the same thing, Carina, more power. The cortex formed another arm, and a simple glass chalice appeared in the immortals hand. Right now, you are two broken parts of the same vessel. Until that vessel is restored, neither of you can hold the power you seek.

Carina watched as the cold magic from the cortex flowed down into the cup, only to spill out between the cracks faster than it could fill. Okay, I get it. Neither of us can get what we want without the otherso we have to work together. She waved the illusion away with a frustrated sigh and quickly shook her head. But I still dont trust Kirsi. Every time she takes overI feel as if Im fading away. She hugged her arms against her side and shook her head. Like shes erasing mesomehow.

It would be wise to avoid letting Kirsi control this body since that would also grant her access to the Frozen Heart, Viktor replied. She remains tied to it, but your connection to me allows you to control it.

Carina shook her head. The only thing Kirsi has asked for is the freedom to use this body. She isnt used to being subservient to someone elses will. And until I can properly protect myselfI need her too. So yeah, I dont see her agreeing to hand over her experience and magical prowess that easily.

Perhaps if you offered her another means of freedom. Something she has searched for through many lifetimes without success.

The ice witch furrowed her brows worriedly as she studied him. And whatwould that be?

Me.

What? You? You mean

I can allow her to enter here in order to train you properly. The closer you are to the cortex, the faster your rate of improvement. I can also monitor your interactions and keep you safe.

ButKirsi! You cant let her in here, Viktor. She wants to kill you! Kirsi wants all of your powerto use it against the gods and get her revenge! The more Carina thought about the idea, the more she dreaded what it could lead to. No, absolutely not!

Carina, Kirsi wants more than just my power, Viktor replied with a faint chuckle.

The ice witch shook her head, unable to ignore the chill that ran down her spine at the immortal's insinuation.

Kirsis greatest desire has always been to become an immortal herself. Taking my power and killing the gods who stand in her way are just obstacles in the path of her true objective. Why do you think the gods are so desperate to stop her?

But then Carina forced down a swallow as her voice squeaked slightly, Why cant they just kill her? Or both of us.

Because without sacrifice, the death of you and Kirsi would bring about my undoing as well, Viktor replied with cold grimness. We may be immortals, Carina, but in this universe, we are but lesser gods who answer to a higher being. It is that power that Arachne and Viktor fear.

The ice witch stared at him blankly. She turned, brushed aside the tendrils of the cortex, and then trudged towards Viktors talons. There, the ice witch sank into the pile of snow that formed against the dragons bone with a muffled groan as she held her head in her hands.

I feel as if my head is about to explode.

Carina took a moment to collect her thoughts before raising her gaze to meet Viktors with an incredulous stare. And yet, knowing all that, you still want me to let Kirsi have access to you? Are you crazy?!

The sight of the Scarlet Witch standing before Viktors frost-covered skeleton was just as bone-chilling as Carina had imagined. The Duchess felt inadequate standing beside her veteran counterpart in a flimsy nightgown. As usual, Kirsi appeared dressed in full scarlet armor that resembled blood trapped within layers of ice.

I wonder if thats something I can learnthat isif Kirsi can be trusted to keep her promise.

Carina watched her other half closely as the Isbrand Queen stepped towards the silent immortal. The Scarlet Witchs gaze focused on the blazing power of the cortex itself with flowed around the dragon.

I admit, I wondered what you would look like after all these years, Kirsi murmured with a hint of scorn. But I did not picture you quite sounderwhelming.

Kirsi, our agreement, Carina called out sharply, hoping to return to the discussion that had led to the Scarlet Witch gaining entrance. You said that you would teach me everything you know about magic and combat.

Are you not going to greet me, Viktor? Kirsi asked, ignoring the Duchess as she lifted a hand towards Viktors talons. Or are you still playing favorites?

Carina bit down on her lip and resisted the urge to grab the Scarlet Witchs hand and drag Kirsi away from Viktor. The pair blinked in surprise as the cortex flashed. A thin white veil of frost quickly formed a shell around the immortal, locking Kirsi and Carina on the other side.

Ha! Still a coward, Kirsi mocked as she withdrew her hand and studied the barrier. Do you think this will keep me out forever.?

Youre here to help, not bother Viktor, Carina snapped as she crossed her arms impatiently. If you cant hold up your end of the agreement, then he might as well toss you back outside.

The Scarlet Witch turned to regard the Duchess with a cynical smile and then strode towards her with elegant yet deadly strides. Oh, forgive me, Duchess. I wasnt sure if you meant to start right away. Its hard to take your request seriously when youre not even dressed appropriately.

Carina narrowed her eyes and ignored her burning cheeks as she met Kirsis gaze. It sounds as if you spotted a flaw. Since you agreed to be my teacher, perhaps that would be a good place for us to start.

The Scarlet Witch arched a brow but then shrugged her shoulder with a dismissive sigh. I suppose it could be worse. Youre not exactly a complete beginner. Hmm, yes, forging armor is as good a place to start as any. And you do like playing with clothes.

While youre at it, Carina growled as her nails bit into her palms. You can teach me how to make weaponsand use them.

One step at a time, little ice witch, Kirsi replied with a low chuckle. No point in trying to run before you learn to walk. The Scarlet Witch sauntered around Carina and then moved a few feet away before turning to face her. Lets start with something simple like shoes and see how it goes from there.

Is it too late to change my mind? The Duchess drew in a slow breath, exhaled, and then extended her left foot, mimicking her tutors demonstration. That will have to do. Its almost time for me to wake up anyway.

Oh? Kirsis ice-blue eyes narrowed above a thin smile. Are you going to be leaving us so soon?

We will both be leaving, Carina replied firmly. Viktor will bring you back here when I am free to train again.

The Scarlet Witchs expression soured as her ice-blue eyes moved past the Duchess towards Viktor. So be it, let us begin.

The more I think about Viktors words earlier, the more I cant help but wonder if Kirsi sees me as an allyor enemy.

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