Chapter 3 - Gylore

Christian was out of the cottage when the sun began setting. Celeste as usual was nowhere to be found. Her cat was the only one in the cottage. It laid by the windowsill quietly. It only opened its bright eyes to watch him curiously before letting out a tired meow.

He couldn't help but wonder at the quiet nature of her familiar. As if it was imitating her personality. He wasn't too fond with the snake even though she claimed it doesn't bite. The forest was quiet only the creaking of the trees and the songs of birds could be heard. He sat on the chair in the small porch admiring his surroundings.

He wondered how his siblings were coping with his absence. He laughed when he imagined them wailing over his loss. His elder brother never liked him and the same went for his father. Sometimes, he wondered whether he was part of their family.

It didn't matter now, they got rid of him so anything that happened to them wasn't his concern. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair in frustration. He smelt a familiar scent of flowers, the strongest one being lavender. Celeste noticed his quietness, but said nothing about it.

She entered with Faust coiled on her shoulders. 'Sad' he said to her. "I know." she replied him. She placed her bag on the floor next to Christian and sat beside him. She let the silence envelope them before speaking.

"I can see you are not fine what's bothering you?" She asked him watching the trees ahead of them. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it. Seeing as he refused to speak, she removed a book from her bag. Her fingers smoothed the crumpled pages.

Gylore promised to visit her the day before and she has been awaiting his visit since. He is a friend she made during her difficult times. He gave her a place to stay and fed her. She is forever in his debt. The only thing about him is he isn't really a human. His features appear human-like, but looking through his glamour, he is an elf.

Elves and witches are the only known creatures that practice magic and they share some kind of connection. A witch wouldn't find it difficult tracking an elf and vice-versa. Her eyes stopped on a spell she could use.

She recited the spell in a wrong way at first, but when she read it again she became familiar with the words. Christian watched her struggle with the words and craned his neck to see what she was reading. He was met with unfamiliar letters.

"sit in flore ambiente, et quid pulchrum ejus, ut non visus in humana oculus." The dense forest transmogrified into paradise. The tall trees looked more alive with different lighter shades of green leaves. The moist grass changed to soft carpet grass with blooming flowers.

They glowed in her purple magic as they place changed slowly. She closed her eyes and let hands out. She protected the place with a thin barrier. She then closed her palm making the remaining magic surrounding them rush back to her fisted palms.

"Hodie sat magicae" A voice said from nowhere. A tall figure emerged from the thin barrier with ease. It was as if the person knew Celeste's magic. The person stood infront the cottage admiring her work before speaking.

"I see you are changing a few things." The man said nodding his head every now and then. Celeste had a blank look on her face and gave little acknowledgement to what he said.

"Gylore I would ask why you are late but seeing you here puts my mind at ease." She folded her arms across her chest and released a deep breath.

Faust poked his head out of her sash and watched Gylore curiously. 'Friend' She nodded her her head in answer. Gylore's eye caught a glimpse of a new person sitting by the stairs. Celeste's eye followed his gaze, but said nothing to him.

He followed her inside the cottage to her magic station as she liked to call it with Christian on his tail.

Christian saw a man with dark hair enter the cottage. Something about the man's aura told him he wasn't human. He watched as they talked in hushed whispers and looked at him every now and then. His feet carried him outside the cottage. He could not see beyond the barrier , but saw the thin film of magic surrounding the expanse area.

Meanwhile, Celeste and Gylore were arguing about the mark on Christians chest. "We can't just turn him in like that." Celeste pressed on. She knew how the Council worked and never liked their way of doing things.

"And we can't keep him from danger for too long , we have to tell him sooner or later." Gylore rubbed his forehead tired of the young witch's persistence in keeping him. He didnt know why she still kept him alive knowing hwr grudge with the Royal family.

"You can't keep him here for long he would be found, as well as you." He said lowering his voice at the last part. Ever since the sudden demise of the Laveau witches, she had been living in seclusion. Until she was found as the remaining Laveau witch,her life was at stake. Many tried to take her power for themselves, but she always escaped.

"I know. I will be careful besides i have put a protective spell on him." She said closing her book. He watched her suspiciously and wondered how she did it. "I know that look" She stood up removing her cloak as it was making her a little bit uncomfortable. "I am just wondering how you did it that's all." Gylore said raising his hands in the air.

"I put the potion in his food." He heard her say before leaving the room. He shook his head slowly and looked out from the window. Christian was standing infront of the barrier with a deep frown set on his face. "I wonder why she is so keen in protecting you. Maybe it is what am seeing." He had a light smile on his face.

"You came at the right time. Fate brought you two together hope it will be a happy ending." He covered his head with his hood before disappearing like burnt ashes.

Celeste was in a dilemma. First she brought a problem she wasn't sure she could solve. Then, Gylore comes and tell her to send Christian to the Council when they are the ones that covert her powers the most. She could save herself, but what about him.

She bumped into someone snapping her from her thoughts. Time seemed to stop as her body fell. and Faust flew from her sash into the air. "gravitas defy" she said quickly before he landed on the ground.

She felt arms wrap around her waist as she fell. Christian caught her in time. They both had surprised looks on their faces. He was just observing the barrier when he felt someone bump into him. At first he thought it was that man, until he heard a familiar voice mutter a spell suspending a black snake in the air.

His arms just held in before she fell on instinct. Their faces were too close for comfort. She gazed into his blue ocean eyes and he gazed into her violet eyes. She snapped of her daze and escaped his embrace. Faust and Luna noticed their awkward silence and beamed happily. 'so their teacher was right, fate indeed brought them together!'

She was quiet and walked away quietly with a flushed face. What happened to the tough girl facade? "Wait!" Christian held her wrist and pleaded with his eyes. "What?" She said barely able to hide her flushed face.

"Lets go out." He said seriously catching her off guard. "I'm sorry i can't." She sighed. He would never understand the danger they were both in. "Why?" He asked watching her carefully. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it back. Sighing deeply, she said the one word she hoped she won't regret.

"Okay. Ill put a glamor on you when we reached the market." Christian nodded happy to escape the cottage for once.

"Also be careful if you are recognized, the town's people will have your head." She walked to her room.