Ruby followed with head hung low, barely gathering her courage to raise and meet Or. Impossible to hold back anything within an iron will when the truth lurking in the unlit recess of her heart was as strong as the one before her. Unlike Mom, Or never let her emotions pyed below her mask. She never wore one. Even her rejection wasn’t delivered forcefully. Instead, she dismissed gently, and extremely maternal. Ruby wasn’t hers. Not her biological child. Yet, she treated her, cared for her, pampered her, protected her, indulged her silly whimsies, while let her explore her sexuality. Or could have refused to become her chaperone, a role that forced her to deny the advances of Rhea.

  Or stepped in when Mom tossed her responsibility... Just like with Aunt Tasha.

  “Sweetie, are you still perturbed about what she said?” asked Or.

  Ruby kneaded imaginary dough with her palms, refusing to give birth to words that she might come to regret. Her salvation came in the form of Rhea who carried two filled gsses in one hand and another half-filled gss in another, a very nifty, bancing act.

  “There you are, Ruby.” In one swig, she finished her half-filled drink, thrust the empty gss into Or’s hands and looped her arm around Ruby’s waist with familiarity. “The other girls are waiting for you in the cuddle room. Yes. Don’t give me that look. We have a separate room for cuddling. No sex allowed, but chocotes and pillow talks are encouraged.”

  Cynicism wasn’t Ruby’s natural state of expression, and after the shared moments with Rhea where she pampered her, did her hair, makeup to make her presentable for the dance, Ruby easily caved in to the request. Besides, Rhea came bearing an offer to combat the current unease she harboured within, and Ruby was no fool to deny.

  The room Rhea ushered her made Ruby to slither into the comfort and never leave. Cushions and ottomans pulled all around to make one rge cuddle pile. Plushies with infinite softness y strewn about in abundance as thought Santa on a st-minute Christmas drive met a meteor and his magical sack open right above the room. Ruby witnessed everyone cosily snuggled, nibbling candies, or cheesecakes, pillows crushed between, chocote bowl situated close...

  Some clusters had more, while other had two of three girls with one older witch, probably a chaperone. Two young witches in the p of an older witch, ughing and giggling, while the older member ran her fingers through their hair. Or whisper sweet secrets were a common sight.

  On clusters without chaperones, plushies captured the spot. Some shared single, comfy plushies with complete snuggles and exchanging petty gossips. Many remained quiet, contented listening.

  “Over here, Ruby.” Amber was the first to spot her, and she gave her toothy grin, mouth still filled with chocote.

  Crystal spooned Jade, her finger pyed around her earlobe of her partner. Both girls rest on Amber’s p, while nearby, Opal fed Amber pralines from a bowl. Their scandalously demanding outfit from the time with Raisa were abandoned for their usual attires, an intelligent move considering the comfort, and most importantly, the ck of distraction, they offered.

  “Here, taste this one.” Opal offered a praline, a dark sphere with gold dusting.

  “This one’s good,” said Crystal without stopping to pause pinching Jade’s earlobe. “You should try. It has the perfect mix of brandy, truffles, caramel and ganache.”

  “Not just any truffles,” corrected Jade. “It’s perigord truffles. The very best. Raisa spare no expense when it comes to pying a generous host.”

  “You can have two,” added Amber. Her chocote tainted smile was cloyingly inviting. “We were holding it for you. There were only give and Opal has a different taste, so hers is yours. We all decided on it. Usually, we split Opal’s share among us, but since we all like you, we decided that you should get two.”

  Opal harrumphed. “I don’t eat sweets, I prefer a bit tangy snacks.”

  That statement elicited collective giggles. Opal blushed in return.

  “That’s an understatement,” said Jade. She made a pause to wiggle her butt deeper into Crystal’s waist and released a small hum of contentment before continuing. “Ruby, she prefers spicy stuff. Japeno poppers, spicy roasted chickpeas, sriracha eggs... That’s her idea of a snack. Don’t you ever take her to a Korean restaurant. She will drive them out of kimchi.”

  “Just exaggerations, Ruby. Ignore them.” The smirk that spread like a veneer of truth on her face can’t be hidden even when Opal moved and knelt behind Amber. She wrapped her hands around Amber, pulling her to lean into her cuddle.

  Now, it was Amber who took the two pralines from Opal and tempted Ruby with the offering.

  “Don’t believe her,” continued Jade. “When she’s one of her snack marathon, she could french kiss a dragon and the dragon would rush to the next dairy farm to buy yogurt.”

  That elicited more chuckles, ignoring the meaningful scowl Opal gave them. Amber waited till it died. “You should take these.” She thrust the pralines to Ruby.

  The taste melted on Ruby’s tongue, a gracefully flowing sensual mix of sweet intermingled with bittersweet chocote. A pool of dark chocote and ganache within, swirling like ambrosial nectar. That smooth texture interpyed on her pate, coating it in an explosion of taste. That expensive delicacy just unlocked another ability in her. Her tongue grew one more yer of taste buds. The sounds they elicited from Ruby, the clicking of tongue on the roof of her mouth, the smacking of lips, the slurping of saliva... all garnered Ruby curious looks not just from her group but from the nearby ones as well. The pleasure became noticeable.

  The rules forbid sex in the cuddle chamber, so why was she having another orgasm again?

  Ruby never imagined chocotes after sex would feel so amazing. The taste satisfied her cravings. She wrapped her lips through her sumptuous orgasms, deliberately holding it tight, deying their release. Every bit of it was precious, so she sucked the remnant off Amber’s fingers.

  “It’s amazing, right?” grinned Amber.

  With an impossible to ignore tug, Opal and Amber pulled Ruby to take her pce in the cuddle pile. Quickly she settled between Opal and Amber, leaning fully, allowing the space and warmth that both offered. Opal shifted position but only slightly, providing extra pillows while Amber embraced Ruby, allowing her easy access towards Opal’s bowl. Both provided her the space and time for Ruby to savour the moment at her own pace.

  A feather touch followed as Rhea settled behind Ruby, cautiously pushing her tresses from falling over her forehead. There was nothing veiled in Rhea’s tender touch. Had she been acquainted with Rhea through her childhood, she might discern all unsaid sentiments passed through Rhea’s looks. Whatever happened between Rhea and Or, it needled its weight further. So instead, Ruby settled her fears and surrendered to her new friends’ comfort and Rhea’s care. Lazily, she helped herself to another dark temptation from the bowl and nguidly swallowed, savouring all hints of dark chocotes in their brandy added richness, merging with muscovado sugar, subtle cane syrup... all coating her tongue.

  Ruby remained silent, fearing that her words would tarnish the moment she found herself in. The conversation soon devolved into meaningless gossip, and Ruby nodded in silence. The topics bore no relevance, but the acceptance did unspeakable wonders to her psyche.

  Only when Cybele’s name came up, more than once, did Ruby shatter her self-imposed manacles of trepidation. “What about Cybele?”

  Whatever answer that materialised in Crystal dissipated at the stone-penetration gaze from Rhea. It did not come as a surprise to Ruby that when Jade spoke, her words came politically constructed. “While opinions about Morgane are very unanimous, Cybele, you could say, can be extremely porised within the community. She is usually seen as cantankerous and disruptive.” After a pause, she added as an apology. “I mean, her acts are disruptive, not doubts there, but still...”

  “Still?” Ruby asked. Whatever their apprehension, they ran deeper than just the deterrent presence of Rhea.

  “I’ll cut Jade’s circuitous rambling short.” Amber was rather unencumbered by any subtle warning. “You might have noticed those severe restrictions introduced in the witches’ ball. Cybele forced them.”

  “Wow... I didn’t know Cybele was into drafting guidelines and working in management capacity,” replied Ruby.

  Jade snorted. “Let’s say Cybele was the reason why those actions came into effect.”

  Barely suppressed ughter, all completed with contorted mirth, followed.

  Only Opal hissed them to silence. “Seriously, I think since Ruby is here, we should just go for it.” She took the the dearth of objection following her statement as affirmation, and continued. “The issue is this. We all heard that Cybele joined Morgane’s coven. That’s disturbing. Morgane doesn’t have a moral compass and Cybele’s got disassembled to form a helioscope. Most of us are worried about Cybele.”

  Most of us. The way Opal uttered made it evident who she meant and, most importantly, to Ruby, it highlighted how the younger generation of witches perceived Cybele.

  “Fact is, Morgane lost her whole coven to a pnned explosion. Morrigan is the War Queen. Vengeance is hers. What is hers can’t be denied.”

  The st part, even when said by Opal, came very poignant.

  The potency of it made shudders travel through Ruby. She had heard those words very clearly from Mom. They were a promise then. The veracity of it now materialised more vividly. No longer was it an amorphous image delivered through a tainted gss.

  Only Rhea’s hold, tightening ever so gently, drew Ruby from the swampy miasma of spiralling thoughts.

  “It used to be simply,” continued Opal. “Dark inquisitors, oath-breaker padins, tome-bound schor, could have been any of them. Except, the explosion was initiated through detonation. Now the enemy is unknown. The attempts of High Inquisitor Enders shed no light on the situation.”

  Jade cut Opal, directly addressing Ruby. “Point it, Morgane is preparing for war and to lead she would need a technowitch. Now she has Cybele.”

  Any further divulging was interrupted by a sharp hiss from Rhea. “Girls, let me remind you. Truth when iterated multiple times over will tends to evolve into a lie.”

  No apology came from Jade, but only a subtle biting of lower lips as she swallowed whatever words she meant to utter.

  “Cybele has lost a lot.” Amber pced one solitary chaste and consoling peck on Jade’s crown. “If Morgane were to sacrifice her in a gambit...“ A slow pause came and Amber dragged, giving ample time in which none, including Ruby, dared raise word against her. “... No, she will use her in her war and will get her killed, just like her previous coven. None will mourn Cybele. She is forgotten already.“

  The st part delivered sentiments directly to the depth of Ruby’s being. She had known Cybele in her multiple facets. The annoying girl who she immediately hated when she first met. The unashamed girl who panhandled things for a living and lived under dubious living condition. And also the girl who made her ugh with her silly puns. And the foolishly, brave girl who got on one-knee to propose her. Ruby thought she knew Cybele in her various elements. They all carried one commonality. Cybele was ignored by everyone, something that took Amber’s words for Ruby to realise.

  “Her own family wanted nothing to do with her.” Amber stroked Jade’s hair and her smile settled on Crystal. “The other witches want nothing with her. The council banned her. Certain werewolf cns passed resolutions. Some will prevent her from entering their territory while other will rip her when seen.”

  “She has a beef with werewolves?” asked Ruby incredulously.

  Only Crystal giggled. “Beef with werewolves. That’s a good one, Ruby.” Whatever followed, Crystal realised when everyone else remained silent. “What...? That’s a perfectly good one... considering the fact that it involves Cybele.”

  “All we know is she did something that put a generation of their children at harm,” answered Jade. “I knew it from firsthand because some of those children are treated by my coven. My mother refuses to talk, something about patient confidentiality, but all she would say is the werewolves should have taught their children well to not trust Cybele.”

  Opal scrunched her nose, forcing her nostrils close, while her forehead winked through vertical lines. “I refuse to believe Cybele would willingly hurt anyone.” A sentiment that Ruby too shared. “Morgane is powerful. No doubts there, but there are schools of magic she is not proficient in. Technowitches are a new breed, and to fight against adversaries using technology, she would need a technowitch and she will not care who she sacrifices in her war, as long as the end results tilt in her favour. That’s why Cybele is in trouble.”

  “Since you belong to the same coven, will your protect her Ruby?” asked Amber.

  Protect Cybele from Mom? That’s a tall order to fill. Cybele, who could verbally spar and exhaust her mother. what can she do to protect such a powerful witch? Unlike her, Cybele could meet decisions and go ahead with them. She possessed this audaciousness almost bordering on nihilism when carrying them out. There’s nothing Ruby could provide for Cybele.

  Before further thoughts clouded her judgement, Rhea intervened. “Girls, you can’t expect her to make promises. Morgane can make dragons run. Besides, Cybele has to decide her fate alone. No-one can guide her destiny.”

  That only brought Ruby’s recollections upon meeting Or, her mother’s partner, her mom’s wife, her mama Or. Or’s history with Mom seemed longer than any could cim. Even Dad. After witnessing Or’s actions, seeing her reaction during Agathe’s pissing game, all confirmed her suspicions. Or’s heart contained an endless reservoir; one could plunge deep, never reach bottom. One could drink, could feast, could bathe, could fill her thirst, could cleanse her sins and never could anyone deplete Or’s giving nature.

  “I will protect her.“ The courage in Ruby came from Or. “Whatever may come, I will give everything I could. I prom... “

  “Words carry power, child.” Raisa punctuated her a tapping of her cane. When she lifted her cane and pointed at Rhea, the action was almost accusatory that Ruby feared Raisa would throw her out.

  “S-S-She spoke faster than I could react.” Rhea pushed herself from snuggling with Ruby. Contriteness was all that remained in her movement.

  “What happened?” Or appeared carrying a tray filled with nuclear daiquiri, undoubtedly for Rhea, and freshly cut fruits for Ruby and the others. Her perplexed look soon morphed into concern. “Please tell me Ruby didn’t do something irreversible.”

  “Child.” Raisa addressed Ruby. Not witchling. No endearment there. Just pure and suppressed anger. “The witches’ ball has chaperones for a specific reason. There is power in a gathering of witches and sometimes, fuelled by all the revelry and intoxicated by sex and passion, young witches would make promises to each other with far-reaching consequences.”

  Raisa’s seething statements were aimed at Ruby, but their scorn was evidently directed towards Or, surprisingly. Not Rhea, but Or. Their effect was profound. Or, confident and peerless Or, refused to meet anyone's gaze.

  Ruby was powerless to stop when Raisa poked Amber with the tip of her staff, eliciting an ouch. “Now, all four of you. Move away from her. You have convinced her to almost take an oath to which she had no right to.”

  “We didn’t mea...” Crystal’s protests were cut by Raisa with a steely edge reserved only for monarchs.

  “To be a witch is to know the consequences of one’s action.” If looks could burn, Raisa carried fming torches. “Clearly, you all have demonstrated a ck of such ability.”

  Each time Raisa lifted her cane, fear manifested, making Ruby flinch. But when she raised it to point against Or, Ruby found her bearings... and her courage.

  “Leave her.” Ruby liberated herself from Rhea and Amber, and Opal to stand between Raisa and Or. “She wasn’t even here.”

  “She knows what I am talking about.” The tip of Raisa’s cane pointed at Ruby. “She is your ward for the night.” Raisa poked Ruby with her cane, forcing her to stumble.

  Only Or’s unrelenting stance and her supporting palm on her waist told her that her she would always be there for her.

  Raisa continued. “I suppose that is expected. Since the attention of one of your lovers has made you ignore your role as her chaperone.”

  Both Raisa’s tongue-shing and her accusation ced statements fell heavy, more poignantly than her cane, cutting through soul. Her anger, and the words they gave birth to, were incorrectly targetted. Whatever transpired between Rhea and Or, Or clearly took her role seriously. Even her rejection and dismissal earlier proved much. Ruby bore witness.

  Mom may enjoy her spats and bantering and taunting, and may possess an endless penchant for confrontation with her protective instinct that usually involved violent, blood and mayhem. But Or always went the soft route, always pacifying, calming her. Now, it’s time she returned the favour.

  A deep breath. Exhale slowly. Then Ruby spoke words, each weighted and pced carefully, delivered slowly. Almost pcatingly, attempting her best imitation Or.

  “Raisa, you are a powerful witch. Probably one of the oldest witch. But I don’t care. Your age and power and influence may instil fear and obedience. I’m scared. I admit. Still, I will give my best protecting my Mama Or, the person I love and the person I respect, the only one person besides my father who I trust. And I won’t care about the consequences, because the person standing behind me has earned through her love nothing less than everything I have to offer.”

  After her procmation, Ruby braced herself. She had challenged the hostess at her own party. That might earn her a pariah status. Perhaps she might become the next Cybele. Even ostracised from her new circle of friends, but those were superficial compared to the damage done upon someone loved. Those will leave a permanent scar on her conscience. And she will protect her Mama Or. Always.

  A veneer of uncertain expression shrouded Raisa. Was it a smirk or a snarl that tugged the corner of her lips?

  “Or, you and me, in private. Now.” Raisa turned and left, leaving only the heavy tapping of her cane echoing around.

  “I will be back, sweetie.” Or gave a quick peck on Ruby’s forehead and followed Raisa.

  A weightlessness permeated upon watching her go. To watch someone walking towards uncertain confrontation will always prove challenging, especially when done for no crime of her own.

  How will she fix it?

  Ruby ran all scenarios through her mental simution. She came up with no feasible option where she could retrieve Or unscathed.

  Perhaps she could find Aunt Tasha. Then what? At the risk of revealing her promise to Aunt Tasha? One more person dragged in all because of an involvement with her. Because of her act.

  Her reveries shattered when Rhea pulled her close, but away from her friends. In one swift fluid motion, she wrapped her protective embrace around Ruby, almost — but only almost — simir to what she would have expected from Mom and yet not quiet there.

  “Don’t worry about Or,” said Rhea. “She’s a valkyrie, a tough opponent when determined and right now she is determined to fight for you.”

  Both slumped on an empty couch, and Ruby could only trust in Rhea’s words. She scooted closer, drawing her legs to her body, while Rhea provided her shoulders for her head to fall and her arms to wrap around like a comforter.

  “I must confess, I didn’t form a good opinion of you at first gnce,” said Ruby. The truth hurt, but hiding hurt more. “I was jealous of you.”

  Rhea gave a sigh that sounded part-resignation and part-acknowledgement. So Ruby continued. “Despite what I call her, my feelings for Or are convoluted. She doesn’t see me the way I want her to know me.”

  That confession dragged the dignity out of her and tossed it on Rhea’s whim to judge. However, Rhea remained her collected self. Her fingers continued raking through Ruby’s curls, parting, twining, removing any knots, careful never to rake her nails through her scalp. Once she completed disentangling, she moved her fingers deftly through her hair.

  Eventually, she spoke. “If it would console you, I carried my own preconceived notion about you.”

  There was silence — of the sort that one craved while watching sunset on an isoted beach — between them.

  “You are Morgane’s daughter, so I had reasons to hate you, but those reasons can’t justify hating you.” Rhea pced her palms directly below Ruby’s neckline, above where her heartbeat. “And I hated you even more when she cimed you as her daughter. That privilege should have belonged to my daughter.”

  And her revetion only caused pain. Ruby saw it all, her clenched teeth, her heaved chest, her harnessed hurt through dited pupil. Everything... Pain wrought only because...

  “This happened a while ago. Now, I am not sure what version of the tale you heard, but here is something that happened. When Morgane left, Or became a hollow shell, a living zombie shambling around. Alive but not existing. I coaxed her out of it and we became lovers. I even suggested that we go exclusive but Morgane’s betrayal was still fresh, so Or refused. That’s when I met my husband. We had a few small trysts. We got careless, and that’s how I found about my eldest daughter and Or promised to help me raise her. I believed her and cut all my ties with my husband.”

  A thin yer of damp moisture coated Ruby’s shoulder. Whatever resentment Rhea harboured, they manifested in her tears.

  “My daughter was probably eighteen months old. I left her once in the care of Or while I worked. That’s when news came of Morgane being hospitalised and Or just hired a babysitter for my daughter and ran to Morgane’s side. I came home to find a stranger holding my daughter because she abandoned my daughter for Morgane. I knew loving Or meant not having her fully. That meant sharing her love with Morgane, but my daughter deserves the best. I can’t let Or raise my daughter if it means bringing Morgane into our lives. It was a choice I had to make then. Irrespective of my love, my daughter needs that one person who will pce her before everyone. Or is not that person. I met my husband again. He’s a good man and a good father. So, we married.“

  An absence lingered while Rhea collected herself. A faint snivel emanating, nose clearing. And the silence continued.

  Ruby fidgeted nervously. Her palms carried a constant sheen. She kept rubbing them together, wiping them frequently, creating friction through her fingers. She should have felt exhirated. Rhea had given her the truth. Completed the task given by Raisa. Instead, Ruby wished to erase the truth from her mind. Rhea’s words brought all manner of fear within her.

  But before her thick mosses like thoughts dragged her down, Opal stood before Ruby, tugging her hands to join them.

  “Go,” said Rhea. She sounded drained from the conversation, from the truth that she tried to ignore and giving form to emotions that she kept locked.

  That’s when Ruby knew Rhea needed her solitude, too. So she went with Opal.

  “Damn Ruby, you were so awesome when you stood up to Raisa,” said Crystal. “Like no one ever stood up to her.”

  Four admiring faces surrounded Ruby, whose expression became increasingly devotional.

  “That’s an aspected witch for you,” said Jade. “I guess you are on a different level.”

  “When you said Morgane is not skilled in all schools of magic, which ones are they?” asked Ruby. She needed to know if she was to protect Cybele from threats, both outside and inside.

  “Sigils and runic magic, I think,” added Opal. “Transmutations, I am certain. Probably permanent transformations, too.”

  “Transmutation is not a school of magic for witches,” scoffed Crystal. “Show me one coven that specialises in transmutations? That belongs to the Padin. If reports are true, he owns the power for permanent transmutations.”

  “Like a philosopher’s stone?” asked Ruby.

  “Naah... The White Knight does not do real transmutation.” Jade’s cim was met with a heavily squint gre from Crystal. “Look, Cybele told me of her theory. The White Knight is probably a Faelord. So he simply takes elements from our world and brings elements of equal mass from his realm. Like a magician’s sleight-of-hand trick. That’s Cybele’s postute, anyway.”

  Further gossips were halted when Raisa and Or sauntered in their direction. With an unspoken nod, exchanged with Raisa, Or moved towards Rhea as though the turbulence in Rhea’s psyche materialised in the visible air around her.

  “Walk with me, little witchling.” Raisa reached out to grab Ruby and there was a hidden power that can’t be denied in her grasp. She casually dismissed a messy Rhea on the couch and a very sincere Or kneeling in front of her. “I see you have succeeded in the task.”

  “I hurt her by digging old painful memories.” Ruby tasted the bitterness undution from Rhea. “Even a river of tears can’t drain that away.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Raisa carefully ushered Ruby towards the entrance, pausing before the very same attendant who received her. She snapped her fingers, passing her instruction to have Ruby’s articles delivered back to her.

  “Am I being thrown out?”

  “No, sweet witchling. You are so precious that one can’t hold anger for too long. We believe you had enough excitement for a day.”

  Their waiting was short. Or followed, hands linked with Rhea.

  “Witchling, come find me at ‘The Elysium’ in a week’s time. Carmil was interested to meet you.”

  “Carmil?” Ruby could not tear her eyes away from Or and Rhea and the longingness that resided in their shared contact. “I don’t know any Carmil.”

  “Not any Carmil.” Raisa chuckled, a very mirth-filled sound. “The Carmil. Apparently, she’s travelling with her daughter Esther and she’s keen that you both get acquainted.”

  “Sure.”

  Ruby was too consumed by thoughts and revetions and considerations to register the farewell kiss and the prolonged hug from Raisa. She was arrested by the sight of Rhea running her palm over Or’s cheeks, and the expectation that kept their gazes taut. Even at a distance, the cloying sweetness overwhelmed Ruby.

  Concerns about Cybele were pushed to the back of her mind. Only Or occupied her whole essence.

  They reached Or’s car in silence.

  When they buckled up, Or asked with her usual confident smile hiding pain beneath, “Are you ready? Morgane would love to hear all about your ball.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Your Mom asked me to chaperone you because she knew she can’t do it herself. She has a reputation, one that would interfere with your chances of making friends. So, against her own wishes, she asked me to take you. She did it because she cares.”

  Mom might care. Might. But her care came tainted, always riddled with selfishness. Ruby could no longer repeat that mantra any more. Not after what she heard, witnessed, and experienced, with Opal, Jade, Amber, and Crystal. There was an undeniable truth to Mom’s supposedly selfish action, even when the crity eluded her then.

  That was Mom, and then, now beside her, was Or.

  Or, who marched with a confident stride into any board meeting, who ruled a construction empire, actually had nothing. Wanted by two women, but never as a whole. Rhea craved Or. The physical Or, who could stroke those embers of passion in her, could take her through a whimsical dream made reality. That’s the Or she wanted. Mom, too, needed Or, but for other reasons. They both loved Or in their own ways, but not the way Or deserved to be loved. To have her emotional needs met.

  Ruby reached out to touch Or, grab both her cheeks with her palms and pulled her for a kiss... on her forehead.

  “Can I spend the night at your pce?”

  Or paused. Perhaps it took her whole volition, her whole essence, too. “I need time. Alone.”

  “No, you can’t be alone.” Her own tone, the forcefulness and the will of strength in them, surprised Ruby. “I know you don’t love me the way I want you to. And you are not too credulous to not know how I feel about you. Please let me come, if not as anyone else, then as your daughter, Mama Or.”

  Upon hearing the st two words, Or’s facade cracked. Her veneer of impassive calmness, amalgamated with the confident smile, evaporated, revealing her fragility.

  “Then, let’s go, dearest daughter of mine.”

  So they drove to Or’s penthouse.

  AnnouncementFor those of you who are wondering about the introduction of two new characters, I am happy to announce a crossover with characters from another story by the very talent cutterlina. You can follow her story in the following link:

  The Crimson Red Door.

  It turns out both of our readerbase has an overp and when she reached out to comment in my stories, the conversation evolved, ending in a pnned crossover. Like most of the characters introduced in the Witches' Ball, I do not cim any credits for Esther. Just like Agathe, she is any Author's creation.

  Now that the witches ball is over, I have given enough hints to the major question pguing Ruby's spell. If you think you have figured it out please let me know in the comments.

  bsky

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