Elina

Which makes things interesting. Or dangerous. Or both.

We left Larose behind. Back on the road, under the sky. It felt good in a way. To be away from the smells and sounds of humanity. To feel like you are alone in the world.

But I wasn't alone. Elina sat next to me. Or behind me. Whichever struck her fancy.

I was used to it. Or at least as used to having a live witch around as possible. I've slept next to her, eaten with her. Which felt odd in a way. But a lot of things in life were odd, so I choose not to think too much about it.

Rustling sounds behind me. She hasn't said much since we left Larose. But silence between two people can never last.

She yawned and stretched. Gnawed on the hard bread I packed at Larose. Drank water. Slept.

I didn't turn around. Didn't look at her.

She was usually never this quiet. Which meant she was thinking something. Thinking what? I didn't know. But I was still breathing. Still alive. Which was good enough for me.

But silence never lasts.

"Where are we going to sleep tonight?" Elina asked.

I shrugged.

"We are going to camp?"

"Probably."

Elina got up. She leaned forward, her weight against my back. Her chin resting on my shoulder. Her silver hair tickling my cheek.

I said, "What are you doing?"

"Looking."

"Looking for what?"

She breathed in. Breathed out. I could feel the warmth.

"Hmmm..."

She was thinking something. Couldn't really tell what.

Eventually she said, "I'm looking for someone like Anja."

I sat very still. Because now I knew what she was thinking. I could see where this conversation was going. And it wasn't good. Suddenly the cart, the open plains, the blue sky became a prison. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Nothing to distract her. There was little I could do to avoid the worst.

I said, "Why would you want to look for someone like her?"

"Hmmm...camping outside is rather tiresome. The night will be cold and your tent doesn't compare to the King's Lodge."

"My tent is fine."

"But if we could find someone like Anja...I could let her seduce you, take us to her honeypot village, have a warm meal and bed for the night."

"What makes you so sure that would work?"

"Hmmm?" I felt silver eyes on me. The glow of magic. The scent of a woman. Or witch. Both equally dangerous in this situation. "I thought you liked her kind. Young and innocent. It really doesn't take much to strike your fancy."

"I'm not that stupid."

"Really?"

"Don't you like this kind?" she asked.

She wore Anja's face. A perfect copy. Blue eyes and the beauty of innocence. But I could tell it wasn't her.

Smiling eyes, a mocking smirk on her lips. It was Elina through and through.

I tried to ignore her.

Ever since she had killed off the entire honeytrap village, Anja included, she hadn't said anything about how I was fooled by the girl. Never mentioned it. As if it never happened. Didn't even bring it up in Larose. Not even when she was drunk. So I figured she forgot about it.

I was a fool for thinking that.

Elina said, "Did you really think I forgot about Anja? How easily she seduced you? How you didn't suspect that there was something odd about her? How you were so enamored by her sweet innocent beauty that you forgot about everything else? Including your so-called wife?"

I said, "But you killed Anja. You killed the entire village."

"And how does that relate to how you were fooled?"

I sighed. Distracting her wasn't possible.

I said, "I admit that I was careless."

"Careless? Is that all?"

"Careless and some other things."

That satisfied her. Maybe. You can never be sure about what a woman is thinking. But she changed back into her natural appearance.