The Gamma's Dark Witch

37 - Old Contracts

(Nisha)

I stumbled back, Cameron caught me gently, tucking his arm around my waist.

“What other kids do you deal with then?” Cameron asked.

“All sorts,” the woman responded, sizing him up. “Look, I don’t want trouble; no one around here does, but Soleil and I have a contract that goes way back to before I even ran this inn.”

“How?” Cameron demanded, and I squeezed his forearm gently, trying to get him to calm down.

The woman narrowed her eyes. “She’s been around for a while now, boy.”

“Do you recognize me?” I asked.

She looked me over and gave a slight shrug. “Maybe it’s been a while.”

“Only a few years,” I said, but honestly, I had no idea how long it was. “We were traveling with a beautiful Indian woman and a dark blonde with hair that never settles,” I tried to hastily explain, also to not make Zephyr sound like a total b.itch.

“Yes.” She paused, nodding slowly. “And you were a tight-knit group, so why are you left behind, little nymph?” she asked.

That word sliced through me.

“What do you know about nymphs?” Cameron asked.

The woman looked between us, confused. “I - I never heard anyone call us that; we identify as witches,” I explained.

The woman laughed loudly. “And you think typical witches have such power over nature?” She wiped her eyes, shaking her head. “Tell me, girl, what power do you possess?”

I let the shadows out, and they lept dancing around the room, flickering in between the candles. The woman stepped back, her eyes wide but in awe, not horror, or so I hoped.

“Darkness,” I responded dryly. The woman swallowed, and I reigned them back in.

“It’s not normal to have such power; even dark and light witches might be able to train in something, but their powers are more…” She looked to the ceiling as if the word lay there. “General.”

“How do you know that’s what she is?” Cameron asked hastily. “Where do they come from?”

“Slow down, pretty boy,” the woman said, and I felt Cameron tense, his hand squeezed my waist.

“I’ve known what Soleil was; I’ve met a few in my time,” she explained. “Where they come from, your guess is as good as mine. Where do you come from, wolf?” she asked.

“The Moon Goddess,” he responded.

“Hmpf.” The woman crossed her arms.

“And you, witch?” Cameron asked. I felt out of the loop was I the only one that couldn’t read what everyone was?

“My parents, I guess.” She shrugged, giving us a sly smile. “But that’s my point. There are so many histories and stories there is no definite answer.”

“And the others? How many other… nymphs?” Cameron asked.

“I’ve seen a few with Soleil, one that could wield fire like nothing I’d seen before.” The woman sounded like she was in awe. “One that could turn a bright afternoon into a storm. They are truly magnificent. Rare…” She looked at me, and I felt a surge of pride, something that I wasn’t entirely familiar with.

I had so many questions, but knowing that there was a specific name for what I was, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what nymphs were besides passing stories, I felt like a piece of me locked together. Some of the uncertainty faded, and I felt good.

“Have you seen any without Soleil?” Cameron asked. A good question.

“Boy, you’re going to have to pay me for this. I can’t sit around answering mundane questions all night I have other patrons to get to.”

I looked around the room; it was completely empty and utterly quiet, besides the wind rustling the window and the crackling of a warm fireplace.

“We will take a night here and if you would be so kind. I would love to buy you a drink once we get settled,” Cameron said to her in a way that reminded me more of Lucas than anything.

She squinted her eyes but smiled. “That’s more like it. One room?” She eyed us.

“Do you have more than one?” Cameron asked.

“Of course.” She looked around. “You’re at an inn that’s not meant to be found unless you know where to find it.” She raised a brow. “Supply and demand and all that, of course, we have more than one vacant room. So..one room or two?”

“Two,” we both said. She studied us but turned around and went to what I assumed was an office behind the desk.

“I like it here,” I said.

“I think I do, too,” Cameron agreed. “So, a nymph?” he asked. He let his hand drop from my waist and came to stand next to me.

I shook my head. “I don’t even really know what they are. I mean, I’ve heard of them, but I didn’t know they were real or that they… I don’t know. I never thought about it, and now I’m one of them?”

“How does it feel?” Cameron asked slowly, studying me.

I shrugged. “I’m the same, but having that little piece of information helps.”

“And Soleil never told you?” he asked.

I didn’t think about that. “I wonder if she knew.”

“If that woman here knows, then Soleil did did. Why would she keep it from you?” he asked himself.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. “I don’t know.”

The woman came back and motioned for us to follow. She led us up creaky stairs and to two rooms across the hall from each other. There were some faint sounds up here, muffled talking and shuffling.

“I’ll send up hot water,” she said. “Come down when you’re ready.

I nodded my thanks and took my time washing and getting changed into relatively clean clothes. I saved some water and tried to scrub out the dirt from my traveling clothes, hanging them carefully.

I sensed Cameron in the hall, and I opened the door. He was leaning on the wall across from me, looking formidable as always.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Sure.” I shrugged.

He looked me over before pushing off the wall. “I feel like I’m in a movie or something.” He shook his head.

I looked around. “I’m used to this,” I explained. “This is how we travel; this is what I’m used to."

“Traveling the places behind civilization, the pockets of society that are left untouched?” Cameron asked.

“You make it sound poetic.” I tugged at my hair. “Romantic even.”

He lifted a shoulder, leading me down the stairs. “It could be. It’s different.”

“It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“Would you like to live in a city? Visit one?” he asked, glancing back at me when we reached the bottom.

I looked down at my hair, which seemed bright even in the dim corridor. “I don’t exactly fit in, and I don’t know if I want to change myself to be accepted by people I don’t know.”

“Times are changing-”

“My hair glows.” I pinned him with a stare, and he cracked a genuine smile that made my stomach flip.

“There are hats in the real world, you know.”

I stilled. “Was that a joke?” I asked.

He half-shrugged. “Kinda,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

“A man of many talents,” I muttered, biting down on a smile. He turned away, but I swear his cheeks pinkened in the dim light.

The woman was standing behind the chairs around the fire. She motioned for us to sit and poured us all a drink of honey-colored liquid. Cameron studied it, swirling it around before sniffing it.

“If I wanted you dead, boy, you would be.” The woman said.

I choked on my sip of the burning liquid. I spluttered and coughed, and they both looked at me, but the woman seemed amused; her eyes crinkled as she watched me before she threw back her drink.

“You sure you can do this?” Cameron asked. “No other patrons need you?” He sat back, but his movement was rigid. I don’t know why it made my stomach flip.

She eyed him and clutched at the glass. “I’ve seen your kind.”

“I’m sure you have,” Cameron responded, stopping her. “But we’re here to talk about something a bit more… rare.” He nodded toward me.

Both of their eyes went to me again.

“You guys can stop looking at me. It’s not like I’ve changed.” I looked to Cameron only now. “I just want answers. I didn’t know what I was; I didn’t understand. I would love any insight you have or direction on where I could figure it out.”

“Why does it matter?” She eyed me and sat back. “You’re what you were an hour ago; you just found out a new name for it.”

“A category,” I sighed. “I guess it doesn’t. No. No, it does.” I nodded more for myself. “I knew I was a witch, but I wasn’t. My whole life was based on ambiguity. I want some clarity, some answers. Finding out what I might really be made me feel good. I don’t care if it doesn’t mean anything. It means something to me.”

Cameron was looking at me, but his face was soft; he dipped his chin toward me, and it was validating in some way.

“Fair enough,” she said and held her glass up toward Cameron. “Would you be so kind?”

He stood and topped up all of our drinks, even though he hadn’t tasted his yet.

“A gentleman,” the woman almost scoffed and sat back, nursing her drink.

“Now,” Cameron said, leaning forward. He emulated power and poise and confidence, and I both envied and awed him. “Tell us what you know or think you know about nymphs. Then we will be on our way.”

The woman tapped the side of her glass. “Honestly,” she said after a long moment looking at me. “I don’t know much.” I sighed internally and frowned. “You’re easy to spot because of your essence, radiance, I’m not sure. You seem similar to witches, but you exude the power that runs through you. Even when you try to contain it, you can’t.”

She was right, and I knew she was looking right at me even though I was studying my glass.

“I haven’t met many. As I said before, I deal with Soleil, my family only deals with Soleil.”

“How many-” Cameron started, and the woman put a hand up.

“I’m not finished,” she said. I clamped on my smile at Cameron’s sour look, but thankfully he sat back. “Every one of you is a force; the sheer undiluted power from you isn’t something one can ignore. Your looks, well, you know. You emanate your powers through them. They cannot be hidden…” She paused, and I met her gaze.

“And they are not meant to be,” she said, and I swallowed. “You are rare. I do not know where you come from or who your deity is. I do know that of all the manner of people I see through this place, I have only ever encountered your kind a handful of times within my years.”

“All with Soleil?” Cameron asked, and she nodded into her drink. He sat back, his jaw hard. I could tell he was thinking, trying to piece something together that I wasn’t sure he could.

“I told you, we have a deal with her.”

“Have you seen nymphs elsewhere?” I asked.

She frowned slightly and shook her head. “I have to admit; I’m not well-traveled, so I wouldn’t be the person to ask.”

“Who would be?” Cameron cut in. “Who would be the person to ask?”

The woman thought it through for a moment, her brows creasing. “I might know someone who would have more knowledge. But they are a few days journey from here. And would come at a price.” She smiled sweetly at Cameron. I was enjoying their interaction.

“Of course they will,” Cameron muttered into his drink but knocked it back. Oh, this would be fun.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“Anything else you want to tell us?”

“How long have you had the deal with Soleil?” I asked.

“Since I was a girl, that was a few more years than I care to admit.”

“And before then?”

“My father and his mother before him.” That information wasn’t new; Soleil was older than all of us combined if I had to guess. I didn’t think she even knew the exact age.

“What has she wanted here before?” Cameron asked.

“This isn’t an interrogation, boy.”

Cameron turned to me, and I nodded. I would tell him what I remembered later, but as usual, we were passing through. Soleil had some things to attend to, and we helped where we could in exchange for a roof over our heads and food to eat. Nothing stood out; we weren’t here long, and we moved on. I’m sure Soleil had many places where she was f.orced to make alliances for our protection or other reasons, I didn’t think much of it.

“Are they immortal?” Cameron asked.

The woman tugged her brows together. “Nothing is truly immortal. But as close to it, I would say.”

I sharply inhaled. I knew I had a long life ahead of me, but suddenly, it seemed like a gaping hole filled with. Nothingness. What was I supposed to do for that long? Without my sisters, when I left Cameron. I knew I would feel the sharp ache of loneliness at the mere thought alone.

“They can be killed,” the woman stated as if she weren’t talking about me anymore. “I’d say it would be hard because of their sheer power.”

“I figured,” Cameron said. He sounded angry, almost pained.

The woman fidgeted with her glass, looking bored. “Thank you,” I said. She nodded and stood up, the chair groaning under her. She filled up both of our glasses again and looked between us before shuffling away.

Cameron stared into his glass; I could sense he was trying to sort through something, piece it together, so I let him.

After a long moment, he turned to me. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Pretty good. I’m not changed.” I looked down at my hands for confirmation. “But having something to identify as… it helps.” He nodded. “The immortality thing seems like a chore.” I sighed, sitting back. “But I don’t want to think about that now.”

“Where to next? Do you want to find out more? Find this man?” he asked.

“What do you think is best? Our goal is to contact Soleil. Answers can wait.”

“I’ll come with you to find them out,” he said resolutely. “After we find Soleil. It would be good to know everything about your kind first-hand. I’ll figure out where he is; it might be near enough or on our way.” He went to stand, and I followed him, setting my glass on the table.

We ascended the staircase again but paused when we got to the top. “Cameron, what do you know about nymphs?”