CHAPTER NINE
TANYA'S POV
I spent the whole night trying to remember where I had met the person with that husky voice who had just called my name. No matter how hard I tried, I could not remember. Maybe my mind was simply confused by everything that had happened that day.
My thoughts were restless.
The strange feeling that I knew that voice refused to leave my mind.
Suddenly, I heard my godmother's voice calling me from the direction of the baobab tree. I immediately went to her, though a part of me felt nervous. I was afraid she would confront me about what I had been doing at the dungeon that night.
When I arrived, she was standing near the ancient baobab tree, her hand gently touching its rough bark as if she were speaking to it.
"My child," she said softly, "I know you are disappointed in me for not allowing you to destroy your enemies. But that human, Daniel… he has a destiny connected to us. In many ways, he is just like you. That is why you cannot kill him."
Her words surprised me.
"It is better for now to make him your servant," she continued calmly, "until the gods reveal his true destiny to us. I know it is still early for you to understand the ways of the gods, but trust me. Everything will become clear to you as time goes on."
When my godmother finished speaking, a deep sense of regret filled my heart.
Despite my hatred for humans, the truth remained that my godmother had stopped me from killing Daniel for a reason. She had always guided me wisely. Why had I doubted her judgment?
Instead of trusting the woman who had given me a new life, I had shown her disrespect.
This was the same woman who had shown me love and mercy—things I had never known while living among humans.
I slowly knelt before her.
"Forgive me, Mother," I said quietly.
I explained to her why I had been so furious that night, why my anger had blinded me to the point of disobeying her command.
Everything that had happened had brought painful memories rushing back to my mind—memories of the day I was beaten by the royal guards while begging the elders to investigate my uncle's crimes.
No one had listened to me.
No one had cared.
But that day, a mysterious young prince had stopped the guards before they could beat me to death.
Even though I hated the king and his people, that memory still remained clear in my mind.
One day, I would return to that kingdom.
And when that day came, I would make them pay for everything they had done to me.
I swore in my heart that I would destroy that wicked kingdom.
My godmother listened quietly as I spoke. She did not interrupt me. When I finished, she placed her hand gently on my shoulder.
We continued talking for a long time, discussing many things about the covenant and the balance of power between the witches and the human world. By the time we finished speaking, it was already close to midnight.
After speaking with my godmother, I felt a strange sense of relief, as if someone had lifted a heavy burden from my chest.
I returned to my chamber and soon drifted into a deep sleep.
But that night, I had a terrible dream.
In the dream, it was my wedding day.
I was wearing a beautiful white gown decorated with delicate white flowers. The dress looked as if it had been made for a princess. When I stood in front of the mirror, I could hardly believe how beautiful I looked.
My best bridesmaid walked with me toward the carriage that would take me to the wedding venue.
When we arrived, I became curious about the groom I was about to marry. It was an arranged marriage. I had never met the man before. I had only been told that he was a prince from another witch territory located far in the western lands.
When I finally saw him standing at the ceremony, he was wearing a mask that hid his face.
My heart began beating quickly.
The ceremony began, and it was time for us to exchange our vows.
But suddenly, the groom reached into his robe and pulled out a dagger.
Before I could react, he stabbed me.
The pain was unbearable.
My godmother rushed forward in fury and stabbed him in return. But before he died, he used a dark charm that struck my godmother down.
I watched helplessly as she fell to the ground.
Tears flowed down my face like a river, but I could not scream because of the pain in my chest.
Then I saw Princess Lisa from the Snake Pack standing beside my groom. She leaned forward and kissed him while giving me a cold, cunning smile.
When she noticed that I was still breathing, she drew her sword and stepped toward me, preparing to finish me.
But suddenly, a tall and handsome man appeared and saved me.
Before I could see his face clearly, the dream shattered.
It was already dawn.
I woke up suddenly to hear my godmother calling my name repeatedly. She said she had heard me crying in my sleep.
I told her everything about the dream.
When she heard my story, her expression immediately changed. Her face became serious and thoughtful.
She remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"From now on, Tanya," she said slowly, "you must follow every instruction I give you. Do not disobey me again."
Her voice was calm, but there was something heavy in her tone.
"Otherwise," she added quietly, "there will be bloodshed in our covenant."
Later that morning, I did not go hunting with the other witches. My mind was still troubled by the dream I had seen.
Instead, I decided to take a walk near the ancient baobab tree.
While walking, I suddenly heard voices nearby.
It was my godmother speaking with one of her most trusted servants.
They were discussing another witch territory located far in the west. I heard my godmother say that she had a strong feeling that those witches might be planning to destroy us.
My curiosity grew.
I tried to listen carefully, but before I could hear everything, I stepped on a dry branch.
The sound echoed loudly.
Immediately, both of them stopped talking.
They became silent, as if they knew someone had been listening to their conversation.
I froze in place.
Was there truly another witch territory besides our covenant?
If there was, were they our enemies?
Or was there a deeper history behind the separation of our people?
The questions filled my mind.
And I knew only one thing for certain.
I had to find out the truth.
END OF CHAPTER NINE