A King's Witch Episode Three

By Odette C. Bell

The truth is out, and Melinda can’t claw it back. Archie knows what she is. So it’s time she learns his secrets, too.
They must act quickly, for the King’s men move closer. As the walls grow taller and the stakes higher, they’re forced closer together. And the closer they get, the harder they’ll fight.
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A King’s Witch follows a feisty witch and a duke in disguise fighting for their kingdom. If you love your historical fantasies with action, heart, and a splash of romance, grab A King’s Witch Episode Three today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: May 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005571597

Book preview

Chapter 1

Melinda

He… had seen the whole thing.

He….

He still had her by the hand, and without looking at her once, he pulled her across the floor.

Technically the soul witch didn’t see you practice. There’s still time.

Time to… what, Archie? What are you—

He turned on her. Don’t you dare accuse me of trying to hand you over to my brother. I would never do such a thing.

Your brother? Do you mean the King?

His lips twitched strangely.

Tension rose up his face. It reached his jaw, then undermined what little control he still had left. It looked as if somebody had attacked the connective tissue of his body. Soon every single bone would tumble onto the floor by her feet.

Yet Melinda somehow imagined that even then, such an act would not serve to reduce the intensity of his gaze. It would somehow make it even more consuming.

What… do you mean, Archie? You mean the King, don’t you?

Come on, Melinda. You should’ve told me your secret earlier.

She knew well the importance of getting out of here. The more she looked into this, the more she realized it was a trap. And though Archie was right, and the soul witch had never actually seen her practice water magic, that didn’t mean that the Dame would not be along presently.

They had to escape. But Melinda needed to know Archie’s secret.

Today, she’d found out so much about him that she imagined there’d been nothing left.

But maybe he still held onto the greatest secret of all.

She pulled back on his arm.

He turned. It was an odd experience. He was still partially wearing a cloak, which meant that Melinda could only see his face. She didn’t need to glimpse the rest of him to understand just how much tension his body was wracked with.

As it reached his jaw, he looked as if he was trying to grind his teeth to dust. Melinda—

What haven’t you told me, Archie? Please.

She remembered his maxim. He wasn’t here to tell her the truth. But did she honestly need to hear it?

You can’t… tell me that the King’s….

He’s my brother.

Melinda was certainly happy that he was holding onto her. If it had been the other way around, she would’ve dropped him. Heck, she would’ve dropped anything precious you’d given her, including her only means of escape.

This was….

She looked at his face. Suddenly she saw the resemblance.

And everything slid into place. You mean William is the King? That William?

Yes, that William.

Her mind worked at a thousand miles an hour. That meant the King was the one who was seeking her power to remove his curse.

It also meant that when it was removed, he would be in a place to do whatever he wanted.

There’d be no one to stop him.

Melinda, we cannot discuss this here. You must escape. I would not put it past the old Dame to be watching us.

I dealt… with the surveillance spells. I—

Why are you looking at me like that? Like this news just destroyed your world. Put yourself in my shoes. I contracted a water witch with no clue who she really was.

If you regret ever meeting me—

He pressed in close, still holding onto her hand. I regret nothing, including what I intend to do next. Now come. You cannot go back to your loft. You must leave everything behind. We will flee immediately.

On your boat—

Of course on my boat. It’s the quickest way to escape.

But… Archie, you won’t be able to come back. What about—

I’m a man of my word, Melinda. I always have been. Do not challenge me to leave that character trait behind. It’s the only thing that defines me away from my brother.

What are you saying?

You are my contracted witch, and a part of the contract is that I agree to look after you.

But, Archie—

There are no buts. We will leave immediately.

If we can get out, she muttered.

She stared at the strange room.

She did not sense that the Dame was approaching. But Melinda had already concluded something very critically important.

This room, over the years, had developed its own intelligence.

What do you mean? The exit is this way. He frowned at her.

This room is not directly under the control of the Dame. She’s a fool for using something like it. We may not be able to escape—

He grabbed his dagger in his other hand. You’d be surprised what I can cut through.

Sure enough, as they reached the wall – the solid wall that would not respond to Melinda’s magic – he cut right through it.

She had to check her surprise and do so quickly. Underneath that handsome, compressed brow and behind that steely gaze was a light witch. One who was cursed into not practicing, but that wasn’t the point.

That dagger was likely a present from his mother. One to ensure that he could survive in this brutal world.

I wish I had some means to know exactly where the door was, he complained.

I think it’s that way. Without her consciously being aware of it, her hands suddenly changed direction. It pointed to the opposite wall.

She must’ve obviously lost her control, because he frowned hard. What the devil just happened to you? Did the soul witch do something to you?

She shook her head quickly. No… I think… something is telling me we should look in the other direction.

What do you mean something, Melinda? You already said it yourself – this is a very dangerous room. We must trust nothing but our intelligence. Now come.

No, Archie, she pulled hard on his arm. There’s something down there.

They’d reached a hallway. There was a tapering set of stairs. It led down. It descended into darkness, lonely, cold, and dank. It was exactly the kind of place you would not want to go, yet her finger kept pointing toward it resolutely.

She couldn’t take it anymore, and she tried to break Archie’s grip. He grumbled. This better not get us into even more trouble.

Technically, I’m not in trouble yet.

If you’re trying to make light—

You’re the only one who knows that I’m a water witch. She couldn’t quite believe herself as she turned and she stared at him.

She had practiced this moment over and over in her head her whole life. She knew that when someone found out she was a water witch, her existence would crumble and fall. Here she was, facing Archie, and she… quite liked it.

She felt like a book that had just revealed its contents, or a hidden gem finally washed of its dirt to reveal its beauty.

In other words, she felt open for the first time.

He clearly thought she was challenging him, and he arched an eyebrow. I’ve already made it clear that I would never hand you over to—

William, your brother. Yes. That was not the intent behind my look.

Then what did it mean?

… Thank you for coming into the store that day.

Melinda?

I suppose… if someone had to… contract me….

Yes?

Don’t make me say it.

But I want to hear it. What do you wish to tell me, Melinda?

I suppose, she sighed, that if anyone out there were to contract me, I’m… glad it was you.

Hardly a resounding statement, but I’ll take the intent. Now are you certain—

He stopped, because his dagger began to glow. It was faint at first, but with another step, it picked up until it was this glorious blue shine.

What the devil?

Melinda reached over. She’d never touched it, and she didn’t intend to slide her fingers down the blade yet, but she did delicately press them against the hilt.

It glowed brighter. I think it’s trying to tell us something, Archie.

You said something was leading you down here – what?

She opened her mouth, but it wasn’t as if she could tell him the truth.

She could, however, think about that question.

Her hand had led her down here – a droplet of his mother’s blood, to be exact. And for the dagger to activate, it meant they could be getting close to a clue.

Melinda wanted to run. The thought of going on a ship with Archie and sailing into the sunset actually gladdened her.

She liked this town – in little part, at least. But….

But indeed. She could struggle to fill in the details of what would happen when they ran away together, but there was one gaping hole she would never fill.

Melinda had a duty. Long before she had met Mrs. Windley’s arcane symbols, that responsibility had been given to her by her coven mistress.

Melinda might’ve ignored it for most of her life, but the last week had taught her she could no longer turn a blind eye to it.

She had a chance to help people now. Walk away, and she would never stop William. Melinda could pretend that by fleeing, she would remove herself from William’s possible control and thereby save everyone by default. But there would be other blood witches. And when he found them….

She pulled Archie on more quickly now.

His polished shoes thumped against the narrowing stones. Melinda? You haven’t answered the question. What led you down here?

I suppose you could say… I’m starting to learn….

Melinda, have we not gone past this stage?

Sorry?

I revealed to you my greatest secret. Though I do profess, some specific people in town do know my connection to my brother, it is not something I am ever ready to tell outsiders. I told you. So please—

I fought that ghoul, Archie.

That was you. Impossible. Because—

"That… creature told me I can practice blood magic. It told me it sensed… some kind of power in me. I chose not to believe it. But… it killed itself. It muttered something about the fact it couldn’t fall to a blood