Kelsi lets go, and turns back to Ayesha and me. From the way she glances at the other Fire Witch, she still doesn't trust her, but Ayesha just grabs her burrito to finish it, her eyes still going over the documents spread on my lap, Liam's, and the little corner of the table in front of us.
"What about the Water Witch?" asks Selena.
"I think she and Ravena have different objectives."
"Of course they do," sighs Ayesha. "A lot of witches have tried to end and destroy that damn curse. I mean, a lot, a lot. As you already know, everyone failed."
"What happened to them?" asks Kelsi, looking worried again.
The witch shrugs.
"Either the curse killed them, cursed them, or they got away, I suppose. The only sure thing is that everyone failed, since it's still here... It's strange, though."
I agree.
"By now, someone should have found the solution... especially if there have always been witches in Silver City. How come none of... Nephera's ancestors were able to undo it?"
"How do you undo a curse like that, exactly?" asks Nora.
Licking her fingers, Ayesha turns to her.
"Most curses are born from strong negative feelings. Hatred, anger, jealousy, wrath, sadness, pain. Most curses are created during wars or after a crime was committed, because it asks for a very, very strong resentment and a Dark Witch to do it, but none I've seen before are as popular as this one... Actually, it might be the oldest and strongest curse ever."
It probably is, indeed. If it is as old as its tale, dating back to the oldest of witches and the first werewolf Luna... I sigh and pile all the documents back together while Ayesha resumes talking.
"Breaking a curse usually asks for a Light Witch to solve the feelings that created it in the first place. All witches are sisters. It takes one of us to undo what another witch has done."
"There has to be some sort of trick to it," says Liam, shaking his head.
He puts an arm around me.
"If,” Liam continues, “as you said, many witches have tried and failed, although you all seem to know the tale and its origins... There must be something that goes wrong every time, right?"
Ayesha gives him a strange look, checking out my mate from head to toe... Can she stop leering at him like that? I growl, bringing her attention back to me.
"Indeed..." she says. "First, this isn't just your witch next door who created this curse. I guess that would be the first and main issue... like I said, it will take a strong witch to undo this. Second, the location. No one was sure until a while ago, either. If some knew, they probably didn't share it too much either for fear young witches would run here and get caught while playing with fire... Moreover, witches are territorial, yes? Let alone the fact that you werewolves are all over the place, and the previous local witches didn't let many of us in..."
Indeed, the barrier was keeping those three out until recently. I suppose now it's going to be more than two or three witches flocking to Silver City like moths drawn to a flame. They will try their luck at undoing the curse and, at the same time, gaining control of such a big place.
"Finally, the curse itself. As you already know, it's growing, and powerful. Over the years, it probably grew until it became pretty much unstoppable. Not all of us are in a hurry to get killed, either. Each time a witch loses to that curse, she adds fuel to the fire, the curse taking her magic. Who wants to fight a few-centuries-old curse now, risking their lives and their magic? Nope, I'd rather stay away from it.”
"You were rather close for someone who meant to stay away," says Selena.
"Well, things changed recently, didn't they?" shrugs Ayesha. "Two witches dying. A new one came out of literally nowhere. A pair of Royals showing up in the area too. That's enough to appeal to a few power-hungry and curious witches like me."
I don't really care about Ayesha's motives at the moment. From what I've experienced so far, she was at least the most honest about it... I keep staring at that paper, and finally grab one of the sketches, and take Kelsi's purse to rummage around for a pen.
"...Mara?"
"We need a new plan of action," I mutter.
I start to write things on the paper, aware that I have at least three pairs of eyes above me trying to read it.
"...Oh, not bad," chuckles Ayesha.
"Mara, what are you doing?" asks Liam, confused.
"Like Ayesha said, the curse has grown too strong. For now, our best chance is if we can weaken it, and find where all the other witches before us failed. We already know where that curse started: here, in Silver City. I mean, it would be great if we could narrow that some more, but... first, we need to find as much information as possible about the people related to that curse."
