Celestia: The Cursed Witch

xi

“What do you want to eat?” Kieran asked. They were inside Celestia’s room.

“Did Alpha Solomon already leave?” Celestia asked after cleaning herself up, washing away all the mud and blood from her body.

“Not yet,” Kieran said, his eyes drifting to her bruises and cuts. “Does it still hurt?” he added, gently touching one of the wounds.

“A little bit,” Celestia replied.

“Sorry I was late,” Kieran murmured, making Celestia’s heart thump. She smiled softly and shook her head.

“You arrived just in time,” she said. “I could’ve died if you weren’t there,” she added.

“I should have stayed,” Kieran said quietly as he slowly pulled her into his arms by the waist. Celestia let out a small chuckle.

“And face Roxy’s wrath?” she teased. Kieran cursed under his breath. “Thank you, Kieran,” she added, her voice full of warmth.

“You’re welcome,” Kieran said. “Do you still want to talk about your father?” he added.

“Yes. I just want to know what kind of life he lived. I knew my mother through Aunt Renee, but she never mentioned anything about my father,” she said as Kieran gently let her go.

“Let’s go then,” he said. Celestia nodded and felt Kieran’s hand slide into hers, their fingers intertwining. They walked downstairs and found Solomon sipping his coffee in the living room.

“Father,” Kieran greeted.

“Is something wrong?” Solomon asked, setting his cup down. “Are you feeling better now, Celestia?” he added.

“Yes, Alpha. My wounds still sting a little, but I’m fine,” she replied. Solomon gave a small nod.

“You have to be more careful, Celestia. The Grand Witch entrusted you to our care. I don’t want to see you hurt—and I know my son feels the same way,” he said, glancing at Kieran.

“I understand, Alpha,” she said respectfully.

“So, you want to know about Peter?” Solomon asked.

“Yes, Alpha,” she replied softly.

“Peter was one of my father’s warriors. He wasn’t the strongest, but he was an honorable and remarkable man,” Solomon began. “We weren’t particularly close, but I spoke with him many times. When the witches came here for the annual celebration, he was one of the warriors assigned to guard them. The Abyss Brotherhood wasn’t active back then, but there were still a few threats lingering around,” he added.

“The celebration lasted for a week, and Peter was seen with Faye a few times—she was one of the witches in the delegation. Of course, we were all aware of the Grand Witch’s rules, and we respected and abided them, especially because of the prophecy,” he continued.

“When the witches returned to their coven, we assumed everything had gone back to normal. But soon after, we noticed Peter wasn’t quite the same,” Solomon said. Celestia and Kieran exchanged a glance.

“My father eventually sent him on a mission, and that’s when he died—protecting a group of witches from rogue wolves. Months later, we received word of Faye’s passing… and the birth of the child in the prophecy,” Solomon finished solemnly.

“The Grand Witch told us, after they burned Faye, that she and Peter truly cherished and loved each other. Peter had no surviving family. I’m sorry, Celestia. This is all the information I can give you,” Solomon said gently.

Celestia gulped and released a shaky sigh.

“It’s more than enough, Alpha Solomon,” she replied. It was all she needed to finally close the chapter about her biological parents. They had loved each other enough to break the rules—that in itself was proof of how selfish they had been.

“Celestia?” Solomon called softly. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the Alpha. “Are you alright, child?” he asked.

Kieran reached out and wiped away the tears she hadn’t even realized were falling.

“How could they be so selfish?” she whispered.

“Celestia, I know how you feel, child,” Solomon said with understanding in his voice.

“I didn’t ask to be the one in the prophecy. I didn’t ask to be born. I definitely didn’t ask for any of this,” she said, her voice rising as she huffed in frustration.

Worried, Kieran immediately took her hand in his.

“Calm down and breathe,” he said gently. Then he turned to his father. “Father, I’ll take her to her room. Please ask Isabel to bring us some food,” he added.

Without waiting for a reply, Kieran lifted Celestia into his arms. She didn’t resist, tears still streaming as he carried her away.

“They’re so selfish,” she whispered, crying. It was the first time in her life that Celestia had spoken about her biological parents. She was grateful she had Aunt Renee and the people who surrounded her with love—but she hadn’t chosen to be the child of prophecy. She never wanted any of it, and now, hearing how her parents had loved each other only fueled her anger.

“Darling,” Kieran whispered, gently rubbing circles on her back to soothe her.

“Why me?” Celestia asked, her tear-filled eyes meeting his. Seeing her cry made Kieran’s chest tighten painfully.

“The Goddess has a reason, a good one, for choosing you as the child of the prophecy, Celestia,” he said, voice steady.

“But still…” she murmured, struggling to find peace in those words.

“I’m here,” Kieran assured her. “Whenever it gets too heavy, lean on me. Always,” he added.

Moments later, Isabel arrived with a tray of food, just as Kieran had instructed. They ate quietly, the room filled only with the soft clinking of utensils and the occasional sniffle from Celestia.

“I’m sorry for crying like that,” Celestia said after a while, her voice soft and hoarse.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Kieran replied gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ll go find Roxy. Rest here for a bit,” he said before leaving the room after finishing his meal.

Kieran went to the training ground, knowing it was the only place Roxy would have gone back to after the clean-up.

“Alpha,” she greeted, brushing dirt off her palms.

“Find anything?” Kieran asked. Roxy frowned.

“That’s the strange part. The cemetery’s not even close to the border, and borders were heavily guard. I can’t figure out how two rogues managed to get through without being noticed. There were no signs of forced entry, no disturbed tracks near the usual patrol points,” she said. Kieran’s jaw tensed.

“So they didn’t sneak in,” he said

“I believe no,” Roxy replied firmly. “It feels off. I’ll look more into it. This doesn’t feel like a random rogue attack. Someone either led them in or created a way for them to bypass the guards,” she added.

“Keep me updated,” Kieran said, his tone sharp now with concern. He won't let anyone get away from hurting his mate.