Celestia: The Cursed Witch

xxii

“I knew you would come back,” Flint said with a small smile. He had been waiting in the alley for hours, sitting quietly on an old wooden box. The wind was cool, but he didn’t move. He was waiting for her.

“Flint? What are you doing here? Does Freya know?” Adelaide asked, frowning as she saw him standing up. She looked around, confused and a little worried.

“You wanted information, right?” Flint said as he brushed off the dust from his pants. “I’ll give it to you… but only if you agree to something first,” he added.

Adelaide crossed her arms and looked at him sharply.

“What are you talking about, Flint?” she asked.

He stepped closer, standing just in front of her. He leaned toward her and whispered.

“The marked one.”

Adelaide let out a long breath, feeling her head begin to ache. She stared at him, annoyed but curious. Who would have thought this quiet, polite boy could be so bold? He seemed harmless earlier, but now he was acting like he had all the answers. And maybe he did.

She didn’t like the game he was playing, but if he knew something important—something about Celestia or the prophecy, she couldn’t ignore it.

“What’s your condition?” she asked, keeping her voice calm. Freya will surely get mad at her for involving her son.

“I want to go with you,” Flint said, standing tall as if he had already made up his mind. “On your journey,” he added. Adelaide blinked.

“No,” she said without thinking. “This isn’t a game, Flint. It’s dangerous out there. I’m not taking you with us,” she added. Flint shrugged, unfazed.

“Then I guess I can’t help you.”

Adelaide narrowed her eyes at him, clearly frustrated. She wasn’t sure if he was being brave or just foolish. But something about the way he spoke told her—he wasn’t lying. He knew something.

“Curses,” she whispered under her breath. “Fine, I’ll try and talk to them first. I’ll get back to you tomorrow,” she added with a sigh. Flint grinned and gave a small nod.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting here,” he said before turning and walking off into the alley.

Adelaide stayed still for a moment, watching him disappear. She rubbed her temples and let out another deep sigh.

“So much for wanting to see Freya,” she muttered before heading back to Jeremiah’s house.

Morning came and the sun was already up. The smell of food filled the air as everyone gathered around the table for breakfast. Jeremiah was already chatting with Dwayne and Celestia, while Kieran sat beside her, quietly pouring drinks.

Adelaide took her seat but didn’t touch her food. She looked at Kieran and gently called his name.

“Kieran.” Kieran glanced at her, then noticed her serious face. “Can we talk?” she added in a low voice. Kieran nodded.

“Excuse us,” he said, getting up. Jeremiah waved a hand at them with a smile.

“Go on. We’ll keep the food warm,” Jeremiah said cheerfully.

Adelaide and Kieran stepped into the living room. The house felt quiet in that part, the morning noise fading into the background.

“So, what’s going on? What happened to your visit? I wasn't able to ask you last night,” Kieran asked, folding his arms. Adelaide took a breath.

“You see, when I went to see Freya yesterday,” she began. “I wanted her help… she knows a few things the Nightmare Wolf,” she added. Kieran listened quietly, giving her his full attention.

“But she shut the door in my face. She didn’t want to hear about it. She got scared the moment I told her about the prophecy,” Adelaide said, shaking her head. “But that’s not all,” she added, heaving a sigh.

“What else?” he asked.

“I met her son. Flint,” Adelaide said. “He overheard us talking, and later, he found me. He said he knows something about the Nightmare Wolf,” she added. Kieran raised an eyebrow.

“And?” he asked.

“He said he’ll tell me… but only if he can join us on our journey,” Adelaide said. Kieran blinked, surprised.

“He wants to come with us? Adelaide, how careless of you," he said, clearly disappointed.

“I know. It's my fault and I apologize for that. I really wanted Freya to help us because she's a great witch. And when I told her son no, he said then he won’t share what he knows,” she said. Kieran frowned.

“That’s risky, Adelaide. We can’t just let anyone join, you know that," he said.

“I know,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “But if he’s telling the truth, this might be something we need to hear," she added.

“Bring him here. I’ll personally talk to him,” Kieran said, his voice calm but firm.

Adelaide nodded in agreement and watched as Kieran turned and walked back toward the dining room to finish his breakfast. She let out a breath, then stood up as well. There was no time to waste.

After they finished eating, Adelaide put on her coat and stepped outside. The streets of the North were already busy, with people calling out from their stalls and children running past. She made her way back to the narrow alley near Freya’s house. It was quieter there, with fewer people and dimmer light.

As she turned the corner, she spotted Flint leaning against a wall, talking to two men who looked a little rough around the edges. Adelaide frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. The moment Flint saw her, he said a quick goodbye to the men and walked over.

“Well?” Flint asked. “How did it go?” he added.

“Kieran wants to meet you. You’ll need to come with me,” Adelaide said, her tone serious.

Flint didn’t argue. He simply nodded and followed her without a word.

They walked in silence most of the way until Jeremiah’s house came into view. Flint looked around curiously, taking in the large house and the guards stationed nearby. When they stepped inside, the first thing Flint saw was Celestia, who froze in place the moment her eyes landed on him.

“You?! The thief yesterday!” she said, standing up quickly. Flint scratched the back of his neck, guilt flashing in his eyes.

“Yeah… me,” he said. “About the necklace… I’m sorry. I didn’t know who you were,” he added cheekily.

“It's still a bad thing!” Celestia argued.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, my bad,” he said.

Celestia crossed her arms, still staring at him. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead, she took a breath and stayed quiet, waiting to see what Kieran would say. Adelaide stepped between them gently.

“Let’s all calm down. Flint’s here to talk,” she said.

Kieran stood at the end of the room, arms crossed, watching Flint closely.

“Alright,” Kieran said. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”