Chapter 15: Bonds Renewed

Ariana

I was surprised by the change in Lucas' attitude. When we reunited after 5 years, he has matured a lot. But what I can't understand these days is why he is still pestering me even though he is already married to my sister.

Sure enough, men are all the same, playboys. I won't let myself be played by men again.

"Mom, is the man we met in the forest that day a friend to you? He seems to care about you." Elara lay on my lap, shaking her legs leisurely.

"Elara, he's just someone Mom used to know, promise Mom, forget about him, okay?"

"Sure, but I feel...he has a sense of familiarity." Elara rolled over and whispered. I could only distract her by pretending to take the smiling puppet out of her hands.

"Do you still want to give your smiling puppet to mom? Mom suddenly thinks it's cute."

Elara pursed her lips reluctantly, and muttered softly, "Didn't you say Gertrude would be sad..."

As I tended to the cauldron, the words of fellow witches painted a picture of escalating tensions—a w