Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Beans, Marethyu
The Guild of Gamers: The Necromancer
Chapter 08: Aftermath
– Ruby Rose –
Waking up, she flailed wildly, trying to dislodge creatures that weren't there. Even as her eyes shot open and she looked around, she felt phantom clawed hands on her body, and her heart pounded. But she was home, in Patch, away from the monsters.
It was pathetic, she knew. She was an adventurer, an official one now, but since they'd gotten back, every night was the same dream. The same nightmare. She wasn't stupid; she knew that a lot of adventurers met their end at the hands of the bad guys, bandits and monsters alike, but maybe she'd been arrogant to think that it wouldn't happen to her. She was the daughter of two legendary adventurers and the student of a third (even if Aunt Qrowe was drunk for most of their lessons).
But they'd almost lost. She'd frozen, seeing the sheer size of the goblin horde. She'd heard about the numbers they could be found in, but seeing it in person was a different matter entirely. Her adventure had nearly ended then and there, and death would have been a mercy. Yatsu and Fox had nearly been killed, Rowan had been bleeding out on the ground, and the goblins had had the rest of them.
The jeers in a language she couldn't understand, and the foul cackles haunted her waking moments, remembering how it felt to be pinned down as they tore away her clothes. The feeling of grubby clawed hands on her body as they got ready to… claim their prize. No amount of bathing could make her feel clean, remembering the feeling of that thing pressing against her virgin slit.
Then Rowan had saved them, his eyes glowing with green power as he'd killed everything in a single word. She'd been so worried when he'd passed out. He was their saviour, her hero, like the legendary mages of the old stories.
She wasn't going to let this stop her. They were the Black Roses, the future best party in the entire world. They were going to be heroes, and she'd save people like Rowan had saved her, but she couldn't deny… the idea of going back out there made her shiver.
Leaving her room, she jumped as someone tapped her on the shoulder, spinning around and throwing a very amateurish punch at her attacker.
Qrowe simply stepped aside, letting her punch the wall and making her yelp in pain.
"Jumpy, huh?" Qrowe asked, her tone drawling as Ruby flushed. "Heard what happened. You got lucky."
"I-" Ruby started before going silent. Despite her belief that Rowan would have saved them, no matter what, she knew Qrowe was right.
"Yang told me most of what happened. You lost Crescent Rose and your new staff and couldn't fight without it," Qrowe said, making her flush at the knowing tone. "Could have sworn someone told you that you needed a backup weapon and to learn how to defend yourself without a weapon."
Yeah… Qrowe had said so. She'd refused, not wanting to practice with anything but Crescent Rose.
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, sinking into herself with a look of shame as Qrowe sighed and pulled out a small wrapped package. Taking it, she unwrapped it and looked at the well-made dagger with wide eyes.
"Meet me in the yard. I let you slack off since I figured you wouldn't be going on a real quest for a couple more years. If you're going to be adventuring, you've got a lot to learn, brat," Qrowe said, arms crossed. "If you still wanna be an adventurer, that is. No shame in giving up, kid. This life isn't easy, and goblins aren't the worst thing that you'll run across out there."
"I- I do! I'm not giving up," Ruby replied, straightening up with a fist clenched around the dagger.
"Thought not. Sorry this happened so soon, kiddo, but I guess it was stupid to leave you ignorant of the realities of adventuring," Qrowe said, ruffling her hair. "Next time, you'll be more ready. Can't guarantee that you'll win. Adventurers need to win every time because a single loss means you become some monster's meal, if you're lucky. But I can make sure you're as ready as possible for whatever you run into out there."
"Thanks, Auntie," Ruby said, giving her a hug as Qrowe scoffed.
"Don't call me that, makes me feel old," Qrowe grumbled.
"But… you are old," Ruby replied, blinking up at her with innocent eyes as Qrowe barked out a laugh.
"Well, this old lady is about to beat your ass. Try to learn something from it," Qrowe snorted. "Yard, five minutes."
Shaking off her nightmares, she grabbed her stuff and headed out with a small grin on her face. This wouldn't stop her.
– Coco Adel –
It was inevitable, really.
Her parents had never really approved of her playing adventurer. It was a phase, a weird hobby that the little noble heiress was permitted to indulge in. They'd let her wander around Patch and play the hero, but it was always clear that she was not going to be allowed to keep this up forever.
She was eternally one mistake or misstep away from being called home and having her adventure come to a swift end. She wasn't one hundred percent sure how her parents had already heard of what had happened, but it was hardly a secret. Most of Patch had heard of the size of the Goblin horde they'd fought and Rowan's last gasp that saved them all from a fate worse than death.
Hearing that their heiress had almost been raped by goblins on the beginner island was a death blow to her time away from the bullshit politics of Vale. She was pretty sure that either Fox or Yatsu had been the ones to tell her parents, but she didn't blame them. They might be her party members, but they were also knights of the House Adel. They had a responsibility to report to her parents, and this was never going to remain a secret. The idea of their heiress being deflowered by a monster was enough for them to tighten her leash and drag her home.
The call to return home had arrived on a merchant ship while she was waiting for Rowan to wake up. It was too soon for a round trip, and that made her suspicious. How did her parents learn of her recent brush with danger so quickly? A messenger hawk, most likely. Her family had several for their diplomatic work. Her bet was on Yatsuhashi being the one reporting to her parents. He was always serious about his duties. She'd ignored the message, for now, delaying her return. She wasn't so rude as to leave without thanking the man who'd saved her friend's life and stopped her from being defiled.
Plus, she knew she was delaying the inevitable. House Adel had a long reach, and that reach was desperate to grab her and make sure she never ran away on a flight of fancy again. When she got home, she'd be engaged by the end of the month and from there, her carefree life was over. If her parents had just had another kid or two, she might have been able to get away with more, but this was her reality.
"Hey, Hero," Coco teased, making Rowan look up from his book as she entered his basement. It was more cosy than she expected, converted into a mixture of a living space and a workshop. "You look conflicted about something."
"Ha, that's one word for it. It's good to see you, Coco. Summer told me that you all survived, but it's nice to see it for my own eyes," Rowan agreed, closing the book he was reading and rising from his seat.
"Thanks to you, Rowan. Don't think I'll ever forget that," Coco said, giving him a grin and bumping him with her shoulder. "I'm glad we chose you for the supporting party. Things didn't exactly go how I expected, but that's life."
"Well, at least we can say the quest went off without a hitch. Never thought the walk home would be the dangerous part," Rowan agreed. "We got complacent and distracted by Velvet's illness. How is she?"
Rowan was a responsible man, and she could tell that he partially blamed himself for that complacency. Part of her wanted to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, but he was smart enough to know that, and frankly, that feeling might save their lives in the future as he took more precautions.
"Good. Fran confessed to what she'd drugged Velvet with. One hell of a way to say hi to your long-lost daughter. It cleared up by the end of the first day, but it wasn't pleasant for Vel," Coco admitted. "Have you decided what to do with Fran?"
"I'm surprised you didn't make that choice yourself. She is Velvet's mother, after all, and you're a noble," Rowan pointed out. He was visibly tense, and it wasn't hard to work out that he was conflicted about this. Nobody wanted to be the one to order someone else's death, not anyone as nice as Rowan, at least, and she hadn't missed that Rowan seemed uncomfortable with the concept of slavery.
"Well, I said I was leaving it to you since you were the more injured party, but… honestly? My family wouldn't take in Fran, even as a slave. The White Fang are bad news, for everyone, and they've raided our lands before. But on the other hand…" Coco trailed off.
"That's Velvet's mother," Rowan agreed, making her nod. If Fran was taken back to Vale, she'd be executed without question. Velvet hadn't said anything, but she knew her friend well enough to see the grief this was causing her. Fran was her mother, someone she thought she'd never see again, but she almost caused a disaster and was facing a headsman's axe.
Plus, she'd not even had a chance to speak to her mother since getting back to Patch. Fran had been under constant guard. Even her authority only went so far in a place like this. She'd quickly learnt that pulling the 'noble heiress card' usually just got her strange looks out here. Patch wasn't quite the frontier, but it was deliberately separated from the Kingdom and its nobility. It was why no noble owned even a single piece of this island. Being a Count's daughter meant something back home, but out here?
'Okay, and?' was the usual response to using the noble card. It was better than the frontier settlements, where the response would range from outright aggression to scheming but Patch was a unique place. She'd miss it.
"What are you going to do?" Coco asked, making Rowan sigh as he glanced back at the book he was reading. It wasn't his grimoire like she'd first assumed, but a book on the laws of the Kingdom of Vale. She had to wonder where he'd even gotten it, but then, he was living with Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, two of the kingdom's greatest heroes.
"I'm going to speak with her first, but honestly? I don't know," Rowan admitted. "We didn't have slaves where I'm from, and I find the concept of owning a sapient being uncomfortable… plus, she's tried to kill us once, the slave brand stops disobedience, but plenty of slaves have found ways around it. It seems Fran managed it once before. She's bound to try again. But an execution?"
"Sorry, I dropped this on your shoulders. Honestly, I was being a coward. Vel is a great girl, but I feared that she'd resent me if I ordered her mother's death," Coco admitted. "I'm going to have to go home soon. I could only delay for so long, and if I wait any longer my parents will send people to drag me back. Fox and Yatsu are already uncomfortable with how long I've been delaying, ignoring my parent's command."
"Being a noble is rough, huh?" Rowan asked, making her laugh.
"It has its benefits, but you aren't wrong. Still, on behalf of House Adel, you have my utmost gratitude for saving me and my party," Coco said, giving a lazy curtsy. "If there is ever anything I can do to repay this debt, you need only to ask."
"I appreciate the offer, but it was just part of the quest. You hired the Black Roses to support your party, and that's what we did. You owe me nothing beyond that," Rowan said, a soft smile on his face. He really was going to be eaten alive by the nobles when he found his way to Vale. She just grinned, making him blink.
"Are you sure you want to dismiss my debt so easily? You could ask for anything, you know?" Coco teased, giving him a sultry grin. "I couldn't refuse if you wanted to throw me down and claim the virginity you saved right here~"
"Even still, I think I'll pass," Rowan chuckled, making her pout in outrage before she gave him a grin. "Somehow, I don't think I'm your type."
For just a moment, her grin turned fragile, and she hesitated, but his both knowing and yet gentle gaze made her relax. Well, it wasn't like she'd been subtle about her relationship with Velvet, but she'd tried to make it seem casual.
It wouldn't do for the only heiress of a noble family to prefer the company of women, after all. She had a duty to her family. One she suspected she'd be performing soon enough.
"Is that what you think?" Coco asked, fixing her teasing grin back onto her face. "You might not be my first choice, but I think we'd have fun all the same. Well, when you find yourself in Vale, make sure to head over to my family's land, and we can talk more about how I can repay you then."
"I'll be sure to pay you a visit," Rowan said as she approached, reaching out for her offered hand. With a grin, she pulled him in and placed his hand right on her breast, capturing his lips in a quick kiss.
"For now, that'll have to do," Coco said, grinning. His hand hadn't pulled back, copping a handful of her tit even as he sighed in amusement. "But nobles should always pay back their debts, Rowan. Don't think you'll escape my gratitude that easily."
A part of her considered pulling him to the large bed that was in the corner, and not leaving until he was good and repaid, but she stopped herself. She knew it wasn't out of gratitude she was considering it, but as a way to try to delay the inevitable. If she went home with the bastard child of a mage growing in her womb, she could avoid a political marriage, at least for now.
But Rowan was her saviour, and she wasn't going to drag him into her family drama when he clearly was aiming to avoid tangling with nobility. Saying goodbye, she gave him a slap on the backside and grinned when he returned the favour, giving her ass a good squeeze. He acted prim and proper, but he could be fun as well.
The rest of her team thanked him as well, even if Velvet was clearly distracted, but their ship wasn't going to wait. In truth, she just didn't want Vel here if Rowan did the logical thing and had Fran executed.
– Rowan Blackwood –
I've been putting things off, but it's clear that no miraculous third path is going to manifest and save me from this decision.
Summer leads me into the 'prison', which is really just a cellar with a wooden cage inside it. Patch barely has a government and no prison to speak of. Monsters are drawn to negative emotions, and prisons just become a lure. It can be handled in a place like Vale proper; the Kingdom has its knights, army and thick walls to defend it, but here? They just can't afford to keep prisoners around.
Fran looks up as we approach, looking past Summer and to me. Her eyes narrow, her ears twitching, and I suppose I get it. She would have gotten away if it hadn't been for me, and Velvet would be free. I wanted to talk to Velvet away from Coco, but I never got the chance. I don't know what Velvet feels, what she'd prefer.
She only said a single thing before retreating behind Coco. 'Whatever you decide, I won't blame you.' She looked downcast, and I can't imagine what she's feeling right now. The mother she was separated from came for her but nearly killed her friends in the process, and now she is facing death or enslavement.
"Mages really are unfair," Fran says after a long moment. "I suppose you're to be my executioner?"
"Maybe. Your sentence has been left in my hands by Coco Adel," I admit, making her scoff. Summer doesn't speak, but Fran hasn't missed the way that Summer is armed and staring daggers into the cage.
Summer said it herself. She understands what pushed Fran to do what she did, but it was Ruby and Yang who almost paid the price.
"Sentence? Death or enslavement, then?" Fran asks, making me nod. "I've escaped once before. If you take me back, the slave market would just kill me."
As she speaks, she turns as best as she can in her chains. She's been stripped nude, and on her back is the mark that was branded into her when she was first enslaved. It's an ugly red colour, which my research tells me that the red colour means her master died, and the magic blames her.
From what Qrowe was able to get out of Fran, Fran tricked her former master into lowering the control her brand gave him over the years, piece by piece, until it was low enough that she could kill him and escape. I don't really understand the magic behind the slave brand, but it is complicated and once applied, the owner can alter the levels of control even without magic of their own. A red brand is a death sentence. There is no greater crime for a slave than to slay their own master, or so the Vale laws decree. That red mark means she should be killed on sight.
I've heard that the White Fang has a group of powerful warriors who wear red brands proudly, all Faunus who escaped slavery by killing their masters.
"True. You wouldn't be put back on the market, but that doesn't mean you don't have a choice. I could take you as my personal slave, or I can have you executed. I've thought long and hard about it, and frankly, I'm no closer to deciding," I admit. "So I'm leaving your fate in your own hands. If you'd rather die than return to slavery, so be it."
It doesn't ease my conscience, but I think it's the best choice.
"You aren't worried I'll end up with another red brand?" Fran asks dangerously, and I simply smile.
"I'm sure you'll try, but I am a mage. Make no mistake, I'll be putting my own magic to work in ensuring that you don't escape or manage to hurt me or any of my friends," I say firmly.
I considered taking her as a slave and then releasing her later, but… she almost got us killed. Ruby and Yang were almost raped in front of me, and Fran is part of the White Fang. On her upper body, right above her heart, is a second marking.
A white fanged head with three claw marks going through it.
I can't say I don't see why the White Fang do what they do in a world where they're treated as second class at best, but they've killed so many. If I let her go, and she kills more, that would be innocent blood on my hands. Deaths I could have stopped if I hadn't been so naive.
"And what would you have me do if I chose the collar?" Fran asks. She sounds confident and brash, but there's a sliver of fear embedded in her words. It's not me she's scared off, or even death. I think it's the slave market.
"Honestly, I can't say. I'd likely use you as a scout for our future quests once some more stringent measures have been taken to make sure you can't pull the same trick twice. Beyond that? I've never wanted, or particularly needed, a slave. I don't know what I'd have you doing," I admit.
It's not uncommon for adventurer parties to buy a combat slave or even just a slave to help carry their belongings and loot. Fran knows what she is doing, she could be an asset in the future to help avoid anything like that from happening again.
"There's a bounty on red-brand slaves in Vale," Summer says, and instantly, Fran shivers. Her ears shrink, and her eyes widen. "If you hand her in, you'd have enough to buy a more trustworthy slave to help. Or just head to the Adventurer's guild in Vale. It's much bigger, and you'd easily find a scout for your party. As a mage, you're bound to get a lot of attention and have plenty of people who want to join you."
Fran doesn't say anything, but her body language says it all. She's terrified of being turned in.
"I don't expect you to decide immediately. Those are your choices. I realise neither is a good option, but you lost that right when you tried to kill us. I'm afraid you're past the point of 'mercy'," I say, fists clenching for a moment. I feel for her, but then I think back to the look on Ruby's face, and a part of me wants to just shoot her right in the head. Even from the cellar, Ruby's night terrors are audible.
Fran doesn't respond, but I don't need a response right now. If she can't or won't decide, I'll have her killed. I know Summer said that she would be the one to give the order, but delegating is the same as giving the order myself, as I already know what Summer's choice would be.
I don't speak on the way back to the house, and Summer gives me some distance. She's good at that, knowing when I need to be alone and when I want company without any words being spoken.
"Rowan, do you remember when I told you that a mage had arrived?" Summer asks as we reach the house.
"I do. Glynda, right? You said she was a friend," I confirm.
"She is, and she's also the head of the Royal Academy of Magic in Vale. She wants to meet you, and while I asked her to give you some time, I was hoping you'd meet with her," Summer explains. I simply nod.
"I'd appreciate a chance to meet one of the premier mages. I still have a lot to learn and far too many questions," I admit, making her smile.
"Don't worry. Glynda might be a little intense, but she's a good person, and she can be trusted," Summer reassures me, giving me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll let her know so she can stop pouting in the inn. As trustworthy as she is, she'd not have been able to resist approaching you if she stayed here… plus, Qrowe takes pleasure in poking fun at Glynda for being far too serious. Those two have never gotten along."
As Summer switches to tales of Qrowe's many quests to piss off Glynda Goodwitch (one hell of a name for the Headmistress of a magical academy), I chuckle at the distraction.
– Glynda Goodwitch –
"Summer, I realise that you're worried about your guest, but I am not some reprobate that needs reminding a hundred times not to pester the boy," Glynda scolded, making Summer laugh sheepishly.
"Yeah, yeah. I know," Summer admitted. "Just go easy on him before you try and hit him with seven thousand questions. He's new to this."
Glynda just gave her friend a tired look, though she couldn't deny that Summer was partially right. She did have a million questions for Rowan. Heading to the basement stairs, she knocked on the door and waited for a moment before entering at his call.
As she reached the bottom, she watched the boy she was here for rise to his feet and turn to her. Her first thought was that Summer was right; Rowan was a very serious boy based on the look in his eyes and neat outfit and hair. He was handsome enough, with dark eyes and hair, but he had obvious signs of stress and overwork on his face.
"Headmistress Goodwitch, I take it?" Rowan asked, making her smile slightly.
"Just Glynda is fine. You aren't one of my students, Mr Blackwood," Glynda replied.
"Rowan is also fine. Please, take a seat," Rowan said, gesturing to a small table and chairs. It was recently made, and Summer had said that Rowan was quite the craftsman. "It's a pleasure to meet another mage."
"We are a rare breed," Glynda agreed. "Summer has told me about your magical mystery, the unknown spell you cast against the goblins."
"It isn't unknown. I've found the spell I cast to kill them all, but there's still a lot of questions," Rowan explained with a sigh.
"Please, go on," Glynda said, straightening up as she saw him put down the grimoire that she assumed was connected to his Necromancy.
"The spell was Power Word: Kill. I found it in my grimoire, but the simple truth is that it is laughably outside my skills. I shouldn't be able to cast it at my level," Rowan explained. "It's a simple spell in theory, but the execution is difficult. The Necromancer infuses a single word with Death itself, killing all who hear it if they cannot resist. I wouldn't even know where to start trying to do that… and that doesn't explain the second part of the mystery. Ruby claims she saw me say two words. She couldn't hear the first, but I suspect it was 'Die'. The second word, which healed my friends, was 'Live'. There is no Power Word: Live as far as I know, and even if there were, it wouldn't be necromancy."
"And yet, Necromancy is not your only school of magic, is it?" Glynda asked, making him shake his head.
"But Artificing doesn't have direct spells and it certainly wasn't Eromancy," Rowan argued, a hint of a blush on his face. "...I checked."
"You… checked?" Glynda asked, making him sigh.
"Eromancy has a power word spell… but I didn't use that," Rowan tried to explain, dodging the explanation before he sighed at her look. "The power word from Eromancy is Power Word… Cum."
"...can you cast that?" Glynda asked, trying to hide her amused smirk and curious stare.
"It's so much easier than Power Word: Kill. I've never actually used it on someone, but I think so," Rowan said, before shaking his head. "But that's not the point. Sex magic doesn't explain the healing, or how I was able to cast the two spells at all."
"Rowan, are you aware that no mage in the world can cast more than one school of magic?" Glynda asked, watching as Rowan froze and his eyes shot open. "Every mage's magic is different, but our very internal mana is attuned to a particular school of magic. I, for instance, am attuned to telekinesis. All of my spells revolve around moving things with my power, whether it is forming barriers of telekinetic power or creating constructs and animating them with my magic."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and the table and chairs, with them still in them, rose with her gesture as she rearranged them.
"It's a fairly limited school and one that I have worked hard to master. But I could never cast even the simplest of necromancy or eromancy. It is simply not possible," Glynda continued as she put them down. "Nor could you use my own telekinesis-"
Glynda trailed off, watching as Rowan raised his hand and the table between them lifted into the air.
"I can only move a single piece at once, but I figured Telekinesis was just like… a freebie all mages got," Rowan admitted, making her stare at him for a long moment.
"A… freebie?" Glynda asked.
"...I take it telepathy isn't a freebie either?" Rowan asked, his voice in her head as she placed her face in both her hands, letting out a deep sigh as Rowan pissed on her decades of research into the very nature of magic.
"No, Mr Blackwood, it most certainly is not," Glynda replied, calming herself with several deep breaths. "I… we will come back to this soon, but not now. The main question is how were you able to use such powerful magic so early? How did you first awaken your magic?"
"I… I don't know what you mean. I've always had it," Rowan said, and there was something in how he answered that made her suspicious, but she continued.
"What you went through recently matches almost every indicator of a magical awakening. When someone with magical potential is in great emotional peril, it causes the magic within them to awaken most brilliantly and in such potency that the mage themselves will not be able to replicate without much training. I gained my magic during a quest in my early adventurer days, not unlike what happened to you and your party. The blast of telekinetic power I unleashed saved my life and the lives of my party members without hurting them in the wild blast… and it was so powerful that it took me over a decade to be able to replicate it," Glynda explained, seeing the understanding in his eyes. "It is a familiar story. Most mages gain their magic in a similar way, often using incredibly powerful or advanced magic that they are simply unable to repeat. The first Light mage was able to return her family to life in a wave of resurrecting light, a feat she never replicated, even to her dying day."
"But I already had my magic," Rowan said, making her nod in agreement.
"You did. And yet, that was almost undoubtedly a magical awakening," Glynda agreed. "Hence the mystery. Why would a mage who already has their magic go through an awakening? How were you able to use your magic without going through an awakening first? That is the puzzle we have to decipher."
As she spoke, she pushed up her glasses with an admittedly excited look in her eyes. As serious as this was, she loved a magical mystery.
— Bonus Scene — Salem
How… aggravating.
At her age, little could truly anger her anymore. She'd lost entire wars and centuries of progress in her eternal battle with Ozma and barely batted an eye. It was the nature of their immortal war, two eternal figures, each backed by one of the twin gods. So little truly mattered to her.
And yet, sitting upon her throne, she couldn't help but frown. She knew that the small scowl on her lips sent a wave of terror through her court, who were used to apathy being her response to everything.
"Mistress?" Cinder probed, bolder than most of the snivelling followers who were cowering away from her. Ah, her aura was getting away from her. It was no wonder they all looked so grim.
Was it fate or the meddling of the Gods that had caused this little bit of mischief? Her death mage should have been delivered right into her castle, where she could shape him and encourage his growth. That magical attribute was the answer to her ancient dream, and yet… the ritual circle had failed and dropped him into the hands of two of Ozma's minions.
She sighed, letting out a tired, annoyed sound. Her court recoiled as if she'd screamed and cursed. She'd made the ritual circle herself, and it was perfect. It should have worked as intended, and yet-
"Forget about Amber," Salem ordered Cinder, making her minion blink. "She is irrelevant."
"But- we've been planning to take out the Fall Maiden for-" Cinder started, freezing as Salem turned to her. For all her boldness, Cinder fell to her knees in an instant. "Of course, my lady."
"If I may be so bold, Queen Salem… if we are to give up on the Maiden, then where are we turning our efforts?" one of the nobles asked. She didn't know his name. Hadn't she recruited his grandfather? Or was it his great-grandfather?
In response, Salem waved her hand and the air shimmered and turned black as an oval black void appeared before the surface of her 'mirror' changed to show the source of her frustration.
"This is Rowan Blackwood. He was destined to arrive here this month, but something interrupted his arrival," Salem explained. "He is to be recruited. I want him alive. Anyone who brings Rowan before me will be highly rewarded, doubly so if he arrives willingly. If you seriously harm him, end your life before I find you."
Her words sent a wave of confusion and ambition through her court, even as countless minions swore to bring Rowan before her. She ignored them, reaching out with her powers. Rowan was on Patch, and she was in a bad mood.
Calling upon her divine gift from the Dark Goddess, she watched as the moon turned a blood-red colour, and the monsters of Patch responded to her influence. It wasn't a trick she could use often, but it would serve as a message to Ozma.
Rowan would not die in this, not with Rose, Xiaolong and the Goodwitch babysitting him, but Patch would pay for taking him from her. Ozma would understand the message.
She was coming for Rowan. Imagining his frowning face made her briefly smile, but it faded just as fast.