And she wondered for a moment what would happen if she just lay down on the forest floor and let the world take her body, let her magic run back into the dirt she had apparently been created from, and ceased to exist.

‘It’s been some time since you’ve graced this forest with your presence, highness.’ Ashes stood behind her. She did not smile as Sapphire turned to face her.

‘How did you know I was out here?’

‘The stone – I can track my own magic when it’s close enough. I sensed it the moment you stepped on the shore.’

Sapphire nodded, stepping away from the girl, wrapping her own arms around herself. She couldn’t look the witch in the eye.

‘Look at me, Sapphire.’

Like a chastised child, she lifted her own eyes to meet Ashes’.

‘You’re still taking the potion,’ the witch deadpanned.

‘Of course I am. I –’

‘You no longer have to hide yourself. Why must you insist on being so afraid of who you are?’

‘You are a fool if you believe it is that simple,’ Sapphire spat.

‘I am no fool.’

A long-forgotten bitterness lingered between them.

‘You didn’t warn me,’ Sapphire finally said. Her voice sounded tired and worn down.

‘I gave you all I could offer you. I did my best.’

‘It wasn’t enough.’

Ashes closed the distance between them, taking Sapphire’s wrist in her hand. Despite her anger, the girl’s touch was a balm to her frayed nerves.

‘You know everything now. You know the power that runs through your veins, you know what was done, and you waste time being angry with me.’ The girl stared down at her. ‘I have been waiting patiently for the knowledge to be offered to you so I could – so we could exist in peace.’

Sapphire paused at we. It was such a foreign word – they were never able to consider the future where we could exist. But the feeling was fleeting as the familiar anger returned.

‘Peace?’ Sapphire gave a harsh laugh. ‘You believe I will find peace with what I know?’

Ashes tilted her head before kissing Sapphire. Sapphire was too tired to fight it. The only peace she could find came at the brush of the girl’s lips. The world slipped away as Ashes pulled her in close, backing her into a tree, and Sapphire locked her hands around the back of the girl’s neck.

With the swipe of Ashes’ tongue, Sapphire allowed the kiss to be deepened, and they melted into one another. She felt the weight of all she knew fall away with it, and she savoured it as the girl hiked up the skirts of her dress, her hand finding the warm skin of Sapphire’s thigh.

A throaty moan slipped past Sapphire’s lips and Ashes devoured it, a feral sense taking the girl over as she moved her lips to Sapphire’s neck.