The Vampire & Her Witch Chapter 1641: An Adopted Orphan

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Amahle announced with a light tone after allowing the reunited couple a few moments together. "Dinner is ready, and Mamao still needs to clean up before we can eat," she added gently.

"Ah!" Mamao exclaimed, pulling away from Saini’s embrace. Her cheeks, already round, flushed a brilliant pink that intensified when Saini drew her back for a final peck on her forehead.

"It’s alright, Honey-dew," Saini reassured her, her heart now at peace. They would have ample time after supper to fully reconnect. That kiss was enough to sustain her for a short while, though she’d have preferred to prolong it for a few more heartbeats, long enough to leave her petite partner completely breathless.

"Okay," Mamao agreed, turning to face Amahle. "I’m sorry, mama, for not paying attention, but I brought back some special things for you," she said, maneuvering one of her overflowing satchels to the front. She began digging through it as she walked toward the table, searching for something seemingly buried under at least three layers of her travel treasures. "There are prickly pear seeds in here, and I acquired a whole heap of powders from..."

"Mamao," Amahle interrupted, extending one of her slender, appendage-like fingers to lightly touch the excited witch’s chest. "Wash up first, then supper, then gifts. I’m sure you brought back plenty, darling, but if you start digging in now, everything will be cold by the time you get to your second satchel."

"Oh, yes, Mama," Mamao replied, halting in her tracks. "I’ll just put these down here," she said, placing the first satchel where she stood and the second one midway between her and the washbasin as she hurried across the floor. "You all don’t have to wait for me, I’ll be there in a jiffy – splash, splash – and then I can tell you all about the trip and – splash, splash – the other things I discovered along the way, and – muffle muffle muffle –" Mamao continued without pause, washing the road dust from her hands and face.

"Allow me to assist with that, my petite one," Jacques offered, following in Mamao’s path and tidying up. He had already carefully hung her cloak and hat on a hook by the door. Now, he stooped slightly, retrieved the pair of bulging satchels, and placed them beside Mamao’s designated seat at the table.

"Don’t give me that look, Maman," Jacques remarked as he took his own seat and began dishing out the crisp, fragrant catfish. "You know if I hang up her bags, she’ll just pull them back down and empty them halfway to the table," he explained. "This way is simpler."

"It’s fine," Amahle conceded, resigning herself to the inevitable. Sheila and Ashlynn had been so neat and orderly during their visits that she had almost forgotten the inherent chaos of her own coven. "Saini, you should make sure she eats a good portion before she starts distributing things."

"Don’t you worry, mama," Saini assured her, patting the seat next to her as Mamao scurried over. "I’ll feed her myself if she gets too distracted."

"We are happy to have you home, darling," Amahle expressed as the petite witch from the Quillback Clan took her seat. "I’m certain Tala would say the same if she hadn’t departed eastward with Ashlynn at the close of summer."

"I brought all the items for Auntie Ashlynn," Mamao declared, momentarily forgetting the steaming plate of food before her and turning her attention to one of the satchels on the floor. "And things for Tala too, and everyone else, so as soon as it’s time I can take her presents and..." she chirped until Saini lightly tapped her nose and gestured to the plate.

"Little Brother worked diligently on this, Honey-dew," Saini said gently. "Or do you require me to feed you tonight so you remember to eat?"

"Oh, I, um, I, you can, um, I mean, if you’d like to, um," Mamao stammered, her face flushing a vibrant pink.

For a fleeting moment, the entire table erupted in chuckles as Saini scooped her petite partner into her lap and proceeded to lovingly feed the Blackberry Witch one morsel of the perfectly seasoned catfish after another.

"Mercy me, Jacques! Jacques! Since when did you become so accomplished at this?" Mamao blurted out, unable to contain her surprise any longer. "It’s still spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and all the herbs are so vibrant, nothing is overshadowed as it used to be. I truly, truly missed your cooking, and this is the most wonderful thing to return home to – and – mmpf –" she effused, only to be interrupted by Saini’s fork, laden with another bite of fish.

"Ah, this is nothing special, my petite one," Jacques responded with a wide, toothy grin. "I’ve just been practicing a bit, that’s all," he said, his modesty a stark contrast to the expansive size of his smile.

"One of Little Sister Ashlynn’s witches, your cousin Heila, really doesn’t take too well to spicy things," Amahle added helpfully. "She and Jacques didn’t get off on the right foot to start, and he’s been working hard to mend the fences a bit."

"Oh?" Saini said, raising a brow at the Sandbox Witch. "Little Brother took a shine to cousin Heila? Why didn’t you just say so, Jacques? I’d have teased you less ’bout the fish bein’ art. If it’s cooking for your sweetums, it’s always art!"

"It don’ be like dat," Jacques said quickly. "She’s jus’ a tiny little thing, smaller den you, ma petite," he told Mamao. "An’ I jus’ wanna make her feel welcome when she visits next time. Ain’t nuttin’ wrong wit’ a bit of courtesy, non?"

"Nothing wrong at all but if she is your sweet and you need to make her something sweet and you want a gift that will keep, then I have something right here," Mamao gushed as she reached for her satchel again, this time ducking under the bonk from Saini as she retrieved a small bottle filled with a dark purplish liquid that had a consistency similar to maple syrup.

"I made this from mountain berries, and I brought it back special to share with all of you for breakfast in the morning or whenever we want a treat that’s a little sweet but not too sweet, and there’s a bit of mint in there too, and... Oh," Mamao said as she cut herself off. "I did it again. Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It’s fine, darlin’," Amahle said, leaning back in her chair as she savored another bite of crispy fish. "But since you’re going to start pulling things out and telling stories, can you start with one that’s been botherin’ me? You came back powerful quick, dumplin’, but how? I know it weren’t Esselk’ti bringing you, she visited in the fall, so who brought you back so fast?"

"Oh, well, your letter said that Auntie Ashlynn needed this seed for a witch for her coven and she’s only just getting started and her first witches are so important and if she already knows someone and doesn’t have a seed for them then it’s just tragic so I didn’t waste any time once I got your letter and I went straight from the mountain back to the Thousand Spires and asked Cousin Makya if someone could carry back the seed so at least you’d have that much but he... he... he..." she trailed off as she saw a fierce, disapproving glint forming among the pupils of Amahle’s eyes.

"Honey-dew," Saini said in a suddenly somber tone. "Y’all aren’t s’posed to intrude on him now that he’s an orphan. It’s not polite."

"Dat’s more den impolite, cher," Jacques said, staring at Mamao in disbelief. "Cousin Makya ain’t jus’ a cousin. He’s still de Eldritch Emperor even if he ain’t de Sandstorm Witch no more..."

"Mamao," Amahle said sternly as she tried to imagine the kind of trouble the most inquisitive and the most impulsive member of her coven may have just gotten into. Amahle had been taught by the Great Witch who brought Makya into her coven as the Sandstorm witch, but her teacher had passed on long ago, and the current Mother of Storms had nothing to do with the Eldritch Emperor.

If Makya was lucky, the powers he once wielded as the Sandstorm Witch would simply fade over time as he lost his connection to the power of the world. If he were unlucky, however, and the current Mother of Storms decided to create a new Sandstorm Witch, then whatever power of witchcraft he still held would be torn away from him to reside with the next witch to carry his title.

By centuries-long tradition, active witches left orphans like Makya in peace, only visiting when invited lest they become a painful reminder of what had been lost to the cycle of life and death. In the case of powerful lords like Makya, that became even more important as a visit from a witch could easily destabilize his rule.

"But it’s fine, Mama," Mamao protested. "It really, really is! I already went to the Thousand Spires on my way to the mountains, and I was just coming back, so I already knew what no one knows...."

"Mama, Auntie Violca took him in," Mamao said. "Cousin Makya isn’t just the Emperor anymore," she said excitedly. "He’s the Sandstorm Witch again!"