Red- The Witcher

Name

Sage

I heard his footsteps recede and that was when tears filled my eyes and they fell down my cheeks. I had no idea why I was crying over him, but it was more of his words that he had said. Also, the things I had told him. The promise I had made I didn't even mean but maybe I had spoken it into existence and it could happen.

I took off the cloak that had made me warm and ran my fingers through my hair. My faint cry turned into a weep and I covered my mouth so that I wouldn't wake Jaskier up but it didn't work when a faint, dry, and raspy scream escaped.

There was a knock on the door and I quickly collected myself when Yennefer entered. She was holding a candle and set it on top of the wardrobe.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She peered at Jaskier to check his condition. I noticed that she had changed into a transparent shall and I could see an image on her lower belly.

"Yes," I lied. She faintly smiled and paced herself around the room. I let her because she invited me into her home, and I was the guest.

"I didn't mean to overhear your conversation but..." she began and I rolled my eyes before facing her. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"He's not dead," I said. "He's just missing." She hummed, trying to understand.

"You know... I wasn't always like this either," she began, trying to empathize with me. "I gave up a part of me to be beautiful and powerful. It worked, however, I miss that part of me."

"And?"

"My reproductive part," she stated.

Her malicious intention had poured into the room and I felt the energy. She wanted to come for me and I needed to defend myself. I opened my mouth, the veins on my forehead straining, my throat stretching to let everything out but nothing came. It was as if my voice had been silenced.

"It worked," Yennefer chuckled. I whipped around to look at the candle that was lit and I figured she had bound me to it; if the flame was on, I silent, but if it was off, I would be loud.

I reached to grab it but my hand passed through it; it was fake, an illusion. Only because magic was fake, a mind trick only people who could pass could wield.

"It's outside the room," she told me. The door was wide open and I could see the candle on the table. I knew it wouldn't be too easy because when I neared the doorframe, it was static, electricity-filled, ready to shock me.

"What do you want?" I questioned, pivoting towards her. It was as if my day could get any worse, I was already irritated, overwhelmed, and tired.

"I want what got you here in the first place," she said. "I want a child."

"You want me to give up my uterus?" I asked, finally figuring out what was drawn on her abdomen. "Definitely not. I don't blame my son or myself for all of the things that happened. I know that you regret the decision you make just to look like this. Looks aren't everything."

"They are too me!" she shouted, blowing wind through the windows.

"You think you're so powerful that you can return what is yours?" I continued as she began setting candles and drawing on the wooden floors. She was drawing the symbol of a djinn. "Unfortunately, you cannot. You made your choice and now you have to live with it."