Lilith rode alone through the edge of the Capital, where the streets twisted into nothing and the air turned damp with fog. The guards didn’t patrol this far. No banners flew. No names were spoken.
Only whispers.
She found the hut buried in the trees, hunched and crooked, with black smoke curling from the chimney and bones strung above the door like wind chimes. Something ancient clung to the place—like even the forest didn’t want to touch it.
She knocked once.
The door creaked open without a sound.
The witch inside was hunched, skin creased like old parchment, her eyes small and dark, glittering with intelligence and indifference. She said nothing as Lilith entered, just stared—waiting.
“I need something,” Lilith said, pulling back her hood.
The witch raised a brow.
“Tasteless. Odorless. Permanent.”
Now the witch smiled—thin and sharp. “Infertility?”
Lilith nodded once.
“No questions,” she added.
The witch chuckled, a dry, unpleasant sound. “I never ask questions, dear. I only take payment.”
She shuffled to a shelf and retrieved a tiny glass vial. The liquid inside was clear, almost innocuous. Almost beautiful.
“Three drops,” the witch said. “Over food or drink. That’s all.”
Lilith handed over a small leather pouch. It clinked with gold—far more than necessary.
The witch weighed it, then tossed it aside without counting. “You came with coin. You’ll leave with silence.”
Lilith took the vial and slipped it into her cloak, but her voice hardened. “If word gets out—”
The witch raised a finger before she could finish.
“Don’t threaten me, little wolf,” she said, her voice suddenly thick with power. “This isn’t your palace. I’m not one of your servants. I’ve brewed poisons that have sat in the veins of kings and queens for generations.”
Lilith tensed. The witch took a step closer, eyes glittering. “Say thank you. Then leave.”
A long beat of silence passed.
Lilith forced a nod. “Thank you.”
“That’s better.”
The door creaked open behind her, unprompted.
And Lilith stepped back into the mist with nothing but the sound of chimes behind her and the poison burning cold in her pocket.
She had what she came for.