After talking it over, Bertha dropped us off at her house while her and Samantha rounded up the other witches in town. There were supposedly five others. Three were full grown women and two were their daughters. All three of their husbands knew and would be coming with us and bringing their sons.

"Are you alright, Mari?" Seth looks at me as we sit at the kitchen table. "The plan is to get them all out at nightfall, but how are we going to move than many people?"

"I have an idea, Seth."

"What?"

"After you walked out of the room yesterday I was trying to distract myself." I gripped the cup of tea in my hands. "I was messing around with my magic and I figured out how to open a portal by tearing open space."

"But, can you teleport such a large group?"

"Of course I can." I smiled. "I can do anything once I figure it out." He stood up, nodding and walked closer to me. He glanced at Iris who was sleeping away in her basket and then glanced at the string connecting us. I walked over to him and kissed him gently. He held me gently even as the bond tingled from the contact.

"I wished that we could rest after this." He held me tighter. "We still have to face a king and save a family." He laughs and it tickles my neck. "I don't know how you handle doing all of this, Mari, I would never have made it this far."

"Well, before you met me, you had options that made it possible for you to avoid all of this until you decided to sympathize with a witch." I looked up at him. "I never had such options. The second I ran away and the second I had found those kids my mind had been made up over and over again to protect everyone. Honestly, though, I wouldn't have been able to do all of this if I never found you."

"Alright, Mari." He rested his chin on the top of my head. "If I am what gives you motivation to be a better person than I could ever be, then I am grateful." I smile and he lets me go. I take a seat and drink more tea. "What will you do after we face the king?"

"I'm going to open my bakery." I smile. "I will train the witches and make a school for them to attend. I will make training grounds for the young men and then a joint school for them to learn whatever they would like as well and give them an education. Then, I will teach Josephine, Elliot, and Adeline how to bake and let them handle my bakery when I am away. I will continue to coach Joseph and Josephine in making pastes and tonics." I smiled as I thought about my family back in the woods. "I think I am going to give Joseph and Josephine my last name." I smiled. "Iris will grow up with them as my daughter and their sister."

"Our daughter." He corrects.

"What?" I blink up at him.

"She will be raised as our daughter." He nods like he knows this will be a fact. "After we face the king, I am going to propose to you." I gasp as I stare at him. He said it so confidently.

"But, we don't even know what all of this means. We just confessed yesterday. Isn't it too soon?" I mumbled as I flushed.

"So? To me it feels like it's been forever." He looks me dead in the eyes. "I believe that this string means that we were destined to be together." He sighs. "So, I want us to be married... I believe we are soulmates. This bond feels so familiar like it's pulling on my brain but I can't recall how I know it." He looks at me with that weighted look of his. "So, I will marry you one way or another and we can raise these kids together... and eventually have our own family once we figure out what is really going on."

"Sure, we can do all of that." I smile at him. "Later." I tack on. "First we have people to save and a town to build."

Bertha bursts in. The sun was setting. "Everyone is accounted for. They are packing up and walking into the woods."

"Alright, I will meet up with everyone soon." I say as I stand.

"Where are you going?" Seth asks carefully.

"I have someone I need to talk to before I don't ever come back here." I sighed and steeled my nerves and began to walk out of the doors when Bertha grabbed my arms. Her grip was strong as I met her steely eyes.

"You don't ever need to forgive him. He knows that. He knows he was wrong but he does need to see you one more time." She sighs as she looks at me. "I can't believe I am defending him but his anger was misplaced and he made the wrong decisions but that does not mean he hated you."

"He was going mad with loss. I know." I sigh and she squeezes my arm. "Go with them, Seth, I will be right back." He nods, his eyes filled with worry as I held his gaze.