Chapter 1
This was it. Maya was finally going to die. After seven years of raiding other lands for her village, here she was, being strangled to death on a riverbank by a random man surrounded by dead bodies.
She was bigger than a lot of the people on the continent. But this guy towered over her, with thick arms that could easily snap her in half. She had already spent more of her energy fighting all the other guys, and they were all dead or bleeding to death. This one must be extra mad because she had already stabbed two daggers into him.
She dug her nails into his arms, drawing blood, but it was no use. He was heavy and pinning her legs down. This was pathetic. She was hoping she’d die in bed surrounded by family, with her wife holding her hand.
A horse approached, galloping on the pebbled beach. Maya heard an arrow released. Who else wanted to kill her?
The man went limp, relieving her throat but crushing her chest. Damn, couldn’t they have pulled him off first?
The mystery person helped push the man off her. Maya sat up, catching her breath. She almost gasped at the sight of her rescuer.
Standing before her was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, her soft features framed by her dark curly hair. “Deep breaths.”
The woman sat in front of her, holding her steady. Maya couldn’t help but look away, overwhelmed by her golden eyes and soft hands. Who was this beautiful woman, and why did she save her?
“You’re her, aren’t you?” the woman asked.
“Who do you think I am?” Wouldn’t she be lucky if she were the love of her life?
“Maya, the warrior and daughter of Datu Banaag.” Oh shit.
Summoning what was left of her strength, Maya pinned her to the ground, putting a knife to her throat. Her knee was killing her, but she needed to protect herself. “What? You’re going to kill me too?”
She glanced at the blade and then gazed up at Maya.
“Quit staring.”
Her face reddened. “I’m sorry. You’re just so pretty.”
She suddenly felt conscious about how beat up she probably looked after fighting. Why did this woman have to be so cute? She narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“I’m Diwa, a healer. You twisted your knee, didn’t you?”
The witch. The witch with such incredible healing powers that Datu Banaag wanted to make her their village’s babaylan and his youngest daughter’s wife.
“You’re not dragging me back there.”
“I don’t want to force you to do anything. Can I check you for injuries?”
Maya scanned her face for anything suspicious. She’d gotten used to detecting enemies in her years on the battlefield. This wasn’t the face of someone trying to hurt her, so she got off. “Okay.”
Maya was pathetic for giving in so easily. She ran away from home after finding out her father had practically sold her and agreed to marry her off without her knowing, only to end up with her betrothed.
If her father found out how quickly she trusted Diwa, she wouldn’t hear the end of it. He’d already been calling himself an expert matchmaker after successfully arranging the marriage of his older daughters, Mayumi and Marol, to the best warriors from the southern islands. He was so going to make fun of Maya for running away.
Then again, so what if Maya gave in so easily? She had barely settled down at home after a month-long pangayaw, revenge-killing for their former babaylan, when she escaped in the middle of the night. She’d been in the forest for days, living off hunted meat and foraged food. It didn’t help that she was barely getting any sleep, trying not to get killed by manananggals and aswangs roaming around. Who was she to refuse help from this gorgeous woman with healing powers who wanted to be her wife?
Maya winced as she got up. Diwa’s hands went to her waist as she guided her to sit on a rock. She’d forgotten how good it felt to be held.
Maya stretched her right leg forward.
Diwa knelt before her and rubbed her swollen knee with a salve before wrapping it tightly with a bandage. “Did you run away because of me?”
“Maybe.” If she’d known Diwa then, she probably wouldn’t have. She was the type who would run towards a pretty girl, not away.
“You could’ve just told them you didn’t want to marry me.”
“I obviously can’t trust them if they’re willing to betray me. I’m not going back to that place.” And after seeing her face, how could she say no to marriage?
“They’re still your family. Families arrange marriages all the time. At least they didn’t put you with an ugly man.” Diwa pulled the bandage tight and secured it.
“My family isn’t that crazy. If you still want the job, go back on your own.”
“Your father would kill me if I came back without you.” Diwa brought out a small vial with glowing golden liquid and offered it to Maya. “For the pain.”
“How can I be sure this isn’t poison?”
“Why would I try to kill you now when I could’ve taken you out ages ago?”
“It’s just hard to trust someone so willing to marry someone they’ve never met.” What was wrong with this girl that she couldn’t get a wife the normal way?
“Your dad told me a lot about you.”
“Like what?”
“Like how you’re beautiful, deadly, and stubborn.”
Maya grabbed the bottle. “How did you know I was Maya?”
“Your father showed me paintings. They don’t do you justice.”
Maya raised an eyebrow, shamelessly scanning Diwa’s body. She stared at her in the eye. “How do I know this isn’t a love potion or a mind control potion?”
“All I can perform is healing and protective magic, and I think a love potion wouldn’t be necessary in our case.”
Maya could feel her cheeks getting warm. She rolled her eyes and drank the potion, which took effect within a few minutes.
Diwa cleaned her up, washing the blood with water and applying salve to her wounds. She then used a different salve for her neck, which gave her a soothing sensation.
“Thanks.” Maya attempted to stand but staggered as she put weight on her right knee.
Diwa steadied her. “Let me help.”
“Look, I never needed your help. I took down all these men on my own.”
“You would’ve died without me, and not all of them are dead.”
Maya snapped her head around and looked for signs of breathing. She pulled out another dagger, limped towards the barely conscious man, and stabbed his heart three times before wiping the blood on his clothes. She stood and glared at Diwa. “I can handle myself.”
Diwa crossed her arms. If she was scared, she didn’t show it. “I have no doubt with your strength and skill, but you’re injured and weakened from the past days. There’s no shame in needing help.”
“Thank you for helping me, but I can handle it from here.” She grabbed her spear from a man’s chest and used it as a cane. She gathered her things and started heading to the forest.
“So, where do you want to go?” Diwa asked, matching her pace.
Maya desperately wanted to sleep indoors. She’d been outside enough but didn’t want to go home or stay in some random village, even if they were allies. They were too nosy. Heck, they’d probably call her father or deliver her to him.
“It would be best if we part ways.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with a sprained knee.”
“Then I’ll leave you.”
“I have a horse.”
Maya kept walking. “Well, I’ll see you.”
“Where are you going?”
“The forest.”
“Maya.”
She kept on walking, and then her stomach grumbled. She couldn’t hunt like this.
“I’m coming with you.” Yes, please.
“Do whatever you want.”
“Did your father really not tell you anything about me? I thought you discussed it before you left for the pangayaw.”
“We didn’t. He just wants me to get married because I’m getting old.” Everybody her age was married with kids. Her family thought her status as Datu Banaag’s youngest daughter would be enough to attract suitors from all over, and it did until they saw her in real life. If the fact that she was a trained killer didn’t scare them, it was the tattoos on her face that repelled them.
“You’re not old.”
“I’m 21. Plus, I’d rather die than get married to a man.”
“Well, lucky for you, I’m a woman.” Indeed, she was. Maya couldn’t take her eyes off her curls and curves.
“I don’t want to marry a stranger.”
“Then let’s get to know each other first.”
Maya bit her lip. This woman was persistent, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t into it. “I don’t even know if I’m coming back.”
“Really? You have tribal tattoos all over your body, and I’m supposed to believe you don’t love your home enough to return?”
“I could just kill you right now.”
“But you won’t.”
Maya tilted her head, playing with the hilt of her sword. “Are you a psychic, too?”
“My sister is.”
Maya studied Diwa’s face. Her father said she was an older woman, but she was probably just a year or two older than Maya. She even looked younger. She wasn’t built like the women Maya usually went for—short and dainty, which was good because she was sick of them. Diwa was almost as tall as her, with strong arms and legs she wouldn’t mind touching.
Maya looked over at the horse following them. “What’s the deal with her?”
Diwa grinned, revealing pearly white teeth and taking Maya’s breath away. She was even prettier like this. “She’s Giliw. I can talk to animals, so I don’t need to lead her.”
“And she just follows you?”
“She’s one of my closest friends. And she’s willing to give you a ride wherever you want.”
“I don’t think I’m in the condition to travel.”
“Let’s set up camp here. Giliw says there’s water nearby. We should be safe here.”
Maya looked around the clearing. “But it’s so open.”
“I can make a protective circle. Nobody can mess with us here. And it’s not kapre territory.” Diwa walked around in a circle, marking the ground with a stick. She then rolled out a banig and helped Maya sit down, a feat that was ridiculously hard. Maya would prefer being stabbed than having injured joints.
She set down her things in a separate banig. “I’ll get us some food.” She looked at Giliw and Maya. “Look after each other, okay? Don’t go outside the circle alone.”
“You’re going alone.”
Diwa grinned as she pinned up her luscious hair. “I’ll be fine.”
***
Diwa was a fantastic cook. Why she’d bring spices to the wilderness, Maya had no idea but it definitely elevated the food. For the first time in days, Maya slept with a full stomach.
She finally felt comfortable until she awoke to the sound of a tiktik in the middle of the night. She grabbed her knife and woke Diwa up.
“Are you okay?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. How was it possible that she looked cuter like this?
“There’s a tiktik.”
“It can’t get to us.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Here.” In the dark, Diwa reached out to hold her hand. Maya saw glowing lines forming a dome around them, disappearing as Diwa let her hand go. “Sleep. You need to rest.”
So, she did have protective magic. Maya stared at her in wonder. How was it possible to meet someone so perfect?
When Maya woke up that morning, her whole body was aching, especially her knee, which she couldn’t bend without searing pain. Even the smell of cooked eggs and tuyo was not enough to soothe her.
“Where did you get the eggs and the rice?” Maya asked as Diwa handed her another bottle of pain reliever.
“I brought them.”
“You have a whole pantry with you?”
“Unlike you, I came prepared.” She handed her a wooden plate filled with food. “Eat.”
Maya took the plate. “I’m not a fan of you telling me what to do.”
“But you do it anyway.”
“Yeah, because you keep on stating the obvious.”
“So what’s the plan? Are we staying here forever?” Just the two of them, the horse, and the various monsters lurking in the woods.
“You can leave me now.”
“No.”
“Well, I have no plans of going home or to any village that could tell my father where I am.”
“I live in the mountains. I’m the only connection your father has there. You could stay with me as long as you like.”
“Yeah? So I can fall in love with you and get married? No thanks.”
“I’m not going to deny that I still want to marry you and that I’m still considering becoming your village’s babaylan. But whatever you decide, I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Maya hasn’t officially called off the engagement yet. It was a lot. She wasn’t even thinking about marriage before the raid, but if she was a reason for Diwa to become the village’s babaylan, she couldn’t just shun her away.
“Are you aware of the curse?” Maya asked.
“What curse?”
“The one that killed our last two babaylans.”
In her village, the babaylan trained at least one person to succeed them. Their last one had just taken over the position when she died mysteriously. But before dying, she was able to trace the person who cursed her and the previous babaylan, whose untimely death shook everyone. She was supposed to live up to at least one hundred like some of their elders. Maya joined the other warriors of her village to kill the perpetrator and everyone else in their town. They succeeded. But did it lift the curse? They’d only know once they got a new babaylan.
“I doubt the curse will affect me.”
“Well, you’re big-headed.” Her head was actually the perfect size for her body.
“My mother and I put a protection spell on your village, and I come from a long line of witches. I’ve been trained in the magical practices of different lands. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m not worried about you,” Maya scoffed. She had some nerve. Sure, she was pretty, but Maya hardly knew her enough to care.
Diwa clutched her chest dramatically. “Not even a little bit?”
Maya bit back a smile. Obviously, she cared a little bit. She owed Diwa her life, and it would be a loss to humankind if someone that beautiful and thoughtful left this world so soon. “You’d make a great wife. Your food is delicious.”
“So the engagement is still on?”
“I’m still thinking about it.” Heck, they were stuck already together. Might as well learn about each other. Besides, Maya wanted to settle down. She was tired of being the only warrior with nobody running towards her when they returned from a raid.
Diwa smiled. “The fact that you’re still considering it is enough for me.”
“How old are you?”
“You can’t just ask a woman her age.”
“I need to know your age if I’m going to marry you.”
“I’m 25.”
“And you’ve already given up with waiting for suitors?”
“I don’t like men, and I’ve never had suitors. Nobody exactly wants to marry a witch.”
“Why not? You’re powerful.”
“Few people want a powerful woman.”
“A woman would.” Maya would.
“I’ve scared away a lot of women, too.”
“So you’re a womanizer?”
“I’ve had two relationships with women. I bet you’re the womanizer.”
“It’s not something to brag about when they never last.” A lot of women were attracted to Maya. But as soon as they realized what being with her entailed, they ran away.
“If this doesn’t work out, we could still be friends.” Diwa handed her a canteen. “My offer is still up. You can stay with me for as long as you want. I have an extra room.”
“I’m not traveling with an injury.” They could get jumped, and they probably would since they were unaccompanied women, one of them being an inked warrior. “You can leave me if you don’t want to rough it for a few days.”
“I’ve already been roughing it, looking for you. What’s another few days?” Diwa started cleaning up, and Maya offered to help. “It’s fine.”
“I don’t want to be dead weight.”
“You need to rest your knee.”
Maya stood up, grimacing. “Too late.”
Diwa tutted. “So stubborn.”
Maya held onto Diwa’s arm as they walked to the nearby stream.
“Has anyone found the bodies?” Maya asked, wiping the bowls.
“Not yet. We should offer them to a kapre to be safe when we travel.”
“Let’s do it now.”
“They might reek.”
“When was the last time you checked?”
“Last night. But really, you should rest.”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
They walked through the trees, following the loud rushing water. Once they reached the clearing, the events of yesterday flashed in Maya’s mind. She was used to fighting, but getting cornered by a group of men alone was new. She was never alone during battle. She braced herself for the sight of their bodies, but all that was left were their belongings, clothes, and bones.
“I guess that tiktik was starving,” Maya said as she picked up a knife. “You should grab all the weapons you can use. Can you fight?”
“I’m good with a bow and arrow. That’s it.” She crouched down to touch the blood.
“How did you survive on your own?”
“I don’t go around picking fights.” She cleaned her hands in the river.
Maya crossed her arms. “For your information, I don’t do that. It’s the tattoos. And maybe my memorable face.” Too many people wanted to get back at her.
“It wasn’t just one tiktik.”
“What? You got that from touching the blood?” How many gifts did she have?
Diwa nodded. “Do you regret getting your tattoos?”
“One thing at a time. Do we need to leave?”
“No. My wards are strong enough. But we might run out of animals to hunt if we stay for too long.”
“What else can you do?”
“You want me to list everything?”
“Yes.”
She listed down all of her powers, some of them Maya didn’t understand. No wonder her father was so desperate ot have her as their babaylan. She wasn’t just a healer. “Now that I said that, do you regret getting your tattoos?”
Why was she so interested in her tattoos? “No, I’m a decorated warrior. Why? Is it ugly?”
“No. I think it’s beautiful on you.” What a flirt.
“Not scary?”
“No.”
“Then it has failed to do its job.”
“Or I just like you too much.”
Maya circled her, trying not to smile. She had toned arms and legs, which meant she was used to physical labor. Learning to fight shouldn’t be too hard. “I can start teaching you how to fight now.”
“You’re injured.”
“You can’t hurt me.” Physically, at least.
“I should heal your knee first.”
“Then I’ll teach you how to kick ass after.”
“Deal.”
Diwa massaged Maya’s knees, golden light emanating from her hands. It was painful, but their proximity was enough to distract Maya. She was so close to her, touching her. Injuring her foot would’ve been better because then, at least they wouldn’t be so close; she wouldn’t notice how good she smelled or see just how gorgeous she looked up close.
Maya started questioning her, trying to stop the crazy ideas forming in her mind. They talked through the whole session. Warming up to Diwa seemed too easy, which slightly scared Maya. Whatever was brewing between them, she didn’t want to burn it up too fast.
Eventually, it was time to teach Diwa to fight. Maya’s knee felt much better now. She probably couldn’t run, but she could stand longer without support. She taught Diwa how to hold a knife, disarm an opponent, and stay on her feet.
They spent the following days getting to know each other. They’d start the morning eating together, then Diwa would heal Maya, and then they’d practice fighting. It became a routine, something Maya hadn’t experienced in a while. She was done living day to day and cowering in the darkness of the night for fear of getting killed by a monster. And it was all because of this beautiful woman who couldn’t even do hand-to-hand combat.
Maya pinned Diwa on the ground, careful not to squish her. Her knee was finally good enough to kneel on. Or maybe the painkiller potions were too good.
“You can put your weight on me,” Diwa said.
“This is just a simulation. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She smiled. “I’ll be fine. Don’t take it easy on me just because I’m a woman.”
“It’s not because you’re a woman. But whatever you want, ga.” Maya put her whole weight on Diwa’s stomach.
“This is your whole weight? You’re lighter than my dog.”
“Don’t try to flatter me.” Maya hadn’t had a woman between her legs in months. “Don’t let anyone stab you, and always put your energy into getting up. But if it’s easier to stab them, just do that.”
On their third day together, before sunset, Diwa taught Maya how to wield a bow.
“It’s better to have the option to kill your enemies before they can try stabbing you.” Diwa adjusted Maya’s hold on the bow. She was basically hugging her already.
Maya closed her eyes and inhaled her betrothed’s scent—floral and earthy. She could just sink into her.
“Focus,” Diwa teased, tracing her fingers on the black lines on her arms as she stepped away. “Try to hit the mark.”
Maya had to be good at everything related to warfare. And so far, she was. She wasn’t about to break her record. So she aimed and let go, hitting the center of the mark. She grinned, turning to Diwa, who was also smiling.
“That was good, but I need to see you do it a hundred more times.”
“Just a hundred?”
