Ray and I returned to the shack, at a good distance apart. We didn't need Apollos snickering or the witch's cackling at our new found... relationship.
When we walked in, Apollo was leaning over the witch interrogating her. I listened to the game of question and answer they played.
"Does the king know what Raven looks like?"
The witch, scowling at the table, responded, "No." the word was clipped, tense.
"Does he know who she travels with?"
"Seeing as though I did not know, no." The witch sighed, obvious irritation written on her hideous face. "All I knew was she ran to the south, so, I used my Aspectu Mirror to find where she was staying." She looked over at me and smirked, "He will find you child. He will find you and kill you. You will not get a happy ending. He knows where you are, he know what you are... he will not rest until your power is flowing through his veins."
We all remained silent. The king was using magic for himself?
Apollo cleared his throat, drawing the witches attention back to him. "The king has taken magic to use it himself?"
The witch's face blanched as she realized all she had given away. "No." As she spoke the word, she flinched from pain that was not visible to us. "Yes. He took the magic to become more powerful than any creature or human in his lands. He has it running through his veins. Where blood did flow, now magic begins to grow."
I leaned over to Ray and whispered, "How do we know she speaks true?"
Ray whispered back, "Witches cannot lie, it physically harms them."
I huffed a quiet laugh, "Well, that's useful for us."
"Indeed it is." He replied with a smirk.
"What does the king plan to do with this power?" Apollo asked sternly.
"He will conquer the world."
My blood froze at her tone. The world... he would...
I approached her swiftly, "How do we stop him?"
The witch smiled wickedly up at me. With fire in her remaining eye and hate in her breath she said, "You can't."
I waited for her to flinch. But... she didn't. She spoke truthfully... we could not stop him. I looked down at her with a fire and light in my eyes and soul that I had summoned up from deep inside myself. "Well... that's too bad for you then."
The witch's eyebrows knitted, "Why?"
"Because," I said softly but strongly. "It does not matter if we can't stop him. Someone will. Be it Fate or Death themselves. The king will fall." I leaned closer to her, lowering the tone of my voice as well. "And when he does, I will be watching. I will listen to the sound of his crown clank to the palace floor. I will listen to the sound of his cries of defeat. I will smile as he squints and writhes on the ground of this empire he has built. And when he falls, do you know what I'll say?"
The witch swallowed, but did not respond.
I smiled at her, the same smile she had used to get under my skin. Then, I whispered right next to her ear, the words belonging to someone else entirely, "I win."
Just as I said it, I sent my light piercing into her heart. She let out a cry of pain, then slumped forward in her chair. I stood back up straight and looked down on her with a straight face. I then said aloud, to no one in particular, "We should find somewhere else to stay. The king will return here, and I'm not confident in our chances of survival if he does."
I saw in the corner of my eye Apollo nodded. I stared at the witch with so much concentration I didn't notice when Teylie came up beside me, turned me to face her, then hugged me. I began weeping into her shoulder. I had never taken another life before now. Even though it was deserved and needed... I felt broken inside... corrupt.
Teylie held me tightly and rubbed soothing circles on my back. I didn't hug her back, I couldn't muster the movement.
I heard steps approaching us, Teylie let go of me and Ray took her place. He tucked me tightly into his warmth. I took a deep breath of his calming metal and pine sent. I heard the shack door open and close. The others had left to give Ray and me peace and quiet.
Ray sunk to the floor, pulling me gently down with him.
And there we stayed, me curled up in his lap weeping softly into his chest, and him holding me quietly, letting me cry on him.
There we stayed for what felt like hours. There we stayed, content and peaceful.
There Ray held me. And there I remained until I could again face the dark world that awaited us.
YOU ARE READING
Long Ago
Fantasy"Long ago, there was a time when everything was filled with magic." My grandfather began, "Where you could feel it dancing around on the mid day breeze. When not only could you feel it, but you could see it. It shimmered and shined throughout the wo...
