Hexed

13

"An experienced witch takes magickal action based on inspiration, not desperation."

— Dacha Avelin, Old World Witchcraft: Pathway to Effective Magick

☽★☾

Crickets ominously set the tone of their mission as the group prepared later that night. The forest had gotten dark long before the sun had fully set, already mostly blocking out the late afternoon sunlight. Brynn stood at the edge, feeling profoundly alone as she considered the challenge that lay ahead of them. This wasn't just a rescue mission she was taking part in; tonight was based fully on revenge. And Brynn, somehow, was the one in charge.

She rubbed her forearm, trying to ignore the anxious thoughts that clouded her head. She wished Joan were here. Not only would she know what to do, but Brynn could have used the companionship, a shoulder to rest her head on. She almost laughed out loud at the thought. Being affectionate? With Joan? Clearly my mind's messed up her image. Still, Brynn wished that the young woman could have been there at her side.

"I hope you know that you're not going alone," A familiar voice told her. Elise sidled up, face clouded with grief. Brynn had heard countless tales of Joan passed around as everyone got ready that night, stories of their leader fearlessly leaping into the fray to enact a diversion, or of Joan slipping silently into a jail cell and rescuing a prisoner without waking up the sleeping guards, or even of sillier moments, when Joan had filled their minds with fairy tales to distract them from a particularly tragic loss. The common thread was the fact that everyone here thought of Joan as family. Sister, friend, ally, and — in some cases — mother or guardian. Elise had been especially close to her; they had joined the group at about the same time, and being similar ages, they had looked out for each other from the beginning.

"I know," Brynn replied with a shrug, turning away. "'We're all in this together,' and all the other cheesy teamwork quotes you can think of."

"First off, I have no idea what that's supposed to be a quote from," Elise rolled her eyes as Brynn gasped, although she did soon realize that High School Musical was nowhere near existing at this period in time. "And second, I mean about taking on Sebastian by yourself. I can't let you do that. Both for your sake and mine. I... I really want to take down that bastard. For Moonfall." Her gaze was distance, her face shaded with grief. "Would it be okay if I came along with you?"

Brynn glanced at Elise, considering the idea. The blonde-haired young woman had supported her from the very beginning, hadn't she? She'd been the one who'd offered help to Brynn in the first place, when she had first been teleported here and had no idea what was going on. She'd been the one to introduce her to Joan in the first place — or at least the Joan in this time period; which made Brynn wonder what would happen to her in the future, if she was gone — and to that, Brynn supposed she was eternally grateful. So instead of assuring Elise that she had it covered and that she didn't need her help, she nodded. 

Elise immediately relaxed. "Good. See, that wasn't so bad, right? Plus, it's way more likely we'll be able to handle Sebastian if we outnumber him."

"Yeah, you're right," Brynn replied with a small smile. "Thanks. You... I really appreciate all that you've done for me, since I came here."

For a moment, the grief in Elise's eyes subsided and some of her perkier self slipped through. Her mouth quirked up into a smile. "Of course. I know things with you are... complicated and everything, but... I'm here for you. Always."

A tear leaked from the corner of Brynn's eye without her permission. "Okay." Elise pulled her into a hug, and they held each other as they wept for all of the things they had lost and would never find again.

☽★☾

The forest was soon pitch black; it was the night of the new moon, so no moonlight aided the group as they slunk from the woods towards town. Magpie and another of the group's members navigated their way, Brynn just behind them with Elise walking loyally by her side. She couldn't help but feel that her other side was empty, that Joan should have been there. She shoved the thought out of her mind before she could ponder it too deeply; if she wanted this to go well, she couldn't have anything distracting her tonight.

They reached the edge of town, where dim lanterns and torches split the darkness. Everyone saluted — the same salute Brynn had seen them do before their previous rescue mission —before seamlessly splitting off to fill their designated position. Brynn nodded to Elise and the two began the trek towards the prison and, within it, Sebastian's office. She hoped that was where he would be; Brynn didn't know where else to search if the man wasn't there.

"Hey," Elise murmured as they walked, soft enough that the words didn't echo. She must have noticed that Brynn was nervous. "Just imagine all the terribly cruel ways we can make Sebastian hurt once we find him." She paused and they continued in thoughtful silence for a moment. "Want me to list them?"

Brynn laughed quietly, hurrying to shake her head. "I'm sure you have a very vivid imagination, so... I'm good, thanks."

They walked on in silence after that. Brynn was surprisingly unafraid of what lay ahead, the opposite of the anxious newcomer she had been only a few days ago. All she cared about as they slipped quietly down the cobblestone streets was the idea of exacting revenge on this man. She wanted to change this; she could only hope that it would all be changed for the better.

The prison building soon came into view, the barred window shaded in an ominously dark lighting. Elise walked ahead to pick at the lock; she shared Magpie's lock-picking expertise. The door clicked open after only a few tries, and the two slunk into the horribly familiar hallway. Brynn barely remembered the direction of Sebastian's office, so they decided to try all of the doors until they found the one they needed.

Elise picked open the first door. Storage closet. The second, a bathroom that reeked of urine. The third, another closet. By then, Brynn had figured out Elise's method of working with the locks, so they decided to split up to work at a quicker pace. Three rooms passed and neither had found anything. Apprehension tingled up Brynn's spine for the first time that night. Even if they hadn't found Sebastian's office yet, surely there should have been someone in the building?

"We can't give up," Elise reminded her in a low whisper. "I'll try the door by the back entrance and work my way back. You can try these two here." She motioned for Brynn to search the two rooms closest to the center of the hall, then started off on her own for the opposite end.

"Got it," Brynn murmured, turning to the first door to beginning working at the lock. This one was a bit more finicky. She chewed impatiently on the inside of her cheek as she picked at it, before it finally gave in, clicking open. She silently pulled the door open and slipped inside.

Found him, she thought to herself immediately as her gaze moved to rest on the man sitting at the desk. He turned in his chair as she entered, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Ah, I've been expecting you," Sebastian told her. "So please, come in and join me, won't you?"

Brynn glanced to the door. It would have been easy to run, to get Elise, to escape before anything bad happened. But she was here for a reason. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped fully into the room, unprepared for whatever fate awaited her.