In the Open Cage

Chapter 19

Dedicated to the Bump 👶. Congrats to Lindamutphy123 for becoming a Nanny and I hope the baby will grow strong and healthy! ❤❤

The next two days were as unproductive as one could imagine when looking for something as ludicrous as a door in the sky. Misa and the captain had spent their time scouring the city, traveling farther from their accommodation with each passing hour. The bell tower had proved to be a pointless journey, but the captain had still insisted on looking for every bell they could find, even going as far as investigating at a bell foundry.

Though their search had proven to be fruitless, Misa was delighted to find an art shop not far from the next parish that had a massive bell hanging from its tower. She had bought a sketchbook made of sturdy paper and various charcoals of different thickness, even though charcoal was never her favourite because of how dreary the art turned out in black and white She would have gotten a canvas and some paints, but the captain kindly pointed out in his aloof way that she did not have the means to carry the supplies back to Giligha.

Now, it was the third day, and Misa was ready to turn in for the night. Unfortunately for her, the day had just barely begun. The sun had still not risen, and Misa was entering into a cold darkness instead of reveling in the warmth of her bed.

Letting out a loud yawn, Misa gently shut the door behind her and winced. The click was like a clap of thunder in the lethargic silence. She held up her lantern, studying the small circle of the garden her light revealed to her. The captain waited at the end of the garden path with his own lantern surrounding him in a halo of light. Misa moved towards him, and he pushed open the gate.

"Ready to go?" the captain asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Misa shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be. Where will we go today?"

The captain rubbed his forehead. He looked just as tired as Misa felt. "The bellfounder gave me a list of all the places he cast a bell while you were out sightseeing. I suppose our best bet is to check each of the locations. But first, I want to take a look at the bell tower in Central Square one more time."

He didn't sound hopeful. The uncertainty in his voice was the only reason Misa decided not to challenge the accusation of her "sightseeing" when she had simply been inspecting the many bells in the foundry in search of one that might have held magic.

Misa tried to smile. "I'm sure we'll find something. We still have three weeks left, anyway. There has to be a way to find it. That's what we came here for, right? We can't leave without completing our mission!" But she didn't voice her main concern, which she suspected already weighed like bricks on the captain's shoulders: what would happen if they didn't find the market in the allocated time?

Captain Bentham allowed a small smile to settle on his lips. "Of course. Shall we head out, then?"

Misa nodded, now even more determined to figure out what the riddle meant. The faster they found the market, the more time she'd have to sleep in and start utilising the supplies she'd bought. And when they did find the market, Misa would be one step closer to ridding herself of her magic.

"You're still my brother, right?" Misa asked as they passed through the gate. They hadn't needed to expose their identities—or relations—in the past two days, and they didn't have the chance to talk about their cover in private. The bare streets provided the perfect opportunity for a secret conversation.

Captain Bentham shut the door before he replied, "I suppose. It would be in our best interest if we maintained a consistent story."

"Of course." Misa pondered over their situation. "I haven't tried to bewitch anyone for a while. Sometimes, when I feel it start, I manage to suppress it. Do you think that maybe I won't have to learn how to control my magic from a witch?"