APPLE WITCH (girlxgirlxgirl)

13. Evaporation spell

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⚠️death, murder, violence, dangerous weapons, fighting, blood, wounds, dead bodies ⚠️

"We know you're there"

Melora holds her breath. Her hand is outreached, placed over Adar's mouth in a desperate attempt to keep him quiet. She can sense how scared he is, and won't risk it. Rain falls down all around them, splashing up from the ground, making everything wet and muddy. It's dark everywhere, and cold. Melora shivers. She feels wet strands of grass against her ankles, and a cough building up in her chest. Everything is uncomfortable, but she must hold her breath.

They are hiding behind a large tree, bushes surrounding it and casting long shadows over them. That's where they were told to hide. Melora keeps shifting from one foot to another, nervous about her own thoughts in the midst of this situation.

"Don't be stupid now, your Highness. Return before you father actually gets mad"

The voices echoing from the road prove what Melora has always feared. These vampires, Astra, Seiran and Saint, are royal. Well, at least Seiran and Saint are. They are clearly siblings by the looks of it. But Astra? She must be someone else important. Either way her suspicions are now confirmed. They really are royals, of the greatest vampire family in the first world. What is she compared to them? Dust beneath their shoes. And Adar? He's even worse, as a winter witch. Alone, without the rest of the seasonal witches, Adar has no value to the empire. If they get caught- Melora doesn't know what will happen, but it can't be good.

"I don't want to take you by force, Saint. I know you've got your sister with you. Let's do this the nice way, yeah?"

Melora can imagine Seiran getting angry at those words. Whoever is talking really doesn't know the princess, does he? Melora has only spent a few days with her, and yet she knows how strong and proud Seiran is. She doesn't like being called a princess and she doesn't like people seeing her as a weakness. If anything she often takes the role of a leader while they've been on this mission. Melora tries to peek from behind the tree. Further ahead, closer to the forest, the three vampires are waiting in the darkness with their swords drawn. They know they have a better chance at fighting these people than running away from them. Still, Melora is unsure about how powerful they are. She is unsure if they can win. And if they lose?

If they lose... what will become of her and Adar? Melora has made up her mind. Her powers are hard to understand and hard to control, but she must do something. Who cares about these vampires? They might have kidnapped them, but if they are unable to protect them from the empire, then Melora will take matters into her own hands. She will escape, again. And this time she'll do it properly. Even if it's not forever, she could stall their fate for just a moment longer. She could learn how to use magic properly. She could protect her new friend, someone who she now considers a brother.

All she needs is an apple. Figuratively. Something like an apple.

"I'll count to three, Saint. Don't make me treat you like a child"

Melora frantically looks for an object around her, anything that could have enough life in it to feed her magic. Anything big enough to create a portal. All she finds is mud and grass, sticks and stones. Her hands grow dirty as she searches, leaving Adar's mouth to be more effective. Adar has stopped panicking and instead follows her with his eyes, confused. Melora doesn't have time to explain, so she gives him the opportunity to figure it out for himself. In the corner of her eye she can see Saint looking at his sister.

"I don't want to kill you, Julius. Turn around and say you couldn't find us"

Melora shivers at the grave tone of Saint. The way he is speaking, the man he is talking to must be friends with him. But what does it really matter? Friends or not, in this environment it doesn't matter. Melora has been on this trip long enough to know that it's about life and death and nothing less. Friendship and trust only matters between the three vampires responsible for this whole thing, everything else just needs to stay out of the way, or stay compliant. Melora and Adar fall into the second category. That is why she knows that they have to take the opportunity and escape.