A Witch and her Familiars

Chapter Fourteen - The Darkest Hour

Daphne couldn't see anything. Her shuddering breaths echoed in her ears as her eyes struggled to make sense out of the darkness. She was somewhere pitch black, without even the slightest hint of light. Where her eyes even open? She put her fingertips to her face to check; they were open... and slightly painful. In fact, her entire body ached. What was she doing here?

She stood up so quickly her head swam, and she was sure that if she could see, black spots would have danced across her vision. Wherever she was, she needed to get out of here.

She took a step forward with her hands out in front of her like a sleepwalker, but it wasn't long until she hit a smooth wall. She turned around and tried again, but only hit another wall. Then another. Then another. Eventually she figured out that she was in a tiny rectangular room, barley big enough for her to lie down in. A little bit more eventually, she figured out that the room seemed to have no door.

Where was she? A dungeon? Yes, the dungeon in the quarters of the Grand Coven. The memories of the library, her mother's betrayal, the trial, and being knocked unconscious snapped into her mind with sudden clarity. And a final blurry memory: Sabine's hand holding limply onto her own as they were dragged away.

"Sabine?" she whispered. There was no reply. "Sabine, are you here?" she asked, her voice thin and pulled-out from stress and apparent disuse.

"Daphne!" a muffled voice replied from the long wall opposite Daphne. She rushed over it and pressed her ear against the cool surface. "Is that you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Her knees buckled in relief and she sunk slowly to the floor. "Are you?"

"I'm fine too," Sabine said, her voice breaking near the end. "Oh God, Daphne, I was so worried about you..."

"I was worried about you too, Daph, if anyone cares," said a third, slightly grouchy voice from the other long wall.

"Rhode!" Daphne and Sabine cried out together. A smile crept up Daphne's tired and aching face.

She snorted so loudly that even the wall couldn't block the sound. "Thanks for finally remembering me, you losers. I mean, while you still can."

Silence swooped in, snuffing out the joy from moments before. "We won't really forget, will we?" asked Rhode, her voice soft and uncharacteristically timid. "I mean, I don't think I could ever forget this."

Daphne lowered her head. "The Coven won't take all your memories, just your memories of magic. You'll still know of your life before you met us."

"I don't want to remember that life," said Rhode, the fire back in her voice. "That life was crap. It was cold and sad and lonely... that's how it's been all my life, until I met you guys. I haven't known you for very long, but you guys were the first people to be kind to me in years. And you got me a really cool bat." Daphne could hear a smile in her voice. "So don't be stupid. I could never forget this. Or you."

"See, I knew you were a sappy sweetheart like the rest of us," Sabine said.

"Oh, shut up," Rhode grumbled. "Just because I won't forget doesn't mean I'm going soft, you get me?"

Daphne's heart broke a little. The Coven's magic was the most powerful in the world. No matter how good the memories, Rhode would forget them... and so would Sabine.

Daphne scooted over towards Sabine's wall. "Hey, Sabine," she whispered. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about everything."

"What are you sorry for?" she whispered back.

"For getting you into this. If I hadn't been there that day..."

"If you hadn't been there, I would have died," she replied bluntly. "You saved my life, Daphne," she said, her voice softening back into a gentle whisper. "You gave me adventure. I got to fight monsters, for goodness sake! What other mortal girl gets to do that?"

"I do," Rhode called out. "And I do it right!"

Despite her friends' assurances, Daphne was fighting back tears and lost. They fell from her nose and splattered on the floor unseen. No matter what they said, it was all her fault. She tried to keep it quiet, but she couldn't block the sniffles.

"Daphne?" Sabine asked. "Are you crying?"

"I'm so sorry!" she burst out, the words ripping painfully from her aching throat. "I wish this had never happened! I wish I never met either of you, so I wouldn't end up hurting you. I wish I never met you... so then I wouldn't have to lose you."

"Don't say that!" said Sabine, her voice suddenly sharp and cracking. "You can't honestly regret all of this. Daphne, all of this is the best thing that ever happened to me! Even if I forget you, you will always be the best that ever happened." At her words, so raw and pained, Daphne fell into more tears. She could tell from the muffled sobbing around her that Sabine had done the same. "The only thing about any of this that I regret," she said after a while, her voice thick and choked, "Is that there are walls here so I can't hug you."

Now Daphne wasn't even bothering to keep her crying secret. Ugly, carnal sounds escaped her mouth and chest as tears flooded down her cheeks and got stuck in her hair. "Don't cry, you guys," said Rhode. "I'll remember you. I promise."

"I will remember you." Sabine whispered from the other side.

Daphne lowered her head between her knees. The fear of losing her magic kept her from crossing the Coven all her life, but she had never thought she'd lose something so much more precious.

From one of the short walls, footsteps echoed. Daphne jerked her head up, her eyes wide in the impenetrable darkness. "Someone's coming," she whispered.

Rhode gasped from the other wall. "Ah, it's too bright—guys— No! Don't you touch me!" she cried out, then fell silent.

"Rhode?" Daphne asked, her voice high with fear. "Rhode, are you there?" No answer except a dull roaring sound coming from her own cell. "Sabine, I think they're coming for me," she rushed out. "I think it's time."

"No!" Sabine screamed. Not yet! Please, not yet!" She started to sob again. "Daphne, please, you need to promise me that you'll remember, even if we don't." The roaring sound was growing louder now. "Promise me, Daphne," Sabine begged. "I might lose you, but you can't lose me!"

"I promise!" Daphne yelled. The roaring was almost too loud to bear. "Sabine, I—"

With a final blast of noise, the wall dissolved into bright light. Daphne threw a hand up to shield her eyes. "Get away from me!" she screamed, blindly kicking out at whoever had opened her cell.

"Daphne, honey, please quiet down," a familiar voice hushed her. "Breaking you out of the cell was noisy enough."

She stopped kicking and turned towards the voice. Even though the light was too bright for her eyes to handle, she would recognize this person anywhere.

"Mama?"