Rory was thrown carelessly to the ground of the cell. She landed with a grunt, still clutching her hand to her chest. Pain shot through her hand as it scraped against the ground, making her grimace. She immediately heard footsteps rush towards her. A part of her wanted to stay on the ground forever. She was so ashamed that she let him win and get the best of her. She hadn't even been able to see what he carved into her.
"Rory!" Malakai exclaimed, pulling her onto his lap as the others surrounded him. She hardly reacted, only sucking in a small gasp from the sudden movement. He pushed the sweaty hair from her face, smoothing it out. He noticed the wet crimson blood now on his arms, and he frowned, wondering where it came from
That was when he saw it.
"No..." Malakai whispered, shaking his head. He gently cradled her shaking hand. He immediately recognized what the scar was; he had studied the darker spells from the coven. He noticed the searing hot red lines that outline the cut, the slight smoke that sizzled from it. This was no typical scar.
"Do I even want to know what it is?" Rory questioned bitterly. Malakai flinched slightly at the tone of her voice, not saying anything. When he didn't answer, she grew frustrated. "For God's sake, Malakai."
She tore her arm back towards her. Her eyes sluggishly lowered down to her hand, and she grimaced at what she saw. Caeler carved the coven's symbol into her hand. The once flawless light-brown skin now held a cut that was jagged and angry- two snakes curling around each other, consuming the other's tale. Rory pulled her lips in as the others stared at the scar, not sure how she'd react. Clearing her throat, she ripped her eyes from the injury. "Will it heal?"
"No," Eliphas spoke up in a grim tone, surprising Rory with an expression of sympathy, "well, the cut itself will, but the scar will never fade. It's called 'The Lasting,' often referred to as 'The Curse of Permanence.'"
"Sounds lovely, can't imagine that it would ever be used maliciously," Rory said with a wince, "I mean, I do like snakes- could be worse."
"Could you refrain from using sarcasm for just a few minutes, please?" Malakai pleaded incredulously, not comprehending how she was able to joke around while in pain. She didn't say anything in response for a few moments.
"Is everyone all right? Is anyone hurt?" Rory checked, scanning the room for any signs of injury.
"You're sitting here with a bloody and scarred hand... and you're worried about us?" Eira questioned with wide eyes. She leaned forward and tenderly took her friend's hand. Her fingers moved slightly, thin ice laying itself over the cut. Rory let out a soft sigh of relief, the pain numbing slightly. "I wish I could clean it for you, but without the proper supplies, I can't."
"It's okay, I'll be fine. We have bigger things to worry about at the moment, we need to save Aurora. He gave me some information that could help us," Rory began, lifting herself away from Malakai, she had nearly forgotten that she was still in his arms. "I don't think this is all of his doing, and I think he's doing it for Metus."
Everyone in the room visibly winced, causing Rory to grow confused. "Okay, who is this Metus guy? Why is everyone so terrified of him?"
"Let's just say he has a bit of a reputation, not the best of people," Malakai said briefly.
Rory turned to him, eyeing him sharply, remembering what she recently found out about him. "That's a bit ironic coming from you."
"Rory-" Malakai tried to interrupt her, closing his eyes.
"Or is it hypocritical?" she muttered to herself before turning to the others. "What do you guys think? Is it ironic or hypocritical?"
"I think a bit of both," Aidan said with a shrug.
Malakai stood up, running his hand down his face in frustration. "Rory! Would you stop talking!"
"So what has this all been? A plot to kill me? Don't tell me you've been working with the coven; you can't be that stupid! Do you want me dead?" Rory spat at him furiously, her eyes darker than they had ever been.
Malakai paused, raising an eyebrow. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be asking that."
"And why's that?"
"Dead people don't talk," he told her shortly.
Rory froze, sputtering out random words slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I don't take any comfort in that!"
"Good, you shouldn't."
"We don't have time for this, the next shift of guards will be coming back in a bit. What do we do? What else did you find out, Rory?" Channing asked impatiently, seeming jumpy. Rory briefly summed up everything the warlock told her, including the fight between Tempest and Valery.
"Why did he have me fight them?"
"He wanted to do something you couldn't go back from. He wanted you to do something the others wouldn't easily forgive. If they shut you out, you'd only have him," Eliphas informed her before a grim look took over his face. "He fails to see how ruthless your little honorable family has been in the past."
"Before anyone starts another pointless fight, how about we just make a plan to get out of here?" Eira suggested when she saw the two brothers begin to fume at Eliphas' words.
"I have an idea!" Rory gasped, eyes wide as she straightened up a little. "What if-"
"No," Aidan interrupted blandly, causing Rory to stare at him with her mouth gaping open.
"I'm sorry, what? What do you mean, no?"
"Every time you make a plan, we end up in some bizarre scenario where I, somehow, end up in some ridiculous situation that I don't wanna be in!" Aidan exclaimed wildly, his arms flailing around as he gestured to the cell. "I've known you for not even a week, and you've gotten me arrested!"
"Well, yeah... but now I'm breaking you out!" Rory reminded him sheepishly.
"That is not how to make friends!" Aidan exasperated, looking tired. Rory gave her brother an unbothered shrug; she was not sure how she could deny something entirely accurate.
"What do you have in mind?" Maximus asked her, causing his twin to stare at him incredulously. "We might as well hear what she has to say before we say no, right?"
"You two are impossible," Eira groaned dramatically.
"Back in the village, you had mentioned some sort of illusion? What does that do?" Rory asked Eliphas, thinking back to the conversation just a couple of hours ago.
"It's a spell that will temporarily make you look like someone else. It's really just a glamour of sorts, I could make you look like a teacup if I wanted to," he shrugged, scratching his chin slightly. "What do you have in mind?"
Rory grinned, an idea coming over here. "Here's what I'm thinking. But considering I've never broken out of a magical prison before, I may need some pointers."
Eliphas had cast a spell in the cell to make their words muffled in case anyone was listening in. Anyone eavesdropping wouldn't hear a word of their plot to escape. They finished discussing the plan, going over the technicalities and specifics. The plan seemed foolproof- not much can go wrong as long as everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do. It took a lot of convincing to let Rory be the one to carry out the central and most dangerous part of the plan.
"Can we trust you to help us, Eliphas? How do we know you won't turn around and betray us?" Eira pointed out in an accusing tone, weary on trusting a snake.
"You don't know that, actually. Looks like you'll just have to trust-" Eliphas began smugly before Malakai interrupted.
"Unless he wants Thera to know his dirty little secret, he won't be betraying anyone," Malakai threatened, glaring at the warlock dangerously. Eliphas stopped, eyes wide as he realized that Malakai knew whatever secret that he had been desperate to keep. Rory had a feeling that it had something to do with Metus considering how he reacted to the name back in the village.
"Let's say we do get caught by the coven, then what? Surrender and start all over again?" Rory pointed out as she took the attention off the two boys, her elbows resting on her knees. They were all sat in a circle, carefully cultivating a strategy.
"No, we can't surrender again. We fight our way out, kill them if we have to," Saffire told her, causing Rory's eyes to widen slightly, taken aback.
She cleared her throat uncomfortably, tilting her head slightly. "Kill them?"
"D'you expect them to just see us and let us walk out? It's more than likely that this will end in a fight," Saffire said blandly, seeming to have little regard for the lives of the coven. Rory could hardly blame her, considering what they had done to her.
"What if it's people in their army? Not people from the coven?"
"Anyone who stands with the coven is an enemy to us," Maximus declared firmly.
"But some of them didn't even have a choice! Shouldn't we try to save them?" Rory exclaimed in horror, frantically moving her hands.
"Rory! We can't save everyone," Aidan reminded her gently. The look on his face told her that he wasn't happy about the idea of killing everyone either, but it seemed as if they had no choice.
"I... all right," she gave in reluctantly, eyes fixating on the ground.
The cell fell quiet for a moment. Eira sucked in a sharp breath, her hand comfortingly on her friend's back. Rory was eternally grateful for Eira. She quickly became a friend to Rory and often brought the group back when someone was getting off track. Without her, they would likely be lost. "Let's get some rest, yeah? We could all need some before tomorrow."
The others agreed, all going to different parts of the cell to sleep. Rory waited for a few moments before tiredly making her way to a corner of the room, sliding down the wall. She was in such deep thought that she didn't even realize Malakai was sitting next to her.
"You okay?" his question pulled her from her thoughts. She didn't answer at first, not sure what to say.
"Not particularly thrilled with how this is all playing out," she admitted as her eyes involuntarily flicker down to her cut-up hand. Malakai cringed slightly at the reminder of it. The bleeding stopped, but it hardly mattered when it would never truly heal. "But I made a promise to find Aurora... and I intend on keeping that promise. She means a lot to all of you, and I want to help any way I can."
"I'm sorry about what happened. People never use that spell anymore, it's been banned from Thera... but I guess that hardly matters to people like him, right?" Malakai said in a tight voice. Rory didn't answer that, her eyes not moving from the coven's symbol on her hand. He noticed her silence and he cautiously raised his hand. He gently took her hand in his. He intertwined his fingers with her own, turning her hand slightly, making it so she didn't see the mark anymore. Malakai stared at her face for a reaction, unsure how she would feel about this.
"Is this okay?"
"You're still breathing, aren't you?" Rory quipped after a few pauses, staring at his dark-brown hand cupping her own.
"Yes," Malakai squinted his eyes slightly at the question.
"Then clearly it's okay."
Malakai resisted the urge to smile, knowing now wasn't the time. He examined her face carefully, wishing he could heal the cuts and scratches left on her face. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, the silence comforting both of them. Rory wondered if anyone's heard them so far, but by the lack of reactions, she assumed they simply didn't hear their conversation or are already asleep.
"I'm not ashamed of it," she spoke up and Malakai didn't have to ask to know she was talking about the scar.
"I know, and you shouldn't be," he replied in a murmur.
"I don't trust you," Rory told him simply, thinking back to earlier when she found out he used to work for the coven.
"I know... but it's not like that anymore. I worked for them just because of my father, my brother and I stay out of it now," he explained, causing her to perk up slightly at the mention of his brother. She had seen him in her vision. Rory didn't say anything for a few moments, not wanting to pry on his family's life.
"So, we're gonna have to kill people, huh?" Rory asked in a small voice, not bothering to hide her fear or disgust about that.
"It seems we do."
"Don't act like this is hard for you, Malakai," she scoffed, her grip on his hand loosening slightly, but not letting go.
His face fell. Not at her accusation; however, at the name. He wouldn't admit it, but he had grown to like her calling him 'Kai'. Malakai gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's not easy for me, actually. I don't like to hurt people... and despite what you seem to think, I would never hurt you."
"Why?" Rory shook her head, truly confused.
"You intrigue me," he told her honestly, causing her eyes to widen slightly, she clearly hadn't expected that response. "I'm sorry that I betrayed you."
"It's not like you presented me to Caeler on a silver platter," Rory said with a forced laugh. "You could've gone back to them the second we got arrested, but you didn't. I think that earns you some points."
"You charm me, princess," he joked, his lips pulling slightly into a grin. "Are you gonna be okay with killing people? Will you be able to deal with that?"
A few days ago, Rory would've said no. She still wasn't okay with it, and she doesn't want to be the one who decided who gets to live and who should die. But the lives of her family and friends were on the line. If she didn't fight, then they would pay the price. Rory knew what had to be done, no matter how much she dreaded it.
"Do you think we can defeat evil without becoming evil ourselves?" she questioned softly, almost not wanting to hear his answer.
"Maybe that's just the price we pay," he whispered to her as her eyes fluttered shut, head drooping down to his shoulder.