Bewitched

Chapter 10 - Malise

I was in trouble. Such deep trouble.

Everything had gone so well. Even after Elvira turned out to be the wrong sister, I managed to fix things. I got Asha to the coven. Mother Zaleria would be pleased.

And yet...

Elvira.

She was just a human, I kept telling myself. Just a human.

Then why haven't you interrogated and killed her yet?

I wouldn't even have had to do it myself. The infection was taking care of it already. And yet, for some reason, I'd spent the entire night saving her life, barely sleeping to take care of her. Every sound, every movement had pulled my attention towards her.

Even your sisters wouldn't do that for you.

And that was another problem. I was here to serve my coven, my sisters, Mother Zaleria. It's all I wanted and all I ever needed to want. And yet, the way Elvira questioned our ways... Humans couldn't understand our sisterhood, and her words came from ignorance, but still, they were enough to make me question...

Isn't it nice being away from the coven? Not having to worry about pleasing everyone?

No, it's not safe.

It's just a different kind of dangerous.

I forced myself to focus on the task at hand, which was the biggest problem of all. I wasn't supposed to help Elvira plan to get her sister back. I had to kill her and leave. I had to hate her. Not...

Not think about what it'd be like to hold her in my arms.

I got up from the table and went into the study, pretending to search for more books. It was dangerous to look at her. Every time I did, I risked forgetting who I was and where I belonged.

I brought back another book and added it to the overflowing table.

"Can't we get help from other witches, belonging to other covens?" Elvira asked. "You can't be the only one who has an issue with Mother Zaleria and her methods."

"They're not as well-organized." I sat back down, opposite her. "Mother Zaleria makes fighters out of all her children. Other covens don't do that." The last thing I needed now was to gather witches to attack my own sisters.

"Do the other covens abduct children?"

"No. At least, most of them don't. That's just Mother Zaleria's approach."

"Then maybe someone should stand up to her."

I found myself nodding. Actually nodding in agreement. What was this human doing to me?

"Getting to Asha is the first hurdle." Elvira rested her chin on her hand as she looked at the pile of books. "After that, we have to get her out, at the risk of a horde of witches chasing us down. Am I right?"

"Yes. And Mother Zaleria doesn't accept weak witches into her coven."

"Then we have to figure out a way to disappear." She turned over a page. "Were you trained as well?"

"Me?"

"Yes. When you were part of Mother Zaleria's coven, did you have to be strong, too?"

"Well, yes." My throat tightened in a way I never allowed to happen. "We all had to be."

"Was it hard? Growing up like that?" Her eyes found mine and they shattered a wall I never knew I'd built.

"Well, I guess..." I fumbled with my hands.

Pull yourself together.

"I mean, I..."

Do you want to get beaten again?

"It was..."

Weak witches end up on the pyre.

She was next to me. Her hand found my shoulder and squeezed it. "It's okay."

No, it wasn't. It wasn't okay how she could just... How she made me...

I bit my lip to stop it from trembling.

She leaned closer. Her hand cupped my cheek and I wanted more of it, more of her. I'm losing my mind.

"It must have been hard, living there."

I nodded. I didn't want to, but I did. If Mother Zaleria found out...

"You're safe now. We're in this together."

I'd always been together with others. My sisters were always there. But this... This was different...

She had to live.

The thought crashed through me, knocking the air out of my lungs.

I wanted, needed Elvira to live. More than I needed my sisters, my coven, anything. The last time I felt like this...

Don't forget us, Malise. We will always be your family.

A sob broke loose from me and before I could tell what was happening, my head was buried in Elvira's neck, her arms around me. I moved my hands up, over her back, trying to remember how to hug. The last time was... That must have been before...

"It's okay."

Her voice soothed me deep within my soul. This must be some wicked form of magic.

There was a way to save her. Both her and Asha. But I wouldn't be leaving with them. Why was that so hard? I didn't care about losing anyone. But her...

"Let's continue with the plan," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Are you ready to?"

"I am." I sat back up, fought every part of me that wanted to stay in her embrace. "If there's any talking to be done, we can do it later."

"If you're sure."

I nodded before I could change my mind. I had to save her and her sister.

Even if it meant I'd never see her again.