Royal Worth

The little girl sat, huddled in the corner of the stone room. She was frightened. The scary lady had trapped her.

She missed her sister. Her sister, who had protected her, sheltered her. Her sister had raised her when their father was drinking at the tavern. When the little girl's father came back, drunk and with friends, her sister had kept the men away. Instead the girl's sister had offered herself. Her sister never let the girl see her after their father's friends had had their way with her sister. Her sister stayed in the basement. The girl's sister made sure that she was in her room when the men came.

The girl's back straightened when she heard a key twist in the lock. The scary lady. Her breathe quickened. The lady terrified her. Though the woman did not lay a hand on the girl, the woman's very presence made her quiver with fear.

The iron door creaked open. Its screeches filled the stale air of the cell.

The girl saw her feet first. Black boots strode confidently into the room. An elegant, black, silk dress swirled around the witch's feet. As the girl's eyes rose higher, she saw the dress tighten around the waist. A corset was wrapped around the outside of the fabric. The sleeves of the dress flowed loosely around the woman's arms. The neckline was low, so the girl could see much of the witch's pale, flawless skin. Finally, she lifted her eyes to the inhuman face. The woman's cheekbones were high and sharp; her lips were full and red, her skin free of blemishes, her blonde, wavy hair fell down her shoulders perfectly and her eyes...the girl shivered. The woman's eyes were a blood red. They matched the red streaks in the woman's blonde hair.

Even at a young age the girl knew what that meant. When a person had exotically colored eyes and streaks in the hair that matched, it meant they were a Magick. Most Magicks had subdued colors, but when they had bright colors, it meant they were more powerful. It was unheard of for a Magick's color to be red. Red was a sign of evil in Ariadne. Magicks normally had hues of green, dull silver, blue, and occasionally a dark yellow. A Magick's color also represented their power. If you had green, you were a Nature Magick. If you had silver, you were a Moon Magick. If you had blue, you were a Water Magick. If you had yellow, you were a Sun Magick. But red...red was terrifying.

There were legends that if a Magick had red eyes and highlights, it meant bad things. It meant they were a Blood Magick. It's only ever been a rumor. Until now.

The woman before her was a Blood Magick. A Blood Magick had control over the blood that ran through the veins of living creatures. They had been myths. People wanted them to be myths. No one wanted Blood Magicks to be real. Especially the girl.

The woman's red irises stared into the girl's brown ones. A smirk formed on the witch's red lips. Her eyes started to glow. The girl felt her blood start to boil inside her. In a flash the girl was lifted off the ground and slammed to the wall.

She whimpered. Her body was on fire.

The woman stalked towards her.

"What kind of Magick does she possess?" The woman snarled.

The girl hesitated and she felt her blood starting to fight its way out of her veins.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The girl choked out. "What do you want with me?"

"Oh, child. I don't want anything to do with you. I want the other one. The one you call sister."