Forever Green

~ 55 ~ As the Battle Rages On

"Audeste, no!" Lenesa cried, lurching towards the gate. She couldn't let what had happened all those years ago repeat itself – and in her panic, she forgot everything else. She didn't notice how the crowds fell away from her like butter parting under the cut of a hot knife, or hear someone else cry out her name.

But Nua noticed.

"Murderer!" Nua screamed, echoing Audeste's cry as she threw out her hands, fingers bent like claws.

Figures and shapes sprouted from the ground at the Turned witch's command, gathering like shadows until they darkened and solidified into an army of faceless, cloaked figures.

With a cackle, Nua spun and dissolved into the mirage, as just one of the many of her creations, and both the witch hunters and the mob drew back, weapons and pitchforks at the ready.

Lenesa, meanwhile, was still pleading with Audeste.

"You must go," she begged through the gate, though her cousin's expression remained blank and unfeeling except for a touch of anger at her brow. "Please. I can't let it happen again."

"Your solutions to prevent history repeating itself and mine are quite different," Audeste replied, her voice like a thin sheet of ice across a pond – cold, brittle, and dangerous. "There is nothing we have in common now – nothing you can do or say to dissuade me."

"But there's something I believe I can do about it," another voice spoke up, and both witches looked up to find Kivirra Rosewood standing a few steps away, flanked by an entire procession of witches and wisps.

"Kivirra," Lenesa breathed, and was met with a concerned look from the witch.

"You're walking a thin line, Lenesa," Kivirra said. "You need to rest and rethink your actions. Let us do the fighting – don't get involved anymore."

The inky trails winding across Lenesa's skin told her that she should listen to Kivirra, but shadows whispered through her thoughts, urging her to take notice of the witch hunters surrounding them, and of the pain and deaths the townspeople had caused, and how Lenesa had already retaliated in kind at the river gate. It was too late to turn back now.

She took a step back, shaking her head. "I can't."

Kivirra's expression hardened, but she didn't seem surprised. "Be careful, then."

The moment was broken by the crunch of a footstep behind Lenesa. The townspeople's shock had worn off, it seemed, and the witch hunters were moving into action.

Lenesa started at the noise, but Audeste was faster. Though separated by the gate, her eyes fastened on the figure behind her cousin, the lilac of her irises sparking with light.

"You will not move a muscle," Audeste said, her voice dripping with a haunting chill. "Not a single one."

Lenesa whirled around to face her would-be attacker, a mixture of relief and horror on her face as the man collapsed to the ground, unable to breath.

"Audeste, you can let him go now," she whispered, though she remained at the gate, her hand still on one of the wooden bars. The man was ashen, his eyes filled with the screams he was unable to voice. "Audeste?"

She couldn't bring herself to intervene, but then, no one else was helping either. Either intimidated by Nua's illusions encircling them, or terrified at the witches' sudden appearance and Audeste's frightening display of magic, they merely stood at a distance, shuffling and muttering to each other in mounting horror.

The shadows in Lenesa's mind grew stronger and more frenzied, whipping through her mind with a greater intensity.

He deserved this – they all do – look what they've done – all your efforts wasted – what's one more death – get rid of them all – he's a hunter anyway...