Scarlet (An SGE Fanfic)

The Witch's Promise

Hester

My warm, fuzzy feelings dissipated, however, as soon as we stepped back through the door of Malice 66. Anadil was reclined against the sheets of her bed, looking rather smug.

"Everyone's locked in their rooms," said Dot, wiping sweat from her brow.

I scowled. "Did you even look for Sophie?"

"Didn't need to," Anadil yawned. "She's coming here."

"Here?" I snorted. "And how in the world would you know that?"

Anadil yanked back the sheets, revealing a bound and gagged cupid, one I vividly remember sending my demon after when it tried to kill Agatha earlier this year. Henchmen attack their master's Nemesis by default. I read about it in a book I'd found in the library. Looking back, the inevitable future we're now living seems painfully obvious.

"Because he told me," Anadil said.

I stalked toward the creature, ripping off its gag. "Where's Sophie?"

"Come," the cupid said.

"When?"

"Grimm come, Grimm wait."

I growled, shoving the gag into the creature's mouth before it made me want to kill it any more than I already did. I sat on the bed beside Anadil, crossing my arms.

"How did you even find that thing?" Dot asked.

"He was already here, waiting on Sophie's bed," Anadil replied. "The monster didn't even notice me coming in."

"So we're just going to wait for Sophie?" I said, impatient. "For how long?"

Anadil shrugged. "If the beast is already here, I'd suspect she'll be here soon."

News flash: she wasn't. We stayed awake for the rest of the night, staring at the door as if it would magically spawn Sophie. Soon, I felt myself drifting off, the world fading into darkness.

Even my dreams were conflicted. Blurry images drifted through my subconscious; good and evil, right and wrong, love and hatred...

Scenes from my past blended with the present and future, creating a dizzying world of confusion. When I finally opened my eyes, light was streaming through the window. I rubbed my bleary eyes, picking up my head from where it had been resting on Anadil's shoulder (I hoped she hadn't noticed), and glanced around the room. Dot was curled up in my bed, as hers still smelled strongly of lavender vanilla perfume, but there was still no sign of Sophie. I looked down and jumped nearly a foot in the air. Grimm was awake, his beady little eyes staring into mine. He hadn't escaped in the night, thankfully, but was still awaiting his master. Anadil moved in her sleep, disturbed by my sudden movement. She grabbed onto my arm, holding it close like it was one of her rats.

"Please," she mumbled. "Five more minutes, governess. No more...lessons..."

I stared for a moment, debating whether or not to wake her up. On one hand, we'd be unprepared if Sophie came in, but on the other, she needed to sleep after several days of scheming through the night. Besides, she looked so vulnerable laying there, as if she didn't have a care in the—

"What are you doing?" I jumped yet again. 'Easily startled' certainly isn't a good look on me.

Anadil sat up, side-eyeing me as she reached for her rats, which, of course, were not there.

"Just—wondering if I should wake you up!" I said, trying not to make eye contact with her. "You know, Sophie could come at any moment is all, but we need our sleep if we want to be sharp minded."