The Sea Witch's Revenge (ON HOLD)

Chapter Twenty-One

Victoria's feet viciously sting with pain. She sits down, leaning against the foot of the bridge and lifts her leg to look at them.

Blood mixes with the thick, eggy-smelling mud of the riverbank. It seeps into her deep wounds, hiding the deep gashes and the tearing skin from view.

"Queen Lilja," Calophia whispers, limping toward her. The mud makes sickening slopping sounds with every step she takes and every now and then, she sinks in it up to her knees.

"Stop calling me that," Victoria hisses. "Mother isn't dead."

Calophia eventually makes it to her and sits beside her on the jagged rock. The small stone bridge does little to shield them from the howling wind or the intense rain, but it is better than nothing.

"Lilja," Calophia says, leaning into her, "Queen Talori is-"

"No, Calo, don't say it," Victoria interrupts and curls into a tighter ball, shivering.

"I'm sorry," Calophia whispers and they hold each other tightly.

"We need to find some proper clothes and shelter soon," Victoria says and inspects her shredded feet once more. Calophia's are very much the same. Weeks of near-constant running hadn't been kind to either of them.

Their skin clings to their bones, their eyes are hollow and their faces gaunt. Deep purple bags hang beneath their dull eyes.

"Vivianna is trying," Calophia says.

"Where is she?" Victoria asks.

"She's searching for any abandoned buildings we could find refuge in. She'll be back soon hopefully with some good news."

"Okay," Victoria replies. "And where are Amaria and Leena?"

"They're trying their hand at begging," Calophia replies.

Victoria scoffs. "In this shit hole city?" she asks and shakes her head. "They'll just be spat at and that's on a good day."

"What else can we do, your majesty?" Calophia asks. A lump forms in Victoria's throat and she looks at her sister. 

"We don't have a home and we barely understand how this world of land works. There is nowhere for us to run and no one for us to turn to."

"We'll learn," Victoria whispers.

"We have to learn fast before the Order catches up to us."

Victoria closes her eyes and shivers some more, the rain and cold sinking into her bones. Everything aches and her limbs shudder with fatigue. It takes all her effort just to lift an arm.

"We will. We'll adapt," she says. "It's just going to take a little time."

"We've been running for a month, your majesty. We'll die to the elements if we don't figure this out."

Victoria nods her head and bites her quivering lips.

How did this happen?

Even now she struggles to comprehend all the events that had led up to this point. As she thinks about it, a strange, hollow emptiness consumes her. She doesn't have the strength to feel the deep grief and terror that had plagued her in the early weeks of running.

"Well, we're no good hiding under here," Victoria says and steps off the rock straight into the sticky mud.

It squelches in her toes and clings to her skin. It takes great effort to step through it as it tries to drag her down.