ORPHEUS

Chapter 28

As the duo walked into the inn  they plannig on staying in, all Katherine could think about was the task the Council had given her.

Murder.

She had to kill someone. A witch.

It was only a witch. She was evil. She stole....life essence? Blood? That made it better, right?

Of coarse not, she thought with a sigh. Her expression was bleak as she mindlessly allowed Orpheus to drag her through the raunchy crowd up the stairs to an empty room. It was... scarcely furnished. There was a bed and a little table by it. A door, which must've lead to the chamber, and a small window with dirtied glass.

Katherine went in and sat on the dusty bed, her expression bland as she looked at Orpheus.

"Do you know of whom they speak? the witch?" She asked him.

"Yes. She has been on the list for long." He replied as he placed the satchel on the little table.

"The list?" She asked with a tilt of her head as he left to check the chamber.

"The 'to be hunted' list for the council assassins" came the muffled voice.

"Hmm"

There was a breif silence.

"They want me to kill someone"
She watched as Orpheus swaggered towards her, his eyes now golden, taking her in his arms once he reached her.

"We will overcome this. I swear it" she could feel his warm breath caress her hair as he spoke, warming her from the inside.

"I don't want to murder someone- anyone, Orpheus" she was aware of how her voice trembled. Orpheus stroked her hair soothingly.

"If we do not, she will kill others. Innocent people, that do not deserve to die." His voice was calm, controled. Unlike hers. She shook her head, refusing his claim.
She looked at him. Her heart was thundering and her eyes stormy as the gold in her irises swirled with emotion.

"I can't, Orpheus. That blame already rests on my shoulders."

Orpheus tensed as the words escaped her mouth. Her lips thinned in realisation of what she said and she let out a sigh of defeat. He needed to know. He was her husband, after all.

"What blame?" He asked. His voice was terse and she could tell he was trying to be calm for her. She appreciated it. She lightly fisted the hand on his chest, bunching up the material of his shirt. Her claws were pressed into her palm, digging into the skin slightly. A small amount of pain.

"Back when I was younger, I was friends with another girl, her name was Melissa. We were almost sisters. I loved her enough to sacrifice my life for her." Her voice was unbearably croaky as Orpheus' ink crawled onto her skin, soothing her only marginally with it abilities.

"We grew up together. She was loved by everyone. Everything was perfect." She sniffled. "Until one day, a group of witch hunters came to town. I was with Melissa at the market when we saw them riding in on their large black mares, terrifying the towns people."

She could feel Orpheus tighten his arms around her. She basked in that comfort.

"They took one look at us and dragged us to a nearby cabbin. We were terrified, obviously. They tied us down to chairs and began questioning us. They asked her what she did and where she had been. When she did not answer, they turned to me. They threatened my mother so I supplied the answers. I told them that she was an apprentice for the local healer and that she was to marry the chief's son. That was all they needed. They dragged us out and made me watch as they tied her to a pole. They set logs and hay around her. They set h-her on fire. An-And they made m-me watch her burn!" She was sure her tremors shook the bed they sat on along wih Orpheus.

"It was my fault. I am to blame. They burned her because of me!"

"No, no, no. Kathy, there was nothing you could do at the time."

His soothing words fell onto deaf ears as she sobbed and wailed onto his shirt.

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"It's alright. You're alright."
He cooed as he stoked her hair.
The sobbing had stopped but left a sniffling hiccuping mess of Katherine.

"I don't w-want to kill anyone else, Orpheus."

"No, angel. You didn't kill anyone!" He said with determination. Oh his poor Kathy. What if the hunters had known what Kathy was. They could have killed her too. He held onto her a little tighter.

"Listen, angel. That woman is evil, alright? If she isn't stopped, there would be great loss."

"I-I know!" She wailed "but that doesn't make it better."

"It does. We are enforcers of law. We protect the people. If we don't, then who will? With your immortality, you should be able to kill her."

"B-but-"

"No" he framed her face with his hands, wiping her tears. He felt selfish for wanting her to kill the witch, but if he wanted them to be released from the Council and the constant attacks, they needed to take action. "I love you, Katherine. And I want to live. I want us to live. To be happy, to not constantly worry about being attacked in the middle of the night. Do you understand?"

He waited, holding his breath. He didn't want to force this on her, but this was how it was to be. Life was cruel but they had to live. And they couldn't do so without taking that life

"Y-yes. Alright." She stammered, clenching her eyes shut.

"Alright." He sighed out, hugging her tight.