Opposites: The Staff of Light [Book One]

41. The Battle at the Execution

Colton

"Combust, shut up," I hushed the owl, slowly getting annoyed. I was guilty over my mood swings yesterday but as the fog lifted when the crowd gathered in a valley in Barden, I was back to the serious version of myself. "We better make a kind impression for everyone to see or else we'd be looking like freaks." He fell silent after his repeated proclaims that Annabeth was near. I had no intention to go hunting for her just yet. Mitch was about to be executed and I couldn't wait to ruin the "ceremony". I dove straight through the crowd, apologizing every time I shoved someone, until I ploughed my way through to the front. The large crowd formed a semi-circle around a leafless tree in the center of the area. The largest branch had a hanging rope attached over a wooden riser.

Everyone, although it had been around seven, was already waiting for the carts carrying the accused witches and wizards. The sunrise was perfect, only the event wasn't. I hope Mitch goes last, I prayed. As soon as I said those words, people from the right made way for three large carts carrying handcuffed people. On the third one, there was Mitch—staring at the hanging tree with fear. Who wouldn't?

A man in a grey suit went to the front of the hanging tree and smiled at the crowd. "Good morning, everyone!" he spread his arms as if he was an emcee of some late night talk show. "Thank you for all joining with us and for your full cooperation in this matter! Without you, none of them—" he pointed to the carts, "—would have been tracked down. Let's start the execution." I lowered my gaze as the people around me cheered. Is necromancy really that evil? "We'll begin with Adelaide Youngblood of Barden." From the first cart a guard dragged a silent woman in her thirties toward the riser. "She has been captured yesterday in her lair which had shelves of different bewitched objects. Her trials have proven her to be a witch after years of lies."

Youngblood, I thought, massaging my head. Why does it seem so familiar?

It only seemed that everyone else from Barden knew who she was, because most of the crowd nodded approvingly. "No!" shrieked a young girl's voice. My attention immediately was captivated. From the other side of the semi-circle, just across from me, was a girl in a white dress whose eyes were puffy from crying. She resembled the face of the woman about to be killed. "Release her! She's done nothing wrong!"

"Nonsense!" snapped the announcer. "Adelaide herself has been mentioned in some of the mage-related reports in the kingdom! No one will deny that!" He eyed the guard who made Adelaide climb the riser. "Carry on with the execution."

"Colton," Combust hooted softly which must have been the whispering form in owl, "look."

Suddenly, two familiar voices rose into the air. "She's telling the truth!" a boy cried. My eyes caught sight of Tyler and Alice together behind the little girl. "Adelaide isn't a witch! She's only cursed!"

The announcer refused to listen. The crowd fell silent as another castle guard pointed his spear at Alice. "Shut up or die like the ones before you," the knight growled at them. But their faces were still filled with worry. They stopped protesting, and the knight nodded at his co-soldier from the riser.

The loop was about to be intact with Adelaide's head until something exploded from the area of the carts. Everyone turned their heads in time to gasp in shock. The three carts were on fire and were currently black. Not a single one of the accused was to be seen near the carts or in the thick smoke that began to rise in the air. "Annabeth," Combust said cheerfully. "Annabeth!" The owl flew away from my shoulder and ran into the fire. I followed my gaze to his direction. The announcer was yelling in front, furiously retorting at the guards for not paying attention to the carts very well.