Seven

~Two~

The knocking on my door wakes me up. It's time to face the Saphia City Council. Saphia is a city in Aelburn. Saphia is home to the courts, the justice division, and the city hall. I quickly rise and dress, making sure that I leave early. Saphia courts are notorious for changing around the court times. If the Chief Magistrate is biased against one of the people in the court case, he makes the court hearing earlier. If a victim of the courts is late, he points them out, saying that only a true criminal would arrive late to the courts. Saphia is a gem of cities, but like most, I fear that one day it will collapse from the inside. Mandy had been working on fixing Saphia's courts systems, but she wasn't able to make it far before she died.

When you are a criminal like me, sometimes it's hard to cross the streets. People turn away from me in disgust, holding their children tightly to them for fear that I will twist their minds to serve me. Some look proud as their pets hiss at me. One woman even approaches me with glee dancing in her eyes. "Today's the day, you know. She'll finally be avenged." She looks towards the sky, clasping her hands. "Don't worry, Amanda dear. She'll be cast out soon enough." Is that what will become of me? I'll be cast out? I know another witch who was cast out, about two years ago. Her name was Coral Heliot. She was not a part of a coven, although Aelburnians trusted her as much as they trust the rest of us witches. Coral was banished for saving a child from a rushing river. She cast a quick spell to catch the child before they were dashed on the rocks near the base of the river, but she was shunned for using magic on a child that didn't ask for it. She argued that the child would have