The Adventures of Gwendoline: The Blackwood Witch

Chapter Ten: Ok, but like....why?

The forest grass felt soft under my uncalloused feet.  My white lace dress grazed my knees as I strolled. The air was cool with an icy breeze, which blew my long hair across my face. Through its loose strands, I could a small lectern. 

"Sign your name, Gwendoline." A ominous voice drew me closer to the lectern, which now revealed what I could only describe as a death sentence; signing your name over to the Dark Lord. "Sign, and become the most powerful Lady of the Coven that ever lived."

I wanted to resist. My head was saying no, but I couldn't stop myself from moving forward and grabbing the gold knife, engraved with ancient carvings of the witches and warlocks that came before me. 

In a trance, I pricked my finger on the tip of the knife. A tiny spot of crimson blood pooled around my self-made incision. I couldn't stop myself, my mind in a panic as I grabbed the quill and dipped it in my blood, ready to sign my name.

Before the quill could touch the pages of the dreaded ancient book, I finally regained control of my body and I hesitated. Was I really about to sign my name? The feeling of hopelessness came over me as I watched my right hand tremble with fear, and the quill shaking ever so slightly in my hand. My nose filled with the scent of death. 

"Don't you want to make your mother proud?" A voice appeared from behind, startling me. I turned around slowly. The being now in front of me looked familiar, but not from my actual life. A figure that I had only seen in my dreams.  

"Mom?" 

~

I awoke in the same dark and musky cell I had for days. It had been three weeks since my failure of a Dark Baptism,. Three weeks since Luke had been brutally murdered by Father Demitry and in turn, his own demise was met by none other than my Uncle. 

The daily routine was always the same. The Covens council would interrogate me about my Uncle Blaise. Mostly about his whereabouts and if I had been conspiring with Blaise about the High Preist's death. I thought surely after three weeks of this same routine, they would finally get the message that I didn't know where he was, or of his plan. These questions always followed the torture that the coven had voted that I ultimately deserved. Waterboarding, beating, spell induced nightmares were just some of the things I had to face. 

Today, I sat screwed to a chair in the council chambers situated at the Academy. The screws were placed through my collarbones, wrists, ankles and thighs, coated in an oil made from Witch Hazel. Mere mortals would use the leaves in their teas for some stupid and imaginary health benefits. But for us witches and warlocks, it was usually a weapon for our demise. The leaves just burnt the witches skin but oil would infuse itself into the blood stream, and leave the witch or warlock in agony for days. 

"You know, all this would end if you would just sign your name." Alister stated, a smug smile painted on his sinister face. Alister was one of three head councilors on the Covens council. He was also one of the members that moved the notion to banish my mother after she birthed me; a half-witch, half-mortal.

"You know me signing my name in the book means I will have unlimited power, right?" I laughed. The screws reminded me that it was best not to move. 

"Yes, we do." Alister stated as he got out of his seat. "But it is an embarrassment to the coven to have a witch not fulfill her duty to the Dark Lord, especially if that witch is a pathetic half-breed." I looked at the ground at the mention of my true nature. Was being a half-breed actually that bad?

"Don't you think your family has caused the coven enough pain? Firstly your mother, then your Uncle and now you refusing to do something that is your duty?" Cecelia said. There was a hint of sympathy in her tone. She was the only council member to vote 'no' in the expulsion of my mother from the coven. She was my mothers best friend and her right hand maiden; a trusted adviser. 

Alister made his way down to my chair. He lowered his sickening mouth to my ear. "Not only that, we are all just secretly hoping that when the Dark Lord calls on you to do his bidding - his wish is suicide." he whispered. My eyes widened. "The Dark Lord doesn't tolerate half-breeds." Suicide? However given the situation I was currently in, I wanted nothing more than to die. They had taken everything from me in such a short period of time. No more interrogation, no more torture; just peace. Alister laughed, probably having noticed my dark train of thought. Alister kicked my chair and screamed out in pain. He did it again, and again. So much that eventually, I didn't scream anymore. Nothing would come out. 

"What are you doing, Councilor Alister?" a familiar voice shouted from the doorway. I would have looked up, but my spirit had finally been beaten. I couldn't even gain the strength to open my eyes. 

"Only doing as you wished," Alister seemed startled, "Lord Harrison." Footsteps echoed the room. 

"What I asked you to do was interrogate, not torture." Harrison shouted, his tone stern. 

"Yes, Lord Harrison. But the half-breed wasn't answering our questions. We had to resort to...other measures." Alister was digging himself deeper and deeper into his own grave. 

"She is still a part of our Coven. And torture is not one of the acts we tolerate here at the Coven of the Sacred Flame. Get out, before I exile you. All of you, get out." 

I gained the smallest might to look up. Alister was in complete shock and despair. He looked down at me and met my gaze. I could hear his teeth grind. "This isn't over," he kicked my chair once more "half-breed." My body stung with pain all over as the council members walked out of the chamber. As the door closed, Harrison rushed to my side. 

"Gwendoline, are you alright?" He sounded concerned. 

"Just. Dandy." It was all I could manage. My vision started to blur, before I passed out. 

I awoke in a different room. The Slytherin green walls felt warm and friendly. The air smelt like lavender. The Egyptian cotton sheets of the bed were softer than anything I had ever felt in my life. I looked to my right and met none other than Harrisons gaze. 

"Thank god you are awake." he was relieved. The concern in his eyes was now replaced with warmth and affection. This only made the confusion fester. 

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around.

"Your new room." My new room? 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Well," he started as he moved from the chair to the place beside me on the bed. He took a hold of my hand. "I am hoping that you will join me in council." I pulled my hand away quickly and defensively. 

"Join you in council? What the fuck does that even mean? If I wouldn't sign my name, and still won't I might add, wouldn't that give you an indiction that never in a million years I would say yes to that?!" he chuckeled at my outburst, and re-took the hold of my hand, slightly stroking his thumb along my index finger.

"I want you to be my right hand man, or woman, or whatever." Harrisons cheeks went bright red. Was he blushing?

"Why?" is all I could ask.

"Your uncle killing my father, was the second best thing that has ever happened to me." I was shaken by his answer. I had so many questions, and my confusion only grew more. 

"What was the first?" I asked.

"I am hoping, it is this." he said as he leaned over and his lips met mine. 

His lips were soft, and warm. It filled me with a feeling I had never quite felt before. As he pulled away, I could look deeper into his eyes. He had an expression that I couldn't quite read. I turned my head, and could feel Harrisons face move into disappointment. 

"I mean. Ok, but like....why?" I asked. His expression grew relieved as he chuckled.

"Because together, we are going to kill the Dark Lord."