Morrigan Crow and the Ghastly Market

The Errand

@getsomegaysnacs is my annoying best friend and newly appointed editor so if you see a  mistake point it out on her profile. Also, you should thank her bc she helped me get started on this chapter, I wouldn't have done this otherwise. 

 Morrigan hadn't been outside since her capture and as she stood in the too-bright aisle of the grocery store she clenched her fists, staring at the can of soda she'd been ordered to put in the cart. The Man hovered over her, a looming shadow. She'd slowly earned his trust enough to go outside, but every time it broke her inside a little bit. She curled in on herself and did as he bid. There was an ever-present lump of anger forming in the pit of her stomach, rising to her throat like bile every time he gave an order but she always swallowed it down and submitted. She felt it burning in her throat right now but she pushed it down and after a long pause she did as he said and curled her fingers around the bottle.

"Good girl," he purred, leering at her. The anger overwhelmed her and she couldn't take it anymore. This outburst had been a long time coming, squashed down too many times. Morrigan had a hot temper and she'd managed to contain herself for some time but she couldn't take it anymore. Dazzlingly white Wunder formed in her hands and she growled softly. The Man didn't even startle, just met her eyes and the Wunder slowly dissolved. "I would advise caution, Miss Crow," he whispered sharply "I, too, have a knack," he hissed into her ear. "Now be a good little purchase and get me more soda"

"Soda rots your teeth," she spat out, grabbing the soda and throwing it hard into the cart. A small crack crept up the side and she scowled at it. She grabbed another bottle and threw it harder. This one did shatter and fragments of glass flew everywhere amid a neon orange spray. A piece of glass embedded itself into the Man's leg and she reveled in the moment. Until several pieces flew into her own legs. Because of course. The universe obviously hated her, as demonstrated by her supposed curse, being kidnapped and taken to the Ghastly Market and now for every piece of glass that cut the evil man two more cut her.

"Oh!" a voice rang out. It sounded familiar and Morrigan whirled around, the hood cloaking her face barely staying in place. "Let me help you with that," the friendly redhead said. Jupiter! Morrigan opened her mouth, about to call out to him. Her spirits rose; she would finally be rescued and get away from that horrid place and that horrid man. But just as the name began to roll off her tongue, the man's fingernails dug into her shoulder and he spoke over her, his voice oily and trying hard to be respectable.

"Thank you," he trailed off, obviously indicating for Jupiter to tell his name.

"Jupiter North," he cut in smoothly, smiling blankly. "And you are?" he asked, not unkindly.

"I'm Emmanuel Marth," the Man answered. This was news to Morrigan and she silently recorded it in her mind. Emmanuel squeezed her shoulder. "And this is my daughter Emma," he smiled crookedly.

Morrigan didn't move and pleaded with the universe to please just let Jupiter recognize her and get her out of this nightmare. But he didn't. He didn't even look down at her, just widened his blank smile and nodded. Morrigan hated seeing that blank smile on his face. He was still acting like his kind self, but there was no energy in his motions, no twinkle in his shadowed eyes. Even his ginger hair looked like it was drooping sadly. Usually when he talked he made grand gestures with his hands, usually his walk was practically a bounce, usually he had a thousand-watt grin on his face. But now his hands were at his sides, he stood still as a statue and smiled without any emotion.

She wanted to scream at him that she was right there. But he wouldn't even look at her, and even if he did he might not recognize her. Emmanuel had put white gauze over the burn on her face for the trip, which blended in almost completely with her paler-than-ever skin. Her hair was in braids (shudder) and she had a hood obscuring most of her face and shrouding the rest in shadows. She was also wearing a dress which wasn't even black. It was a light lilac, and she'd never wear something so not colorless, which Jupiter would know.