Witch Bewitched (COMPLETE)

Chapter 63 (Pt. 1)

Misa crept in through the door, sticking her keys into her pocket. The house was dark, quiet, just as she hoped it would be. Torren should have gone to bed by now.

She started towards her room, thinking about what she would need for her excursion. An extra set of clothes, some food, blankets. Whatever Leira needed as soon as Misa broke her away from Nisha's cruel hands.

Misa creaked open her bedroom door. Lights flooded into her eyes, and she froze.

"Misa?" Royle stood, taking the lamp resting on the desk, and approached her. "Where have you been?"

"Royle?" Misa hissed. "What are you doing here? Why are you in my room?"

"Torren told me to wait here. He said you wanted to talk to me."

"What?" Misa swore under her breath. Torren, you idìot! "No, Royle. I don't have anything to say to you."

She moved past him, snatching her duffel bag from the ground and emptying its contents onto the bed. It ended up into a pile of clothes, mostly, which she began to sift through.

"What are you doing?"

Misa shot a look at Royle, ignoring the thumping in her chest. She didn't need him to complicate her thoughts.

"Listen." Royle grabbed her arm. "I...I'm sorry I left so abruptly this morning. I just thought you might need some space, and I was...I suppose I needed some time to myself as well. Torren said-"

"Can we not talk about that right now?" Misa pulled away from him and shoved a dress into her bag. She huffed and thought over the items. What else could she possibly need? Ah yes, blankets. She found a few small ones stuffed inside the wardrobe.

"Misa, what's going on? Why are you packing?"

Misa shook her head and passed him, out the door, to the kitchen. She found some dried fruits and stuffed them into her bag, then she looked for the water carton she had seen lying around. It was in a drawer with candles and other random essentials.

"Dammit, Misa, talk to me!" Royle was at the kitchen entrance. He'd hung the lamp on a hook above them. Frustration leaked through his voice.

"Move, Royle." Misa tried to push him aside. "Get out of my way."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Royle pressed his hands against the frame, blocking Misa's path. "Why are you packing? Where are you planning to go?"

"Don't make me hurt you, Royle." Misa stepped back to look at him. "Stop doing this."

"Misa-"

"I can't, okay?" Misa yelled. "I can't be with you! So, please. Please, stop trying. I don't...I can't do this. Not right now."

"This isn't about that." Royle gestured to the bag. "We can talk about that later. Right now, I want to know what you're planning. Why are you packing?"

Misa shook her head. "You're not going to let me go without knowing, are you?"

His clenched jaw, those burning eyes were all the answers she needed. Misa sighed.

"Promise you won't stop me."

"Misa," he warned.

"Promise me, and I'll tell you."

Royle shut his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he relented. "I promise."

Misa slumped her shoulders. She lowered her voice, hoping he wouldn't hear. "I'm going to find Leira."

"Leira? You know where she is?"

Misa nodded. She began to explain what had happened during her visit to the lake. Nisha, Brin, Rithian, everything but the details of Nisha's cruelty. It terrified her too much to think of it, and she had a feeling it would convince Royle that it was a bad idea. He tensed with each word flying out of her mouth, and Misa hoped he wouldn't break the promise he made.

"Nisha is with her?" His voice was strained, and he blew out a breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Right. I'm coming with you."

"What? No! You can't."

"I promise I won't attack Nisha the moment I see her. I've learned my lesson from the last time I did." His eyes softened, gleaming with that tenderness that Misa could fall into forever and ever. "I just...I can't send you alone."

Misa bit her lip, eyes flickering to the door hiding in the sitting room. "I'll be fine. You don't need to come with me."

"I promised I won't stop you," Royle said. "And, I promised I'd find her, didn't I? Let me keep it."

Misa held in a groan. This was getting more complicated than she would have liked. She grabbed his wrist and squeezed past him, pulling him with her as she made it to the exit.

"Fine, you can come. But, there's one more thing you need to know."

With a sigh, Misa opened the door and led him outside. A dark figure waited for them at the end of the yard. Royle stiffened.

"Who's that?"

Misa tugged his wrist to urge him to follow her.

"A friend. She's going to help us find Leira."

They stopped once they reached the figure. Her deep voice greeted them. "Company?"

Misa shrugged. "Don't worry about him. He's fine."

"Who..." Royle seemed dumbfounded.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Sha'ka, witch of fortune telling. Misa has told me of troubling news, and I intend to help."

"A witch?" Royle shot Misa a look, and she smiled back at him innocently.

"She's okay. No need to get all suspicious."

Though he still seemed unsure, Royle said, "If you say so..."

"Well, then. What are we waiting for?" Misa nudged Sha'ka. "Did you get it?"

With a nod, the witch reached into a pouch by her hip and pulled out a smooth, oval pebble. It was pale under the moonlight, so much so that Misa was sure it was glowing.

"This is the seeking spell?" Misa tilted her head, observing the pebble. She could sense the magic trapped within it.

"It'll glow brighter the closer we get to Brin. The properties of the stone act as a vessel for the spell to take a tangible form."

"Wow." Mesmerised by the slow pulsing light, Misa felt a sense of calm. Then reality clapped back with the memories of Nisha. "Okay, then. Let's get going."

Misa began the trek towards the forest, Sha'ka following behind her.

"Wait," Royle said, halting them both.

Misa turned around. "What? We need to get going."

"We're going to walk?"

"Well, yes. We don't exactly have a choice."

Royle shot her a smile, and Misa's heart skipped a beat. She looked away, acting disinterested, thankful that the moon wasn't bright enough to bring out the colour in her cheeks.

"Actually, I think we do." Royle hummed in thought, stroking his chin in thought. Misa stole glances at him, wondering what he was thinking, until he finally said, "Okay. I have my horse at the purgehouse residential apartments. I'll have to take a long detour to pick you up before going to the woods, but if you want to cut that time, I can meet you at the edge of the city."

"A horse?" Misa scratched her head. "How will a horse carry three people?"

Royle gave her a sidelong glance, and Misa had to look away before she combusted from the inside. She had to stop thinking about him when this mission was more important. That kiss had unleashed a beast within her that made her think of Royle in ways she'd never dared to imagine before.

"Trust me." With another smile that sent her heart racing, Royle swivelled around and walked in the opposite direction.

When he rounded a corner and disappeared, Sha'ka let out a chuckle. "It seems you've found him."

Misa started their trek once more, making a conscious effort to ignore the tingles running through her. "I don't know what you're talking about."