Witch Bewitched (COMPLETE)

Chapter 63 (Pt. 2)

Royle tightened the girth around Battalion, tugging to make sure it was secure. Attached to it were two poles that connected to the small carriage that had been stored away at the warehouse by the stables. He had taken note of it the moment he entrusted the stallion to the stable boy, though he hadn't expected that it would come in handy.

He took a second horse, this one an old mare that belonged to the Central Harthem Purgehouse and one that would not cause too much of a panic if it was to go missing, to attach to the carriage. As much as he would have liked a stronger horse, he didn't exactly have the time to go through the proper renting process. Besides, it would be enough to give Battalion some support for the expected heavy lifting he'd have to do.

Letting out a soft whistle, Royle gathered the reins and led the horses out of the stable. He nodded at the guards that kept watch at the gates; the acknowledgement would hopefully be enough to not raise any suspicions. It appeared to work. They did not question him about why he was taking a carriage barely larger than a chariot or where he intended to go so late into the night.

Once he was back on the streets, Royle hopped on the carriage and directed the horses towards the mountains. He shook off the ominous shadow that loomed over him, forcing the thought of Nisha from his mind. He itched to see her again, the vile witch that had taken everything from him. The witch that threatened to take Misa away. And when he did...

A fire burned in his chest, and he coughed. The mark Nisha left on him seared into his skin, and he had to take a moment to collect himself and cool his temper. Whatever curse she had put on him, he needed to find a way to break it. It was the only way he could finally kill her and free both himself and Misa from his quest for vengeance.

He snapped the reins, and the horses sped up to a trot. That dark witch, Sha'ka. He figured out from Misa's interaction with her that she was the one who first gave them the clue to the witch market. He didn't know if he could trust her. Ramor, his previous informant, had been on good terms with the witch and he'd still gotten killed. Misa seemed to like her. Even so, he didn't like the idea of her staying with a witch he didn't know all alone.

A dark shape shot into the path of the carriage. Royle pulled the reins just in time, and the shadow bolted away. A hiss sliced through the air. Royle hopped off the carriage. It was the cat. Misa's cat.

"You. I know you." He knelt down, holding out a hand to coax the cat to him. It stepped out into the moonlight, slow, cautious. Its large, blue eyes peered up at him, dilated in the dark. "Come here."

It flattened its ears but came closer still. "That's it. Let me take you to your master."

Royle couldn't believe what he was doing. Talking to a cat? Why did he feel like this had happened before?

Min-Min nudged against his fingers, and he stiffened. A wet nose. Dark fur; long, wiry whiskers. He never did like cats, with their tendency to steal and sharp claws that pinched skin. He especially despised how their fur would stick to his clothes. Still, he gently picked up the black cat, avoiding the temptation to grab it by the scruff of its neck, and took it with him to see Misa.

Once he was back on the carriage, Royle quickened his pace and found the tall witch and Misa waiting for him at the end of the road leading out of the city.

Misa perked up. "What took you so long?"

Shrugging, Royle jerked a thumb behind him. "Never mind that. Get in, and we can be on our way."

"Fine." Misa turned to Sha'ka. "Let's go."

The witch got in first, and Misa followed behind. Royle squashed the disappointment when Misa didn't choose to sit next to him. He glanced down, saw the cat watching him, its head tilted as if it knew what he was thinking.

"What?" he snapped at it, quietly so Misa couldn't hear.

It huffed and turned away, its tail swishing nonchalantly. Oh, yes. Royle really, really didn't like cats.

"Misa," Royle said, urging the horses to trot into the woods. "I found your little companion in the streets. I brought her along in case you wanted to see her."

"What?" Misa leaned forward. She let out a small gasp. "Min-Min!"

The cat let out a soft mewl. Misa reached down to scratch its neck, and it purred loud enough for Royle to hear over the gentle clops of horses' footsteps and the creak of the wheels beneath them.

"Oh, I missed you!" Misa grabbed her cat and squeezed it against her as she sat back.

I missed you.

Royle shook his head. It was no time to be thinking of that. The feel of her against him, the taste of her skin...

No. He swallowed, forcing the thoughts out of his mind. It wasn't fair to be thinking of that when Misa's friend was in danger. When there was an innocent girl trapped in Nisha's clutches. And it especially wasn't fair when Misa had thought it had all been a dream. Royle's heart clenched. She hadn't realised any of it was real, and that had bullets ripping through him for the entire day.

Shaking his head, Royle focused on his surroundings. The night was calm, with a slight breeze that chilled him enough that he wished he had worn something longer. It was somewhat peaceful riding through the woods at night, in the dark where the moon barely lit the path through the foliage that kept them from the sky.

Misa made quiet conversations with Sha'ka, and though Royle strained his ears to listen, he couldn't hear much over the creak of the carriage. The space next to him felt strangely vacant, as if there was more than the arm's breadth of wood made for another person.

"Go towards the lake," Misa whispered next to him. Royle had to stop himself from flinching. His blood was boiling at the warm breath that tickled his ear.

"Misa," he strangled out. He turned his head to face her, and she backed away almost instinctively. "I advise you not to do that if you don't want a repeat of yesterday."

He knew her cheeks had gone red, even under the tint of light that barely lit up the night. Once the cold gleam of the moonlight rippling in the water was clearly visible, he reined in the horses, and they hopped off.

Misa cleared her throat. "Uh, there's a boat we can borrow by the dock."

Royle raised a brow. "Borrow?"

"Oh, shut it!" She nudged Sha'ka to go to the boat, letting the cat down so it could follow her. "Get the boat ready. I'll brief him on the plan."

With a nod, the witch disappeared into the darkness, her skin blending with the shadows.

"Are you...stealing a boat, Misa?" Royle let a playful tone slip through.

Misa shrugged. "It's the quickest way to the mountains. It's not my fault someone left it here. And besides, you're not so innocent, Captain. You broke into my home like a common thief last night, remember?"

Royle couldn't help it. He loved it when Misa had no filter. "Oh, I remember last night." He stepped closer to her, relieved when she didn't back away. "I remember every detail."

"I..." Misa narrowed her eyes at him. She pushed against him, and when he didn't move, took a step back. He could practically see her face glowing red. "That's enough of that, Royle."

Royle held himself back, not willing to take it too far and shut her out again. He shifted the topic but kept the same light tone. "So, what's the plan?"

Misa averted her gaze, watching the mountains. "When we get to the other side of the lake, Sha'ka is going to use the seeking spell to find Brin's location. Where Brin is, Leira will be, too."

"Then, what?"

"Sha'ka will get Brin, I'll get Leira, and we'll sneak them out, back to the boat. That's...the basis of it." Misa looked to Royle, eyes wide like a doe, tilting her head as if to ask if it was a good plan.

Royle pondered over it. The plan was simple enough, which was ideal in dangerous situations. Simple plans had higher chances of success. But...

"What if you get caught?"

Misa grimaced. "We're not going to get caught."

"You can't know that. You need a backup plan. We don't know the layout of those mountains, whether they're kept at a cave or a shack. We don't know how tight their security is, or if any of them are keeping watch. What will happen if you get caught?"

"We'll figure it out." Misa grabbed his hand and led him towards the boat. "My priority is getting Leira to safety. So, I'll make my decisions based on her when we get there."

"Are you expecting to be chased?" Royle, as much as he didn't want to, pulled his hand from her grip.

Misa didn't seem to notice. She waited at the dock as Sha'ka got into the boat and grabbed the oars. "I don't know, Royle. Probably."

"I'll meet you on the other side."

"What?" Misa looked at him.

Royle gestured to the carriage behind him.

"I'll work my way around the lake and meet you at the docks on the other side. When you both get down here, you, Leira, and I'll take the carriage, and the witches can make their escape by boat. It'll be easier to keep track of everyone if we split into smaller groups."

"But..." Misa shuddered and rubbed her arms.

"That boat is small, Misa. It might get a bit difficult to control if there are five frantic people trying to leave in it."

She took a moment to process his words. Royle watched her, a strange sense of pride overcoming him. A few months ago, she had been completely clueless in the world, following his every word. But now...Now, she had come up with a plan of her own to save her friend. Granted, it wasn't the most brilliant plan, but she had prepared herself despite her impulses. He knew how difficult it was for her to stop herself from acting on instinct without a second thought.

"Okay." She gave Royle a heartfelt smile and joined the witch and the cat in the small boat. "I'll see you on the other side, then."

Sha'ka pushed an oar against the shore, and the boat wobbled towards the open lake. Royle watched them for a few seconds before grabbing the reins and hopping on the carriage. As he made the detour around the lake, he began to form a plan of his own. A plan in which Misa was his priority.