Witch Bewitched (COMPLETE)

Chapter 26

Misa tossed her night cap to the captain, letting her hair fall in tangles to her back. She took a seat at the fountain base to pull her socks over her feet and haphazardly stuff them into her boots.

"What do you think you're doing?" Captain Bentham said, dangling her nightcap on a finger. His scowl deepened when she handed him her sketchbook.

"Well, if I want to go see a witch, I have to look like a girl, don't I?" Misa paused, wondering if she should release the band flattening her chest. She took one look at the captain and decided against it. Her cloak should cover her well enough, anyway.

"You're going down, now?"

"Yeah."

Misa stamped a foot down on the stony step. Darkness beckoned to her from beneath, and a dank smell rifted through the passageway like it had been desperate for fresh air.

"Do you mind if I take the lamp with me? It's a bit dark."

"Yes, I mind." The captain grabbed her arm. "You are not going down there until we figure out what to do. We must take precautions."

"Another plan?" Misa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll be fine, Captain. I'll run out of there the moment I sense trouble. If it makes you feel better, wait out here until I get back."

Silence. Silence except for the cold breeze greeting Misa at the entrance, gently humming against the stone walls. She could see the captain considering it, his mind whirring to come up with a solution. Misa was about to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Very well." He grabbed the lamp that sat on the fountain. "I'll come with you."

"But—"

"I'll stay well hidden away should you meet anyone, but I'm coming with you. It's too dangerous to go down there by yourself, not knowing who or what you might bump into."

The monsters in the dark. Misa shivered, but not from the cold. She didn't want to think about it, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was glad the captain had insisted on following her down the dark passageway. She forced a smile, hoping to hide her unease.

"Then, let's go." She took the lamp from him and descended. His footsteps soon followed, and she hated that she felt safe by his mere presence.

Her boots tapped against the smooth steps, echoing off the walls. The captain matched her pace to hide his footsteps with hers. Somehow, he had reduced the claps each heel made to the point that Misa thought he had gone back the way he'd come.

The staircase spiralled, and it took another few minutes before they reached the expanse where it ended. It was dark, and the wind was harsher. Misa leaned back towards the captain, letting his warmth envelope her from the cold silence in the room.

Misa's legs trembled. It took an encouraging nudge from the captain for her to enter the secret passageway beneath the streets of Harthem. She wondered how she would meet a witch here, but that question was soon answered when the enchanted paper dissolved into a glowing orb. It was somewhat different from the light Sha'ka and her companion had created that night Misa sent a pulse for help. Dimmer, shifting in front of her in a way that reminded her of the words in the riddle. Another spell hidden in a single strip of paper, Misa marvelled. She sensed from it a witch's presence, subtle like a scent carried in the breeze.

"Who dares enter the underpass?" A raspy voice, harsh and powerful enough to make the walls tremble, escaped the orb.

Misa swallowed. The lamp swung from her grip. She fought the urge to look behind her, where she was sure the captain remained hidden behind the bend of the staircase. "I am Misa Carpenter, here to request access to the witch market."

"Is that so? Name the one who referred you here and recite the words that brought you to the entrance."

"Sha'ka the fortune teller gave me this riddle: 'What marks every hour, holds the rich man's power, gathers pots to scour, delights at nuptial flowers or bellows in danger's glower. See this one cry, up its teardrops rise, find the door in the sky.' She told me to look for Rithian."

A moment of silence, as if the light was confirming Misa's story. Then, it said, "Why do you seek the market, Misa Carpenter?"

Misa willed her heart to slow down, for the pulse to stop beating in her ears. "I have no control of my magic. I was told the witches in the market will help me."

"Follow the light. It will lead you to the witch you seek. Turn off the lamp. You will not need it here."

Misa hesitated. Then she followed the instructions. The shifting white orb danced in front of her like a curious fairy before shooting off towards a passageway. She jumped, then raced to keep it in her sights. It wove through the tunnels, leading her deeper and deeper. It was all Misa could do to not trip over unsteady ground, and she didn't have time to make sure the captain was following behind her.

Everything was the same to her, coated in that dreary, cold grey. The orb finally slowed down at a large expanse, with alcoves on either side. Misa studied them as she walked. No, not alcoves. Doors.

Her guide wisped to a door to the left and zipped through the wood. Darkness flashed, but Misa's eyes soon adjusted enough to see light escaping cracks from the door.

She brought up her knuckles and knocked. Waiting. She was about to knock once more when the door swung open, and a voice commanded her, "Come in."

Ignoring how her instincts screamed at her to turn back, Misa stepped into the room. The door slammed behind her.

The simple cosy room lit by a fireplace stuck on the wall held none of the foreboding Misa felt when she first entered it. The floor was covered in wood, not stone like the rest of Harthem. A small table sat across from the fireplace, chairs scattered around it like a party had been thrown. It was remarkably normal for a place that felt so...sacred.

"A-are you Rithian?" Misa asked.

A woman emerged from the darkness, beautiful and tall. Dark tresses framed her face, a stark contrast from the fair, pale skin that bore no flaw. Her ruby lips curled in a smile that Misa could only describe as predatory, and her eyes burned with a ferocity that pierced through Misa's soul.

"I am," she replied, elegance lacing her voice, like she was a daughter of the richest noble in Plathea, like she was a royal council queen who ruled the land.

Misa peeled her lips back, hoping it came off more as a smile than a grimace. "Will you help me?"

The fireplace crackled and popped. Rithian turned away, her white gown flaring like wings. "I sense something familiar in you. You were not born a witch."

Misa nodded. "Tika the witch in Giligha saved my life when I was six. She..." Misa gathered herself to make sure no hostility slipped past her shield. "She gave me her magic, turned me into a witch. I had no idea until I bewitched the wrong man and almost lost my life. I was told only a witch with stronger magic can help me, so I've come here."

"Ah, Tika." Rithian had her hand on the back of a chair. Her grip tightened enough for the wood to splinter. "I've not heard that name in a long time. How does she fare?"

"She's..." Misa considered the question. She didn't know if it would be wise to let any witch who might ally with Nisha know that Tika would not last much longer. "I'm not sure."

"I do wonder," Rithian said, pulling back the broken chair. "Why she would send her successor to me. We're not too fond of each other, you see."

Successor. The word made Misa flinch. She guarded her expression, but the gleam in Rithian's eyes told her that the witch had seen it and caught it in her memory. She smiled with no warmth.

"I see. You've been forced." Rithian let out an ear-piercing laugh. She twirled the chair like it was a dancer. Her glee made Misa's stomach turn. "Oh, Tika was always so twisted. A young, pretty girl like yourself. Of course, she couldn't stop herself from giving you the power of bewitchment to enhance your beauty to the point that no one could resist you. Oh, you poor, poor thing, plunged into witch-hood without understanding what you could accomplish. And in your desperation, you've come to me."

Misa felt sick. She wanted to turn around and run, far from this cackling witch hiding in pretty skin. For once, she craved the captain's presence, wishing he was here to stop this witch from pulling Misa apart and poking at the thing that she despised the most about herself.

"How many have you bewitched?" Rithian was having too much fun. "How many have fallen into your trap by that innocent look in your eyes? You're a terrible, terrible girl."

"Stop!" Misa screamed, falling to her knees and pushing her hands against her ears. The lamp clattered on the floor. "Stop it!"

But Rithian wasn't finished. Her voice echoed in her head as if she was speaking through Misa's mind. "You've come to me for help, and by the laws of the market, you are now under my wing. You're mine now."

The witch flicked her hand with a chant and a shimmer shot from the center of her palm. Misa winced when a sharp pain clasped her wrist, and the glittering magic formed into a black bracelet. "Oh, I'll teach you magic, girl. I'll teach you how to use your body as a weapon, to make the most of your bewitching spell. And then, I'll teach you every spell I know. I'll raise you to be one of my best witches, and you'll be my weapon. I can only imagine the look on Tika's face when I send her own magic to take the remaining years from her."

"No..." Tears trickled down Misa's cheeks, dripping off her chin. She hated it. She hated herself, for the bewitching spell that cursed her and followed her like a parasite. "Please."

"Such weakness." Rithian spat in the fire, and the blaze whooshed. "What is a pretty face and the power of bewitchment when you're too much of a coward to use it to your advantage? Stand. Stand and face me."

Misa's vision blurred. Rithian's white dress swished in front of her. The witch grabbed her hair and pulled her up. Misa whimpered in pain, grabbing Rithian's hand to somehow alleviate the needles in her scalp.

"No witch under my supervision will come out a weakling. Now stand!"

Misa somehow found the strength in her legs. She swayed when Rithian let go, her scalp still stinging from the witch's iron grip. The room rocked, but Misa forced her eyes to focus on the wretch standing before her. Hatred burned through Misa's heart, igniting a defensive determination. She glared at Rithian and was met with a wicked smile.

"You're not as hopeless as I thought. I'll make a witch out of you, girl. A witch Tika could never even hope to have groomed herself."

Misa wiped her face with the back of her hand, the bracelet weighing it down like lead. "I will never be your tool to settle whatever rivalry you have with Tika. When I learn how to control my bewitchment, I'm never coming back."

Rithian sneered, her pretty face twisting into something vicious. "We'll see about that. When you feel the power you have, the power you can hold over anyone, you won't be able to resist. You'll come back to me over and over. Even as you despise me, you'll return to learn because you are now bound to me. It's your fate, Misa Carpenter. That bracelet on your wrist is a testament to it."

The room was cold despite the fire that crackled. The metal on her wrist burned against her skin. Misa wanted to leave. She wanted to get as far from this witch as possible, but she remembered the vague hope that her magic could be taken from her. When it happened, her ties to Rithian would be severed forever, and the witch would be unable to use Misa for herself. This alone was what kept her from running. Rithian was her key to getting away from everything, to finding a witch willing to take her magic.

"Then teach me." Misa raised her chin, almost in defiance. A shaky façade that would crumble should the witch taunt her again. She was barely holding herself together.

Rithian grinned. "With pleasure. Meet me at the fountain tomorrow an hour before midnight. We'll finish today with pleasantries, but tomorrow, I will mold you into a true witch."

Misa didn't let her relief show. She was itching to get out, but she stood her ground, waiting to be dismissed. "I'll be there."

The witch waved her hand, and a white orb appeared above her. Misa clenched her jaw to stop herself from gawking in awe, but Rithian already seemed to know what Misa was thinking. Her eyes gleamed.

"The light will guide you back to the fountain," said the witch. "Be prepared, Misa. You will find magic simply irresistible."

"I'd sooner slit my throat," Misa hissed. She stared down at Rithian for a moment more before picking up her lamp and pushing past the door. Rithian's light hovered ahead of her, leading her back through the twisted maze of the underground passageway. Part of her expected it to lead her someplace else, but her worries were quelled when a familiar staircase illuminated from across the room.

The moment Misa's foot touched the step, the light vanished, plunging her into darkness. Misa caught her breath. She felt for the knob of the lantern and turned it on. The warm orange glow of fire gave her more solace than the bright whiteness of the orb. Misa ascended the stairway, her heart heavy with what Rithian had said. About her curse, her magic.

When she emerged from beneath, she found the captain pacing at the entrance, fidgeting with his button. He halted when he saw her.

"Miss Carpenter! Where did you go? You just turned off your lamp and ran into the dark. I had no chance of following you!"

Misa's dam crumbled once more, released by the relief of his presence. Her lips trembled, and before the captain could say anything more, Misa threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. For once, she drew comfort in his nagging. Anything was better than the awful, awful reminder of what she was.

"Miss Car—"

"Please," Misa whispered, tightening her grip on his uniform. The captain stiffened. "Just for one minute."

He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her, filling her with the warmth she had craved so much when she was with Rithian. Misa sobbed against him, letting everything the witch had said to her out with her tears. But, even though Misa found some release in her embrace with the captain, who didn't push her from the comfort she needed, Misa couldn't stop the gaping hole in her heart from widening its breadth.

And she finally gave in to the hard truth that had plagued her all her life: she was all alone.