Witch Bewitched (COMPLETE)

Chapter 19

The next two days were as unproductive as one could imagine when looking for something as ludicrous as a door in the sky. Misa and the captain had spent their time scouring the city, traveling farther from their accommodation with each passing hour. The bell tower had proved to be a pointless journey, but the captain had still insisted on looking for every bell they could find, even going as far as investigating at a bell foundry.

Though their search had proven to be fruitless, Misa was delighted to find an art shop not far from the next parish that had a massive bell hanging from its tower. She had bought a sketchbook made of sturdy paper and various charcoals of different thickness, even though charcoal was never her favourite because of how dreary the art turned out in black and white. She would have gotten a canvas and some paints, but the captain kindly pointed out in his aloof way that she did not have the means to carry the supplies back to Giligha.

Now, it was the third day, and Misa was ready to turn in for the night. Unfortunately for her, the day had just barely begun. The sun had still not risen, and Misa was entering into a cold darkness instead of reveling in the warmth of her bed.

Letting out a loud yawn, Misa gently shut the door behind her and winced. The click was like a clap of thunder in the lethargic silence. She held up her lantern, studying the small circle of the garden her light revealed to her. The captain waited at the end of the garden path with his own lantern surrounding him in a halo of light. Misa moved towards him, and he pushed open the gate.

"Ready to go?" the captain asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Misa shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be. Where will we go today?"

The captain rubbed his forehead. He looked just as tired as Misa felt. "The bellfounder gave me a list of all the places he cast a bell while you were out sightseeing. I suppose our best bet is to check each of the locations. But first, I want to take a look at the bell tower in Central Square one more time."

He didn't sound hopeful. The uncertainty in his voice was the only reason Misa decided not to challenge the accusation of her "sightseeing" when she had simply been inspecting the many bells in the foundry in search of one that might have held magic.

Misa tried to smile. "I'm sure we'll find something. We still have three weeks left, anyway. There has to be a way to find it. That's what we came here for, right? We can't leave without completing our mission!" But she didn't voice her main concern, which she suspected already weighed like bricks on the captain's shoulders: what would happen if they didn't find the market in the allocated time?

Captain Bentham allowed a small smile to settle on his lips. "Of course. Shall we head out, then?"

Misa nodded, now even more determined to figure out what the riddle meant. The faster they found the market, the more time she'd have to sleep in and start utilising the supplies she'd bought. And when they did find the market, Misa would be one step closer to ridding herself of her magic.

"You're still my brother, right?" Misa asked as they passed through the gate. They hadn't needed to expose their identities—or relations—in the past two days, and they didn't have the chance to talk about their cover in private. The bare streets provided the perfect opportunity for a secret conversation.

Captain Bentham shut the door before he replied, "I suppose. It would be in our best interest if we maintained a consistent story."

"Of course." Misa pondered over their situation. "I haven't tried to bewitch anyone for a while. Sometimes, when I feel it start, I manage to suppress it. Do you think that maybe I won't have to learn how to control my magic from a witch?"

"Only a witch can teach you how to use magic," the captain spoke in a hushed voice, as if speaking too loudly would wake the sleeping city. "And if you lose control again..."

The words he left unsaid were still as loud as if he'd shouted them. She knew what he meant. If she'd lost control of her magic, she'd be exposing herself to more than one enemy. Cold fear swept over her, covering her skin in goosebumps. They needed to find the market. Fast.

From the distance, a bell's lonely bellows echoed through the city, but only the whisper of the wind answered. Misa shivered. Her back prickled as if something was watching her.

"The witching hour," the captain murmured.

"Is that why we're out so early?"

He didn't reply. Instead, he walked ahead, and Misa scurried behind him. She kept close to his back, but even the captain's tall figure couldn't dispel the eerie ambience that draped over them.

The lantern in Misa's hand flickered. She glanced behind her and saw nothing but darkness. Something was watching her. Misa could feel it. There was a reason the witching hour was the darkest hour of the night. It was when the monsters came out to hunt.

A faint rustle sounded from a nearby alley. Misa froze, heart pounding against her ribcage. Her mouth went dry.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered.

No answer.

"Captain?" Misa whipped her head to look forward. The captain was nowhere to be seen. "Captain?" Her voice quivered in fear. "Where did you go?"

A low growl emanated from the same alley. Misa's heart leapt to her throat, suffocating her whimper. She gripped the lantern so tightly that she thought a trickle of blood was running down her arm. It was a monster! Some twisted thing brought to life by a witch! A surge of magic pulsed through her veins.

Run! Misa's feet were melded into the bricks. Get out of here!

Light from her lantern stretched out in a small bubble. The darkness beyond seemed to creep in closer and closer. Misa couldn't take her eyes off the narrow space between two buildings. Her breath hitched as a clatter echoed off the walls. It was coming closer. Misa's blood burned.

Run. Run. Run! The word pounded into Misa's head. She forced a foot forward. Her eyes were still glued to the darkness that hid the creature. Then, a thought paralysed her: what if it chased her? What if she was too slow to escape it?

A shadow flitted over the perimeter of light. Misa clapped her hand over her mouth to smother her scream. The shadow returned, darker than the night. It devoured the light, coming closer and closer. Misa scrambled back until she hit the wall. She slid down, her legs too weak to hold her up. Magic rippled from her, carrying through the empty streets like a lake awakened by a stone thrown by fear, crying out for help.

It was coming closer. The lantern flickered. Misa squeezed her eyes shut and hummed a melody that soothed her when she was a child. Her pulse beat against her eardrums. Something grazed her foot, and Misa broke into a chorus. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She hoped the song would cast away evil as it was believed to do.

"Cast her out, in the flames. Darkness fell into light. And all the men, in the town, sang in broken joy."

A weight fell on her lap, and a warm nudge kissed her cheek. Misa forced her eyes to open. Two large blue marbles stared back at her. The owner sat on top of her, purring so loudly it sounded like a growl. The pulses of magic ceased, trickling into a small stream until the reservoir closed off.

"Min-Min!" Misa cried. Relief slackened her tense shoulders. Misa set down her light and pulled the cat into a warm embrace. "Do you know how much you scared me, you silly cat? Oh, I missed you."

"Miss Carpenter?"

Misa jumped but managed to hold back her scream. The captain peered from behind a corner only a few steps from her, holding his lantern before him. He hadn't disappeared into thin air after all.

"What are you doing on the ground?" His brow quirked up as if he was questioning a lost child. Misa couldn't stand it. Her fear turned to anger.

She scooped Min-Min into her arms and pushed herself up. Her legs wobbled. She forced herself to move forward.

"You left me!" she said in such vehemence that Min-Min struggled against her grip. She loosened her arm to let the cat breathe.

"I left you?" He combed his fingers through his hair. "You were supposed to be walking with me. It's not my fault that you strayed behind by yourself."

"I could have—" Misa shut her mouth, not wanting to sound like a child. She had been terrified to be alone. She thought monsters were in the shadows in a city full of people. No witch would be crazy enough to loosen a monster that could expose the market. If it was even possible to create monsters in the first place. The captain would think her so childish.

"What? Died? Been mauled by a cat? What could have happened?"

Misa wasn't going to let him mock her. She picked up her lantern, using it as an excuse to avoid his gaze and clear her mind. "I could have been lost. How am I supposed to keep up with you when you stalk ahead with legs as long as trees? You're unnaturally tall, do you know that? No one of average height could follow behind you without losing you."

Captain Bentham stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. "It's the first time this has been a problem for you."

Misa was glad the dull firelight couldn't catch her heating face. She sniffed. "It's the first time I've been this exhausted."

He let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll match your pace. Now come along."

Not wanting to dwell on monsters in the dark, Misa readily agreed. She held Min-Min close to her, comforted by the cat's soft fur. They made their way down to Central Square, where the old bell tower stood like a lonely guard. Misa stared up at it. There was something melancholic about the tower, as if it was a giant waiting for its lover to return into its arms, calling out every hour for something that would never come.

"Why are we here again? We've already checked it out."

"I wanted to see if there would be a difference in the cover of darkness. Perhaps the door only opens in the most private time of the night."

Misa sat on a bench made of stone, letting the captain go ahead and examine the bell tower on his own. She didn't want to look at the tower anymore. Not when the gentle giant began to morph into something more sinister. Instead, she kept her eyes on the small fountain in front of her. It was in the shape of a chalice, water pouring down its side as if there was too much wine trickling in from an eternal bottle.

To her knowledge, fountains were built in honour of city heroes. She wondered for whom this fountain was dedicated to. Perhaps a hero from old, like one from the stories her mother used to read to her when she was a child. Her heart clenched, and she forced her memories into a locked chest hidden in the back of her mind.

Min-Min purred, enjoying Misa's grooming. Misa craned her neck to watch the night sky. It was pitch black, but she could see twinkles of stars winking down at her. Where was the moon? Had it not appeared this night?

Min-Min tensed under Misa's touch. Her ears perked up, and she twitched her whiskers as she watched the corner where she had frightened Misa. Her tail grew still.

"What's wrong, Min-Min?" Misa followed the cat's gaze, but all she could see was darkness. What had the cat's sensitive ears picked up? A chill ran down Misa's spine. Was there really a monster lurking around the bend?

Then, Min-Min stood, her paws digging into Misa's thighs. She watched the corner with so much intensity, she'd frozen up like a statue. Like she was wary of what was coming.

"Min-Min, you're scaring me," Misa whispered. She couldn't shake off the prickles of anxiety biting at her skin. Her shivers were caused by more than the cold night air.

Letting out a low mewl, Min-Min hopped off of Misa. She slipped into the darkness, blending into the shadows with her midnight coat. Misa picked up her lantern and stretched it towards the direction the cat had disappeared.

"Min-Min!" Misa stood. "Where are you going, kitty?"

And then, she saw it. Misa went rigid. Something illuminated from beyond the corner, turning the shadows against the building even darker. The light was white, unlike the orange glow that escaped Misa's gas lantern. What kind of lantern could create that brightness? It was as if the sun had risen in just that one street.

Misa caught sight of Min-Min as the cat entered into the sharp white light. Misa couldn't identify where Min-Min ended and where her shadow began. A loud yowl echoed against the buildings, and it took a moment for Misa to realise Min-Min was warning her.

There were people around the bend. No. Not just any people. Misa's heart skipped a beat as Min-Min turned to face her, eyes glowing from catching the light. She stretched her paws out, shooting her tail into the air. A white orb floated from behind the corner. Min-Min leapt for it, catching it between her paws and extinguishing it. The area around the cat dimmed, but the rectangle of light illuminating from the street did not falter.

Two long shadows warped towards Min-Min. The witches were coming.