Witch Bewitched (New)

Chapter 38

It was a Dailib afternoon when Misa and the other cadets returned from their field training. Most were too tired and worn out to do anything but stay cooped up in the bedroom. Raki had taken her leave to meet up with the Society.

Not wanting to stay with the boys, Misa took the opportunity to venture out to find some place she could be alone. She needed it after the incessant training and torment she had gotten from Gaveth and his lackeys.

Most of the officers and other employees around the purgehouse had left for the day, so it didn't take too much effort to find a quiet place that Misa could rejuvenate.

After checking several areas, such as the office, the training grounds, the mess hall, and even the locked gate that led to the holding cells, Misa found a small shed near the stables that stored bridles, saddles, tools, and other equine necessities. It was a little dusty and smelled hot of leather, but it was enough to give her the space she needed.

Misa pulled out her sketchbook, which she had brought with her in hopes of clearing her mind, and opened to a new page. She willed for a picture in her mind that she could transfer to the blank canvas before her, but her thoughts could not conjure any inspiration. Several minutes of staring at the page had Misa's eyes watering and straining from so much stress.

With a sigh, she closed the book and leaned her head against the wall. So much had happened since the day she learned of what her parents had done to her. Misa thought she would have enjoyed the adventure, but she found her mind wearing down from so much emotional and physical stress.

It took less than a month for her to become part of the witch market, and even less than that for her to become a cadet of a purgehouse. How had she come to agree to all this? Was her past self so stupid and naïve that she couldn't see how futile it would all be?

She didn't even know where to start looking for a witch that would take her magic away, and Nisha proved to be more of a problem than Misa first thought. What was everything amounting to? Misa had been so helpless in the presence of the witches. The captain couldn't put a dent in Nisha. Considering the spell Nisha had cast, he would likely never reach his goal without losing his life.

For the first time in her life, Misa yearned for the comfort of her home, for the sheltered life that kept her blissfully unaware of everything that went on in the witches' world. Her father had been right. She was better off in the confines in her room instead of out in the world.

I should just go home. Give up. There's no point in any of this. All I've accomplished is getting even more tangled up in a mess that I can't get out of. I'll never see the world. I might as well just stay with Papa. At least then, I won't have so much crashing down on me at once. It'd be so easy...

A subtle creak snapped Misa out of her thoughts. She looked up to see the door slowly whining open. Sunlight poured through, but a dark shadow took up most of the space.

"Who's in here?" a familiar voice carried into the shed.

Of all the people...Misa didn't bother getting up.

"Just me," she said, almost in resignation.

Royle stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The wood creaked in protest. The shed was washed back into the cool dim shadow that Misa had basked in. She didn't meet his eyes, but she could feel them piercing into her.

"What the blazes are you doing here?" Royle asked.

Misa shrugged. "It's private. No one comes here on Dailib. Except you, apparently."

"I'm only here to saddle up a horse." This was evident by the breeches, knee-high leather boots, and the dark grey blazer he wore over his shirt.

"I didn't know you rode."

He stepped closer to her, and for a moment, Misa thought he'd crouch in front of her. Instead, he reached for the wall above Misa and snagged the bridle and reins that hung on a rusty nail, keeping that wary distance between them.

"It clears my head," he explained, turning away for the saddles that lined the opposite wall. Misa recalled the promise she'd made to herself during field training. She slid her back against the wall as she stood. The captain heaved a saddle off its stand.

"Royle," Misa said, almost as if she was testing the name. She waited for him to scold her for the informalities.

When he didn't, she continued. "There's a lot you have to explain." No, that didn't come out right. "What I mean is..."

How was she going to do this? Royle would probably tell her to forget about her debts to him because he was only doing his job. Misa had to be subtle about it, but she had no idea how to even breach the subject.

"I thought we agreed to leave the events in Harthem behind, Mikim."

Misa took a deep breath. What had she been doing all this time? Wallowing in self-pity? If she was going to survive this, she had to keep her focus on the task at hand. She hadn't endured being degraded, slapped, dehumanised, demoralised all so she could cry and crawl back to the prison she'd escaped from. The first step out of this mess was right in front of her. All she had to do was put a foot forward, no matter how many weights shackled it down. Especially because in a way, Royle had it worse than she did.

"No." Misa felt a fire igniting within her, as if a cold, dead fireplace had been brought back to life. "No. You listen to me, Royle. I can't leave what happened in Harthem in Harthem. I don't work like that. As much as I didn't want to, I saw a softer side in you that I've come to consider as a friend. You're not this uptight, cold, calculating snob who's only motivation is his own selfish desires. You're a good person who saves people, encourages them, gives them the support they need. You don't judge people—witches—based on what they are. You judge them based on what they've done and what kind of person they are right now. And I refuse to ignore all that."

"I've given you the wrong impression, it seems." Royle hefted the saddle onto a workbench. "You can't possibly believe all that. Every single thing I've done has been to get closer to Nisha. I didn't join the purgehouse in the name of justice. I didn't become a captain because I wanted to train good men to handle the law of the streets. I've spent years with one goal in mind. Don't mistake me for a good man. I've exploited everyone who could get me closer to Nisha, including you. Do you really think I care about you? If Nisha was out of the picture, do you think I would have done what I did in Harthem?"

Misa didn't hesitate. "Yes. I knew your intentions from the beginning, Royle. I knew you were using me, and I agreed to it. In a way, I was using you to find my freedom, too, but you're not a tool to me anymore. You're not a ticket that I need to reach my dream. I believe you feel the same way."

"Stop." Royle closed his eyes as if he couldn't bear to look at Misa. "You're naïve. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, really?" Misa stepped closer to the captain, daring him to face her. "Then explain to me why you did so much to comfort me after what Rithian did to me. Tell me why you didn't push me away that night at the fountain, why you gave me strength when I wanted to cry, why you offered to read to me while I drew. You didn't get angry when I hit you. You risked everything just because you didn't want Rithian to hit me again. It doesn't make sense, does it? Unless you care."

"It meant nothing." But when he opened his eyes, they flickered with doubt.

"Then push me away." Misa closed the distance between them, circling her arms around his waist. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and she could hear the steady pounding of his heart. The brim of her cap hit his shoulder and slid lopsided on her head.

Royle went rigid, frozen, and Misa could hear the gears running in his head. She knew he was contemplating on stepping back or pushing her off him, and a part of her feared that he would. She had no idea how she would face him if he refused to accept her, and she tightened her arms around him just a little.

"Misa..." Royle grabbed her shoulders, his grip tight. He pushed her just enough that he could look into her eyes but not enough to pull her arms from his waist. "I can't. I can't throw years of progress away. And if it means cutting ties with you, so be it."

"But you can't." Misa's lips thinned. "You need me."

"I'll find another way."

"So, you're going to send me away? Is that it?"

"Dammit, Misa. When are you going to stop throwing a wrench in my plans?"

"I never said you had to give up on Nisha." Misa kept her voice quiet, steady, firm. "I'm not saying that we keep seeing each other once this is all over. I owe you so much, Royle, and I'm not leaving until I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. But, this friction between us...it has to go. I saw how dangerous Nisha was, and I know how tricky witches can be. The last thing we need is a wedge between us that stops us from communicating. If we're going to defeat Nisha, we have to do this together. So let me start."

She hesitated before touching his cheek. "I never got to apologise for hitting you. I'm sorry. I was angry and hurt and defensive, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have lashed out like that."

His eyes flickered, and Misa could see the turmoil within them.

"It's all wrong." The captain shook his head. "All wrong. I should never have bargained with you."

Misa's brows knitted in confusion. "But why? I said I'd help you. I'm not going to stop you, Royle. So, why would you say that?"

With a resigned sigh, Royle pulled Misa towards him, burying her face against his chest. A hand stroked her head, knocking her cap off and letting loose the haphazard hairnet she'd pinned up.

"You're right, Misa," he murmured. "We have to work together. It's the only way."

There was something cryptic about his words, but in that moment, Misa didn't really care. She had finally gotten through to him, and that was all that mattered.

"You don't have to tell me what happened between you and Nisha," Misa said into his warm, hard body. "But I want enough of an explanation. Just a few answers to my questions because if we're going to work together, I have to trust you."

"Fine." He pulled back and they were face to face once again. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But not here. Care to join me for a ride?"

With a small smile, Misa nodded. "I'd love to. Where to?"

"Tika." His expression darkened. "She doesn't have much time left. You have to make a decision to take her magic or leave it because she's not going to make it past the next week."