Witch Bewitched (New)

Chapter 12

"Where is Raki?" Misa asked as she set her tray of mush next to one of the cadets. It consisted of potatoes, mostly, and its unappetising appearance and taste was where it had earned its name. She pulled her leg over the bench and took a seat.

Tagur, a rather large boy whom Misa had directed the question, grunted. His cheeks bulged with the food he stuffed into his mouth. Crumbs and sauce dotted his chin and some mush had somehow ended up streaking his black hair with a yellowish white.

Another boy across from her answered, "We didn't see him since the cleanup this morning. He probably couldn't take it anymore and ran away. He was never a tough one."

Gaveth was the complete opposite of Tagur—slim, clean, and spoke in a polished manner that suggested he grew up in a posh background—with the only similarity being that of their height. Being competitive, he had the tendency to belittle the other cadets, especially if they posed a threat to his top position. Misa had noted on the first day she met them that Gaveth had a strong dislike for Raki, the small, wiry boy who thrived in stealth and strategy more than physical training.

Gaveth had alienated Raki, intending on removing the cadet from the purgehouse. He had tried on more than one occasion to coax Misa to abandon Raki and join his newfound band of cadets, but Misa was not going to act on the whim of an inconsiderate, self-absorbed child.

"You shouldn't worry about him," Gaveth continued. "He's too much of a coward to be an officer. I knew he wouldn't last long."

Misa shrugged. She had grown close enough to Raki to know that he wasn't one to give up so easily. "I'll still see if I can find him after lunch."

Gaveth narrowed his eyes. "You should make better alliances, Mikim. Running with the wrong people could lead you in circles. You won't ever get anywhere if you don't stick with those who are suited to high positions."

A small flame flickered. Misa took a deep breath to keep it from igniting her temper. "I would rather eat dirt than pretend to be friends with people I don't like just to get more powerful. Why surround yourself with fake friends who wouldn't think twice to turn against you when you can be with people you can trust?"

Gaveth's jaw clenched, lips drawn so tight he was almost pouting. He sent Misa a murderous glare, but she didn't flinch.

Typical spoiled child.

"Is that what you think? Then why don't you go ahead and eat dirt!"

He pulled out a small pouch from his pocket and poured it on Misa's tray. Dark, rich soil poured out, and Misa screamed when she saw worms and bugs wriggling in panic.

She fell back, landing painfully on her shoulder. Her foot had gotten caught between the bench and the table and had kicked up from her fall. Dirt poured from her tray and drizzled down, and one single writhing string coiled and sprung on her boot.

Misa jerked her leg and scrambled to stand. The table of cadets burst out in laughter, except for Tagur, who brushed his lap in disgust where the worm Misa kicked had landed.

"Looks like Raki wasn't the coward, after all," Gaveth jabbed. It was the oil that doused over her temper.

The flame Misa tried so hard to suppress blew up. "That's it! You want to see a coward? I'll show you a coward!"

A familiar tingle spread through her body. Her hand reached up to her cap. She had just grabbed the brim when a large hand yanked her wrist down.

"What is going on here?" The captain's cool voice sent the cadets into stony silence. Misa's stomach flipped. She was in trouble. A muscle ticked in his jaw. Big trouble.

"Gaveth was teaching Mikim not to be afraid of soil," one of the cadets said. "We weren't doing anything wrong. Mikim provoked him."

"Is this true?" The captain sent Misa a warning glare. She kept her mouth shut and pulled her wrist from his grasp.

Gaveth was quick to defend himself. "It is, sir. Mikim said he wanted to eat dirt, so I gave it to him. How was I supposed to know he was scared of bugs?"

Misa fought the urge to slap the brat's face. She closed her eyes and took a breath to calm herself enough that she wouldn't do anything stupid. The wild tingle died away. Her thoughts diverted from her anger and to the situation. She had almost revealed her true identity in a fit of rage. How could she be so stupid?

"Mikim, a word," the captain said. His gaze held a meaning only Misa could decipher. Gaveth shot her a triumphant grin as she followed the captain out the mess hall. The higher ranks who had paused their lunch conversations to observe the spectacle slowly lost their interest.

Misa's fury cooled and died down whilst she prepared herself for what the captain would say. He led her to his office, and as soon as the door was shut, he whirled around with a storm brewing in his dark eyes.

"Are you mad?" he began. "Have you lost all your senses? What in the world were you thinking? You could have cost us everything! You could have cost Plathea's demise!"

Misa thought she'd be happy to see the day the captain blew up like he did now. She wished she could relish in it but knowing how stupid she was being only justified his anger. She couldn't quite revel in it when it made her feel worse.

Misa kept her eyes on her boots. A streak of soil held her interest. No words were suitable enough to say, and there was simply no way to defend herself without making petty excuses. Anger flickered inside of her. Anger at herself, mostly.

"If you're going to let your temper control you, you are not fit for this role. It seems to me like you are acting out because of the restrictions I have set for you. Each time I warn you, you continue to get closer and closer to revealing yourself. I am not your father, Miss Carpenter. I will not be there every time you make a poor decision, nor do I intend to."

"I understand," Misa swallowed. She found no humour in the irony that he exploded in rage while she remained calm. She knew the only reason she didn't argue was because she had almost made an irreparable mistake. She could have been the hand to her own death.

"If jeopardising the mission is your way of pulling out, then I believe your father had every right to keep you locked in your room. Petty fights is not the way to get what you want, and nor is bewitching."

Misa didn't know how long her remorseful calm would last. Not long if the captain continued to shoot every target that pushed her over the edge.

"So, I will give you a choice now." Misa gathered the courage to face him. His eyes were so dark they seemed black, brewing with a stormy intensity under the shadow of his cap. She half-expected to see lightning flash in the void. "You may abandon the mission and return to your parents, living whatever sheltered life you came from, or you may clean up your act, learn how to handle situations with the maturity of your age, and work with me to bring Nisha down. Which will it be?"

He was giving her a chance. Misa raised her chin and stood up straighter. A fire hotter than her temper burst into life. "I'm not going back. I came to help you defeat Nisha, and I don't intend on breaking your proposal."

The captain's gaze lost no intensity. "I hope you made the right decision."

Misa clenched her jaw at the obvious doubt he posed in his statement. She was not going to let one mistake ruin her chance at freedom. Moreover, she found a new desire burning deep within her. A desire to prove that she was not as helpless as he thought she was.

"I know I did," she said. "I'll show myself out."

Without waiting for another word, Misa barged through the door and shut it behind her. She took a moment to catch her breath. Every time she had a talk with the captain, she found herself suffocating from his stringent demands. She couldn't stand him and his insufferable iron grip on her fate.

And she knew exactly who to go to when she needed to loosen her frustration. Finding a new purpose, Misa left the captain's office and found her way to Torren's. She took a moment to consider if her seeing the lieutenant would be suspicious and gathered that a cadet seeking mentorship from a high-ranking officer would not be very unusual, especially when she was meant to be his cousin.

Misa knocked on Torren's door. "Lieutenant Torren?" she called. She heard rustling from within. Suspecting that Torren didn't hear her, Misa decided to give him a little surprise. With a small smile, she turned the handle and slowly creaked open the door.

"Torren!" she hissed as she widened the door.

A thump preceded a high-pitched muffled, "Ouch!"

Misa froze in her tracks. Had she given away herself? Who, other than Torren, would be in his office?

"Hello?" Misa stepped inside and shut the door behind her. If someone was looking through Torren's belongings, she wasn't going to let them go without knowing who they were and why they were in here.

"Hi..." Raki peeked from behind Torren's desk. He offered a sheepish smile then made to get up. The brim of his cap caught the corner of the desk and tipped forward.

And suddenly, it wasn't a cadet standing in front of Misa. She gasped as light brown hair fell in tangles to Raki's shoulders. Without the veil of the cap, Misa could see rosy cheeks, bright, intelligent eyes, and a soft, feminine jaw. That one clue flung open a door of characteristics Misa had never noticed before. Raki's small, petite body, smooth neck and high-pitched voice. Misa had only thought Raki matured slower than the other boys, but she now understood. There was no doubt about it.

Raki was a woman.