Witch Bewitched (New)

Chapter 5

The captain, Misa decided, was the most arrogant, pretentious, egotistical man she had ever met. It hadn't been more than a few paces from the gates to her home, and he had already started to list the rules, not giving her a chance to recuperate from the emotional chaos her parents instilled in her. Misa wouldn't have minded much had the "rules" been rules at all, but she soon realised that what he was doing was setting her discipline as if she was a soldier in his command so that she would act according to his preferences.

By the time he had gotten to how many buttons she had to wear, Misa was about to give up her newfound freedom and return home. She finished cleaning the blood—red paint—from the swan's neck and shoved the pieces in with her eagle.

"Buttons?" Misa exclaimed, cutting the captain off from his endless list of rules. "Why do you even care how many buttons I have? Honestly, Captain, this is getting quite ridiculous! Five buttons? Do you know how hard it is to find a blouse with five buttons? Unbelievable!"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Miss Carpenter. Your uniform will be provided to you at the safehouse. Five Buttons is essential for this line of work."

"Oh, do tell." Misa tried not to roll her eyes. "How could the number of buttons possibly be essential?"

Clearing his throat, the captain touched the first button of his uniform. "Buttons can act as a quick and quiet signal. They get quite useful during long meets or stealth missions. The first button, for example, signals danger. In a meet, it could mean that there is someone eavesdropping outside, and thus signals participants to keep confidential information out of the conversation without letting the eavesdropper know they've been discovered.

"The second button means that the coast is clear. If used after the first button in a meet, it means that the eavesdropper is no longer a problem. Otherwise, it could be used in different situations. During a sneak attack, for example. Signaling that it is safe to move without speaking can be quite useful."

Misa frowned. "Well...I suppose it does make sense. What about the other buttons?"

With a hint of a smile, the captain continued. "The third button lies right below your breast. That makes it easy to distinguish that it's the third button even from afar. This button asks for reinforcements. In the case of a meet, this button typically asks for someone else's input while there is a speaker.

"The fourth button signals that one is unable to help. During a meet, it could mean that you need to leave the room for an urgent break. The last, and most important, button," he paused and grabbed his fifth button, "means, word for word, 'I have never met anyone more gullible than you.'"

"What?" Misa scowled. He had been pulling her leg! "Are you serious?"

"No, of course not." The captain sighed. "It's a running joke in the purgehouse. I supposed it would have been wise to let you know."

"And that's why five buttons are essential? Because of a joke?"

"'Five Buttons' is what we call our uniforms. If you're going to work for the purgehouse, Miss Carpenter, you have to look like it."

Misa struggled to keep her temper down. "Captain, I don't appreciate your play on words. You might think it's quite clever, but I'll say it makes your audience look like a fool."

"Offended, are we?"

"Why would I be offended?" Misa huffed, hugging her luggage bag close to her chest. "I just don't find your little joke very funny."

"I see you've inherited your father's temperament."

At the mention of her father, Misa's mood dampened. "I don't seem to have a father anymore, Captain. It would do you good to not mention him again."

Misa sighed, thinking of how she had parted with Maran. Her father had tried everything to keep her from leaving. The last thing he'd told her was that he would disown her if she took one step out the door. Though Misa didn't hesitate, she struggled to keep the words from hurting. She still didn't know if she made the right choice, but there was no way she could live like she knew nothing after finding out the truth. Everything was different now.

Thankfully, the captain had decided not to continue listing his rules. Misa enjoyed the silence. The night air was cold against her cheeks. The carriage had windows carved out, making it ineffective in keeping out the wind.

Misa shivered, but she relished in the freedom that accompanied the rushing cold air. She gazed up at the moon, and it gazed back with a thin smile. It seemed to be following the carriage, always stamped in the same position in the sky no matter how far they went.

The carriage turned at a bend before the vacant marketplace. It weaved through a path in the city that Misa was not familiar with. After a few more twists and turns, they came to a well-lit street where muffled music wafted from a nearby party house. The carriage halted to let a few drunkards pass. It was during this pause that Misa caught sight of a familiar shadow sitting on the thin lip of an open window.

"Min-Min!" she exclaimed. She opened the carriage door and scrambled outside. Her cloak caught on a sharp edge. Misa, caught off guard, felt the cloth pull against her neck and bounced backwards, hitting her head against a golden vine carved under the carriage window.

Cursing under her breath, Misa unclasped her cloak. She coughed and rubbed her throat. The black cat, startled by Misa's call, had leaped off the edge. Min-Min carefully approached, but once Misa held out her hand, the cat bounded over with abandoned caution.

"Are you all right?" The captain's smooth voice came from behind her. Misa thought she caught a hint of amusement in his tone. Her face heated up at the thought of her clumsiness.

"I'm fine," she snapped, unable to hide her annoyance. She stood and clapped the dust off her hand. The captain had her cloak in his grasp, and when he offered it to her, Misa snatched it away. She clasped the button, bent to pick up Min-Min, and reentered the carriage. The gentle rumble started again as the coachman snapped the reins of the horses.

Misa stroked the cat's ears, and calmed by the feline, she said, "Would it be all right if I brought Min-Min along? She's always been by my side, and I think it's time I repay her for all she's done for me."

"It's not ideal," the captain said. He studied the cat, and Misa was dismayed to see a slight grimace resting on his face. "Pets are usually not permitted in the purgehouse. Black cats especially are not well liked. They're usually thought of as a witch's spy. I wouldn't advise taking your...companion with you if you want to keep your 'condition' a secret."

"Not all black cats belong to witches," Misa argued. "Besides, Min-Min doesn't have to come to the purgehouse with me when I work. She always wanders around like a stray, anyway. No one has to know that she's my friend."

Min-Min meowed as if she agreed. She leaned her head against Misa's hand. Encouraged by the cat's show of affection, Misa grabbed it under its front legs and held it up to the captain.

"See? She's friendly, too. She won't cause much trouble."

Misa's eyes widened when Min-Min flattened her ears and hissed. Her paws became a blur as she swiped at the air. Misa had never seen the cat react so violently before. Min-Min struggled out of Misa's grasp, landing next to the captain.

Unfazed, he grabbed the scruff of Min-Min's neck and held her out as if she was a rotten fish. Min-Min growled and kicked. Her claws caught the captain's sleeve.

"Quite friendly," the captain agreed dryly. Misa didn't appreciate the irony in his words. She grabbed Min-Min and held her close.

"She usually doesn't lash out like that," Misa said, feeling relieved when the cat seemed to have calmed down. She turned a critical eye at the captain, who was fiddling with a loose button that Min-Min had snagged. "Have you ever seen her before? Maybe kicked her out of your path or stomped on her tail?"

"You must think me a cruel man if you believe I would harass an innocent animal. Although, I admit that I cannot stand cats, I tend to refrain from actively harming them."

"I'm just saying," Misa rubbed Min-Min's belly, "that I've never seen her react this way before. Perhaps you smell."

"Smell? And what exactly do you mean by that?"

Misa coughed, not expecting the captain to sound so offended by her suggestion. "She despises the smell of perfume. It's the only reason I never spray it on myself. Have you had a woman's company before coming to me?"

"Other than yourself and your mother? No. Your cat was just fine when it led me to you and Ervan the witch killer. Have you considered that you got the wrong cat?"

Misa snorted. "I've known Min-Min for almost seven years. I think I would know if I got the wrong cat."

"Then it must not like this arrangement." Captain Bentham shifted his scrutiny from the cat to Misa.

"What arrangement?"

"You may believe that your cat is as ordinary as any stray, but it may have been attracted to you because you're a witch. You're about to work for the witches' sworn enemy. I'm sure your magical cat doesn't appreciate the fact."

"Min-Min is not a witch's spy. She's my friend. Maybe she just senses that I don't trust you."

Min-Min yowled, and Misa brushed her fingers through her companion's bristled fur. "See? She dislikes you as much as I do. I'm beginning to think I've made a mistake accepting your proposal."

"And perhaps I've made a mistake in thinking you are capable enough for the job. But, we've no choice. I need a witch, and you need a place where you can have your freedom. It's unfortunate that this partnership isn't the most amicable, but once this is all over, we won't ever have to see each other again."

Misa sighed. She regretted her harsh words. Openly admitting that she didn't like the captain could have easily made her situation worse. She had lived a sheltered life, knowing nothing but the things her parents taught her or what she gleaned from the few books about forbidden topics she managed to sneak into her room.

Now, knowing the truth, she didn't know how much of what she learned were more lies spun to keep her away from the public eye, and the possibility of being a witch discouraged her to believe she was the same as the ones represented in essays.

She didn't even know what road they were travelling on, nor which direction they had come from. Should the captain decide to abandon her, she would be lost. And with how she had left her home, she doubted her parents would come looking for her.

The carriage rocked as they entered a bumpy road. Tall, thin trees loomed from either side of them. A chill crept up Misa's back, and she pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders.

For at least an hour, they plodded through the thick darkness. The light swinging at the front near the driver did little to warm Misa's body. She struggled to keep thoughts of monsters lurking in the woods out of her head. Misa now wished for the captain to continue speaking. At the very least, her annoyance towards him would distract her from the late-night silence.

Misa took a breath, gathering her thoughts in an attempt to come up with a topic to discuss. She settled on her role as a witch.

"Captain?"

"Yes?"

Relieved to hear his reply, Misa said, "Can you tell me why you need a witch? I'm afraid I haven't realised I was a witch until now—in fact, I'm still not inclined to believe I am such a wretched being. Leaving my home was the only reason I accepted your proposal. I don't possess the knowledge of casting spells. I'm assuming that's what you need a witch for."

"Well," the captain stretched his arms before crossing them over his chest, "I suppose there's no point in keeping it from you any longer. There has been a witch terrorising the country for years now. We think she might be gathering a force. An army of witches would be impossible to fight against, given that we soldiers have no magic.

"For more than a century, secret witch meetings have been exposed. Witches have become more elusive, and it's not as simple as it once was to find the offending meets. So, I have come up with a plan. Of course, when I presented it to the royal council, they immediately refused, but I've decided it's worth going through with it anyway."

"What's the plan?"

"To put it simply, Miss Carpenter, you will be the witch informant."

"You-you want me to be a rat?"

"In a word, yes, though I prefer the term, 'spy.'"

Misa's head reeled. She couldn't wrap her mind around what the captain was asking of her. "So...you want me to become both an enemy of Plathea and an enemy to the witches?"

"In your current situation, you're already an enemy to both. I just want you to exploit it."

His words stung. Misa swallowed a lump. All her life, she felt she had never been a part of her own people. She had blamed it all on her parents. She still did, but she could also understand that she never did belong in the same world as anyone she knew. She was stuck between the dark world and the light, unable to go either way, a shadow to the ordinary and an outsider to the supernatural. One wrong move, and she would be a target for everyone. Was her freedom really worth risking that?

"What if I refuse?" Misa knew it was a hopeless question, but she wanted to know if there was a hole to back out of in case she needed it.

"That wouldn't be wise." The captain's gaze burned into her even in the dark. "If you don't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to turn you in or return you to your parents."

Misa's stomach flipped. There was nothing she could do. It was much too late to turn back now. She gazed out the window, watching the black shadows of trees whizzing by. Then, between branches, she caught a glint of an orange glow. The carriage drew closer, and soon, Misa could make out a tall wall made of stacked logs. Two lanterns hung above the entrance. Where Misa expected guards, she only saw two large wolves raise their heads at the sound of visitors.

The carriage drew to a halt. The coachman dropped to the ground to open the gates. The wolves snorted and returned to their slumber. Misa could see a massive wooden cottage beyond the open entrance. As the coachman led the horses inside, a cold shower of fear poured over Misa.

A strange power pressed onto her. Her hands began to shake. The presence was so oppressive that Misa wondered how she was even breathing. She gasped and looked up to see the captain studying her.

"So," he said grimly, "You can feel it. I'm not surprised, but this is definitive proof that you are indeed a witch. What you're feeling now, Miss Carpenter, is the power of one of the most dangerous witches known in Plathea. Welcome to the home of Tika, the witch of the woods."