6 The witches

A door opens from the back, Dominique had just woken from his slumber when he catches Everett glaring at him from a distance.

"Dominique…" Everett scolds.

Dominique starts to sneak away slowly from the scene trying to avoid him when Everett sticks his hand out, he is paralyzed.

"You slept through the red moon didn't you?" Everett states.

"Oh come on! Alex and Chara had it handled!" Dominique explains.

"You are the current Devil's Assistant yet this is how you act?"

Everett moves his hand away releasing Dominique from his frozen prison. I was quietly laughing to myself when I realized Dominique could hear me.

He stomps over, furious with me about to smack me in the face, but Everette catches his hand.

"You will not hurt a human as long as they are guests, Dominique."

The double doors open causing us to almost jump, Chara was carrying Alex on his back and holding her broom in her other hand.

Everett dashes overtaking the heavy bundle from her back, he scowls at Dominique.

"Dominique, this is why we go in groups!"

"You seriously baby him!" Dominique yells back enraged.

"We are already a small clan, we must look out for each other!"

Dominique turns his nose up to the air, crossing his arms, I could feel his anger and jealousy just by looking at him.

"I look out for myself…" Dominique says.

With that said he turns, heading out towards the double doors, slamming them behind him. I look to Everett who looked completely done with Dominique.

"I just want them to work together…"

"Master Everett, is there anything we can do to help?" Alice asked.

I was surprised. She was calling this man master already despite only being here a day.

"Let's go to Alex's bedroom." He says with a smile.

We all walked down the hall together to a small room, same as my room, just as barren.

Laying Alex down on the bed, Everett sat there looking for injuries. He wasn't embarrassed pulling his shirt up or sitting him up. He often sought the help of Chara.

I stood behind in observation of the care he gave. Instead of being angry, Alex was sleeping peacefully. It was very unusual. I can only assume he was knocked out and merely unconscious.

"Do you need help, Master?" Alice asked, offering herself to his aid.

I had no aspiring talents to give let alone able to assist yet if. I recall right that is what I am supposed to do?

After they were done scrutinizing his body for wounds, they piled the blankets on him, I could tell Everett was vexed to see the two he should be relying on acting like kids.

"Chara, I expect to have an injury report on my desk later."

"Shall I check with Melina later Master Everett?"

"If she isn't busy then please do."

She only bows, I conclude if there was anything I could do it was to go after Dominique myself.

I know for sure Alex is my master as my hand starts to ache just from being in the same room as him. I wish I could curse my child self for not understanding how life truly is.

Quickly opening the door I ran down the long corridor to make my way after Dominique.

"Christian, where are you going?" Alice asked, peeking out from the door.

"I am going after Dominique!" I shout back.

"Christian!" She yells.

I ignored her cries exiting the double doors. I once again found myself gazing up at the crimson sky in all of its mysterious splendor, I almost forgot why I was standing there.

"You are really stupid for coming here when the moon is red."

I twist and turn, looking up and down confused where to look for Dominique, he jumps out from a tree in front of me.

"Is it really that dangerous Dominique?"

"Do you even understand why Master Everett is mad at me?"

"Not completely…"

"Then you need to keep your nose out of our business."

Dominique started to walk into me causing me to go backward, I didn't have enough time to get my footing as I stumbled across rocks, breaking sticks along the way.

I glanced back noticing this compound is placed on top of a forest high up with a drop below that scared me just seeing the fog rise over the top of the land below.

"Look, can't we talk it over?"

"Why talk when I can keep my title with you out of the way?" Dominique shouts.

"I know you were up to no good!" Alice calls out.

Gawking at Alice, Dominique clutches me by the wrist. I felt instantly relieved that she came to my rescue.

"Alice!" I cried.

"Alice, welcome to the finale."

"Finale?" Alice asked.

"You get to stay, but I decided Christian won't!" Dominique says with a frown.

"What--!" I yelled, being thrust forward by his large hands, I lost my balance on the edge plunging below, I squeezed my eyes shut covering my face with my hands hitting many of the trees and branches along the way.

Luckily I was able to eventually catch a thick branch temporarily knowing it would not support my weight, looking down I quickly held my breath getting ready to drop.

"Hey! Do you need help?"

I open my eyes gawking at a woman floating above me on a broom, she places her black-gloved fingers to her mouth smiling at first what I thought was a pleasant grin.

She presses her fingers against my jaw to squeeze it tightly letting out a giggle, moving my head back and forth while my hands tremble from holding to the branch too long, I let out a grunt of exhaustion through our silent interaction.

"I can't...hold on!" I howl letting go of my grip.

She laughs watching me fall but doesn't wait too long before she sweeps me up in her arms catching and helping me position onto her broom.

I hold tight to her waist to keep balance, she continues her flight as the crimson sky resumes to envelop everything. You would think it was swallowing anyone whole in its presence.

"You can let me down now if you please!" I scream into her ear as the wind whips in our faces.

I catch a glance at her smile, I acknowledge with a quickness she had no intentions of letting me go. I try to fall from the broom attempting to let my body drop, but she grabs tight to my arm, pinching me with her long nails.

She digs into my arm till I cry out in pain, I have no choice, but re-adjust myself.

"So you thought you could just jump…" Her voice became a low threatening voice.

Immediately I regretted trying to leave, I stayed quiet the rest of the ride when she turned to me.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

Pointing to a large house below that looked like a regular cottage built of logs, I became more and more appalled by the conditions the further we glided down.

The roof of the small cabin was coming unnotched, the spaces in between the logs were coming loose, and light shining through.

We have a rough descent, another person comes out of the shifty building to help her land, chanting something I could not understand.

The older woman's hands were high in the air guiding us down, she gave me a strange look.

I get off the broom smoothing out the wrinkles in my clothes, I feel unimpressed with the fact I was brought to a cabin in the middle of the woods for god knows what reason.

"Why did you bring me here?" I demanded to know.

"You fell from Everett's clan's hill…" The witch who brought me here said.

That's when it hit me, the dot that Alex pointed to may have been these witches.

The other woman walks over to me, just like the first time I was examined to the point she was bringing out a small black pouch, opening my mouth poking around my mouth using a dental device.

I assume right away she is looking for canines when she sighs placing her tools back in her small kit.

"He is a human slave." The woman stated.

"I feel like you are insulting me…" I replied

"Hoa…" The other woman says checking her mobile phone, she hands it to Hoa who turns to stare at me.

"Hmm… take him inside Oaklyn." She explains, I am pushed inside the damp house and shoved into a small room with nothing inside. The wooden floors are covered in dirt.

"Hey!" I shout from inside the room. I could hear muffled talking. I place my ear to the door straining to listen, but they are talking too low for me to hear.

I slide down, tightly hugging my legs, staring out into the darkness of the room.

"I guess it couldn't get any worse.."