Chapter One

The sun blinded the people as they moved about in the small village. The smell of burnt wood and flesh still littered the air from the night's witch trials.

1 witch. 2 humans. The witch caught and the human's word against those who cried wolf. The screams were horrifying as the flames ate them bit by bit. The believers prying for their sins to be forgiven. The families looking the other way. The coven denying the witch. Only one really wept for the deceased.

Rose sat on her knees in front of the burnt stake that held her mother's bones. She rose her head to look at the sky, the tear marks still fresh on her face with new tears threatening to fall. Her mother didn't deserve this. It wasn't her casting the spell it was another witch. The mistress of the king passing by. The witch needed the spell for fertility and Her mother watched her back. The cost was her life.

Life wasn't fair. Everyone knew that. But the witch baring the king's son in her womb while the daughter of the witch that died for the witch mourned. It wasn't right, at least that is what Rose believes. The girl reached down and picked up the ash and watched with a now expressionless face as it poured through her fingers and back on the ground. Rose placed her hands on the ground as she went back to looking up at the scorched bones of her mother. A whisper passed her lips. A prayer that her mother might find rest in the afterlife.

She stood up and ran her hands over the dress she wore. "May you rest Mother." She spoke softly before lowering her hand and turning around. The steps she made were slow as her heart burned slowly. Her shoes sinking into the dirt and leaving prints. Prints that will wash away and never return.

She walked back to the small home she now owned by herself now that the one person she knew she could always count on was only bone. It wasn't anything special or glamourous but it was home. Rose walked inside and paused. The smell was different. No longer like the fresh bread her mother made daily. The smell of herbs being worked on no longer there.

Rose's breathing got faster as her heart pounded in her chest. Fresh tears streamed down her face as her knees hit the floor. A scream tore through her throat as her pain released from her body. It was rough and it hurt a lot. Rose placed a hand over her heart as she tried to breathe. It was so hard. This feeling was the worst thing she had ever experienced. In the haste of trying to breathe, she managed to crawl her way to a shelf that held a book much like the rest but full of generations of spells. A grimoire. With her breathing still rough, she opened the book and flipped through the pages. She needed to find this spell. As she flipped to the 36th page a bloody skull stared back at her with black words littering the page. "adolebitque" she whispered. The smell of smoke filled her nose as warm colors filled her vision. The flames starting to lick the building with the intent to take down. The house was on fire.

Rose watched for a moment before closing the grimoire and standing back up. Her breathing better and pain disappearing with every movement. With nothing but the clothes on her back and the spellbook, she walked out of the house. Her expression blank and her movements filled with confidence. Rose started her journey. The Journey to take revenge on the king's bloodline. The Grey bloodline.