Chapter Twelve

The townspeople rode into the night; when it grew too dark to see, they dismounted their horses and set up camp. Mido dragged Calliope off his horse and sat the witch down next to a nearby tree. He took off Lily's bridle, keeping an eye on the witch as he worked. Calliope sat with her knees to her chest, her hands still tied behind her back, and stared at the ground. Mido patted his horse and pushed her away to graze. William and Jon stood quietly together, their wide eyes fixed on the mysterious witch. Their hearts raced in their chests in her presence.

Calliope watched as the villagers gathered wood and started a small fire. They sat on the hard ground and talked quietly amongst themselves, their eyes cautiously turning to her before darting away quickly. Mido stood beside Ian, his eyes locked on the witch in an angry sneer.

"It's quiet," Ian mumbled.

"Too quiet," Mido confirmed.

"We should take turns keeping watch. It could spring up at any moment."

Mido nodded. "I'll stay up. Get some rest."

One by one, the villagers made themselves as comfortable as possible on the hard ground, and they drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Mido stayed awake, keeping an eye on the witch. Calliope didn't dare move an inch. She sat quietly against the tree, her eyes never moving from her trance on the ground. She felt Mido's eyes hard on her. She slowed her breathing, hoping to make herself as invisible as possible. As the hours passed, she felt exhaustion creep up on her, and she eventually relaxed enough to fall asleep. Mido continued to watch her closely as she slept, not daring to take any chances with her in their presence.

He studied the complexion of her face and the way her long, dark hair framed it, caressing the curves of her cheekbones and twisting around her neck. He found himself admiring her for a moment, but quickly turned away to stare at the orange, flickering flames. He couldn't help but notice the shadows dance across her face from the corner of his eye. She is stunning for a disgusting creature, he thought to himself. A clever trap, for sure, to lure in her victims. He found himself staring at her intently, imagining what she would be like were she human. He'd take her home, like he did with every other beautiful woman he came across. He crossed his arms and forced himself to look away, disgusted with himself as the forbidden images came across his mind. He focused on the fire before him and stared into it deeply. Unanswered questions flooded his mind. Why hadn't she tried to take off or attack him? was she as weak as she acted? It couldn't be possible that Scarletta would create something so weak; it had to be a trick.

Or maybe she wasn't one of Scarletta's at all. Did other witches exist? Did any more hide in the kingdom, or elsewhere in their world, ready to strike at any moment? He saw of all the faces he had passed in his life in an instant – which one of them hid a terrible secret from their world? He had learned the stories of Scarletta over the years; no witch could be trusted. There was no such thing as a good witch. He grew anxious to see her burned at the stake. It would just bring them one step closer to defeating Scarletta once and for all.

Calliope mumbled in her sleep and turned over, a lock of hair falling over her face. It fluttered gently above her lips with each exhale. Mido watched her, curiously contemplating life as one of Scarletta's creations. Was she immortal? Surely burning her at the stake would kill her, as it had killed witches and wizards in the past. He couldn't imagine it being an easy task. He was certain that the witch would defend herself. He shifted uneasily, questioning the abilities she hid from them. The witch they held captive was only a small part of a larger problem at hand. Surely Scarletta would not go down as easily.

Suddenly, Calliope's eyelids flew open; her golden eyes pierced the darkness, reflecting the orange flames. Mido reached for his dagger, but she was quicker as she lunged at him. He struggled to raise his dagger, but the witch pinned his arms down with her legs. She moved her face close to his and Mido caught his breath.

"Shh," she whispered harshly. He found himself staring into her eyes and she stared back hard. Neither of them moved an inch. Mido's heart thudded in his chest. He held his breath, waiting, confused, his hand still gripping the dagger between his fingers.

Calliope scanned the forest with her eyes. After a moment, Mido heard it; a rustling in the brush. Calliope recognized in his expression that he understood and she backed away, getting to her feet. Mido stood, replaced his dagger, and took out his sword with caution as he readied himself. From the corner of his eye, he saw a figure emerge from around a tree. Mido twisted around just as it lunged at him and thrust his sword into the creature's gut. Others swarmed in suddenly, circling them.

The villagers awoke to the commotion, jumping to their weapons and throwing themselves into the battle. They swung their swords with wild force at the creatures. Calliope pushed herself against the tree and watched as the creatures attacked. She recognized them as Scarletta's Nequam and realized Scarletta must have sent them to find her. Her heart pounded in her chest and her thoughts raced in a frenzied panic. She couldn't go back to Scarletta. She wouldn't. Memories of Scarletta's torture haunted her.

She pressed herself into the shadows of the corner, making herself as small as possible, but there was no escape from the needle. Scarletta injected her with another dose of magic, this one more powerful than the last. Calliope could feel the magic pulse through her veins. Her vision blurred and sweat dripped down her face. She felt the magic tearing at her insides. Her stomach churned and her heart thudded against her chest. Pain shot through her body. Scarletta's red lips stretched across her face in a cynical smile.

"Stop struggling," she said to her witch. "It won't be so bad once your body gets used to it."

She pulled the needle out and Calliope lay limp in the corner. Her body shuttered and a sob escaped her lips. Calliope wiped her arm across her wet face before Scarletta saw her weakness.

"Get up," Scarletta ordered. Calliope obeyed.

Scarletta thrust her arms towards her, sending a wave across the room and hitting Calliope square in the chest, knocking her against the wall and to the ground. She sent another wave and another, each one a blow to Calliope's body. Calliope felt the magic boiling inside her. She felt her body rage against the attacks. Her face burned with anger. Her heart felt as if it would burst from her chest.

Calliope slammed her fists into the floor, causing the floorboards to explode around her, knocking Scarletta backwards. She pushed herself to her feet and tossed a spell towards Scarletta with one hand stretched out. She gasped for breath as she watched Scarletta struggle to her feet.

"Enough!" Scarletta shouted at her, a wicked smile on her face.

Calliope felt her arm lower to her side. She desperately wanted to attack her more and more. She wanted the injections and the fighting to stop, but it only made her feel weak and ashamed. She felt her knees hit the floor and watched as tears stained the floorboards. Scarletta wouldn't stop until Calliope was as powerful as the other witches. Her heart ached in her chest. She felt torn. She couldn't handle the injections, but she only wanted to obey her master.

Calliope found herself clutching at the roots of the old tree, her face and lap wet with tears. She felt the magic boil in her veins and her strength return to her. She pushed herself off the ground and snapped the ties behind her back. She ran towards the creatures, thrusting an arm out, sending a ball of fire through the air and hitting one of the Nequam. She alternated arms, thrusting them before her, sending fireball after fireball at each one of their attackers. She recognized Mallius, standing in the back, and met his gaze. He roared to the other creatures and they turned back, leaping into the air and returning to Scarletta's castle. Calliope chased them until they took flight, and she watched as they disappeared over the treetops. The townspeople gathered behind her, mumbling amongst themselves once more.

"Why did ya save us?" a woman's voice asked. Calliope turned to meet their stares but said nothing.

"She wasn't doing it for us," a man said. "She was only saving herself."

"If she was Scarletta's, she would have gone with those Nequam."

"She's not one of Scarletta's."

"It's all part of its plan. It's a trick. It will try to kill us all."

"Why did ya save us?" Maria repeated to Calliope. They were silent, watching her, waiting for an answer.

"I am one of Scarletta's," she finally said after a moment. Her voice shook as she spoke. She averted their gaze and stared at her feet. The men and women murmured amongst themselves. I-told-you-so's were exchanged. Maria hushed the angered people.

"Why are ya tellin' us this?" she asked.

"I have nothing to hide," Calliope said. She met Maria's gaze. Her eyes were kind. "I escaped."

"Escaped?" a voice echoed.

"I couldn't handle her torture. She would attack me and demanded I defend myself as part of my training." Calliope winced at the memories as she told them her story. The villagers were quiet, so she continued.

"She made me attack her own Nequam and witches. She locked me out of the castle to fend for myself in the forest. And when things didn't go as planned, she tortured me. She injected me with spells and potions, always saying how her other creations were just practice; that I was her ultimate creation and I could never let her down." Calliope was quiet for a moment. She looked at the ground, aware of the eyes focused on her. The townsfolk listened intently.

"Poor thing," a woman muttered.

"Don't pity it," a man barked.

"I was created to be just like the other witches," Calliope explained, "who were created not to feel pain or emotion. I was trained to fight and kill and win and to simply do her bidding. But I didn't turn out that way, and she knew it. I ended up only being weak to her. Her torture didn't make me strong." She paused again and cleared her throat. She felt tears sting her eyes.

"It only caused me to hate myself," she said, lost in her thought. "I saw myself as weak because I couldn't live up to her expectations and be like the witches before me. I thought there was something wrong with me. I didn't think that I was supposed to be like that." She looked back up at the group around her.

"Just a sob story," a young woman shouted.

Calliope stood tall and held her gaze with the villagers. "Scarletta sent me on a mission to attack the kingdom. I left with the intent to never return and to start a new life for myself, away from her. But I was attacked, and all I knew was to use my powers to defend myself. I know I'm a witch and I know I'm meant to do evil. But being a witch is all I know. My magic is all I have. I did what I had to do to survive."

"She only wanted to save herself from the Nequam."

"I know Scarletta sent them after me. I know she won't give up until I'm found. I'll do everything in my power to stay away from her. I can't go back to her. She will kill me if she knew I betrayed her. But I would never wish death on any of you, especially at the hand of Scarletta."

The villagers were silent for a moment as they let her story sink in.

"And what makes you think we should believe your sob story?" a plump woman spoke up.

"I don't," Calliope said. "But you asked. Believe what you will."

"Give us any sob story you want, witch, but you're not escaping from us. We're bringing you to the kingdom and you will be killed."

"You can't kill her! She saved us!"

"She was only saving herself!"

They erupted into another heated argument, shouting accusations and pointing fingers. Mido watched beside Ian. He couldn't wrap his mind around the events that had unfolded. People believed its sob story. They wanted to help it. He was disgusted. He wanted to see justice; to see it killed.

"She saved our lives," Ian said suddenly. "Without her, we would have died. For that, I am in your debt." He gripped his sword and approached Calliope, standing by her side. Mido gawked at his friend's sudden decision.

"Ian, you can't be serious," a larger man said, his facial features set in an angry tone. His copper brows knit together against his bald head. "We're bringing her to the kingdom. What do you think you're going to do about it? Fight us?" The hairs in his mustache fluttered as he huffed through his nose.

"She doesn't deserve to die, Barric."

Maria joined Ian at Calliope's side.

"I believe ya, Hunnie," she said. "Maria will take care of ya, poor thing. What's ya name?" She let her hand rest on Calliope's shoulder.

Calliope stared at the woman in disbelief. "Calliope," she said quietly.

More men and women joined Calliope. William and Jon exchanged quiet glances at one another. They looked to Mido, to Ian, and to Maria, hoping for an answer. They watched as the villagers took sides while Mido stood off to the side. Finally, they made their move, joining Ian and Maria, but keeping clear, still unsure of the mysterious witch in their company.

"What are we going to do about this, Mido?" a man asked, his arms crossed over his chest. Mido watched the events unfold before him as his friends and neighbors chose their sides. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why is this up to me?"

"You found it."

Mido pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wanted nothing more than to kill it himself, but he could sense Ian's gaze hard on him. "It was our job to bring her to the king," he said.

"You can't send this poor girl to her death," Maria shouted at him.

"His men are out here looking for her," Mido reminded her. "They won't rest until she is found."

"She's not who they think she is."

"She's a witch!" another man yelled. "She doesn't belong with us."

"She could help us find Scarletta," the slender woman said. "Calliope is the only one who knows how to get to her. We could end this once and for all."

Mido hesitated, carefully considering both sides. Perhaps she could be an asset. Killing this thing wouldn't stop Scarletta. She would just create another witch. But if the witch was willing to help, they could use it to their advantage. He looked at his friend for assurance. Mido couldn't understand Ian's change of heart, but something told him he needed to trust his friend's decision. He had been the only constant through his life; he never steered him wrong, and he wouldn't hear the end of it if he decided otherwise.

"Will you bring us to Scarletta?" he asked, turning to Calliope.

"Scarletta will kill you all," Calliope said. "You are no match for her. I will not send you to your deaths."

"You could fight her," a man pointed out.

"You can't ask her to go back there," Maria said. "There's a reason she escaped."

Maria and the man argued amongst each other while the others argued around them.

"Stop it," Calliope yelled. They quieted down, their eyes fixed on her. "I can take care of her myself," she mumbled. She didn't stand a chance against her master, especially with her power as weak as they were, but she could not let the people of Librona suffer as she did. She was through ending innocent lives.

"Let us help you," Ian said.

"You cannot help me."

"We are in your debt."

"I will not send you to your deaths."

"If you won't help us, then we're taking you to the king," Mido said. "And if you don't help him, he will see to it that you are burned at the stake."

Calliope hesitated. Nothing she said would change their minds. Their minds were set on getting to Scarletta, one way or another.

"I will take you to Scarletta," she said, her voice barely audible. "Only if you let me leave the kingdom afterwards."

Mido contemplated this for a moment. He was not about to make promises to a witch. "We'll let King Sloan make that decision," he said. "Take us to Scarletta."

"Mido, you cannot trust this thing," another woman yelled to him with fury in her voice.

"She could be an asset to the kingdom," he said. "If she keeps true to her word, then King Sloan will deal with her after."

The villagers erupted into another shouting match.

"Don't expect any empathy from us," Barric said, his face red with fury. "We're going back to the kingdom and we will tell the king about this."

"Barric, she could lead us to Scarletta. We could be through with this once and for all," Ian said.

"You're putting the kingdom's fate in the hands of a witch," another man hissed. His straggly, dirty blond hair fell over his eyes. "You will be hanged for this."

"Enough, Carsen," Barric said to his friend. "King Sloan will deal with them as he sees fit."

Carsen spat at the ground towards Mido as he and Barric turned away, mounting their horses with the rest of their supporters.

"You'll pay for this, Mido," Carsen threatened. They pushed their horses into a gallop, Barric giving one last leer at Mido, and disappeared into the woods.

"Let's go," Mido said after a moment. He passed Calliope as he walked towards his horse.

"Don't make me regret this," he said to her. He mounted and extended a hand towards Calliope, pulling her up behind him. "Bring us straight to Scarletta." Mido kicked his horse and led the rest of the fellowship through the forest.