Chapter One: The same crime

Baila

I ran through the forest, my bare feet crunching on dead leaves and branches. From a distance, I could hear the barking dogs assisting the guards in the hunt.

The hunt for me.

I ducked behind a tree when I found nowhere to hide. I tried to slow my breathing as I wrapped my hand around my necklace and prayed. With tears in my eyes, I lifted my head to the skies.

The moon was covered by thick dark clouds. It would rain soon and the dogs would not be able to catch my scent, but I was afraid that the rain would make it difficult for me to escape. 

What had I done?

I had been sent here to change things, to be a difference. Every last witch in the world was counting on me, and I had let them all down. I had done worse than disappoint them; I had repeated the same crime that started the witch hunt—a tradition I could have easily put an end to by winning the bride trials and marrying the high prince.

When I closed my eyes, I could still see the horrified look on Ayesha's face.

Ayesha!

I hadn't thought of what would happen to the brown beauty once I escaped. Ayesha would be framed as an accomplice, no doubt. If she wasn't thrown into the dungeons, a worse fate awaited her, and it was all because of me.

The barking of the dogs grew louder, and I knew they were close behind. If I made a run for it, the archers among the guards would shoot me down. I had committed a horrible crime, but I did not want to die. 

Dread crawled up my spine, and my heart dropped into my stomach as I realized what I had to do if I wanted to survive. I squeezed my eyes shut and saw a flash of my mother's cold green eyes glaring at me.

Don't do it. Don't use the magic.

My mother's voice warned, ringing over and over again in my ears.

"I'm sorry, mother," I whispered, my lips trembling as I tried to hold back a sob.

I stared at the necklace around my neck. If I hadn't taken it off a few moments ago, none of it would have happened. With one final look at my necklace, I made a decision. I wanted to live, even if it meant adding another crime to the one I was being hunted for.

I ripped the necklace from my neck. A smokey breath escaped my mouth in a puff as red veins slowly appeared on my skin. When I opened my eyes, they were blood red.

I stepped from behind the tree to face the guards who slowed down when they saw me. One of them stared intensely at my neck. When he noticed the necklace was gone, his eyes widened, and he stepped back.

"It's a lovely evening, boys," I breathed, rolling back my shoulders as I felt the demon in me awakening. I held up the necklace so the nine men and their four dogs could see it.

"You can leave and die or keep hunting and die," I smiled, feeling giddy. Guilt slithered its way into my heart, but my demon did not allow it. I crushed it before I could change my mind.

The men looked at each other. I saw it then. They would prefer to die at my hands than to return to the castle and be executed as cowards.

"I hope you understand that this was your choice, not mine," I told them in a mock pity tone.

An arrow whizzed through the air towards me as one of the archers let the string of his bow and arrow loose. With a wave of my hand, the arrow went crashing against a tree and broke into two.

The men drew their swords and advanced towards me.

"Aduro," I whispered, drawing the symbol for fire in the air with my hands. Golden sparks danced at my fingertips, and the symbol took form and flew towards the men.

Gut-wrenching screams echoed throughout the forest as nine men burst into flames. The dogs whimpered and scurried away.

I looked at the burnt corpses for a few moments. I did this. It was all me.

With fear threatening to consume me, I spun on my heel and headed North.

I didn't know how long I had been walking, but the sun had risen and set three times. My feet were bloody and sore, yet my demon urged me forward. I clenched my fists around the necklace, cursing the damn thing.

Every time I tried to put it on, a fire would engulf my arm. Now, my right arm was nothing but charred flesh, and I almost regretted removing the necklace.

I was alive, and that was the only thing that mattered. 

I stumbled to a stop in front of a huge black wall that seemed to never end. With drooping eyes, I looked around. There were broken glasses sticking up at the top of the wall. I would have to find a way around it.

My heart threatened to stop beating as I forced myself to move. The fear of death was the only thing that kept me going.

By nightfall, I had not found a way around the wall. There were a few cracks in it. Perhaps, I could go over it.

A few pieces of broken glass never killed anyone. Maybe tonight, it would kill me. I shook the thought away. I was not dying tonight.

My mind was hazy. I fought my demon so I could place the necklace back around my neck. If we both wanted to survive, I needed to be myself, not my demon.

My demon reluctantly retreated, and I placed the necklace around my neck before ripping away the folds of my skirt I had worn to the ball and climbing the wall.

What a long day or days!

As I climbed, I could not help but think about my mother. Rachel would be so disappointed. And that old bitch they had as a neighbor would definitely gloat about how she had warned the entire coven of me being a loose cannon.

She could go to hell for all I cared. In fact, she could die in a few minutes, and I would be happy about it. 

Ayesha.

Was Ayesha fine? Had her punishment begun already, or had she managed to escape too? 

I doubted that Ayesha would escape. The girl was a cowardly little thing, not that I was any less cowardly myself.

I reached the top of the wall, pulling myself over it despite the shards of glass that pierced my flesh. I let out a loud groan, toppling over in pain and falling to the hard wet ground as darkness stole my breath.

A few minutes passed before I gasped into consciousness. The sound of a rushing river sent a jolt of excitement through me.

I was thirsty. Very thirsty.

I crawled to the river and buried my face in it as I tried to quench my thirst.

I leaned forward too quickly and slipped over the wet rocks. My eyes went wide as I fell into the river, and the current swept me away.

I blamed my old neighbor for this.

That old bitch!

I was swallowed by the water and spat out several times. Every time I felt myself drowning, the water would push me to the surface, only to drag me under again. I was tired, and the strength I had desperately held onto was quickly diminishing. 

When the water swallowed me again and did not throw me back to the surface the fear I had buried finally rose to the surface. Clawing at my neck and wrapping its cold icy hands around my spine.

I was going to die.

An image of smiling green eyes and long black hair made its way into my mind. Rachel-my mother. I could hear my mother laughing at my expense. I could see her glaring at our old neighbour from the window in the kitchen.

Not like this. I thought to myself, flailing my arms and legs in a desperate attempt to get to the surface. It was useless, I had never seen a current this strong. I was too weak and my demon was asleep. It would take hours before my demon would wake up and by the time she did, we would both be dead.

I saw the cherry trees she lay under when the sun was blazing hot and the weeping willow I climbed whenever it rained.

I made the mistake of sobbing at the thought of everything I would lose if I died. Water filled my mouth and lungs, stealing her last bit of air. Pins and needles pricked my throat and my lungs.

Help. Anyone. I don't want to die.

The moon shone brightly above me. My head tilted upwards as I reached for the surface one last time. The view was beautiful. The stars were beautiful.

A purple falling star caught my eye but I was too weak to think anything of it. It was the last thing I saw before I gave in to the pull of the dark.