He pulled me into an embrace and kissed me. His lips were warm and gentle. “My heart is yours,” he whispered.
The next day, I went out to make my rounds, after George asked his family to leave. They agreed and decided to visit friends. George accompanied me, but no one would let me tend to the sick.
“I do not understand why they are turning me away,” I said to George as we walked through town.
As several people passed by us, they gave me a hateful stare, and whispered among themselves. I heard what they said.
“She’s a witch.”
I exchanged a worried look with George. “Why would they say that?”
He pressed his lips in a tight line. “I have not said a word,” he whispered. “Does anyone else know?”
“No.”
My oldest friend, Danielle rushed up to me. Her blue eyes were wide with shock and her face reddened. “Tell me it is not true,” she said.
My body tensed. “What do you mean?”
“You are the one making everyone sick.”
“That is absurd,” George cried. “She is the one healing everyone.”
“They say you are a witch.”
“It is not true.”
“You do not have much of a good word. Everyone is starting to believe it. I must go before someone thinks I am associated.” Danielle stepped beside me.
“Danielle, wait.”
But she hurried away from me. I turned back to George. “You do not believe I spread the disease, do you?”
“You know I do not.” He looked around at all the stares. “Savina, I should take you home where you will be safe.”
As he walked me near the manor, we stayed hidden, knowing Corbin could see us. I did not want George to leave. I held on to him as tight as I could. For I did not know my fate. Once the word ‘witch’ was thrown around, it was only a matter of hours or days before they came for me. And there was no way out.
“I will do whatever I can to stop the rumors and correct them.”
“You can only do so much, George. Please, do not get yourself involved or they will come for you as well.”
“You need not worry for me, my love.”
“I love you George.”
He drew me into his embrace and I could feel his lips pressed to my head. He held me at arm’s length and looked into my eyes. “I love you, Savina. Please, stay safe tonight.” He kissed me with such a fervor. Then he kissed my hand, and I knew I had to leave him.
I walked inside the manor and stopped once I heard Veronica yelling at Corbin. I closed the door behind me without a sound and crept next to the partially opened parlor door. I held my breath and listened, though my pounding heartbeat throbbed in my ears.
“I thought you said you were only blaming Savina,” Veronica shouted at him.
“I did. What happened?”
“They are blaming me, too.”
“Have they said this?”
“No, I can read their minds, Corbin. They are coming for us tomorrow night.”
I froze. Corbin spread the rumors. He betrayed me. Why would he have done such a thing? What had Veronica said to him to make him hate me so much?
“We must hide you,” Corbin said. “I assure you, I did not have my man mention your name.”
“I did not think you would betray me.”
“Of course, not.” He let out a long sigh. “I fear Savina believes I have betrayed her, though. She is the only daughter I have ever had.”
“Do not be so hard on yourself, Corbin. Once we return to Caprington, they will understand.”
“I never wanted to hurt them.”
“Sometimes we hurt the ones we love because it’s necessary.”
“Can we not tell them now?”
“I fear they are too young to understand. I still believe it will be better hearing our family’s stories.”
“I do not like this secrecy, Veronica. They are my children.”
“I understand. But what will happen if they choose not to come with us? What will you do then?”
“I have no answer. But they are losing their trust with me each day.”
“You will need to decide, dear brother.”
“Perhaps now that the town is accusing Savina of witchcraft, she and Colden will see.”
“Colden, maybe. I fear Savina is too involved with the Ephemerals.”
“It is only because of George.”
“He will betray her.”
“Will he?”
“Do not challenge me Corbin. They are despicable creatures. Ones that must be destroyed.”
“You are right.”
“One more thing. This may interest you. There are Enchanters with elemental powers. They are rare, but powerful. I have been told that a group of elementals will be extraordinarily powerful. If we could find them, we would have the strongest coven and we could use them to rid the world of Ephemerals.”
“Where have you heard this?” his voice sounded eager to know more. It was as if both of them were starving for power.
“I have my sources. But we must begin our search for them. I will depart tonight to Caprington. Come there when you have killed them all. Bring Savina and Colden. The family will be happy to meet them.”
I heard Veronica cross the room to leave, and I ran into Colden’s room with bated breath, closing his door behind me.
“Savina?” Colden looked up from his writing.
“Corbin. He is the one blaming me.”
He furrowed his thick eyebrows and crossed the room to me. “Blaming you for what?”
“For spreading the disease.”
“He would not do that. You must be mistaken.”
“He did!” I shouted.
“Why would he do that? That does not make any sense.”
“He wants me to see how awful they can be. I do not know why.”
“You know what they will do to you. Perhaps Father can help.”
I gasped. “Colden! He is the one causing this. They will come for me, and banish me to death.” My vision blurred.
Colden shook his head. “He will not do this. I will make certain. How did you find out?”
“I overheard Veronica and him talking about it. They spoke of destroying the Ephemerals and finding elemental Enchanters so they can be the strongest.”
His face twisted in horror. “This cannot be true.”
“I assure you it is. I am getting in the way of his plans. He wants me dead.” There was a heaviness in my stomach and the room spun. I trembled and my eyes watered.
“No. That is ridiculous. Father loves you, Savina. Has he found out about George?”
“I do not know. He is killing this town and plans to kill more. Veronica is behind this. She has done something to Corbin to make him believe this nonsense. You must do something.”
“What can I do Savina?” He threw his hands up in frustration.
“Have you noticed…anything yet?”
“No,” he spat. “I try every day to see if I can heal like you. Or read minds like Veronica. Or anything. Nothing happens.”
“I am sorry, Colden.”
“Don’t be.” He sighed and paced in front of the fireplace, his entire body shaking. “You are right. I cannot stand by and let my father kill these people. I have been denying his change, but I see it. He refuses to let me in. His eyes have changed, too. And I know he does not want me as his son. I am powerless. I am nothing to him now. He has come to me several times wanting me to help him with this war he is starting, but I refuse him every time.”
I took his hands to calm him. “If you had a power, would you help him?”
“Of course not, Savina. I do not understand him anymore. He told me I was useless. That I had no purpose.”
“Why have you not told me?”
“You have had your own share of worries.”
“True, but I am always here for you Colden. No matter what.”
He placed an arm around me and held me close. We stayed like
that for a few moments. “What if we kill him?” His dark eyes met mine.
Speechless, I searched his eyes, and saw no fear. “Colden.”
“You know as well as I do, he is not the same man we once knew,” he whispered. “If he is planning on killing every one of them, it is the only way. They will come after you and kill more people if we do not stop him.”
“What if we find more like us? You know he is starting an army. Maybe there are witches like us who do not want bloodshed. I do not wish to kill Corbin, but if we have no other choice—.”
“Planning my death, already?”
I gasped as Colden and I turned toward the door to see Corbin standing in the doorframe. The tall man held no expression on his smooth face. He wore his long black hair in a ponytail. His dark eyes only showed displeasure.
“Corbin, we—.”
“You must stop all this nonsense,” Colden demanded. He had never raised his voice to his father. “How could you let them think it was Savina?”
“I am trying to prove her a point.” His deep gravelly voice seemed darker, like there was some demon inside him.
“How can you blame her and send her to her death like this?” Colden asked. He no longer acted like the quiet man he always was around his father.
“She said it herself. They would not come after her. They trust her.”
“Is this all a game to you, Father?”
“Certainly not. I did this because I want you both to see how quick they are to judge us. They want to see blood.”
“They are only doing this because you have put fear in them,” I argued. “They have never done anything to us since we have been here.”
“We do not have time to debate,” Veronica’s voice came from the doorway. Her angry dark eyes focused on me, as if she was trying to pry inside my mind. She could read minds, but I always tried to hide my thoughts from her. I was not very good at it. “If you are not with us, then I suggest you leave,” Veronica said.
Colden scoffed. “What are you talking about?”
“You must side with us or leave.”
“Leave? This is our home.”
Corbin’s eyes softened. “Let us not be so hasty, Veronica.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Two minutes ago they were contemplating killing you.”
“I am afraid there has been a miscommunication. I ask you, my children, to side with me in this war. Join my army.”
“There does not need to be a war, Corbin,” I said. “They have done no wrong.”
Veronica moved closer to me and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “They took my baby. Tied a ball and chain around her.”
“Veronica,” Corbin warned.
“Threw her off a cliff and let her fall into the river. Said if she could not escape, she was innocent. She drowned.” I searched her eyes, but there was no pain. Her voice held no emotion. Certainly, a mother would show something if her daughter had died.
“You are lying.”
Veronica backhanded me in the face. “How dare you?”
Corbin held her back. “Enough! I am trying to help you both.” He released Veronica, but she kept her glare on me. “I am preventing these fools from killing you, and yet you still protect them. They control us. They burn those who are different. Hang them. Throw them in a river tied to a ball and chain to see if they survive. And they call us the insane ones.”
“You know not all of them are bad.”
He scrutinized my face. “Why are you so protective of them?”
I could not tell him I was still seeing George. I looked away.
“She is still seeing him.”
Corbin balled his hands into fists. “I forbade you, Savina!”
“I did what you asked. I do not contact him.”
“She is lying,” Veronica said.
“Father, what does it matter?” Colden asked. “You were happy for her once.”
“I forbade her to see him again.”
“Father, this ends now. We will not stand by you if you continue down this path.”
“I cannot believe you stand by this naivety.” He shook his head and let out a long sigh. “If you decide to be against me, I will not kill you. But if you ever try to stop us, I cannot protect you from death.”
“Father, please!”
“You have already sent me to my death.” Tears blurred my vision. I could not believe we were having this conversation.
“Savina, I had not planned to let them kill you, and they will not succeed. I had planned to give you and Veronica a touch of the illness so they would not suspect you any longer. But I have a better plan. Let them come for you. Let them banish you to death.”
I exchanged a worried look with Colden. How could Corbin do this to me? I thought he loved me.
“And when they lock you up in a cell, I will come after them. I will have my army of Enchanters ready to destroy this place.”
A sinister grin spread on Veronica’s face. I froze and Colden gripped my hand.
“I will give you tonight to think about joining us.”
“But you have given no reason why we should.”
“Ephemerals are evil, Colden,” Veronica said. “They continue to destroy our family and kill our kind. But we are fighting back. We will take over and no longer will we be at their mercy.”
“You are wrong,” I cried.
She turned to me once more. “Do you know how your father died, Savina?”
“Veronica, please stop,” Corbin said.
“He died in a war.”
She scoffed. “Ephemerals hanged your father for witchcraft.”
I gasped. “Stop lying to me!”
“Veronica, enough.” Corbin seized her arm and they left the room.
I collapsed into Colden’s arms and wept. My father died in a war. My mother told me. How would Veronica know?
“This is incredulous,” Colden said as he stroked my hair.
“She is lying. They are only telling us these things to convince us to join them.”
“I know, sister.”
“She has shown no sympathy for Mary. She has grown hungry for power. I saw it in her eyes when she explained learning from her uncle. And she is manipulating Corbin.”
“I do not know what to do.”
“I have to tell George.”
“Savina, I do not think you should leave tonight.”
“I must warn him to leave. I do not know what Corbin and Veronica have planned, but I can assure you they will not leave anyone alive.”
“If you go, the villagers will take you.”
“They will not harm me. They know me.”
Colden hesitated. “Savina.”
“I must go.”
“Then I will come for you and save you if they take you.”
“Do not put yourself at risk.”
“Do not worry. Be careful, Sister. I will make sure Father and Veronica do not see you.”
I hugged my brother and then left for the night. As I made my way to George’s home, two men grabbed my arms.
“Savina Geddes, you are hereby ordered to court as you have practiced black magic and killed dozens in this town,” William, one of the prison guards said as the other one shackled my arms behind my back. As they escorted me to the prison, bystanders shouted and threw pebbles at me.
“Burn her!”
“She deserves to die!”
I passed by my two friends, Danielle and Graham. They looked at me as if they feared for their lives. They were not among those who cried out their fears or threw things, but the terror in their eyes was enough. I could not believe they turned their back on me with such haste. Corbin was right. But had he not spread the disease and placed fear in the villagers they would not feel this way. I held back my tears. I felt so betrayed.
George rushed up to us. “You cannot take her,” he said.
William gruffly pushed him back.
“She is innocent!” George screamed.
The other guard gra
bbed him. “If you do not stop, we will take you to the prison.”
“Please leave, George,” I said. I kept the tears at bay. I did not want him to see me like this, but I also needed him to leave the town. I met his brown eyes. “Please. For your safety.”
The guards continued to escort me. We reached the courtroom where everyone from the town packed inside together, filling each corner and taking every ounce of oxygen. It was hot not only from the bodies, but from their anger.
They forced me to sit before the entire village. The magistrate hurled questions at me so fast I could not think. “Are you a witch? Do you practice witchcraft? Did you murder the people with a disease?”
“No, I am innocent,” I said.
“I have testimonies from several people claiming you are the one who made them ill. There have been sixty-seven deaths in two weeks.”
“She is innocent!” I heard George scream. “She has not done any harm and she has healed many of you.”
“Savina, are there others to blame for this?” I could not bring myself to tell them Corbin was at fault, because they would send us all to our deaths, which would only anger Corbin more.
“It was me and only me.”
Gasps and shouts sounded in the humid room.
“Savina Geddes, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for killing hundreds.”
The courtroom erupted with cheers and I clenched my teeth, still holding back the lump in my throat. No one but George had defended me. I stared out into the riotous room and met George’s forlorn eyes. My heart sank, and I felt so hollow.
The guards threw me into a dark, clammy cell with cold stone walls that had a barred window too high for me to reach. I was not a very strong Enchanter then, so I did not think I could escape. I did not want to think about how many died in the same cell that I lay in. I prayed Colden would end this and come for me.
The door opened and George darted toward me. His hands cradled my head as he kissed me. “They cannot kill you,” he said with tears in his eyes. “Why did you confess to such heinous crimes? I know you did no such thing.”
I gazed into his blue eyes, for what would be the last time. “You know the truth and yet you still love me.”
His expression softened. “Of course I do. But you did not do this.”
When Darkness Fell: An Elemental Enchanters Story Page 3