by Brea Alepoú
"No, so let me out, and I will run with her."
Itsumi stood there for a second, tempted to do just that. "How?"
"Let me out of this cage and watch as I do it." She sounded so determined.
"What's your name?"
The unicorn eyed her. "Weren't you there when they captured us?"
Itsumi should have been there, but she had been occupied. "No, I was only there to help load and transport."
For a second, Itsumi thought she wouldn't give a name or say anything.
"Zola," she said.
Itsumi had heard the name before but couldn't place where at the moment. "Itsumi."
They eyed each other for a second, neither one giving their clan names.
"I can't break you out and not have a plan. You won't be able to teleport here."
Zola started to pace. "Then how are we to help her?"
The way she moved… Itsumi knew she was used to battle. She was either a warrior or a guard of some sort. Her well-defined muscles were a testament to the training she probably did.
Itsumi wanted to ask who we were but the fact that she was down in the cage area using a lot of power just to talk to Zola was proof enough that she was a part of we.
"I don't know. Fezi and Mezi know something, but they didn't say much, and I can't ask one of them. They’ll just avoid me."
"Who?"
"They’re tree elves, and they said that they knew Melony was innocent, but that it was best not to inform anyone else. Especially the queen." Itsumi threw her hands in the air, at a loss.
Zola seemed to be thinking it all over. "Okay, then we need to think of another way to clear her innocence."
Itsumi gawked at her. "So you’re just going to trust some tree elves you don't know?”
Zola nodded.
Great. Itsumi sighed, unable to argue since she’d basically taken Fezi’s word for it. “That won’t be easy. I heard she used fire when you both were captured. A fire that couldn't be put out."
A door opened, cutting of anything Zola was going to say. They both turned to see a few guards enter.
"Damn, shift back," Itsumi whispered.
Of course, the guards were making their way over to Zola’s cage. Just Itsumi’s luck. Zola shifted. Itsumi slowly pulled the glamour back. She moved with caution, since if she went too fast, they would notice the glamour. By the time they made it over to Zola’s cage, Itsumi had removed the glamour completely from the cage. She still hid. She stayed still, just in case her glamour wasn't strong enough.
"Told you they caught a fucking unicorn."
All the guards got close to the cage, and Zola didn't react until they were nearly touching the cage. Then she charged with her horn pointing at them. She nicked one of them while the others jumped back.
"Wow, deadly," one of the guards joked.
"Damn, I liked this shirt," complained the one that had gotten scratched.
Itsumi rolled her eyes at them. They were nothing more than children. Unicorns may be beautiful and majestic, but they were just as deadly as any other magical creature. Itsumi waited for the guards to get bored with watching Zola. As soon as they left, Itsumi slipped out and raced to her room. She avoided all of the hallways she knew would be occupied with people. She could feel her glamour weakening and her strength draining.
She made it to her room, shut the door, and locked it before sliding down the door and letting the glamour go around herself. She still had to hold the other small glamours that she had around the mansion. She took deep breaths, centering herself.
She had a gut feeling that helping Melony—and now Zola—was going to be a lot harder than she’d initially thought.
Chapter Ten
Melony
The voices wouldn't stop, and Melony lost track of how long she’d been there and how many times her mother's voice had told her everything was her fault. That all she had to do was tell the truth. Melony sat on the hard ground, curled into a ball. She pinched herself, trying to wake up. She’d pinched herself so hard it had created a bruise. It didn't stop her. She needed out of the nightmare she was in. She knew it was, but the constant reminder was pushing her over the edge.
"Mel, why did you leave me?"
Melony scrunched in on herself at hearing Danielle's voice. It wasn't really her friend, but it sounded so much like her.
"He killed me after you left. Why Mel?"
Melony said nothing, tears continuing to pour from her eyes as her friend's voice kept asking her why. The voices got louder now; both her mother and her best friend screamed at her, asking her why she killed them. Melony shut her eyes as she cried harder.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
It was a constant loop; the voices would change up what they were saying, but it came down to Melony killing the ones she loved. She lost all sense of time; all she knew were the voices and the hard ground under her.
The sound of thunder filled the air. She had no idea when it all stopped or when the dead grass turned into the white floor with strawberries on it.
Her eyes opened, her tears having dried up, but she still shook on the ground. She stared once more at the pink walls of the room she had entered earlier. Or was it days ago? How long had she been in that other place? Her body hurt all over, and she had no strength to lift herself up. She blinked, not knowing if she was just in a different dream with a different room. She could no longer tell what was fake and what was real. The realization shook her as she stared dazedly at the wall.
She was happy the voices were gone and all that accompanied her now was silence. Her own thoughts tried to bombard her, but nothing could compare to hearing the voices shout at her like before. Footsteps sounded near her as someone came in. She stayed still, afraid it would be the image of her mother again. Her body shook with tremors as the footsteps got closer. Two pink high heels walked in front of her.
"You poor thing," a sweet, child-like voice said.
Who? Melony tried to remember who it could be, but her mind was foggy. Melony tried to get up in order to see who it was. She knew it wasn't her mother or Denelle. Her body fought her, not moving no matter how much she tried.
"Here, I'll help you."
Little hands grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her up into a sitting position. Melony was surprised by the amount of strength in those small hands.
"There you go."
Melony looked at the little girl with a big smile and dressed all in pink. Like a splash of water to the face, the name raced through her mind.
"Isabelle," Melony whispered. Her voice sounded slightly rough, and her throat hurt. Probably from all the crying and screaming she’d done.
"Yes, very good." Isabelle twirled around as if she was truly happy that Melony remembered her name.
Melony closed her eyes for a second, remembering what Itsumi had said. Her eyes opened instantly as she looked at Isabelle. Had she been the cause of that terrible nightmare? It couldn't be a coincidence that Isabelle showed up as soon as the nightmare had ended.
"You look as if you've been crying," Isabelle said.
Melony didn't think her empathy was sincere, but she didn't say anything. What was she supposed to say?
Isabelle blinked her big eyes innocently, but it did nothing but creep Melony out. "Would you like to tell me now who you work with, for, and where you obtained the fire gems?"
She said it in a singsong voice, and Melony wanted to throw something at her to shut her up. They weren't in some animated cartoon movie where breaking out in song was reasonable. Melony just stared at Isabelle. She still didn’t have any of that information, because she had no idea what they were asking.
Isabelle waited patiently, but Melony said nothing, just looked at her. Isabelle’s smile slowly dimmed to a frown the longer the silence stood.
"How disappointing," Isabelle said. She looked anything but disappointed as she started to turn around. Melony had caught the creepy smile that had appeared on her face.
If
Isabelle decided to leave her again, Melony wouldn't go to sleep. Maybe then she could avoid the horrid dreams. Isabelle walked a few feet away until she touched the opposite wall and a cupboard appeared.
"If you still refuse to tell me what I want to know, there are other ways." She opened the cupboard, pulled out something, and closed it again. As fast it had appeared, it disappeared.
Melony tried to see what Isabelle had pulled out, but she couldn't get a good look.
"I can't wait to try this concoction out on you." Isabelle snapped her fingers and four men were in the room.
They grabbed Melony, and she tried to fight, but she had no strength. Each one grabbed a limb and walked her over to Isabelle.
"Let me go!" She tried to shout, but her throat still hurt too badly.
They all ignored her and continued to move. She was placed on a metal table. Melony had no idea where the table had even come from. Nothing had been in the room moments ago and now a table at Isabelle’s height was in the room. Her arms and legs got strapped down, then the four men stepped away and bowed to Isabelle before leaving.
"What the fuck is going on?" Melony glared at Isabelle.
Isabelle smiled at her sweetly, a bottle of dark blue liquid in her hand. "This is called Witch’s Brew. It's extremely hard to make and illegal." She held the vile as if it was the most precious thing in the world.
"Okay, and I'm strapped to a table because…?" Melony was trying not to sound scared.
"Well, Queen Lydia has asked that you not die yet. Well, not before we have any information. Securing you is for your own safety." Isabelle made it sound as if it was common sense.
"That doesn't make any sense. You just had to explain something to me that I should have known, right? So that means you guys have the wrong person," Melony pleaded for Isabelle to see the truth.
Isabelle paused as she stared down at Melony. Melony felt hope fill her as Isabelle studied her. Maybe she would believe her. Melony could only wish for that to be the case. She didn't know what Witch’s Brew did, but if she needed to be pinned down to a table, it wouldn't be good.
"Good point," Isabelle said. She looked to the vile in her hands, and then back to Melony. "Buuuut…"
She drew out the word, looking at Melony. A smile stretched out over her face, and Melony knew in that second any hope that she had would be worthless. Isabelle laughed, and it sounded nothing like a child. The noise grated against Melony's nerves.
It sounded downright evil.
"You're seriously making me reconsider ever having children," Melony said.
Isabelle eyed her like she’d lost her mind. She turned away for a second, and Melony tried to break free from the table, but her strength was still gone. Isabelle turned back, and in her other hand, was the biggest fucking needle Melony had ever seen.
"Oh fuck no." Melony started to struggle harder, fear-induced adrenaline coursed through her as she tried to get away from the crazy child.
Isabelle giggled.
It just wasn't right.
"Stay still—I don't want to accidentally give you too much."
Melony continued to struggle, sweat beading her forehead as she fought to escape. Nothing was giving. Thinking she could break metal was insane, but it didn't stop her from trying.
"If you continue to move around, I will just stick you wherever."
"I have an idea. How about we don't stick me with the big ass fucking needle," Melony retorted. She continued to move around on the table. Her muscles ached, and she started to slow down.
"Fine, have it your way," Isabelle said.
Melony continued to squirm, and she closed her eyes, prepared for the sting of the needle. Instead, the four sets of hands were back and holding her still.
"Shit." Her body didn't budge. "Please, you have to believe me," Melony tried to plead. She even looked to the men's faces, but their eyes were distant, as if they weren't even there. She cried out in frustration.
The only saving grace was that she couldn't see Isabelle any longer or the needle. A wet cloth touched her arm—Isabelle cleaning the area she planned to stick no doubt. Melony tried to move her arm, but with the men holding her there was no way. Tears broke free; tears she’d thought had dried up. Her heart racing, Melony closed her eyes as she felt the tip of the needle push against her skin. The pain from the needle had nothing on the sting that filled her arm as the liquid entered.
Melony didn't even feel when the needle was removed or when the hands that held her down disappeared. She lay on the table, gasping for breath, as an intense burn traveled all over her.
"What?" she gasped out as it got hotter.
"I can give you the antidote anytime you're ready to tell the truth," Isabelle said.
Melony groaned in agony. Her skin felt tight as heat covered her from head to toe. "I did."
"We will see how long you will last with this. You seem so strong, so I went ahead and gave you more than recommended."
Melony tossed her head from side to side. She wanted to scrape her skin off it burned so badly.
"If there is nothing you want to say to me, then I'll leave you to it," Isabelle said.
"Wait!" Melony shouted. She coughed, the burning in her throat having nothing on the excruciating pain she felt all over her body.
"Yes?"
"I'm telling the truth! I don't know what you're talking about. You have to believe me."
Isabelle's hand touched Melony on the shoulder, and an agony and pain filled scream erupted from her mouth. Isabelle's hand felt like knives scraping against her skin.
"Your feigned ignorance will not work on me, and even if it was true, there is no better pleasure than to hear a witch’s cry." Isabelle ran her hand over Melony's arm, making her scream more from the pain. "This is only the beginning. The longer the brew is in your system, the more pain it will cause. Soon, even breathing will hurt." Isabelle smiled at her before leaving the room.
Melony's body trembled as the pain rocked through her. She closed her eyes, trying to breathe. Maybe if she calmed herself down, then she could handle it better. She breathed slowly and tried to steady her body, small tremors still going through her. Pain still coursed through her, but she started to get used to it.
She could do this.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the pain within her felt as if it was getting stronger. Soon, controlling her breathing became impossible. The once-silent room was filled with her heavy breathing and cries. It felt as if hot knives were slicing her skin. When she moved, it made the pain flare up, and it nearly made her pass out.
Fuck, how she wished to pass out. Anything to get away from the pain. She wasn't that lucky though; she stayed awake through all the pain. It even hurt to blink, her eye feeling as if they were being scraped with sandpaper.
"Please," she cried out. Even talking hurt, but she still pleaded. "Someone, please." Her voice became nothing more than a whisper as time went on, and the pain worsened.
She wanted it to all stop. The torment of just breathing had her trying to hold her breath. It never worked. Her screams became soundless, her throat too raw to even voice her pain. Gone were her pleas. She lay on the table in pure agony, suffering for something she hadn't done. Her mind kept going in loops, begging for someone to save her but knowing no one would.
"Look at you."
Melony never thought she would be so glad to hear Isabelle's voice. She needed the pain to stop. She turned to look at Isabelle but that also caused her pain. She opened her mouth to a soundless scream.
"You shouldn't move so suddenly. Are you ready to tell me the truth?"
Melony opened her mouth… only for words not to come out. She wanted to shout—not only because of her pain, but because she wanted to scream at Isabelle that she had been telling the truth the whole time.
"I guess you can't speak." An evil smile crossed over Isabelle's face.
Melony cringed and tried to move back. Isabelle left her sight, and although Melony
hated her, she wanted her back so that the pain would stop. Just as fast as she disappeared, she came back with another needle. Melony shook harder with fear of more pain. She didn't want any more of the brew that was in the needle.
"Stay still. Unless you want them to hold you down?"
The four men had appeared out of nowhere, and Melony wanted anything but that. She didn't want any more of the Witch’s Brew, but she wouldn't be able to handle the pain of four sets of hands on her. She held her body still. Well, as still as she could.
"Very good," Isabelle complimented. "As a reward, I will give you the antidote." Isabelle lifted the needle and not-so-softly jabbed it into Melony's arm.
Pain rocked through her, but just as fast as the pain had come about, it started to lessen. The antidote raced through her, feeling as if she was being submerged into cool water. Her skin felt too hot, but with the antidote, she could feel the burn and pain calming down. Her heartbeat slowed down as her suffering started to come to an end.
"Rest up," Isabelle said as she left.
Melony felt tired. Her body felt heavy as she lay there. Her eyes started to droop as she looked up at the pink ceiling. Her suffering now only mild, she was too weak to fight the sleep that was coming. She tried to shake her head to wake up, but even that didn't work. Her eyes closed, and unable to open them back up, she fell asleep.
Drifting in dreamless sleep, Melony felt at peace.
Opening her eyes, she quickly shut them, dreading what she’d seen.
Fuck.
No no no no no no.
"Melony, baby, why won't you look at me?"
Tears instantly came at hearing her mother's voice. Melony squeezed her eyes tighter, avoiding opening them for fear of seeing her severed head. She didn't dare speak to her mother either.
She's not real. None of this is real.
She repeated it over and over to herself. No matter how many times she said it, her mother’s voice sounded too real. Soon Denelle's voice would join and the vicious cycle of them blaming her for their deaths would start again. Out of one nightmare and into another.
Melony moved from the table and pressed her face into the ground as the voices shouted at her. They may sound like her loved ones, but they were nothing more than voices. Voices there to torture her. She knew it was some magic trick, but it all felt too real. Could magic really do all of this? What if it was her mother and best friend haunting her dreams, because they really felt it was her fault?
