“It was a week ago. I’d been walking over here when a boy stepped in front me. He couldn’t have been much older than me, but he was big. He… he asked about you. Said that you were his and that he needed to find you. He said he would hurt me if I didn’t comply.” Scarlett paused here, and I considered what she was saying. Very few of my enemies could travel between worlds like I could. And of those few, none of them had ever tried to find me before. Well, except for one. But that was unlikely considering the situation. Perhaps it was someone from this world? That was just as unlikely though.

“I told him that I didn’t know what he was talking about. He put a hand on my forehead, I was too scared to move. But, then he yelled. Well, it was more of a shrike- “

“Do you mean a shriek?” She nodded after a moment, and I gave a little smile despite the conversation.

“He shrieked and started to rant. I couldn’t understand everything he said but, I think at one point he said this was,” she scrunched up her face, her nose crinkling, “the fault of someone named Kia. And I am sure that he was cursing at you. He had worse language then the smith.” I waited as she took another sip of water, letting her get her thoughts in order before continuing.

“I think he said something like, ‘curse the bastard bitch’s powers’. He calmed down when I tried to run. Well, enough to trip me. After that he said something, but I didn’t understand, I am not sure it was the same language. Then he…” Scarlett drained the rest of the glass, and by the time I returned to the cot with it refilled, she had her shaking hands wrapped around herself.

“He beat me. It hurt worse than usual,” which meant he had removed the ward I’d put on her to numb the pain. He also clearly removed the spell I’d put on her to protect her from malevolent magic. “I-‘m not sure how long it lasted. I think I passed out. I woke up again when he started screaming questions at me. I still don’t know why no one else heard. Or maybe they just didn’t care enough.” She shook her head, eyes blinking rapidly. “Doesn’t matter I suppose.

“He kept asking me questions, he kept saying ‘why can’t I compel you?’ After he was done, he just said that you would come out on your own. I stayed away because I was afraid I’d lead him back to you.” She turned big eyes that were still watering on me, seeming to beg me for something. “I didn’t say anything about you, promise!” I knew she didn’t. Even if I hadn’t had a spell stopping her from telling anyone about me in place, I still would’ve believed those green orbs of hers.

I asked for the description of the man and, after only a slight hesitation, she gave it. I let the silence settle over us as I only nodded. “What made you finally decide to come back?”

“I heard,” she began, her voice incredibly small, “That the king has chosen you to be his queen. I wanted to know if it was true.” I froze, my body going stiff where I sat on the cot. After a moment, I got up and fetched a glass of water, just so I’d have something to do.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“All of the ladies of marriable age gathered in the town center after the king’s speech to see if any of them were chosen. None of them were, and then one of the orphans mentioned that he’d seen the king and his daughter walk out from your bakery. It was just assumed you were the bride-to-be. Is it true?”

I didn’t look at her, couldn’t stand to see what expression was on her face. Betrayal? Hurt? I just nodded, and right as I opened my mouth to tell her that I would turn down the king, she spoke.

“Good! Now you won’t have to live in this stupid town.”

“What?” Turning to look at her, I saw she was practically bouncing in her seat, a huge smile plastered across her face.

“If you become Queen, then you won’t have to live here. You’ll live in the castle and have servants and all the food you could ever want! Plus, you’re so nice, you’d make a great queen.” I blinked as I returned to the cot, leaning against the wall. How I wish I could live life with all the hope and naivety of a child. Always optimistic, always blind to reality. Honestly, I was surprised she still had any hope left. She’d been beaten, raped and left for dead. Yet she still thought that good existed in the world. A precious little light of good in a world filled with bad.

“Tell me Scarlett,” I said instead of commenting on being queen, “What is it you want the most in the world?”

Silence fell in the pause that followed, Scar’s face scrunching up while she considered my question with a seriousness that her hope couldn’t over power. “I want, for there to be a good queen on the throne so that she could rule instead of the bad king. I want this town to prosper, and maybe then everyone will be a little nicer and happier and there won’t be as many bad people.”

I considered her words, and how to respond. I adored the girl, but I didn’t want to lie to her. “Scarlett, I am going to tell you the truth of the world. I have had years of experience, and there is something that I learned through them all.” She frowned but nodded, paying attention to everything I said.

“There are two types of people in the world,” I began, “The strong, and the weak. Some are strong in body and weak in mind, others are weak emotionally but strong intellectually. But that’s not what I am talking about. When I say strong and weak, I am talking about peoples’ spirit. Some people have the will and the strength of spirit to continue living and even make a change in the world. Others are so weak that they let themselves be controlled, they let the strong win. It is a fact of life, that the strong will always prosper while the weak suffer.

“If you want a change in this town, you can’t expect anyone else to do it for you. You’ll have to do it yourself because there is no good and evil, there is only the strong and the weak. Everyone is worthless until they become strong. And you haven’t done it yet. It’s your choice. You can continue with your worthless life. Or you can become someone who matters. You can become strong.” Something inside me twisted when I said her life was worthless. But I thought that her living and knowing the truth of the world was better than dying naïve.

Silence fell once more, and it stayed this way, for not five minutes later Scarlett was asleep and breathing deeply. Laying her small form down, I joined Scarlett under the covers before casting a quick alarm spell over her and joining her in the land of dreams.

`

I woke to a sharp pain in my head. Opening my eyes, I noticed three things at once. The first, afternoon sunlight was filtering in, marking the late hour. The second, pain in my head kept flashing, accompanied with an obnoxious off-buzzing sound. And finally, and probably the most important thing; Scar wasn’t in the bed and, as far as I could tell from a quick sweep of the bakery, wasn’t in there anywhere.

It took a full minute for my groggy brain to register that the buzzing sound was the alarm spell I’d put on Scar going off. Snapping into full consciousness, I left the building in a few quick steps. Ignoring the strange looks that were sent my way, I made my way down the twisting streets. The alarm spell became louder and louder the closer I got to Scarlett, but due to the way the town was set up, it was nearly impossible to find streets that would lead me to her.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Taking a turn that led to yet another dead end- what I am convinced is the millionth- I restrained myself from screeching. Speeding up, I continued the search. By the time the sun began it’s decent, I was ready to forgo all sense of self preservation and level the entire town. Of course, that could potentially hurt Scar, so it was out of the question. I cursed myself for caring for another, something I should know not to do.

I barreled down another street cursing the wooden walls that created a narrow pathway with sharp turns. I thought it was going to get so narrow that’d I’d become stuck, but just before such a thing occurred it opened- into yet another dead end, empty save for a street urchin sleeping in a corner. Just before I gave in and screeched my rage, the constant buzzing sound went off, signaling I’d come close enough to Scarlett.

My lips pulled down, eyes scanning the area once more, but again it was void of everything save for one person that was too small to be Scar. I paused, noticing the lack of trash, dirt, and feces that tended to mark most dead ends like this one, usually used as places to sleep by the homeless.

With another glance, I took my time walking over to the hunched form in the corner. As I came closer, I noticed a dark stain on the dirt ground just as a metallic scent hit me. I gagged for a moment but didn’t pause as I reached down and removed a dark brown piece of fabric from over the top of the form. The child shifted and fell limply over. I stared dumbly at it for a few beats, eyes refusing to except what I was seeing.

Her arms and hands were mangled pieces of flesh that had little form left, and, while most of her legs were in the same shape, her left foot was gone completely. Her face was swollen and cut, barely recognizable as a person. I shook my head, reasons that this couldn’t be her flitting through my head. She knew someone was after her, she would’ve been careful. She’s always okay. This can’t be her because that means that I… And yet, there was her red head, dyed even darker from all the blood. There was the birthmark just under her neck, nearly completely covered in blood. There was Scarlett, the sweet, little, naïve girl that had just been sleeping in my arms last night.

Numbly, I kneeled next to her, fingers going for her neck even though I knew, I just knew that I would find no pulse. When I first touched her, she was cold as ice and before I could scream my rage a pendent fell and hit the ground with a dull thud. A mist spread up as I dimly thought, a memory spell. An enchanted item that released the sealed memory when the item was moved.

~

The sun rose slowly, bringing the morning smells of the market with it. I felt disconnected and light, like I was floating through the sky. It took a moment for the soft grey mist that had been entrapping me to shift into forms. I recognized the dead end, though it was currently empty and unnaturally still. The sky began clouding over as it slowly became colder, sunlight peaking through rarely.

A pebble rolled, signaling Scarlett’s arrival as she came and sat down in the empty corner, munching on a fried fish she must have stollen. As soon as the fish was finished, nothing but crumbs left, a boy dropped off the roof, landing with a loud thud that sent Scar to her feet. She turned pale at the sight of the man, her head shaking from side to side as if to prove to herself that he wasn’t really there.

I felt my stomach drop when I got a good look at him. He was tall and muscular, with dark black hair and golden skin. Based on his looks, all sharp angles in his smooth face, he couldn’t have reached his second decade. Yet, I recognized the cruelty in his bright silver eyes and the intelligence born from an endless life. His stride was all swagger as he neared Scarlett, shaking where she stood but not trying to run away. When he got a few feet away Scar seemed to finally break out of her trance, lunging for the opening that led to the rest of the town, but it was already too late.

Grabbing the collar of her tunic, the man used her momentum against her, pulling her body around before sending her flying only to stop, arm first, against the far wall with a sickening crunch. Somewhere in me a voice was raging to be let out, but I suppressed it as Scarlett got up, cradling her arm against herself, yelling in pain when the bone protruding from her elbow scrapped against the wall.

“Tell me where she is.” His voice, unlike his demeanor, was light and peaceful as if they were simply discussing local gossip.

Scar just whimpered, not able to talk as tears streamed down her face. I was surprised she hadn’t passed out from the pain. Giving an exasperated sigh, the man caught her easily by her injured arm. Ignoring her cry of pain, he pulled the arm behind her back, twisting her against him in a smooth motion and trapping her between the wall and him. Scar managed to turn her head as she screamed. He said a few words under his breath, a silver sheen covering them with what was no doubt a sound barrier.

“Just tell me,” Scar screamed again as his grip tightened on her arm and his other hand went to her neck, “Where she is.” In what is possibly the most brave and idiotic thing I have ever scene, Scarlett turned her head just enough to spit right in his face. I considered ending the memory there, I knew whatever happened wasn’t going to be pretty. But that was the cowards’ way out, and I’d caused this. No, not directly. Scarlett was killed by this asshole, but he would never have gone after her if it wasn’t for me. I was responsible, and I owed it to this sweet little girl to watch her torture, even if it pained me.

Too fast to see, he turned her back around and held her up by her arm. Her feet not even touching the ground, she managed to keep in another scream by biting her lip. “You little bitch,” he ripped her shirt off of her, using it to wipe his face clean. After throwing the shirt to the side, he pulled the fist that wasn’t holding her up back only to bring it forward again to hit her in the gut. She kept gasping as he continued to hit her over her bare stomach and chest, and her gaps soon turned to bloody coughs as she tried to catch her breath.

When he finally stopped he cursed and let her weak form slump on the ground. He crouched down so he was eye to eye with her. In a display of sickening, twisted affection he ran the back of his hand lightly over her small breasts as he spoke. “You may be stupid but you’re certainly special. I get why she became attached to you.” He tilted his head lightly to the side as his eyes’ roamed over her. “Clearly beating you isn’t working. But, would you tell me what I wanted to know if I took your innocence by force?” When her only answer was a glare full of challenge he smiled. “It’s worked in the past. Shall we try it?”

As his hands reached for her pants, she kicked him before raising her hand to scratch him across the face. Before her nails made contact, he took Scar’s uninjured arm and twisted it while he stepped on her legs until everything was drowned out by snaps and her screams of agony. As she squirmed to try and get away, he held her down with a hand as the other one went into her pants. Using his legs to pin her legs open, he continued his assault until he paused. Scar yelled as he pushed his fingers in a little harder only to retract his hand and give her a kick that sent her rolling away.

“You fucking whore, you’ve already been used. Damn, it’s no fun when you let guys fuck you all the time.” He paused, watching as she tried in vain to rise. “You clearly aren’t going to give me what I want, but you’ve already pissed me off.” He tilted his head again, looking like a cat watching its prey.

“You have nice hair.” He took the few strides to close the distance and yanked her up by her short waves. “Can I have a piece?” Scarlett’s scream was far too familiar as he pulled a lock of her hair off, bits of blood splattering the end. She crumbled to the ground as he opened a pouch that was attached to his hip just wide enough to shove Scar’s hair into it, while giving me a look at the wide array of different coloured locks.

What followed was one of the worst torture sessions I have ever witnessed. I don’t know for how long I watched him beat and break her. At one point, he twisted and pulled her ankle so bad that the tendons started snapping and he just pulled the entire thing off. Scarlett’s screams echoed in my head, over powering the voice that was fighting to be let out, to make him pay. Every time it seemed she would pass out she would just wake with another scream and the voice would renew its efforts.

Scarlett reached a point where she finally gave up. I don’t think she even noticed him anymore. Her eyes stared blankly at the sky or ground and she didn’t even flinch when he pushed his knee into her chest. All life was gone from her. This man had broken her, he’d broken this little piece of light in this shit-hole of a town. It was then that he took and snapped her neck. He put her in a corner, forcing her body in an odd contortion that shouldn’t be possible. so she’d seem smaller before putting the remainder of her shirt over her head.

“You should never have left me, Kitty-Cat.” A chill went down my spine at that cursed nickname. I only saw him tuck a pendent under the shirt before the mist began swirling and disappeared.

~

I blinked my eyes clear and looked down at the destroyed form in front of me. Gently picking her up, I left the dead-end alley with only the crunch of the pendent under my foot, and the lifeless body in my arms to keep me company.