Chapter 3
Chapter three
Calypso
They rode into the sleepy town at dusk. It looked no different from the other farm towns that were scattered across the northern district of Shalimar.
One main cobblestone street ran through the center on which sat markets and craftsman workshops.
It was quiet now as most of the inhabitants had returned to their homes out in the valley.
Even though she had worn a high-collared black dress with long sleeves to hide her marks of magic, suspicious eyes still glanced their way. They were right to be suspicious because Calypso did not arrive with peace in mind. By tonight, they would understand what a witch’s power truly was.
The town seemed so idyllic that no one would’ve thought a massacre had occurred here a decade back.
After the decree had passed, Lord Haworth had dragged out the six witches of the Taybe coven, stripped them to expose their markings, whipped them until they couldn’t stand, and then burned them at the stake.
“Your left eye is twitching,” Astra noted, her horse walking steadily next to hers.
“I’m wondering whether to whip and burn Lord Haworth. However, the idea of stripping him naked is rather unappealing.”
“I like your poetic sense of justice, but do warn me if you decide to go that route so I can avert my eyes.”
It wasn’t the Taybe coven massacre that brought Calypso here.
It was her desire for answers about her mother’s death.
The story told to the realm was that ten years ago Seraphina Galanis, witch counselor to the king, had gone mad and murdered the royal couple.
This left the kingdom in the hands of their eight-year-old son, Prince Isaac.
Given the prince’s young age, it was decided that the royal advisor, Hugh Davinger, would be appointed as regent king to serve until the prince came of age.
The royal murder was so atrocious that Davinger’s first action as regent king was to pass a decree outlawing witchcraft and targeting all witches as traitors.
The truth was the nobility of Shalimar was comprised of Purists who despised all the magical races.
Having a witch serve in such a prominent position had been scandalous.
But King Torin was no match for her mother’s charm and intelligence, and eventually he’d also seen the wisdom in working together.
Deep-rooted sentiments did not die easily, and a faction had felt the need to eradicate her mother’s influence.
Unfortunately, Calypso had yet to confirm who truly murdered the royal couple.
What she knew was that Lord Thomas Haworth had testified at the court as an eyewitness to her mother’s bloodshed.
The judgement had resulted in her and her mother being held in Sanograd’s dungeon for days before Calypso escaped the capital and fled to the sanctuary.
Eager anticipation spread through her when she saw the Haworth manor come into view. The manor loomed over the town with its imposing towers, encircled by a stone wall with a sturdy wooden gate at the entrance.
At the sight of them, the guard at the gate sat up straight and hurriedly stuffed a glass bottle back in his pocket. He had a sword strapped to his side, but otherwise lacked any defensive armor.
Just as Calypso went to reach for her power, Astra pushed her horse forward, passing her to speak with the guard.
“Good evening, sir. Lord Haworth is expecting us. Though he did not mention employing such a handsome guard.”
The flirtation was weak, but her statuesque beauty had the guard flushing. “I was not informed of any guests arriving today.”
Astra kept her voice light and sweet. “As much as I’d rather stay out here with you, the lord doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Between fear of angering Haworth and Astra’s easy smiles—and likely the alcohol he’d consumed prior to their arrival—the guard was convinced enough to open the gate and let them through.
Calypso glanced at the guard as they passed, wondering if he even knew how close to death he’d been.
“I could’ve taken care of that faster,” she mumbled.
“True, but blood is so hard to remove from stone,” Astra responded.
They left their horses by the stable and headed toward the manor.
As much as Calypso wanted to rush to the master’s suite, she knew they had to take things one step at a time.
There were about a dozen guards employed on the estate that would need to be dealt with.
She didn’t want to risk her sisters getting hurt because of her impatience.
The servants’ quarters were located in a separate building from the manor. Its windows were open to let the cool evening breeze in while the sounds of chatter emitted.
Nyx broke away, rounding the corner of the building. Then, she returned a moment later. “About half of the guards are there, along with some of the other staff.”
Calypso had expected a couple of guards, but half were lounging around playing cards?
“It’s almost too easy,” Calypso said as she reached down swiftly and set fire to the grass near the edge of the building.
“The moment of no return,” Astra commented as they watched the fire grow in strength.
Calypso shook her head. “That moment happened years ago. This is simply the consequence.”
Once the fire had grown to a size where it emitted heat, Nyx put her hands out and gently called upon the wind to corral the smoke through the open window. The smoke entered like a snake slithering into the room, unseen and unheard.
At first, nothing changed. The men continued their conversation without worry. Then, exclaims of alarm suddenly interrupted the jovial chatter from the house.
“Where’s the fire?!”
“It doesn’t matter! We have to get out of here!”
The inhabitants trickled out, hurrying to escape, unaware that the real danger awaited them outside.
Silently, Astra sank to the ground and dug her fingers into the soil. Calypso wondered if Astra knew that her green eyes darkened to almost black when she used her power.
The soil vibrated softly as Astra’s command spread through a network that she’d once tried to explain to her, but Calypso could never quite understand.
White roots emerged from the ground like skeletal fingers and wrapped around the guard’s ankles. As the men tripped onto the ground, their torsos became restrained, their mouths covered. Not a single shout was heard as their eyes moved around in panic.
“We will leave you to it.” Calypso briefly touched Astra’s shoulder, who didn’t acknowledge her.
She trusted Astra to restrain each person and keep them from notifying the rest. That left only those who were in the manor.
Calypso and Nyx entered through the unguarded sunroom.
The manor was large, and those inhabiting it weren’t expecting an attack on a random night.
The men they ran into were surprised, half drunk, or asleep.
It took only a quick manipulation of the wind from Nyx to knock them out.
Calypso kept her fire at bay, not wanting to alert others with screams of pain.
They traversed the corridors searching for the kitchen with a plan to go up the back stairway.
Rounding the corner, Calypso spotted a flurry of motion half a second before a massive blow to the head had her stumbling backward.
Her vision dotted as a metallic thud continued to echo in her ears.
Her fingers flew to her head, coming back sticky with blood.
Once her vision cleared, she saw an old woman standing over her with an iron pan held high. Flames burst from Calypso’s hands, fueled by her quick anger.
“Stop, Calypso!” Nyx’s voice snapped her out of her impending attack.
She now registered that Nyx’s slight frame was holding back the arms of the elderly woman, preventing her from swinging again.
“Why?! That hag tore my head open!” Calypso snarled as she stood up, head still throbbing.
“She’s just an old woman.”
Calypso scoffed. “That old woman did more than any of the guards. Besides, I am not prejudiced.”
“Just try to kill me, you she-devil! I won’t let you take over Haworth Manor!” The old woman tried lunging again at Calypso, but Nyx held her back.
Having come to her senses, Calypso extinguished her fire and looked into the old woman’s eyes. “And exactly what did Lord Thomas Haworth do to earn such loyalty?”
She was truly curious. Was there any good in the man? All she knew of him was evil. A man propped up by self-serving lies.
There was a brief flash of something across the old woman’s eyes before she steeled her spine once more. “It doesn’t matter. I have served the Haworth family my whole life, and I will do what I must to protect this home.”
Ah, family loyalty then. In a way, it was brave. Though still incredibly stupid.
“Even in the face of death?”
The old woman nodded briefly.
“Very well then.”
Calypso stepped forward, but before she could even lift a finger, Nyx whispered a few words and put a hand over the old woman’s nose and mouth. In a blink, she sagged against Nyx’s hold, unconscious to the world.
Calypso raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Skullcap powder,” Nyx answered simply. “Now, help me get her to the couch.”
“I wasn’t actually going to kill her,” Calypso muttered, but took the legs and helped carry her into the next room over. “Goddess, she’s still dragging that pan.”
They set her on the couch, pan and all, to sleep soundly for quite some time.
With the worst attacker taken care of, they headed up the back stairway. No one else came to bother them. At the end of the hall on the second floor were two grand double doors indicating the master chamber.
Her body twitched as they approached the doors, anticipation pulsing through her veins.
Her fingers closed in a tight fist, her sharp nails digging into her palms. All these years, and he was finally so close.
She could practically sense him on the other side, resting peacefully, unaware of the pain she would bring.
Rip the flesh from his body and burn his insides.