Bewitched

Chapter 8 - Malise

To my relief, Elvira slept peacefully; as peacefully as she could with a raging fever. The incision sometimes did this to humans. When it didn't have any magic to last onto, it could start to fester. I didn't know how often it happened, but luckily, I did know how to treat it. Common treatments for infections wouldn't work. This required a bit more magic.

I left Asha by her sister's side and crossed the kitchen to the magic room. But before I could make it there, there was a knock at the door. Right on time. Elvira was too weak to offer any resistance.

And it gave me a bit more time to figure out what to do with her.

I reached for the door.

"Don't."

I turned around to Asha. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "I just want to see who it is."

"What if it's the coven?" she whispered. "Or witch hunters?"

"It'll be fine, I promise."

I grabbed the door handle and she stepped forward to stop me, but I was quicker. I pulled the door open. 

Sister Estelle looked at me a little too surprised. "You really did it?" she asked. 

"You act like it's my first time succeeding."

"We both know you've given us reason to doubt you."

"What's going on?" Asha asked. "Who is this?"

"Is this her?" Estelle asked. 

"Yes," I said. "You better take her before the human wakes up."

"What? You're not going to tell me a little human is a threat?"

"I'm handling things here. Just go. I will explain everything later."

"You better. Mother Zaleria may be forgiving, but she's not stupid."

Asha stepped back. I grabbed her before she could run. No doubt there were multiple secret escapes in this cottage. She struggled against me but I pulled her over to the door. It was for the best. It was to keep her safe. It was to protect her from the humans, to make sure she'd never...

Don't defend yourself. Only guilty people do.

Estelle took Asha from me and dragged her outside. Asha shot me one last look, but it wasn't fear, as I'd expected. It was surprise. Betrayal. And finally, at the last moment, before she disappeared outside, her eyes went past me, to the bedroom. To her sister.

Had I looked that way at my parents?

I shut the door on her eyes - and on any unwanted memories. It was just me and Elvira now.

And she was probably my biggest problem.

I entered the magic room and looked around me. I should burn the notes, the books, everything. Then, I had to find out where this information came from, how to find the humans studying these things. I could get Mother Zaleria to put a team on it. This was a threat we couldn't ignore.

I prepared more medicine for Elvira's infection. I needed her alive. Purely for information, of course. Just to ask her where she'd gotten those books from. 

She was still asleep. Her breathing was more evenly now, but her face was still covered in sweat. I brushed some strands of hair aside. 

I had to kill her.

She was a threat, with her skill and knowledge. I had to torture her, learn where she got all her information from, and then kill her. I had to do it, in order to protect my sisters, my family. And yet...

She stirred. I leaned closer and stroked her cheek, trying to shush her back to sleep. Her sister was safe now. The coven was the best place for her to be. She'd be happy there, and grateful, and...

Only guilty people-

I pressed the medicine against Elvira's wound, purging the memories - I mean, the infection. She hissed. 

"It's okay," I said, though I wasn't sure why. Comforting people wasn't my thing.

I couldn't let her live. She was a threat, and Mother Zaleria wouldn't forgive a mistake like this.

And yet, I treated her wound and stayed by her side as her fever subsided. Only for the information, of course.