Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON ONE (Completed!)

Part 6.3

ADDY

It is as I feared. Onyx closes his eyes. The glow of pain emanates from his eyelids. Lily has used the dark power, and it has overwhelmed her. The missing piece of her heart was not an unimportant piece.

Addy slumps into her bedsheets. Her curtains are drawn; none of the city's shine permeates the room. "I'm so sorry, Onyx. If I'd known that's what she was planning...I honestly didn't know. I thought she'd think about it first. When I saw those vines wrapped around her...oh, Onyx, I wish I could've stopped her. She didn't need to kill Dr Carron."

She would have had to kill him to destroy Amitabh, with or without the dark power.

"But she could've drawn Amitabh out of Dr Carron's body first. She could've tried, Onyx."

Onyx climbs into her lap and nuzzles her chin. She kisses his nose in response.

What has been has been. There is a reason that power was forbidden among the Phaedreans. Even when ice demons ruled Phaedra, it was not used.

Lily had used it. She'd gone behind their backs and used it, despite their warnings. It had her in its grip now.

"We have to find Lily," Addy sits up, forcing Onyx to shift his position. He meows with discontent. "I know she's in there somewhere - the real Lily. We can't give up on her."

I do not think reasoning with her will work. I sought out Bethany during the Dark Ages. I thought I could talk her down. I was wrong.

"But Bethany gave her heart away! Lily still has her heart...or most of it anyway. If we can reach past the darkness controlling her, we can get her back, Onyx. I know it."

The darkness is strong.

"Lily is stronger."

Onyx considers this. There may be a way to release her from its grip, but it is dangerous. In her current state she could attack us. My powers have slowly healed over the last thousand years, but they are not yet at full strength. I do not know who would win if we battled.

"I don't want you two to fight," Addy says. "I couldn't bear it if one of you was hurt. But we have to do something." She bites her lip, thoughtful. "Maybe Ruby's onto something."

Onyx raises his head. Oh?

"She thinks the key lies in the ending of the Dark Ages. It lasted a hundred years, then it ended. What happened to the Dark Witch?"

I do not know. Onyx's eyes have widened slightly. He lets out a soft meow. I have wondered this myself. I learned to stay away from the Dark Witch, but I kept track of her activities. After a while, I stopped hearing about her. The wars settled. Treaties were signed. Food began to fill the bellies of the people once more. I never knew what happened to her. But of course she died, or Lily would not be here.

Addy frowns. "She died. You said Phaedreans are immortal...someone must have killed her."

That is possible, but unlikely. The Dark Witch was all-powerful. It is hard to imagine that she was overpowered.

"Yet she died. She died, and the Dark Ages ended. That means she has a weakness. I'd never hurt Lily, but if there's something we can use to weaken the darkness controlling her, we have to find it."

Perhaps Ruby has read something useful.

"Maybe. I think we should ransack the Zilitron Library for any books about the Dark Ages. There's got to be a clue in there somewhere."

That is a sensible idea, Adamantine.

Addy rubs his chin; he purrs. He was in pain, she knew, though he wouldn't show it. Addy was hurting too. She didn't know where Lily was or if she was okay. Her best friend was in danger - was dangerous - and the secret to helping her lay in the fall of the Dark Ages.

They had to uncover what happened five hundred years ago.

They had to find out how the Dark Witch died.

*

"They're gone." Maya grimaces. "All the books on the Dark Ages are gone."

"What?!" Ruby explodes.

"Someone bought them up last year."

Ruby puts her head in her hands.

Addy smiles through her disappointment. "You're taking this so well, Ruby. I'm so glad to have you on our side."

Ruby shrugs grumpily. "I don't want to relive the Dark Ages either, okay? Lily needs to be brought back from the brink."

"It's just that...you were kind of on Lily's case for a while. I thought you were against her."

Ruby rolls her eyes. "I wasn't against her. I just wanted to know the truth." She turns to Maya. "Anyway, which idiot bought all our books?"

Maya cringes. "Prince Marsi of Sactaphrane."

"Oh no," Addy says. "We'll never get them back..."

"It's alright." Maya sighs. "I know him. He lives in Zilitron."

Ruby raises her eyebrow. "If it's alright, then why do you look like you've swallowed a pot full of acanthines?"

Maya holds her pink eyes steady. "That's not important. I can contact Prince Marsi. He shouldn't object to us looking through his library."

"Thank you so much, Maya," Addy beams. "You've been such a big help. I really appreciate how you covered for Lily too. And you as well, Ruby."

The security guard saw Lily with the vines around her and ran back inside the hospital to get help. Later, both Ruby and Maya would tell the Mirror Guard that what they saw in the air was definitely not a girl with lilac hair. With only one witness, and one who wasn't entirely sure at that, Lily was off the hook.

"I owe Lily, and you, Addy. You brought my life back from a very crazy place." Maya smiles.

"I thought you'd tell your investigation squad, Ruby. I'm so grateful that you didn't."

Ruby shrugs again. "Look, I don't see what the big deal is. Being a witch isn't something to be embarrassed about. But I do get that Lily wants to keep it quiet, and that's fine by me. If she was discovered, it'd be a huge shock to the world. No one wants all that media attention." Ruby frowns. "Except Maya," she adds.

Maya's expression settles into a frown.

"Anyway, I'm so glad to have you two on our side," Addy continues. "I can't thank you enough."

"You can thank me by saving Lily," Maya responds. "Though that's a task for all three of us. Four, if you count your cat."

Addy beams at her.

"I'll send a message to Prince Marsi. He'll remember me."

"Is he friendly?" Addy asks.

Maya grimaces. "Just...brace yourself."