A Witches Grimoir

chapter 20: X marks the spot

The horizon of a significantly larger city came into my view. It was now mid day, i had been walking since 4:00 AM, as i saw on the clock when i left Evee. I felt bad, but i also had a nagging feeling that i did the right thing. Beyond my self loathing, i did the right thing. I think i did.

I figured the large city was the bullseye. The city Amy should be in. That is, if Amy didn't go looking for me yet. I took a deep breath, hearing the sirens in the distance and letting myself worry about that for a hot second. The more i thought, and the closer the city grew, the more i thought about why and how i had the courage to betray Evee like that.

Recently i find i have been making decisions far too quickly, without thinking. This human bullshit is messing with my head.

 I rub the sleep out of my eyes and focus now on step after step, the nearing city. I never thought this far ahead, i never thought of how i would find her, what i would do if she was gone. I tried not to focus on that, i instead focused on the two facts i had ignored for so long.

1: AJ's mom is a witch, making him a changeling

2: my mom is the person of power that OGRAF is trying to overthrow 

I felt my chest tighten with resentment, all these years my father has been struggling, while my mother was controlling some nation of humans. Not only that, my mother abandoned me and my father both for some power and humans at her fingertips. I knew she left for 'a new world' but i never thought she would leave for good, i never thought she would choose power over me.

I always looked up to my mother as some kind of bold, kind, adventurous explorer. Turns out she is a power drunk maniac who even the humans don't want. That being said, maybe it wasn't her fault entirely. Sure she still left us, but maybe it's because Marcus wants the power she has, maybe she didn't do anything at all. Or maybe my vision of her is still tainted despite what i learned.

It makes sense since he even has AJ's mom captive. What an asshole. I feel bad now because of all the harsh comments and thoughts i had about him. I should have seen the signs. When Marcus threatened Aj in his dorm, or when he immediately took us in despite not knowing if we were harmful or not. I suddenly realise how dangerous that was for him. I suddenly start worrying about what Marcus could be doing to him now that he found out. Or worse, what Marcus is doing to AJ's mom.

Im really starting to hate Marcus. He clearly knew witches existed before me and Amy were in the picture, the question is what he will do to obtain the power we hold. I've been thinking through these walks, each day of relative quiet, why Marcus might be doing what he's doing. And this is not in a 'oh he's just a traumatised soul' way. No, I've been thinking about his inner desire, the root of why he is doing all of this. The root of why he is continuously breaking his back to find me and Amy, to keep AJ's mom captive, to build an entire army. I've come to the conclusion that Marcus loves the power we have. Not just like my moms political power, no, our literal power. The power i have in my veins to mesmer a piece of bark to perfectly resemble human money. He wants everything that has to do with power. And he is tricking the public, and his army, into thinking he is some good Samaritan trying to protest an unfair government. Sure, i have no idea how my mother chooses to rule and i'm sure its unfair. But that doesn't mean Marcus's intentions aren't ill.

I have seen the way he revels in Amy's fear, seen the way he fumes when i don't give in to his demands. That's why he chose not to go for Amy. That's why he kidnapped me its because i challenge him with my anger, the way i push back makes him want to ruin me more.

    Through all my thinking, when i finally zone back into reality, i realise i am but a few minutes away from the border of this city. My heart picks up and i walk a little faster. The sun looks about ready to set. its that time when everything reflects the colour of the sky and its one of my favourite times of day.

But what makes this scene even better, is the, beautiful, bright, blond, half asleep figure leaning against the back of a warehouse. Amy.