Page 54 of The Tenth Muse

Marlmadine growls, “Shut up Henrietta. And you,” she points to me, “Quit this nonsense and let her go. You don’t know what you’re into girl, and if I have to take that knife from you myself, you’ll wish you’d stayed asleep.”

There’s got to be a way out of this. I can’t go out like this, and I haven’t studied for the last month not to dominate my chem exam. Obviously they have magic on their side, but they also like to talk.

“How long have you hidden behind your magic, taunting and threatening people?” I look Marlmadine in the eye across the cauldron. “I bet you couldn’t take this knife away with your bare hands if you tried.”

“I know what you’re doing, little girl,” she says, pointing her finger at me. “Been there, done that, snapped a bone in half. We haven’t got all night, hand over the knife.” She comes around the pot to us in slow, heavy steps.

“AmI doing something?” I smirk just to rile her up a bit more. “Or are you using that as an excuse because you’re too afraid to be wrong? As it is, your sister is looking to you for help and you haven’t moved an inch to save her. Seems like you’re pretty powerless to me.”

When Marlmadine’s face drops into a sneer, I know I’ve got her going now. “Listen you little bitch?—”

“Oh, I’m the bitch?”

“The only thing I’m afraid of,” she continues, “is getting a gray hair listening to your feeble attempt at survival.” She steps closer to us, just within reach now. “But you are no match for me. I swear you young people always?—”

I swipe out with the knife, jabbing Marlmadine’s arm, and nicking Henrietta in the process. My blood is pumping so hard in my ear that I don’t even register whatever Marlmadine’s snarled at me next. My intuition is saying do whatever it takes to get the knife in the pot. I twist Henrietta so that I can stand but someone grabs the back of my shirt. I toss the knife before my feet get swept underneath me. I hit the floor hard and then everything is still.

It takes me a minute to get the breath back in my lungs and I have to hold my head in my hands, eyes closed, and wait for the dizziness to stop. But no one’s trying to come at me. I don’t even hear them anymore.

I contemplate for a moment if this was all some weird nightmare but the flutters in my chest and pains in my body tell me it’s real. I can hear the crackle and feel the heat of the fire burning under the cauldron. My throat is closing and I take big, deep breaths to force it to relax. Only then can I open my eyes and survey the scene around me.

Henrietta is laid out on the floor where I left her. Marlmadine is stretched over her on her side, arm out and reaching for where my shirt was just a few minutes before. Henrietta’s face is down but Marlmadine is venomously staring straight at me without blinking. They look … paralyzed?

It’s scary to think that this is what would have happened to me if I hadn’t moved fast enough. If I hadn’t woken up at all. A ringing picks up in my ears, and I feel like there’s no air left in the room. They tried to kill me. Would’ve done it with no guilt or shame, simply because I’m the one they picked tonight. My feet start moving before I’ve told them to.

I back up until I hit the wall behind me and slouch against it. I let it help ground me so I can think; I have to do something. I’m no longer in immediate danger but I don’t know how long this immobile state is going to last. It’s pitch dark outside and I have no idea where I am, I have to be smart about this. I start pacing and try to concentrate on coming up with options.

The easy answer is to make a run for it and hope for the best. I’m certain that if I reach some semblance of civilization, I can make it back home. And I have to assume that if or when they’re unfrozen, they won’t be stupid enough to kidnap me a second time.

But, even if they don’t catch me, they’d just kidnap some other unfortunate girl less capable of protecting herself. I can’t let that happen. But I’m also not a killer;what do I do?

Oranges catch my eye as I pass the counter for the fifth time. These were meant to complete the spell. I certainly don’t want any youth from them, but perhaps I can change the spell? Ask for something else?

I pick up the slices, juice running down my fingers. I’m pretty sure I heard somewhere that witchcraft is all about intention. You have to guide it with your mind or energy or something in order for it to fully work. It’s at least worth a try. Especially when I look over and see that Marlmadine’s eyes have shifted from hatred to fear. She doesn’t want me to throw these orange slices in. Perfect, that’s exactly what I’ll do.

I step forward and add them to the pot before I lose my nerve. I think about safety, and warm arms wrapping around me. I think about my toes curled in warm sand and the calmness that comes with it. But mostly, I think of myself, alive, and not cowering from fear of the sisters across the room from me.

Nothing happens for a minute, the bubbles of the boiling water continuing to pop up and burst as Marlmadine and I stare each other down.

But then a light gray mist starts to creep out from the cauldron, turning darker as it curls across the floor in thick swaths. Soon I’m cut off from view of the sisters, the mist so thick I can barely make out the shape of my shoes underneath it. A cracking sound like thunder rings out and a gust of heat hits me, instinctively making me close my eyes.

And when I open them, another figure is standing in the room.

“Hello muffin, what are you doing here?”

two

. . .

Horns.

A tail.

A person with gray skin, violet eyes, two horns, and a tail is standing in front of me,talkingto me. And the familiarity of that greeting isn’t lost on me either.

God, I wish I wasn’t sober right now.

They have a look around the rest of the room and stop when they notice my kidnappers. “And withthem. What’s the story here?”

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