CHAPTER ONE: The same crime

Baila ran through the forest, her barefoot crunching on dead leaves and branches. From a distance, she could hear the barking dogs assisting the guards in the hunt.

The hunt for her.

She ducked behind a tree when she found nowhere to hide. Baila tried to slow her breathing as she wrapped her hand around her necklace and prayed. With tears in her eyes, she lifted her head to the skies.

The moon was covered by thick dark clouds. It would rain soon and the dogs would not be able to catch her scent but she was afraid that the rain would make it difficult for her to escape. 

What had she done?

She had been sent here to change things, to be a difference. Every last witch in the world was counting on her and she had let them all down. She had done worse than disappoint them, Baila had repeated the same crime that started the witch hunt-a tradition she could have easily put an end to by winning the bride trials and marrying the high prince.

When she closed her eyes, she could still see the horrified look on Ayesha's face.

Ayesha!

Baila hadn't thought of what would happen to the brown beauty once she escaped. Ayesha would be framed as an accomplice no doubt. If she wasn't thrown into the dungeons, a worse fate awaited her and it was all because of Baila.

The barking of the dogs grew louder and Baila knew that they were close behind. If she made a run for it, the archers amongst the guards would shoot her down. She had committed a horrible horrible crime but she did not want to die. 

Dread crawled up her spine and her heart dropped into her stomach as she realised what she had to do if she wanted to survive. She squeezed her eyes shut and saw a flash of her mother's cold green eyes glaring at her.

Don't do it. Don't use the magic.

Her mother's voice warned, ringing over and over again in her ears.

"I'm sorry, mother" Baila whispered, her lips trembling as she tried to hold back a sob.

She stared at the necklace around her neck. If she hadn't taken it off a few moments ago, none of it would have happened. With one final look at her necklace, Baila made a decision, she wanted to live. Even if it meant adding another crime to the one she was being hunted for.

Baila ripped the necklace from her neck. A smokey breath escaped her mouth in a puff as red veins slowly appeared on her skin. When she opened her eyes, they were blood red.

Baila stepped from behind the tree to face the guards who slowed down when they saw her. One of them stared intensely at her neck. When he noticed the necklace was gone, his eyes widened and he stepped back.

"It's a lovely evening boys," Baila breathed, rolling back her shoulders as she felt the demon in her awakening. She held up the necklace so the nine men and their four dogs could see it.

"You can leave and die or keep hunting and die," Baila smiled, feeling giddy. Guilt slithered its way into her heart but Baila's demon did not allow it. She crushed it before Baila could change her mind.

The men looked at each other. Baila saw it then. They would prefer to die at her hands than to return to the castle and be executed as cowards.

"I hope you understand that this was your choice, not mine," she told them in a mock pity tone.

An arrow whizzed through the air towards Baila as one of the archers let the string of his bow and arrow loose. With a wave of her hand, the arrow went crashing against a tree and broke into two.

The men drew their swords and advanced towards her.

"Aduro" she whispered, drawing the symbol for fire in the air with her hands. Golden sparks danced at her fingertips and the symbol took form and flew towards the men.

Gut-wrenching screams echoed throughout the forest as nine men burst into flames. The dogs whimpered and scurried away.

Baila looked at the burnt corpse for a few moments. She did this. It was all her.

With fear threatening to consume her, she spun on her heel and headed North.

Baila did not know how long she had been walking but the sun had risen and set three times. Her feet were bloody and sore yet her demon urged her forward. She clenched her fists around the necklace, cursing the damn thing.

Every time she tried to put it on, a fire would engulf her arm. Now, her right arm was nothing but charred flesh and she almost regretted removing the necklace.

She was alive and that was the only thing that mattered. 

Baila stumbled to a stop in front of a huge black wall that seemed to never end. With drooping eyes, she looked around. There were broken glasses sticking up at the top of the wall. She would have to find a way around it.

Her heart threatened to stop beating as she forced herself to move. The fear of death was the only thing that kept her going.

By nightfall, Baila had not found a way around the wall. There were a few cracks in it. Perhaps, she could go over it.

A few pieces of broken glass never killed anyone. Maybe tonight, it would kill her. Baila shook the thought away. She was not dying tonight.

Her mind was hazy. She fought her demon so she could place the necklace back around her neck. If they both wanted to survive, Baila needed to be herself not her demon.

Her demon reluctantly retreated and Baila placed the necklace around her neck before ripping away the folds of her skirt she had worn to the ball and climbing the wall.

What a long day or days!

As she climbed, she could not help but think about her mother. Rachel would be so disappointed. And that old bitch they had as a neighbour would definitely gloat about how she had warned the entire coven of Baila being a loose cannon.

She could go to hell for all Baila cared. In fact, she could die in a few minutes and Baila would be happy about it. 

Ayesha.

Was Ayesha fine? Had her punishment begun already or had she managed to escape too? 

Baila doubted that Ayesha would escape. The girl was a cowardly little thing not that Baila was any less cowardly herself.

Baila reached the top of the wall, pulling herself over it despite the shards of glass that pierced her flesh. She let out a loud groan, toppling over in pain and falling to the hard wet ground as darkness stole her breath.

A few minutes passed before Baila gasped into consciousness. The sound of a rushing river sent a jolt of excitement through her.

She was thirsty. Very thirsty.

Baila crawled to the river and buried her face in it as she tried to quench her thirst.

She leaned forward too quickly and slipped over the wet rocks. Her eyes went wide as she fell into the river and the current swept her away.

She blamed her old neighbour for this.

That old bitch!

Baila was swallowed by the water and spat out several times. Every time she felt herself drowning, the water would push her to the surface only to drag her under again. She was tired and the strength she had desperately held onto was quickly diminishing. 

When the water swallowed her again and did not throw her back to the surface, the fear she had buried finally rose to the surface. Clawing at her neck and wrapping its cold icy hands around her spine.

She was going to die.

An image of smiling green eyes and long black hair made its way into her mind. Rachel-her mother. Baila could hear her mother laughing at her own expense. She could see her mother glaring at their old neighbour from the window in the kitchen.

Not like this. She thought to herself, flailing her arms and legs in a desperate attempt to get to the surface. It was useless, she had never seen a current this strong. She was too weak and her demon was asleep. It would take hours before Baila's demon woud wake up and by the time she did, they would both be dead.

Baila saw the cherry trees she lay under when the sun was blazing hot and the weeping willow she climbed whenever it rained.

She made the mistake of sobbing at the thought of everything she would lose if she died. Water filled her mouth and lungs, stealing her last bit of air. Pins and needles pricked her throat and her lungs.

Help. Anyone. I don't want to die.

The moon shone brightly above her. Her head tilted upwards as she reached for the surface one last time. The view was beautiful. The stars were beautiful.

A purple falling star caught her eye but she was too weak to think anything of it. It was the last thing she saw before she gave in to the pull of the dark.