Chapter 64: Half spilt tea

The thought of Sable knowing the truth made Mallory stare at the witch intensely. She acknowledged it with a murmur, "You knew we were never related. My grandmother and I, or my mother." 2

The witch smiled, revealing her jagged teeth, while her posture began to hunch as if she couldn't walk straight as seconds began to pass by. She responded, "I have known it for a long time and the secret was also exposed, which is why Selia threatened to kill me if I ever tried to harm you. I was allowed to harm the little boys or girls with you, but never you. She's gone now, and with her, your protection."15

"Wait!" Mallory stopped the witch before she would utter any spells. "I am looking for answers of where I came from! What do you know about it?" 

"Oh, Mal. Does it even matter? Especially when you are going to die," Sable asked with a chuckle escaping from her dry lips. 6

"Consider it to be my last dying wish! You can have Hadeon for yourself, and kill me at the same time. I only want to know the truth," Mallory pleaded with earnestness in her voice. 11

A breeze passed by them, while the clouds moved before the moon in the sky. So far, there was no sight of Hadeon and she was trying to think of a way to get out of here. She had to buy herself some time. 8

Sable slowly walked towards Mallory, circling her like a predator, before she came to stand before the latter and pulled out a few strands of hair by forcibly plucking them out. 

"Ow!" Mallory flinched at the sudden pull, before the witch walked towards the boiling pot. 

The moment the hair strands were dropped, a green liquid spilled out of it and Mallory began to feel weak. She then heard Sable say, 6

"This is so that you don't have some crazy idea that you can run from here, by dragging the conversation between us." 

"I always considered you as my friend, Sable. I wouldn't try to mock your intelligence," Mallory lied through her teeth because she had to stay alive. If only she were near the fire, she would have attempted to weaken the bonds around her ankles or wrists, she thought to herself. "What do you know about my lineage?" 2

The calm woman that Mallory knew of until now, she looked like she was high on something, as if slightly hyperactive, with the way her head kept moving like a bird. 5

"We witches have this special ability, to smell things. So we know who is rotting from inside and who tastes delicious. Before your grandmother concealed you in an invisible cloak of spell, you reeked of death," Sable cackled after saying it. "Most of the time, it only happens when the child kills its mother. Because humans are too weak to bring it out in this world. You killed your mother!" she hissed. 16

Mallory's breath hitched, the truth landing like a blow. Her mother had died giving birth to her? "How can I trust what you're saying is true?"

"You're going to be a stew in the pot soon, why would I lie?" Sable asked her with an incredulous look in her eyes. "Oh! Oh! I am sure you would like to hear this!" 

Mallory doubted that she would want to hear it, but she continued to listen to Sable anyways. The witch then continued while standing next to the boiling pot, 

"Did you know that the ones you so loved and cherished. The mother you cried endless tears for while I found it funny, she realised you were not her child. Selia had a thing for abandoned ones, just like the so-called mother she had picked up in the past, and that mother realised Selia was a witch. She stopped visiting here."5

Here? Mallory asked herself. So they were somewhere near the village that she and Hadeon had visited. 3

Sable then stated, "The night they died, the fire didn't break by accident or an outsider. It was started by your false mother after realising you could be a witch and she wanted to burn you," she cackled. 13

Mallory's face paled at this news and it took her seconds to process if she heard it right. She shook her head, "That can't be true… My mother wouldn't do that. She loved me dearly and so did father." 6

"Even when they knew the kind of creatures we witches are?" Sable taunted her. 

"But I am not a witch. I am a… human," at least for now she was, thought Mallory to herself. Her hands began to shake and her mind began to turn blurry.

"Well, she didn't know that now, did she?" Sable clicked her tongue and she then said, "Now that you know the truth, I guess it is time to put you in the boiling pot. I don't want to keep Hadeon waiting because of our unnecessary chatter." 

With those words, Sable began to walk back towards Mallory and was ready to grab the back of her hair, when the crunching of leaves was heard. 

"Hello, darling," Hadeon suddenly dropped from one of the nearby trees with ease. 19

"I am glad that you are here, Hadeon. It seems like the tea worked wonders. You have forgotten about Mallory, and she will be gone soon for you to remember much of her," Sable spoke confidently. "I could tell by your overconfidence that you would drink it." 7

Hadeon let out a dark chuckle and he remarked, "Bold of you to think the effects lasted on me more than ten seconds. What a dumb witch, as dumb as they come to be." He then turned to look at Mallory and said, "Good to see that you are still alive, monkey." 6

"It is good to see you too," Mallory confessed, as relief washed over her. 10

"That can't be possible!" the witch looked visibly upset and confused, not knowing how Hadeon was not under the spell. From the juice she had prepared, it was meant to erase his memory and bring him to her. "Why didn't it affect you?!"

A broad grin appeared on Hadeon's lips and he questioned the witch back, "Why do you think?" 9

The witch was still lost and breaking her mind on how her plan had failed her, and as if to finish the obstacle in her way, she darted towards Mallory. But before she could take a closer step, metallic cards came flying right at her and she started to jump backwards to avoid being hit by it. 7

"You are not a human!" Sable turned alert, as until now she had taken things lightly as if this place were her playground, which had suddenly put it in danger. 13

Hadeon continued throwing the cards one after another with a speed that forced Sable to move far away from Mallory, while he had made his way towards the latter. He raised one of his metallic cards and turned to show the symbol on it. 

"Looks like you got the rotting flowers, witch," Hadeon grinned. 

"You are a vampire… How come I don't know you?" Sable demanded, while she held the dagger in her hand. 3

"That's because I was sleeping in the graveyard until now, but no need to envy," Hadeon stated, and the next time he threw the card, the witch caught it. 

"Just because you are a vampire doesn't mean you can beat a witch, you fool!" Sable said, before throwing a powder into the firepit, which made the fire spill out and form a wall out of it. 

When Hadeon bent down to untie Mallory, she exclaimed in alarm, "She's running away!" 

"That's fine. She won't get that far," Hadeon replied calmly. With practiced ease, he undid the ropes binding her wrists and legs before turning his attention to her. "Are you alright?" he inquired, concern lacing his words.16

Mallory nodded, massaging her wrists, then voiced her curiosity, "How did you get here? She mentioned something about mixing a drink to make you forget me."

"I am Hadeon Van Doren," he reminded her, his tone assured. "Mixing something from the realm of the living isn't going to affect me. Besides, I needed to understand what was happening when we drank those concoctions at her house. It was a calculated risk," he explained, earning a surprised glance from Mallory. "I just needed to ensure it wasn't poisoned."13

As Hadeon rose to his feet, he extended a hand to help Mallory up. Amidst the encroaching flames, Mallory wondered how they would escape. Then, to her astonishment, Hadeon's pureblooded vampire heritage revealed itself as majestic wings sprouted from his back. With a powerful flap, the wings extinguished the flames, shrouding the area in darkness.

"Why don't you take a moment to stargaze here, my dear?" Hadeon suggested. "I'll return before you even realise I'm gone." With a transformation into a bat, he vanished into the night, leaving Mallory alone amidst the quiet darkness.22