My Fate That I Don't Want

Chapter eight: Birdy

JEREMY'S P.O.V

Something felt wrong… I couldn’t seem to put my finger on what though… Why was I feeling so scared, so out of place… so… lost? My chest was burning…

I woke up in cold sweat, and Ulric was raging in my mind. I didn’t know what… but something was off, or wrong, or both. It irritated me to no avail that I didn’t know what it was, so I resigned myself to rolling over to look at my bedside clock instead. The soft green light it admitted allowed me to see the time:

03.07 am

I should go back to sleep… Worrying about something that was likely just a bad dream wouldn’t do me any good. Ulric growled at that, seemingly not ready to let whatever it was go as fast as me, but he tended to be hot-headed, so I ignored him as I laid back down. Hoping for a good rest, knowing it was useless and I wouldn’t get one. Still, I tried as I closed my eyes and let a restless slumber drag me down.

LIBERTY'S P.O.V

Opening my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the restraints around my wrist. The second thing was the ridiculously comfortable chair I was seated in, and the third was the beautiful head witch staring at me intensely from where she was seated across from me on a chair. Well, a chair was a bad description… more like a dressed-down throne, whatever that was.

“You’re awake, Birdy,” she said, her eyes locking me in place.

My first instinct after waking up had been to tug at the restraints, but looking at the woman in front of me I was wondering if that was really a good idea after all. So I held myself back and opted to stare at her instead.

Clicking her tongue in what appeared to be annoyance, she continued, “You must be wondering why you’re restrained…” I eyed the impossible tight ribbons in what I hoped came across as an unimpressed glare, “...well, Birdy, you seem to have a little temper problem and we can’t have you snapping at people just because they want to see your beak now can we?”

I hated her condescending tone more than anything else about this situation. I huffed as irritation began crawling down my spine. I glared at her. I didn’t even know this woman, but she seemed awfully eager to look down on me for something that wasn’t even my fault. She crossed the line, she took it too far. Even when I turned away, obviously taking away my previous consent, she had to inspect me. She had continued. I hadn’t even hurt her and here she was restraining me like some animal and talking to me like a brainless child. Like this was my fault…

Just like our mom…

The presence was familiar and I couldn’t help but think there was some truth to what it was telling me. Except my mom was sick, this woman… I can’t imagine witches would’ve accepted her as their leader if she had been.

“Why am I restrained? I didn’t even hurt you,” I said with newfound confidence, the other presence in my mind helping me put weight on the words. Giving them meaning. Making me sound powerful.

The witch sighed, “Truth be told, I was just curious as to how you’d react…” she tilted her head to the side, her expression impossible to read, “I mean you can’t hurt me for the life of you Birdy… but I’m surprised your counterpart hasn't tried anything yet… Oh well, that can only last so long can’t it?” She looked amused all of a sudden and it unsettled me…

I didn’t know what to say back so I just stared at her incredulously… Trying and failing to figure out what she wanted from me. I didn’t get her, but then again, I supposed nobody could ever really get a god knows how old head witch, so at least I had that going for me… Yeah, no, I should definitely feel more unsettled at the situation than I was but what can you do? (The answer to that would be not much when you happen to be restrained in magical ribbons (because they were definitely magical ribbons) with an all-powerful witch staring you down… (damn what a life))

The witch in question suddenly rose to her feet as she moved to leave. Said leaving happening very much without me. I kind of felt like panicking so I called out to her instead.

“Wait! What about me? Are you seriously leaving me here like this?”

She turned around right before the door that had just appeared in front of her. With one hand resting on the handle, her lips turned up in what could either be a soft smile or a small smirk, “Just testing something Birdy, just sit there and be good ok?”

And with that, she was gone out the door.