Elina

It wasn't hard killing Simon. He was unsuspecting. Maybe he thought I was too beautiful to be a witch. He asked what I was doing out on the rough road with my husband. That life would be easier within city walls. Life would be enjoyable in Larose.

He had his hands on my shoulder. I didn't like that. So I killed him. Turned him to dust.

But I made sure not to damage his armor. Because I needed it.

I slipped out of bed. Put on the armor. Then left the room. Stood outside the room for a moment, see if Salem will follow. He didn't. Stayed where he was, breathing softly.

Good.

Quietly went down the stairs and out of the King's Lodge.

The streets were quiet. Deserted. Nothing and no one. A lonely gust swept the streets, like a cleaner who only worked at night, taking with it the grime in the air, the dust, the feelings of yesterday. When the people of Larose woke up the next day, they'll breathe in the pure air, feel at ease, and then all at once they'd get back to work, tarnishing what made them feel whole and pure.

I stood on the porch of the King's Lodge. Waited. There was nothing. Salem wasn't going to follow me.

Good.

I breathed in. Breathed out. Closed my eyes and focused magic to my ears. Far from Larose, I heard the emergency signal of witches. And now within the city walls, the cries of agony where deafening.

How annoying.

I put my hand to my throat. Focused a little magic there. Time to make my own signal.

I said, "Quiet."

A moment of silence. Then the emergency signal grew into a frenzy. The invisible howls echoed all over the city, the magic bouncing off the walls, like a thousand bullets ricocheting all at once.

"QUIET!"

The emergency signal faded.

I said, "Only one of you speak. Tell me where you are."

A faint voice sounded.

"Here, deep underground, oh great witch."

I smiled. Flattery won't work with me. But I appreciate it.

"What part of the city are you in?"

"We don't know."

I said, "Keep speaking. I'll find you."

Instead of speaking, the voice began a hymn. A few other voices joined. The choir glid across the rooftops, intertwined with the wind, touched my hair, my hands, leading me forward.

I followed the hymn. It grew louder with every step. It led me along the mainstreet, away from the shuttered shops, far from the King's Lodge. Eventually I entered a different part of the city. A part that didn't have many residents, didn't have many shops. What stood out was a stone building with a church spire on top of it.

Heh~

Is this the Church that hired Salem to capture me?

Interesting.

Breaking the windows would create noise. Killing all the guards quietly would be difficult.

But there was still a way.

I put my hand to my face and changed into Simon Withstone.

Simply walk through the front door.

I stepped out from the shadows and marched towards the building. Towards the door.

Made a salute, a nod there.

Walked past the guards and put my hand on the door.

"Hey you there, stop!"

I froze. Looked back. A guard had stepped up, his hand on his swordhandle.

He said, "Who are you? Who sent you here?"

"Orders," I said. Like that would explain everything.

He said, "No one enters without a written order from the mayor."

Huh. Didn't expect that.

A few other guards gathered. Stood some steps away. Looking at me.

How troublesome.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Officer Eric Rosewood."

I nodded. I knew who he was, but he didn't know me. Which was an advantage. Two guards to the left, two to the right. This conversation was attracting too much attention. I needed a new plan.

I said, "Officer Rosewood, I'd like to have a word with you."

He looked at me. A look on his face. Maybe thinking about what I wanted, or if this was worth his time. But the night was long and nothing was going to happen anyway. So he made a choice.

He said, "Speak away."

I said, "It's a message from the mayor. It's a verbal message. He says the information is too sensitive to be written down."

Rosewood raised a dubious eyebrow. He didn't believe me.

He said, "Why would the mayor trust a mere city guard like you with secrets?"

Huh, so Simon Withstone had a low-rank. But they all look the same to me. Clumsy humans dressed in clumsy clothes.

I stepped close to him. Close to his ear.

I said, "It's about magic."

He looked at me. I looked at him. With my brown human eyes.

He said, "Let's talk in my office."

I suppressed a smile. Too easy.

Rosewood turned and said something to the guards and they returned to their positions. He opened the door and we stepped into the church building. Inside was colder than outside. As if the stone walls blocked the natural outside world and left only what was there when there was nothing.

Rosewood took me upstairs, made a turn and opened the door to his office We stepped in. He closed the door. Locked it.

"So, what is the message?" he asked.

I grabbed his head, turned him to me and looked intently at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to get a good look at your face."

"Why?"

"Because this is the message."

"What?"

I snickered. Looked at him with silver eyes. Realization on his face.

I said, "I'm here to deliver some magic."

Magic shot through up my arms, through my fingers and into his head.

Boooom.

His head splattered across the walls, on his desk, on the floor.

Blehhh!

I should've been more careful. Like when I killed all the people in the honeypot village. Didn't want to scare off Salem with a torrent of blood.

Sigh...maybe I was too eager too kill. Used too much magic. And now I've dirtied myself.

Oh well...But I've achieved my objective.

I put my hand to my face and became Eric Rosewood.

Huh-hunn~ I think his face looks better on me than it did on him.