Mirabel raced towards the compound, her mind consumed with finding a way to liberate Eamon from Onome's grasp. The thought of him suffering under her torment fueled her determination, pushing her to find a solution, no matter the cost.
As she approached the compound, a sense of unease washed over her. Even though the compound wasn't very lively the energy just felt too quiet. It was more silent than it was. The air felt heavy, charged with an invisible tension.
One maid, her face pale with fear, hurried towards Mirabel, her hands trembling. "Mirabel," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "Esse is looking for you. She is very angry."
Mirabel's heart sank. She knew what Esse was capable of, the depths of her cruelty. She remembered the stories of Erosa's wrath, how she had punished even her most trusted servants for minor offenses.
She quickened her pace, heading towards Esse's room, hoping to avoid a confrontation, but also knowing she had to face Esse sooner or later. As Esse's handmaiden, her loyalty and service were expected.
As she approached, she saw Esse standing before the mirror, her back to the door.Esse was removing the beads from her own hair, her movements sharp and agitated. The delicate strands fell to the floor like shimmering tears.
Mirabelle swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "Ma, you were calling me?" She asked.
Esse didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge her presence. Her pupils dilated, shifting to an unnatural, glowing green.
A wave of dizziness washed over Mirabel, her senses reeling. Before she could react, before she could even understand what was happening, she was yanked upwards, her body slamming against the ceiling with a sickening thud.
Gazing down at the floor, she felt an invisible force pressing her against the ceiling, pinning her there, helpless and terrified.
"Where were you?" Esse asked, her voice devoid of any warmth or emotion, a chilling monotone that sent shivers down Mirabel's spine.
Mirabel wasn't a skilled liar. She couldn't think of a plausible excuse, couldn't concoct a story that would satisfy Esse's suspicion. So, instead, she opted for a simple, albeit unconvincing, truth.
"I…I went to the river," she stammered, her voice trembling.
Esse increased the force pressing her against the ceiling, her green eyes narrowing. "And what did you do there?" she asked, her voice growing colder, more menacing.
"I went…to swim," Mirabelle replied, her voice barely audible.
Esse remained silent for a long moment, her expression unreadable. It was obvious that she didn't believe Mirabel's flimsy excuse. She knew that Mirabel was lying, concealing something from her.
But, for reasons Mirabel couldn't fathom, Esse didn't press her further. Her pupils slowly reverted back to their normal color, the eerie green fading away.
The invisible force pinning Mirabel to the ceiling vanished, and she plummeted to the floor, landing with a heavy thud, her body aching, her mind reeling.
Esse, without even glancing at Mirabel, simply said, "My hair is a mess. Do something about it."
Mirabel, her heart pounding, forced herself to obey, her fingers trembling as she reached for the intricate strands of Esse's hair. She began to braid, her movements precise and practiced, her mind racing, trying to anticipate Esse's moods, trying to avoid any misstep that might provoke her wrath.
Halfway through the intricate braiding process, a deafening screech pierced the silence, followed by the heavy thud of Riptor landing outside the window. The sound startled both Mirabel and Esse, their hands freezing momentarily.
A few minutes later, a knock echoed on Esse's door. Before Esse could respond, the door swung open, revealing Onome standing in the doorway, her expression serious and determined.
"Esse, I need to talk to you privately," Onome said, her voice firm.
Esse sighed, her eyes rolling with impatience. "Just talk, Onome ," she said, her voice laced with annoyance.
Onome, ignoring Esse's dismissive tone, said, "Yọ kuro ninu!" (Get out of the way!) her eyes signaling to Mirabel .
Esse waved her hand dismissively, her gaze never leaving her reflection in the mirror. Mirabel, understanding the silent command, quickly gathered her tools and left the room, closing the door behind her. She pressed her ear against the door, desperate to overhear their conversation, but her efforts were in vain.
Onome clapped her hands together, releasing a wave of purple energy that washed over the room, encasing it in a magical barrier that prevented Mirabel , or anyone else, from eavesdropping.
"What was so important that couldn't wait until tomorrow morning?" Esse asked, her voice laced with impatience.
"Someone put a hex on me," Onome replied, her voice low and grave, leaving Esse stunned into silence.
"Are you sure?" Esse asked, her brow furrowing with disbelief. "No witch or wizard is powerful enough to place a hex on you. The only person powerful enough to do that was Mother, and she's been dead for over a decade now."
"A little part of my memory is missing, and I don't know how or why, but all I know is it's gone," Onome said, her voice filled with worry.
Esse knew Onome as a serious and obedient person, someone who never spoke without certainty. So, if Onome said a part of her memory was gone, then it was gone. They just had to find out how and who did it. She started to pace around the room, her mind racing, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"What was the last thing you remember?" Esse asked, her voice sharp and focused.
"I went to check on our prisoner," Onome replied, her voice growing strained. "When I noticed I was being followed, I made a protective spell on myself. And that was the last thing I remember."
"And the person who was following you?" Esse asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Onome pupils turned purple, looking into her memory, she said out " Ṣafihan!", releasing waves of light over to the floor. (Reveal!) Glowing footsteps appeared on the floor. "Adunni i?" Esee asked bewildered. "How? Why?"
"That's what I'm not sure of," Onome said, her voice filled with concern. "But there's something suspicious about her. We have to stop her."
Though Mirabel couldn't hear their conversation, a prickling sensation on her skin told her that something was terribly wrong. The urgency in Onome's voice, the way she had looked at her with suspicion, the sudden casting of the silencing spell – it all pointed to a danger she couldn't afford to ignore.
She knew she had to escape, to regroup, to find a way to help Eamon, but she couldn't do it from a prison cell. What was the point of coming back to save Eamon if she ended up captured herself?
With a surge of adrenaline, she decided to flee, to find a safe haven where she could plan her next move. She slipped away from the door, her footsteps light and swift, her senses alert for any sign of pursuit.
As she ran through the corridors, she noticed something unsettling. The hallways seemed to stretch on endlessly, the familiar architecture distorting into strange, impossible angles. A chorus of whispers echoed around her, growing louder, more menacing, morphing into a cacophony of demonic laughter that sent shivers down her spine.
She was confused, disoriented, her sense of direction failing her. The laughter grew louder, closer, as if the very walls of the compound were closing in on her.
Desperate to escape, she pushed herself harder, her lungs burning, her legs aching, but the hallways continued to twist and turn, leading her nowhere. Soon, a wave of drowsiness washed over her, her limbs growing heavy, her vision blurring. She stumbled, her knees buckling beneath her, and she fell to the floor, her consciousness fading away.
That was the last thing she remembered, the last sensation she felt before darkness consumed her.
When she awoke, she was bound in chains, her wrists and ankles chafing against the cold metal. Someone had just dumped a bucket of icy water on her. She gasped, her body shivering uncontrollably, her mind struggling to make sense of her surroundings.
She looked up, her eyes widening with fear. Esse and Onome stood before her, their faces grim, their eyes filled with cold fury.
Esse slapped her hard across the face, the force of the blow sending her head snapping to the side. "I can't believe it," Esse spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I knew there was something off about you, but a witch? That's something I would have never figured out."
"How were you able to conceal your magic?" Onome sneered, circling Mirabel like a predator sizing up its prey.
Mirabel, still dazed and disoriented, stared at them in shock. "I…I'm not a witch," she stammered, her voice trembling with fear. "I don't even know what you're talking about."
Esse slapped her again, even harder this time, her eyes burning with rage. "Lying won't help you," she hissed. "Why were you following Onome ? What do you know? What is your mission here?"
Mirabel remained silent, her mind racing, trying to understand what was happening, trying to formulate a plan. She knew that anything she said could be used against her, that Esse was looking for any excuse to punish her.
Esse , seeing her silence, smirked, a cruel, predatory glint in her eyes. "Very well," she said, her voice dripping with menace. "If you don't talk, I have other ways to make you talk."