Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Make sure you tell your mother it’s once a day and that she eats something before taking it.” 

Dottie ruffled the little boy's hair before handing the potion bottle to him and putting the coins in her basket. She continued to her next stop, heels clicking like usual. The bottles clinked against each other. She leaned back, resting against a post while she waited for her usual customers. More people filed into the square as the sun rose higher in the sky, leaving a tingling on her skin.  

“What’s your name, pretty lady?” 

She turned her head to the side, eyes landing on a man with dark red, almost black hair. A sigh escaped her mouth. 

Ryder stepped closer. “Hey, I asked you a question.” The stench of alcohol grew stronger as he approached. His tone is more threatening. Dottie stepped away, but it seemed to only draw him in. 

“You really aren’t going to say anything?” 

His hand gripped her wrist tightly, his nails digging into her skin, in her poor attempt to get away. She pulled her arm, but he wouldn’t budge, only causing scratches on her arm, drawing little drops of blood. Its purple color turned to red once it leaked out of her skin.

“Let go.” Dottie grunted. 

“Oh, so you can talk.” 

She huffed in response, tugging on her arm, firmly finally getting him to release, but he wouldn’t back down. Dottie walked fast in any direction that she could. Townsfolk whipped their heads away, ignoring Ryder's typical behavior. Times like these made her wish she had a broom to fly away on. His heavy footsteps boomed in her ears. Only re-injecting fear into her. Ryder grasped her cloak, tearing some of the fabric. Forcibly making her turn around, his curious hands trailing down her figure. 

Potion bottles breaking on the floor covered up the sounds of his choking. A lasso of purple light wrapped around his neck tightly, slowly burning the flesh. The same curious hands went up to his throat, trying to pull it off, only to be met with the same burning sensation. 

Murmurs and gasps soon came into hearing, she twisted her head to see the town folk watch in terror, the square had been pretty full up till now. People scattered in different directions, quickly scurrying by. Men swiftly packed up their inventory to close shop, mothers walking away with children in their arms, and little kids running. Dottie’s eyes widened, and her hands weakly fell to her sides. 

Ryder stumbled back once he was released, coughing and gasping for air. The smell of his own skin blistering made him gag. His poor attempts to hold his neck only made the sensation worse. Desire that once coated his eyes, now replaced with horror. His vision got blurry before blacking out, body tumbling down to the ground.

“That’s her!” Someone shrieked. 

She snapped her head around to make eye contact with a usual customer, Leona. Dottie changed her gaze to the man who stood next to her. 

Ein. 

Dottie looked down at the broken glass and the potion mixture that slowly seeped into the cracks of the road. She picked up some of the coins that scattered. But he was already making his way to her. 

The coins fell back on the floor as she dashed in the opposite direction. Her hand stayed on top of her head, trying to stop the hood from falling. Her veins still glowing purple with the adrenaline that ran through her. Her heels dug into the dirt as she reached the familiar house. She banged on the door, jumped up to look through the window, and pulled on the doorknob. Finally, the door opened, and June stood in the doorway, hair messy and cheeks beet red. Her flustered look dropped upon seeing Dottie’s disheveled face. 

June panted. “What’s wrong, Dottie?”  

She placed a hand on her shoulder and brought her inside. Dottie’s veins returned to their normal color as she tried to catch her breath. 

“What’s going on?” Rylan came out of the room in the same messy state as June. If it were any other day, she would definitely have poked fun at them. Dottie swallowed the lump in her throat. 

“Rylan, we have to go!” 

He sighed. “What did you do?” 

“What I did doesn’t matter; we need to go back home, now.”

Rylan rolled his eyes in response, going back into the room and grabbing his stuff. Even though he found her annoying, at times, he still trusted her words. After so many years together, Rylan knew when she was lying and knew when she was serious.

She leaned back against the door, head tilted up, with hands still shaking. The albino girl anxiously looked between the two of them. June placed her arms on Dottie’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. 

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” She cooed. 

The two witches stepped outside, pulling their hoods up while Dottie pulled the fabric closer to her body. He stayed right behind her as they maneuvered their way through the dark alleys. The clicking sound of her heels and his boots synced with each other.

“So are you going to tell me what happened?” 

Her body slightly shivered, remembering how Ryder's hands felt. “There was an.. accident at the square.” 

Rylan looked down the roads, not a person in sight. Occasionally, seeing scared kids peeking in the windows then quickly closing the curtains when they realize they’ve been spotted. 

“What kind of accident?” He pushed further. 

Dottie kept her head low as she spoke. “It was Ryder. He was.. being a creep, I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t realize I was using magicks until I-” 

Suddenly, he shoved her against the hard brick wall and slapped his palm against her mouth, his free hand putting a finger up to his lips to shut her up. Dottie tilted her head to the side, getting a glimpse of three men carrying Ryder, getting a clear sight of the burns she left behind. The view only made her feel worse, but pride slowly grew inside. Rylan listened intensely, waiting for the sound of their footsteps to fade. He removed his hand and chuckled quietly. He looked down at Dottie, seeing worry plastered onto her face. He chuckled softly in an attempt to cheer her up. 

“You did some serious damage then.” 

Buttons flew off her cloak as she ripped it off. She looked down at her wrist, the indents still deep in her skin and bloody scratches now dried up. Some mysterious potion mixture stains her boots now. 

Rylan picked it up and shook the dirt off. “What are you going to do?” 

“Make another one.” Dottie mumbled. 

He sighed softly, gently placing his arms on her shoulders, unintentionally mimicking June. “Go lie down for a little. You had a long day, we’ll talk about it tomorrow with Daniel.” 

Dottie licked her lips anxiously and nodded reluctantly. She crossed her arms tightly before walking away. The weight of the events finally caught up to her. She hadn't realized until now how tired she was. Using magicks and running right after wore her out. Dottie climbed into her bed, eyes slowly feeling heavy. It felt like she blinked once, and night had already come. The lantern on the stand was still burning strong, but Rylan and Daniel were nowhere in sight but their voices soon came into hearing, overlapping with the bubbling of the cauldron. The disgusting smell of dead rats, bats, and lizards overwhelmed the house despite the closed bedroom door. It still affected her despite her weakened sense. 

“She’s okay, just a little shaken up.” Rylan explained. 

“But now we're in a bad situation, we won’t be able to sell anymore and now they know we're still here.”

Rylan sighed before continuing. “For now, let’s avoid the square as much as possible. We’ll be safe, I promise.”

Maria finished wrapping the bandage around Ryder’s neck, making sure it was secured tightly. The smell that radiated off his wounds planted a look of disgust on her face. Took everything in her to not physically gag. She stepped away, letting Leona work on his hands. Freezing water was poured onto his burns, gently wiped, then bandaged. The two girls stepped out, and Leona rushed past them. Maria shook her head in disapproval before standing next to Blaze. 

“So, what did it look like?” Maria got straight to the point. 

Ein glared at her before getting up. “I didn’t get a good look at her, but she’s roughly around your height, purple hair, and freakishly pale skin.” 

Blaze nodded, listening carefully and locking the description in his head. “What do you propose we do?” 

“Be on high alert. We don’t know how many of them are here. First thing tomorrow, I want all of you to go to every house asking questions.” Ein ordered. 

A silence followed, Ryder's grunts filling up the empty air. Ein looked between everyone before clearing his throat again. 

“You’re all dismissed.” 

Blaze was the first one out the door, Maria pushed past everyone to catch up. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes behind his back then coughed to get his attention. “You’re already mad about this aren’t you?” 

He sighed then continued walking. 

“Calm down, it was only one. Besides, Ryder probably did something to provoke it.” 

Once again, no response. Only a slight chuckle managed to escape his lips. They approached their street together, their small huts sitting next to each other, just a few yards apart. Before entering, he looked back, smiling softly. 

“Goodnight Maria.” 

“Night.” She turned on her heel and walked across the failed garden that sat in front of Blaze’s hut. He sighed once again before stepping inside. 

Chapter Text

"Blaze! Stop!" 

Maria chased after him as he quickly approached the rows of burning houses. Families running out of them, holding their coughing and crying children. His eyes quickly scanned the area. Blaze rushed inside, navigating his way through the hallway to their room as smoke filled his lungs and tears poured out of his eyes. Tyree and Paige were trapped inside the room and huddled in the corner, their bodies seeming lifeless. The huge flames consumed the wooden walls as they slowly crashed down. He picked up Tyree, and Maria, who followed him inside, picked up Paige.

Outside, as gently possible, they placed them on the ground, far enough away to be safe from the fire. Blaze looked back, getting up to go back inside. His clothes covered in black tar. Cracks from the house falling increasingly getting louder. Maria grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. 

"Don’t. It's too dangerous now!" Desperation in her voice. 

He yanked his arm away, eyebrows furrowing as he ran back in the house. The flames now brighter and bigger. 

“Ma!” He shouted, hoping for a response in return. 

“Blaze!”

“Blaze! Wake up!” Someone shook his shoulders aggressively. Maria looked to the table next to his bed, where a cup sat. She looked inside, confirming it was water before splashing it on him. 

“What the hell?!” He groaned.

"Get up! We're late because of you."

Blaze looked out the window, seeing the sun decently high enough in the sky. He sighed heavily and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. "I couldn't sleep last night."

“I can tell.” Maria looked around the room, eyes landing on his knife collection. They look shinier and sharper than before, immediately noting why he couldn’t sleep. She picked up a knife, gliding her finger along the edge. Completely bothered, she looked back at him, scoffing seeing him still in bed.

“I’m going to the meeting without you.” 

Blaze watched her leave, then returned his attention to the knives, thinking back to last night. Those decisions now weigh heavily on his body. His movements and thoughts still groggy with exhaustion. He approached the house, shaking off his tired state. His hand reached for the knob when the door suddenly swung open. 

“Why are you late?” 

He sighed to himself. “I slept in.” 

Blaze pushed past Ein, his eyes examined the room quickly, and spotted the ombré girl. He stood tall with his arms crossed, waiting for Ein to spew his usual nonsense. 

He slowly spaced out, thinking about the horrifying nightmare. It was too realistic; it felt like he was reliving it again. His body got increasingly warmer, his mind imagining the flames right in front of him. Everyone’s voices started to fade out. His siblings' cries rang in his ears. His mother’s voice replayed over and over. ‘Blaze!’

“Blaze.” Maria nudged his side, bringing him back down to earth. 

“Aaron and Blaze, you two are in charge of June Maybelle. Many people have reported seeing it run to her house after the incident.” Ein ordered. 

He nodded quickly in agreement, unaware of what the conversation was about. Sighs erupted at his obliviousness.

“Meeting dismissed.” 

The redhead pushed the door open, allowing Maria and Aaron to step out first. 

“Hey, Blaze,” Ein called after him. “If you’re going to be late, at least be mentally present during the meeting.”

“It won’t happen again,” Blaze said coldly, not bothering to look back. 

Maria waited on the step, her arms crossed like always. “You gonna tell me why you were up late?”

Blaze exhaled sharply and started down the road. Maria followed, narrowing her eyes at him. “So you're just not gonna say anything?” 

“We have a job to do and you have one too.” He pulled Aaron to his side and swatted his hand in her direction. 

“You’re such an ass.” 

Aaron snickered at the two’s bickering, reminding him of how he fought with his own sister. Blaze glared at him for a split second before chuckling softly. The two walked down the street, soaking in the unusual silence. The town felt hollow; yesterday's incident really scared everyone inside. The square that would’ve been crowded with vendors was empty. The well that would’ve been surrounded by townsfolk trying to fetch water sat just as barren. 

He felt a tug on his arm, too focused on the lifeless streets, Blaze didn’t see they reached her house. They paused, watching her close from a distance, looking for any traces of odd behavior. 

June let the basket fall onto the dirt, reaching down to grab the soaking wet clothes. She twisted her hands to wring out the water then pulled them over the clothing line. Securing the wet blouse with a wooden clip. 

“Good morning, Ms. Maybelle.” 

She turned around, startled. Slowly calmed down once she saw the two boys in front of her. “Hello, Aaron.” 

June turned her head to the side. “Blaze. What brings you two here?” 

“We're only here to ask you some questions regarding recent incidents that have occurred. We’ll only be in and out.” 

She swallowed nervously, drying her hands on her apron. 

“Of course, come inside, please.” 

June opened the door, letting the two boys inside and pulling out chairs for them. “Would you like some tea?” 

“Yes, please.” 

June moved quietly around the small kitchen, the kettle hissing filled up the awkward silence. She rose to her tippy toes, reaching up from the jar on the top shelf, her hands trembling as she brought it down. Small clinks joined the sounds from the kettle as she scooped out herbal and tea leaves. Her gaze flickered towards them quickly every few seconds. 

“What.. what were you boys going to ask about?” June finally spoke up, voice nervous and shaky. She stirred the cups before setting them down on the table.  

“I’m sure you've heard of what happened to Ryder yesterday,” Aaron explained softly, attempting to calm her down. “After the incident, a lot of folk reported the girl running to your house.” 

“Well, the girl is a dear friend of mine but I wasn’t aware of the incident..” 

Blaze and Aaron exchanged a glance with each other. “Did she tell you she came over?” 

“No, she comes by often so I didn’t question it.” 

Blaze nodded, quickly writing down everything she said.

“Can you tell us her name?” Blaze asked suddenly. 

“Her name's Dorothy.” June blurted out in her poor attempt at lying. She fidgeted with her teacup, watching the leaves sink to the bottom. 

Aaron’s eyes narrowed, unsure if he should trust her word. He took another sip of the tea before continuing. “Do you know where she lives?” 

“That.. that I don’t know, I’m sorry.” Her voice trembled. 

“It’s okay.” He said gently. “You don’t have to apologize. Have you seen her with anyone?”

“Y-yes with a brown haired boy but I don’t know his name.” June stammered. She closed her eyes for a second while biting back a smile. A faint blush spread across her face at the mere thought of him despite the thick tension.

The boys finished their tea at the same time and stood up from the chairs, the sudden movement startling her. She rushed to pick up the empty cups, hands trembling as she put them away. June smoothed out her apron and then led them outside. 

“We’ll get out of your hair now. Thank you, June.” Aaron stuck his hand out to her, unconsciously tightening the grip on her hand. She winced in response, quickly letting go and running inside, completely forgetting about the clothes. 

One by one, they all filed into the house, huddling up, talking to one another about their interrogations. Ein loudly cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. All of them mentally sigh and turn their gaze to him. 

“For starters, Aaron, what did you guys gather from June?”

“June confirmed that she ran to her house after the incident but apparently she was unaware of the incident and claims she didn't know she’s a witch.” He looked down at his notes. “Ms. Maybelle also told us that the witch's name is Dorothy and that she’s often with another man but we don’t know anything about him.” 

“Very good, at least we have some kind of lead.” Ein looked around the room, waiting for someone else to speak. “So? Did anyone else get any information?” 

Fenrir spoke up. “Someone told me that they saw the witch walk into the forest with a man. That might be the one June was talking about.” 

Ein nodded as he listened, a creepy smirk growing on his face. “Any of you hear similar stories?” 

Nearly everyone nodded in response, confidently raising their hand. 

“Tonight we meet at the square, make sure to bring your horses and your daggers. We’re going on a little hunt.” 

Blaze moved side to side on his horse, which he poorly saddled. His hand kept a tight grip on the horn while his feet remained locked in the stirrup, his dagger kept safely in his sheath. The hooves clattered on the brick road, neighing and chatter came into hearing as he approached the square. A horse ran by him; he didn’t have to look to know it was Maria. He pulled on the lasso, making the horse come to a full stop. 

“Wow, you're late again.” Maria teased. 

“Haha, very funny,” He sighed. 

Ein approached the two, Aaron following right behind him. “He’ll be joining you two. I don’t want small groups out there. If you encounter one, don’t hesitate to kill them.” 

“Understood.” 

The trio yanked the lassos, sending the horses to jump on their hind legs and run at full throttle. Freezing cold wind blew in their faces as the brick road ended, quickly entering the forest. Thick fog slowly seeped through the trees, almost in a taunting manner. Seeing the path ahead now much harder, even with the bright lanterns. 

Bushes rattling, leaves rustling and animals croaking, stirring a paranoia within them but each of them too embarrassed to admit it. Blaze glanced at Maria, who carried the same look of fear. But she quickly coated it with concentration once she realized her strong demeanor was starting to fall. He switched his focus to Aaron, who led the way. The journey was quiet. Too quiet. 

“What exactly are we looking for?” Blaze asked suddenly. 

“No idea, maybe a house where they could be in?” Aaron questioned in return. “Just try to keep an eye out for anything.” 

Blaze looked up at a tree, his eyes narrowed at the sight. A black cat sat on a branch with piercing yellow eyes. It didn't move or run away, simply watching them. Hissing at Blaze once it realized he had been spotted. The cat jumped down and ran into the fog. His jaw clenched trying to shake off the feeling. All the noises of the forest came to a stop, the fluttering of birds taking off faded, while the crickets stopped chirping. Fast and loud footsteps started to approach them.

His hand instantly shot down to his belt, gripping the dagger's hilt. A sharp pop rang in their ears as more hissing followed right after. Purple smoke emerged around them, terrifying the horses to run in different directions, separating the group. Blaze’s horse bucked on its back legs unexpectedly, booting him off. He hit the ground– glass from the shattered lantern tore through his skin. He groaned loudly and clutched his arm, watching the blood roll down and forced himself upright. The continuous footsteps gained his attention again. He looked around anxiously, seeing the fog begin to thin and strategically push away. 

Blaze stared straight ahead, squinting. Trying to make out who or what it was.

The mysterious noise revealed itself. She stood tall, her freakishly pale arms where her veins pulsating with an unnatural purple. The same color that matched her hair. It was her, the witch.