Sasha looked in the ashes but couldn't find the book. The dragon probably already knew where the book was but was too lazy to help. Sasha walked towards the fireplace.

“Finally!”

Sasha turned around, almost at the fireplace when a voice from a man disturbed her. She looked at a magician, older than her, with a long black cape. He stood just outside the ashes, looking curiously at her. Waves of magic were pouring from his hands.

“Who are you, and stop that!” she said.

His magic was surrounding her, binding her to the spot.

“I am Dustin”, the man said, “and you must be the lovely Sasha.”

“Maybe, maybe not”, she answered. She didn’t like the look of the man or the gleam in his eyes. Her hand was already on the sword handle, but her feet were stuck to the ground.

“No one of the fools in this village dares to tread the ashes. Of course, you are her. But just to be sure.”

Winds of magic swirled around her. Sasha wielded her sword but cut just air. She was not allowing this intruder to search her! The anger was boiling in her veins, and her vision blurred.

“You are her. Now, I want to know where your boyfriend is.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend”, Sasha stated. “And you have no right to stay in this village. We don’t need people like you here.”

The magician came closer, walking carefully at the ashes, obviously not keen on getting his shoes dirty. He was a fashion snob, buying stuff at the same place as the noblemen.

“I want to know where Isaak is, and you will tell me, or die. Do I make myself clear?”

“Isaak? And why do you want to know that?”

“Well, it’s not exactly a secret. The king has put a hefty sum of money at his head. I need to think of my retirement little witch”, Dustin said.

Sasha looked back towards Denise, but she was nowhere to be seen. She would have had a good chance with the sword, had Dustin just come a bit closer, and had he not been skilled in magic. Her grip tightened. She could throw it at him, at least she would hurt him badly.

“Just give me a reason”, Dustin said, forcing the sword out of her hand with some small movements of his hand, the magic obeying him and the wind turning against her in her own home. He was standing five steps away from her, still, her sword hit the ground with a clunk. His magic was strong, stronger than Sasha’s had been, and she had not been a weak witch.

“You should have retired years ago. This is your biggest mistake.”

“Let me worry about Isaak”, Dustin chuckled. “I usually collect my money.”

“Isaak?” Sasha laughed. “No one threatens me and lives.” She had no idea of how to fulfill her promise, but she despised the man in front of her. She would rather die than betray Isaak, and she had never before being bullied into anything. “You know who I am?”

“You? You are Isaak’s girlfriend”, Dustin said. “That’s enough for me. Now, I’m losing my temper with you young lady.”

He picked up the sword, his dirty hands on her belongings. Frustration tore at Sasha, her feet wouldn’t move and the damn dragon was nowhere to be seen. She was more shocked than afraid when she felt the tip of the sword at her breast.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Sorry mam”, Dustin said, forcing the sword forward. “but you will tell where Isaak is, and I will bring you along. My guess, I think you will make yourself useful.”

The sword cut her. Sasha marveled before she circled away from it. He might have stuck her feet to the ground but she was not going to make it easy. She dropped down, moving forward to hit him on the knees but he was fast, moving backward, the sword still pointing in her direction. He laughed.

“This will be fun. I could force you to speak.” He lit up a small ball of fire in his hands just to crush it the second after. “Or, l could cut your skin. Let’s see how much you can withstand.”

Sasha felt a warm feeling inside, Elias orb heating up. Its magic was flowing towards the cut. Amazingly enough, it healed her. Maybe she had a fair chance. She had no time to finish the thought before she saw the sword aiming at her again. The devil held her still with his magic, and the cut hurt. Her arm was bleeding, the cut deep.

“I will kill you”, she hissed between her teeth. The pain and rage welled up within her. Elias's magic was good, but this wound would take time.

She needed her magic, and she needed to reach her knife, none of which seemed possible. It was not fair. She roared inside. Her inside exploded. The need to draw his magic inside of her was unbearable. That was when she saw it. She was in big trouble, but Elias's magic was healing, and when in danger it did what it could to protect.

Dustin cut her again, close to the last cut, but this time Sasha welcomed it. She drew in the threat and felt the magic working with her. Dustin didn’t know what he had done. With one big smile, she broke free. All of her magic was at her disposal. Sasha leveled and the pain just disappeared, her vision cleared. She no longer was a baby witch.

Sasha leaped forward, her hand catching the knife at her wrist. It was payback time. Dustin had a surprised look in his eyes. And before he had time to react, Sasha kicked at his arm, the sword hitting the ground.

“I don’t leave scars with my knife”, she whispered, cutting through his chest. “No one threatens my friends and live.”

He had no real chance. The man had never met violence like hers. Sasha put her force behind her knife, and the magic held the wound open, pulling out his soul.

“Bravo baby girl. You fight like a queen!”

“Denise”, Sasha said. She grimaced and hindered herself from turning around. “How come you waited until now to turn up?”

“I see you have an issue with waste deposal. Let me take care of that soul in your hands. I know where to trash it.”

“Well, it is kind of gross and makes me feel dirty”, Sasha said, squeezing the last part out of the body. “I guess I should apologize for using too much force, but I really can’t muster the energy.”

She turned around then, looking at Denise. She had tilted her head, the blue eyes focused on the soul as she slowly whispered. The dragon sucked the energy inside her. Dustin left her hands as thin smoke as the dragon inhaled.

“His magic was stronger than yours. Had you been any slower I would have had to interfere”, Denise said as she swallowed the last smoke.

Sasha cleaned her knife, picking up her sword. The things she had done for Isaak. She could ask Denise to burn the man’s soul, but he was no threat anymore. She looked at the big snake, the dragon was looking blissful as if she enjoyed tasting some nice candy. Denise might be big and scary and knowing more magic than Sasha ever would. Still, Sasha was pissed.

“You let me fight to my death now, but you wouldn’t even let me scratch the knight at the bakery?”

“I didn’t want to blow Evelina’s cover. You had gone through too much to risk it.” Denise landed on the corpse. “Have to say, you do fight well. I should have let you taken Aiden.”

“I could have had use for him now.”

“You never have use of a traitor”, Denise said. “He played foul. I have wanted him dead for years.”

“I´m no stranger to playing foul,” Sasha said. Aiden had a reputation. He had been working in the shadows, silently doing the dirty work. He never spilled his secrets, but there was some sort of glamour around him, probably coming from the talent he had and the money he spent. “What had he done to you?”

“You must have guessed he worked for the queen?” Denise questioned. The dragon landed on the corpse. She scratched at something in the ashes.

“Yeah. That explains the wealth.”

“He provided the queen and king with witches, but he was a greedy man with low standards. He took money from both sides. If you bribed him, he could change the target, providing the queen with the wrong witch.”

“Did he take part in Evelina´s kidnapping?” Sasha´s vision blurred. Her magic was running havoc, strikes of fire burning the already burnt ashes. Could one torture a corpse? She should ask the ghosts of Aliyah.

“Does the second crime make the first one smaller?” Denise questioned. “Or does it become worse, although it is less severe?”

Sasha shook her head. The snake was crazy, a fool was a fool and Aiden was better dead, as was the magician at her feet. Denise started to move, positioning herself around the corpse. The snake rocked from side to side.

“Catch this”, she said.

A black book was thrown at Sasha. It was flying in the air, and Sasha cached it with greed. The covers felt cold towards her hands, like the skin of a snake. This was a true treasure. This was what her mother didn’t want her to find.

“Thanks”, Sasha said.

“You are welcome”, Denise said, circling the body. “You might want to look away.”

Sasha smiled, look away? She really wouldn’t like to miss the show. It was a rare occasion, seeing an old queen snake swallowing a human in one bite. As much as she trusted her, she was one scary dragon. Sasha eyed the scene, such a role model. There were just some shiny droplets of saliva in the corner of her mouth telling there had once laid a corpse on the ground.

“Is there any chance a witch can grow wings?” Sasha asked.

Denise burped, scratching herself on the belly.

“No, not until you are dead at least.”

Such a pity. Sasha sighed and looked at the book that had brought her to this life-altering question. It didn’t look much to the world. Still, it was a treasure with more value than all of the orbs that had hung around the house. Sasha brushed the book cover, the greyish worms on it predicting thunder. She opened the book, her fingers searching for the words. She knew the precise page, her fingers found it on their own as if they have been doing this many times before. There it was, the darkest of magic, turning witch magic havoc, destroying itself by madness. It was a pure spell, evil and divine, and so beautiful all on its own.

There was a way to kill the king, and she just had the right tools to do so. All she needed was a real strong spell caster. She knew exactly whom.

“Denise. We are done here. We are heading back to Ivy, and you will have to protect her.”

“Why, if I may ask?”

“I am going to fight.”