Chapter Eleven

Scarletta gazed across the forest and toward the rolling hills of Librona. It had been just over a week since Calliope left, and the kingdom did not appear to be in ruins. She could feel the familiar sensation – a sense that she learned to form with her witches – that Calliope had drained her powers once more. But the witch had not returned to her master, and this time, Scarletta did not summon the witch back to her domains. Just as Scarletta predicted, Calliope attempted her escape from her master. Scarletta turned away from the window, slightly amused at Calliope's bravery. However, a new plan began to develop in her mind. This time, she would make an example out of Calliope. She would use the witch, just as she intended, and destroy her along with the rest of the kingdom.

"Mallius!" she called loudly. The door creaked open and her head Nequam poked his head around the corner.

"Yes, Master?"

"Calliope has been gone for too long and there is no sign of a battle. I want her found. I have plans for her. Kill anyone who gets in your way."

Mallius's gargoyle form bowed before her. "Of course," he said to her in his raspy voice. A cynical smile split his face, eager to obey his master's commands.

"At least I can count on you," she said. "You never disappoint me, Mallius."

Scarletta returned to the window and looked out into the kingdom once more. She listened as Mallius left the room, his claws digging into the floorboards as he made his way down the old staircase. She watched the quiet kingdom until she saw her Nequam army leave the castle walls. Scarletta looked on as Mallius led several other army out of the castle and into the woods to begin their hunt. She sneered at the distant kingdom before her.

Scarletta basked in their fear. They were afraid of her then, and they surely were afraid of her now. She took their fear to her advantaged and toyed with them, subjecting them to the same torture they subjected her to. She shuttered at the memories; the rusted, dirty pokers, their red tips pulsing brightly from the fires where they lay. Scars of whip lashes and sword cuts marked her body, hidden under her long dress, forever haunting her dreams. Scarletta's stomach churned as images of her mother being burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft played through her mind. She watched as the flames flickered against her body, making their way higher and higher. Her anguish screams echoed through her mind. She stood there, barely a woman, watching as her mother turned to ash before her eyes, the people of the kingdom celebrating their victory.

Scarletta's rage built over time as she sat on the hard floor of the dank cell until she was finally able to escape. But immortality was not on her side. No, she was only a mortal like the rest of them. While she may have inherited her mother's abilities, her father was just a mere human who had been absent all of her life. Scarletta's mother hardly spoke about him, and when she did, it was with disgust and resentment in her eyes and in her voice.

Scarletta's mere escape from the kingdom left her severely weak and wounded. But as the months passed and she escaped the kingdom's clutches, she recovered and learned to survive on her own. She practiced the magic her mother taught her. She practiced and practiced until she found the perfect solution. A mixture of herbs and magic that would keep her young and healthy; the immortality she only hoped she could possess.

As she grew stronger over the years, Scarletta began to plan her revenge on the kingdom. She began with Mallius, who quickly became her most loyal servant and head Nequam. She created an army of them; their massive, gargoyle shapes struck fear in the kingdom. Their dark, leathery wings beat with power as they flew throughout the land; their sharp talons could easily rip apart anyone who dared to get in their way. But they weren't enough; they weren't what she needed to destroy the kingdom. Like her, they too, were mortal creatures. No; her weapon would need to be indestructible.

Her witches and wizards were weak at first, as were her own powers. But as she grew, so did her creations. Her witches and wizards grew stronger and stronger as she adjusted her spells and potions. She sent them into the world to bring the kingdom down, one city at a time. The kingdom grew weaker and weaker with each attack as her creations grew stronger and stronger. She destroyed the weaker creations as each one disappointed her, and more powerful beings took their places.

Calliope was her ultimate creation – just the witch she needed to finally get her revenge. Her plan hadn't worked the way she originally hoped it would, but she was a flexible woman. She set to work anxiously, readying herself for her final battle against Librona.

She worked tirelessly at the table, mixing potions and murmuring spells. She flipped through her notes as she worked and jotted new instructions down. She whispered incantation after incantation. Potions smoked and bubbled before her, their vivid colors turning dark. It was the perfect solution to grant herself the ultimate use of her powers. Scarletta would be powerful enough to take on the kingdom herself. She'd have no more use for her creations. All she needed was Calliope to help her finish the job. Calliope would be sacrificed, but it was well worth it. Every useless witch and wizard just led up to this moment where she could finally get her long awaited revenge.

She glanced out the broken window; Mallius and his army were well on their way to find Calliope. Scarletta smiled to herself and imagined the kingdom in ruins, as she did every day; a kingdom black with smoke and death. She was anxious for the kingdom to be hers and she had big plans for when she took her throne as queen. It wouldn't end with Librona. She would make the world pay for their hatred towards witches. It would be a new world under her power. A world that was long overdue.