♡ chapter 23 - Rose ♡

            The only sounds ricocheting down the corridor were hushed cries and Daniel's imitation of The Climb by Miley Cyrus. I could hardly make out his facial expressions in the dark, but the ones I did see had me clapping a hand over my mouth to keep from busting into hysterics. Harry had told him countless times to shut up, but Daniel dismissed each one of his complaints.

            I wasn't sure how many people were in this hallway, but it seemed like just the three of us were in this area. Perhaps more villains were further down, but we were fairly close to the door the guard watches on the outside. Probably because we're supposedly classified as "highly dangerous" although I don't even know how to control my powers. I just found out I had them, but maybe that's what makes me dangerous.

            Currently, I was lying flat on this piece of junk they call a bed, staring blankly up at the dark ceiling. Harry was using his power for entertainment; tossing fireballs in the air before catching them and repeating the action. The fire was beautiful, lacing in circles elegantly while it tumbled in the air. It was something peaceful to watch, and in a crazy way, it was comforting.

            They didn't give us clocks are anything, so I was unaware of the present time being. Perhaps it was midnight or even early in the morning when the sky is still dark and the stars are still out. All I knew was the lights were out, meaning us "criminals" were supposed to be sleeping.

            Out of nowhere the large door creaked open, causing me to sit up on my elbows. Two bulky guards entered the hallway, catching Harry's attention as well as he furrowed his eyebrows. At first I thought they were here for him, but then they stopped in front of my cell, cuffs in hand.

            "Miss Parker, we have been authorized to carry you down to the courtroom for your testimony. You are commanded to be cooperate or we will not hesitate to take action. Do you understand?"

            My eyebrows rose and I swallowed, nodding slowly as I stood from the bed. Harry was standing at the bars of his cell, his eyes narrowed on the two men speaking to me. I knew he was just being protective, but his suspiciousness always worried me. He can sense things I can't.

            Before I knew it, the bars were creaking open. Daniel was now watching as well as the two men cuffed my hands behind my back. I looked to Harry with wide eyes, but he was too busy glaring at the large guards.

            "Excuse me, where the hell are you taking her?" he said, his voice deep and stern like you'd expect from natural born ruler.

            "Classified information, Styles. Keep your nose out of it."

            "Tell me where the fu—"

            "It's fine," I cut him off, not wanting him to cause pandemic in the whole building. I gave him a little smile. "It's all right."

            Harry's jaw locked, but he didn't say anything else as the guards drug me out the door, a loud slam sounding behind me.

            The large guards roughly drug me with them down the stark white hallway, my heart picking up pace with every footstep. They had told me my trial wouldn't be until later today, not in the middle of the night. What are they going to say to me? What are they going to do to me?

            I'm not at fault her. I was kidnapped by a psychopath and nearly forced to help him take over the country with his diabolical plan. I can't control whatever it is I supposedly have, and I can't control my feeling for Harry.

            Wait...

            I've heard tales of long ago couples that had fought against the Council to be together. Darkness shouldn't mix with purity, but then again... who are we to judge who is pure and who is not? Sins are sins, whether it's lying to a parent or murdering an innocent person. We're not supposed to do any of it, but it's in our nature. So why can't we love a person of our choosing?

            I tripped over my own feet multiple times as the guards continued to haul me farther and farther away from my safe haven. No, not the cell. Harry. He has saved me more times than I can count on both hands and without him near me I always feel endangered. It was my fault I had gotten kidnapped. I should've listened to him and keep my bracelet on. I wasn't sure what came over me. All I knew at that moment was that I wanted to kiss him and kiss him I did.

            And look where that got you now...

            My thoughts were soon pushed away once an elevator came into view, the doors sliding open to allow our entrance. My heart leapt into my throat, anxiety tearing at my insides as the silent ride up swallowed me. When the elevator doors opened on what I read to be the eighth floor (the top according to the buttons), I was practically pushed out of the lift but was quickly grabbed again before I had the chance to do anything. Not that I would attempt to considering every direction I looked there was an armed guard on point, staring at us like blood hungry hawks.

            "Can you at least inform me of what's going to happen in there? What am I being charged for in the first place?" I asked in a timid voice, my hands beginning to shake under the firm grip of the guards' hold on my arms.

            "Classified."

            I gaped at them. "But it's my case. I mean, don't I get the right to know so I can try to defend myself?"

            "Nope."

            Puffing out air from my cheeks, I flicked some hair out of my face as we finally came upon two large double doors. Mentally trying to brace myself for whatever was about to happen, I tried to think about things positively. Like how Harry and I will be able to get off the hook and actually be together like a somewhat normal couple. And how I'll get to know Daniel even more and we can fangirl about Augustus Waters. (Okay I know I said I read the book, but remember my whole dyslexia thing? Yeah, I might've listened to it on Audible.com with my free trial thingy but no one needs to know that.)

            "Miss Parker, are you ready to defend your case?" one guard asked formally with one hand on the doorknob.

            I rose an eyebrow. "Is that a trick question?"

            "Wonderful, let's enter."

            Holding back a groan, I followed the two guards into the large courtroom, but it was fairly empty. Few people that looked to be employees sat in various benches, but I assumed that these things were private to the public. In front of me at the very back of the room, four large chairs stared back at me and I guessed that was where the important leaders sat. To the left was the little desk where the person recorded everything, and to the right stood a prosecutor in a tux.

            There was no defending attorney to the left.

            I was on my own.

            Gulping, I let the guards lead me down to where I was supposed to sit at the long table by myself. The cuffs were still locking my hands in place behind my back, so it was very uncomfortable to sit down but I tried not to show any sign of discomfort. If they saw I was in pain, they would know I had weaknesses. Right now, I needed to be as bold as possible. For my own sake.

            The two guards stood on either end of the table and soon the few of us were standing as the four leaders stepped into the room. My breath caught in my throat as I watched them each move to their assigned chairs, swiftly sitting in them almost like they were silently accusing me already. Their eyes were like daggers piercing into my head and if they were real, I would be nothing but a bloody puddle on the floor.

            As we sat once more, the guard to my right snickered and I assumed it was because of my blanched skin, but I couldn't help it. I was about to be charged of who knows what crimes with no attorney and not a clue on how to defend my case when I wasn't even sure what my case was about. Lord, this is so confusing and I'm praying with all my might that I can wing my way out of this.

            Whatever this is.

            The woman directly in front of me was the eldest, I assumed, noting the wrinkles forming in every angle on her face. Her hair was graying drastically, her bony fingers closing around the gavel handle. My jaw clenched as I watched her tap it down twice on the long table before her icy gaze met my worried one. It was hard to hold eye contact with someone who seemed so much wiser than me.

            "Rose Parker, are you aware of why you've been sent here for trial?" she asked, her voice having a rasp to it as if she'd been smoking most her life.

            I swallowed, slowly shaking my head. "N-no, actually..."

            The elder woman quirked a brow before turning to one of the guards. "Was I unclear when I ordered you to inform Miss Parker of her case?"

            The guard paled. "In all respect, ma'am, but those were not the instructions I received and—"

            "Silence." She held her hand up, waving his plea away before she looked to me. It was then that I squinted at the little name plate perched in front of her. Council Leader Cecilia Larkin. "Rosalie, you have violated one of the strictest laws the Council has initiated. Now, do you know what that law is?"

            I shook my head.

            Cecilia sighed, rubbing her temples. "Many of my fellow members have educated me on your closeness with outlaw Harry Styles. I hate to be the bad guy here, but our rules strictly say that the two different witches are to not intertwine with each other. We are different for a reason, and that reason is to keep our citizens safe. If we were to allow darkness in every corner of the city, there would be no city. Understood?"

            "Partially...?"

            While Cecilia continued to explain to me why it was wrong that I was so close to Harry, I caught glimpse of a younger man sitting at the far right end of the table. He was Council member Jordan Marx, from what I could see off his name plate. Chills covered my skin at the sight of a cynical smirk tracing his thin lips, and I forced myself to look away from him before I nearly melted under his harsh gaze.

            "Now I'm going to ask you a few questions and you are required to say the truth. If you are caught in a lie, we have our ways of punishment." Cecilia placed thick glasses on the bridge of her nose, the glass circles rounding her already bug eyes as she glanced down at a paper in front of her. "Is it true you recently discovered your identity?"

            "If you mean nearly killing everyone around me with a foreign power, then yes."

            Cecelia snorted, but continued. "Is it true that you have made direct contact with outlaw Harry Styles?"

            I clenched my jaw, forcing the words through gritted teeth. "Yes, but only once and—"

            "Excellent." Cecelia peeled her glasses off before narrowing her eyes at me. "Now, Miss Parker I don't want to punish one of my own kind. But I do need your secrecy on the information I'm about to give you. If you cannot withhold this secret of mine, I'm afraid unwanted measures will be considered."

            My heart faltered. "Ma'am, I'm not sure if I want to know this secret."

            "Oh, but I think you do."

            My eyebrows pulled together as I looked at her, then glanced at the other members of the Council. Jordan still had that creepy grin on his face as he continued to stare at me, but the other three members seemed almost afraid. The looks on their faces did not reassure me by any means. I wanted this secret to remain a secret. I wanted no part of it.

            But Cecelia began to speak nonetheless.

            "Rose, I'm sure you know that your mother had run off on you and your father many years ago, correct?" I forced myself to nod and Cecelia gave me a soft smile. "Well, your mother had been in an alliance with Marcus Styles, another highly dangerous and very wanted criminal. She was a powerful witch, oh yes. Had the most desirable powers one could ask for. But her life was not a fairytale.

            "Marcus was rumored to have done away with her, completely banished from the earth. But that was not the case. You see, your mother had escaped him before he could get any more violent towards her. She ran to us seeking help." Cecelia's smile vanished as she swallowed, averting eye contact.

            "Your mother is now an admirable member of the Council, and she heard of your admittance. Rose, your mother would like to speak with you."

            My hands tightened around the seat of the chair, my breath getting knocked out of my lungs as the words rushed out of Cecelia's lips. It was hard to process, hard to believe, and also hard to want. She had abandoned me with an abusive father. She had left me without even the simplest thing as a note. She didn't want me, and yet she wanted to see me after all these years.

            No.

            I wasn't going to see her.

            I didn't want to see her.

            She didn't deserve to see me, nor did she deserve to speak to me. She had time for that in the long years she was gone and she never took her opportunity. So why should I give her one now?

            But then there was the small stubborn part of me that desired to have a mother back in her life. That wanted to have that woman to run home to every day just to see dinner had already been placed on the table. I would have an actual room and not be locked down in a tattered basement that was infested with countless insects. She would clean for me, cook for me, nurture me... be there for me in general. I could have someone to look after me again. Someone who cared.

            And then I realized I did have someone that cared.

            I had Harry.

            And while I might've only known him for two short months, he has been there for me more than anyone in my entire life has. He hadn't let anything get to me (aside from the whole taking off my bracelet and Marcus thing). He had gotten in fights with his father for me. With his brother for me. He had gone out of his way to find me.

            And that's something my mother probably never thought twice about doing.

            "No," I finally said, my voice surprisingly firm. "I don't want to see her."

            Cecelia sighed, giving me a sympathetic look. "I think you might want to hear what she's going to tell you."

            "No," I said again, my voice getting louder. "No, I don't want her near me! I don't want to see her, speak to her, or even think of her! She left me. She didn't care about me and now she thinks she can work her way back into my life? No. I... no." Water welled in my eyes, making the room seem blurry.

            I shot up from my seat, but the two guards were fast and instantly had a grip on either of my arms. I thrashed, trying to hold back the tears while I fought against them. And out of nowhere, the cufflink had snapped. My hands were freed. And then the two men were being thrown away from me, both smacking into the walls on either of my side. They had hit so hard they left cracks lining the bricks.

            I sank to my knees, a sudden wariness drowning over me and I realized I had yet again used my power unintentional. I realized it came with fear, with terror. It came with worry and with horror. And that was something I wasn't sure I would ever be able to control, because who can control what's going to happen in your life?

            Getting to my feet, I had to use the table to hold myself steady. My head was whirling, my heart pounding and sweat had begun to bead across my forehead. My eyes were getting droopy and I then realized the other Council members had been tossed out of their chairs because of me.

            I collapsed to the floor.

  But right before my eyes fell closed, a woman's figure had come into view.

            My mother. 

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A/N: Okay, so I realized that the whole White & Black witch thing sounds racist, but I swear on my grave that it's not. I actually didn't even realize it before people started commenting it. This book was inspired by Sally Green's Half Bad and I had gotten the whole White & Black witch thing from her (the rest is completely original). But I'm so sorry if any of you got offended by that, omg! I swear it's not meant to be taken that way! White is supposed to resemble purity and Black is supposed to represent evil. I'm so sorry again for the confusion. Love you all (: xx

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