ELLIOT KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT THE TALES WHISPERED ABOUT THE LEHUAN WITCHES. There weren't many of them. The witches were a dying breed, the little magic the empire had dying with them. Elliot loathed the stares he received from them as Mira hauled him into the north forest. His stomach flipped at the rememberance of the folklore people told to scare each other; the stories where the witches killed travelers for their magic.

Elliot knew he walked towards his death. He knew something between a smile and a smirk lay on Mira's lips. He knew the devastation in Valencia's eyes when Mira took him away. He knew that she knew that they would likely never see each other again.

Elliot wondered if the empress mourned him. If she would come back to search for his corpse, or jail Mira the way she could have jailed him all those weeks ago.

Mira stopped in front a bonfire in a clearing in the forest. The heat was so powerful, Elliot thought he may burn. Two other witches with long hair seemed immersed in a ritual, moving their arms skillfully and reciting verses in an old language. They looked up at once, eyeing Elliot with their dark eyes.

"Come," the one with blonde hair said.

Mira pushed him around the fire towards the women. The blonde held out a knife.

"Wait," he said.

He didn't know what more to say. Elliot bit his bottom lip. He wondered if he should beg.

"Valencia said you would understand her," he blurted out.

Mira raised an eyebrow.

"But you didn't even ask why she needed to cross the bridge," Elliot went on, "You called her pathetic, but she's doing everything she can with the cards she's been dealt."

"You better stop while you're ahead," Mira warned. "I don't mind killing pretty boys, especially to spite the empress."

"How do you know Valencia?"

The crackling of the bonfire and rustling of leaves filled the air. The pair of witches casting some spell told Mira they must continue soon, or they'll have to start over. Mira's brown eyes bore into Elliot's.

"Listen, pretty boy, the less you know about your empress, the better. Continue to worship her. Idolize her. Let her be the savior she so desperately wants to be."

"I need the truth," Elliot said. "I need to know."

Mira snickered. "Well, pretty Elliot, the truth is as ugly as her soul."

Elliot swallowed. He knew the truth already, the one that Valencia told him before they left for the north forest. What could Mira say that's worse? Yet he nodded to her, urging her to continue.

"Valencia was nineteen when she fled home," Mira began, "Her father abused her in every way possible. She had many siblings who also faced his wrath. They are all dead now. Valencia did it to put them out of their misery, and of course to get revenge on her father by killing him."

Elliot already began shaking his head. "No, she wouldn't."

"Oh, you pretty, stupid boy. She killed them. I know because I was there," the witch said, "She did it with a knife; kept stabbing them over and over again. I was lurking around her home because I'm from that village too. I wanted to meet her. I thought she was a good person who was building an image for herself, but I was terribly wrong. Valencia saw me. She offered me a place on her political campaign as a seer in exchange for my silence. I took the offer."

"You're lying," Elliot spat out.

His eyes were wild with fear and confusion. He couldn't trust this witch.

Mira simply continued the story. "Her campaign kept her busy. She was touring the empire, feeding people her bullshit about creating a better Lehua. I know she believes she can do it, and Valencia will do anything to get there. That's where her friend Homer came into the picture."

Elliot knew this part of the story. At least, he hoped he did.

"She recruited him to assissinate Andreas and Cyra Stone."

"She told me it was Homer's idea," Elliot said.

"Homer was vengeful and bold, yes," Mira said, "but even he knew his limits. Assissination was going too far, and he told Valencia that. She insisted, threatened his life even, until he went along with it. And so he slipped into the palace and somehow managed to get Cyra to fall in love with him, and he with her. Valencia was furious."

"Cyra could never love someone."

The witch laughed. "You have not met Homer Lemay! And when Valencia feels betrayed, well, it's like her hands have a mind of their own. She killed Homer too. There was no stopping her. He died in her home."

"But she said—"

"Stop!" Mira yelled over the roar of the bonfire. "You wanted to know the truth about your empress, and I've given you enough. You can't keep taking, Elliot."

He hadn't noticed the other two witches had already restarted their ritual. He was so caught up in Mira's words that the forest had disappeared for a moment. Mira grabbed Elliot's arm, and in one swift motion, cut his flesh open with a knife. Bright blood poured out like running water.

He collapsed at the sight.

• • •

ELLIOT AWOKE WITH A THROBBING HEADACHE. The sunlight was too bright in his eyes. Grass tickled his face. He sat up slowly, seeing the bridge in front on him, and the empty cars that brought them here on the road. Elliot looked at his arm, shocked to see it perfectly healed.

Huh, Elliot thought, perhaps Mira is not as unkind as Valencia thought.

He had been spared, and for that he was grateful.

He stood up and leaned against the car for support. He heard the gaurds heavy footsteps on the bridge before he could see them. In the front most guard's arm was a woman. And as the approached, Elliot's stomach sank. That was the woman who Elliot kissed in a dreamy state. The woman Elliot began to trust and care for. The woman who might be a cold murderess, if only Elliot could bring himself to trust the witch.

The same witch who decided not to kill Elliot. The same witch who spared her time to tell him Valencia's origin story.

Elliot's head spun with confusion, and worry for the empress held limp in the guard's arms.

He walked towards them just as the guards began walking off the bridge.

"What happened?" he yelled.

All of the guards held someone unconscious in their arms: Valencia, Ophelia, Auden, and even other guards.

"What the hell happened?" Elliot demanded.

"It seems there was a poison in the tower," the guard carrying Valencia said. "We have already notified the palace, and they are sending the physician immediately."

"There's no need," a female voice announced.

Elliot turned towards her, letting out a breath of relief at the sight of Leya, the enchantress, and Ronan, who hurried to the empress's side.

"Lay them down."

The guards do as their told. Ronan and Elliot kneeled next to Valencia and Ophelia, who are side by side on the grass. Their eyes were closed, but their chests moved up and down as they breathe.

"God damn Auden Oberlin," Leya muttered as she takes in the site around her.

The dark-haired enchantress began to conjure her magic from the life around them, and poured her healing powers into the bodies of the unconscious men and women. They began to stir and sigh and speak.

Now sitting upright, Valencia immediately asked, "Where is he?"

Leya already began yelling at Dr. Oberlin.

"Arrest him," Ophelia told the guards. "Take him to the palace jail. I'll deal with him soon."

"How do you feel?" Ronan asked, worry creasing his forehead, eyes lacking their luster.

"Honestly, fine," Ophelia said, "There was poison, right?"

"Yes," Leya said, startling Ronan with her presence behind him. "Oberlin had a poisonous potion on him that causes people to fall unconscious. I took it out of your systems."

"Thank you," Valencia smiled at her.

And her smile grew wider. "It's not cold anymore! Leya, you saved us."

Elliot's mouth was agape. With everything that just happened, he didn't notice the lack of the blistering cold wind. Smiles danced on Elliot and Ophelia's lips, before Ronan cleared his throat.

"Empress," he said, "This is great, yes, but we have bad news..."

"Go on!" the empress urged.

Ronan sighed. "The capital building burned down this morning."

Leya pulled out a newspaper from her bag. The front page held a picture of the ornate white building with flames surrounding it.

The title read: Empress Valencia Lenard's Attack on Justice.

They were blaming her.

Elliot looked at the empress, who might as well have had fire in her eyes.