Chapter 2: Greed
1260 Words
Iris’s pov
I opened my eyes when I heard the dungeon open.
Standing there with a sweet smile on her face was my aunt Rose.
I looked, and I couldn’t believe that she had the nerve to smile at me like that.
“Look at you, you look just like your mother,” she said and then hugged me.
I didn’t move away and she was the one who pulled away first.
She had never bothered to come and see me in the past 10 years.
Why is she suddenly here today?
“I bought you a beautiful dress and some makeup. I also got a few books and magazines,” she said taking everything out of the bag.
I just looked at her and I felt my insides boiling with anger.
But I don’t even have the energy to strangle her.
They only feed me enough here to keep me alive.
“What do you want?” I asked her and watched how she frowned at this.
“I came to see my niece, is that so wrong?” she asked me, and I scoffed at this.
“You didn’t even care about your sister. Am I expected to believe that you suddenly care about me? What do you want, Rose?” I asked her, and she sighed.
“I am Rose now? What happened to being Auntie?” she asked me and I rolled my eyes at this.
I watched how she did the same and completely dropped the act.
“I want the location of the Alderidge archive,” she said and I smiled at this.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I simply said and watched as she fake-smiled.
“I have every right to know the location. More that you do,” she said and I just closed my eyes and decided to go back to sleep.
That does explain a lot. My mother’s family comes from a long line of witches.
They created an Archive of everything they learned throughout the years.
The location is shared with one family that is considered trustworthy and is believed not to use the knowledge for evil.
There is also a test you need to pass, and then you are told the location.
Aunt here failed the test, so she wasn’t told about the secret location, but my mother was.
“Tell me,” she yelled and I opened my eyes to look at her.
“My mother died when I was 14 years old. You know that the secret is passed down once the person turns 20,” I said.
“And you had my parents killed before I turned 20, so,” I said, and then struggled.
“Stop lying, you were her precious daughter. She must have told you,” Aunt said and I just shook my head.
“You were her precious younger sister,” I pointed out, and watched how she looked at me with rage.
“You are going to die, you have to pass on the information,” she blurted out, and I looked at her confused.
It was clear that she wasn’t meant to tell me the information because she covered her mouth.
I looked at her and watched as she sighed.
“You aren’t going anywhere, so this won’t hurt me in any way,” she said.
“The next full moon, that’s when you are going to die,” she said and then looked at me.
“Don’t look at me like this. This had always been your fate. It was the same with those that came before you,” she reasoned.
“Is that why you had your sister killed? Is that why you betrayed her? Because it’s fate?” I asked her, and she rolled her eyes and then got up.
“That was your mother’s fault. She just had to be stubborn and greedy,” she said fuming.
She looked at me, and I watched as she shook her head.
“I told her, all they wanted was you. She could have just handed you over and then gone on living happily with her husband and kids. But no, she wanted you all to herself,” she explained.
“I warned her that they would come for you. I even did her a favour and asked them to give you guys more time together. That they can come and get you when you turn 18 but no. Sister accepted, but only as a cover. She started looking into things she shouldn’t have looked. Started poking her nose where it doesn’t belong,” she said.
I looked at her and I saw fear in her eyes as she said so.
What was my mother doing that scared her so much?
I was right to think that there is a higher power controlling things, but who could it be and why?
I get that I can heal all diseases, but what else is there?
“I can see the questions written all over your face,” she said.
”You are a dead girl walking, so I might as well tell you everything. The truth behind why you have to die,” she said with a smile.
“You see, there is a whole other world that none of us are aware of. A world where witches have achieved immortality,” she said, and then chuckled at this.
“It turns out, your blood can heal all diseases, including old age. With the right spell, even witches can live forever,” she explained.
“Are you the witch who is going to get immortality?” I asked her, and she shook her head.
“Someone else has been chosen. But I will get to be part of a huge moment in history, what else can I want?” she asked.
“Well, immortality. The chance to be the past, the present, and the future,” I pointed out.
She looked at me and then smiled.
“You cunning little fox. You think I don’t see what you are doing?” she asked me.
She then sighed and looked at me with a frown.
“Tell me what I want to know,” she said,, and I looked at her with a smile.
“I do know the location. But I gain nothing from telling you,” I pointed out.
“You are just as greedy as your mother. She also didn’t want to give you up. Where is she now? Let me tell you something kiddo, greedy people die,” she said and then walked off.
I watched as she went out of the dungeon and then locked it behind her.
She looked at me as if making fun of the fact that I am stuck in here.
I just let her walk away and then looked at the hairpin in my hand.
I think I can use this to open the door.
I let her hug me so I could take this. I just wanted to push her off me, but I held on.
If I want revenge, then I need to be able to be patient and calm.
Well, it seems like Rose isn’t my only enemy.
I really do think that this world should burn to the ground, but I don’t have the power to do that.
So instead of burning the world down.
I will burn those who made it a hellish place for me.
Even if it is my fate to die, why should I die all alone?
- Writer
