"It's only now that I see, Mary."

"And you can come too," Caesar tells him. I can tell he's holding back frustration. "I won't work for a village that treats its people so badly."

I don't understand. Caesar's leaving?

Bad people do bad things, and so bad things happen to them.

I think he's gone crazy.

"Here," he throws up a bread of berries onto the counter. "There was one left," he smiles down to me. "Enjoy."

"Hey, Gabriel," I call to Caesar’s assistant as I spot her walking back from the town square.

"Hey, you, kid." Gabriel reaches me and rubs my head before patting me off. "Have a nice day."

I leave. I notice smoke dying down from the town square. I investigate.

There, in the middle of the square, tied to the post, stands the lifeless body of Lars. Burned.

Bad people do bad things, and so bad things happen to them.

I feel a throbbing in my head as if just thinking about this memory hurts my core.

"And that's just what happens, hun," my dad scowls at Marianna from our doorway. "Through times like this, you've just got to grow up."

I hold her berry bread in both my hands while she deals with the news.

Mother adds, "You've got to, baby."

"He was housing crows. Look what happened," our dad challenges the sound of her sobbing. "Look what happens when you worship devils like that. Not for my kids," he chuckles halfly. "That's not happening to my kids - no way."

"Of course not," our mother joins. "From stealing from the ceremony to leaving town - that boy has been nothing but trouble. And this is what happens, sweetie," she attempts to console Marianna on the floor of our room.

"We raised them better than that," Dad leaves the room. "Way better than that. Look at Onnie." He chuckles in disbelief and heads to the living room.

"We did," Mum gets up and brushes herself off. "We raised you a lot better than them."

She walks toward me. "And that's why you're still alive."

She kisses me on the head.

"And he's dead."

I hug my sister's remains as she's tied to the post.

I speak for the first time in hours.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry," is all I can manage.

"I see why your sister's prayer was stronger than most."

Tears begin to well in my eyes once more. Not that they had faded or ever truly will.

"I'm sorry," I repeat, holding her tightly. Past the pain of her dying flame.

The rain appears to mourn my sister.

"I'll never stop being sorry," I tell her. "If you could speak, you'd tell me I had nothing to do with it. For you. I'll make them learn their mistakes."

I drop to my knees and shift closer to embrace the flesh and bone of my sister's legs.

I wish it didn't take this much for me to realise the error of our people.

The entire village is beyond ruin.

"From all of her inner conflict, her prayers were a blend of both good and evil. For the population, she wished death and, at times, life. Until the end, your sister prayed for the better of everyone."

I open my eyes.

I'm sick of thinking.

| Author’s Notes |

~ Glossary ~
Halfly: of a half.

~ Happenings ~
Does Alec go with Caesar? He really should.
There are some stereotypes of witchcraft that are seen as evil in this village. Kind of an interesting thought seeing as their world is very magical, and it only gets weirder. I wonder how the people would react to how things are going currently. They can’t?