6 Chapter 6: Booooom (2/2)

She said, ”Exactly. So why don't you move me from the cart to that fire.”

I said nothing.

She said, ”That priest who hired you, he wants me alive, no? What is he going to say if you deliver me and I'm half dead? Oh, poor Elina, how could you treat her like that...”

I sighed. I got up and walked over to the cart.

She said, ”Good. Now lift me up.”

Her eyes were glowing but her hands were tied. There was no way she could cast magic, right? Gransia handcuffs always worked. So they should work on Elina. Should.

As if reading my thoughts, Elina said, ”Don't worry, I can't feel any magic in my hands. You won't die if you touch me.”

I let out a breath. Let's do this quickly.

I grabbed her, lifted her up, and moved her to the fire. I put her down and stepped away.

She said, ”I'm not a disease, you know?”

I sat down across the fire, as far away from her as possible.

I said, ”For a witch, you seem awfully at ease in this situation. Haven't you met witch hunters before?”

”Hmmm...” she stared into the fire, a swirl of red and white in her eyes. ”I've met two before.”

”And what happened?”

”I killed them.”

”How?”

”Boooom.”

”Oh.”

I grabbed some corn off the cart, stuck them to a few sticks and began roasting them.

I said, ”Those two witch hunters...you killed them, but why didn't you kill me?”

”Because they came with the intention to kill.”

Which made sense, I guess. Maybe they weren't as smart as me. Maybe they thought the only way to capture her was to fight. Disguising myself as a merchant was a good idea. But she did call me a witch hunter right before I struck her head. What if I acted just a second later? Would I be dead now?

Elina moved closer to the fire. The gransia handcuffs clinked. Like tiny bells.

She said, ”There's something I want from you.”