Like Delphine had said, Rachel was with the guys practicing. Though Delphine found Rachel irritating and annoying, she would admit that Rachel was very dedicated to her training. Delphine had watched them practice before. Everyone in the pack joined the warriors once they turned eighteen. Delphine was among the few who were never allowed on the training ground.
Rachel’s room was just the way Delphine had left it earlier. Her goal was simple: reach for the little chest under Rachel’s bed. It was where she kept her precious jewels—which Sighai the wizard said he would also collect in place of money. She closed the door behind her properly before proceeding further into the room.
“Let’s see,” Delphine whispered, dropping to her knees as she got to the bed. “Hope she didn’t hide it.” She brought her upper body part down so she could reach for the box, and it was just when she did this that she heard the approaching steps. Delphine froze. It was impossible for them to have been done with training so fast. Rachel and Rain took their training to heart; they wouldn’t pause it for the littlest thing. Delphine didn’t question anymore when the steps stopped just behind the door. She quickly rolled under the bed, just then the door was pushed open.
Delphine crossed her fingers to her chest as she prayed whoever was in the room would leave immediately. She didn’t know who it was yet because no sound had been made. Just then, a voice came, but it wasn’t one of the people who had been in the room; this was a new arrival.
“Hey, have you seen it yet?” It was Rain.
“No, I haven’t,” Rachel said. “I swear I kept it here…fuck!” She cussed. “That stupid girl must have touched it while she arranged my room.”
“I told you to let me keep it, but you refused. Why don’t you check under the bed,” Rain suggested. “It must have fallen to the floor and rolled over there.”
“You’re right, I’ll check.” Quick strides were heard as Rachel got to the bed. Delphine’s heartbeat knew no control at the moment, she shook in fear knowing she was about to get caught. At this point, she had already said her last prayers, she closed her eyes and waited for the worst.
“You blind fool,” Rain said. “Look at it near your mirror, quick get it.”
“Don’t insult me, Rain,” Rachel said as she walked away from the bed to Delphine’s delight. “Also, who is going to add the potion to her meal?”
“When she gets dinner, we’ll call her to drop her food and go get something for us. When she’s gone, we’ll add it and since it’s just like water, she won’t notice anything.” Delphine didn’t need to hear her name before she knew they were referring to her.
“Oh, this is going to be fun and she has to be around in the meeting with Father later. Let’s see if he wouldn’t want to kick her out after she lets out the worst farts every second.” Delphine made a mental note not to eat anything unless it had been gotten directly from Maria.
This wasn’t the first time they had done this. Sometimes Delphine wondered if Rain was truly the son of his father or adopted, because although his father could be mean, he was strong, wise, and disciplined; Rain was nothing but childish. “Anyways, let’s go. You’ll give it to Maria to add to her food.”
Delphine rolled her eyes, she knew Maria would never agree to do that. “Sure,” Rain sounded excited. “Wouldn’t be the first time she’s been a good help.” The confident look on Delphine’s face was replaced with a confused look when she heard that. “Also, she said she had something to tell us. Apparently, the pig had said something to her.”
“You sure it’s important? I mean we are talking about Maria after all, she’s all in for the money and sometimes she delivers the most empty messages. No need to meet her for that. In fact, we need to get back to training; we can see Maria later.”
Their retreating steps didn’t matter to Delphine anymore, as her brain tried to understand the words that were just uttered. She couldn’t believe it, and didn’t want to believe that Maria, the woman she had called her friend, the closest person she had to a mother figure, would betray her.
“W-what…” She couldn’t roll the words out of her tongue. Delphine had been mistreated by lots of people—insulted, beaten—but never did it hurt more than the thorns that pierced her heart from the betrayal. Maria was the only person Delphine had, the only one who ever offered her a smile since her mother died and was always there for comforting hugs.
She said she had something to tell us.
Delphine remembered Rain’s words from earlier; she wondered if Maria was going to tell them about her plan to escape. She didn’t think Maria would be so cruel. She shook her head, refusing to let it cloud her thoughts. She got out from under the bed, reaching for the box. She opened it and inside was just what she needed—jewels. She planned to sell them and then use the money to pay the wizard.
“I guess this one will do,” she said as she held on to three precious stones. “I guess I should drop one back, this is rather too much…I mean, she does have more, and those boyfriends of hers will buy her even more, so why bother.” She shrugged, looking back to the door, she raised the big flap at her waist side, which revealed a pocket. There, she placed the stones. Her plan was to hurry to the jeweler's shop where she could sell the item and get money.
Delphine adjusted the hoodie on her head, then hurried out of the room. From everything she had just heard, Delphine knew she couldn’t wait anymore. By tomorrow, or if she wasn’t lucky, this night, they were going to come for her, she had to leave now, this night.
She ran back to the shed where she slept, not looking back at the people who called her, luckily, they didn’t chase after her and let her go her way. Delphine kicked the doors open as she arrived, she hurried to the little mat that served as her bed, pushing it aside to reveal the little hole she had dug there, that’s where Delphine kept her money. She placed in the ones she had just collected, then placed her mat in the right position before she sat to wait. Once it was nightfall, she would be on her way.
~
It was going to rain, you could smell it in the air. The wind blew gently on the wisps of midnight black hair which danced around Delphine’s face. She brushed them away quickly, but gave up once they came back to her face. Delphine was still wearing her hoodie from earlier, on her shoulders, she carried a bag which held her clothes and money.
“What exactly did you say you wanted to have?” Sighai asked. Sighai was one of the oldest men in the pack, some said he was ninety-one years old, but to Delphine, he looked like he was in his late sixties. He was dressed in black. Everything, from his hair, to his hat, his nails and his long coat which touched the floor. He reminded Delphine of the older version of a character she had seen in the movie Harry Potter. “You said you have been here before, when?”
“I need help to get across the border. I’m Delphine. I came to you about two weeks ago, but I wasn’t with the complete money. You told me I should wait till it’s complete.”
“Speak in low tones, I can hear you just fine. Remove your hoodie, let me see your face clearly.” Delphine did as she was told. The man gave low hums as he studied Betty’s face. “I remember you,” he said. “What did you say you wanted?” He questioned.
“I said I need help crossing the border. I want to leave, I can’t stay here anymore.”
“Did you bring the money?” He asked. “If you’re not with the money, then I can’t help you.”
Delphine rolled her eyes. “Yes, Sighai, I brought you your money and it’s complete,” she said while handing him the package she had brought along with her. “You can check it yourself.” She added, when he raised a look at the package.
After going through it for a while, he looked back at her with a small smile. “It’s complete. You know, I wonder, but I’ll not ask where you got the money from.” Delphine nodded. It was better that way; she didn’t need her conscience judging her.
“So, will you break the magic that revolves around the border for me?”
He shook his head. “No, you misunderstand.” Standing up. “I can’t break the magic that revolves around the border; now that would alert the Alpha.”
Delphine let out a frustrated groan, throwing her hands in the air. “Then what do you want me to do? I can’t stay here anymore, I have to leave now!”
“Calm down,” Sighai said with a chuckle. “I said I couldn’t break the magic. I didn’t say I could not help you get across.”
Delphine’s eyes lit up with the words. “Ok.”
“Wait here,” Sighai said. “I just need to prepare something real quick, you’ll need it.” He stood up from his chair and turned to walk away. “Don’t touch anything,” he added as he walked into the room. Delphine did as instructed, keeping her hands on her lap as she waited patiently, though from the looks of it, she was slowly losing her patience as she tapped impatiently on her lap.
Sighai finally showed up. “Ok, I’m back.” He was holding a scroll in his hand. He proceeded to his desk and took a seat there, looking Delphine straight in the eye. This made her feel a little bit uncomfortable, but she waited for him to speak. “This is a scroll. You are going to need it when you get there…you might not, but it will help.”
“What’s the scroll for?”
“A disappearing spell. Usually, this would work with you voicing the words, but I don’t think you’ll pronounce the words correctly.” She eyed him, but he ignored her. “When you get there, you’ll open the first scroll, this blue one.” He handed it over to her already outstretched hand. “This will be the spell that enables you to go through safely.”
“Thank you,” she told him, admiring the drawn designs. “So,” she looked up at him. “What’s the second scroll for?”
“It’s a disappearing spell. Once you are caught, or surrounded, just open the scroll and the spell I’ve written inside will do its work. You will be well protected from the eyes of the warriors.”
“Wow, really?” Delphine was amazed. “All I have to do is open the scroll and the rest is done.” She collected the second scroll which he was already handing to her, doing this she also handed him his money. “Thank you for this, Sighai.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now, you better leave. I have guests coming over, and if you don’t want people to see you, you best leave.” Delphine didn’t wait to be told twice before she was already up. “Don’t lose the scrolls, Delphine.”
“Sure,” she told him, waving as she walked away. “Later, Sighai.”
Delphine held tight to her bag as she hurried through the woods. Everywhere was quiet, combined with the fact that it was dark and she was alone, the whistling sound of the wind didn’t help either and the rattles of the leaves shaking in their branches. She held her bag even tighter, the scroll was in there and she didn’t want to lose it.
Just when she thought she couldn’t walk anymore, she finally arrived at the border. She brought down her bag and searched for the first scroll. “Break it…” She muttered as she did as Sighai had required. She opened the scroll and waited. She wasn’t sure what she should be expecting to feel or hear to let her know that the scroll had done what it was supposed to do. Just then, the paper in her hands got hot, really hot, Delphine had to let go of them. Right then, she watched as they caught on fire and slowly burned to ashes. “I didn’t see that coming…I guess it worked then.” She took a step past the border, and when nothing happened, she took another step.
“Delphine!” Someone shouted her name. She knew that voice, it belonged to someone that she hated the most, Rachel. “You bitch!” Delphine flinched at the hate that spat from the word.
They weren’t just one, two, or three; it looked like she had brought a quarter of the warriors along with her. The second scroll came to Delphine’s mind quickly, she had never wanted to praise Sighai more at that moment. She reached for her bag, zipping it open quickly. She waited, just so she could see Rachel and do what she had always wanted to do.
They were in view now, she knew the faces of those behind Rachel, all those who have bullied her. But she didn’t have time for all of them; Sighai did tell her the magic would wear off. “You do not know the punishment waiting for you back home,” Rachel started. “What were you thinking, that you could run away from us?”
“I was hoping, but you guys do have a big problem.” They had a lost look on their face, surprised to see Delphine talking back at them. “All of you,” she said to them, “are nothing but weak, spineless, and buffoons.”
“Are you talking back to me?” Rachel thundered.
“Yes!” She retorted. “And what are you going to do about it?” Delphine gave them a sweet smile. “I’m not your puppet or your slave anymore.” She broke the seal from the scroll and opened it. Slowly, she disappeared.
“W-where did she go to?” one of the warriors asked. “I think she has her hands in dark magic. We must leave.” But nobody paid attention to him.
This was the moment Delphine had been waiting for, she never thought she would ever get it. Though she had imagined the scenario too many times in her head, she never thought they would ever happen in reality. Still protected by Sighai’s invisibility spell, she rushed to Rachel. Raising her hands high, she brought them down in flash speed, hard against Rachel’s cheeks. The cheeks that omitted Rachel’s lips brought a smile to Delphine’s face. After that, she walked away; she had a journey of no destination before her.