Calliope [Book 2]
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Mido and Calliope walked aimlessly through the foggy world, hand in hand, cherishing every moment together, no longer alone and apart in their hellish world.

“So, what’s the plan, then?” Calliope asked.

“We replace a way outta here.”

“I have to get rid of this black magic,” Calliope stated, feeling defeated. She sighed. “I don’t know how easy that task will be. And even if it does work, won’t that get me out? You will still be stuck here.”

Mido hadn’t thought of that. “Queen Ryenna would have mentioned that if it concerned her,” he said, hoping he could trust in that answer.

Calliope was quiet; she didn’t trust that answer one bit. But, maybe the rules were different for mortals. He was forced into this world – couldn’t he be brought out the same way?

“I guess we focus on one thing at a time,” Calliope said quietly.

Mido nodded in agreement. “So, we get rid of that nasty black magic,” he said. “Think happy thoughts, now. Don’t be mad at me for coming here.”

“I’m just mad you don’t want to have my babies,” Calliope said with a smirk.

“You better get those negative thoughts out of your head,” Mido scolded. “Because I ain’t havin’ no black magic half witch babies. Those things better be nice little witch babies, so get that shit out of your system.”

Calliope laughed. “All right,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll try.”

“When do we know if it’s out?”

Calliope shrugged. “I know as much as you do.”

“Or as little,” Mido muttered.

“Maybe if I cast some spells,” she suggested. “Maybe a spell without black magic?”

“How do we know if the spell is black or not?”

Calliope shrugged.

“It doesn’t feel any different to you?”

“I never thought about it,” she said.

“Well, maybe it’s time we start thinking about it. Learn everything we can so you can differ the good magic with the bad stuff.”

Calliope nodded half-heartedly.

“Have you been using magic since you’ve been here?” Mido asked.

Again, Calliope nodded.

“And?”

“And what?”

Mido shrugged. “I don’t know. Did you notice a different? What kind of magic did you use?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I mostly just fought off some witches and wizards.” Calliope hesitated. “Some of it was nothing I was able to do before.”

“Maybe that was the black magic,” Mido suggested.

“I hope not,” Calliope muttered.

“Why?”

Calliope sighed. “Because I used a lot of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been here a very long time, Mido,” she said quietly. She shook her head. “I don’t know if...” She trailed off.

“What?” Mido pressed, stopping and turning to her.

Calliope hesitated. “I don’t know if I can go back,” she said slowly. She paused. “I don’t know if I want to go back.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Calliope turned and met his gaze. “These witches here – they’re changed witches. Maybe they dabbled in black magic before, but being banished here for so long...”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, the witches have changed.” She hesitated again. “I have changed.”

“What do you mean you changed?” Mido felt a sense of panic. He was not leaving without her, no matter what it took.

“I can’t explain it, Mido. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

Her eyes were soft and sad on his, but they each stood their ground.

“Being here alone – without you – was hard. Incredibly hard. I spent a very long time alone, confused, and lost. It took a toll on me.”

“You weren’t the only one, you know,” he muttered.

Calliope continued. “And then one day, I met a witch. And we fought. And I met more. And I was ambushed. I learnt from some how to survive in this hell. I learned and I adjusted because I had to. Despite the witch I knew I was, I couldn’t be that witch anymore.”

“You’re the same person you were, Calli,” Mido said softly. “I would know.”

Calliope shook her head. “You don’t have a clue, Mido.”

“Calli-”

“The black magic has consumed me and I didn’t even realize. I let it take control. I let it take over.”

“You don’t know that, though.”

“But I do, Mido. I do. Of all the things I don’t know of this world, I do know this, for a fact. And I know that I wouldn’t survive out of this world.”

Mido’s heart raced in his chest and he felt his stomach tighten into a knot. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice shook as he spoke.

Calliope took his hands in hers. “I will do everything in my power to get you out of here, but I cannot go with you.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“You have to.”

“No. I’m not leaving your side ever again.”

“I won’t let you stay here. You won’t survive here.”

“I’d rather die here with you then go back to a kingdom I hate and die alone.”

Calliope forced a smile. “You will return to Asmar, meet a wonderful woman – a human woman – and have beautiful children and an amazing life, just as you should, in your human world. Witches do not belong in that world anymore, Mido. They haven’t for a very long time. This is where I belong now.”

Mido shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was suddenly angry with her.

“Stop it,” he hissed. “Stop it. You’re being ridiculous. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Mido-”

“No,” he interrupted. “Queen Ryenna wouldn’t have let me come here if she thought you weren’t meant for our world.”

“Her ancestors created this place for the exact thing that I am.”

“You’re not the same as those things, and you know it.”

“Maybe then, but things are different now, and there’s no going back. You need to accept that.”

Mido was quiet. His rage boiled inside. He glared at her. “You’re right,” he muttered. “Things are different. You have changed. The Calliope I knew cared about her people. She’d give her life for them. For me. She was a stubborn witch, but that’s what I liked best about her.”

Tears stung her eyes as she listened to his harsh voice. “Don’t you get it, Mido? I am giving my life for them. For you. By staying here, I’m giving up everything. You think being here in this wasteland is something I enjoy? I will be stuck here, forever, passing by every shadow and wondering if it’s you just on the other side.” She swallowed hard at the lump in her throat. “Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me,” she spat at him.

They stared each other down for a moment, each angry with the other and at themselves. They were angry at their situation. They felt hopeless and heartbroken as they stood their yelling at each other. Calliope broke the stare, looking to her feet and turning away. Her hand covered her mouth and she squeezed her eyes shut.

At that moment, an idea came to Mido. No one had ever been able to leave this world, but no witch was able to die, doomed to live their immortal lives for all of eternity. What if, he wondered, a witch were to die? He tried to talk himself out of the idea – it was crazy – but what other choice did they have? A traditional death would not work – a magical death it would have to be, like when Calliope used too much of her magic; the magic had drained from her system completely. But could they repeat something like that? Queen Ryenna would be able to bring her back, just as Samus had done. A witch without magic in her blood would have no reason to be bound to this world.

“Do you trust me, Calliope?” Mido asked, breaking the silence. He tried to steady his voice as he spoke.

“Of course I do,” she whispered. She peeked at him over his shoulder and saw fear in his face. She turned to face him, worried. “What are you thinking?”

Mido hesitated. His voice was soft as he spoke. “I was thinking we could drain the magic completely from your system, like when you defeated Scarletta.”

“You want to kill me?”

“Of course not. But, without the magic in you, there would be no black magic, and nothing to bind you to this world. It could work. And Queen Ryenna could bring you back.”

“If that were to work, I’d probably end up where ever we currently are in the world. Probably in the middle of nowhere. There would be no way anyone would replace me in time. I will die out there with my magic.”

“We can try to get back to Re’iam.”

“Are you insane? The chances of us getting there are slim to none.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

Calliope hesitated. “You know what I want to do.”

Mido shook his head. “And that answer is unacceptable. This could work.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“What if it does?”

“And what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll get out.”

Calliope was quiet. She almost believed it could work. And with her knowledge of this world, it may even work better. They could get through to In’audis.

“I might be able to get us to In’audis,” Calliope said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“When I first got here, I tried everything to figure out what happened. I used my magic to try to replace a way out, hoping I was only trapped in some strange void. Some things produced no results, while others...”

“What happened?”

“I could see glimpse of the world. Small, brief glimpses, The people were still shadows, but I could recognize the forest and familiar landmarks. I was able to see In’audis’s castle at one point in the distance.”

“How did you do that?”

“I have a feeling it was my magic. The witches here only know black magic. I did not at first. While some of my magic was tainted, some if was not, and I think that was able to break up the void somehow.”

“Could it be enough to get us out?”

Calliope shook her head. “I tried that,” she said. “All it seems to do is provided a clearer look at the world for a moment.”

“So, we could try to do that and replace our way back to Re’iam.”

Calliope nodded. “I just don’t know if I can replace that magic within me again.”

“I know you can.”

“You’re too optimistic about this,” she said.

“Only because I know you want out. You wouldn’t have mentioned that if you didn’t want to try.”

Calliope sighed. “I’m scared, Mido. You really don’t understand what has happened here. I couldn’t even begin to explain it to you. I’m afraid it won’t work. I’m afraid I will let you down.”

Mido took her hands and kissed her fingers. “You could never let me down, Calli.”

She pinched her lips together.

“We should at least try,” Mido continued. “Please. Let me at least try to get you back into my life. I know you want to come back.”

Calliope nodded as wet trails began to fall down her cheeks. Mido pulled her in close. Calliope listened to the beat of his heart; it was calming.

“We can end this all,” he whispered to her. “There is hope.”

“Everything just seems to be against us.”

Mido smiled. “Things will change. I know it.”

Calliope sobbed quietly. “So much has happened, though. I can’t do it anymore.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you. Have I ever steered you wrong? Was I ever not there for you?”

Calliope shook her head. Mido pushed her back and dried her face. She met his gaze.

“We will go to Asmar, and you will be my queen, and no one will dare lay a finger on you.”

Calliope sniffed softly. “Your queen, huh?”

“Queen Calliope.”

“Has a nice ring to it.” She hesitated. “But, that means I will have to have your half-blooded children.”

“They’ll be kind, caring, beautiful children.”

Calliope smiled for a moment before turning away. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “We’re still stuck here, and we don’t know if this plan will work.”

“It’s worth a try, as long as you haven’t given up on me yet.”

Calliope was afraid to get her hopes up. She was afraid of so much at that moment, but she wanted to try, for Mido. She wanted there to be a slight chance that everything could go back to normal. All they had to do was try and keep pushing forward. They would not give up on each other. Calliope turned back around and met Mido’s gaze.

“I’m never giving up. And don’t you dare let me. Let’s do this, or die trying.”

Mido smiled. “I knew she was still there. That’s the Calli I know.”