Escape from the Witch Hunters
Chapter 8

"Curse you, Gillian!" he threw a bottle of whiskey across the the room, breaking it to pieces. "Curse you and your future wife! I hope you're both as miserable as I am!"

Gillian whimpered in the corner, silently letting the tears fall. "Please Father! Stop this!"

"Who are you to tell me such!" he whacked him on his ear. "You have no idea what I've been through!

"I'm your son!" he cried. "I need you! I need a Father!"

A flash of regret almost passed Father's face before he looked back at GIllian, glaring. "It doesn't matter anymore. You'll grow up someday and forget about me anyway. And I hope you're miserable." he sneered.

Gillian woke up with a cold sweat, and breathing heavily. The memories had come back, and were still as raw and painful as they were years ago.

He opened the door and went outside, where the cold air met his hot skin. He took off his shirt, letting the breeze take away the heat, as well as clear his mind.

Curse you and your future wife!

His father's words rang in his ears. Thoughts of Ryia invaded his mind.

What was he thinking? Was he just innocently toying with love? Or did he actually think of her as a wife prospect?

He was getting dangerously close to falling for her alluring smile, her captivating eyes, and her charming personality.

He couldn't drag her into his family curse. He wouldn't ask anyone to share the burden of his curse.

"A curse? Gillian, why didn't you tell me?" Chloe slapped him on the face. "You little liar." she spat. "I can't believe I actually fell for you."

She turned tail and walked back out the of the inn

"More like you fell for my inheritance." he muttered bitterly. He should never have told her about it. He would never tell anyone again. For all he cared the money could burn.

Gillian shook his head. She hadn't wanted to be part of his curse.

He told her about it when he thought that they were so in love that it wouldn't matter.

Apparently not. Even all of his money hadn't been worth the curse.

He wished that curses meant nothing. Only everyone in Norcliffe took them very seriously. Curses always came true.

Once their family was cursed with a bad winter.

Half of their livestock froze. Part of the roof collapsed during a bad snow storm. And his little brother or sister, he didn't know which, died.

His mother had been carrying a baby that winter, but she slipped on a sheet of ice and fell It took the baby's life.

Curses were not to be trifled with.

"Gillian?" he turned around to see Ryia standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Gillian frowned. He wouldn't drag her into his life. "Nothing's wrong. Go back to bed." he answered more harshly than he had intended.

Ryia's brow creased. "I'm sorry, if there is anything I can do-"

“You can’t.” he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

“Gillian are you alright? You-”

"You can't do anything!" he shouted. His eyes had a crazed look to them.

Ryia stepped back.

"Just go." he shook his head regretfully, then whispered. "Just go back to bed."

Ryia frightenedly looked at Gillian, wondering what came across him. What happened to the innocent smiles and laughter of yesterday?

She dropped her crutch and ran to her bed, despite the pain that was shooting up her leg. She collapsed on the bed, tears wetting the pillow.

What happened? Had she done something to make him angry at her? Why? Why did this have to happen?

I didn't have to yell at her. he sat down on the step, regretting everything. He wished she didn’t uncover his feelings. They were still tender and sore from years ago. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if they got close, only to have her torn from him.

He never wanted to make her cry. And yet he had on several occasion.

But he had to push her away. He couldn't let her become close. He couldn't become attached to her. And yet, he was already used to waking up and seeing her face. He was used to turning around and seeing her there.

It would just make it easier if he was mean to her. She would hate him. And that would just be easier for them both when he had to let her go.

Not to mention she probably has a husband. he scowled. He hated to think that he was coveting another man's wife.

He mentally kicked himself. If that happened to my wife, I would hang the other man from the nearest tree.

He had to keep her away. For both of their sakes.

It would be painful. But he could do it. He had to.

Ryia lay in her bed, tossing and turning. The sky was still dark as the sun had yet to show its face. What did I do wrong? What, Father? What?

Gillian lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. Why did she have to fall in my lap, only to be torn away? Why Great Father? What's the reasoning behind this?

As soon as the sun was peaking through, Ryia got up and started measuring material for her dress, sparing a glance and the sleeping form of Gillian every once in awhile, wondering where she went wrong.

After she measured and cut the material she set down the material, folded it and set it on the bed, then she quietly made her way into the kitchen and started fixing breakfast after going to the barn and gathering eggs and going to the smoke house to get some bacon.

She stroked the fire before setting the bacon in the fry pan.

I have to make this right. she took a deep breath before turning to face Gillian. “Gillian? Are you awake?”

Gillian shifted a bit before he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah I’m awake.”

She bit her lip nervously before continuing. “Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

Gillian shook his head. He stood up and he looked into her eyes sadly. “Look Ryia, you could be married for all we know. This is improper. And even if it weren’t, you’re going to leave sometime anyway.” he took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sorry if I mislead you to believe that I actually might have feelings for you, because I don’t, and never will. You’re still just a girl. I just did it for fun.”

Ryia looked horrified and her cheeks turned a bright pink at the same time. She quickly walked out the door and disappeared down the path.

Gillian felt like a stone made its way to his stomach. What he just said was a big fat lie. He wanted her to stay, he knew it was improper, he knew he shouldn’t want her, and he didn’t do it “just for fun”. He did it because, like any natural male, he wanted to impress the female and make her fall for him.

And he had still managed to hurt her pride by telling her that he thought of her as a girl. But he didn’t. She was just as much of a woman as anyone else was. She would probably never want to see him again. He would have to arrange to take her to town as soon as possible.

Everything would be incredibly awkward and strained in their relationship. He let out a frustrated growl. He wished that they had met under different circumstances. If only.

Ryia leaned against the tree, trying to restrain her tears. I’m doing a lot of crying lately. she thought bitterly. I’m not going to cry any more.

And to think I let my feelings get the best of me. And he just thinks of me as a child. Just a child to him. she shook her head. How could she even face him? Her face flushed just thinking about it. Thinking about him. Her leg was almost better, and she could surely replace work somewhere. She could sew. Surely someone would hire her. She would go as soon as her dresses were done, that way should wouldn’t show up in Gillian’s clothes.

Ryia wiped her face. I should go to the stream and wash my face before I tell Gillian about when I’m leaving.

She hurried back down the path that led down to Gillian’s stream.

Once she made it, she splashed some cold water on her face, shocking her nerves, and refreshing them at the same time. It was almost as if the cold numbed her feelings. Maybe if she took an ice bath she would forget about Gillian.

She sighed and sat there for a moment. “Just a bit longer, then I’ll go face Gillian.”

She stared into the water, letting the sun warm her face, eventually lulling her to sleep.

Knock knock knock

“Come in.” Gillian glanced at the door, expecting to see Ryia standing there. Instead, there stood two men, in official clothing.

“Good morning. We have an arrest warrant for Evelyn Castile and we were informed that she was living here.” they held up a piece of parchment, proving that they really did have the authority to arrest her. “She is wanted for sorcery. Evelyn and her mother almost wiped out a whole village. Just about everyone came down with the illness except them. She’s got light brown hair, mismatched eyes, she’s around five and a half feet tall, and an informant told us that she was here. The reward has been raised to ten thousand sovereigns.”

“Whoever told you must have been confused. No one lives here except myself.” he glanced at his bedroll on the floor and almost groaned. He just prayed they didn’t see it.

The men looked skeptical but didn’t bother pushing it. “Alright.” a look passed between the two of them. “We’re sorry to have interrupted your morning. If you see the girl you can take her to the village of Castile. It’s a bit northeast of here. About a day’s ride or so.”

“Alright.” Gillian replied lethargically stood, walked over to the door and watched the men leave his house before closing the door behind them.

He sighed. It was a mistake to tell Mr. Callaway about Ryia. Only he didn’t know that she was a wanted woman.

The door burst open. “I’m so sorry, I fell asleep, I didn’t know how it happened, one minute I was sitting by the bank, and the next I was waking up and I didn’t realize-”

“Ryia,” Gillian cut in, “there were two men that were just here. Claimed they were looking the daughter of a witch. Said that they almost wiped out a whole village. The reward for her capture is ten thousand sovereigns. ”