Chapter Thirty (Amaya)

It turned out that Abigail couldn't communicate with the goddess essence, and that she could use the goddess's abilities, and that was how she learned about the future and what had happened to magic. The essence was basically the goddess's soul, or the core of her being. They sealed her body in a tomb in the heaven plane. Sin was trying to locate it to help her get her body back.

Abigail was asleep in the corner and although I tried, I could not sleep, the cold floor was uninviting and the looming threat on my life didn’t help matters. I stood and paced the room, looking around for any weak spots in the walls or door that I could use to escape.

Finding nothing, I sat leaning against some empty wine barrels in the corner. “How did everything get so twisted and misplaced?” I mumbled to myself.

I heard footsteps approaching and stood as the door opened and Pastor Gideon walked in with Samuel and his two guards; they went to approach Abigail, who was still asleep, and I stood in front of her, blocking them from getting to her.

“Out of the way.”

“Fuck you!” I snapped as the Pastor turned to me, anger contorting his wrinkly old face.

“You speak curses. Forget the old lady, take her.”

Samuel looked at me alarmed as the two men grabbed my arms and, even though I fought them, they bound them behind my back and dragged me from the cellar.
“Drop dead pastor.” I snarled at him as he walked away from me.

“Bring her.”

They dragged me out of the church towards a new building where the townspeople had gathered; they dragged me into the courthouse. Pews lined the sides of an aisle and at the head of the room was a judge's bench and in front was a bench with a metal loop sticking out of it, where they forced me to kneel and attached my wrist restraints to the loop. The crowd took their seats behind me, Pastor Gideon took a seat to the far left and his two goons stood guard behind me.

There was another loop on the table beside me and when I heard the door open, I knew Abigail was being dragged in as well, forced to kneel beside me. Samuel stood beside the Judge's bench, I looked at him and he mouthed sorry as he forced himself to look away. Was he really going to let this happen?

A man in black robes with a white wig walked into the room and took a seat at his bench as he faced the crowd before turning his attention to us. The room fell silent.
“You have been accused of witchcraft. How do you plead?” he asked, his eyes flickering with anticipation. This man loved power. He loved to abuse it. I could sense his intent and the evil that seemed to radiate out of him. "How do you plead?" he yelled.

“Not guilty.” Abigail stated, then looked at me, waiting.

"Not guilty," I blurted as I tried to move my wrists.

The judge had a large smile on his face, "Then let the trials begin."

The room erupted in yelling and screaming as people yelled their accusations towards us, accusing Abigail of hexing children and causing birth defects in the babies she helped deliver, there was so much noise it was impossible to catch all the absurd things they had yelled.

“If they knew anything, they would know how stupid they sound.” I muttered to Abigail, who shushed me.

I couldn't believe the townspeople's lies were being used as evidence it infuriated me. I hated injustice, and this was not how the legal system was supposed to work. They had witnesses I hadn't even met take the stand beside the judges' bench and testify against me.

Blythe, the pastor's daughter, took the stand, and I glared at her as she smiled.

"Just tell the people what you told me." Pastor Gideon coaxed her.

She nodded, "Amaya is a harlot. I found her in the forest with two men, she was..." she paused and looked at her father.

"It's ok go on."

"She was fornicating with both of them," she cried as tears fell down her face.

"I was doing no such thing she was there with..."

"Silence harlot." the judge yelled, cutting me off as a look of horror crossed Blythe's face. As her father looked at her suspiciously but didn't say anything.

"You may leave Blythe." the judge dismissed her and added, "The accused will be searched."

"Why don't you ask the little bitch what she was doing in the forest with Sage!!!" I yelled, pissed they hadn't let me talk.

"Silence!" the judge yelled, banging his gavel as something hit me in the back of the head. The crowd, which broke out into murmurs and conversation at my words, quieted.

"Now, as I was saying, the accused will be searched."

The two men that grabbed me from the cellar moved to undo my restraints and drag me into the center of the room in front of the judge's bench, I struggled against them, but they were too strong. Abigail had warned me not to use magic, and I was using a lot of my energy trying to keep it from slipping. Samuel moved to stand beside them, trying to get closer to me. My head was pounding from the hit I had just taken.

“Strip her.” The judge ordered as Samuel looked at him, rage evident on his features.

“Why would you do that?” Samuel asked angrily.

“To see if she has any witches' marks, of course.” The judge replied casually, yet his eyes said differently. Fucking pervert.

The men ripped off layers of clothes as I struggled against them. “Stop it.” I yelled. As panic started to grip at my chest, for someone who hates being the center of attention, this was fucken torture.

“Her red hair is the sign of the devil.” A woman screamed as my bonnet fell to the ground.

A few minutes later, I was naked in front of everyone, embarrassment and anger filled every inch of my being as they examined my body.

“She has the devil's marks.” A woman in the crowd screamed when they saw my tattoos.

Celtic symbols were tattooed down my spine with intricate vines weaving in and out of the symbols, the vines weaved and circled the tree of life, which was tattooed on my right ribcage with the symbols for the maiden mother and crone in the roots. I had more tattoos covering my body, but the clothes in this time hid them very well. The men poked at the tattoos and scratched at any marking they could find on my body.

“Are you done yet?” I hissed with a warning.

They looked at the judge, who nodded, and Samuel rushed over and covered me with a sheet as another man shoved my clothes into my still bound hands. “you’ll pay for this,” I whispered in promise.

“I’ll take her.” Samuel declared as he gripped my upper arm and led me to a room on the right of the judge's bench.

One man followed us into the room. He untied my hands and turned so I could dress, ordering the other man to turn around as well. Don’t know what the point was. Everyone saw everything made no difference now. After I was dressed, the man retied my hands and left as Samuel guided me out of the room.

“I’m sorry, Little Dove, they weren’t supposed to touch you.”

“What do you mean? Did you plan this?” I nearly yelled at him in anger. A flash of guilt crossed his face as he led me back to the bench, forcing me to kneel as he retied my hands.

Abigail looked at me, tears in her eyes, “I’m sorry dear, this is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not, it’s his.” I retorted as I glared at Samuel.

The judge looked at the crowd and demanded silence. “Abigail, can you recite the Lord's prayer?”

Abigail didn’t respond, and I whispered to her, “Answer him, you go to church. You should know it.”

She shook her head, “I never say the prayers, I go to church as a pretense.” She mumbled.

“I was trying to be lenient because of our friendship, but if you want to be uncooperative, then you will endure the same trial as your granddaughter.”

“So be it.” She muttered as the two men grabbed her and dragged her to the front of the room, forcing her to endure the same treatment I had just endured; they didn’t find any marks on her and began pricking and scratching tests, they did this for over an hour until they got the results they wanted.

“You don’t care what we are, you just want someone to torment.” I yelled angrily, “You will keep doing that until you get the results you want, you don’t care about innocence or guilt.”

The man behind me grabbed the back of my neck, “Silence, witch or I will silence you.” He threatened.

Fed up and already knowing I would be found guilty, I let my magic loose; the room shook, and wood moaned as I snapped my restraints and turned to face the crowd, one guard grabbed my arms before I could react. “I curse you and your backwards ways; may you never have a day of happiness.” I spit out to the townspeople with as much force as possible.

The faces in the crowd paled in fear, and a smile crossed my lips. Good, I want them afraid. How dare they treat us this way?

They finished torturing poor Abigail and let her dress, and she was returned to the bench beside me. I fought against the guard and was able to get loose.
The judge looked down at me, pissed that I had made a scene in his court, the men restrained me again when I was trying to help Abigail.

“You have been found guilty of witchcraft and I sentence you to death by hanging.” He dropped his hammer, and the crowd cheered, delighted with the news.
The men didn’t lead us back to the cellar but to cells that had built in the room attached to the back of the courthouse. We were roughly thrown into the cells.

Pastor Gideon came in with a smile on his face, “I suggest you don’t try to escape; this place is warded against you and your magics won’t work in there. You will remain here until we finish constructing the gallows.”

“Drop dead.” I bit out as Samuel entered the room, I went and sat in the corner, ignoring him as the Pastor turned to leave.

He stopped in front of Samuel, “Don’t listen to their words. They may try to bewitch you.” He warned as he turned and left.

Samuel approached the cell doors and looked at me, “What do you want?” I bit out.

“I am sorry, Amaya. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“No, you did, when you sent them after my mother.” I yelled, gesturing to Abigail as he looked at me, shocked.
“She can’t be, you’re from the future.”

“How would you know that?” I asked, jumping to my feet, and moving closer to him. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”