CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SHE HAD LOST HER

Josie Zarick let's out a pant as the last of her tears stream down her face. Her eyes glued to the screen which has Melaina on the ground, blood spilling out of her throat, a pool of it forming around her.

"I'm sorry Mel. I'm so sorry." She says as tastes her salty tears on her lips. "I'm going to fix this, I promise."

She looks at the chains on her wrist. Josie attempts to pull the chains again but barely reaches the coffee table.

"Come on Jo, this is your body, your mind." Josie closes her eyes and wraps the chain around her arms and begins pulls harder.

She stands up and pulls more, she feels the chains behind the couch go into it. She may not be destroying the chains but she was making it easier to escape.

She turned to face the couch. She grips the chains and begin to pull towards her chest. They tear through the couch. A few more tugs and she'd be able to move around the cage that Josephine had created.

It was better than being forced to watch the persona destroy her life.

She takes another deep breath and pulls with all her might causing the last of the chain to rip straight through the couch, cotton and fabric spewing across the carpet.

She smiles at herself in pride while noticing the purple bruises forming on her arms, wrists and hands. She winced slightly before hearing the slight sound of heels clicking on the ground, approaching the house.

An idea sparks in Josie's mind, she quickly gathers the chain and stands next to the door.

Josephine hums to herself as she opens the door to the house.  "Little Jojo, I'm home!" She sings as she enters the room a look of shock forms on her face as she sees the state of the living room. "Oh you've got to be shitting me."

"You bitch!" Josie roars before charging towards Josephine, she wraps the chain around her neck and throws her onto the ground. "What did you do to Melaina!"

With each of her hands on either side as she straddles her she moved them further apart, choking her. Josephine starts to laugh. This only angers Josie more, so she's grabs two fist full of the suit she's wearing, lifts her up and bashes her back onto the ground. Still Josephine laughs.

"She's going to die. Melaina prince will die." She says.

"What the fuck, did, you, do?" Josie asks again, this time moving the chains around her throat again.

"I brought down one of the most powerful beings on the planet. Honestly I thought you'd be proud."Josephine says with a small gasp every few words.

A look of horror forms on Josie's face. "Why on earth would I be proud! She's our best friend! She doesn't deserve this, none of them do."

"Don't they? Remember what I said, I am every single ounce of hatred." She coughs. "Anger, jealousy and arrogance that has been coursing through your veins throughout your life. You have a cold spot for every single person in that so called team of yours, even dear sweet Beth."

Josie shakes her head in disbelief. "You're lying!"

"I wish I was. But every person in that team has pissed you off in some shape way or form and I solely exist to make sure they pay the price for ever crossing us." Josephine explains. "Starting with Melaina because once she's gone." She snickers. "The rest of that stupid team will crumble."

Josie drags Josephine to the couch. "I'm in control now." She says in her face before feeling her control come back.

Within seconds chains wrap around Josephine's body, trapping her on  the couch. While Josie's chains disappear.

Josie begins to walk towards the door. "You do know that if you leave you won't have your powers." She freezes at the handle. "You're really going to need them, especially when you run into your old team or your girlfriend well soon to be ex or the queen of hell fire herself."

"I'll take my chances." Josie adds.

"When Eclipso realises it's not me. He will kill you." Josephine warns with a smirk on her face.

"If I die, you'll die with me. Besides after everything you've done...what have I got left to lose." Josie adds as she looks back at the girl on the couch. "So enjoy the show princess."

"You'll kill us both!" Josephine screams as she struggles in the chains

Josie, who ignores her calling walks to the door, opens it and feels a cold breeze on her face as she gasps. She opens her eyes and sees herself in a dark alley. She pats herself all over her body, she lets out a sigh of relief.

"I'm back." Josie smiles.

She grips onto brick sticking out of the wall and pulls herself to her feet. She stumbles when she tries to walk forwards and notices the heeled boots.

Josie scans the rest of her outfit. Josephine seems to have dressed them up in a pair of black jeans, the mentioned knee high boots, a sheer fishnet top and a leather jacket.

"Josephine would love Gotham." She says to herself, she could practically feel the said girl role her eyes in her head.

The ancient witch by the name of Molly Parker unwraps another bandage. Guinevere brings another cloth soaked in magical healing herbs and potions.

Guinevere squeezes the cloth and gently dabs the damp cloth on the wounds. Just as she's about to wipe Mollys arms again, the two hear knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" The brunette asks the blacksmith, she shakes her head.

Guinevere's eyes glow as she uses her powers to see who's at the door. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Who is it?" Molly asks her oldest friend who grabs a baseball bat.

Guinevere takes a deep breath before opening the door.

"Guin!" Josie greets the shorter woman with a smile, the woman keeps a tight grip on the baseball bat. "I'm so sorry for showing up so late but I really need your help."

Guinevere scans Josie and notices something different. Her eyes weren't filled with absolute darkness, her hair was back to its usual light brown no longer black and the biggest change that Guinevere had noticed in the few seconds of speaking to her was that the Zarick witch herself was without magic. No powers at all.

"Guin is everything okay?"

That's when she drops the bat. "She was here."

Josie's face becomes on of concern. "What did she do?"

Guinevere pushes the door open more slightly to reveal Molly Parker on the chair. Josie's breath hitches once the sight of a severely injured Molly comes into her view, Josie walks into the office, tears brimming in her eyes.

"What...what did she do?" The young witch asks.

"A few days ago, she came here for something to boost her magic. When Molly refused because she could tell that something didn't add up." Guinevere starts. "You, well the other you tried to steal her magic. Molly faught back and won but it came at a price."

Josie looked at Molly's arms, she notices something black pulsing through her veins. "Let's just say she left a little goodbye gift." Molly starts as she pulls her turtle neck away to reveal more of the black stuff on her neck, trailing up her chin, wincing every now and then. "Vee discovered that the black stuff is there to steal my powers whenever I use them."

By now Josie was nibbling on her bottom lip to keep the tears in.

How could she let things get so far?

How could she let her hurt the people she loved the most?

"I'm so sorry." Josie sobs as she gets closer to the two. "This is my fault."

"This isn't your fault Jo." Molly reassures the sixteen year old.

"I was so mad at her and now might die because of me." Josie wipes away her tears.

She rubs her eyes and takes a lets out breath. "I need to see her. I don't know how you'll be able to but I need your help." Josie begs.

"Kid I don't know if that's the best idea. Melaina she's-" Molly starts.

"In the hospital because of me." She pauses. "She might die because of me. So I help her, save her just apologise for screwing everything up, even if she never forgives me."

Guinevere and Molly share a look. "Molly can't use her powers until this power sucking parasite dies which will take a couple more hours. So the best we can do is give you a few spells and crystals to keep you off of Eclipso's radar."

"I don't have any magic. It's a long story."

"Crap. If Eclipso finds you."

"She'll be fine. She'll have her fathers wand." Molly starts, interrupting Guinevere, the two womens' faces straighten as they begin to understand her idea. "Remember when you got the wand back from the Mahkent mansion a few months ago and put it back into your family home. You need to go get it and brung it back here."

"Okay." Josie says with a nod. "Then what?"

"If Guin and I can find the right spell and these things..." the brunette gestures to the black magic. "Finally leave my system then we may be able to transfer a tiny amount of our magic into the wand."

The young brunette nods her head again before making her way to the door.

"Josie, it really isn't that safe right now you can come stay with us until the morning then you can go for the wand."

"But I need to see her now." Josie argues with black haired woman.

"Jo! Listen to me! You won't come back if you go out that door." Guin exclaims, Josie sniffs as she blinks away the tears forming in her eyes. "I know you feel horrible and I understand I really do but you can't go and see her right now."

"Vee is right Josie, besides she's getting emergency surgery. I don't know if you'll even be able to get in-" Molly rambles making Guin send her a 'not helping' look.

Josie leans against the door and slides down it, hands on her face. She chuckles a bit before letting out a long sigh.

"How the hell am I going to fix this?"

"We'll figure this out." Guin promises her.

"How? Huh? My best friend, she'll never forgive me for this. Even if I tell her the truth." Josie says before letting out all the tears that she'd been holding in. "I'm gonna lose her Guin."

The older witch sits down beside her and pulls her into her arms. "I can't lose her." Josie cries into Guinevere's shoulder.

The saddest part of this tragic tale of these two friends is that Josie was right, she'd lost Melaina and she'll never get her back.

AUTHORS NOTE!!!
lol I finally update ( with a Josie centered chapter 😌 ) I missed Molly and Guin ( pronounced Gwen by the way )

I'm gonna miss Josie and Melaina ngl

and things are only about to get worse hehe 🙃

Anywhoo hope you all enjoyed