Faustus's Extraordinary New Student, chapter 12

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!!" Freya shouted as she pounded on the door. "YOU LET ME OUT! THIS IS INSANE!!" All night and into the early morning she raged. Nothing she did worked. No fire magic either, and that was a bit off putting. As Faustus had been deposed, her magic went with him in a sense which was just odd.

But hearing the door click the next morning, and seeing it open, she scowled. If Ursula thought she would just sit here and let this all happen, she was sadly very much mistaken! She got dressed in record time and then headed to the rooms next to hers, which was Enoch's room and gasped at the sight. The entire place had been rendered...clean! Absolutely, fucking clean! Not a drop of blood anywhere! "What the fu---!?" She muttered to herself as she quickly glanced about the room before she darted out and headed towards the dungeons. If they thought to keep her out of there, that would be a grievous error; and in her anger, Freya felt her power slowly spark back within her.

Upon reaching the cells, she noted that Ursula or her father had placed guards at the door to the Witches cell, which made her even angrier. No one escaped from such a cell. This was overkill and something wasn't right! As she approached, the guards raised a hand to stop her and she simply stopped, looked at them both and uttered one word. "Move." Crystal clear, and anger filled, and it wasn't magic this time that did her will. They moved purely cause they knew who she was and what she could do!

Entering the black, dank, pit, Freya blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust. "Faustus? Love?" She called out to him as she closed the door behind her.

Faustus paced back and forth in his cell when he wasn't being tortured. He was so furious, he could spit! He had severely underestimated the Johanssons. He could punch himself! But there was no time for that. He had to think of a way out of here. He couldn't teleport, couldn't magic his way out in any sense of course, this place had been built to prevent such a thing. He could barely even astral project and he figured he had best save his energy.

He stopped pacing as he heard Freya's voice.

"You're an illusion," he accused, taking a fighting stance. "Stay away from me!" He dared not hope, for he had learned all hopes could be dashed.

Coming to a complete stop, Freya raised her hands to show she bared nothing, no weapon, was unarmed. She was confused about why Faustus reacted this way, but at closer inspection, she saw the tell-tale bruises and light wounds on his person. It enraged her.

"Faustus! My Love, It is me. Freya. I promise." She closed one of her hands into a fist and upon opening it, fire shot out slowly. Giving them more light to see by. It wasn't as grand as her flame could be, but in this place, magic was controlled. "See? It's me. It's ok." She took another slow step towards him, and her eyes furrowed. "What have they done to you...?"

Could he afford to let down his guard? But Freya at least wasn't trying too hard, being overly persuasive in a suspicious way.

"How did you get in?" he asked, still guarded.

"I told them to move. The guards. They moved." She tilted her head a bit, looking at Faustus. "They know what I can do. Honestly, you should have let me choke that black haired bitch to death when I blacked out the first time, Love." She chuckled softly, a small smirk alighting her features before she schooled it off her face.

"You honestly think she or anyone else would stop me if I desired to see you? Sorry, I wasn't able to make it sooner, but she is watching me like a hawk." She took another step and held out her right hand to him and nodded. "Please? Take it. I promise, I am who I seem to be. I am not an illusion, my Love."

She had tried to figure out this curse since he had been taken, and it had escaped her thus far. There was something she was missing; she was sure of it. "We can still figure this out, together. I promised, I wouldn't let them hurt you and I am so sorry for failing in that so far. It won't happen again." She bit her lip and waited. She had news of what was going on in the Coven as well as his fate.

Faustus frowned. "Say something surprising," he said. "Something I couldn't guess on my own."

She thought a moment and her eyes furrowed. She told Faustus everything, what more could she tell him that he wouldn't know?

Then it hit her, something she had never told anyone. Something she wasn't even sure was real, more like a faded memory of a dream. "The first time I ever saw the Dark Lord, I was four years old. I had been looking for Amos, as he was hiding from my father, and we had been out in the woods playing. Fog rolled in, smoky and things went red and black all around and when I looked down the lane, he was standing there, watching me. I wasn't afraid, strangely, and when I blinked, he was gone, and Amos was calling to me."

She looked back at the man she loved. "All this time, I thought it was a dream. But you did say he has taken an interest in us.....perhaps from a long time ago."

Faustus took this in, then walked forward and embraced her. "Freya!" He breathed her name in relief. "We must find a way to dispose of them."

Freya breathed a sigh of relief the instant Faustus hugged her. She withdrew her flame so she wouldn't burn him and hugged him tight in return. "I told you, Love, that it was me." She said softly, kissing his cheek, careful of his bruises and scars.

"Yes, well, anything could come in here claiming to be you," Faustus said.

  "I am so sorry I haven't been able to get here sooner. Ursula and her father are completely taken over the Coven. She is High Priestess, and her father acting Anti-pope." Her rage seethed in her voice as she pulled back gently and caressed Faustus's face. "They won't touch you again, My Love. Ever." Her words soft, but her conviction strong.

"So, how are we going to kill them?" he asked.

She spent the next few moments, filling him in on what had been going on in the few days since all this mess had happened. She told him of how quickly Enoch's room had been cleaned up of the blood and any evidence she could find, How Ursula had called the Counsel and they had arrived two days prior. After many long hours of debate had decided on Faustus's fate. "Since you were covered in Enoch's blood and appeared to be sane at the time, they---" She paused and bit her lip hard. She really didn't want to tell him this. "They plan to execute you. By beheading."

He listened to her words. "Yes, of course I'm being framed," he muttered. "Well, I suppose we'll have to deal with that first. Can't very well die before we're married, can I?"

She shook her head and berated herself at her lack of progress. "This is insane in of itself! Least of all that stupid riddle! I should have figured it out by now." She muttered as she now paced as she spoke the riddle out loud, over and over. Till...something caught her attention. "Wait! The first phrase and the last phrase....they are different. Why are they different?"

"Yes, perhaps there's a clue in that difference," he said. "A clue to getting... Setting things to rights."

Freya had settled down on the ground to think by this point, her head tilting slightly as she listened to Faustus speak. Was---was he making a joke? True, the Dark Lord had told them to marry, and had his blessing so Freya knew HE wouldn't let anything-----!!!

All thoughts cut off the instant her mind went to the Dark Lord! Goosebumps appeared upon her arms as something...faint...flashed through her mind. Rapid. Fast. Like a passing shadow just out of reach. Something the Dark Lord had said, once upon a time. How long ago now? What was it!? THINK! she berated herself. It was something important!

her mind went back over the riddle again, in junction with her thoughts of the Dark Lord and like lighting, instant clarity. Her idea was INSANE as it was DANGEROUS! But, if she could pull it off, like the Dark Lord said, Nothing and no one would ever challenge them again! Of course, she couldn't tell Faustus...she couldn't tell anyone and would have to let this whole...charade, play out before her. Ursula and her father would have to think that they had won. Would have to bring Faustus to his knees before the entire counsel and then, she would unleash Hell before them. She just hoped she could pull it off without getting both of them killed.

"I know what I have to do." She said softly as she stood again and looked over at Faustus. "Do you trust me?" She asked, very, deadly serious.

"More than I've ever trusted any man or, especially, woman," Faustus said seriously. He had seen the gears turning in Freya's head. She was a brilliant, astute girl, and he knew whatever she had planned would indeed save his life and get him back his-- their-- coven.

"Good. Because what I have planned...is insane." She nodded, as her brain worked quickly as she could. "They plan to bring you before the Counsel sometime either tomorrow or the next day. Ursula and her father seek to humiliate you in front of the entire Coven before they execute you." She looked up and met Faustus's eyes. "They must think that they have won...or this won't work. Trust me, Love. You will be free soon..."

There came a pounding on the cell door, and she started. It was a warning, and she couldn't stay for much longer. "I promise, this will all be over soon, my Love." She pulled him gently back into a hug before she kissed him. "Trust me, Love. Things will be fine." She looked back as the door opened and the guard stuck his head inside.

Faustus squeezed her hands. "I trust you with my life," he swore. He could endure the torture and the near-death now, knowing she had a plan!

"You, Freya, Out!" the guard hissed at her as he opened the door further and stood to the side.

"I'll see you soon, my Love." She nuzzled Faustus gently before she turned away. She hated the idea of leaving him behind, but she knew this idea of hers would work. It had to!