Lilith and Rosmel returned to the house.
The old woman was still there, sleeping. Her rhythmic breathing filled the small space. Lilith approached the pot. She dipped her finger in. Pulled it out.
"It's empty."
"Mistress," Rosmel whispered. "What are we going to do?"
"Ah, yes. Come here."
They went to where the woman slept. Rosmel held her feet with his hands. Lilith sat on top of the body and began to strangle her.
At first, the old woman did not wake. Her snores became interrupted, grew irregular. Then she opened her eyes.
She groaned. Struggled. Tried to scream, but only a horrible guttural noise came from her throat. Her legs kicked the air. Her hands scratched at Lilith's arms.
Then she lost consciousness.
Lilith's fingers left marks on her neck. Red grooves on the wrinkled skin.
"Is she dead?" asked Rosmel.
Lilith stared at her.
"I don't know," she said. "It doesn't matter."
She hoisted her onto her back. Lilith looked small in comparison. A bundle of bones and rags.
They ran out into the street.
Eyes fixed on them. A woman dropped her plate. A child pointed. A man crossed himself.
"She's taking her!" a woman shouted.
*Yes*, Lilith thought. *Finally.*
But she looked around. They were only horrified. No one moved.
She ran nearly half the village with the body on her back. The old woman bounced against her. Her arms hung limp. Her feet struck Lilith's legs.
They ducked into an alley. Stopped.
"Damn it. Are there no guards in this place?"
She dropped the old woman to the ground. The body hit the earth with a dull thud. A strained groan came from her. Still alive.
Lilith clicked her tongue.
"We couldn't be more obvious. We should go to the square."
Rosmel, dejected, staring at the ground, only nodded silently.
They went to the square.
The old woman on the ground, motionless. They sat on the edge of the fountain. Water splashed behind them.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
The sun began to descend. Shadows lengthened. People passed by, looked, whispered, kept walking.
Lilith was already bored.
"This isn't working. Perhaps we should return to the castle and try again."
Rosmel still did not respond. Only nodded.
"What's wrong with you?" Lilith looked at him. "Tell me. I won't hurt you."
"I don't like what we're doing."
"The what?" surprised.
"This. Improvising. Running. Pretending to be people we're not. It's shameful."
Lilith's gaze darkened. Her jaw tensed. For an instant, her real face peeked out from behind the mask of Edyth.
"Do you not like how I do things?"
"If it were up to me," Rosmel's voice trembled, but he continued, "we would have left when Profot delayed paying us for the vessel. But here we are. Frightening villagers. Didn't you want to kill? Why don't you kill them all?"
Lilith's jaw trembled. She clenched her teeth.
She extended her hand toward the old woman on the ground, who was barely breathing. In her palm, a black and brilliant sphere began to form. About to go toward her.
But she closed her hand.
The sphere vanished.
Instead, she elbowed Rosmel. He fell into the fountain water with a splash.
Lilith got up and left.
She walked out of the village with the intention of returning to the castle.
Rosmel got up from the water. Began to wring out his clothes, trying to dry them.
"Damn you, Rosmel," he muttered. "How he doubts. Why didn't he say anything before?"
A noise interrupted his thoughts.
He heard hoofbeats galloping. Close to him.
Quickly. He levitated. Glided through the air to hide in a narrow alley.
A horse passed. Then another. Soldiers. Their white and ornate armor gleamed in the afternoon sun.
"What's happening?" he said to himself.
He rose higher. Reached the rooftops. Crouched, trying to spy.
The soldiers began questioning the people.
"Have you seen Lady Edyth? She was reported at a checkpoint coming in this direction. Flying."
Everyone denied it. But they asked.
"Is she a girl with purple hair?"
The soldiers did not know what she looked like. They looked at each other.
"Sir," a man pointed. "A while ago, a young woman and a well-dressed man were running with a woman through the streets. They're in the square now."
They all mounted. Went.
Rosmel was there.
As soon as he saw them, he fled. Ran toward the other side of the square.
A lancer rode up. When he was close, he struck Rosmel with the shaft of his lance. The impact sounded dry.
Rosmel fell. Knocked out.
The soldier looked at his lance. Black and putrid blood stained the wood.
"I knew it," he said. "This must be the man they told us about."
They took him. Shackled him.
"Lilith!" Rosmel shouted as they threw him to the ground. "Lilith!"
"You'll tell us where she is soon enough," the soldier lifted him by the shackles. "That usurper."
Then he addressed the villagers. His voice boomed in the empty square.
"This never happened! If anyone says anything, they won't live to say it again."
He looked at his soldiers.
"Everyone search every house. She must be around here."
They dispersed.
On the rooftop, Lilith watched.
A slow smile spread across her face.
"This..." she whispered. "I did not expect this."
She slowly stood up. The wind moved her hair.
"It is better than I could have planned."