Cursed

Despite the danger that we were both in, I was glad to be with Jesse again. I assumed from his timing that I had been in that deserted house with Paul for almost half an hour. I was amazed that it had been a relatively short length of time...it had felt like much longer.

Jesse's hand held my arm firmly as we ran, putting more distance between ourselves and Patricia. I did not doubt that Quinn would not be far from her side.

My heart pounded violently in my chest, my legs moving faster than they were capable of. I did not know where we were headed, just as I did not know what we would do now. I could not bear to think of it, not when so much was at stake. I was unsure of whether or not we were being followed but I could not stop running even though my legs were burning, muscle working harder than it was designed to.

Jesse noticed me stumble and pulled me aside into an alleyway between two empty brick buildings. They were Andy's work, I could tell from the superior design. The alleyway was dark and damp from many days' worth of rainwater and so narrow that we were forced to walk in single file. As soon as it widened enough for me to move I fell to my knees, part out of exhaustion and part out of crippling fear.

"Querida?" Jesse asked, collapsing onto his knees beside me in worry. "Susannah, breathe. It's alright, you are safe now."

The cool night air soothed my crippled lungs and I found myself reaching for his shirt collar.

"Oh God," I muttered. "Oh God, it has all gone wrong."

I gripped the back of his shirt for dear life, my knuckles white from such a strong hold. Jesse's hands were considerably gentler on my back, holding me underneath my cloak as I held him.

"Don't say that. It is not over yet," he assured me, so confident that he failed to see what we were truly up against.

"Yes, it is," I insisted. "They know, they all know. Patricia, the villagers, Paul..."

"Paul? You saw-?"

I wrapped my arms tighter around his torso in an effort to make him forget what I had let slip. But Jesse knew me better than anyone and he pulled back to look me in the eye.

"Susannah, what did he do? If he hurt you, mi Dios I will make it so that he regrets the day he met you," he promised, his voice shaking with unexpressed anger.

The mere mention of Paul's name had caused fire to burn in Jesse's usually loving and peaceful eyes. It may have seemed otherwise but I saw this as a sign of true love. Jesse hated Paul for what he had put me through, he felt what I had felt and his want for revenge was even more powerful than mine. A strangled sob escaped my lips and Jesse mistook this for fear and pulled me into him again.

I did not attempt to correct him right away. How could I when he was so close to me? I inhaled his hypnotic scent, which did not cause my insides to churn as every other smell that night had. It calmed me down significantly, assuring me that I was home. I could feel his chest press against my own as it rose and fell with every breath that he took.

"He threatened you," I spoke at last. "I was so scared. He kissed me but I bit his lip and he attacked me. He was acting so strangely. I just... Oh, Jesse, I don't care anymore. I don't care if I can not marry you as long as I can spend the rest of my life with you. I should have listened to you, I should have listened..."

"Dios, querida, this is not your fault. You love me. If you love me even half as much as I love you then I know how much you would be willing to risk to be with me. I also know that you will love me forever, vows or no vows. Marriage is important to me, but not as important as you. This is not your fault. Everything that happened tonight happened by chance."

I moved my lips across the soft skin of his neck, teasing him until I reached his bottom lip and then I kissed him passionately yet tenderly. He sighed softly, a sound which always caused me to melt inside. I knew how crazy he drove me, from the way he touched my hair to the way he held me as we made love but I could not feel what he felt. I loved making him sigh and I adored hearing him groan in protest when I became too much for him to handle.

"But what will we do once we return to Spain?" I enquired, my lips still brushing his. "Your parents would not approve."

"I will buy us a house," he answered. "We could start our own ranch. We could start a family. Querida, we could have children. It could be just us. No witch finders, no more running."

I laughed quietly to myself. The life that he was promising me was the life that I had convinced myself would never exist unless I returned to Fairwater. My whole plan was unravelling before me but the hope did not disappear; we were still able to build a future together. If only I had seen how pointless my plan was before we left. I was so wrapped up in the thought of marrying Jesse that I failed to weigh up the consequences.

"I am so stupid," I whispered, "so reckless."

Jesse's embrace tightened again and I fell selfishly into it, completely unaware of the fact that we were still out in the open and very much in danger. I just wanted to feel like I wasn't a failure, that I hadn't put us both in danger in the pursuit of happiness that I already had. I had acted like a spoiled teenager, wanting more than they were given, instead of the mature almost-eighteen-year-old that I had become.

"For what it is worth, Henry gave us permission to sleep in his stable tonight," he whispered. "If it were not for Paul your plan would have worked."

Once again I cursed Paul for his actions. He always had a way of interfering with my plans, even if this interference was purely coincidental or even accidental.

"We really should go," I muttered, reluctantly pulling away from him. "They will be searching for us and the quicker we get out of here the safer we will be."

He nodded in agreement before helping me to my feet. The dark alley remained as silent and empty as it was when we had sought shelter in it. Strips of moonlight shone down from the heavens and illuminated the damp walls, accentuating the moss that clung between the bricks. It landed on Jesse, too, and his eyes seemed to glow, his tanned skin appearing almost white before me. It brought out the usually unnoticeable highlights in his raven hair, turning them a beautiful azure.

His hand slipped in mine and I closed my fingers around his, marvelling at how they seemed so small and fragile against his deliciously masculine hand.

He smiled at me in reassurance and we began to move towards a second entrance to the alley. How far were we from the valley? About a mile? I felt adrenaline surge through me once more, my body preparing itself for our hasty retreat. We both shrugged our cloaks off before we stepped out into the open, realising that they would only impede our progress. The sudden shill did not bother me, not when I was this close to Jesse. The breeze tugged at the billowy sleeves of his shirt and occasionally pulled the material taught against his muscles. I gripped his hand tighter, suddenly filled with the thought that these muscles would protect me, that they would fight off anyone who tried to harm me. It filled me with confidence and I was able to move my legs, following Jesse at a slow jog as he moved towards the shade of a nearby building. The canopy of the woodland was just visible over the buildings and I had to fight the urge to make a dash for it.

I felt Jesse's hands grip my waist tightly and hold me to him as a lone farmer strolled across the opening behind us, whistling to himself, his dog hot on his heels. I watched with bated breath as the dog suddenly stopped and looked directly into the shadows where we stood. It licked its chops, sniffed the ground then carried on as if it had never seen us. My chest shuddered when I exhaled, fear wracking my tired body.

I did not have time to recover because I suddenly felt Jesse tug on my waist and pull me past the next row of buildings, towards the opening before the trees.

"We will have to run," he whispered. "We must move quickly; I can hear voices. They must have assumed that we would flee to the forest."

I gripped his hand tightly, squeezing it as confirmation that I was ready to run and he nodded. We moved slowly at first, looking both ways to make sure that nobody could see us. When it became apparent that the voices were still a way away we picked up the pace, jogging slowly before building up speed. We had barely reached the first tree when a voice rang out through the relative silence.

"You there!"

I did not bother to turn around. Instead, I darted between the trees, the voice shouting commands behind us.

"Run," I urged Jesse, though it was obvious that this thought had already occurred to him. Twigs and other pieces of the undergrowth snapped beneath our feet, the sound barely audible above my painful breaths. The air was cold and stung my oxygen-starved lungs while my body warmed itself considerably to block out the chill. The wind whipped past us, bringing stinging tears to my eyes, but I did not let up for one minute. I ran, faster than my legs would take me, gripping Jesse's hand for all I was worth. I was holding him back, I knew it. His legs were longer than mine, he could cover a greater distance in a shorter amount of time.

As suddenly as we had started sprinting, Jesse stopped and pulled me behind a thick deciduous tree, covering my mouth with one of his hands. I was struggling to find my breath and was forced to breathe through my nose because of the way his hand was pressed against me. I clawed at his fingers, trying to break free when I heard footsteps. They were slow and their owner was obviously stalking something...or someone.

"Are you sure they are around here?" A voice asked. It was male, deep and thundering and its owner sounded as though they were in their thirties at least.

"Did you not hear the shouts from the village?" Another voice asked. it was just as deep as the first but sounded slightly older...and slightly drunk. "'Course they're 'round here. They're jus' kids. Kids don't have the sense to be inconspicuous...could you not hear the twigs breaking?"

"It's always the kids, isn't it?" the first voice asked, amused for some reason. "Why are the kids always the ones who're accused?"

"It's 'cause the covens try to get 'em young," the second voice laughed. I rolled my eyes at his assumption. "They got all that lust burning through 'em, haven't they? For power, sex, you name it. You hear that this one was shacked up with the blacksmith's assistant? He killed a couple o' finders like us to protect her. It's no surprise; this one's supposed to be attractive...real attractive."

Though I was flattered by this compliment the laugh that accompanied it sent chills through me. Jesse's grip on my body became more possessive and his hand slid down from my mouth.

"It's not often you get that," voice one admitted. "It's usually the old, warty ones. What about the boy? What is to be done with him?"

"Well, he's been accused too," voice two pointed out. "It takes a witch to help a witch. But have you seen that Ackerman girl? No wonder he fell. Legs like you wouldn't believe."

It all happened in an instant. I felt Jesse move suddenly, accidentally knocking me to the ground, then I heard one of the witch finders cry out. I did not have to think about my next move. I leapt to my feet and moved around the tree, stopping momentarily when I saw Jesse's fist plough into the face of the older witch finder. The younger man pulled something from his cloak and in a flash of silver and moonlight I saw him thrust it down towards Jesse. My reaction was instinctive. My foot shot out, kicking the knife from his outstretched hand. I found to my advantage that he was caught off guard and I was able to deliver a swift punch to his head before he had time to react. He lashed out blindly, catching me gently on my shoulder and I sent another leg up, right where I knew it would cause him a great deal of pain. He cried out in agony as I heard bones break behind me.

Hands grabbed me roughly and I was pulled away, the two witch finders, one rolling on the floor the other clutching his side, fading into the distance.

My foot burned slightly from the pain that lingered from my well-placed kicks but I ignored it and continued on, stumbling into the darkness.

I did not notice the light as voices erupted around us, drowning out the pounding of our feet. I could hear urgent whispers, hushed voices, and muttered commands projecting out of the trees. They disorientated me, causing me to stumble as the world spun violently around me. Jesse realised that I was no longer running and gripped my arms, shaking me softly.

"Querida, breathe," he pleaded, his unease showing in his tone. "Please, we are almost there. Please, stay with me."

I groaned in protest, the world still spinning, the voices growing louder with every second that we stood there.

"Querida, I will carry you if I have to...we have to keep moving."

I shook my head, denying his offer of help and moved forward, Jesse remaining behind me as I jogged towards the entrance to the valley.

I could see the cleverly concealed entrance in the distance, obscured by shadows. The leaves that covered it were glowing in the moonlight, acting as a sort of beacon. I focused on the light and moved on, my muscles burning from working too hard. I ran, despite the pain and tried to block out the shouts that followed us through the trees.

I was so close I could almost taste the freedom when I heard a surprised cry behind me. I heard the thud as someone was thrown into a tree and another echoing through the night when they hit the ground. I was stupid to turn around but I was thrown off-guard, startled for a moment.

My lungs burned viciously as my scream sliced through the tension with unnerving accuracy. I did not recognise the man that held Jesse, but I could tell from the blackness of his clothes that he was another witch finder, possibly one of the villagers who had been recruited by Quinn. Jesse was struggling, moving his body from side to side as he tried to flip the man over but the knee that pressed into his back prevented him from doing so.

"Run!" Jesse screamed, twisting painfully so that he could see me. "Get out of here!"

The man who held him jerked suddenly and his eyes fell on me, a scowl creeping across his scarred face.

I didn't move, not an inch. I don't think I would have been able to. The voices grew louder and I whipped around again, desperate to know where they were coming from. I couldn't focus, they were too loud...

"Please," Jesse begged, his voice so hoarse that it was almost a sob. Then, in a brief moment our eyes met...

I have been faced with many difficult decisions in my life and most of the time I have made the wrong choice. My impulsive decisions have put me in grave danger and my well-thought-out moves have usually backfired horribly. I always chose what I thought was right...what seemed heroic. I always chose the easiest way out and here...I had to save Jesse. It was my fault we were here, my fault we were being chased. That was the problem with my choices; they never directly affected me. I always ended up hurting those around me. I suppose that was the reason I was willing to risk everything to put my mistakes right. But now...what was I to do?

I could see in Jesse's eyes that he worried more about them catching me than what awaited him. And suddenly the choice was easy to make. If I ran I could save him, I could do something. If I stayed, if I fought, I would be captured with him and there would be nothing that I could do to help him.

It was the hardest decision I could ever have to make but I made it without wondering if the alternative was possible. This time I could not afford to take the risk. I loved Jesse and I would do whatever I could to help him but this time we were on our own.

I tore my eyes away from his and ran. I ran as fast as I could, propelling myself forward with strength I did not think I had. My eyes burned with unshed tears but I did not allow them to blind me. I could cry later but at that moment I needed to stay strong.

Jesse was struggling behind me, trying so desperately to fight off his captor. It was a fight I knew he would lose but I did not let this put me off. I screamed at whoever would be waiting, shouting for help but my cry was cut short when something hard slammed into me.

The world spun slowly and I suddenly felt the rough texture of tree bark against my cheek. It pulled at my skin, grazing me painfully and the more I tried to move the further my face was pressed into it.

Hands gripped my wrists so tightly that I could almost feel the skin bruise. I struggled, shaking my body in an attempt to shake off whoever was holding me but my attempts were almost as futile as Jesse's.

The voices suddenly became clear, shouts and cries mingling with my screams. Something rough was pulled around my wrists, tying them together painfully, and suddenly I was pulled back from the tree. Every time I moved, every time I tried to fight back a hand pulled on my bindings and my wrists would twist painfully.

I was helpless. I could do nothing but cry desperately and watch as the concealed entrance receded, my only source of safety disappearing from view.

My body became unusually flaccid, as though it were giving up while my mind was still searching for a slight glimmer of hope.

But there was nothing. Nothing at all...

My eyes were closed firmly as I was dragged carelessly through the front door of what once was a miller's cottage. The stench of death was evident before we even arrived; it invaded every sense, filling the soul of every innocent with fear. The pool was free of bodies but the rusting chains hung menacingly over the side of the small bridge; an omen of death to anyone who was unlucky enough to be led in the direction of the cottage.

The cottage was clean for what it was; a torture house and prison. I couldn't breathe for the musky scent of damp firewood and the fear that these scents evoked. I knew that this was it, the end. My heart did not even leap the way it always did when I saw Jesse, not when I saw him stood before Errol Quinn, bound as I was and bleeding from a small wound in his head.

His expression grew grim when he saw me and I could see the small piece of him that remained strong flicker and die as I was forced to stand beside him and my wrists were released. I immediately began to rub the skin which had become bruised and burned by the rope, not caring that this only caused the raw wounds to sting even more.

"So," Quinn spoke, smiling to himself in an almost psychotic way. "I realise that my assumption was wrong. You aren't as intelligent as I had previously thought, Susannah. Otherwise you would not have returned here. I must say that this is somewhat of a disappointment. You are my finest catch yet you make it so easy for me."

His pause suggested that he expected a reply but neither Jesse nor myself granted him one. Our eyes remained fixed on the floor, our minds numb from shock.

When Quinn realised that neither of us intended to voice our feelings he sighed in disappointment and continued to speak.

"Did you honestly think that you could escape me? Did you think that a witch can carry on with her evil ways and not expect punishment? What kind of man would I be if I allowed you to wander freely, polluting all that is good with your wretched ways?"

"I am not a witch," I whispered in a tone that did not even convince myself. "Jesse is innocent. Why do you condemn us for actions that are not our own?"

Silence descended, silence that was so thick it seemed to linger in the background when Quinn spoke again.

"Susannah Simon and Hector de Silva, you are both suspected of committing the crime of witchcraft and will hereby stand trial under my jurisdiction. Should you be found guilty you will face execution." He smiled once more, watching me as though I were the greatest gift he had been given. "Patricia, Kirk, take them to the cell."

Hands grabbed at me again and I wash pushed forward, guided towards a door that creaked open before me. I could see the hallway beyond, slivers of moonlight breaking through small windows and scattering their monochromatic light across the stone.

My feet dragged themselves reluctantly across the stone floor, scuffing terribly and causing me to stumble. Patricia did not even attempt to help me walk, she simply pushed me further forwards and throwing me forward once the hallway ended. I fell onto the hard floor of the 'cell' which turned out to be nothing more than a small room with bars inserted crudely yet effectively into the small window. A small toilet (wooden with a stone base) stretched out in the corner while a large, worn blanket lay in a crumpled heap by the opposite wall. The floor was stone, just like the rest of the large cottage, hard and cold with a fine layer of straw covering it.

The door slammed shut behind us, locks turning and stone scraping soon after. I could barely find the strength to push myself into a sitting position, but I was able to do it once my arms stopped shaking. My eyes burned with tears that fear seemed to have frozen inside of me, dry gasps escaping from my throat occasionally.

I was vaguely aware of Jesse's presence and when he slumped to the floor I found myself in his arms, holding him tightly as though he were my last hope.

He held me back, his loving hands chasing life back into me. He whispered Spanish words to nobody in particular, his voice weak and helpless. It caused chills to run through me, knowing that someone who had always been so strong was falling apart in front of me. That was when the reality sunk in. I was dead, we both were. We were captives in a place nobody ever left without an execution date.

The words that I never would have seen myself thinking rushed through my mind as my hands gripped the front of Jesse's shirt so tightly that my knuckles were whiter than the soft fabric.

Paul was right. I risked an awful lot coming back here and I lost everything that I had been fighting to preserve.

Jesse's fingers ceased their movements and rested gently on my arm. He was barely moving, his breaths short and shallow.

"We aren't going back to Spain, are we?" I asked. The voice that passed my lips was so child-like and so terrified that I did not believe it to be my own. I was so numb that I wasn't sure what I truly felt. My eyes were so dry that I found it hard to believe that we were in such a terrible situation, but it was true.

But what frightened me most was not the empty silence or the thought of what awaited us. Because although he turned to embrace me with both arms and kiss me tenderly on the forehead he did not answer my question. He did not assure me that everything would be alright and that we would get through this, as he always did. And this terrified me because although he liked to protect me with both his actions and his words...Jesse didn't lie. Not to me and not about our predicaments.

If Jesse, who always saw hope in the direst of circumstances, could not hold the one he loved and assure her that she would be fine then the outcome could not be good.

Jesse had given up hope. And that thought terrified me.

AN - I'm not really happy with this chapter but I wanted to get it out of the way. Because the final arc of the story begins right here :). The last couple of chapters have felt kind of bleh to me but the next few are ideas I have had in my head for a while so they should be better.

Now seriously, I say this a lot but I may not be updating very frequently for a while. But who knows, if I get a lot of nice reviews I might feel compelled to update quicker. It has happened before :).

And a huge thank you to everyone reviewed last chapter. I appreciate every review I get.

Please review.