The walk back up the stairs and into the main room was one of the longest and hardest walks Rose ever had to make. Her heart was heavy from the disappointment that had ensued, and her mind was racing with the confusion of what in full had just transpired. Tia would know, Rose reasoned, and she would tell her if she asked. But now there was this newcomer—what purpose would she serve?
"Tia Dalma!" Rose called, pushing the door open. She halted upon seeing the stranger, and not Tia, standing alone in the room, drinking from a mug that Tia had obviously given for her to drink. She froze, as though Angelica were some sort of wild jungle beast, and she was uncertain of every move and glance.
"She's in the back," Angelica explained, eyeing Rose up and down. Rose gulped, then took several steps forward to press on past this untrustworthy acquaintance. Just as she passed, the girl blocked her progress by stepping directly in front of her. "Ah ah ah!" she chirped. "You haven't told me your name…"
"It's Rose," Rose said hesitantly.
Angelica suddenly offered her hand out to her in an unexpected act of a geniality. "Angelica," she introduced herself. Rose took her hand and shook it. "No last name?" Angelica asked.
"Hexfury," Rose replied.
After a moment, Angelica threw her head back and burst into riotous laughter. When she saw that Rose was not laughing as well, she quickly stopped, though still she giggled, "Oh. I didn't realize that was a real name."
Rose only blinked at her, then turned away to find Tia.
"You seem a bit young for Jack's taste," she called, once again stopping her. "Although I could be wrong..."
Rose spun around to face her. "We're siblings!"
She laughed again. "How adorable! Well, if Jack treats his sister in any way close to how he treats his women, I wouldn't expect him to keep his promise and 'return for you,' as he said."
"We'll be together again," Rose said simply, trying to stay calm.
"Aye, so will he and I," she said, looming over Rose. "We'll be together again when I have a knife to his throat!"
Rose widened her eyes, but could not respond in time, as Tia reentered the room, basket and oil lamp in both of her hands. She walked right to Rose and placed the items in her hands.
"Go," she said. "Go to da patch I showed ya. Find fresh herbs. We all out of feverfew."
"But-" Rose protested, but was quickly silenced by a glare from her master. Rose swallowed her bitterness and begrudgingly stomped out into the bayou's muddy shores. She kept the lantern far from her body so she could see in front of her, ever aware of wild, dangerous animals that lurked around every corner.
Rose found the patch of herbs that Tia had shown her a month prior, and tarried longer upon finding other plants she recognized. She picked flowers and leaves, testing herself on their names and uses, and found solace in not having to think about Angelica, Jack, Tia, Ben, or anything unjust that had happened to her.
Rose stopped upon hearing a stirring in the grass behind her. She quickly whipped around and shrieked upon coming face to face with Angelica herself.
"What are you doing here?" she yelled.
"Shh!" Angelica silenced her. "Breathe a word to her and I swear it is the last thing you'll ever do!"
"What?!" Rose asked in alarm.
Angelica just rolled her eyes and kept pushing through the foliage. Rose finally deduced that already Angelica had planned to escape. Putting her lantern and basket on the ground around her, she drew her sword. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Angelica," she said bravely.
Angelica only laughed, drawing her own sword. "Oh is that so? What, are you going to kill me?"
Rose swallowed her nervousness, only replying, "If need be, then yes."
Angelica's eyes gleamed evilly, and Rose could tell she was about to strike. Improvise, she heard Jack say, as Angelica swiftly delivered two strikes, sending Rose's unsteady hand veering wildly with each blow.
Angelica laughed again at Rose's lack of defense. "Did Jack teach you to fight?" she asked. Rose dared not reply. Angelica kept her blade pointed at Rose's chest, noting, "You have good footwork, a good stance, but a miserable parry. Hit me."
Rose narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"I said hit me!" Angelica repeated.
Rose took a deep breath, then swung her right arm backwards to deliver her blow, but was completely knocked on the ground when her attacker swung her leg out and knocked Rose's legs out from under her.
"Sorry I can't stay for the lesson," Angelica called, making her final retreat. "Give my regards to the pagan priestess! I'll send much love to your brother for you!"
Rose struggled to sit up, having just had the wind knocked out of her, but by the time she did, Angelica had disappeared. What was worse, Rose had knocked over the lantern during her fall, spilling the oil and extinguishing the light. Now she was blind, alone, and completely disoriented in the swamp. She could do nothing but sit and wait.
After what felt like hours of jumping at the slightest croak, splash, or buzz, Rose finally heard footsteps approaching. Stomping. Stomping and approaching quickly!
"Who goes there?" she cried, waving her blade wildly in front of her.
"It's me, you rat!" Angelica hissed. "What did you do?"
"Nothing!" said Rose in confusion. "What happened?"
"You know damn well what happened! You went and told that witch and now she used a spell to bring me back!"
"I didn't! I've stayed right here!"
"Oh come now. Do you honestly expect me to believe that you stayed—"
"I'm blind to darkness!" Rose blurted out. After a few moments of silence, during which presumably Angelica tested out this claim, Rose said softly, "I needed the lantern to see, and I broke it. I'm lost."
Angelica snickered, "Good. That's what you get for ratting me out!" Her voice was growing distant, and Rose could tell she was walking back to the shack without her.
"Angelica, please!" Rose cried in desperation. "Take me back with you! I'll die here!"
Silence. Rose almost began to cry at the thought of being left alone again, but Angelica's distant voice still rang out.
"I can't," she said.
"Please!" cried Rose once more.
"No, I truly cannot! My legs won't move back! It's this bloody witchcraft!"
Rose's heart pounded in her chest, as she strained to hear if Angelica had kept walking onwards. She hadn't however, saying in defeat, "Come on, then. Follow my voice. I can't come to you!"
Rose stood, hands outstretched, making her way to where the girl stood by sound. Upon finally gripping her hand, the two made their way back to the shack.
Rose's eyesight was restored upon reaching the door, just in time to see Angelica grow close to her, whispering intently, "This isn't over! You still told Tia Dalma that I had escaped!"
"No she didn't," Tia interrupted calmly, having opened the door and holding up the mug that Angelica had been drinking out of when Rose first spoke with her.
Angelica cried out incredulously, "You poisoned me?"
"Nay, I knew ye would try to escape, so I put a homing charm on da drink. Don't try id agin!" She stalked away, leaving both of the girls standing in silent bewilderment on the porch.
Angelica look at Rose, sneered and stomped up the stairs into the room that Rose would soon discover was no longer just for her. Here she was, the wrong girl, being kept in solitude for no other reason than destiny had willed her fate to be that way.
