PROLOGUE

SCROGGINS

The rainstorm pouring over Abernathy Springs was so hard it was a trial for anyone to make it from their front door to their front porch without getting blown away. Harold knew all too well that the rain was Governor Weatherspoon's wife's doing, but he wasn't foolish enough to go after her again; not after what happened last time. It didn't matter the amount of authority the Order of Lemnos had over Abernathy, Governor Kendrick Weatherspoon wouldn't allow anyone near his wife - authorities greater than his be damned. He had men killed for less and would have no issues throwing Harold and the rest of Lemnos out of town if he dared to suspect his wife of being a witch again.

Alone in his office, Harold Scroggins sat in his high back chair at his desk nursing his glass whiskey scowling down at his maps. His map of Losenia was littered with black circles of successful captures and burnings, however there were red 'x's marked each time he came across the elusive little witch Ruby. There was so more red ink that marked all the times she escaped than black ink that it was made his blood boil. Wanted posters were posted in as many human cities as he could put them in, each promising a higher amount reaching into the hundreds of thousands for her return alive.

Ruby Flint when she was in Abernathy Springs, Ruby Barb in Vandale, Ruby Rosa in Luneburg, and now she went under a new alias as she escaped off to Ottillie, Ruby Rose.

He scribbled her name so hard in the corner he nearly ripped through the map. She'd slipped through his fingers again. It didn't matter how many disguises or names she used, Scroggins recognized the strawberry hair of her mother and green eyes of her father anywhere. Her magic tasted just like her mother's but twenty times more potent and still growing with each breath she took.

Scroggins cursed as he slashed another red 'x' across the spot she disappeared in the desert just north of Abernathy and ran a hand through his thinning hair. He had no doubt Wanda Weatherspoon had a helping hand in getting the young witch out and it made his blood boil hot enough to itch his scars knowing there wasn't anything he could do to stop her.

Tossing the rest of his drink back, he rose from his desk and spread his hands over the map and smoothed out the edges from a different perspective. His cobalt blue eyes – the wretched trademark of those in the Order of Lemnos – scanned the mountains and ridges for places a witch could hide.

There was the old Ravenell camp at the base of the mountains but that was nothing more than charcoal and buried bones all the way through the underground tunnels thanks to Ruby's scourge fifteen years ago. Her father just refused to be sensible and hand her over to them and after he announced he wouldn't cooperate with them, Scroggins shot him. Ruby damn near turned the mountain into a volcano with her little temper tantrum with all her shrieking and crying. She took out his entire company of men and he barely managed to escape with all the burns he was covered in. He almost didn't survive the crawl to Abernathy and could hardly talk with the severity of his scars.

Ruby was barely a teenager then doing that much damage, there was no telling how much more dangerous and powerful she was now that she was older.

For the last fifteen years she managed to go back and forth across Losenia, from Luneburg all the way to the filthy monster-filled town of Ottilie, only just narrowly avoiding his clutches time and time again. This last time was no exception. The higher ups of Lemnos wouldn't put up with his failure of catching this witch for much longer. It didn't matter how many others he'd brought in, there were two that remained constantly out of his reach. He'd already heard whispers in the rafters the last time he was called to council, and it was only a matter of time before they sent someone in to take care of him and his failure. Fear ripped through him at the thought of what they'd do to him. He'd seen the horrific things those scientists did, and he wanted no part of it. Scroggins shook his head at the frightful thoughts and poured himself another glass and threw it back real fast as the lines of black and red ink blurred and crossed over one another.

He slammed the glass against the top of Luneburg and pressed heavily against the table searching his maps. The mountains were vast and steep, certainly not easy for her large wagon to pass through without falling off a cliff, and yet a whole week has passed and there's no sign of her.

He gritted his teeth as his fingers followed the trails into the unchartered centaur territory that not even the Orion Hunters could perpetrate. Centaurs were one of the few creatures that were especially difficult for any in Orion to capture, let alone kill. Their numbers were greater, and they took the same pleasure in torture as their hunters that came for them. He narrowed his eyes and had a gut feeling she was more than likely hiding there.

Knock, knock, knock.

"What?" He barked over his shoulder.

"Sergeant Scroggins," the trembly voice of his lieutenant called out, "I have news."

He rolled his eyes as he poured himself another glass of whiskey. "Enter."

The door creaked as his lieutenant approached and he tossed the drink back with a groan. "This better be good."

Glaring at his maps again he pinned his finger to the centaur territory and turned to the waiting lieutenant. The young and scrawny lieutenant gulped and kept his eyes facing forward, remaining silent. Not liking his silence, Scroggins glanced over his shoulder. "Speak or get out."

That seemed to jump start him for her started rambling. "We followed the mirage spell twenty miles north before it disappeared before it turned into a tumbleweed - "

"I already know this; I was there when it happened!" He barked and shook his head. "You said you had news."

"Sir," his lieutenant gulped, "the company coming from the south and investigating Ravenell has reported the centaurs having particular hostile behavior."

"Centaurs are always hostile." Scroggins dropped his head in disappointment and pinched the bridge of his square nose. "Get to the point, lieutenant."

The lieutenant gulped again, his cobalt blue eyes wavering as he stared at Scroggins. "We believe the centaurs are providing protection for the witch Ruby Flint –"

"She's going by Rose now." He snapped and took another swig of his whiskey to calm his ire. "If you don't get the name they can always deny it!"

"Sir." He nodded his head stiffly. "We believe the centaurs are providing protection for the witch Ruby Rose because they've kept the company from going west of Ravenell without driving them back or killing them on sight."

"Damn beasts." Scroggins hissed and turned his eyes back to the map. "Then why are you here?"

"To report that the Orion Hunters have agreed to aid us in our pursuit of the witch by handling the centaurs."

Scroggins scowled at the knowledge the Orion Hunters were getting involved, but there was no helping it if the centaurs truly were hiding the witch. He poured himself another glass, swirled the whiskey around in his glass, and he stared down at the centaur territory on the map and paused. Ravenell was much closer than he thought, only a few miles from Abernathy through the tunnels, and about two weeks if the sun was out. However, with Weatherspoon's rain brewing and blowing as hard as it was, they'd have to tack on another week; but it was doable.

His mouth curled into a smile, and he tossed the rest of his drink back only to immediately refill it and empty out the bottle. "Gather your division, Lieutenant, and go to old Ravenell."

The lieutenant saluted, but his brow furrowed. "Sir?"

"If Orion gets involved, it hurts my pride, but it'll move this along faster." He chuckled dryly and swirled the whiskey in his glass and grinned down at his amber reflection. "If the centaurs are willing to put their lives on the line to protect her, it's no skin off my back if Orion wants to slaughter them. I just want the witch."

"Sir." He saluted again. "And the slaves she took, sir?"

"Shackle them, kill them if you must, I don't give a damn. They're all the same to me, just a bunch of ugly monsters!" Scroggins slammed his glass on the desk and heard the glass splinter. His hand gripped the edge of the desk so hard his nails scored the wood. "Just bring me Ruby alive."

"Sir!"

The lieutenant saluted, shaking in his boots, before he scurried out of his office and down the hall. Scroggins rolled his eyes as he turned back to his maps and reached for the bottle only to be disappointed it was empty. With a groan he tossed it on the floor next to the door so housekeeping could handle it later and walked to his liquor cabinet.

Pulling out a fresh bottle, he uncorked it and turned back to his maps with a smile. Scroggins was determined to get her this time. In the past he had wanted posters for dead or alive, now he wanted the witch alive so he could be the one to take her powers and watch her burn.

"Your day's a coming witch, and I'll be there to watch you burn."