As she watched him swear, the guilt overwhelmed her. Catherine hung her head.
“……I’m sorry, Detective.”
“Don’t be.”
“But……”
“I made my choice. It’s not on you.”
“……Detective.”
“Quit crying and help me find a way out. The perp was here with you, right? Where’d they go?”
“I don’t know. They hid behind that wall and vanished…”
Rogue swore and started banging on the wall.
“……There’s gotta be something.”
“Is Miseria…?”
“Huh?” Rogue’s expression was frightening. “She didn’t feel like coming. She’s chilling in the car.”
“No, I mean,” Catherine said, “she might be able to free us.”
“Are you nuts? She’d never lift a finger without a good reason.”
“You never know! She’s never liked any detective as much as she likes you. This is a first. Miseria really seems to enjoy talking to you.”
Miseria was a cruel witch. If someone bored her, she’d soon discard them. With a masklike smile plastered to her lips, she’d kick them off a cliff. Without the slightest hesitation. But to Catherine’s eyes, the way she treated Rogue was entirely different.
Catherine didn’t care what happened to her, but she wanted this detective to survive.
“Call Miseria. I’ll negotiate.”
Rogue handed his phone to Catherine, and Miseria picked up on the first ring.
“Miseria?”
“Oh, hello, Catherine! How have you been?”
Her usual flippant tone got on Rogue’s nerves, but she was their sole lifeline.
“We’re surrounded by a wall we can’t get out of.”
“Just use your magic tricks! Jump, Dive, or even go over the wall with Floating. There must be something.”
“There is not. My magic is sealed.”
“Oh dear. Well, nothing I can do about it. Good luck!”
“Miseria—he’ll die.”
He heard laughter from the phone speaker.
“He’ll be dying for you. I did warn him!”
“______! You really are wicked!”
“Not as much as you.”
Catherine ground her teeth.
“Please, help us. I know you’ve got a dozen ideas on how to get us out of here.”
“Even I’m not up to this task. It would take at least three days.”
“Stop teasing me!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Just…every time I see you, the urge to tease you is irresistible. Probably because of that wholly inappropriate code name. ‘Saint’ of all things.”
“Miseria______!”
“I love honest people. And I loathe you. You get why, yes? ‘Saint’ Catherine? A sad little witch, unable to offer any form of salvation.”
He’d heard enough. Rogue grabbed the phone from Catherine.
“Where do you get off?” he growled.
“I do choose the time, place, and person.”
“What did Catherine do to you?”
“Nothing, really. But what will become of you? If you stay there, your death is guaranteed. Such a shame. You’ll die knowing she’s to blame. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s the natural response. Anyone would do the same. Still, we did work this case together; I’d love to give you options—”
“……Enough.”
He cut her off.
He didn’t like this. Not how certain she was of the outcome or the way she was baiting him to abandon others. All of it pissed him off. He wasn’t about to dance on a witch’s hand. Her words bounded around inside his brain and drove him to action.
“I’ll do whatever you ask—just save us.”
The words hung in the air.
It felt like every other sound died away. Her breath, the sound of clothing rustling, all signs of the witch’s presence were replaced with silence. For the first time, he noticed Catherine staring at him. Eyes and mouth open wide. And that served as a harsh reminder—
—he’d just yelled at a witch.
But anger still held sway. He growled into the silence.
“Did you hear me?”
Still no answer. Just as he was wondering if she’d hung up…her voice came again.
“……I hear you. This is me being surprised. Have you already forgotten the pain I put you through?”
He paid her spite no attention.
“And your answer?”
“You said ‘whatever,’ but are you sure? I might genuinely take you up on that. Perhaps even ask—”
“Spit it out. I’m a man of my word.”
“Rogue, why are you going so far out on a limb for her? You haven’t fallen in love or anything, right?”
“Nope. I just can’t stand people like you.”
“I get that a lot. But that’s hardly motivation—”
“It’s plenty,” he growled, so low that it hurt his throat. “I’d rather die than let someone aggravating get their way.”
Everything around them had turned red. He heard glass shattering. Perhaps the screen of his phone had cracked. Flames were licking at the edges of his vision, but he listened close—and heard a faint sigh.
“Then I’ll be destroying your mind,” Miseria said. “Turn you into a puppet who’ll follow anyone’s orders blindly. I’ll leave that puppet at the Sixth Precinct—that will let all of us do whatever we please. Does that work for you?”
“Do it, witch. Try me. Make it happen!”
He spoke on reflex alone. No thought for the consequences. Fury at this witch was his sole motivation.
“All right! Then let’s get to escaping!” Miseria exclaimed. “If you’re trapped where magic doesn’t work, then we know how the Lifetaker got away. There’s a secret passage somewhere! Likely a manhole leading to an underground tunnel. I don’t imagine it’s very long, so search the ground around the spell wall.”
Catherine went running off, scrambling along the ground, feeling out everything. Soon enough—
“Found it!”
It was in the weeds. Catherine yanked a few out, revealing a camouflaged lid.
Rogue shoved the phone in his pocket without hanging up and grabbed the lid. It opened with a clatter, revealing a ladder below.
A voice came from his pocket.
“Sounds like you’ve located it.”
He glanced back and found the house in flames. This corner was the sole area not on fire.
He sent Catherine down ahead, then slid down the ladder himself. The burning air vanished, the temperature dropping. When his feet touched down, he found himself in a short tunnel. Barely big enough for someone to fit through.
Catherine moved down it ahead of him, found another ladder, and paused.
“……I’m so sorry, Detective Rogue. I was careless.”
“Heard it already.”
“True…”
With a clatter, she went up the ladder, popped off the lid, and found Miseria waiting for them.
“You both smell burned,” she said with a pleasant smile.
They called police dispatch and the fire department, then clambered back into Rogue’s car. None of them were talking. Rogue was not in the mood, Catherine was clearly despondent, and Miseria was sitting in the back seat, grinning but not saying a word. Perhaps she’d decided not to push her luck. But even that was infuriating.
I knew she was rotten, but there are limits!
They’d been in a sea of fire, but she’d chosen that moment to unleash the full weight of her malice on Catherine. Rogue couldn’t abide that.
How dare she talk like that to anyone?
“Hey—” “So—”
Rogue and Miseria both spoke at once.
“You first.” “Go on.”
Miseria shook her head.
“Please, say your piece. Mine was not important.”
“Then I’ll say this. You owe Catherine an apology.”
Catherine looked shocked.
“Detective, I really don’t—”
“Nope, it’s bugging me. I’m gonna make her say it.”
“Okay,” Miseria said. “I’m sorry, Catherine. I really do mean that. I’m sure you won’t believe me, but this is from the bottom of my heart.”
She bowed her head without a moment’s pause.