Losing Battle

Ch. 20 House Cast in Darkness

"I'll show you to your room," my uncle said. I stayed quiet following him up the grand staircase. The stairs had a red carpet on them but you could see the dark wood on each side. We walked down the hall to the last room on the left. The door slid open to reveal a small room with grey walls. The bed sheets were black satin. The decor was dark and dreary which put me on edge. "Grace was right. You are strong but I think I might be stronger." He laughed.

"Why does it matter? My magic has made my life difficult not easy," I said firmly. What could he want with my magic? Shouldn't he be more concerned with my safety?

"It doesn't matter. I was just saying you aren't that special," he said as I pursed my lips. I couldn't help but feel anger at that comment. He saw my locket as brief moment of confusion flittered across his features.

"What?!" I demanded as he reached up touching the necklace. His fingers grazed the symbol on the locket.

"This symbol, this magic, complicates you," he said under his breath. As I opened my mouth to speak he abruptly walked out of the room. I waited a moment before slipping out of my room. I followed him down the hallway where he met up with my mother.

"Does she know anything?" She asked he as I looked at her.

"No but that necklace has an old form of light magic in it. The symbol on the front calls to a power even we have no access to," he said as I gasped.

"That's not possible, the dark magic I gave her should have prevented the light power from taking hold," she said as I touched the locket with my fingertips.

"Well your magic didn't work!" He said harshly. He lifted his hands in frustration. I felt fear instantly, his hands quickly turned to claws.

"At least she doesn't remember anything," she said as I turned rushing back into my room. She blocked my memory and I had to figure out what could be so important for her to hide it. I walked to the window sliding it open. I swung my legs out clinging to the side of the house. I eased myself to the ground slowly and carefully. Once on the ground I snuck away and into the woods before teleporting to our old home. The house was trashed; windows smashed, furniture broken, a family photo lay on the ground in a bent frame. I looked for the hunters but found none. I looked for any clues of who I was but all I found were lies, so many lies.

"Who am I?" I asked out loud to myself. I felt the necklace roar to life a white light spinning around me lifting me off the ground...

"I need some time to think," I said looking into his icy gaze.

"Chrystal, I will wait for you always," he said firmly without hesitation.
---
"You have to promise me you will try to remember. Fight for us Chrystal," he said a passion in his blue eyes.

My eyes flew open as I gasped. James, how could I forget him! I still had a memory gap but I was starting to remember. As I walked out of the house I found a jar of salt spilled on the ground. I picked the salt up looking at the container. The salt shaker had a sword pointing down the side. On the blade of the sword there was two words, venator pythonissam, witch hunter. I might be able to find them through the salt shaker. I teleported back to my uncle's house. I sat at the desk in my room with the shaker resting in front of me. I conjured a laptop before putting the words into the search engine. The images I saw were graphic, witches burning and then there was a website. I clicked the site and found a page calling for an end to witches. There at the bottom of the screen, contact us. I clicked it and up popped a number. Was I ready to risk my life to see the hunters again?

"What are you doing?" My mother asked from the doorway. I shut the computer facing her with a smile.

"I'm keeping a journal," I said, the lie rolled easily off my tongue.

"That's nice," she said as I stood.

"Did you need something?" I asked as she touched my necklace.

"Can you take this off?" She asked as I sighed. I pulled it off knowing that I didn't need it. I set the necklace on the desk as she hugged me. "Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"Thanks," I said as she walked out. I opened the computer entering the number into my phone. I cast a sound proofing spell before I called the number.

"Hello," the voice on the other end said.

"Hi I'm Chrystal," I said cautiously. I didn't want to say too much before I knew who they were.

"The Chrystal?!" The man spoke loudly.

"Yes," I whispered. "I need to set up a meeting place with the hunters who came for me."

"Your house," he said as I cut him off.

"Make it midnight please," I said as the man agreed. I hung up undoing the sound proof spell before turning off my computer. I grabbed the locket holding it tightly in my hand. I walked out of the room and down to the dining room. There was a large antique table. I found my uncle waiting for me. "Am I late?"

"No I am early," he said as I sat down.

"Where's mom?" I asked but he refused to answer.

"Busy," was the closest answer I could get. I sighed when I felt a darkness filling the room. I stood turning to find her standing there.

"She knows," she snapped her green gaze had turned black. I gasped as my uncle grabbed me from behind. He held a blade against my neck as I fought to stay calm.

"Mom," I said tears filling my eyes.

"What gave me away?!" She screamed as my uncle held me tightly against his body.

"What are you talking about?" I sobbed as she walked toward me.

"Lower your shield or we will kill you," my uncle ordered. She wanted to see my thoughts. My mother touched my temples trying to worm her way into my head. A scream of agony ripped through my body but I refused to give in. Would she kill me? How far would she take this? I could die in this house shrouded in the darkest lies and never know who I was.