When It Breaks

| TEN |

"Luciana was a good mage before I showed her the book. Curiosity turned into obsession and she wanted to possess the book.

"She tried to steal it from me but I stopped her before she could. The confrontation left the book in a bad condition after she took some pages.

"The most important spell is in the part in which I possess and that is the reason why she hunts the book till today.

"I made her believe I destroyed it but in reality, it was cloaked with a very powerful and ancient spell which wore off immediately I left my enchanted house," she explained.

My breath hitched as I realised the impact of the book leaving her house.

Ray beat me to it. "That mean that Luciana must have felt the power of the book and should probably be on her way here."

She nodded, dread was painted over her soft features. "Which I why I warned you to hide, Felicity. Go before it is too late. She must not get her hands on you no matter what. I will lure her to me with the book but you must go quickly!"

"Well, damn!" Ray cursed.

I thought fast. I was in no way capable of fighting with a powerful witch who even an original mage had difficulty in defeating. Besides, I didn't know why she even wanted me in the first place.

"I need you to tell me why she wants me and how I can defeat her," I demanded, already cooking up a back up plan.

She shot me a panicked look. "If I tell you, you will do anything to get your revenge on Luciana and that would get you killed. I don't want you to die just as your mother did."

I sighed, bringing out my box of pins. I had always been told I have the worst case of curiosity and that was true. I would do anything to satisfy my curiosity.

"No." Ray warned. "Don't do it. Don't be reckless."

Popping the lid open, I looked at the three sections of my box. Sections I knew by heart. The right section was for pain and paralysis.

It was the one I used for the robber in the convenience store. The middle section was for extreme pain. The left section was for temporary paralysis and torture. I took a pin out of the left section.

"I am sure my mother won't be mad if you are threatened into telling me the truth," I told her, raising the pin to line with my vision. The sharp end gleamed in the light.

"Felicity, don't!" Ray warned again and for a split second I looked at him, just realising that was the first time he was saying my name. It was usually Princess or something annoying.

Helen scoffed, drawing my gaze back to her. "You do realise that I can just freeze you and take all your toys. I can eliminate you with my eyes alone. Don't insult me, child, I am a lot more powerful than a hundred mages combined."

At the end of her talk, she eyes began to flash gold. I gulped dryly, tightening my hold on the bottom of the pin as my hand trembled. I could feel the power she emitted and that made me realize how I was treading on still waters.

"I apologise for that," I stuttered, putting the pin back in it's place. "I was just desperate. I will leave now, but I will not stop until I find out what happened to my mother."

Helen looked into the trees just as I felt a shift in the air. A chill gripped my body and I shivered. Birds flew away in all directions as the trees and plants around us turned brown instantly.

It was eerie how the atmosphere change instantly. Anyone around could feel that evil had entered into the area. It was bone-chilling.

Helen shut her eyes as though she.had resigned to fate. "It's too late, she is here."

(•)

Helen sprung up and began to mutter some spells. Standing up, I clutched my bag tightly in fear. I was held by a fear so strong it made my hands tremble. I never thought I would ever be so scared.

"I have put an adjustable shield around us. It is not strong enough to hold her out," she said then turned to Ray. "Take her and run away from here. I will distract Luciana."

Ray looked at her nervously. "I can't do it. I won't be able to make it."

My heart skipped a terrified beat. If Ray who had advanced senses was nervous, how would I stand a chance against Luciana?

If there was an award for most stubborn, I would win first place, no question asked.

I should have listened to Helen when she first told me to stop and run. Maybe, I would have gotten away. But something told me she would have found me anyway.

"Raymond Black, I knew your father. Hunter was one of the best witch hunters to have ever lived. He belonged to the original hunters. Why do you think you have special abilities?

"Hunter was the witch hunter assigned to Lilian. He died trying to protect her, Luciana killed him," Helen spoke, staring straight at a stunned Ray who put two and two together.

I looked away, unable to look him in the eyes after hearing that my mother was the reason he lost his father. I was not selfish to let him make the same mistake.

"I will do what my father failed to do." I heard him say before he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.

"Look, Ray, you don't have to do that. You have the opportunity to leave now. You can back out and I won't blame you for leaving," I told him in a soft voice.

His grip on my arm tightened a bit but it was nowhere near painful. He pursed his lips before saying, "You don't understand."

Before I could say another word, he picked me up bridal style which caused a small squeak to flee my lips.

"Ray, wait!"

Looking down, he shot me one of his teasing smirks and I couldn't help but smile back. Suddenly his frown was replaced by a stern look but I could see the playful tint in his eyes.

"You talk too much, Princess," he noted bedor adjusting me in his arms.

Recovering quickly from the sudden movement, I turned to Helen to thank her but she shook her head.

"Do not thank me, just don't let her take you," she said, smiling sadly.

Then Ray began to run. The trees became a blur as he ran. I shut my eyes in panic, tightly clutching his black shirt for fear of falling off.

Right there, I understood what Helen meant by him having special abilities. He was running to fast for a human. I was so terrified he would drop me so I held on to his shirt.

Forcing myself to breath, I wondered how Helen was doing. She willingly stayed back so we could escape and I hoped she was okay.

Ray ran like the wind for sometime with me gluing my eyes shut all through. Suddenly, I felt him stumble and before I knew it, we were falling forward. My eyes widened just as I saw the rough ground before my eyes.

I prepared myself for the hit but Ray flipped us over at the last minute, causing him to take the impact of the fall with me on top of him, gasping as the wind got knocked out of me.

(•)

Thank you for reading.