Broken, but Not Defeated

Chapter 2 (Juliana)

                                                 

I quietly sat on my usual stone that was inside my father's border. If I were to cross the creek I would end up in Seta, my future husband's land. In three weeks' time, I will be a married girl.

"Will," I sob. "Where are you? I need you, desperately. Please come." I start writing in my journal.

Dearest diary, it feels like forever ago that my mother passed. Eight years ago my mother left this world for a better place. She was stabbed one day while riding alone. My father was never worried when she rode alone, he knew she would always return. I sometimes wish she would have kept riding instead of thinking of Wesley and me. I had only been eight and Wesley had been ten. My father, when learning of her death, blamed it on Wesley and had him whipped in front of the whole court. And to this day he still blames us. We can never do good in my father's eyes. Because Wesley is a boy he gets the brunt of it. Even today he is still wearing bruises. I don't understand why he doesn't just fight father back.

I look up and not more than four feet away is one of the biggest wolves I have ever seen. It was black and had a small scar above his left eye. I stifle a scream, surely if I scream the guards will kill the beast and then drag me back to the palace.

I feel a knife press against my throat.

"Scream and you won't have a throat to scream out of. Try to fight me and well that pretty little face won't be so pretty anymore. Got that?" A voice says. I quickly nod my head yes. I can feel my heart beating very fast. The person lets me go, and I quickly turn around. The wolf had moved closer to the WITCH?!! And a very beautiful witch at that. She almost looks human. Okay, Julia, she is not going to hurt you.

"Who are you?" I say in a quivering voice. Come on Julia, Will taught you that witches love to use your scaredness for their good.

"None of your business. Now, are you Juliana?" She asks in a bossy voice.

"Yes, I am Lady Juliana. What do you want?" I retort in a snobby tone. If she is going to be bossy then I get to be bossy too.

She grabs my throat and pushes me against a tree. "Don't get lippy with me girl. I've already had one heck of a day. Got that?" When I nod my head yes, she drops me only to turn on the wolf. This is my chance. If I can grab a knife, maybe I can stab her leg. Her voice breaks my thoughts.

"Don't even think about it," I look up. How in the world did she know? Her back is still towards me, there is now no way she is a mind reader. This time when she breaks my thoughts again. She is facing me.

"No, I am not a mind reader, but I do have eyes child!"

Child? She can't be that much older than Wesley. Fine two could play it that way.

"Well, if you had a witchling standing before you armed to the teeth, literally armed to the teeth, you would be scared too."

"Believe me, witchlings don't scare me, child."

Aagh, she is going to drive me crazy. "What do you want, witchling?"

"To tell you that unfortunately, William is now a sacrifice to the blood moon and therefore will not be able to save you," she says in a mocking tone.

No-no-no-nnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooo. WILL!!! This can't be happening. I feel myself hit the forest floor.

"He asked me to tell you that he is sorry and that he loves you very much."

I curl into a ball and can not stop crying, I think I'm screaming but I can't tell. Will. Liam. William. Why!!!!

"My lady," I hear someone say, "Are you okay?"

All of a sudden everything goes black.