Asher's Beloved

Chapter 18

She ignores me and forces me to step through the portal. I teleport out of the library but instead of landing somewhere else, I find myself trapped in the tunnel of electric blue and silver light that facilitates my teleportation. I focus on teleporting back to the library, holding my arms up shakily.

I scream, losing my concentration when a woman appears right in front of me and I realize that this is Blithe. Terror runs through my veins when I catch the evil glint in her eyes as she throws a dagger at me, but her expression suddenly turns into one of shock. I gasp in both relief and surprise when Asher covers me with his body. He catches the dagger with one hand, throwing it right back at her. He must have turned invisible and teleported with me. 

While she's distracted trying to avoid getting hit, Asher stretches his hand in her direction and her face contorts in pain. She clutches her head, screaming in pain but rage fills her eyes as she tries to fight it. Blood starts spilling out of her nose, eyes, ears and mouth which makes me gag at the gruesome sight. Asher's hand wraps around the back of my neck and he pulls me into his chest so that I can't see what he's doing to her. I hear her final scream before everything turns silent. 

Turning, I spot her on the ground but feel bile rise within me when I see the missing chunks of her body scattered around her. Asher walks up to her, making sure he didn't let go of me. He's just about to thrust the dagger in her heart when her eyes open and she grins manically. I hear Zoya scream in my mind, feeling Ivanna take over as I yell at her not to. Just as she's halfway shifted, we're struck by Blithe's magic and pain seizes my body. Involuntarily, Ivanna is forced to shift back and I drop to my knees.

It felt like my entire body stopped working and I almost wish it had. For the pain that came next was excruciating. The searing hot pain burns me from the inside out and I scream in agony, gripping Asher's hand. He moves towards me just as the blue and silver lights start flickering and when the adrenaline rush leaves my body I feel as if all my energy is being drained. I'm assuming it's because Blithe forced me to use my gift to maintain the tunnel and now that my attention is focused elsewhere, it's getting harder to maintain it.

"Ayla, focus! You need to get us back to the castle!" Asher shouts, cupping my face with one hand as he looks at me in horror.

I nod through the pain, concentrating hard on imagining us back at the castle. The tunnel remains still and I cry out in pain and frustration when it doesn't work after numerous times. Summoning all the strength I have left, I squeeze Asher's hand and close my eyes. I think of the castle's foyer; the tiled floors, the double doors, the antique paintings and the old furniture.

And eventually, I feel my feet touch the floor. Opening my eyes, I see us back at the castle but I can't stop screaming. My knees buckle just as Astra, Fabian, Corbin and Vito run out, their eyes widening in terror.

"I got you, angel." Asher murmurs, catching me before I hit the floor. "I'm here."

I fist his shirt in my hands, tears streaming down my cheeks and screams escaping my lips. He picks me up and uses his speed to reach the infirmary of the castle, yelling for a doctor while placing me on a bed. I writhe uncontrollably, feeling like my body is burning up but also like somebody is ripping my insides to pieces. Ivanna is howling and whimpering in my mind, she's in so much pain. I can tell that Zoya is working hard to heal us both but she can only do so much. 

"Asher!" I half sob, half scream in agony. He was explaining what happened to the doctor but rushed over to me as soon as I called him.

"I'm here, hush." He soothes, stroking my cheek. "She's burning up, do something!"

Suddenly, I shift back into Ivanna...and then back to my human form. Screams and broken cries escape me every time and Ivanna howls loudly in pain every time she shifts. Everyone's eyes are wide in horror, not knowing what to do as we switch bodies repeatedly. I feel her pain and it's unbearable, like every bone is breaking all over again but ten times worse than my first shift.