"Forgive me if I don't shake your hand," I spat, "I don't trust traitorous witches."
Sophia's weathered face twisted sharply, and it reminded me of the youthful face I'd once imagined. The one of a witch who'd lost the man she thought she'd spent the rest of her life with. Over the years, bitterness sank deep into wrinkles and revenge sat on her mind, so when she looked at me now I saw only a shell of a woman- one consumed with hate.
"It's a shame your boyfriend and his brothers won't get to see the new world we'll build," now she glanced at Tucker, "One without wolves in control. One where my kind get what they're due."
I felt him stiffen beside me.
"You think he'll help you?" He laughed, darkly, sounding unfamiliar. "He wants one thing, and once he gets it, you and your kind won't matter to him anymore."
She didn't seem bothered by his words. In fact, she seemed to have already considered this as an option and found that it was suitable to her needs.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, don't you know, boy? He needn't care about the witches... so long as he cares about the downfall of the wolves."
I was at a loss for words. This would crush Tilly. Familial disappointment was a feeling I had become accustomed to, but it wasn't something I wished upon my best friend. Sophia turned away from us with another pleased smile. She exhibited the same kind of electric energy that my father had- energy that didn't bode well for our situation. A strange power radiated off of the witch as I realized the spell she'd used to subdue the wolves from shifting had extended itself to me.
If my power was electricity- pure energy- than hers was earth, dirty, gritty, and a wall in front of me. Her magic was powerful and creeped closer to me across the ground my knees were digging into. As she walked away, she left behind the whispered words of a spell and I found the breath stop in my lungs. Her magic stung, like small bites against my skin as the grittiness pervaded my brain. I could taste it like sandpaper on my tongue.
Tucker's eyes widened as he watched me, concerned as I tried to suck in air to my lungs. Voices pounded in my heads- sounds like screams and white static rang in my ears. I ached to cover them with my tied hands, but knew that whatever she'd done was inside my head. It was as if the ley lines themselves were wrapping around my neck, shouting in my ears, inhibiting me from focusing on anything else.
"Lou," Tucker's voice was panicked, "Eloise, look at me. Focus on my voice."
The pulsating of voices like drums bombarded every thought, and I squeezed my eyes shut, overcome by the sudden pain of the invasion. The humming that I experienced constantly seemed to amplify tenfold. My heart picked up speed and my hands felt clammy. The loud thrumming wouldn't stop. I groaned, keeling over so face pressed into the dirt, the sounds growing louder within my head. My skull felt as if it were being sheared apart by the sounds, splitting it in two and leaving my brain defenseless for the wailing of the ley lines.
Piercing shouts echoed within and I felt Tucker shift closer to me, his warmth did little to silence the cacophonous sounds.
"I-I can't," I breathed, "m-make it stop."
"Sunshine, baby, please. Please. Look at me."
The desperation in his voice rang like a bell through the painful screams. I did. I looked at him. His eyes were flickering from brown to blue in a strange strobe. His abilities, like mine, were no longer under his control. Whatever Sophia had done, had caused my abilities to run rampant, inhibiting me from fighting against them, from fighting against my father. What she'd done was amplify every part of me that connected to the ley lines.
I was being overloaded with energy, and it was killing me.
His eyes focused me, seeming to lull the voices only slightly, and allowed me time to form a thought. I squeezed my eyes tighter, desperately trying to feel out for the ley lines. The loud hum and screams that met me were disorienting. There was so much magical energy running through this area of the woods that everything sounded fuzzy and my abilities went haywire, splitting into my skull like a hammer, as soon as I tried to access them. They were rejecting me- she'd blocked me. I grunted in frustration and pain, watching through eyes I could barely open as my father continued his set up, Sophia chanting strange words by his side.
Electricity from Tucker jumped onto my skin.
"Touch me," I demanded, through the splitting of my skull.
He stared at me in confusion. "I- what? Lou, now is hardly the time-"
"No, you idiot," I groaned. "It helps focus my abilities. Touch me."
Tucker's dark brow raised, but he didn't object. Instead, he glanced around to make sure nobody was watching us too closely. They were, of course, but the way he moved to grab my fingers seemed much more affectionate than purposeful to the hunters' gaze. As soon as we made contact, my mind started to clear. The static and the screaming seemed to waver as he squeezed my fingers, allowing me brief moments of relief between bouts of pain. His face scanned mine.
"Better?" he asked.
"Better."
My mind was my own again.
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes- ready to fight back.
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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on that. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
THANKS FOR READING!
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?
WHO DIES? oops.... shouldn't have spoiled that (;
Stay fabulous, everyone.
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Luminary {Book 2 ✔️}
Werewolf''I get it,'' he said, ''the sun so loved the moon...'' His voice trailed off. We both knew the story. We knew it all too well. He was looking at me thoughtfully. I, however, turned away. ''What if,'' I began, ''the sun didn't want to die for the m...
Chapter 41
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