Chapter 17
"Duck, Crystal! You have to dodge my attacks!" Terrell launched yet another lightning ball at me. I desperately tried to get out of the way but it hit my arm and I fell back on the ground. Thankfully, his blows were only at ten percent power or I would've been a goner. Even with the low percentage, it still hurt like heck.
"Ow!" I yelled. "I'm trying, Terrell! I just can't get the hang of this so called dodging thing!" I picked myself up and looked at him. He was walking toward me, his dark blue cape flowing in the wind.
"Crystal, if our plan is ever going to work, you need to be strong enough to hold your own against the Alphas. Of course, they won't be shooting lightning balls at you, but that doesn't mean that their paws are any less dangerous." He stood in front of me and examined my arm, yet again. "I think we're done for today with practice."
"Oh, come on, Terrel! Teach me how to attack." I tried to grab his arm and turn him to face me, but he sidestepped out of the way.
"No, Crystal. You have a better survival rate if you master defensive stances and blocks. Besides you can't access any of your attacking modes except for your fire, and that's not going to work forever. The Alphas will discover a way to avoid your fire and hurt you if you don't learn anything else."
I stomped my foot but didn't say anything. Terrell turned to face me with his eyebrow raised. "Did you just stomp your foot on the ground?" he asked.
"And if I did?" I raised my eyebrow back at him.
He smiled and shook his head. "You are just like Ri....never mind." He shoved his hands in his pockets and speed walked away.
I quickly caught up to him and blocked his path. "What were you saying?" I asked. "And don't lie. I don't want any of your B.S. so you better come clean now."
"It's well...." He raked his hand through his hair and looked at the ground embarrassed that he had said anything. "Anyway, I think you have more capability than you think you know, besides just fire."
I noticed his quick change of subject but let him off the hook, for now anyway. "What do you mean, warlock?"
"What I mean, witch, is that usually witches have control of the ancient elements, as you probably already know?" I nodded my head and motioned for him to continue. "Well, I think that because you're also part werewolf, your spell casting ability is most likely lost which means that if you do try to conjure a potion in a chamber pot, it will blow up in your face."
I remembered how I did try that with Sally and how she turned green for three days. I laughed out loud and got a quizzical look from Terrell. After a minute of laughing my guts out at the memory, I calmed myself and motioned again for Terrell to continue. He shook his head at me before continuing. "I believe that because your ability to cast spells is lost, it only leaves more energy for your control over the elements. Not many witches use that power though because it's lighter magic than the dark magic they are used to when they cast spells. That's why I think there aren't as many references in books about witches using the elements against their enemies."
I looked off in thought and actually believed what Terrell was saying. It did make sense that since I really couldn't cast spells, then I had the ability to command rocks and water to move to my will. Not only that, but maybe I could use the wind to make me fly. Man, that would be awesome.
All of a sudden, a throbbing force washed over my head. It was so strong that I fell to my knees on the ground in pain. "Crystal! What's wrong?" Terrell asked, worriedly.
I brought my hand to my head as if it would help stop the pain, but it wouldn't. The fuzziness of the bond grew stronger with every second and I could feel something or someone pushing on the other end, trying to somehow reach me. Percy. Is he trying to reach me? He is trying to break through the cloudy wall! Does he really still care for me enough to try to open the bond again? Of course, he is, Crystal! Well, I'm sure as heck not going to wait for him to break through the wall on his own. I'm going to push back with everything I've got to make that force field crumble!
I mentally pictured myself pushing against the foggy wall. I shot fire at it, kicked it, heck even rammed myself headlong into it, but it didn't even wobble. All that seemed to be happening was my power draining by the second. After five seconds of hitting the wall, I didn't have enough energy to hold my hand up to my head. I fell back on the grass of the field but still continued to fight. As I felt the last of my power start to drain away from me, I heard a voice. Crystal?
Percy! I'm here! Even in my head, that sounded weak. Percy, I don't know how much longer I can fight the cloudy wall.
Just a little more Crystal! I'm almost through, my love. Please, just hold on!
As I tried to continue to shoot fire at the wall, I heard another voice. "Crystal? Can you hear me?! You have to stop fighting, now! If you continue..." Terrell's voice trailed off. Either he got quieter or the world became darker.
Somehow, a part of me knew that I continued fighting a second longer, I wouldn't have any more energy to open my eyes again or breathe. Tears ran down my face as I pulled myself away from the bond. I put up my own wall of steel and felt Percy retreat as well. As I pulled back, Terrell's voice became clearer.
"...Crystal! Please, listen to me! If you continue fighting, you'll die. I'm sorry, but I was the one who put up that foggy wall you feel. The Alphas threatened my sister and Ri- someone else if I didn't break the connection between you and Perseus. I hope that you can forgive me and not be too angry with me..." His voice started to drift off again. I struggled to open my eyes and I barely just managed to see green swirls cloud my vision before I passed out.
~~~
I could hear arguing. I cracked an eye open to vaguely see the two morons bickering in front of my bed. It was dark in the room since there weren't any lights on. But I can still see their faces? Weird. I must have super powerful sight or something.
I tried to keep my breathing steady but when the memories of the cloudy bond came rushing back, my breathing became sharper and faster. The morons noticed and were each at either side of my bed in an instant.
"Is she having a nightmare?" Blondie asked.
Edmund said, "I think so, dumb bell or her breathing wouldn't be so erratic like it is." I could feel his hands grip my shoulders and ever so slightly lift me up off the pillows.
I opened my eyes to look straight into Edmud's. He smiled wickedly. "Hello my dear."
I swatted his hands away from my shoulders and fell back into the pillows. "What do you want?"
He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on my leg. Blondie growled at him and Edmund pulled back his hand. "Well, my dear, we were wondering which one of us you would like to be your mate."
I rolled my eyes. "Is picking neither of you an option?"
Blondie sat down then and growled under his breath. "Darn it witch. If you don't tell us, then we would have to fight for your hand and I would rather not get my hands dirty if I could help it."
I looked at Blondie closely. The Alpha seemed to struggle to meet my eyes. Eventually he gave up and looked around the room. He looked everywhere but at me. I turned back to face Edmund. He was smiling at me. I wanted to smack it right off of his face. I need to get back to Percy. He didn't know that they girl wasn't me. He truly was trying to apologize and I ran from him. Man, I seem to be doing that a lot.
"Well?" Edmund asked. He seemed to have a tone in his voice which made it sound like he had to ask it again.
"I'm sorry. What?"
Edmund let out an exasperated breath. "If you don't choose in the next five seconds, we'll have to fight for the right to have you because our dominance is too great."
This is exactly what I needed. If the wolves fight to the death, I'll only have to worry about escaping from one of them instead of both. Yes, it may be brutal, but if it could get me back to Percy-
A hand slapped across my face. The force of the blow threw me to the side into Blondie's lap. He pushed me off of him immediately. I struggled to regain my balance. "I warned you, you dang witch!" Edmund yelled. "Now answer me!"
"You want an answer?!" I yelled. "Well, here it is! I want you two to fight for me! How am I supposed to know that you two are able to support and take care of me when you won't even show me the lengths you'll go to in order to have me. Whoever wins the fight, meaning whoever is left breathing, will be...will be..." I started to falter. I didn't want to promise that whoever won would win my hand because then I'll have to live with my promise. Thankfully, Edmund with his superego, cut in.
"You're right, witch. How do you know which one is more dominant anyway? In three days, we will fight for you. Winner gets your hand. And since we are gentlemen about the fight, we won't be able to see you until the time of the fight. And just to make sure you don't leave the palace before the fight," Edmund motioned for Terrell to come in.
He had a sad look on his face but it quickly disappeared when Edmund addressed him. "Warlock, I want you to cast a spell on my dear here so she won't be able to escape. How about a sleeping spell, huh?"
"What? No! Terrell!" I shouted at him. Terrell just looked away from me and turned towards Edmund.
"She will wake up when the battle begins." Terrell closed his eyes and started mumbling warlock jumbo at me. I threw off the covers and tried to run but strong arms came around me and held me in place. The last thing I saw was green swirling magic flowing over me and Edmund's cruel smile.