Caddie's POV:
After everything that happened to me in my life, I thought that everything was going to be okay. I believed that the surprises were done and that I could start making my own life. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Dark, dismal clouds hovered in the sky. Dead grass crunched under the weight of my combat boots. Earth worms wiggled their way to the top of the dirt, hoping to rehydrate- but they never would. There were irregular moments when a few drops of rain would escape the clouds clutches but most of the day stayed dry.
Aleksander and Alix walked beside me, our heads were kept glued to the ground as reporters snapped pictures and shouted questions. I never imagined that my life would be a constant tug of war between social parties and war meetings. One day, I would be dressed like a princess in sparkling gowns and high heels. Aleksander would twirl me around and whisper sweet nothings in my ear as the press snapped pictures. Other days would be spent practicing new spells and questioning captured Dark Ones.
I was living the dream.
My aunt had came up with the brilliant idea of making my life a social affair. She claimed I needed a better relationship with my people, but I believed she wanted keep me busy- so I wouldn't run away on impromptu adventures. I agreed, only because I was tired of my adventures too. Too many people were dying.
"Tell me again why the rebuilding of Nox Haven is a public event?" I hissed.
Aleksander chuckled and gave my hand a light squeeze. "There are many witches and warlocks who attended Nox Haven in their day and age. It is a safe haven for them."
He didn't answer my question.
"Nox Haven is a school, and school is hell. These people must be demons if they believe it is their Safe Haven." Alix was absolutely puzzled by that idea.
She felt bad for the people who died, but she was also overjoyed because she didn't have homework. Most of Nox Haven's current students were probably mourning their last day of freedom before school resumed. Our courses would be twice as hard, with the threat of the Dark Ones looming over our head. No one knew about the Vampire Gangs, but they were another reason to train harder. They had been eerily silent, there were no more reported attacks- but vampires were naturally silent hunters.
"Would you prefer being home schooled," I asked. "I'm sure your mother would love to spend some quality time with you."
Fear seized control of Alix's mind. I couldn't possibly comprehend why she disliked her mother so much. Patricia Slade was an extremely domineering and assertive woman, but that was why she was the most respected female coven leader in the world. I knew Alix hated authority, she didn't even eat doughnuts because they were the police's favorite meal. But Patricia was still her mother.
"Oh god no. I'll only last a week before she sends me off to Uncle Phillip's." She mumbled something else under breath, it sounded like a pet Rougarou and sponge bath. I didn't know what Rougarou was but it seemed to have scarred her for life.
"Alix! Caddie!"
All of our heads popped up at the sound of Jaxon, Alix's brother. He looked so different from his sister. Alix dressed like a lady of the night. Every article of clothing she owned was black, her auburn hair and emerald eyes were the only source of color on her. Jaxon, however, was a modern day Ken doll. His blonde locks were slicked back, not a single piece of hair was out of place. He had strong, masculine features and a tall sinewy body. The only trait Jaxon and Alix shared was their green eyes.
Jaxon pulled us a both into a tight embrace. Over his shoulder, many envious stares met mine. Alix's brother was Nox Haven royalty in his own way. Women adored him and men aspired to be him. Everyone was very sad when he graduated and went to Oxford.
"I do love seeing you," Alix said, "But I thought you were supposed to be away at college. Why are you back here?"
Jaxon released us. The grin never left his face. "I won't be staying long, but I wanted to personally congratulate both of my sisters for saving the world. And, I wanted to watch Nox Haven be rebuilt, this place was a Safe Haven to me."
"Told you so," Aleksander muttered.
He walked over to our small group and placed a possessive hand on my back. Tension oozed from his pores, thickening the air until I found it hard to breathe. I ignored his childish behavior, not because there were cameras everywhere but because I found it cute. He was the single most attractive man on the planet and yet he felt threatened by anything with a beating heart.
"Ah," Jaxon said.
His eyes narrowed on Aleksander's hand but didn't say anything else. I internally declared my gratitude. Maddox and Ryder made Aleksander sign a blood oath when he publicly announced that we were dating. Neither of them told me what the oath consisted of, but I'm pretty sure they planned on killing him. They were worse than my own father, who didn't care who I dated as long as I was 'cured'.
"Do you know how many people came?" Alix asked, successfully diverting his attention away from Aleksander and I.
Jaxon shrugged, "Enough to make my head hurt. I don't know how you deal with crowds like this from day to day."
"It's an acquired skill."
Maybe for Alix it was, but for me it was absolute hell. I just wanted to go hide at the edge of the treeline. The forest vegetation had become so overgrown, a single bush would dwarf my entire body. Nobody would notice if I disappeared. They would be too busy watching my aunt and the other Council members as they reconstructed the school.
"Do you know where the others are?" I asked.
Jaxon nodded and gestured to the giant mass of people standing beside Nox Haven's ruins. Anxiety surged within me, it captured my breath and held it prisoner in my throat. Boisterous laughter filled the air as my classmates socialized with one another. A dash of contempt was added to anxiety. They lived in a joyful little bubble, where nobody died. I wished that I could join them but my bubble was popped two years prior. And bubbles are such fragile things, not like boxes, once they're popped, they couldn't be fixed.
As we advanced towards the group, several people greeted Alix and Aleksander but they pointedly ignored me. I shrugged it off. Being an heir didn't mean I was popular. It just meant I got a crown and a truck load of responsibilities. Aleksander calmed my nerves to a certain degree, but I only allowed him to do so much. It was part of our agreement. He could only manipulate my emotions when it was important. Times when I was about to have an anxiety attack or about to decapitate a person.
"Don't worry about anyone else but yourself today or else Lady Böse will homeschool you for the rest of your high school experience."
I nodded curtly.
I loved my aunt, but recently it seemed like we were drifting away. She was gaining more power in the council, there were times when the HeadMinister couldn't even Veto her. Some people are calling her the greatest Dark Witch of all time, no one else was capable of gaining respect with the people and gaining more power as well. I wanted to make her proud, but every time I advanced with my magic she feared that I would turn into my mother. Hurt could not even begin to explain how I felt she expressed her fears. I had saved all of our people from being destroyed and yet I was still the villain. Because of the blood that ran through my veins.
Suspended in the air, was a man. He was unconscious, completely unaware of the horrible things I was about to do to him. I glanced at my aunt, who was sitting directly across from me- on the other side of the drawn pentagon. Her hands were folded in her lap, her black eyes were completely emotionless. Unlike me, who was a complete and utter mess. I had promised her to get back to my studies and further my magic, but never once did I think she was going to bring in more humans to experiment on. I wasn't in biology, he wasn't a frog for goodness sake.
"I can't do this. I told you, after the Martha incident, that I done using innocent people as dummies," I hissed.
My aunt's expression never faltered, but her voice came out strained. She was trying her best not to yell at me. "This man is hardly innocent, Caddie. He raped and brutally murdered five women."
My stomach churned, as it tried to hold onto my lunch. The man was a vile creature, definitely not innocent. He did deserve to die but not at my hand. He was a human and I had no jurisdiction over them.
"Then we'll hand him over to the police."
Heidi's face was barely illuminated by the scarce amount of candles in the room, but I could feel her glare. It could make even a marine quake in his boots.
"Caddie, my niece, my heir, the mortal criminal justice program is weak. We don't know that they would give the man a proper sentence."
I didn't miss her annunciation of the word 'heir'. It was just her not so subtle way of reminding me of place. Which would always be beneath her.
"And what sentence do you believe is proper for him." I couldn't keep the malice out of my words.
"Death," she said.
I agreed that he deserved to die, but not at my hand. It was not my job to play grim reaper.
"I can't," I told her and got to my feet.
Heidi continued to sit on the ground for a moment, as she contemplated what to do next. Please just let me go, I thought quietly, save me from future nightmares. I would be no better than the man if I killed him. The heels of her stilettos scraped against the stone floor as she slowly stood up. Seconds seemed to drag on forever until she was finally upright, her eyes burning a hole into my forehead.
"We don't have the time to sit here and think about what is morally just. We are out of time, and you are not prepared. You are behind in all of your training, I doubt you'd even have your powers mastered by the age of twenty-five. You have a responsibility to our people, to lead them into safety. How can you protect them if you refuse to perform a simple spell?" Heidi shrilled.
"There are other ways to protect my people. And this spell is not one of the ways. I can just use my black fire," I insisted.
The spell scared me a little, if I were to be honest. I could handle disintegrating a person or taking their head off. But both of those attacks didn't entail a big mess.
Balling her hands into fists, Heidi restrained herself from attacking me. The anger that courses through her body was unsettling; she felt absolutely murderous. But she would never kill me, I told myself, we were family. I force fed different lies to myself in order to keep the fragile balance of our relationship. Heidi was my only true family- I no longer considered my Dad family, we lived in two different worlds.
"Black fire! Black fire! That Magic comes from the very pits of hell, only a demon can possess it. The destruction that comes from working that force is too much for somebody as young as you to handle it," Heidi shrieked.
I didn't hear her call me a demon. That wasn't important. I just wanted her to see things my way.
"I can do good with back fire. That was how I defeated many Dark Ones, that is the one skill that they can not master!"
Heidi shook her head. "That was also how you destroyed half of my home, a home that had been passed down through generations of our family. It was also the same exact way your mother killed her victims. Is that what you want, to be like her?"
Her words morphed into a whip and slashed my heart. I knew she was trying to weaken me, and comparing me to my mother was a good way. But it wouldn't work, I knew I wasn't her.
Heidi readjusted her strategy when she saw that the fight hadn't completely drained from my stare.
"There are many witches and warlocks who are hesitant to let you become the Dark Witch, a leader of their people. Yes, they do appreciate that you saved them from the Dark Ones- but you did so using a power that your mother favored. They can't help but see you as her when you use that fire. Becoming the Dark Witch is not an easy path; the darkness that is prodding at your mind will eventually consume your soul. You'll have to fight everyday to keep the demons at bay. It will be even harder for you because you have mortal, you not only feel emotions of others but you have your own," she drew in a deep breath and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you can become a great witch, but you have to release your inhibitions and trust me."
I sighed in defeat. Whether I liked it or not Heidi was right, and I needed to trust her. She only wanted what was best for our people. Turning my attention the floating man, I held my hands up in the air. All of my magic was being concentrated in the palms of my hand, it was slowly building up until I felt as if my hands were about to explode. When the shaking in my hands became too much to handle I released my magic. Dark grey swirls of smoke expelled from my palms, and wrapped around the man's body. Once he was completely covered in the smoke, the spell started to take place. Strange gurgling noises emitted from his body, his body shook as the smoke soaked into his pores. A moment of silence passed. I began to wonder if I had done something wrong, and then it happened. His body exploded. Blood splattered across the walls, his body parts fell onto floor in a gooey mess.
That time I couldn't stop myself from puking.
"Caddie!" A voice rumbled behind me.
I spun around, a large grin broke out on my face when I saw Ryder and Maddox advancing towards us. Ryder's sparkling smile added a ray of light on that dismal day. He wrapped his large arms around me, and picked me off of the ground as if I were as light as a feather. Like a giant hugging a doll. Maddox's hug was more restrained than Ryder's but I could feel his love pour off of him.
I love you too, Maddox, I chuckled in my mind.
Kimone was the next person to join the hugging party. After her 'almost' boyfriend released me, she practically jumped into my arms. I never knew why Maddox and Kimone never expressed how they truly felt for each other. Originally, I had thought they would have after Aleksander and I went public. But they still remained in the shadows, their love was kept as a silent whisper. Maddox shook his head, at my thoughts. There was something he obviously knew that I didn't, but I couldn't fathom what it was.
"Oh, I have missed you so much," Kimone said, squishing my cheeks.
Aleksander pulled me away from her onslaught of affection before I could feel even more awkward. The clicking of cameras could be heard in the background, it served as a gentle reminder that we were never alone.
I snorted, "Kimone we just saw each other last week at the annual New Orleans Voodoo Celebration."
That was one of the few events that I enjoyed going to. The witches of the south, were absolutely crazy. They're hair was as wild and untamed as their spirits. They didn't know a thing about hygiene. Flies would dance around their heads and when they smiled gaping holes would be revealed in their mouths, but they were always happy. And they didn't hate me, all the time. There were a few people who claimed that I was a demon, sent from hell to kill them all. But other witches, especially the ones from the bayous, ignored my past and encouraged me to dance with them around the fire and taste their jambalaya. Jambalaya was my new favorite food.
"I know," Kimone said with a laugh, "But I'm used to seeing you guys every day. It doesn't feel right to not have you around."
I blushed at her sentiment and nodded in agreement. I felt at home with my fellow heirs. I wouldn't know what to do without them in my life.
"I, for one, thought these recent weeks were lovely," Mira interjected.
I could live without her though, I thought as she broke away from a group of reporters. Mira's eyes trained on Aleksander's hand in mine. Fire blazed in her eyes as words, as sharp as knives formed on the tip of her tongue. Before she could spit out her opinions at us, I abruptly turned away. Alix followed us, wondering what was wrong. She preferred to live as if Mira didn't exist, so she didn't notice the hatred boiling inside of her.
"Caddie is everything alright?" Alix asked when we broke apart of the group.
We stood beside, Nox Haven's ruins. Pieces of charred wood and ash covered stones littered the ground. The majestic castle, built with hope and love was torn apart by hatred and anger. Jaxon surged from the crowd, a frown sat tightly on his mouth.
"Is everything okay?" Jaxon asked me, "You ran away as if she bit you."
She didn't. But whatever was festering in her heart was much worse than that.
"I asked the same thing," Alix murmured.
I turned away from them, feeling silly for running away from Mira. I wasn't a shy, misinformed freshman anymore and yet I was still acting like it. I needed to move on and make the final leap into my future. But I didn't know how. My eyes wandered over to the rubble, they stopped briefly on a pillar that seemed mostly intact. There was a large gaping hole in the middle of it, and upon further inspection it looked as if there was something nestled in the hole. I leaned forward, ignoring the questions from my loved ones. Reaching into the hole, I was surprised to feel two different objects. One was cold, probably made of metal while the other felt like brittle paper. I pulled out the two objects, one was a golden amulet with a gleaming ruby nestled in the middle. The gem pulsed in my hand. The other object was a scroll, it was tied carefully with a red ribbon that matched the ruby stone.
"What is that, lyubov Moyà ?" Aleksander's hand left mine as he grazed his fingers over the Ruby gem.
It pulsed harder as heat swelled within the gem. Our heads turned to stare at one another, both of our mouths hung agape our brows were furrowed. Alix snatched the scroll out of my hand. I looked away from Aleksander, still dumbfounded by mystical necklace. Alix was already reading the scroll when I found my voice. Fear was etched onto her face as her eyes darted over each word.
"How did I not see this?" She whispered.
"What does it say?" I asked.
Alix gladly handed the scroll over to me, as if she couldn't stand to hold it for another second. Jaxon stood behind and rubbed her shoulders. He looked just as disturbed as she was. Looking down at the scroll, I skimmed over each word, my hands began to shake uncontrollably as I reached the end.
Two hundred years of Darkness shall be brung by the one male heir and his army of Dark Ones. In that time the magical world will slowly fall apart. No white witch or warlock will be able to match their powers. Only one girl- a descendent of the male heir, half-human half-witch will be able to put an end to the madness. She will put an end of all black magic by taking it out at the source.
I looked up, my frightened stare matched Alix's and Jaxon's. I couldn't see Aleksander's face but I could feel his fear and worry for me. We all shared the same question, what could this possibly mean?
**Wow I am tired, I just came home from Vacation yesterday but I really wanted to give you guys the first chapter. I hope you guys liked it. If you've read the first two books than you know I have the darnedest time editing. I really need an editor. If any of you guys would like to be a beta reader or editor, or if you know somebody who would like to edit the books please let me know of them. Also this book is going to be a bit different from the others, there's going to be a twist that I am very excited about. Another thing I am excited about is making Jaxon a more important character in this book. He will definitely be important for Alix's development.
(VOTING FOR THE NEXT POV IS OFFICIALLY OVER)
1.) Alix's (again)
2.) Roberto
3.) Aleksander
4.) Only Caddie
Thank you guys for all of your support! Every
time you read, vote or comment you guys are helping me accomplish my dream.
XOXO,
Ro.**