When I awoke, I couldn't move.
I opened my eyes groggily to take in my surroundings. I realised with a jolt I had been tied to a chair. Rope was bound tightly around my wrists and ankles, securing me to the chair.
My shirt, having been ripped last night, half covered me but my shoulder and back were exposed. I was in a dark, cold, damp smelling room with no windows and a medieval looking door. It rivaled some of the dungeons I'd seen in films.
There was no way to tell what time it was. How did I get here? My dazed mind wondered.
Everything flashed before my eyes. Coming back to Woodcreek. The coven meeting, the council showing up. Being surrounded, surrendering and finally the witch casting a spell to render me unconscious. Probably for easy transport, I thought sarcastically.
What would Talon be thinking? He would have known something was wrong when I didn't show up after the coven meeting. Would he have gone to talk to Ava? I pictured Talon and Alistair showing up at Ava's in broad daylight with the whole coven present and shuddered.
What was my coven thinking? Did they want to kick me out? They would have a good reason, I did lie to them for months. But only because I knew they'd freak out. Goddess, my head hurt.
I groaned, testing the ropes. Yep, they were tight alright.
"Good, you're awake." A voice said, making me jump.
A figure walked out from the shadows of the corner of the room. It was the council member who had cast the sleeping spell on me. I hadn't taken much notice of him then but now I was given the chance.
He looked to be in his late thirties, wore an old fashioned tweed suit and had dark brown hair that was combed over, styled perfectly. He looked like he could have walked straight out of the 1950's, he was just missing the fedora. He looked relieved that I was awake.
"First things first." He said, approaching me. What he pulled out from his suit jacket made me try my luck against the ropes again. He was holding a syringe.
"You're the state representative." I said then, realisation hitting me. "Luke...Luke Nash?" I asked, momentarily distracted upon placing his face. Ava had shown me a photo of him months ago when I was studying for my initiation. She said it was a good idea to familiarise yourself with the witch who represented your state on the High Council. I didn't know how much good it did me now though.
The man, Luke, met my eyes, nodding slightly in affirmation. His eyes were a golden brown and they looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry. Hold still, I'll make it quick." he said, looking like he was not happy about having to do this. I didn't have time to respond or act, he was quick: he stabbed the needle into my shoulder, pushing the contents into my bloodstream.
The effect was imminent. I gasped in pain, as a burning ran through my veins, spreading through my body. The world spun then, and my head felt heavy.
"What is that?" I mumbled, willing the room to stop spinning. What drug did he just inject me with?
"St. John's Wort." he answered as he wrapped the needle in a handkerchief.
Great. I thought sarcastically. I hadn't come into contact with it until now, but I remembered from Charlie's herbal lessons that St. John's Wort was poisonous to witches. It could be used for a number of nefarious means against us. It was the equivalent of Pandorea for vampires.
The room continued to spin and I forced my eyes shut, fearing I might throw up.
"It blocks your magic." Luke said quietly, as he checked the ropes. As he said this I noted the sudden dry feeling in my body. As a witch, I felt connected to my magic and since my elemental powers had awakened, I had begun to feel the element's presence everywhere I went, like they were reminding me they were there to help if needed.
Now I just felt cut off and alone.
The dizziness was starting to subside when the big iron, medieval looking door opened. I opened my eyes to see a congregation of witches pile into the relatively small dungeon-like room.
Luke stepped away then, apparently content with the ropes as the High Council faced me. There was a silent standoff. How much did they actually know?
"Leina, that was some show last night." Marguerite said at last, her purple eyes guarded. Her long grey hair was pulled up into a bun and she wore a traditional pagan robe that flowed to her feet.
"Thanks." I muttered sarcastically.
Shut up! My inner voice warned. This was not the time for my mouth to get me in trouble, I was in enough trouble already.
Marguerite's eyes narrowed at my cheek remark. Lewis, the unpleasant man from last night, grunted in disapproval of my apparent lack of respect.
He was dressed in an expensive black suit, his brown hair coming past his ears, framing his face. Coupled with his beard and moustache he kind of looked like a lion. His unfriendly dark eyes watched me, making me squirm under his gaze.
"What do you want from me?" I prompted, focusing on Marguerite. I had no idea what the punishment was for 'cavorting with vampires'.
"You saw what happened at the camp with that spell. I only trusted Talon because I had no other choice, and he saved me. That was how we became blood-bound. I didn't choose to be." I reasoned, trying to remain calm.
Marguerite surprised me then by saying:
"We know." she said, her purple eyes expressionless. My eyes were wide as I stared at her in disbelief, waiting for the punchline. She didn't offer any further explanation.
"Then why am I here?" I demanded.
"We know you were blood-bound unintentionally. Why you continued to see the vampire is another matter altogether." Another elder, a woman with short grey hair and ice blue eyes said, her disapproving tone unmistakable.
"There are other reasons for us wanting you here." Marguerite said, ambiguously. What, so they just want to keep me locked up here? Why?
Then the penny dropped. When else did I know of the council locking up a witch against their will? Aliénor.
They're scared about the power you hold, a voice at the back of my head whispered to me.
"It has been centuries since an Elemental Witch walked this earth." Marguerite said, confirming my suspicions. But how did they know? Was it that obvious from the spell I'd submitted myself to, months ago in the council chambers? I hadn't known myself until later that night, and not really the full extent until much later.
"Not since Aliénor," I said boldy, causing some murmurs in surprise.
"Who you locked up too. Is that your plan, keep me locked up? Why?" I exclaimed while the thirteen witches watched me, their eyes interrogating every inch of me.
Come to think of it, how did they know I was still 'cavorting' with vampires anyway? Had they been spying on me? Keeping tabs on me somehow?.
It was like they had had someone on the inside, feeding them information and keeping them updated.
"Bridget was the one that first alerted us, though indirectly." The short haired elder said, eerily answering my unspoken question.
"She began researching Elemental power and looking into prophecies, very obscure research topics that were sure to draw our attention."
"She evaded us for months, but finally we got a chance to sit down and talk with her." Lewis said, his eyes flashing. The way he said 'talk' made my stomach flip. They had forced her to tell them what she knew, using any means necessary.
She must have known they were onto her, that was why she suddenly upped and left and wouldn't return my calls. She was so adamant about keeping my being an Elemental a secret, I knew she wouldn't have betrayed me of her own accord. And Bridget was one tough cookie, she wouldn't have broken so easily. My stomach churned thinking of how they would have managed to pry the information from her.
"Elemental witches are dangerous. Their powers are raw because they're drawn directly from the five elements and are attached to the witch's emotions. Their power can easily spin out of control and cause havoc...some say even great pestilence and destruction." Short-haired elder lectured.
"You can't seriously be telling me that the reason the Witches' Council in the fourteenth century locked Aliénor up was because they believed she started the Great Plague?" I said, outraged.
"Our Fourteenth Century predecessors, like all people back then, were not so educated as we are now. They may have been wrong in thinking the girl brought a plague down on humanity," Marguerite admitted.
"But they were right to be cautious and proactive. Centuries before that we were warned about the Elementals, their power and their potential to bring destruction." She said warily.
"That sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus, no pun intended." I said sarcastically.
"Everyone fears the unknown. It sounds rather like a bunch of paranoid witches started rumours about Elemental witches that became legends." I scoffed.
"I assure you, I have no burning urge to bring the apocalypse down on us." I continued, half-laughing, half-appalled. This was ridiculous. How could my brothers and sisters lock me up on account of my elemental power? I had done nothing wrong, except maybe cross a couple lines where vampires were concerned.
"It is incredibly dangerous and foolish to ignore what has been foretold." Short haired elder said, her tone grave.
"What do you know of this prophecy Bridget is so obsessed with?" Marguerite said, coming forward so she was only a couple feet away. Her eyes watched me like a hawk.
I shut my mouth then. How much did they know? Did they know Talon was a pureblood? Did they know Severus and Morgan thought it was about us? Did they know about Severus and Morgan at all?
They either know everything and are just trying to get you to give up what you know or they don't know specifics and are trying to get you to fill in the blanks.
In either case, both were bad.
Play ignorant, the trusty voice at the back of my head urged.
"Now you have nothing to say?" Lewis mocked me. I gritted my teeth and did my best to remain expressionless.
"What prophecy?" I asked innocently which made Lewis scoff.
"She's clearly lying." Lewis accused, annoyed.
"This would be alot easier if you worked with us, child." Marguerite said. I continued to look blankly at her while she watched me intently as if she was trying to see through me.
After what seemed like forever she broke eye contact to motion to one of the group. A tall woman with dark, beautiful skin and raven black hair, who looked to be in her forties, stepped forward.
She continued to approach until she was kneeling in front of me. Her dark eyes were not unfriendly. Before I could react she placed her hands on either side of my face, closing her eyes.
Suddenly I felt a rush of power run through me and images began to flash before my eyes, Talon, the camp, Morgan, Alistair, Zara and Elias. And she was seeing them too.
She was a Seer, or someone with the gift of sight; like Bridget.
I gasped as the woman opened her eyes, releasing me and severing the psychic link. Her eyes were wide in shock.
No. She knew everything.
"It is as we feared, just as the prophecy foretells: a Pureblood vampire and an Elemental Witch." She said, announcing to the rest of the council.
"And you were right. There is a witch working with the vampires. She is highly skilled in blood-magic and has a hold over this girl." The seer witch said, her brow furrowed.
"This witch is powerful. She was able to mask herself in this girl's memories; the only reason I could see her now is because of the St. John's Wort, it is...temporarily blocking her foothold on her." There were murmurs amongst the council.
Well hell. They know everything now.
"Morgana Covett. That's her name" I said, gaining their attention again.
"She killed Aliénor back in 1355." I said, feeling once more my blood boil at the witch who had fooled me into thinking she was a good person.
Marguerite looked visibly rattled and turned to the seer as if to double-check my claims, the seer nodded in acknowledgment that I was telling the truth.
"How has she survived all these centuries?" I demanded. No one had an answer.
The council started to talk amongst themselves again, too quiet for me to catch their individual conversations but I did hear "We must keep them apart at all costs."
Were they talking about Talon and I? The council members turned and started to leave.
"What? You're just going to leave me here?" I shouted, alarmed. They seemed to have what they wanted. Marguerite turned to face me again.
"If it really is Morgana Covett, then this is the safest place for you." she said, her purple eyes hard. Her words chilled me to the bone.
She turned and left then. The big, iron door made a loud thud as it closed shut.
Then I was alone.
This was surely overkill right? Why the council felt like they needed to keep me tied to a chair, drugged and locked in a dungeon was beyond me.
With no windows, the only source of light was a harsh fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling above me. It flickered every couple minutes, though whether it was minutes or seconds, I couldn't say.
It was impossible to tell the time of day or how much time passed. The only sound was my breathing and water dripping from a leak in the stone ceiling onto the floor, a puddle forming in the corner. About fifteen drops in and I was already going insane, wanting to make the dripping stop.
I was alone with nothing but my thoughts while the council were presumably deciding my fate somewhere in this place.
I wasn't the monster, yet it certainly felt like the council was treating me like one. Severus and Morgana, they were the ones with the evil plans.
A sudden burst of anger exploded from me; why was this happening to me? I didn't write this stupid prophecy or have a hand in Severus and Morgana's plan or even choose to be blood-bound to Talon.
I had been attacked and held hostage by vampires, and now my own kind were imprisoning me in part because of the gifts the Goddess had given me. They had drugged me, temporarily stripping me of my magic and left me alone to rot in this dungeon.
I had no way of contacting Talon or Ava or anyone for that matter. They knew everything, and yet they still thought me to be the villain?
I pulled against the ropes and thrashed about until they began to dig and burn into my skin. I screamed at the door, demanding they let me out. After a while I switched tactics, trying to negotiate my release. Finally I ended up begging them to let me go and proclaiming that I was sorry.
I yelled until my throat hurt, dissolving into mutterings.
The dripping in the corner seemed to get louder. Every drop was a loud thump. Don't people say that after a while, your brain blocks out white noise until you don't notice it anymore? This was certainly not happening. I tried shutting my eyes to sleep but it was too uncomfortable in the chair and the ever-dripping water was like an annoying alarm I couldn't turn off.
I don't know how long I stayed like that; shivering from the cold and my throat so dry I couldn't speak anymore.
I didn't even have the energy to lift my head when the iron door creaked open.
I heard footsteps and wanted to sigh in relief for the break in having to hear the water drip.
I felt two warm hands lift my head gently. It was Luke. He seemed to be checking me over.
I think I must have looked pretty mad. I didn't care anymore. He brought a glass of water to my lips and I gratefully drank, the water soothing my raw throat.
Then before I could speak he placed his hand to my forehead and enchanted:
"Sleep."
I embraced the darkness eagerly.
*