Chapter 46
E L Y S I A
I stared at the softness in Aldric's eyes. His hand held my face and I shut my eyes. All I could do was stare at how beautiful he was - how beautiful his cheekbones were or how full his lips were. He had given me the privilege to call him mine. I stared at the scars underneath his tattoos, ran my fingers down his face, pressed my thumb against his lip. If all of this - what I saw was an illusion - I was horrible. I had said so many terrible things to him in anger, hurt him in so many ways with my words.
Yet, he never said anything back. He never said anything cruel, not really. His threats were always empty. In every interaction we had, I had dismissed him, lashed out at him when all he wanted to do talk. I wrapped my arms with my mate.
"If - if everything I saw was a lie," I choked on the words. "I have been horrible to you -"
"You saved me at every chance you got," Aldric tells me.
"Yet I followed with a hundred cruel words," I cried, shaking my head.
"And it would have been all understandable," Aldric promised. "I understand you."
If only he'd understand he was everything to me. If this was truly a lie, if the visage of Freya and Aldric was a ruse, just an illusion, I would kill Freya on the spot. Looking at the way Aldric held me, the way he hugged me, it was impossible for it not to be true. I had been under a lie all this time...
Laric was repeating the same thing in my head.
Trust us, Elysia. I swear it to every part of my soul - every part that belongs to you. We have never been with Freya.
Trust me.
The past seventeen months of hating my mate had been a lie. I was certain he was lying to me. I was certain he had slept with her when he hadn't. I spent months crying, hating myself, wondering why I wasn't good enough even when I was his mate. Maybe it was my status - a homeless prostitute. Maybe it was just me - a witch who couldn't do magic. A dark-skinned witch who didn't look like her.
Yet, months of healing following the pain also taught me to be proud of myself. I had studied hard despite the pain. I had fought despite the world attacking me at every corner. I had become a High Healer in less than a year, despite all my fights and struggles. I had done that all by myself. I was a fighter and I was good at magic. It was my biggest strength and despite my weaknesses, I was always going to fight.
If it was an illusion, Freya had separated us. She had separated us when we could have worked together in this war. She had separated us when we could have protected each other, helped each other, survived together. She had separated me from my mate and I was going to ensure I would separate her from this goddamn life.
"ALDRIC!" A voice suddenly called. At the door was Freya. She ran inside. "There's a problem! There - one of the healers - she found out -"
Before she could finish, Aldric had moved at a speed I had never seen before. His hand was wrapped around her throat. In seconds, he lifted her and slammed her to the ground. Freya blinked, the fear in her eyes clear as day.
"Did you show Elysia an illusion of us fucking?" He yelled. The anger in his voice was...unruly. Murderous even. He was certain it was Freya that had set an illusion for me. I couldn't imagine what Aldric must be going through - this was - this was his best friend. "You tried to separate me from -"
"What - what are you talking about?" Freya croaked, shaking her head. She cried out in pain, her blue eyes were wide. This wasn't the time to talk, I wanted to hiss at Aldric. There could be no other explanation for what I saw. I saw Aldric and Freya fucking. Yet, seeing the pain in Aldric's eyes, hearing his words...maybe Aldric was telling the truth.
And Freya was the only wolf who could create illusions that looked more realistic than reality itself.
I unleashed red lighting and tightening it around her arms and legs on the ground.
"I saw you and Aldric fucking in the castle the night before I left," I hissed. "Your lies are up -"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Freya screamed, louder.
Suddenly, wolves poured into the tent. Hunter came, his eyes wide, staring at the lightning and then at Aldric. "Freya!"
Aldric turned to dead, his glare deadly. Neither Hunter nor the other wolves stepped forward, not when Aldric's glare was so murderous. The wolves continued to pour in after Freya's call for help. To them, their Luna was in trouble.
"It isn't true!" Freya yelled. "I don't even know what she's saying. I didn't even see her -"
"But I saw you and Aldric!" I yelled back.
Aldric turned to his wolves. "Get the truth potion!" Hunter was about to move but Aldric glared at him.
"Not you, Hunter," he hissed. "You stay here."
A wolf behind was running behind to get the bottles of the truth potion I drank when Aldric first met me. It slurred the truth and it had worked for me. Surely, it would work for Freya. The truth would be out. All the wolves could see as well what a pathetic excuse of a Luna they had. When the wolf came back, he quickly handed Aldric the bottle. Aldric sniffed it to confirm what it was and pressed it to Freya's mouth, forcing her to swallow.
"What happened the night my mate was left?" Aldric hissed at Freya.
"I never saw her," Freya said. "I didn't see her."
"Did you ever show her any illusions?" Aldric hissed.
"No," Freya answered. "Never."
I froze, staring at Freya, feeling my heart crash and tumble. So it was a lie.
Everything Aldric said to me was a lie. My heart ached in pain again. He promised - he promised me he wasn't lying. He promised me he would never hurt me.
Elysia. We were never with Freya, Laric promised in my head.
"Who were you with that night then?" I screamed then, my voice shaking. "Were you with Aldric?"
"No," Freya answered.
I froze, stepping back, blinking twice.
I saw Aldric and Freya. I know what I saw. This time, Aldric turned to me. His eyes were wide. Suddenly, I realized what this was looking like - I was the lying bitch here.
"I saw you with Aldric -" I hissed, grabbing her arm roughly, pulling her up from the ground.
Freya looked at me and shook her head. She turned to Aldric immediately, pulling me out of my grip like I was some kind of monster who had touched her. "I have never been with Aldric since you came into our lives."
Aldric nodded, his truth before him, but I know what I saw. I was shaking with anger. I pushed Aldric away with the red energy and tightened all the red lighting at Freya's arms and wrists. She screamed even though I hadn't tightened it enough to hurt. She screamed again - and I thought of a few curses. What kind of game was she playing?
Dramatic bitch.
"I SAW YOU AND ALDRIC FUCKING!" I yelled at her.
"ELYSIA!" Aldric put a handout and stood before Freya as she continued to wince and cry in pain. She looked at him with such innocence, I would've believed her too but it was all a ruse. It had to be.
And I was going to kill her.
The wolves were all watching their Alpha. Their Alpha had trusted a witch with his life, trusted her over his Luna. I knew how this looked from their perspective as well.
"She's lying -" I hissed at Aldric, trying to control my anger but it was impossible not to when she was acting so innocent.
"We gave her the truth potion!" he snapped at me. His eyes followed the wrists that were red because of me.
What she said made no sense - She said she didn't make illusions for me. Yet she also said she wasn't with Aldric that night.
But she was. I saw her. Was she lying despite the truth potion?
"WHO WERE YOU WITH THAT NIGHT THEN?" I yelled at her.
"I was with someone," Freya croaked. "But it wasn't Aldric. I was with Jaxon."
Jaxon.
Who the fuck was Jaxon?
"Alpha," a voice behind us said. "Freya - Freya's right. I - we - She was crying and I was with her and one thing led to another and we spend the night -"
I looked at the dark-haired wolf. His skin color was the same as Aldric, as was the color of his hair and eyes. Even the shape of his nose was similar. Yet Aldric was taller and his features were sharper. Not to mention there was a tattoo running down the side of Aldric's face. I know what I saw. I saw a wolf with a tattoo. I had seen Aldric.
I turned to Freya, the fire growing around me once more.
"Elysia -" Aldric stepped closer to me, trying to control my seething anger. "Maybe you were mistaken. Maybe it was Jaxon and it was dark in the room -"
"I saw you - ALDRIC!" I yelled. "I saw you!"
Aldric turned to Freya again. He pressed another dose of the truth serum at her lips. Her eyes were balling tears and she shook her head.
Hunter protested behind Aldric, but one look from Aldric shut him up. She began whimpering and crying.
"You trust her - over me?" Freya cried harder, her body shaking. "I can't believe you would trust her over me."
Aldric said nothing. His wolves awaited an answer from their Alpha. He had treated his Luna terribly. I could not read him but I could see his calculating mind. The truth potion. Her tears. He was going to have to pick one to trust and my truth wasn't looking well.
Looking at Freya's conniving innocence, the confusion was taking over. I froze and calculated what I was missing here.
She said she didn't show me any illusions.
She said she wasn't with Aldric. She was with Jaxon.
But I had seen her with Aldric. I glared at Aldric - was he lying? Yet, in my heart, I knew he wasn't. Even if Aldric would lie to me, I knew from every corner of my head and heart that Laric would not.
I think I finally understood which chess piece I was in Freya's game.
In front of Aldric, she said she never slept with Aldric. Aldric had said the same story. She kept her story so it matched Aldric. It matched Aldric's truth. But not mine. Everything she said painted me as a liar - as a stupid, foolish liar. A liar who saw Freya with another man - this Jaxon - and assumed that Aldric had cheated on me.
But I know what I saw. I had seen Aldric. It was Aldric I saw - it was - it knew it was - I wasn't such an idiot that I - My hands shook. Aldric was leaning towards her.
Believe me, I begged Laric if Aldric wasn't going to listen.
I am your familiar and I will never lie to you. Aldric has never slept with Freya since he met you. Trust me if you don't trust Aldric.
Then trust me too.
"Elysia - maybe -"
"I know what I saw Aldric," I hissed, but I was too busy glaring at Freya.
"She saw me and Jaxon, Aldric," Freya croaked, her voice shaking. "It must have been me and Jaxon. It's not my fault she doesn't trust you!"
The red energy burned brighter around me.
I was going to kill her. I was going to -
That truth potion was a fake. It had to be.
"Give me the truth potion as well," I stared at the bottle in Aldric's hands.
Aldric shook his head. "I trust you but I think your perception of the truth must have been that you saw me and Freya but it was never me."
Freya began to cry again. I balled my hands into firsts.
"You trust her so much," Freya cried harder. "And she doesn't trust you at all."
Aldric flinched, a flash of pain in his eyes.
My voice was caught in my throat. "It was you who I saw, Aldric. I saw you."
"You want to hear more truths?" Freya hissed. "Nirvane found out when he was trying to heal you - You're cursed, Aldric! And it has her magic that was all over it."
My heart sank. It had fallen into my stomach, a panic rising everywhere in my body. How did they find out - How the hell did - This was the worst time to bring this up.
Aldric didn't know what happened - He didn't know the full story - What I did - Freya brought every calculating move when she came barging into this tent.
"What are you talking about?" Aldric snapped, turning to her.
"Your mate, who you trust so much, cursed you!" Freya screamed at him.
Aldric blinked. He shook his head. He immediately turned to me.
"Elysia - what - what is Freya talking about?" his voice was soft even now, as he spoke to me.
I balled my hands into fists, wondering how the hell I was going to explain myself. The truth was complicated. What I had done was unforgivable but at the moment, it was my only option.
It was the only way to protect you without making things worse.
Everything I do is to protect you. I promised Laric.
Laric's silence was demanding an answer.
"She's right," I croaked, knowing I wasn't going to Laric. "You are cursed -"
"And who cursed Aldric?" Freya hissed.
"The High Priestesses -"
"Why is your magic there too -"
I glared at her, wanting to call her out for not letting me finish but I swallowed my anger. "Because they used my blood in the spell. They used it without me knowing. The High Priestess had taken my blood before and they -"
Freya cocked her head to the side and laughed again, a humorless laugh. She stepped in front of Aldric.
"They took your blood without your permission - without you knowing? How stupid do you think we are?" Freya snapped. "You obviously willingly gave it to them! No one can just take someone's blood!"
I balled my hands into fists. I didn't want to explain my complications with the witches to her. The High Priestesses had taken my blood when they were trying to determine my bloodline. They had taken bags of my blood without my permission and had been using it for hundreds of curses and spells without my permission. If any spell or curse went wrong, the witch whose blood was used would suffer the consequences. Of course, the witches thought I was the perfect candidate.
I was the witch without a bloodline. Without an ancestral family line to protect me. My blood was disposable, just like I was. The only reason I found out was because Velanora had thanked me for allowing the witches to use my blood.
Except I never knew they had done that. I stared at Aldric instead, hoping he would understand but his brown eyes were raging.
"They had taken my blood before to find my bloodline," I tried to explain. "They had taken so much they began to use it for spells and curses but I didn't know."
Freya rolled her eyes like it was so clear I was lying.
"And what does this spell do, Elysia?" When Freya said my same, it sounded like poison.
I turned to Aldric. "I need to - tell you this alone," I whispered.
We were surrounded by wolves. I needed to explain everything, step by step. I knew he would understand once I explained everything. I could see the confusion in Aldric's eyes. He waited for a second and then nodded to his wolves. He grabbed Freya's arm before she was leaving as well. "We need to have this conversation together."
"No - I need to tell you this alo -" I hissed.
"Freya stays," Aldric cut me off immediately. I balled my hands into fists. A smile was on Freya's lips.
"What did you curse me with?" he asked.
"I - Your life is tied to High Priestess Nai," I said.
There was silence.
Freya's eyes glistened but the rage that followed in her eyes was too loud to be fake. Maybe she herself didn't know what the curse did.
Aldric blinked.
Why? Laric hissed. This was the first time I had heard him so angry.
"What do you mean my life is tied to Heera?" Aldric hissed.
I shook my head. "No - not Heera - High Priestess Nai -"
Freya laughed on the side again, but it was humorless. She was mocking me. "Are you really this dense? What do you think your precious High Priestess Nai's full name is?"
I blinked when I realized her implication.
Naiheera.
"No - the crazy High Priestess is Melheera - Melheera is the High Priestess that hurt Aldric, not Naiheera -"
"Melheera is her sister," Aldric hissed. "My life is tied to the priestess you call Nai. She is the woman who slaughtered my mother. The one who cursed me. Tortured me. The leader of your witches."
Melheera is her sister.
"I -" I could barely speak.
High Priestess Naiheera was the one that hurt Aldric, not Melheera.
Aldric and Freya turned to me.
"You tied my life to my worst enemy!" Aldric hissed. "What does that even mean?"
"If - whatever happens to Heera - if you hurt her, it will hurt you instead. If you kill her, it will hurt you instead. And -" My voice was shaking.
"And if Heera hurts Aldric - does that hurt her?" Freya asked.
I shook my head. "No. It's Aldric's life that's tied, not Heera's."
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Aldric yelled, grabbing me by the shoulders. "When you know my mission is to kill her - why would you do that?"
I swallowed hard.
"The witches - they wanted to find ways to hurt you the most and I had to give them -"
"You gave them the idea?" Aldric hissed.
"Aldric -" I tried to explain myself once again, realizing I had made this worse.
"Answer the question, Elysia," Aldric growled. "Was this your idea to the witches?"
"Yes but -"
"I TRUSTED YOU BLINDLY AND YOU TAKE AWAY -"
"Aldric!" I yelled back. "Just - listen -"
"Were you lying about everything else too?" He yelled. "Were the tears fake? Were the lies about Freya having sex fake well? Were your promises fake?"
"No - of course not! How could - how could you even say that -" I hissed, pushing him back.
"Did you save Aldric to gain his trust?" Freya hissed beside him. "Are you a spy for the witches?"
The fire around me grew. I knew my eyes were turning but Aldric stepped forward again. The pain in his eyes, the anger in his voice - it was so painful. He was so hurt. This was the worst thing I could do to him.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CURSE DID TO ME?" Aldric yelled, edging closer. "It was worse than Svesta. Every part of me was screaming. I thought I was going to die. I thought the only way the pain would stop was if I died and I nearly begged - You did that to me!"
"I felt it too - I felt it everywhere - and I stopped it -" The pain had been uncontrollable. I had nearly screamed and I was in the same room as the High Priestesses. I had turned around and fallen to my knees, barely able to cry out. I had concealed myself in glamour magic as the Priestesses did the spell with their eyes close.
"But you let them perform it?" Aldric hissed.
I flinched. "Aldric - please - everything I did was to protect -"
"Betrayal after betrayal - I trust you every time and all you do is betray me." His voice was painful to listen to. The cracking in them. The devastation was in his eyes and I couldn't breathe, barely move to register.
You crossed the line. Laric croaked in the back of my mind.
A pain slithered through my chest, adding to the growing ache in my heart. It was Aldric's.
"Aldric," I croaked, reaching out to him and this time, he stepped away.
"I never want to hurt you," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But I can't forgive you. Not for this."
"Aldric - hear me out -" I begged.
"What is left for me to hear? You gave the witches the idea to tie my life to Heera and you watched as they did it. Is all of that not true?" He hissed. "Was all of this supposed to be revenge because you thought I cheated on you?"
"No Aldric - Please -"
"There is nothing left for you to say then," Freya cut me off. "You try to turn Aldric against us. I trust and love Aldric enough to never use illusions against him. You accuse me of using that magic to trick you when it was your fault you didn't trust Aldric to begin with you -"
"Fuck you!" I screamed, throwing her across the tent with red energy.
The rage was going to destroy this base. The tent up in flames. I understood everything now. She must have heard us, must have heard the way Aldric promised me he was mine, must have heard the way we revealed our truths to each. I turned to my mate and I could see the way he had fallen into their trap. She had played it so perfectly, each part so concise.
What reason did Aldric have to trust me? Especially when she discredits everything I have ever done? When she brought up the curse without letting me explain the full story?
Freya drank a truth potion and still managed to lie. Freya played me for seventeen months. Played us both. And she was playing us again. I understood well enough to know what had happened.
I was certain of two things now: That night was an illusion, planted in my head by Freya. I was also certain that she had everything planned out. Jaxon. The truth potion.
The fire around me grew.
I was going to kill her. Steaks of lighting grabbed her by the arms. Freya screamed again and again but I wanted those screams to be painful, not baseless.
I wanted her dead.
Aldric grabbed me immediately, throwing me down to the ground, taking the hands that had been performing the magic and locking them over my head.
"STOP!" The Blood Oath worked against me now. The magic was cut off and I fought every inch of the command, even when I felt the pain tear me apart inside. I refused to cry out.
Trust me, I wanted to beg Aldric.
How could he trust me now? The worst part of me thought.
I took a deep breath, wanting to explain to him why I cursed him.
"SHE'S LYING!" I yelled. "She's turning me against -"
"Leave," It was like had stabbed me. Those were words I thought I would never hear. My heart fell down to my stomach, the pain in it almost too strong. The rage in Aldric's eyes made it crystal clear.
"Aldric - listen to me - there's more -"
"I think I've heard enough," his voice was colder than ice.
"Aldric -"
Laric. I called when Aldric didn't respond.
You cursed us. His voice was broken. You cursed us with our worst fears. How could you do that, Elysia?
Laric -
Aldric is right.
I shook my head. "No - not again -"
"Leave," the Blood Oath cut through me and my body stood up. "Never come back to this base and never use magic in this base."
I ignored the way my heart tore when I looked into his eyes. I whispered his name but he helped Freya up. Her arms were red from where the lighting had grabbed her. I had burned the bottom of her silver dress. I wanted her dead. I stared at Aldric again.
Trust me.
He looked away, his eyes devasted. I could feel the way his heart was broken, torn even. I wondered if he could feel mine.
Coming back invisible was the only viable way to return to the witch base. I had done treacherous thing after treacherous thing here. The last time I was here, I stopped the witches from initiating their original plan to hurt Aldric. Then, I proposed an alternative one they couldn't refuse in order to stop them from their original idea.
And on top of all that, when I clearly knew Freya's fear illusions would not hurt High Priestess Naiheera but Aldric instead when Freya attacked, I still stood before High Priestess Nai, "protecting her."
That must have been the icing on the top, I thought sarcastically. I had truly fucked up.
Elysia was the traitor. Word must have spread.
And my stupidity and lack of knowledge stopped me from finding the real truth - that High Priestess Nai was the real Heera and Melheera was her sister.
Going back to the witch wasn't smart. I already knew I had lost Velanora's trust as well as Silas' when I stepped before Aldric. I couldn't even find the words to justify that or even lie. I knew what I was doing.
Naiheera must be planning all the ways to torture me if I ever came back alive.
I remained invisible and sneaked around.
I was done with this war. I was done with Aldric. My only goal was to steal Naiheera's magic book that entailed all her torture curses, undo the curse on Aldric, and then kill Freya in a, particularly torturous way.
I froze when I caught what I had walked into as I hid in the very corner of the High Priestess' tents.
It was Mother Noora of the Mae Coven.
I blinked several times.
Mother Noora was alive and she was talking to Naiheera.
"She had saved a wolf's life and ran into the Raaken Woods," Mother Noora explained. "You're telling me she became the High Healer of Ruvon? She could barely spur a spell to heal a broken arm!"
Naiheera was listening attentively. They were plotting my death, my demise. Yet, Naiheera's magical book was on the table beside her. I wouldn't make the mistake of stealing it now but I remained invisible as I continued to listen to their conversation.
"She's one of the strongest witches I have seen. Her magic is...pure."
"We were going to kill her," Mother Noora muttered. "And she had released this rush of pure energy that pushed us all back. I couldn't find it - no witch in the village could. We kept trying but it was impossible to cut through it. The ground shook ever so slightly. She has the god of the earth's blessings, High Priestess."
"The god of the earth is the god of magic. No witch just wakes up having his blessings."
"I'm surprised she's even alive. She was naive, more childish and foolish than most yet I would never believe she would support the wolves the way you are claiming."
"That's because Elysia would never do that!" Velanora hissed. My heart froze at the Princess of Ruvon. Despite all that happened...she didn't hate me? She trusted me...
Naiheera rubbed her face in frustration. "Your loyalty is admirable Princess but also reeks of your stupidity."
"There's more to Elysia than what you think, Nai," Velanora hissed. "I have spent nights, days with her. She's been traumatized, she's been hurt. She never told us the reason but I know her love was always pure. Elysia was a good person before she was a healer or a witch. Silas and I both agree and are her defense."
"The wolves must have killed her now -"
"No," Naiheera hissed. "Aldric saved her. He didn't hurt her, he protected her. There is something wrong here - he would never help a witch unless he knew her, cared for her. And that whore stepped before me when she knew it wouldn't hurt me. It would only hurt him."
"I can't believe you would even think Elysia has a relationship with the Alpha. Have you seen her scarred back? A wolf did that."
"Yet she saved his life -" Naiheera hissed.
"She must be compelled! Or something - I trust her!" Velanora hissed.
"Take the Princess away," Naiheera hissed at one of the soldiers and suddenly they were forcibly escorting Velanora out. I followed her quickly, running in her direction as the soldiers sent her to her tent. I made sure the tent was empty before finally making myself visible before her.
"Velanora," I cried, wrapping my arms around her tightly. I hugged her immediately, holding her tightly. I didn't realize I had been crying until my body was shaking.
"I didn't betray the witches," I cried. "I swear it. I'm not a spy - I don't share any information with the wolves or conspire with them or -"
"Elysia," Velanora croaked, blinking. I realized she was too shocked to move. She stared at me - like she couldn't believe I was still alive. "You're okay - you were hit with the illusions - how are you okay?"
"I'm not," I cried. "They're there but it seems my reality is becoming my biggest fear so the illusions can't even fight me now. But please trust me - I'm not consorting with the wolves -"
"Why did you save him?" Velanora asked. "Alpha Aldric. You saved him - time and time, you have always been saving him. Why Elysia?"
"I - I can't explain now. It's too complicated but I would never hurt witches - I would never conspire against - You're the only person I have left. Please Velanora. Trust me."
Velanora hugged me close and in the softest tone she whispered in my ear, "She already knows. Nai knows you are here. She used a spell to detect all movement coming in the base - you have to run - now!"
I froze and understood. Even now, Velanora protected me. I blinked a couple of times before nodding at the Princess of Ruvon. I was leaving the tent, invisible when I saw Naiheera and the High Priestess running in our direction.
"WHERE IS SHE?" Naiheera hissed at Velanora. The tent was surrounded by Melheera's green light.
Sisters. Freya was right. The fact I had not previously recognized this was my fault. Yet, Melheera's shield was strong and I knew if I touched it, it would inform Melheera of my whereabouts.
"I KNOW SHE CAME TO YOU VELANORA!" Naiheera screamed as she entered through the shield. In seconds, the High Priestess had grabbed the Princess of Ruvon in her dark light. Velanora fought back with a shield but it was quickly cut with Naiheera's magic. She was the leader of the High Priestesses for a reason. The light curled around Velanora's throat, choking her cruelly. Velanora coughed violently.
She wouldn't kill the Princess of Ruvon. Naiheera, despite her craziness, would never kill the Princess of Ruvon. Yet, my magic could feel the drop in Velanora's heart rate, the near stopping of her chest. The witches around were screaming and shouting but not one attested against the High Priestess. Silas was banging on the shield, begging the High Priestess to stop but to no avail.
"SHOW YOURSELF ELYSIA OR I WILL KILL THE ONLY WOMAN WHO STILL TRUSTS YOU!"
Velanora's eyes went back, her heartbeat barely there - it would be a bare second if she truly -
"STOP!" I screamed. I dropped the invisibility shield and Velanora dropped to the ground. I used my magic to capture her immediately, giving the Princess a soft landing.
"Maybe Velanora isn't the only loyal bitch here?" Naiheera turned to me. I erupted my red energy around me, setting fire to everything but a circle around Velanora. The princess's tent went up in red flames from my magic.
"She," Naiheera yelled, pointing at me to the witches surrounding us. "Is the traitor. She is the one that has been relaying information about our battles to the wolves. She is the whore that sleeps with that Alpha - Aldric. The one that has taken hundreds of our witches, killed our friends and families - she is the cunt that has betrayed us."
The witches erupted in anger. Screams to kill me were yelled. I looked around and Velanora tried to fight but the High Priestess suddenly locked her in a spell of silence. Silas' eyes were wide as he turned to be.
Trust me, I begged him, shaking my head.
I used more fire to protect myself, a shield to surround myself in.
"I did no such thing," I hissed.
"Did you not save Aldric?" Naiheera yelled. "Did you not step before me when his Moon Priestess' fear illusions were going to hit me? You knew the truth. That curse was your idea. An attack on me would hurt him yet you stepped before me."
I balled my hands into fists.
"I have never relayed any information -" I hissed.
"LIAR!" Naiheera yelled. "You are his whore - why don't you admit that to the witches?"
I shot a streak of lighting in her direction. The High Priestesses were surrounding me then. I released as much as I could. The clouds above were turning red, as was the fire around me.
"Hurt me and everything will become ashes," I hissed.
Naiheera laughed. "Child, only you will become ashes."
Naiheera turned to the witches around her. The army of witches was no longer looking at me in confusion. They trusted every word from the High Priestess like it was law.
I covered myself in red shields and used fire outside to burn down the impending army of the witches. In seconds, another force field was met with mine. It was the combined High Priestess' golden shield that was trying to break through my red one. The witches behind them joined as I felt my red fire fading into nothing as new spells were shot to keep them down.
This wasn't working.
I couldn't win.
Not when the entirely of the fucking witch army was attacking me.
I struggled to fight, erupting more flames, shifting the sky until red lightning flashed into a deadly storm above. The red shield around me cracked anyway. The fear erupted through my chest. It was me against the army of the witches.
I was going to die.
But I would not go down without a fight.
I thought of Aldric. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never trusted you. I'm sorry for always pushing you away. I'm sorry for everything.
The flames grew stronger but I was met with different types of lights attacking the red shield around me. My red fire erupted in the base everywhere around me but different witches were working together to bring it down, to bring me down.
It didn't take long when my red shield broke.
And it certainly didn't take long for Heera's lighting to grab me tight. As my lighting fought against hers, another High Priestess had slammed me to the ground. The third High Priestess had locked my magic. The fourth brought down my fire. And the fifth took away my magic, muttering a spell so I couldn't access my magic.
It wasn't Maji that was controlling me; I could break that. It was the High Priestesses ' magic. Each had done something to contain me. I screamed and fought, kicking my legs, my arms - anything.
Velanora was screaming my name, begging Naiheera to stop, demanding the witches to stop but the Princess could do nothing now. She had done enough by warning me. It was only time before Nai would declare her as a traitor as well.
Naiheera struck me across the face hard enough to leave a mark. I didn't flinch.
When Naiheera grabbed my hair and dragged me into the dungeon at the witch base. She pulled me in until I was thrown into it. Various shields surrounded me - one took away from my magic.
High Priestess Amberly and High Priestess Odette chanted a spell over me.
"Kyzen derayn syzen." They repeated over and over again, their hands grabbing my arms. I screamed when the pain erupted throughout my body.
I called out to the magic, only to feel a cut in our link.
They - they took away my magic?
Was that even possible?
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I screamed. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MAGIC?"
I called to my magic again, calling it over and over again, and heard silence instead. I screamed as I tried to fight again, my hands reaching out to claw them across the face but they only stepped away, smiling.
High Priestess Lillian's magic locked me inside the dungeon. I called to the flames, for my red lighting, but nothing.
Naiheera struck me again and ripped the front of my dress. I covered myself, cowering to a corner, stepping away. She was going to torture me. She was going to torture me in every way she deemed fit. I looked at the other High Priestess for help - for something - but they looked at me, disgusted.
Just then, the High Priestess' magic binds my wrists over me. I cried out, trying to reach my magic again, but the link was too far. I couldn't understand. Without magic, my body was weak. It was...
It felt empty.
The magic in my blood was the fire that kept me going, the drive that forced me to keep pushing.
Was it permanent? Did they take it away forever?
Different lights bring me forward and hold me down until the ground. I cried out, calling to my magic again and again but the fire was gone. When I was in danger, my magic always helped me but I couldn't call on my magic anymore. That was the only thing that kept me alive. That allowed me to survive the toughest fights. And they had cut it.
A green fire erupted before me and I flinched. Melheera. High Priestess Odette passed a rod to the Naiheera. She struck the rod into the hot green fire. The rod was neon green when she stepped before me.
Naiheera digs the rod into my skin, making sure it is deep enough that I feel it burning over my chest.
I screamed painfully, shaking and shrieking violently, but the High Priestess' magic keeps me bound. Even when I lost my voice, I cried out, but my arms and wrists were tied, making me unable to move.
Naiheera dips the rod into the green hot fire again and this time doesn't even wait until the fire is down. I feel the flames burn the skin around me.
"You love terrifying us with your red flames, don't you, child? Then let me show you how it really feels."
I screamed until my voice couldn't anymore. She wrote the third letter, pressed the rod in until I couldn't scream anymore. I stared at each High Priestess - Melheera, Odette, Lillian and Amberly.
Their faces made it clear I was just another body to them. They had tortured wolves. They had tortured witches who disobeyed them. And me - I was the worst - I had betrayed them. I shut my eyes from crying in pain. I was sobbing and shaking but Naiheera didn't stop.
"STOP!" I screamed.
She didn't.
When Naiheera had dug what she wanted into my skin, she grinned to herself. The lighting that had wrapped around my wrists dug so deep they cut through my skin. My blood dripped at my wrists.
And for a bare second, they let my wrists go. I ran my hand down my chest, feeling each word she had carved deeply into my skin. I could feel the blood pooling but she had craved it so perfectly into my skin, I could make out each letter.
T
R
A
I
T
O
R
I choked back the sob.
The High Priestesses didn't even seem fazed, not even a hint of remorse or guilt.
"You think this is over, love?" Naiheera laughed. She cut through and I jerked up when I felt a second spell through me. She took the burning rod she had burning me with and impaled it through my thigh. The rod was stuck.
I shrieked in pain.
"Aldric's whore," Naiheera hissed. "Is that what I should brand on you next? Or should I bring some soldiers to come and taste you? Don't worry. You'll experience everything once."
"Nai," Odette muttered, almost shocked when she looked at me.
"I do not take traitors lightly. And she must be spilling all of our secrets to the wolves - she sat with us in our meetings! Every witch should learn the consequences of betraying me."
She turned to meet my eyes again. I had cried enough for a lifetime. My chest felt empty.
Naiheera began to laugh this time. "Maybe I should bring Aldric here. Tie a little collar around him. Isn't that what dogs get?"
I shut my eyes, ignoring her taunts.
"Maybe I should let you watch as I skin him alive. Or maybe cut him to pieces. Maybe even boil him in a cauldron -"
"You're sick," I croaked, but my voice was not my own anymore. It was barely audible. My screams had burned me out.
It was not strong enough. I was not strong enough.
But I had nothing left to lose.
I lifted myself, ever so slightly, looking Naiheera directly into the eyes. I swallowed and forced myself to be strong when I spoke.
"You're a monstrous bitch with no one to love and nothing that ever loved you. Not even your own damn sister." I turned to Melheera. For once she was silent. "You tortured Aldric for months and he survived. Despite everything you did, he fought and got better. Do you think you can break me by carving some words into my body? I am not a toy, Naiheera. You will never break me."
I let the cold surround me, shivering. I didn't want warmth. Maybe this was exactly what I deserved. I shut my eyes.
I was a villain to the witches.
I was a villain to Aldric.
Since they all wanted me to be a villain so badly, maybe that's exactly what I should be.
The link to my magic was cut.
I felt the blood in my body, pooling around me, my chest, my wrists. It was painful to breathe, to think.
traitor
traitor
When I screamed, it wasn't just my voice that cracked, but the ground as well.
Naiheera's eyes went wide. This wasn't my magic, though but a warmth had surrounded me, wrapped me in it and I realized it was soil. The ground was ripping apart, the soil was wrapping me in itself. The earth cracked and pushed the High Priestesses away from me.
And when the ground opens up to swallow me whole, I let myself fall into an endless abyss.
Welcome back to your first home.
i wrote this after taking my 4-hour sociology exam but i think its the longest chapter i have ever written!! please dont kill me LMAOOO
some questions for you guys!!!
1. when did you stop hating aldric???
LMAOO im so curious i was looking back at the comments and everyone hated him so much and yes i agree that was the point but like when did you stop or do you still hate him?