“There will be lots of blood and death. The King is coming. He’s bringing an army. He’s coming to kill.” Cora spoke in a haunted tone. The atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
Ferox was coming after me. I knew he would, but I thought I had more time.
“When exactly is he coming? And how do we defeat him?” Seb stepped up, asking the question that needed to be asked.
“Can’t see the day yet but very soon.” Cora replied.
“And to answer your second question, Sebastian, you will be the way of defeating him.” Helia chimed in almost proudly. The way she was staring at Seb was unnerving. She was looking at him like he wasthe most special person in the world.
“Why Seb?” I asked, agitated.
Helia slowly took her eyes off my mate and placed them on me. Let’s just say the look she was giving me was far from what she gave Seb. Where she looked at him with pride, she only looked at me with disappointment.
“Sebastian is the first shifting werewolf in a thousand years. He represents the return of the vampire’s most feared enemy. Not only that, but he has the silver tail of an Alpha. Ferox will not be expecting to see him. When he does… well, the distraction will be what you need for an advantage in the battle. Together, you two can be unstoppable.” Helia announced.
I wasn’t convinced. Seb just turned not even a week ago, and I still didn’t have a handle on my ability, not to mention the million other advantages that Ferox had on us.
“What about his army? And his kids? Oh, and also, the dark witch that follows his every move. I’ve felt her power, too, and she’s just as strong as Ferox. There is no way Seb and I can take on all that!” I yelled, losing my patience. Helia made it all sound so simple, but I’d been around the King. I knew what we are up against. Optimism was lost on me.
“A dark witch? What is her name?” Helia requested slowly. The expression on her face told me this was unexpected information. I pondered that for a second.
“She wore all black, head to toe, and even covered her face.” I added and watched for her reaction.
It was Cora and Zara that looked frightened. Helia relaxed her composure as if we were talking about the weather over a cup of tea.
“All witches are born light. We can choose to stay light, go dark, or disassociate from magic completely. Therefore, turning dark is a choice; one that goes against our nature. Practicing dark magic effects their bodies negatively, and they can’t call upon the earth for healing. They’ll grow warts and moles and other hideous disfigurements the further they drift from the light. The darker they become, the more grotesque their appearance until no light is left within them. It’s why fairy tales always describe bad witches as ugly hags. That part is based on truth. Hence, why extremely dark witches hide their true faces. Tell me, Analise, did she touch you?” Helia asked concerned.
Her worry surprised me, but I had a feeling it was the dark witch she was more worried about.
“Yes. She took some memories from me, but I blasted her out as soon as I had enough strength.” Just thinking about Raven’s cold hands on me and how she had invaded my mind made me angry all over again.
Helia dropped her head sadly but said nothing.
“If she was in your mind, she knows what you know. She knows all your weaknesses and will exploit them to break you. Dark witches prefer to cause mass suffering rather than death. If you have something they want, they will push you until you’re weak and alone to gain your power by convincing you to link with them.” Cora added.
“This is not good.” Zara whispered quietly.
“What? You think she’ll go after Seb or my friends?” My voice shot up in pitch. I became afraid quickly because, if she had my memories, then that would be exactly what would hurt me the most.
“You guys are witches! Why don’t you just stop the dark witch?” Simon burst out.
I was slightly shocked to hear him speak up. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I forgot that all my friends were in here too. Now, I wished they weren’t. I wished they were far away from me; away from the danger I’d selfishly placed them in.
Seb must have felt my worry because he clasped his hand firmly in mine. He was always there before I even knew I needed him.
“It’s more complicated than that. We can’t be involved in a battle with the vampire King.” Cora replied, turning away.
“What?! Why not? I’ve done everything you witches have asked of me, and when I need help, you refuse?!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! This was insane! I couldn’t protect Seb, my friends, and kill the king all at once. They think I was this all-powerful vampire, but what they forgot was I’d only been alive for eighteen years; sixteen of which was spent as a human living a somewhat normal life. Now, I was surrounded by chaos and evildoers that want me dead! Not just that, but to hear they would kill those around me too just made this all too much.
“Analise, you and Sebastian have mated. You are much more powerful than you know. All you need to do is learn to use what’s inside of you. Trust your instincts and combine that power with Sebastian’s” Helia explained.
I stared at her completely exasperated.
“I don’t have time to learn how to use my abilities. Cora said the King is coming soon. What if he storms in right now? Huh? How do I protect everyone? I need help; your help. Now.” I practically demanded.
The more we sat and talk, the more time we wasted. We needed to come up with a plan now; preferably one that didn’t involve Seb and me going up against the King and his army alone. Helia was powerful, and I know with her at our side we might have a chance. I didn’t know what Cora could do, but she gave me the impression that visions weren’t her only strong point. I remembered when they linked with Verna, and I couldn’t even strike them. That was power. That was the amount of power we will need to defeat Ferox.
I patiently waited for Helia to answer me. The room was tense and quiet. I glanced around, and it was clear everyone is tense. I wished I could say something to ease their worries, but I didn’t have the words. If I did, they’d probably be lies.
I locked eyes with Zara who was watching me intently. The maturity in her soft gray eyes astounded me. I offered her a small smil,e and she returned it. Zara was just a kid and the only witch in this room I din’t want near this fight.
Helia stood and began pacing the room, her long brown skirt dragging on the floor. She had a pained expression on her face, and she took a few deep breath before she finally opened her mouth to speak. “After Celeste was killed, chaos broke lose in Nexus. The supernatural lost their leader. Their protector. Fairies were hunted into extinction. Sirens gave up their legs for tailfins and left the land for the sea. The wolves retreated to the forest after losing their Alpha. The ones that were in human form ran to the human world. All the magical creatures fled or were killed, and the vampires took control. Nexus became hell. Our home was destroyed by greed and power. When we came to the mortal world, the vampires had already taken over here too. Ferox stepped up as King and was actively hunting and killing all the other supernaturals here. We fought back for centuries, but it wasn’t enough. My grandmother grew weak from all the fighting and protecting she had to do. Vampires outnumbered us. They could turn humans to aide in the fight. We could not. Witches were born, not made. Finally, my grandmother made the decision to meet with Ferox and come to an agreement.” Helia paused. Her eyes looked haunted. It was like she was back in the memory.
“As her apprentice, I went everywhere she went. To learn and help her make decisions. I will never forget the smug look on his face. Ferox thought himself the true King. My grandmother only wanted peace for all the supernaturals. A pact was sealed in blood. Ferox agreed but under three conditions. The first being only witches would be off limits. As long as they didn’t interfere with vampire business, they would be unharmed. The second was he wanted a wife; a powerful witch to have as his own, and he wanted her to be one still in the light. Ferox took pleasure in seeing us
give up one of our own.” Helia paused again and sighed deeply as if this was causing her physical pain.
While she gathered her courage to continue the story, my mind began spinning. The information Helia had just given me fell in perfectly with another story that haunted me. Suddenly, I began hearing Acacias words in my mind.
For centuries he waited for you, but you never came.
Ferox needed power. He craved it like his father.
Finally, he thought you were dead, and he came for me.
So I became his queen. I became Acacia.
“Oh my god,” I said more to myself than to anyone as the puzzle pieces in my head molded together. I turned my eyes to Helia, seeing her differently than I had before. “It was you. You told Ferox where to find her. You gave him Acacia. You’re the reason she’s dead.”
***
Jace
The burning. The yearning. The agony. The misery.
That’s what I felt. Over and over again like a cycle of tornadoes, it coursed through his body. I couldn’t make it stop. So instead, I ran. I kept running; running as fast as I could away from her. Ana. My Ana. But her words kept following me. I couldn’t get her voice out of my head!
I’m not in love with you like I used to be…
The burn increased in my chest, threatening to consume me.
I closed my eyes on you Jace…
I had to stop running. I couldn’t catch my breath. No matter how much air I took in, it wasn’t enough. It was so hard to breathe now.
I said goodbye to you.
Fire blossomed inside me until it exploded! Flames engulfed my entire body, and I screamed. My grandmother gave me a magic suppressant so I shouldn’t have been able to even move a rock with magic let alone set myself ablaze.
I screamed again in heartache and despair, but it wasn’t the flames that caused this pain. It was the madness. The torture of losing Ana and not accepting it. The powerlessness I felt. I stared at my hands that were immersed in flames, but feeling the burning was actually happening inside my body.
“ANA!” I bellowed in agony. I crumpled to ground and curled into a ball. I closed his eyes and tried to fight the fire consuming me.
I love you Jace which will never change…
Hearing Ana’s voice telling me she loved him was like a cool breeze eating at the flames. I concentrated on her. The way she smiled. The sound of her laugh. The funny faces she used to make at Simon in class. Ana always thought I ignored her in school, but what she didn’t know was I saw her every move. Whenever she thought I wasn’t looking, I stole glances. They were the only things that made going to school and dealing with Kim bearable. Fat or skinny, tall or short, human or vampire, I didn’t care. I loved Ana. It was why her choosing Seb was so hard to accept. It was why I refused to let her go. Ana was my all.
I love you Jace which will never change…
Her words blanketed around the fire my body was submerged in, putting out the flames as easily as blowing out a candle. I opened my eyes. All the flames were gone. The heat in my chest was the only dull reminder of what occurred.
I’d ran so far that I now found myself in the woods miles away from Cora’s house. I continued to lay on the ground, not ready to go back and face everyone. The expression on Ana’s face when I had my hand around her throat made my heart clench. Never in a million years would I want to hurt her, but when the fire took over, I lost control. It was like I was another person; someone I didn’t know.
“What’s happening to me?” I asked myself. Ana mating with Seb hurt, but this felt like something else entirely.
“I’m wondering that too.” A voice I vaguely recognized responded. I jumped to my feet, but before I could do anything else, a pain like no other erupted in my brain.
“AHH!” I screamed, dropping to my knees while I clutched my head. The pressure intensified in my mind, and I felt, at any moment, my head would explode.
“Not so fast, witch. I’ll let you go if you agree no magic tricks.” The man spoke almost playfully as if this was funny.
I nodded in agreement. I would handover my soul if that meant stopping the pain in my head.
“Good.”
And with that, the pain eased as quickly as it came. I caught my breath before slowly getting back to my feet.
Standing in front of me was the vampire Seb and I fought while rescuing Ana. Shit! This was a bad time to be weak, and I was very weak right now. The magic suppressant had taken effect, and I wasn’t sure if I could even do a basic spell to help me out of this situation.
“What do you want?” I demanded.
Vampires prey on the weak so I wouldn’t show that I didn’t have anything as an advantage right now.
“Don’t be rude. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Prince Cassius, and if my memory is correct, I believe you are the one that jumped on my back last week. You must not be a very powerful witch if that is all you can do. That, and set yourself on fire.” Cassius joked, sticking his hand out in a friendly gesture.
I knew better. The vampire should have killed me on site, and since he didn’t, I knew Cassius wanted something. The only thing we had in common was Ana, and there was no way I was going to allow him near her.
“You’d be mistaken. I’m the only grandson of Helia, the crone of witches. So I’ll ask again. What do you want parasite?” I snapped angrily. I hoped the mention of my grandmother would make the vampire think twice about testing just how much power I had.
Cassius smirked and dropped his hand. “I’ll excuse your little insult, and I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Helia, but that’s neither here nor there. Where is Analise? I would assume she’s near if you’re here since you’re one of her mates unless, like me, she rejected you too.” Cassius guessed and studied me carefully.
“What do you want with her?” I asked, trying not to show anything in my expression, but from the slow smile that spread across Cassius’ face, I knew I failed somehow.
“Oh, wow, you were rejected. How sad. It’s probably for the best because, honestly, you aren’t the strongest witch, and if I’m out the equation, then the other man is the better choice between you two.” Cassius chuckled.
The anger consumed me so swiftly, I ran to the Prince before I made the conscious decision to attack.
Cassius, however, was much faster, and I was met with a backhand across my jaw that was filled with so much strength, it had my body spiraling three hundred and sixty degrees before sending me to the ground several feet away.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Someone needs to learn self-control. Maybe if you let go of her, you’ll have a better handle on that anger of yours.” Cassius lectured, straightening the sleeve of his black blazer as casually as if he’d just swatted a gnat.
“Fuck you!” I cursed, spitting blood on the ground. I was pissed that Cassius was able to read me so quickly and was able to push my buttons. I really needed to get a handle on my emotions.
“Pathetic. Glad I chose to let her go. I could never waste my time chasing after one piece of ass when there’s so many more begging to have just one night with me.” Cassius gloated.
I huffed, disgusted.
“Did you come here to hear yourself talk or is there actually a point to this?” I interjected, getting back to my feet and wiping the blood from my lip. I was annoyed with the vampire, but I was more annoyed that I was having an encounter with him with no magic.
Cassius studied me quietly for a moment as if intrigued by me, and that further pissed me off.
“Well, I came to offer a proposition to Analise, but maybe you’d be the better one to make the deal with.” Cassius stated.
“I don’t make deals with vampires, and I’m certain Ana wont either so leave here now.” I responded. I could feel some of my magical strength coming back, but it wasn’t nearly what I needed it to be.
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss me. You haven’t even heard my offer.” Cassius shot back, losing his playful demeanor.
/> I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t care, but Cassius cut him off.
“My father is coming for her in three days. He’s bringing five thousand of his best guards, my sister who is Ms. Touch-of-Death herself, and the most powerful dark witch existing. So I’ll ask again. Do you want to hear my offer or let the girl you love die.” Cassius countered.
I didn’t know what to think. This could be an elaborate lie. Vampires weren’t the most honest creatures. On the other hand, if there was small chance Cassius was telling the truth, we were in big trouble. How on earth could we go against that many vampires, especially with my magic being so out of control? I could always ask my grandmother to help, but I knew the chances of her being involved were slim.
“How could you help us?” I questioned, curious to what the vampire Prince came to offer.
“Glad to have your attention. Well, I can get you all weapons and armor. Not just any, but the best. I also have about a thousand men of my own that are more loyal to me than to my father who will also aide in the fight. They have the training and skills necessary to even the playing field.” Cassius explained.
“You’d fight against your own father. Why? You said you let Ana go so it couldn’t be for her. What is it that you want for this?”
Something wasn’t adding up here. Whatever the vampire Prince wanted, it had to be big for what he was offering.
“My father has been in power fot too long. He’s crossed a line I’d never thought he would. Ferox killed my mother, and I want to return the favor. Even if it’s not my blade that ends him, at least I can have a hand in his demise.” Cassius snarled.
The red in his eyes became deeper, almost black, but he remained in control of his simmering anger.
“So this is all for revenge against your father? Or do you want him dead to be the new King?” I wasn’t convinced that Cassius was only motivated by his mother’s death.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 57
