by Sarah Bale
“Yes, I think you see more than I realized. Now that you know who I am, you won’t kill me, will you?”
Could she kill someone who might be related to her? The water wobbled as she thought this over.
Andrew grabbed onto her arm and asked, “What is she talking about?”
“The woman who found me in Oklahoma…she was really from Sinoda. That’s one of the things I found out when I was in the Veiled Room. Her name was Myra.”
“That can’t be true. King Loren would have never let you outside the palace if he knew this.”
Brian snorted. “Poor man. You hold your king in such high regard. Can’t you see the mistakes he’s made over the years? He might have sent Lexi away from the palace on purpose.”
It made sense. He might not think she was the One but if he thought she could reach and destroy the Witches, there was no reason to keep her safe. And Ian. She knew he was hurting over losing the head of his guard. In essence, he was killing two birds with one stone.
Vicki tried to move but was still held in place by her own magic.
“Come, let me down. Myra would not have wanted you to hurt me.”
Carter asked, “Who is she to your mom, Lexi?”
“Her sister. The three Witches are my mom’s sisters.”
Vicki’s eyes lit up with malice. “Yes, dear. I’m your Auntie Vi. You wouldn’t hurt me, now would you?”
Lexi looked the woman over who was starting to look more and more like her mom. She couldn’t count the times she had prayed for another chance to hug her mom. Would it hurt to let her down just to feel her arms around her neck? Vicki’s eyes softened as she smiled at her. Yes, what could it hurt?
Chapter Sixteen
Lexi lifted her hand and Vicki began to lower. Just before her aunt’s feet were touching the ground, Lexi stopped.
“Did you know she was helping my real mother?”
“What?”
Lexi took in a deep breath and began to see things she had not seen before. Vicki no longer looked like her mom but like the evil bitch she truly was. Her skin began to wrinkle and age until she looked much older than she was.
“What are you doing to me? Stop it! I’m hideous!”
“I asked you a question. Answer me.”
Vicki’s jaw hardened. “No. I didn’t know Myra was helping your real mother. If I had known…oh how things would have been different. We didn’t think she had it in her, you see. She was always the good one. The sweet one.”
Lexi had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat at the mention of her mother. Yes, she had been good and kind. And she hadn’t deserved being related to the Witches.
“And when did you realize she had betrayed you?”
“When there began to be whispers of hope in the realm.”
Carter nodded. “She’s telling the truth. All hope had been lost until recently. Things began to change, even in our area where hope has been dead for a very long time.”
Vicki said, “I knew then that my big sister had pulled a fast one. Her good little heart had hidden you from us and once you were ready, you were brought back to the realm.”
“The tornado?”
Vicki laughed. “My sister’s big ‘eff-you’ to us. Our first bit of power was to affect the weather in Sinoda but the only thing we couldn’t control was the tornado. It’s too wild, too untamed to stop. But she had always been able to charm it. It was like they shared some sort of secret.”
Her mom had always loved it when it stormed in Oklahoma even though her dad had been terrified. If she could charm the storms, then it made sense why she had picked the heart of Tornado Alley to live in. She had used the weather as a cover and no one had been the wiser.
“I have some more information you might want to hear,” Vicki said, breaking into her thoughts.
“And that is?”
“If you get a chance to talk to Ian again you should ask him how he played a key part in betraying the queen. You might find it interesting considering…”
An image of a much younger Ian kissing Miki drifted toward her at the same time she heard a woman’s scream. Instead of rushing to see what had happened, Ian had pushed Miki against a wall, slipping his hand under her dress. Lexi’s heart ached as she saw what had happened. He hadn’t saved the queen because he had been too busy fucking Miki.
“You’re lying!” Andrew shouted at the same time.
The image was so strong that everyone in the room saw it as clearly as she had. It was Vicki’s goal to make sure that Ian’s secret was known. She wanted to ruin him in case they were successful in killing her and her sister.
Lexi lowered Vicki to the ground and said, “I think I’ve heard enough from you.”
She was tired of playing games with this Witch.
Vicki smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. Stupid girl.”
Lexi waved her hand, causing the frozen water to fly through the air. It hit Vicki in the face and she screamed as her skin began to burn as if it had been fire that hit her instead of liquid.
“What have you done?” she moaned as she fell to the ground.
Lexi watched in satisfaction as the water burned Vicki, causing her skin to melt at the same time. A green mist rose from her dying aunt and Lexi gasped as it snaked toward her. It surrounded her and she could smell rain in the air. Then the mist entered her body until it felt as if she was drowning.
As before, she felt the urge to give in to the darkness. It would be twice as good now if she gave in. Before, she would have been powerful but now she would be unstoppable. She could take anything in this world and make it hers. All she had to do was hand her life over.
But the urge to fight the darkness was twice as strong too. Not only was she going to heal the realm, she was going to change it. An image of King Loren came toward her and he fell to his knees, bowing until his head touched the ground. His prayer for his kingdom crossed her mind and she knew that he knew who she truly was.
She turned from Vicki, who was just a puddle of goo on the ground and looked at Carter, Andrew, Sully and Brian.
“We don’t have much time to save Ian but I fear this is something that I will have to do alone.”
She knew Andrew was going to be the first to try to stop her so she turned to him and said, “We have to save the rest of the Witches’ army. They don’t deserve to be under this spell any longer. Get them and hopefully I will meet you in the courtyard to release them from their misery. And make sure Colleen is safe.”
“But what if you need us?”
She took his hand into her own. “If I need you, you’ll know. Go. Help save them and I’ll save Ian.”
All the men left except for Sully who stared at the puddle on the ground.
“Mercury.”
“What?”
He pointed to his chest and then to the puddle. “They burned me with mercury and she died because of it. Ironic, don’t you think?”
“Not as ironic as Ian leaving me the very weapon that you forged.” She held up the gun so he could see it. “I think you knew all along that you were going to help save Sinoda. For that, I thank you.”
With a wink, he left her, but not before sending some powerful thoughts her way. He had known the moment he saw her that she was going to save the realm. Knowing this, he had allowed the Witches to capture him even though he hadn’t been sure he would survive. Faith that strong was humbling.
There was only one thing to do now. She took in a deep breath and left the room. This time there was only one stairway to choose from and she knew Miki and Ian were in the tower waiting for her. Each step she took brought on a different thought from Miki. Some were of Ian and some were of the sisters she had killed.
It surprised her that Miki wasn’t more upset over losing her siblings. She actually seemed glad that she didn’t have to deal with them anymore. The only thing she was troubled about was that Lexi now held the powers that she felt were her own. And she planned on getting them back.
&
nbsp; Pushing Miki’s thoughts aside, she focused on Ian. He wasn’t putting out coherent thoughts and that worried her. Was he injured? Was that why his mind was so hard to read? The stairs seemed to carry her upward as if they wanted her to save Ian as much as she did. Her heart began to beat faster the closer she got.
When she entered the tower, she was surprised to see Ian lying naked on a large bed. He stared at the ceiling and didn’t move. She moved slowly toward him, fearing the worst. As she got closer, she could see his chest rising and falling.
“Ian?”
His eyes landed on her for a moment before looking away.
“Ian, are you okay?”
There was no response from him so she reached out to touch his arm. He jerked back as if he had been burned. She pulled away too, not knowing what was wrong.
“Ian, darling. I can tell this woman to go away if you want. Just give me the word and she’s gone,” Miki said as she stepped from the shadows, completely nude.
Lexi jumped in fright and then glared at the woman. She looked nothing like her sisters but it was easy to see why she was the leader. She put off a vibe that screamed she was in charge, which also came off as sexy. Lexi had often wished she had this much confidence but not if the price was the same that the Witch had paid.
“Tell her to go,” Ian said, his voice hoarse as if he had been screaming for days.
Jealousy stronger than Lexi thought possible swept across her body. He had lost his voice screaming in ecstasy. Several flashes of him riding Miki every way imaginable crossed her mind until she felt as if she were going to be sick. His sexual appetite could not be sated and neither could the Witch’s.
Miki smirked at her. “You should go, honey. You aren’t needed here.”
Miki stepped so that she was in the light and Lexi knew it was a strategic move. Across her green skin were dark marks. Bruises. From Ian.
“Ian can get a bit rough when he gets into it if you know what I mean.”
Lexi jerked her eyes from the Witch’s body to her head. She wanted to wipe the smug expression off her face.
“If you know what’s good for you then you will leave now.”
A short laugh left Lexi’s lips. “I think it should be the other way around. Or haven’t you heard what I did to your sisters?”
“Oh I know you killed them but I’m willing to overlook that. In fact, I’ll make a deal with you. You can leave right now, leaving my powers of course and take my pathetic army with you. I’ll take Ian and you’ll never hear from us again. We both win that way.”
“There’s no chance in hell I’m leaving here without Ian.”
Miki sat on the bed and reached for him. He grabbed onto her hand and kissed it before sitting up. Tiny scratches covered his chest and there was no doubt in Lexi’s mind where they came from.
“Maybe you should ask Ian what he wants to do. Ian, tell Lexi what you want.”
Ian looked at her but it was as if he saw right through her. His eyes were no longer full of life but empty blue shells with flakes of green starting to appear. The man she loved was lost and she had to find a way to bring him back.
“I want to stay with Miki. Leave now.”
“See? You’ll take me up on my offer if you know what’s good for you. Ian, tell Lexi what you want to do right at this moment.”
His eyes left her face and went to Miki’s body. “I want to fuck you.”
“Even though your sweet Lexi is here?”
“It’s not her who I want. It’s you.”
“Oh Ian. You know how to get a girl wet.”
Lexi took a step forward. “Stop it. Ian, look at me. Don’t let her do this to you.”
“It wasn’t me. It was the Enchanted Fields. The fields you ran through with him.” The Witch stroked Ian’s thigh, making him hard. “Lexi, just admit that I’ve won him. It will be so much easier for you. Plus, I don’t want to have to kill another member of the royal family to get him.”
“What did you say?”
Miki smiled, “You heard me. I already killed one queen for him. I’ll happily kill the princess too.”
“King Loren said I wasn’t his daughter. You’re wrong. I may be a lot of things but I’m not the princess.”
“Did he say that you weren’t his daughter or did he say that you weren’t the One?”
Shock hit Lexi full force. Her real mother was the queen and King Loren had known who she was when he sent her away. He had hoped all along that she would figure it out on her own but she hadn’t.
“Why did you kill my mother?”
“Ah,” Miki purred. “Now that’s an interesting story. It all began when the stupid prophecy of the One was first read. I knew then that I had to nip it in the bud so I went to the source. Timothy really wasn’t as smart as everyone thought he was and I was able to see the holes in it.
“It was so very vague that anyone could have been the One. But what I found out from Timothy while I tortured him was that it had to be a female member of the royal family. Unfortunately there was one other person who knew this as well.”
“Myra?”
“Yes. My goody-two-shoes sister had a spy within my palace and found out this valuable piece of information. She went to Queen Grace and convinced her of my plans and the woman actually listened to her. I have to admit, that bit surprised me. I had hoped that my reputation would ruin Myra’s name too. But I was wrong.”
Lexi closed her eyes as a memory from deep inside her soul found its way out. Myra had gone to the royal palace in a panic. Her mother held her close to her body while Myra told her of her sisters’ plans. Though she was associated with the evil Witches of Sinoda, Grace had known she was telling the truth and had agreed to let her save her only child.
For weeks, the two planned in secret. Not even King Loren had known that his wife was talking to Myra. They finally found a place in the other realm that could hide both a witch and a very special infant. With a chant, Myra summoned a large storm, sending them to the other realm. The last thing Lexi saw before crossing over was her mother looking up at her with tears in her eyes. It was a price she had paid to make sure Lexi was safe.
“I wasn’t sure where Myra had taken you but I didn’t care. I knew she would fall in love with you and not be able to send you back when the time came. Since you were out of the way, I only had to take care of the other female left in the royal family. That’s where things get interesting.
“Ian had just been promoted to the head of the Royal Guard. Before my sisters and I had come into our power, I used to date him. But he felt it was a conflict of interest. He was always such a good boy like that. But the day I set my plan into motion, I knew I would need his help. Ian, why don’t you tell her the rest? Tell her how you fucked me while the queen was captured.”
Ian’s eyes closed and he mumbled, “No.”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t want to tell her.”
His small act of defiance gave Lexi hope. She needed a plan and she needed one right away. A bullet had killed Horace and just as it had Ricki. Though Sully hadn’t died, he had been burned with mercury, which was how Vicki died. It seemed that the men she had met along the way were the key to beating the Witches.
Hank. He and Brian were the answer.
Think outside the box.
The solution struck her and she gasped. How had she not seen it before?
“What’s wrong with you? Realizing you lost?”
Lexi ignored the Witch and said, “Ian, look at me.”
She was surprised when he glanced her way, not knowing if he would listen to her. She sent a calming vibe out praying it would keep Miki silent long enough for her to speak.
She went on, “I love you. When I said it before, I was scared but I’m not scared anymore. I love you. You are the only thing that has brought me joy in all my life.”
Miki laughed. “What is this? Confession time? Ian, I tire of her. Tell her to leave.”
Ian stared at h
er and opened his mouth to speak. He was about to refuse her, which would break her heart. She inhaled and then sent all the love she felt for him to him in a single thought. He cried out as the love surrounded him in a red mist. It was so strong that heat radiated from his body.
“What are you doing to him?” Miki asked as she jumped to her feet. “Stop it.”
Lexi remembered the first time their eyes had met while she was still in the wreckage from her house. She had known then he was different. There was also the moment he stood next to her and comforted her when she was scared in the compound. It hadn’t been his job to make sure she was okay but he had.
With each thought she touched and sent to him, Miki’s screams grew louder.
“Stop it. You will never win. He’s mine.”
The air was so hot in the room that Lexi was starting to sweat.
“No, honey. I will win.”
The last thought she sent toward Ian was one that she had recently discovered. It was more of a dream, really. In it, she held a small baby girl with dark hair and eyes, who came from the man she loved. Ian’s daughter.
Miki flew across the room toward her in a rage but the damage had already been done. Her love for Ian was killing Miki. The woman fell to the ground and screamed.
“How could you do this, you bitch? You weren’t supposed to be as strong as me.”
Lexi shrugged. “Looks like your source was wrong. And by the way, green is so not your color.”
Miki’s entire body began to shake as her powers fought to leave her body. The magic knew that her time was at an end and didn’t want to fade away with the Witch. She thrashed around on the floor, trying to control the magic one last time, until the last breath left her body.
The magic lifted into the air and came toward Lexi. She held her arms open, inviting it in. This time there was no battle of darkness or light. The light had won out and this last bit of power was the missing piece. She was whole now and would be able to save the realm with the wave of her hand. Everything was different now and the world was filled with endless possibilities.
Ian moaned and she ran over to his side. His skin was flushed and sweat poured from his body. Was he okay?
