I sat in a lotus position; a talisman dangling from my right hand. My lips quivered as I repeated the long chant for the umpteenth time.
“Keep going Miraya, keep going. I know you can do it!” Cassius encouraged in a cheerful voice. He was the only one who was still excited about these trials.
Over the past week, we had tried hundreds of ways and performed dozens of rituals to awaken my powers, but nothing seemed to be working.
With a frustrated sigh, I threw away the talisman. “You know what, I am not going to do any of these stupid things again. I have had enough!”
Eric rushed over and wrapped his arm around me. Placing a soft kiss on my forehead, he consoled me, “Don’t be upset, my love. We just need one attempt to be successful and BOOM! My girlfriend will become the most powerful woman in the world.”
He started massaging my shoulders with smooth movements. “Once you become the most powerful woman in the world, I will travel the world with you, showing off elegantly.”
I chuckled softly and teased, “Getting confident, are we? What if I don’t want to travel? What if I want to stay cooped up in this dark hole for the rest of my life?”
His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me closer. “Then, I will walk hand in hand with you, exploring every inch of this tunnel.” He snuggled closer and whispered in my ears, “My world is where you are….”
“This didn’t work either, did it?” Stella’s voice sounded as she walked into the cavern. I tried to pull away but Cassius wrapped his arms tighter; holding me close to his body.
Stella’s gaze lingered on us for a moment, but she didn’t comment. Massaging her temples, she let out a deep sigh. “Seems like Miss Esther’s theory is correct.”
“Theory?”
“Hmm, she thinks that you need a familiar to activate your powers.”
“Familiar? What in the freaking world is that now?”
“Familiars are animals or creatures who Umm… How should I put this? They help you tap into magical powers.
Esther did some digging and figured out that you were from the long-lost bloodline of Delecta.
Legend has it that witches from this bloodline were very weak. All they could ever do was stuff like light candles or move light objects.
Klara Illionis, one of your ancestors, had a pet cat. In a moment of desperation, she managed to connect with her pet. This connection magnified her magical powers manifold,, and she was able to save her coven from a major calamity.”
“So, you are saying that I can use magic once I find a familiar?”
“We can’t be sure, but it is possible.”
Damn her and her possibilities. I had spent an entire week chasing her so-called possibilities.
“Where or how can we find a familiar for her?” Cassius asked, leaning his head against mine.
“You can’t. Your familiar will have to seek you out.”
“That is amazing! We spent an entire week doing these stupid trials only to find that my fate depends on some stupid creature seeking me out.” I extracted myself from his grip and threw my hands up in frustration. “I told you that we should focus on making a plan to defeat them with whatever powers we have. But, you two….” My accusing gaze shifted from Cassius to Stella to Cassius again. “You both coaxed me into wasting my time like this.”
A strange restlessness flowed through my veins. My throat itched and that familiar thirst hit me. Holding my breath, I walked out of the cavern as fast as possible.
The anxiety, stress, and frustration had probably heightened my primal desires. I had to get out of this place before I hurt Cassius or Stella.
Trotting along the tunnel, I twisted the ring. Moments later, I found myself standing in the meadow. I had asked Stella to change the switch location of the ring so that I could come here with Cassius.
Spreading out my arms, I drew in long, deep breaths; letting the strong cold winds fill my lungs. Slowly, my heartbeat came down, and I felt my normal self. I had to keep better control over my temper.
“My sweet honeycomb,” a familiar grating voice sounded behind me. My fingers curled into a tight and my jaws clenched. Enough was enough! Today, it was either me or him.
“Miraya, my love, won’t you even talk to me now?” The grass crunched under his feet as he took one more step towards me.
I held my breath and waited patiently until I could almost feel his breath on my neck. With a swift move, I got to my feet and flashed behind him. Grabbing his neck, I shoved him to the ground in such a way that he landed flat on his face.
Without giving him a chance to react, I placed my right foot over his neck and held him down. He coughed, spluttering a mouthful of blood. I realized with delight that I had become stronger than the last time I encountered him.
Increasing the pressure on his neck, I spat, “I am going to kill you today!”
Blood gushed out of his mouth, but he remained unfazed. His bloodied lips curved in a smile and he wheezed, “You can hold me down like this for days on the end, but it won’t kill me.”
My eyes twinkled as I pulled out the stake tucked under my shirt and waved at him. “I am sure you can recognize this; a wooden stake but it is laced with Stevia.”
His smile died and for the first time since I met him, I saw fear in his eyes. However, that lasted barely a moment. His chest rumbled in a quiet chuckle. “When did you make out with your boyfriend recently?”
My eyes narrowed, and I stabbed the stake into his right shoulder. “Bastard! Even at the door of death, your head is full of shit!”
He groaned and broke into a bout of violent cough. “If you want to kill me, go ahead. But…”
“But?”
“You should check your boyfriend’s neck first.”
My heart sank and my hold on his neck loosened. This split second of carelessness was enough for him to push me away. I staggered and stumbled forward. By the time I regained balance, he had already taken out the stake and was caressing its sharp tip.
I know I should have snatched the stake right out of his hands, but I hesitated. Taking advantage of this, he grabbed me by my hair and pointed the stake to my throat.
The sharp edge dug into my flesh as he increased his grip around my neck. He clicked his tongue and lowered his face closer to my ears. In a voice dripping with vehemence, he continued to whisper, “My sweet honeycomb, did no one tell you that it was bad to be impulsive? What if you did accidentally kill me today? How would you save your boyfriend?”
My mouth went dry, and I rasped, “What do you mean?”
“I had compelled you to bite him if you made out on a new moon day. I wonder….”
My heart stopped beating as my mind veered to the day when Cassius made love passionately. I… I had bitten him but didn’t think too much of it as Cassius seemed pretty normal long after that.
“Wait! Stop toying with me, Andres. If my bite had any effect, the symptoms would have shown up.”
“Umm.. hmm, they would have shown up if I hadn’t messed with his charm. When Cassius stabbed me instead of attacking you, I realized that something was off.
Naturally, I took help from my witch friend. She managed to sneak into Alpha Azarel’s packhouse and messed with the charm. Clever of me, isn’t it?” His grin widened. “Also, I had that witch add something special to his tea.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I wonder how long your boyfriend can endure the reactions.”
“You bastard! How dare you drag Cassius into all of this!?” My tone took a guttural edge as I struggled against his grip.
He released me abruptly and took a step back. His lips curved in a wide grin. “The Spell cast by the witch can be reversed.” His gaze took on a sinister edge. “If you are willing to enter into a pact with me, meet me here in an hour.”
My fingers clenched into tight fists and I was tempted to grab the stake from his hand and drive it straight through his heart. But what if he was telling the truth?
With a frustrated groan, I rushed to the packhouse. To my horror, I found Cassius coughing violently. Stella was sitting beside him, patting his back slowly.
Panic gripped my heart, and I asked in a wavering voice, “What happened to him, Stella?”
Cassius wiped his mouth quickly and smiled at me. “Nothing serious. The dark and dusty cave is probably getting to me.”
I sauntered over and crouched beside him, pressing my forefingers against his throat. His pulse was extremely slow. My eyebrows furrowed as I took in his appearance; pale face, dry lips, and weak demeanor. A fine sheen of sweat had covered his forehead.
“Miraya,” he held my hand and smiled. “You are worrying unnecessarily. I am perfectly fine.”
A huge lump formed in my throat and tears brimmed in my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier, Cassius? Why didn’t you tell me that you were unwell?”
“It is… oho… oho… it’s nothing serious,” his trembling fingers brushed against my cheeks. “I am fine, pfff…” he broke into another bout of violent coughing.
He kept his lips pressed together, muffling the coughs. His face turned blue with the effort, but his lips didn’t part until he had taken out a handkerchief and covered his mouth.
Once the coughing died out, I whisked the handkerchief from his hand to find blotches of blood on it. A sense of deep dread gripped my heart.
My eyes widened in horror and I gasped, “Why is there so much blood, Cassius?” Turning my gaze to Stella, I begged, “Please Stella, tell me the truth.”
The color drained from her face. “Cassius has been getting these violent bouts of coughs and nauseating spells. He didn’t want to worry you. So, whenever he feels ill, I heal him with magic. However, this time….” A sigh left her lips. “This time, even magic seems to have no effect.”
I grabbed Stella’s arm and begged, “Please, you have to try…” the rest of my words got choked.
“I will try again,” she said in a wavering voice as she knelt beside him and took both his hands in hers. Her lips quivered as she chanted some spell quietly.
Her fingertips glowed with a blue light, and those wisps of blue light seeped through his fingers. Soon, his entire body was enveloped in a thin orb of blue light.
Color returned to his face and his eyes turned brighter. He smiled, “See, I told you it is nothing serious.”
I almost let out a sigh of relief when his body swooned. I scrambled to support him from the back. His eyelids fluttered and his body went limp in my arms.
I had tried so hard, but it seemed like it was impossible to outrun my fate. I made him sit comfortably and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “Don’t worry, my love. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
My desperate gaze flitted to Stella. “I am going to find a way to fix this. Take care of him until then, okay?” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “You have to keep him alive till I return.”
“I promise, Miraya. I will keep him alive, no matter what I have to do.”