Her Past is His future

Prologue 'Part 2' - Primal Magics

Prologue

‘Part 2’

Primal Magics

***Rosalie***

All my fears flittered into the night as I stood there, emersed in Edward’s loving gaze, mesmerised by the touch of his hand on my bare skin. Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed up the staircase. My heart skipped a beat as my father’s deep voice followed.

“Tonight will be the night...” He sang.

“Yes indeed, my love.” Mother agreed affectionately. “It will be a beautiful ceremony…”

“My parents!” I gasped, stepping away from Edward. “Quick, we must find our place inside before they reach us!”

“Yes, we should…” Nodding, Edward threw open the door. “After you, my flower...”

“You must not forget your hood...” I insisted as I slid mine on.

“Yes... right, anonymity.” Edward chuckled as he copied. “Not that it matters. I believe they will find out who we are soon enough.”

We slipped into the room, and a comforting golden glow enveloped us. Torches hung from the curved stone walls, casting a hypnotic spell with their ember flames. A giant bubbling cauldron sat atop a simmering firepit of black coals in the centre of the room. Surrounding the pit was an array of glass vials, each of varying sizes and filled with iridescent liquids and unfamiliar objects. Together, they formed a delicate glass barrier around the cauldron.

Oh, my goodness! I glanced around.

Thick, blood-red curtains hung heavily across the tall, narrow windows, completely blocking the moonlight. A wall of towering bookcases stood to our right, reaching up to the ceiling, their shelves overflowing with dusty tomes, fragile parchments, and countless glass vials filled with mysterious potions. The other participants, wearing the same long red cloaks, had arrived before us, forming a tight ring around the bubbling cauldron. I scanned the crowded space for any available spot, eventually finding an area against the towering bookcase on the far-right side of the room. Despite our breathless arrival, no one glanced up to acknowledge us, their focus consumed by the mysterious scene before them.

As soon as the door creaked open, my heart skipped a beat. And there they were, my mother and father. Their brilliant eyes were alive with excitement. They were a beautiful couple with charcoal hair, sharp features and stunning eyes. Mother’s blue eyes were particularly striking, and if they had been green, my parents would have looked like siblings. I saw hints of Ella in both, and my heart sank.

“Just in time...” Edward teased as he straightened his cloak.

“Thankfully,” I whispered back.

I glanced once more around the room. A sinking feeling pulled at my chest. The sudden urge to take Edward’s hand and flee nipped at my heels. Ella! Remember what this ceremony did to Ella!

I glanced towards the door, fighting with this impending urgency, when my father’s green eyes, heavy and shadowed with exhaustion, met mine.

“Stay, Rosalie!” His voice inside my head warned. “This is an important right of passage for all Blackwoods!”

“Since when?” I questioned, crossing my arms. “This never existed until now…”

“Since William awakened us!” He grumbled inside my head. “And you will be grateful for the power once the ceremony ends.”

Father’s ability to read thoughts was very skilled, and I despised how he used it to keep an eye on me and Ella, especially when we were younger. We learned never to misbehave pretty quickly. Thankfully, only a few warlocks had that ability, and it was never recorded that a witch had ever inherited it.

“Father…” I held his piercing gaze. Images of Ella haunted my thoughts. I exhaled a shallow breath. “I am afraid…”

“I understand, Rosalie...” His tone softened. “There is no need to be afraid. Remember, you are a strong and proud Blackwood…”

“Yes, Father.” Dropping my arms to my sides, I exhaled a deep calming breath.

“This is a very delicate spell,” he warned, his tone now stern. “We must be cautious and pay attention.”

“I understand, Father...” I lowered my gaze, breaking our mind link. When Father’s voice was stern, his word was final. There was no use in arguing.

Edward brushed his arm against mine, pulling me back to reality. I turned to him, and all my worries, doubts and fears relaxed at the sight of his smile. Even after four years of courting, I loved him with all my being, and I knew he loved me.

I can do this... I exhaled a trembling breath and then faced the cauldron. In my peripheral, I had noted fifteen couples around the room, all stiff and unmoving.

The door flew open again, and the ragged figure of William Shires emerged, his cloak hanging askew from his bare shoulders. No one moved or spoke as he shuffled towards the centre.

Father and Mother were not participating in tonight’s awakening ceremony, as they had participated in the first one. Silently, they glanced around the room once more, their eyes lingering on me before leaving.

“I am grateful you could all attend tonight,” William said in a weary tone. He was not his usual strong, almost arrogant self. “I have returned from my trip abroad with Lord and Lady Blackwood, bringing back the power and potions to complete tonight’s ceremony.”

No one spoke or moved. My nerves were on edge, feeding the need to flee and allow my feet to lead the way. However, ignoring Father’s warning would be a terrible mistake!

“Now, please remain hushed as I recite my magics…” He sauntered sluggishly to the caldron, scooped up a handful of the vials, then dropped them carelessly into it.

I took Edward’s hand, linking my fingers through his. The familiar spark passed between us and made my heart flutter. He stood so confident and strong beside me, and I loved him even more. This will be our night. I decided, at that moment, to stand bravely with him. Soon, the two of us would be bonded soulmates. Whatever it brought us, we would spend the rest of our lives linked together and stronger for it.

“I call on the Moon Goddess…” William chanted, holding his hands towards the sky. He recited an unfamiliar rhythmic Latin melody that was foreign to my ears. The air grew thick and oppressive as a weight settled upon the room. “I call on the Earth Goddess…” He knelt on the ground and caressed it affectionately. “I call to the Goddess of life and energy…” He stood again, tipping two more potions into the mix.

Lights danced around the cauldron, rising out of the bubbling liquid. The torches lining the walls began to burn out one by one in a precession that coiled around us, throwing an eerie green glow over the caped faces around me. Gasps echoed through the air.

The floor wavered, and my entire body shuddered. I tightened my grip on Edward’s hand.

“I call to the Goddess of beasts…” William continued, his body swaying in rhythm with his chant. He stopped and held his hands out before him. A strange silver glow surged through his eyes.

Animalistic, inhuman howls erupted from seemingly every direction. Ear-piercing screeches caused waves of nausea through my stomach, disorientating me. I wanted to move, to look around. I was frozen. The screeches continued, each more ear-piercing than the last, causing my ears to ring and everything around me to fade in and out of focus.

“I demand the Goddess of love to come forward!” William shouted forcefully. “I will the goddess of passion, the Goddess of fertility and the Goddess of free will to show themselves!”

The room shook violently, causing Edward’s grip on my hand to loosen. I shuddered and desperately pleaded for my arms to move. “Edward!”

When I couldn’t feel him beside me or hear his comforting voice, tears welled in my eyes and ran down my cheeks. “Edward, please come back to me!”

“I demand the Goddess of love to show herself!” William roared, his voice echoing through the room.

I was still frozen. The hairs on my arms stood uncomfortably on edge. A pressure tightened my chest, sucking my breath from within me. My mind fogged. Where was Edward?

“I summon the power of Mother Wolf to bless us…” William said in a soothing tone, the craziness fading from his face.

I willed my eyes to push through the fog. I saw William moving towards me. His eyes were so bright, removing the darkness from his face.

“I summon you all to bless us with the wolf’s life!” He demanded in a growl.

The whispers, howls, and screeches gradually faded into silence. A hush fell upon the room. The flickering lights slowed and eventually came to a stop. The chaotic energy that had filled the room moments before dissipated into nothingness. For a brief moment, everything seemed still.

“Rosalie...” a voice whispered in my head.

“Who-” A pain shot through my body, knocking me to my knees. “Arh!” I began crying as every bone, muscle, and tendon stretched and cracked beneath my skin. “It hurts... Help me...! Please! Edward!”

“The transition is nearly done.” The voice cooed, so gentle in my mind.

“Make it stop!” I hissed in a coarse cry. Screaming, I collapsed on the floor, my red cloak falling in tatters. “Edward, please help me…!” A howl escaped my lips before the room went dark.