Misty POV
I saw my mother standing by Wyatt, her figure looming over him as we clashed. Fear and anger coursed through me, my heart pounding in my chest. She had taken so much from me, made me believe I was the problem, and now she was trying to hurt Wyatt. Determination surged through me as I pushed through the others, feeling the heat of their attacks grazing my skin like searing fire.
Then, I witnessed Wyatt collapse before my eyes. My heart skipped a beat, lodging itself in my throat. The weight of the moment settled upon me. My mother's attention turned to me, a mixture of triumph and malice in her eyes. Wyatt was defenseless now, vulnerable to their lethal intentions.
In that moment, I made a choice. I locked eyes with Wyatt unconscious on the ground, my voice barely a whisper as I chanted a protective incantation, forming an impenetrable barrier around his body. The words hung in the air, charged with power. My mother sneered, mocking my act of defiance. She attempted to attack Wyatt through the barrier, but I held it steadfast.
I was aware of the toll it was taking on me, draining my strength. My mother taunted me, reminding me of the cost. But I refused to let them harm Wyatt. Suddenly, a surge of power surrounded me, a collective spell cast by multiple witches. I felt it like a jolt, causing me to collapse onto the ground. Even in my unconscious state, I knew my barrier would shield Wyatt from harm.
As darkness consumed me, I whispered to Wyatt. "You're safe, Wyatt. I will stay strong. We will be reunited.”
_______
As I slowly regained consciousness, a throbbing pain pulsed through my head, making it difficult to focus. The room was flooded with blinding light, causing my eyes to ache. I could sense a powerful magic spell blocking my abilities. With great effort, I managed to sit up and realized I was trapped in an unfamiliar cell, my hands bound above me. This was definitely not my coven's property.
Outside the cell, I could hear a commotion, straining to identify the voices. "I know my daughter, she is awake by now," my mother's voice echoed nearby. "We should act fast," she urged. Another voice, filled with resentment, responded, "It is not us who failed to keep our end.
“ It's only a matter of time before that warlock comes for her, now that she's bound herself to him." My mother responded.
"Very well, I will prepare her now. Go alert the head guard that we are beginning," he
instructed. I heard footsteps drawing nearer, followed by another set fading away. Soon, the door creaked open, revealing a tall, scarred man with dark hair, unmistakably a werewolf. To my surprise, it was the same man I had splashed a drink on during my first encounter with Wyatt.
"Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted, smirking as he appraised me.
I couldn't help but retort, "Still ugly and loud." His response was to press a button on the wall, causing my handcuffs to tighten, hoisting me up until my feet barely grazed the ground. After a few agonizing minutes, I sensed my mother's presence as she entered the room.
"I'll get her ready," she informed the werewolf.
With a warning tone, he replied, "You have ten minutes," before departing.
My mother's gaze met mine, disappointment etched on her face. "Nothing but a disappointment," she hissed, examining me critically. "Why would you run off with the enemy's grandson? Do you have any idea how that reflects on our coven?"
I couldn't help but laugh, a newfound defiance rising within me. "Did you truly believe I would sit back and let myself be used? And Endora, the one you have always painted as pure evil, turns out to be the embodiment of pure good. It was our coven, mother, we were the ones on the wrong side all along," I declared, no longer afraid to stand up to her.
"All I'm doing is ensuring our kind continues to thrive," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "You should be honored to play a role." I could feel the weight of her words, heavy and suffocating.
"You deceived me my entire life," I spat back, my voice trembling with anger. "You made me think I was bad for having the power of premonition. You made me think the cursed child needed to be eliminated. But in reality, you want to use them alongside me to make some sort of dark magic concoction, to strengthen a power you should not hold. But I promise you, mother, if you even deserve to be called that, you will fail. I won't allow this power to be abused. It will be rightfully returned to the earth. No matter what you do, you will never get it."
She didn't respond, only gave me a small, sinister smile. Then, she chanted a spell I had never heard before. The air crackled with an eerie energy. "For now, I simply need blood drawn directly from the mark," she said. "It won't be long before that binding spell you thought would stop us fades. I was going to get the sample myself, but I think I'll allow the wolves the honor. Maybe you will start learning a little more respect moving forward."
The thought of anyone touching me near the mark, other than Wyatt, disgusted me. I had to stay strong, to devise a way out of this. But my body felt strange, an unfamiliar sensation coursing through me. Her smile widened, fueled by my visible discomfort. "By the way you look now, it won't be long at all. And the moment that spell on you breaks, this room is built to draw the power out of you," she said, her voice echoing as she walked out, leaving me alone once again.
I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. I had to find a way to break free. The room smelled musty, a stale reminder of my captivity. I took deep breaths, the air filling my lungs, trying to focus. Memories of Wyatt's teachings flashed through my mind, his voice guiding me. But every spell I could think of did nothing to break me free, leaving me feeling more trapped than ever before.
I felt the weight of my body being pulled into another premonition. This time, the images were sharper, more vivid. I found myself standing in a small room a sense of impending danger hanging in the air.
Before me stood the son of the werewolf king, his eyes burning bright with a feral yellow glow. It was a clear sign that his inner wolf was fighting for control. Most werewolves his age didn't possess such power, but he was different. Trapped in a perpetual child's body for a long time.
In the premonition, he appeared both furious and shattered, evoking a deep sense of sympathy within me. Kept in this state by his father, who feared his own son would one day seize the throne, he carried a burden that threatened to consume him. And yet, I couldn't help but fear the consequences of his brokenness. For when the wolf king fell, this tormented soul would ascend to the throne. A ruler so damaged could potentially bring about destruction.
My attention shifted as I watched him enter a room where the cursed child, a matured adult trapped in her own torment, awaited him. In my previous visions, she had remained a mystery, but my heart swelled with both relief and sorrow at the sight of her. She appeared drained, a mere shell of her former self, a walking zombie devoid of hope.
Suddenly, Kash, the werewolf prince, launched himself at her. My heart pounded in my chest as I witnessed the brutality of his attack, his madness seeping through his every move. And then, as he stepped away, tears streamed down his face, and he whispered, "I'm sorry, forgive me." The vision dissolved, leaving me gasping for air.
As I snapped back to reality, tears stained my face, a testament to the overwhelming emotions that had gripped me. These tears were not just for the cursed child, but also for Kash. He had appeared in multiple visions, a clear indication of his significance. I knew that I had to keep a watchful eye on him, as he held a pivotal role in the future I was yet to unravel.
Two werewolves then entered the cell I was trapped in. Their presence was starkly different from the one I encountered earlier. One of them, holding a syringe, locked eyes with me. "Make this easy and don't move," he warned, his voice dripping with a sinister tone. "Cooperate, and it will be over quickly. Resist, and I assure you, it won't be pleasant."
His gaze shifted to his companion. "Remove her pants," he commanded. The other wolf slowly approached me, his heavy footsteps echoing in the silence. I mustered up what little defiance I had left. "Lay one finger on me, and you'll suffer a slow, agonizing death," I snapped, my words laced with determination. Ignoring my threat, he unbuttoned my pants, sliding them off and leaving me exposed in just my panties.
The first werewolf moved closer. "Hold her still," he demanded, fully aware of my restricted movements due to the chains that bound me. With precision, he located the mark on my skin, piercing the syringe into my flesh, extracting my blood. Once finished, he glanced at me and muttered, "Good girl."
I couldn't help but retort. "Don't you dare call me that." Summoning every ounce of strength, I swung myself towards him, delivering a powerful knee strike to his vulnerable spot. The impact caused him to drop the syringe, which shattered upon hitting the ground. A growl escaped his lips as he retaliated, extending his sharp claws and slashing at me. My shirt tore, and pain seared through my body, but I managed to maintain a stoic expression.
"Get another syringe," he ordered his accomplice, who promptly dashed out of the room. The sound of his hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared, filling the building. The werewolf I had kneed glanced at me, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Looks like you're lucky for now," he grumbled. "But when I return, I'll take my time extracting that precious blood from you." With a final growl, they departed, slamming the door shut, leaving me alone in the chilling silence.
I had a gut feeling that the piercing alarm was due to Kash killing the cursed child. A strange sensation greeted me as if my body was confirming one of my premonitions had come true. Relief washed over me knowing they were finally gone from my cell, but at the same time, I couldn't ignore the loss of an innocent life and the further breaking of the wolf king's son. And if I am right, it also meant that the next cursed child would be born soon. I knew I had to help Wyatt protect them, I had to find a way out of this. I was determined to put an end to all this evil, and I needed to do it now.
Amidst my thoughts, frantic voices echoed down the hall. "You must inject her with fresh blood now!" one voice exclaimed urgently. "We can't afford to fail, we've come so far," I heard my mother's voice join the conversation. The door to my cell swung open once again, and my mother entered, swiftly pressing a button on the wall, causing an electric current to surge through the handcuffs. The intense shock rendered my whole body numb for a moment, leaving me unable to speak. Seizing the opportunity, a werewolf swiftly pierced my skin with a needle, sending a searing pain throughout my entire body.
"Good, now let's all hope this works, for we won't have another opportunity until the next child is found," my mother declared.
I felt the familiar surge of the original mark coursing through my veins, breaking the binding spell. But this time, it felt different, tainted. It became clear that they had injected me with the cursed child's Blood. The power within me seemed to mutate, overwhelming me. My body went limp as I was lifted and placed on a cold, metal table. I was then tightly cuffed to it.
"Move her so we can proceed," my mother ordered, her voice cold and commanding. The mixture of the cursed blood and power was paralyzing, rendering me unable to resist.
As I was being prepared for some unknown ritual, I muttered, "You're all going to die."
The wolf guard closest to me chuckled, dismissing my words. "You're the only one who will be sacrificing their life soon," he taunted. But deep down, I knew that the fall of the wolf king was imminent. Wyatt was drawing closer, guided by the witches' mark.
Now, lying on the table, I realized that I played a crucial role in the wolf king's downfall. The power within me surged, ready to erupt. The barrier meant to block my magic was no longer a hindrance.
"Proceed," my mother commanded, looking at me with cold indifference. I stared back at her, disappointment and shame mingling within me. "I used to look up to you. I knew you never loved me, and I thought that was normal. But I wanted to be a leader like you, and for that, I am ashamed of myself," I admitted.
"You would never be a leader like me, one who will make the necessary sacrifice to save our kind," she retorted, her voice dripping with arrogance.
"You are blinded, mother. This won't save you; it will destroy you," I warned, knowing that the end was near for her reign.
Just then, two more immortal witches from my coven entered the room. "We must start the spell and the extraction for the potions," my mother commanded them.
I clenched my teeth, seething with anger. "I really do hope you all face eternal suffering," I muttered, my words filled with venom.
In my mind, I urged Wyatt to stay strong, for this was not the end for me. As my mother stepped forward and began the incantation, I allowed the power within me to erupt, ignoring the fact that I was chained to the table. Nothing could stop me now.
"Now die, mother, for you are not worthy to live!" I shouted, vines bursting forth from my body, wrapping around my enemies in the room. The sound of their screams filled the air as thorns pierced their flesh.
"How?" my mother muttered, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Simple. I am worthy of this power, for I will use it to protect, and I know the true cost," I stated, my voice resolute. The vines tightened around her, rendering her and the others helpless. They attempted to use magic, but it was futile. The power within me drained them completely.
The werewolves growled, their deep, guttural sounds reverberating through the air. But after a few moments, their growls ceased, and a heavy silence settled over the scene. With the last remnants of my energy, I closed my eyes and visualized all the other prisoners trapped here, their desperate faces etched into my mind. As I summoned the power from the mark on my skin, I could feel it coursing through me, like vines sprouting and reaching out, searching for those in need of liberation. Each vine found its target, releasing them from their chains, for they were the ones destined to strike against the king.
A pang of sorrow pierced my heart as I sensed my mother's life force fading away. I turned my head to the side, only to see her body completely enveloped by the encroaching vines. "Return to the earth, mother," I whispered. As her life shattered, I focused on the ring bestowed upon me by Endora. I knew that in a matter of moments, I would have to transfer my essence into it. Even though I had been granted this power, it was now infused with the blood of the cursed ones, it was tainted, and when it returned to me, my body would not be able to endure it.
Now, it was up to Wyatt. I held onto faith that he would find me and restore my essence to my physical form when the time was right. I could sense his presence now, his proximity to the estate, for he played a crucial role in this battle too. And then, gradually, I felt it—the power slowly returning, like a searing fire coursing through my veins. The pain was excruciating, threatening to consume me, but I fought against it, pushing through the torment. With unwavering determination, I began to recite the spell Endora had taught me. And with the utterance of the final word, darkness engulfed me, and silence descended upon me.