Chapter Eleven #2
“Amy…” Hanna looked back at Toya. “Are you sure?” I could see the doubt trying to push forward, but she shook her head again. I watched her as her eyes refocused on me. “We have to hurry. Whatever this is, it’s chipping away at me.”
I nodded towards the rope.
“Please don’t do this. Toya is right. She is going to use magic on us to hurt us, or make us her mindless drones.
” Micca started to fight, trying her hardest to break free from Hanna and Wendy, but they held her firm.
They pulled her towards the table and sat her in a chair, grabbing the rope and tied her there.
Toya had finally recovered enough to take another swing, this time catching my cheek, opening a thin slice across it.
I hissed as I felt the blood start to trickle.
Toya smirked and swung again. I dodged this one and struck out, knocking her out this time.
“Stupid.” I hissed as I touched my cheek.
The cut was already healed, but the blood had turned a little tacky.
I picked up Toya and slid her into a chair.
Then I used the second spool of rope to tie her to the chair.
Finally, I was able to step back, and I looked at Micca.
The hatred in her eyes had me taking a step back, but I shook my head and pushed it away. This wasn’t them.
“What’s wrong with them?” Wendy sat across from Toya, worry on her face.
Hanna shook her head again. “Someone is attacking us.” She looked at me, panic on her face. “I can hear a whisper. It’s not loud. I can barely make out most of the words, but it’s there.”
“What’s it saying?” Wendy leaned in. “I can hear something, but it’s not words to me.”
I grabbed the bag and pulled everything out, seeing what I had to work with. “Is it getting louder?” I glanced up and watched as Wendy focused for a minute.
She nodded. “When I focus on it, it seems to gain power from attention.” She shook her head, clearing it and focused on me. “What is going on?”
“I’m not sure yet. But we are going to find out.
” I stood and placed the candles around the table, grabbed the chalk piece from the bag, and closed my eyes.
I thought of my book, and I paged through it, finding what I needed.
I drew a circle on the table and drew a few sigils in front of each of us.
“What are you doing?” Hanna sounded a little scared. I looked, and I saw the doubt creeping back in.
“Focus on me, Hanna. Listen to my voice.” I smiled softly at her.
“You are one of my closest friends and I would never do anything to hurt you. It’s against the very gifts I received from the Goddess.
We do not harm the innocent.” She nodded, and her eyes cleared a little.
“I am drawing a circle of power, linking all of us together, and allowing me to trace any magic that has been placed on you. That way I can break it, if there is something.”
Hanna stuck her finger in her mouth and bit down. “Hanna!” Wendy cried, jumping towards her, but Hanna just shook her head.
“I need the pain to clear my mind. The voice is so loud now.” She turned to me. “Hurry.”
I nodded and lit the candles around the table and then closed my eyes.
“Ista ni wa clo nox ben tau shorna lit blaugh do ka ni sta.” The room seemed to grow darker as a bright cord of light shot out of my chest and into Wendy’s.
From Wendy, it shot to Hanna, then to Micca, and Toya, and then back to me.
Toya’s eyes flew open, and she shrieked. “Stop!”
She thrashed against the rope, the chair, my magic, but I held her in the chair.
I waited until the bright cord finished the connection around our circle.
Then new connections between each of us wove around us.
Each person had a cord for each other. The golden cords wove into a tapestry of our bond, a golden shiny piece of artwork of our friendship and love for each other.
Only now there were tarnished spots. Dark places on our bonds, where they were being attacked. I stood, looking at the cords, and most were still shining brightly. All of them were actually, all except the ones that trailed to me.
“The bonds are all intact except the ones that lead to you.” Wendy stood trailing her fingers on the cords. She plucked the cords between her and me, and I felt a tug. It rippled in my chest, but I could tell it was weakening. The dark spot in the centre is growing bigger.
“Our bond is growing darker the louder the whispers get.” Hanna plucked the cord, and it vibrated, but hers was weaker.
Like it was ready to snap. And Micca’s and Toya's were hanging on by a thread.
She looked a little lost as she plucked the cord between her and Toya, earning a scream. “What can we do?”
Wendy looked at me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on the cords. “How could you do this to us? We are your sisters.” Toya snarled at us and I felt the punch in the gut when I realized I was no longer included in that sentiment from her.
Wendy swallowed past the lump in her throat. “We are doing this because you are our sister.” Then she turned back to me. “Do something.”
She was pleading with me, and Hanna nodded. “It’s growing darker.” She nodded to the bond between us and I could see the darkness spreading. Micca’s bond grew dimmer as she glared at me.
“You’re poison.” Micca snapped her eyes to the darkening bonds. “Look at it.” She nodded to the cord between Toya and me. “You ruin everything you touch.”
Her words cut deeper than I thought they should have. But it was my fault. I was listening to her words when I knew she was under the influence of something. But what was influencing them—that was the question. I sat down next to Toya and leaned in to her. “Forgive me.”
She snarled and tried to bite me, but I used her anger as a way in.
Emotions were always a window into someone’s soul.
I sent my magic dancing down our connection, skipping the darkened, mostly dead centre and dove into her mind.
I sent it worming around inside of her, and I used her magic to pull myself into her mind.
One moment I was next to her, staring into her snarling face and the next I was walking deep in trees I did not recognize. The trees here were fragrant, but foreign to me. In between the trunks, patches of sand and rough grass grew in patches. “Where is this?”
“This is my home.” Toya’s wolf, Urbi, came through the trees. She sidled up next to me and we walked together, silently. “Have you come to save us?”
I stopped, turning to face her, and leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”
She looked away. “Come see for yourself.” She pivoted and took the lead, leaving through the trees towards whatever was eating away at our bond. “Did she hurt you?” She stopped to turn back to me before she kept walking.
“A little. But you have done worse during training.” I chuckled softly.
“Only because you allowed us to hit you, and we were actively trying to kill you.” Urbi stopped.
“This time she was. Trying to kill you, that is.” She sat back and waited for me to catch up with her.
“I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t get close enough.
” She looked at me and I could see the apology there. “I’m locked away from her.”
“What do you mean?”
“You will see.” She nodded in front of us and we continued for a few more feet.
The edge of the forest ended in sand. Golden sand. The sky was bright blue, and the sun was shining down on us. Instantly I was hot. I could feel the sweat bead off my temples. “Why is it so hot here?”
“This is where we come from. The climate we are built for. Home.” Urbi chuckled. “Toya is out there. But this is as far as I can go.” She put a paw up and tried to go forward, but it was like she was pressing it against a glass wall. “She locked me away.”
“Toya?” I looked at Urbi, but she shook her head.
“The other one.” She turned her pleading eyes to me.
“Save my human. She is the person I share my soul with and I refuse to walk with another.” Walk with another?
What? She saw the confusion on my face. “We have a choice, wolves I mean. We choose who we share our lives with.” Then she turned away. “Save her.” Then she was gone,
I watched her pace away, back into the trees, before I turned and faced the glass. I pressed my hands against it, and instead of a solid wall I thought I was going to find, I felt it push in almost as if it was a bubble. I forced myself deeper, pushing farther in, causing the bubble to cave in.
Every step I took in, the harder the bubble pushed back against me.
It was fighting back, refusing to let me enter, and that just made me question what the hell was going on.
This made no sense. Toya’s defenses were blocking my entry, but that made zero sense.
I wasn’t here to hurt her, and even though something was attacking her, her mind should know I was safe to allow in. That Urbi was safe to allow in.
I pulled back, gathering my strength and my magic to me, and then I slammed against the bubble.
It fought back, pushing back, but I used my magic like a knife, slicing through the force field and finally stumbling out of the trees.
I turned back and I could see the edge of the invisible bubble; it was torn and snapping with energy. “What the fuck is going on?”
Urbi slipped from the trees. “You did it, you got through.” I just nodded. “Hurry, Toya is fighting it, her, but she is losing.”
“What do you mean?”
Urbi tilted her head. “Can’t you hear her screaming?”
I stilled, and then I heard it. “No, you’re wrong. She isn’t like that.” Toya’s voice was ragged, like she had been yelling for a while.
I turned towards the voice and nodded. “I hear her.” I started running towards the screaming. “I’m coming.” I called out. Hoping that Toya could hear me, feel me here coming for her. I ran for what felt like ever. Her screaming got louder until I rounded a dune and there she was.
But she wasn’t alone.
I stumbled over a small dune that I didn’t see and I ended up rolling down into the basin that the two women were in.
I rolled to a stop and hopped up. Toya and the other woman whirled to face me.
“You can’t be here.” The unknown woman’s face was hidden.
She was covered head to toe with a dark cloak, but she stepped back as I moved closer. “How did you get in here?”
Toya staggered over to me. “You came for me.” She nearly collapsed into my arms. “I was praying to the Goddess that you would hear me.” She looked up into my face, her eyes filled with tears. “You finally came.”
I rubbed the hair from her face, wiping a tear away with it. “I’m sorry it took me so long.” I leaned down and kissed her forehead. I looked up at the other women. “Who is she?”
Toya’s breath sobbed out. “I don’t know. She trapped me here.” She pulled away, strengthening her spine. “She’s like a cancer. She’s kept me here, eating away at me, whispering to me.”
I stepped in front of Toya. “What was she whispering?”
Toya looked away. “That you were evil. That you were using your magic to steal our power, draining us to make yourself queen?”
I choked out a laugh. “And you believed her?” I looked at Toya, a smile covering the hurt.
“Not at first, but she is doing something else. The more she whispered, the more I believed her.” Toya looked away. “I’m sorry.” She looked ashamed.
“It’s okay. Magic does that.”
“No, it isn’t okay. I should have been stronger.” She met my eyes again. “You are my sister and I have never doubted you before this.”
“I know.” I smiled, for real this time, and I turned to focus on the woman still backing away from us. “Who are you?”
She shook her head. “This is impossible.”
“Is it?” I stepped closer, and I felt my foot cross over another barrier. “You can throw down as many shields as you want, but it will not help.”
She stomped her foot. “This shouldn’t be possible. You aren’t this strong.”
I laughed, tilting my head and lifting my brow. “Who did you hear that from?” I walked closer. “Few people know I have magic, nor my full power level. But you seemed so sure just a second ago, as if you knew me and my powers before I came here.” I felt my eyes narrow. “Who are you?”
She backpedaled again. “No one you know.” She raised her hands.
“Absolutely not.” One second I was back near Toya and the next I had my hand wrapped around the person’s throat. “You don’t get to run away and try this again.”
Deep in the shadows of the cloak, I saw the whites of her eyes. She feared me. Good. “How did you do that?” Her voice trembled.
“Magic.” Then I pulled down the cloak.