We stopped behind a crowd of bodies, each one stood with their loose expressions and swaying arms, basking in the pleasure the melody brought to us. Closing my eyes, I let the song seep into my very soul.
Thirty-Three
‘Clarity-Claritate’
Cole
I had spent practically my entire life hiding who I was, hiding my pain and darkness from my father and the entire Council. I was poisoned with it, sick and cold. I hid it for so long, I did as I was told, went where they told me too, polished up on every possible Grimoire there was in Wisteria, dressed to the nines at all times. But Fates Above fucking damn it, the darkness was always there.
On my eighteenth birthday something within me broke. I thought the darkness had finally taken over, because I just couldn’t fucking listen to my father and his relentless prattling about the good of the future anymore. What fucking future? We were all stuck in an endlesscycle of life. Wake up, do as we were commanded, smile. Be a good little boy. Sleep. Repeat.
But that morning, my magic did something unexpected, after a typical tight-lipped command from my father as he walked out the front door of our pure white lavish fucking mansion, my magic…exploded. Every window, every glass every crystal from our over-the-top chandeliers shattered. The anger that clawed at my stomach was cold and oh so incredible.
It was only after I looked down at my father’s still-beating heart within my hand, did I realise what had happened.He found me that morning and promised to help me, promised he would help remove the sickness that was the Darkness. But I know now, it washimthat made me sick; it washimwho poisoned me, filled me with black magic and allowed it to eat away at my mind, turning me into his version of a pure witch. Someone who he could command and train. Four fucking years I had undergone torture at the hands of someone I had trusted. Someone I had believed in.
And then there she was, so beautifully Dark. She was cold, practically soulless, so silent and so controlled. She was perfect. A Dark Witch. A powerful fucking being. And she was to be my Circle Link, my Mate. But I practically spat at her. Told her she was disgusting, that she was poison. At the time I genuinely thought she was. I thought she was putting a Dark spell on me, that she had planned to ruin all our progress of taking my sickness away. I told her she should have been ashamed of her Darkness.
I was wrong.
I was so fucking wrong. Having a darkness wasn’t bad, not on her. Fuck me it was everything on her. It was a serene beauty that nobody could compare too.
But I had finally realised. I was never sick; I wasn’t full of a darkness that wanted to overtake me. No, the darkness inside of me, that was Amaya; that was our Mate bond trying to connect us in some way. I believe it could have been her magic seeking help all the way from the human realm.
She had healed me, after everything I has said to her, after pushing her away countless times. After coming to her drunk and foolish and saying more vile things to her, she hadstillhealed me.
I didn’t know her, not really, but her magic called to me, her soul screamed for me, and her eyes: Fates Above be damned, her stunning purple eyes.
I remembered practically everything that was done to me over the years, remembered the hushed conversations between my father and the Council. I remembered their secrets they thought I would keep whilst poisoned and confused.I don’t know how I managed to hand over that stupid White Witches’ address, but I remember the anger that had boiled within me at the thought of Amaya being anywhere near him.
I needed to find Rí and Ziel. I needed to tell them everything. I was more focused than I had ever been.They were a good choice for Amaya: strong, powerful supernaturals. I was weak. I knew that now. I knew I had fucked everything up, that she would never accept me.But shit I would beg for fucking forgiveness if I needed too.
Dragging myself from Rí’s huge ass bed, I steadied myself, allowed my eyes to focus. Her scent surrounded me, Dark fruits with the mixture of firewood cake; she had mated with the dragon. Inhaling deeply I commanded my magic to take the effects of the alcohol away, commanded it to finish its brutal task of healing me.
I rushed to the bar, gathering strength in my White magic for the first time in years. Stopping at the base of the stairs, I frowned as the lyrical humming of a Siren reached my ears, pulled at my heart and tried to take me under. Its silky touch dragged at me but somehow couldn’t get a hold of me. Amaya’s healing magic was still within me, still curled around me like a protective barrier. Grinning at the thought of her being with me even if it was just a touch of her magic, I prepared for whatever was in that bar.Unbuttoning my shirt sleeves, I shoved them up my arms, rolled my shoulders and stormed into the bar.
Every damn misfit and shifter, including Rí and that Death Warrior stood facing the bar, swaying to the low song of the Siren. She stood atop the bar swaying to her own music as she enthralled them all with her voice. Sirens were a rare Supernatural; they barely left the Mermaid Quay, choosing only to reveal themselves when they found their prey. They lured their prey to them with their song. Once they had someone within their grasp, they then ate the flesh from their bones and used what was left to decorate their underwater caves. It's said that the Fates Above didn’t even create them, that they were from the Human Gods and had snuck their way to the magical realms.
I wound my magic around my arms, relishing in its use for something other than the Council, before pulling at the tight invisible string and releasing it in the direction of the Siren. White light flung from me, catapulting into the Siren and sending her flying behind the bar, smashing into bottles and halting her mid tune.
Rí and Ziel shook their heads, trying to clear away the fog that had clouded their minds. The dragon blinked his red eyes towards me before a deep angry rumble filled the now silent room. His eyes glowed brightly just as Ziel released his own angry growl, aiming his snarl in the direction of the source of magic: me.
Rí’s canines grew as he roared his rage.
“It’s a fucking Si-” I flew backwards onto a small table before it collapsed to the floor as his huge fucking weight pushed us down. He wrapped his massive hand around my throat and held tightly to stop any words from leaving me as he glared down at me.
I couldn’t breathe enough to gather enough strength or magic to push his mammoth body off my own.
“Where the FUCK IS MY MATE!” he roared; my ears rang as all the glass in the bar cracked before shattering from his dragon’s roar. That wasn’t just Rí glaring down at me.
Shit.
The Dragon had come out to play.
“Get...the...fuck…off,” I managed to squeeze out between punches to his forearms. This fucker was big.
“I smoke for two fucking minutes, and this shit happens.” A raspy chuckle reached us as Ziel walked over and stood above us, a Mayfeaver hanging from his lips.
“This prick did something to me...where is she? WHERE IS SHE!” Lifting my head with his hands still wrapped around my throat Rí slammed me back down onto the broken table. Pain radiated through my skull as stars lit up behind my eyes.Bending down to my face, Ziel’s empty eye sockets filled with a blue flame that had my mouth drying. Shit okay this was going south quickly.
