A loud piercing sound rang in my ears as I opened my eyes. I reached my hands out, feeling piles of rubble surround me. I was facing towards the sky. Little white spicks rained down on us. Floating with little hints of shimmer in them.
Is it snowing?
Muffled groans and voices echoed around me.
"Hey? Hey! You good?" Egon brushed some rubble off of me.
"Where's Usynlig?" I gasped.
"She's okay for now. She is resting with the High Priestess."
I was still a bit dazed as he sat me up. I touched the back of my head, feeling a warm liquid. I looked at its crimson color drip down my palm.
"You're gonna be okay. That's nothing more than a scratch." He ripped a piece of his shirt, tying it around my head.
"There you go. Do you think you can walk?" He was being unpleasantly nice to me.
"Yes. Is she gone?"
"We don't know. I'm hoping the blast she caused was able to do some damage to her."
He helped me up. I looked towards the High Priestess's quarters, seeing the building reduced to a mound of rocks. Gotfred was knelt in the debris, clenching the hand of his brother.
"Bertram will be okay, right? The curse will keep him safe." I looked up at Egon.
"The curse will keep him alive but not safe. With the state we are in, injuries are worse than death. Without a blood flow, our bodies cannot heal. So what is broken stays broken." He stared solemnly.
I limped over to Gotfred who was clenching that hand for dear life. His brother's body was buried deep beneath the heavy rock, with only his hand poking out from a crack. I couldn't find the right phrase to say to him. So instead, I stood next to him, placing my hand firmly on his shoulder. Igniting an unknown desire within me.
A guttural groan caused me to turn around.
It was then that I noticed we were surrounded by a mob of Ingen's possessed slaves. Each one now mindlessly trying to claw at us, only being held back by a green force field around us. At the center sat the High Priestess with Usynlig on her lap. My eyes widened in fear. The people still weren't free, which meant that Ingen was still alive.
"I can not maintain the shield for long. We must find a way to safely escort these two out of here." The High Priestess strained.
"Lille-en, it's best if you stand with the High Priestess." Egon helped me walk to her.
"Gotfred, you should come too." He looked back.
"I won't leave you again brother, not this time." He spoke towards the rubble.
Bertram's hand tightened its grip against his brother's.
Egon carried me to Usynlig, who looked unnaturally pale. I jumped out of his arms and hugged her.
"Good, you're okay." She smiled at me.
"You can't leave me too. I won't be able to handle it." I squeezed her as she patted my back.
"I'm sorry. I should've been stronger." Egon sat on his knees.
"It's okay. This wasn't your fault." Her weak voice softly echoed.
"Usynlig, I failed you in so many ways I can't even remember them all. I should've been there for you. I should've defended you, and I should've fought for you." He placed his hands on his knees.
"When the High Priestess asked us to bring you back again, I was indescribably excited."
"Why?" She sat up to face him properly.
"Because it meant that I got another chance to see you again. Even if you were just going to say no to us and send us away, it didn't matter. Just one glimpse of you was enough to help me make it through another year."
"Egon." Usynlig teared up.
"When did this curse first begin?" She inched closer to him, placing her hand on his.
He looked away from her.
"Just a few years. The poison in the food affected all of us differently. The elderly and the children were the first ones to go and then the right of us."
"Most of you don't seem to be decaying. Did you find a way to stop it?" I was curious because the people we have met so far look okay.
"We were able to slow down the decaying process but not stop it. We continually salt our bodies down and stay away from the high temperatures. Since the weather here is cold, it does help us as well."
"I'm so sorry. If I hadn't-" She broke down.
"You know the same thing applies to you too." He placed his hand under her chin, raising it to meet his.
"It's not your fault. Shit happens. There was nothing you could've done. If you returned home, you would've been infected too, then who would save us now." He softly smiled at her, wiping her fallen tears.
"He's right, you know." The High Priestess spoke.
"Everything is as it should be. We were all in the right places. Tragedy can be turned into a miracle in the right hands."
"You bit-" We heard Gotfred yell out before being tossed towards us.
The boy groaned on the ground.
"S-so, old woman, y-you still have the energy to put a shield?" Ingen pulled herself out of the rubble, limping towards us with her left leg bleeding profusely.
"Damn it." Egon stood in front of Usynlig and me.
"Yes, unfortunately, she is still alive." Gotfred sat himself up.
"Egon, help me up, please." She tugged on his pants.
He bent down, gently lifting Usynlig to her feet, holding her up by her waist.
"Thank you." She looked at him fondly.
She took a deep breath and stood up straight, limping out in front of us.
"Usynlig?" Egon looked concerned.
She extended her hand, wearing a fierce expression.
"COME" Her soft voice now vibrated with a deeply resonant, shocking us all.
Ingen came flying through the air, connecting her body to Usynlig's hand. With her neck perfectly fitted in her palm.
"You'll pay for that! I will-"
"QUIET." She silenced the woman.
"For your crimes against the coven, you will be punished. It will not be swift, it will not be light, and Ingen's magic will be forever gone."
The woman's eyes widened in fear.
Usynlig's other hand glowed as energy danced like wildfire in her palm. She placed her hand on Ingen's chest as the woman fought and struggled violently.
"Ingen, I am sorry you ended up this way because of us. We all played a hand in this coven's undoing, but you did the unthinkable and cruelly tortured many innocent people. You will pay for your sins with your life."
This felt wrong.
"Usynlig, you can't!" I ran up to her.
"You can't do this."
"Why not? Lille-en, look around you. Look at what she has done! She's the reason my mother perished. She had your mother exiled from the coven. What else do you need? She has to pay for the lives she has stolen." Her grip tightened.
"But this isn't you. You don't believe in taking someone's life. Don't you stand by what you told me earlier at the bathing house, or was that all bullshit?" I pleaded.
I wanted her to take a second and breathe before she does something she will regret later.
"Egon, please hold her back."
"Wait, please think about this. Usynlig!"
He held me by his side as I fought to break free.
"You can't do this to her again! All of you, can't you see it? She is the monster you created."
"Yes, and we are handling it." Egon stared at her with hatred in his eyes.
"Guys?"
Everyone was silent. No one looked up, ashamed to make eye contact with me because they felt the same way.
They wanted Ingen to die.
"Powers unwound, vanish, and never be found. Contracts made with black, I separate them and push you through the back."
"Ahh!" A loud cracking sound emanated from the woman.
Black shadow-like wings popped out of Ingen's back.
"No." I watched in horror.
"Ingen no more, memories erased, with my sigil here, your flesh shall be replaced. You will take this form and pay for your sins. So let's consider this a win of wins." She spoke loudly as blood dripped from the corners of her mouth.
A light flashed out from the woman as horrid screams rang in our ears. Egon turned around, shielding me from the scene.
Soon the screaming stopped.
Usynlig fell to the floor. Blood poured out from her wound.
"Usynlig!" We ran to her.
She laid on the ground clutching a naked baby in her arms.
"What did you do?" Egon held her close.
"I-I gave her a new lease on life." She strained to talk.
"Guys!" Gotfred caught our attention.
We gazed around, noticing all the people falling lifelessly to the ground, one by one. An enormous black mass stood above us, matching the height of the mountain. It screeched with such intensity it vibrated the shield.
"I-I'm sorry." The High Priestess slumped over, causing the shield to dissipate.
"She took too much of my energy. I can't maintain the barrier." She panted.
Gotfred held her up.
"I don't have much left. I doubt it would do anything to this thing." Egon stared up at the billowing mass.
I watched everyone lose faith.
Usynlig passed out on the ground with a wailing infant in her arms, the High Priestess used up the last of her energy, and the boys were already weakened by Ingen when she possessed them.
So what the hell are we going to do? I have only practiced simply protection spells with salt, but nothing strong enough to defeat this!
My breath quickened as the winds around us increased.
* "What do you want your magic to be used for?" *
I heard Usynlig's question from earlier echoing in my head.
I stared at my hands, bruised and cut up but not trembling. I looked at everyone, preparing themselves for the worse. Images of my parents flashed in front of me, and I saw Bertram smiling at me. They filled me with a sense of purpose, my purpose, my reason for being alive.
I've found my answer.
The black mass swiftly swung its arm down towards us. I raised my hand, watching as a glowing silver light formed a gargantuan sigil, one that covered the entire courtyard. It shimmered like gemstones encased in glass, shapes of diamonds, circles, and the word protection written in an ancient language decored the sigil. The demon's fist bounced off of it. It roared in frustration.
"Chaos magic is what I want it to be, and it will bend to my will!" I raised my other hand, commanding another sigil to appear over the demon.
"Look at the little half-breed. She thinks she has the power to take me on. Pathetic! Neither side will ever accept you. So why defend them now." Its voice was rough and deep as it pushed against the sigil, raising its fist to attack both of them.
"Half-breed?" Gotfred looked at me.
"They don't care about you. They all want you dead! Dead! Dead! Worthless half-breed!" It taunted me.
Their eyes were all filled with worry and awe. But I paid the demon's words no mind.
"I am the daughter of the Alpha Athan Spanos and the great witch Maj-lis Aalberg." I knitted my brows together.
I always felt ashamed of being a half-breed, like I was a mistake never meant to happen. But now, it filled me with pride. My parents risked everything for me. Never again will I take that for granted.
"Maj-lis?" The High Priestess rose her head.
"I am a half-breed, and I will be the one sending you back to hell!" I pushed the sigil further down on the demon, watching it scream out as the sigil burned against its black mass.
"Demon of hate, demon of torment, I bound you with chains back from where you were sent." Large chains emerged out of the ground bounding the demon, causing it to fall to its knees.
"This plane is no longer in need of your services, vanish and never again bother us with your disturbances!" I screamed, pressing the sigil down onto it as the chains dragged it into the ground.
The demon violently fought against the chains, screeching out curses as it sank beneath the rock. One by one, the coven's members rose from the ground with clear eyes. Each one looking around, dazed and confused.
I firmly held the first sigil I cast, ready to do my next spell. I knew what I had to do.
"I will free you from this hell." I declared.
"Wait! I'm not ready to go. There's so much I have to say." Egon's face twisted with pain as he looked down at Usynlig in his arms.
"My child, it is time." The High Priestess stood up with Gotfred.
A tear escaped down his face as he placed Usynlig gently on the ground.
"Lille-en, I have no idea how you did it, but that was amazing." Gotfred and the High Priestess stood next to Egon.
I teared up, wishing I do more for them.
"It's okay. Carry on child." The High Priestess waved at me to continue.
"W-with this sigil raised above, I take your suffering and replace it with love. No longer bound to these bones you are free from the shackles and stones. May you find peace in the light I offer, farewell Rings Of The New Moon, may we meet in the days long after." I felt light and filled with active energy.
All the people gathered around me, smiling with bliss and happy to take on the journey to the afterlife. I brought down the sigil, ramming it into the ground, causing a strong wind to blow me back off my feet.
I took deep breaths, conflicted about how I felt. I saved them by killing them. Could there have been another way? If Usynlig was awake, I bet she could've done something.
"Lille-en?" I heard Usynlig call out to me.
I crawled over to her, glancing around the now empty and deserted coven.
"I'm here." I held her in my lap.
"You were excellent out there."
"You were awake the whole time?"
"Yes, kind of." She weakly smiled.
"Then why didn't you help me? You could have saved everyone!" Tears slid down my cheeks.
"No, I couldn't have. But I knew you could. There was no need for me to step in because you had it all under control. Now you found a purpose for your magic." She reached up, brushing my hair out of my face.
"Your sigil was beautifully unique, just like you."
Footsteps marched around me. I looked up, seeing translucent figures circling us.
"What is this?" I watched them gathering closer.
Children ran around, laughing and playing with one another. That's when I spotted Aqua and her husband, Titan, across the way. He grabbed his wife by her waist, lifting her into the sky, swinging her around as they laughed together.
"We wanted to express our gratitude towards you." The High Priestess appeared in front of me.
"You know we couldn't just leave without saying goodbye." Bertram stood next to her with his brother.
"Bertram! Gotfred!" I couldn't help but smile seeing them grin so widely.
"Usynlig." Egon knelt to her.
"Your okay, thank the heavens." He held her tightly.
"Usy, please don't scare us like that again." Bertram came in closer.
"Yeah, you just might kill us." Gotfred laughed loudly.
Egon gave him an unamused expression.
"What? Too soon?" He looked to his brother, who just laughed with him.
"Lille-en, you are Maj-lis's daughter? The child of Magten? The half-breed?" The High Priestess peered at me with large sad eyes.
"Yes, I am."
"I thought they executed the entire family? H-how?"
"My parents used their energy to save me, sending me to Usynlig."
"So you're not Usynlig's blood daughter?" Egon looked to me.
I shook my head, observing Egon's face as a simple smirk appeared on his face.
The High Priestess knelt closer to me, looking at my face and hair while cupping my cheeks.
"Who are you to my mother?" I asked, feeling a sense of familiarity in her touch.
She just smiled and teared up.
"She's your grandmother." Usynlig sat up on her own.
Everyone gasped.
My eyes watered hearing the news. My grandmother was with me the whole. I wanted to curse at her, yell at her for betraying my mother. I wanted to blame her for everything that happened to me. I needed to, but all I could do was hold back my tears as I hung my head low.
"Keep your head held high, my dear." She placed her hand beneath my chin.
"G-grandma?"
"Oh, how I wish to turn back time. There are mistakes we can never take back. I am so sorry for what you have endured." She held me tightly in her embrace.
I leaned into her touch, desperately wanting to be near her.
"I-I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I wanted to help all of you. I thought I could. But I-" I sobbed.
"What are you talking about? Honey, look around you. It's because of you that we are now free. Do you see a single angry face here?"
I peered around, everyone just smiled at us blissfully.
"You did more than save us, you gave us our freedom back. Something even I couldn't do. And I know you have been through things I wouldn't wish upon others, but I like to think that everything happens for a reason. If you were never sent to Usynlig's, she would have never come back to the coven, then we would continue to suffer as we did for many more years." She wiped my eyes clean.
"I wanted to hate you. It's not fair that you had to go and die on me like this!" My heart ached, realizing I lost another part of my family.
"I know, and I'm sorry. Please know that I loved your mother. I knew she would hate me for what I did, but it was the only way to save her. If she stayed she would've surely been executed by the council. I just hope she could have understood why I did it." Her face scrunched with sorrow.
"I like to think that she did. Though she never really spoke of you, every new moon she would perform incantations praying to the Watchtowers to keep you safe."
Her face lightened up with relief, as though she has been waiting to hear those words all her life.
"You really are a miracle, you know." She caressed my cheek as she stood.
"Where are you going?" I reached for her, but my hand went right through her.
Egon looked unwilling to leave Usynlig's side until the High Priestess lightly touched his shoulder. He sighed, standing back with her.
"We can't stay here much longer. Our here journey has reached its end." She stepped back with the crowd.
I stood up, wanting to chase her.
"I'd say it's time for our next adventure." Gotfred jumped around.
"Usy, take care of yourself and this one here." Bertram smiled at us.
"I will. You don't have to worry about us." She held the baby close.
"Do you think that was a good idea keeping Star here?" Bertram pointed to the baby.
"None of us are sin-free. Star wasn't always evil. She grew to be that way. Now she will have a fresh start, and I will love her the way she deserves to be loved." She stroked the baby's face making her giggle.
"I hope she doesn't turn crazy again." Gotfred gave the infant a stank face.
"Trust me. No child of mine will ever stray down the wrong path."
"We believe in you." The High Priestess smiled.
"Wait! Please, High Priestess, before we go can I have a word with Usynlig?" Egon begged.
She nodded to him, smiling fondly.
Usynlig and Egon connected their gaze.
"Usynlig, I never saw you as a friend. To me, you were so much more than that. You were the reason I got up early every day just so I could catch a glimpse of you walking down that street with the sunlight aimed perfectly behind you." He smiled to himself.
"You stole my heart without even trying. If I could, I'd do things differently, and maybe our ending wouldn't have been so tragic." He sadly looked to the ground.
Usynlig stood up carefully, making her way to Egon.
"Usynlig?"
She stepped closer to him, reaching her hand up to caress his cheek. She softly smiled, placing her lips against his. For a moment, he was shocked and didn't know what to do with his hands, but within seconds he melted in her palms. Becoming putty against her touch as he held her face lovingly. She pulled away, letting a single tear travel down her face.
"I'll see you on the other side." She spoke lowly to him.
"Until then." He kissed her head.
She stepped back to me. The coven rose their hands, touching each other's shoulders.
"As a thank you, we'd like to pass on a gift to you two. For you Usynlig, I pass on the name of our coven." She approached her, placing her thumb in the center of her temple.
"What?" Her eyes went wide.
"I know you'll do good things as the coven next High Priestess." She rubbed her thumb in a circle, causing a golden light to form a circle in the center of her forehead as beautiful curves twisted together across her temple.
She looked like she was wearing a crown.
"And for you." The High Priestess held out her hand to me.
I looked to Usynlig, who nodded for me to go. I took her hand in mine, watching as a golden light surrounded them. One by one, the people in the crowd lit up with gold. All I could do was stare in awe of them.
"Since you couldn't attend the festival we figured we'd give you the next best thing." She placed both hands on mine.
"We will all be watching after you. I can't wait to see what you'll achieve next." The glow became intensely vibrant, shining with the power of ten suns.
Yet, the light didn't bother my eyes. The glow burst into golden dust, swirling and dancing around me with the wind. It was warm and enlightening. I couldn't help but laugh and smile, watching this magical scene take place.
It was unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Tears of mixed emotions flowed from my eyes. I hated to see them go, but I'm glad they're no longer bound here. The golden dust flew up into the dark sky, running along with the stars and the moon. Finally, having the freedom to be at peace.
"Ready to go?" Usynlig rocked the baby to sleep.
"Yeah, I guess we should." I looked up one last time before leaving.
"Are you okay to walk? How's your wound?"
"It's better. Egon used his power to heal my wound before he left. I still feel a bit weak because of all the blood I lost, but that's nothing a little rest can't fix."
Walking through the desolate coven was glum. To think that this place was once a lively community with people learning and performing magic was unreal. Now their room, shops, and houses will fall to ruins. It's sad, but I'm happy that they are no longer being tormented.
Against the cool winds, my wrist still felt warm. I looked at my inner wrist, moving my bracelet aside. There etched into my skin with black was the rune for protection. Along with a circle outlined in thick black ink with three dots on top.
"Uh Usynlig, what is this?" I was worried something else was going to happen to us.
She looked back, examining it.
"This is nothing to be afraid of. It's just the spell and seal given to you by the High Priestess. She blessed you so no harm can bewitch you."
"Really? Like what the twins and Egon had?" I rubbed my thumb over it.
"Yes. Now no one can curse you using your name, but you can still be harmed in other ways."
"How come yours is gone?" I saw her forehead clear from the golden crown.
"Mine wasn't a spell. Your grandmother was passing on the crown to me. With it, I gain the memories of all the previous High Priestesses. We do this in hopes that the next one to take over will learn from our past mistakes." She smiled touching her forehead.
I looked at my wrist, trying to decipher the other symbols.
"And what does the circle represent?"
"That there is our seal, The Rings Of The New Moon. Together with the rune is a powerful spell meant to protect you. So in a way, you have the whole coven watching your back from the heavens." She patted my head.
I grinned, thinking about Bertram, Gotfred, and Egon traveling around with us. Acting like crazy teens teasing and fighting with each other. It would've been fun having them around.
My chest ached, and the adrenaline was now leaving my body, allowing me the pleasure to feel all the damage I took during our little ordeal.
"Is there no way we can take another quick dip in the herbal bath? My body is killing me. Not to mention that you are still injured too."
She stopped looking back at the bathing house.
"Please." I begged her.
"Fine." She sighed, smiling.
"But once we are healed we have to leave, understood?"
"Yes." I gladly nodded, turning around back to the baths.
"So, how does this all work? Will you give her a new name, and if you do, are we allowed to say it, or will her name still be Star?"
"I will give her a new name because the one her mother gave her was out of spite. So when we are around others, we will address her by Star. And when we are at home we will call her, Aadhirai, which means a special star."
"You would choose a name I couldn't pronounce." I rolled my eyes.
"Sorry, but I think it suits her best. When I was traveling around India, I met a few girls with this name, and I fell in love with it. I always said that if I had a child, I would name her Aadhirai." She kissed the baby's chubby face.
"I think I'll just call her Star.
"It's not hard. It's pronounced aa-dee-rai."
"Aadhira?"
"No, but you were close. Don't worry, you'll get it no time." She laughed at my clumsy tongue.
I shrugged it off and walked ahead of her. The little bag of herbs bounced against my chest. I was surprised that after everything that had happened, that it was still there. I held it up closer to inspect it.
There was something that caught my attention. I found it strange how the pouch Usynlig gave me smelt just like my medicine. I took my bracelet off, tapping out a pill. I smelled the pill then the pouch around my neck.
"Something wrong?" Usynlig looked at me.
"No, it's just weird."
"What is?"
"This pouch you told me to wear smells just like my medicine." I kept smelling each one.
"What?" Her eyes got big as she stopped walking.
"They both smell the same."
I went to lift the pill to my nose again. Usynlig quickly smacked the pill out of my hand.
"Usynlig! What the hel-"
"You must never take these pills again!" She snatched my bracelet from me.
She looked scared, which didn't make me feel any better.
"Wait, why? Mom said that I always-"
"No. You can't. Damn it, why didn't I see it earlier. It all makes sense now. This is why your wounds wouldn't heal properly. Even half-breeds have a fast healing rate but with you, damn it! How could they? Why would they do this?" She paced around talking to herself.
"What makes sense? I don't see the connection. Usynlig!" I grabbed her arm, stopping her pacing.
"Why don't you want me taking the medicine?"
"The pouch I gave to you contains wolfbane. It helps to hide your scent because no wolf would ever come near the stuff. It's only harmful when congested or touched with bare skin."
I let go backing away from her.
"W-wait, wait, so you're telling me that I h-have been," I couldn't finish the thought.
I didn't want to, because it wasn't true. It couldn't be true!
"Yes, your parents have been poisoning you with wolfbane."
My heart sank.
This is just great.