I WATCHED ASEYANA mumbled unfamiliar words. They sounded gibberish, in my opinion. The candles also flickered. They would turned on and off, as if someone was playing with them. My buddy, on the other hand, stood beside me with my hand on his. He looked somewhat grave. He must have known something, looking at how his face showed a deep frown.
But if he knew something, why bother Aseyana with this work? He should have said something in the first place. Or maybe it was only me who was jumping to conclusions. My bad for reading his frown as that.
And was it me, or the temperature was getting too much to bear? I was feeling a bit out of air. Dizziness was overwhelming me. But I could still handle this little bit of uncomfortableness.
"Are you okay?" Magnus asked, leaning to look at my face. He looked worried. Was it genuine or fake? I could really not tell with my current situation. The more I look at him, the dizzier I get!
"Yes," I whispered, shoving his face out of mine. He was too close to my liking.
"You look pale. How about resting first?"
"Where should I rest? This is my room."
"Go to your mom's. I will call you once this is done."
I looked at Aseyana, who was now sweating profusely. Then, I firmly shook my head. I was useless. So, I would stay here to support the girl. I could, at least, do that, right?
"Don't overestimate your body," Magnus sighed. "Your health is more important."
I frowned. Why did I feel like he cared more about my body than me? But his words were typical. There was nothing wrong with them. Am I overthinking things again? Or more like paranoid.
Suddenly, the candle went out. So, our conversation halted. Both of us looked at Aseyana to fill us in. She gave us a look as well.
"Uncle Magnus," her voice trembled, and it baffled me. "Liliane—-" she whispered the name, "How come Liliane is related to this?"
The hand that was gripping mine tightened.
Liliane? Where did I hear that name again? Gosh, I think my head was spinning! Aseyana seemed to multiply by two!
Oh! Oh! And am I—- am I—- falling?!
"Tatia!"
I did not know who called my name. Maybe it was the both of them? There was a mix voice, after all. Nevertheless, I did not manage to confirm that. My consciousness blanked out before I kissed the ground. I hoped Magnus caught me. This body was meaningful to him, after all.
[Tatia's End of POV]
—
"She lost her soul!" Aseyana panicked. After Magnus laid Tatia's body on the bed, she hurriedly checked the woman's condition. To her horror, Tatia's soul was missing!
Magnus' face darkened. "Can you locate where Liliane is now?"
Aseyana did not respond. She was nervous, scared, baffled—- name it all! Her emotions were mixed, and it made her uneasy!
"Aseyana!"
"Is she not supposed to be in Grandi Valentina?!" Her eyes were red as she looked at Magnus. "She is not supposed to be out here, creating havoc, starting a massacre!"
Magnus took a deep breath. "She had been missing a month after you left."
"And Father did not care?"
Magnus silently sat on the bed. His gaze was fixed on Tatia's sleeping face. He desired to caress the woman's face, so he did. "Your father lost your mother," he murmured. "He has not been in his right mind since then." And he could finally understand his brother now.
Aseyana heard it, and she suddenly felt cold. "Souls and the bloodling," she whispered. "Liliane is going to perform a forbidden spell. Correct me if I am wrong, Uncle Magnus." Her voice turned cold. "She plans to revive our mother, am I right?"
The souls gathered by the witch who planned to perform the reviving spell, plus any part of the bloodling—- these were not the only ingredient for that spell, but they were the most significant. If the witch was powerful, she could perform it without the other elements, just those two.
Magnus' silence was Aseyana's affirmation of her guess.
"Where is she now?" Magnus asked again.
"She took a protective measure, ensuring no one could find her," said Aseyana. "It seems she knows what kind of relation Tatia has with us. Unfortunately, she overestimated herself." She waved her hand, and the materials she used for the ritual vanished. "We shall go back to Arcane Town." Her sister might have thought that the most dangerous was also the safest.
"You do not have to do this," said Magnus, taking Tatia into his arms. Once he carried her, he added, "She is still your sister. You do not have to destroy your relationship with her because of this."
"If she," Aseyana paused, "indeed plans to revive Mother, then I am the most appropriate person to do this. Once Father learns of this revival spell, he will become our enemy. He has no qualms about killing you, but I hope he has when it comes to me."
Magnus looked at his niece and did not know what to tell her. The family's relationship with each other was already stained. At last, he could only say, "Your father cares for you."
Aseyana merely smiled in response. She then went to look for Ms Jas while Magnus left with Tatia.
They were going to take Tatia back to Arcane Town. Since Tatia hoped to send her mother somewhere safe, Aseyana would gladly do it for her. It took her some time to finally convince Aunt Jas. And once she did, Aseyana made sure that the lady left with her own eyes before leaving the place herself.
—
Meanwhile, in Arcane Town, Yasha stared coldly at her brother. Well, well… It had been years, and when she thought she would not see any of her pathetic brothers—- she came across one.
"You have the audacity to stand before me," said Yasha. "I had no idea where you got that courage."
Magnus raised a brow. He had finished wiping Tatia's body clean when his sister came to the room with those words. "I do not remember deliberately standing before you," he replied, putting a blanket over Tatia. "And should I not be the one saying those words?" He faced Yasha, adding, "You have the audacity to show up to me. Where did you get that courage, my sister?"
Looking at how calm her brother acted, she retorted, "Tatia's soul is missing. Yet, you look as relaxed as ever. Do you really care about her?" Without waiting for Magnus' reply, she snorted. "Oh, yes! I recall you have no feelings. No emotions—- how can I expect you to care? Even to your very own mate?"
"You seem to know a lot."
"Tatia gave off the same vibe as Gertrude. How can I not know she is going to become my sister-in-law? But setting that aside, you are too calm. You are not even worried. My dearest brother, you do not deserve a mate."
Magnus did not get angry. "You have been thrown multiple times, rejected nonstop by your mates—-" he spared a smile, "—- I won't bicker with you. As your brother, I will try to understand your pain."
Yasha glared at him.
"I want you to guard your sister-in-law," said Magnus. "Do not leave her alone until Aseyana returns."
Yasha crossed her arms. "And where are you going?"
Magnus took off his jacket. Then, he gave his sister a spare smile, saying, "Hunting."