Bella opened her eyes in the dark room. There was not a single source of light except the flickering candle near the altar where their goddess was sitting. She had seen a similar statue in her house. A young woman with long hair and bright eyes. Her face looked so sweet and caring that even the white marble looked lively when her face was carved. The goddess of light, the one who gave power to witches, Elysia. She lived in the land of Elysium where only light, happiness and beauty prevails.
But she was part of the darkness because she was not offered silver eyes like other witches. Only for that, she would always stay as a traitor. She had no reverence for the goddess who made her flawed and gave a life full of torment. She could not believe in the kindness of this lady when she had received none so far.
The door opened and Bella tilted her head to see her grandmother, a high priestess entered the room. The age had not touched her body and she looked nothing but younger sister of her father, Damon but her cold eyes told that she had seen the world for a far longer time.
"So you are the one!" she whispered slowly as her eyes assessed Bella from head to toe. She walked closer until they were just a few inches away and her hands held Bella's wrist, the part where the bracelet was clutching her thin wrist.
"She said you burnt her last night and this was not the first time." Bella tried to pull her hands back. There was something unnerving about this woman. She should be her family, her blood yet she was looking at Bella as if Bella was an object, a thing to assess before selling and purchasing.
The woman ran a finger on the bracelet until she found the lock and opened it. It fell on the ground with a clink shocking bella. No witch had ever taken it out worried that Bella would burn their lands and so did them.
"You seem too surprised! Do you not want to use your power like other witches?" The woman raised a brow with a slight smile on her face but the smile was not warm, soft or assuring. It only left a strange chill in Bella's spine and her gut was churning. It was telling her to run as fast as she could and as far as she could but she stayed, not only did she stand there but she did not take her gaze away from her grandmother's face.
"Haha! It is rare to see a child meeting my eyes." the witch's hands massaged the dark area of Bella's wrist where blood had clogged due to the tight Bracelet. "You are strong, I can feel the flow of mana in your body and it is nothing like us. They were right when they feared you would burn all of them."
Bella pulled her hands away glaring at the woman.
"I will never do such a thing." she announced when the woman chuckled.
"No?" Morgan slowly shook her head, "I would have done that a long time ago if I were you. Your family does nothing but confine you in that small room. Even i, as your grandmother have met you only for the second time. Last time when I saw you, you were only a day old." Yet your dark eyes stared at me as if you were far superior than me and I did not deserve to hold you.' Morgan did not say so as she stared at Bella.
Since then Bella was kept in her room. Though everyone knew that she ran away whenever she got the chance or how that young witcher would have shown so much interest in Bella. She was a temptress at such a young age. Impressive!
"My mother is afraid because she thinks you would disapprove of her actions." Morgan raised a brow when she found a defiant look of Bella and her irk was directed toward her.
"Fair! I have to be strict to maintain peace in our lands. I needed to curb their qualms or they would have burnt you."
"Why?" Bella felt a lump forming in her throat. She always wanted to ask this question but her mother never listened, "it is only because i have dark eyes. Half of the humans have dark eyes too. Maybe i am part of the human, not a demon like everyone assume.'' She offered to make the woman smile, but there was nothing sweet about it.
"Humans can not burn metal with one look nor can they explode things. I heard that you can walk in the air too?" Bella closed her mouth tightly. It was just one time and she had not done it consciously. She was just staring at the birds and whispered how good it would be if she could fly. The next thing she knew she was walking in the air as if it held imaginary stairs.
She did not even feel air or clouds. It felt so.. Natural!
"You are not normal Bella. Witches need potions and spells for doing things yet our powers are limited. But you.. Have immense power. That is why everyone fears you." Bella bit her lips hard. She did not ask for these powers. She did not need it.
If she had the chance to exchange her powers for love, she would do that in a heartbeat without thinking twice!
"But… if you can convince them you will use your powers for their benefit. I assure you that they will accept you. Ha! Accepting is a small word.. They will admire and cherish you like Elysia." Bella's eyes widened as she met the gaze of Morgan again. Surely she was lying, making fun of her. There was no way that those witches would accept her but.. Part of her was leaning to the idea, already imagining the scene where she could join Ana and her friends at the fields and play with them.
Where her mother would hug her like she hugged Ana… and..
"How.. will that happen?" her voice quivered. Her whole body shivered when Morgan smiled…
"You have to use your powers against our enemies.. The vampires!"