Ellora's Sun

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adelaide woke up to someone calling her name. They sounded far away, but as she blinked her eyes awake, the sound became deafening. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she felt around for the warm sheets of Stefan's bed. When she felt the cool, rough texture of stone beneath her, Adelaide bolted upright.

She jumped to her feet as she took in her surroundings. She was outside, and it was still dark out, but she wasn't in the city. There were stone ruins all around her, but she didn't see anyone nearby.

"Finally," A gruff voice spoke nearby as a silhouette stepped out from behind a crumbling stone pillar. She recognized Frederick, and immediately took a step away from him, "took you long enough."

"What do you want? How am I here?" Adelaide asked, doing her best to not sound afraid. Unfortunately, her voice came out shaky and soft. She physically jumped when another voice appeared behind her.

"Well, technically, you're not here. Just your subconscious is." Cora explained. She offered Adelaide a small smile and a wave, but she just scowled back at her.

"You know what we want, Adelaide of Ellora." Gisela told her, materializing next to Cora. Morgen appeared next to her, and Adelaide realized she was surrounded, "it's time for you to fulfill your destiny and protect the people of Ellora."

"I'm not going to help you kill people." Adelaide narrowed her eyes at the woman, whose queenly form towered over her. Her face remained unfazed by Adelaide's defiance.

"You will if you want your brother to stay alive." Frederick remarked, and Adelaide felt her eyes dart over to him. She grew angry at the mention of her brother, but she didn't want to give in to their requests.

"How do I know you haven't already killed him? Or that you won't kill us both even if I listen to you?" She shot back, glaring at Frederick. He glared right back, and waved his hand at something behind her.

"See for yourself, he's alive and well."

Adelaide spun around to see what he was gesturing to, and was surprised to see James lying on in a ball on the cold stone. He was asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. She threw herself to the floor to shake him awake, but when she reached out to touch him, her hands went right through him. She became transparent, like a ghost in a movie, and James stayed asleep.

"I told you, you're not really here, just your subconscious. He can't hear or see you." Cora explained, and Adelaide felt her shoulders fall. Her brother was right in front of her, and yet they were miles a part. She could do nothing to get him to safety.

"If you help us, Adelaide, you have our word that we will not hurt your brother." Morgen told her as she stood up to face them again. Adelaide didn't trust them for a second, but she was running out of options. Unfortunately, they knew that as well, and took her silence as acceptance.

"Come find us so we can finish the ritual we started, and we can protect the people of Ellora." Gisela explained, a small smile forming on her lips. Adelaide loathed every word that left her mouth. She spoke with softly and slowly, as if she was an elegant queen who wouldn't hurt a fly. But Adelaide knew she just made others do her dirty work.

"You mean that you'll kill me and steal my magic," Adelaide said bluntly. If they were going to force her hand, she was going to make them be honest about their actions, "you're going to kill your own blood family member, just to use my magic to kill hundreds of other witches, because they dared to defy your idea of rules?"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Adelaide," Morgen interjected. Adelaide scoffed, raising her eyebrows at the tall witch, "we don't want to hurt you. We want you to help us, to join us at the head of the Ellora coven. Your magic is powerful, and could do so much good for our people."