Supernatural Tales - Book II

Chapter 5

(Unedited)

When a month had passed by and Esme did not return, things got worse...

The shadow of despair that had taken over the Frost family because of Ethel's sudden death-like sleep grew darker every day, polluting their hearts and minds with hopelessness and pain, and with Esme still missing, it felt like nothing would ever be alright again. It was almost as if the wretched fog was evil in nature, sucking the life out of everyone it touched and weakening them from the inside out, and the ones who felt its grip the most were Iris and Antonia. The mated pair had been in agony since the moment Ethel fell into slumber. Iris had never felt as powerless as she did then, knowing she could not bring their child back for her mate, no matter how much she wanted to, and Antonia, who was losing her mind trying to find a way to bring her Ethel back, refused to give up despite being on the verge of breaking apart at any second.

"Nia, please. Stop." Iris's voice was strained as she tried to get her mate's attention but Antonia was deaf to her pleas as she continued to conjure every bit of her magic, chanting a spell under her breath.

"Please, stop. I beg of you." Iris appealed, feeling helpless and heartbroken as she watched her mate fail at yet another spell, and Antonia screamed when that happened, causing the castle walls to tremble before her rage.

The book of spells Antonia was carrying turned to ashes, slipping through her fingers and fading into nothingness and Iris sighed deeply as she watched her mate's ghostly features. This was not the first time Antonia had tried to use her magic to bring Ethel back, she had spent the last month using every bit of her power to do everything and anything that held even a speck of hope. But nothing ever worked. Iris could feel her mate's pain, could tell she was hurting herself every time she tried that and when her Antonia would faint after being depleted, she would siphon her pain if only to give her a few hours' worth of peaceful sleep. Regardless, as soon as Antonia woke up, she would go back to trying yet another spell, and as much as Iris worried for her sanity and safety, she could not find it in her heart to take her hope away.

At least not until today, when Antonia was the weakest she had ever been...

"You are hurting yourself, my Nia. Please, let me help you." Iris tried again, keeping her voice gentle as she stepped closer to her mate, and a bitter chuckle slipped past Antonia's lips as her nimble frame swayed from exhaustion.

"And how would you do that exactly? Help me, I mean. By putting me under another one of your sleeping spells?" It was the vexation in Antonia's voice that compelled Iris to stop at once and when she turned around to look into her eyes, she flinched immediately.

"Because that's all you have been good at lately, putting me to sleep so that I can not try to save our child while you sit there and do nothing about it!" With every word she spoke, Antonia's voice raised, garnering the attention of everyone in the castle, and Iris lowered her head in guilt.

"Mom?" Tulip's voice wavered as she called out to her mom, her eyes stinging with tears as she studied how terribly exhausted she looked, and Iris glanced up only to find her sisters standing beside her daughter, their eyes full of grief and alarm.

"It's alright, Tulip. Everything is okay, Maman's heart. Do not worry... Red, please take Tulip back to her room." Iris spoke softly, sweetly, as she smiled at her daughter but Tulip could not even look away from Antonia who was glaring at her mate.

"Everything is okay? Everything is okay?! My baby is dead! My Ethel is dead, Iris!" Tulip jumped at the sound of her mom's booming voice, causing Sybil to wrap her in her arms at once, and Iris closed her eyes in pain, maimed by her harsh words.

"T-That's not true, Mom. Ethel isn't..." Tulip's voice was small when she spoke from her aunt's arms, shaking and weeping like a child, and Iris clenched her jaw while Antonia wept: openly and angrily.