Waterfalls

Chapter Eighty-nine

One Week Earlier

There is a knock on my door.

"Come," I reply. Darcy walks in. I look at her. Her black hair is a little scruffy and her skin paler than normal. Her eyes are dull and there is a grim expression on her face.

"You called for me, your majesty?" she asks. I nod my head, standing up.

"I have a proposition for you," I tell her. She nods her head and I take a deep breath. I don't want to say what I am about to say.

"I don't want you fighting in the coming battle," I say to her.

"I want to fight..." she says. I nod my head.

"I know," I reply softly.

"Don't you trust me, Isla?" she asks. "After everything that has happened?" she asks, anger lighting up her eyes. I think back to the Choosing. How she betrayed her mother and brother to save us. How she protected us from her mother's attacks and told us of all her plans. After all the abuses she has suffered. At first, I wasn't sure. I wanted to trust her, but I had to be certain. I had gotten Daniel to hide and read her mind whilst I asked her about what had happened. She was telling the truth.

Since then, I have felt odd toward her. We have had a dramatic past, which I have come to realise was no fault of her own. We have a lot of mending to do.

"I do trust you," I tell her. "However, if I manage to break the spell then you won't be able to shift," I explain. She sighs with slight annoyance.

"I will still have my powers."  I think of her ability to turn people into stone and shudder as the memories of being frozen as Aspen murdered my sister springs to mind. She must see something in my expression because she looks down and mutters sorry under her breath.

"You don't have to apologise," I sigh at her, taking a seat on my chair.

"I still have my snake," she says with a softer voice as she holds up her arm. A stone snake curls up her wrist. It looks like an intricate bracelet. Yet I know it is really just a disguise. If she wills it, the snake will grow and become the creature she is meant to shift into.

"I know," I say to her. "But I have another job for you." She frowns, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asks. I gulp and take a deep breath.

"What your mother has done to you..." I begin.

"Go on," she frowns with a confused expression.

"It makes you smell and appear as human," I tell her. She nods her head, understanding what I mean.

"You want to use it," she states. I feel horrible. Using something that hurts her so much for my benefit. No, it is for the benefit of Shadow.

"I do." My voice comes out strong. She nods and sits, running a hand through her hair. I know it hurts her greatly. Her animal ripped away from her in such a way. I couldn't imagine how it felt.

"What for?" She asks with a sigh. On cue, Blue walks into the room.

"Blue will explain," I say. He nods his head. "Whatever happens in this room is not to be repeated," I tell her. "The information and plans we come up with have to be kept between only us." She frowns but nods her head. Blue begins.

"The NightShades have a unique magic system," he begins. "As you will have been taught." We both nod our heads, remembering our lessons.

"NightShades get their magic from the elements," he starts. "It is drawn from the rainfall, from the growing and dying of plants. Everything. But it doesn't go straight into its people. It feeds into their ruler. The High Priestess. She acts as a channel or conduit of sorts. All the created magic goes into her and then is distributed and shared with all the other NightShades. This is done through a link which connects them together. In order to keep the magic strong and pure, many rituals and ceremonies must be done. Now, they haven't been done for a long time which is why one of the many reasons why a lot of the NightShades now can only do basic spells. They can only fight with spells of small destruction or flames. The NightSHade king keeps most of it for himself and the more greedy and cruel he gets, the more the magic poisons the people." I nod my head understanding. "However, the magic has one way of protecting itself from this sort of poison. The only person who can absorb it is the High Priestess. It doesn't matter how strong a Witch or Warlock is, they can never directly channel the magic. It can only be done through the line of High Priestesses which runs down an ancient family line. The female descendants of the first NightShade. The woman so pure of heart that the magic chose her to rule and protect its magic. It chose her to share it with them and only those of her bloodline can do the same."