Underneath a Dark Moon (Twisted Dark #3)

Chapter Twenty: Found Out: Part Two

I stumbled on the way through and was caught rather roughly by a witch. She scowled at me darkly and my eyes darted around frantically. I didn't want to burn, I didn't want to stand by idly while fate yanked me towards the end of my life. I was nearly drug towards the main street. We were in a dark alleyway and my heart thumped hard in m chest and I dug in my heels, not wanting to move any closer to the main street. If I was correct we weren't that far from the main offices that housed the jail cells.

My breathing increased and the witch cursed at me before throwing a nasty glare at me over her shoulder. "If you want to stay conscious, I suggest you come quietly." She sneered at m but when she turned her head forward there was a rather dark blur and her head snapped back as a fist collided with it. She hit the ground without a sound, a perfect knockout. I looked at the thrower of the punch and nearly sagged with relief.

"Aymis!" I reached for him but he shushed me hastily before he yanked a packet of something from his pocket and dumped it over my head. I felt a familiar lightness of an invisibility powder slide over me before Aymis grabbed my hand.

"Don't say anything, that will only last for a few minutes and we need to get you home before it wears off." He hissed the words at me before he yanked me down the alley way and through a small back street. We were silent as we darted around the buildings, staying to the shadows while witches slowly but surely started to shout. Aymis's rescue attempt had been discovered and I could hear them calling out to find me and my heart lurched in my chest but before I could get too afraid we arrived at the back of our house and Aymis opened the door and pulled me inside. "Mother!" His voice was a bellow and I could hear a returning call from our mother from somewhere in the house.

Both Aymis and I rushed down the halls towards it. I was surprised to see the house in such a disarray. It looked as though everything was being packed up as boxes and items were strewn everywhere. I wanted to ask Aymis but his mouth was pinched into a thin line and he didn't seem keen on speaking. Before I realized could try and figure out why everything was being packed away I was shoved into father's office. My eyes were wide and I blinked rapidly as I watched my mother wave her hand, strange runes flashing along her skin as everything seemed to be packed away into even more boxes.

"Your father has passed away." Her words were blunt and my breath hitched in my throat at the rather curt, emotionless statement. "And I am moving with Aymis and Zinnia. I have grown tired of the Covens." She turned on her heels, smiling at me wide as she strode across the room towards me.

She engulfed me in her arms as she kissed my forehead. "What happened to him?" My voice was low and I felt a little bit far away at the news. I wasn't devastated or even truly sad but it was shocking to hear.

She let me go before cupping my face with her warm hands. "Heart attack brought on by wolf's bane. I can only assume he made the wrong witch mad." Her grin seemed a bit too amused at that and I blinked at her.

"Did you..." I couldn't even finish the statement and she patted my cheek with a chuckle.

"Would it matter if I did?" She winked at me before she adjusted my shirt on my shoulders. "All that matters is that he is gone and I am free to leave. Especially with you coming into your powers, I don't have to stay by your side any longer." She turned away, leaving me feeling a bit stunned at her words

"I haven't come into anything." I felt like I always did. I was the same old Nolo Vis of the family. There was no magick that ran through my veins.

"You have." She gave a sharp nod as she waved her hand sending full boxes dancing towards the door. I had to move out of the way so they wouldn't thump against me.

I scowled with irritation at her insistence. "I haven't-"

"You have." She glanced at me from over her shoulder.

I resisted the urge to stamp my foot at her. "I have been signed for death, mother, I don't want to play this stupid riddle game with you!" The words exploded from me and she merely chuckled.

"Seems pretty silly to sentence the future Queen of the Covens to death." She tsked lightly and grinned at me.

"I am not going to marry that pompous asshole!" Anger seemed to roar through me at the thought, rippling along my skin with a prickling vengeance and without warning the light bulbs in the room shattered, causing me to give a small yelp in surprise as the room darkened.

I could see my mother wave her hand and the lights repaired themselves as the runes flashed a pale green on her arm. "You need to practice a bit of control with your magick, love." She moved towards me and I blinked as I looked down at my hands.

"I don't have magick... the Awakening Spells never worked." My throat felt dry and she laughed, a tinkling sound that seemed to dance in the air.

"You don't need an awakening spell when you hold an old magick soul. A life that has come back around to try again. You just needed something to bring it forward, a task or a mission that let the great spirits know you are ready to take on the burden." She patted my cheek once she got close enough. "Magick has always ran through your veins, Lacey. You were never a Nolo Vis, you were a phoenix, a rebirth, you cannot awaken something that has never slumbered." She stroked my cheek and I looked down at my hands once more.

"I have magick?" I felt like I always did, I looked like I normally did. How could I have magick when I couldn't feel it?

"An over abundance of it." My mother moved to stand beside me. She wrapped and arm around my side and pointed to a still full book shelf. "Pack those away for me, Lacey. The world is yours to command." I swallowed hard and reached out. I felt silly as I looked at the books on the shelf. I couldn't do that, it was ridiculous to assume I could. I faltered and my mother grabbed my hand tightly, forcing it to extend. "Will them to move, lovey!" Her voice was sharp and I narrowed my eyes as I extended my hand further, willing there to be a flutter, a movement and without warning runes of light skittered down my arm and the books exploded, sending bits of paper flying through the air like confetti.

I nearly staggered, looking at my arm in shock as I watched the paper float towards the ground. "It's a good thing I didn't like those books." My mother chuckled as she let me go and I gaped at her like an idiot.

"I did that?" I felt incredulous but it had happened, I had watched the runes myself. I hadn't truly felt anything but the outcome had happened all the same. I thought magick was supposed to have a feeling but

"You did." She nodded at me sharply before she smiled again. "Quite well but you will need to focus on pinpointing the actions and demanding those rather than exploding things." She waved her hand and my impromptu paper confetti was swirled into the small garbage can by my father's desk. "Now, you need to go and claim your throne." She placed her hands on her hips and stared at me intently.

I scowled at that. "Magick or not, I am not marrying-"

"There is more than one way to become Queen, Lacey." Her words were sharp and I met her gaze. I wanted to frown and ask her what on earth she meant before the realization slammed into me. I blinked at her before looking down at my hands.

"You think I can?" I glanced up at her, feeling suddenly unsure of myself and she nodded.

"The Oracles are never wrong, Lacey." She waved her hand and the door to the study opened. "Claim what is yours." I looked between the door and her before I bolted for her, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." I held her tightly as her arms wrapped around me as well. My heart thudded heavy and hard in my chest as I released her and turned towards the door.

"This time is different, Lacey, show him the power Rowena lacked, bring that King to his knees." My mother's parting words bolstered me and I lifted my chin high as I left the study and headed for the front door.

Fate wasn't leading me to my end but rather to the end of my old life. Novis was dead and I wanted to smile when I realized it was better that way.