The Bewitching - Midsummer Aine - Book 2

Chapter 34 - Giving In & Letting Go

Elyssa sat on her bed, her eyes fixated on the window as she stared out into the night sky. The stars didn't seem quite as bright as usual, and they hadn't for the last week since the incident with Aine. She wondered if maybe each of their souls was in some way connected to the stars, with the good one's making them shine just a little bit brighter. With the loss of Dewdrop, their glimmer just wouldn't be the same.

She hadn't heard from any of the others since that night. Annette and Alicia were angry, and likely felt betrayed. She wasn't sure when she'd hear from them again, or how they'd treat her when she did. Although, even if they were angry at her, she'd welcome their wrath just to see them again. They were her balance, the ones that made her feel sane in this twisted, mystical life she had been pulled into.

Shannon too had abandoned her. One of her few friends that was a reminder of all the normal things she had once known, an anchor to the feelings of a normal person, and also a bridge to her new life as a witch, was gone. She blamed Elyssa for the loss of Dewdrop, and the path to forgiveness would likely be a long, hard road to walk. There was no telling how long that road would be, or even if it had an end.

Finally there was Dantes. He too had disappeared since that night, although his reasons seemed less clear. She knew that a part of him must have been angry at her for what she had done to save him, although if he was he never expressed it. He instead had gone quiet that night, as if lost in some deep turmoil and unable to decide just how to react. Then, without a word, he just disappeared as if he was never there. She couldn't think of a more painful way to end things, to not even know what he was feeling, or if she'd ever cross paths with him again.

He had been the only one that night that saw how the spell from the black book had effected her, and the price she had paid for casting it. By the time she looked up at the others, whatever physical transformation showed upon her face had vanished. She could feel it though, and they sensed it too. Something about her wasn't right, regardless of how normal she had appeared. Whatever it was, it was lying dormant, as if waiting for the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc upon her life.

She knew from her premonition that things would get worse, she just never expected the outcome to be this painful. Maybe if it had been more clear on what was to come, or in exactly which way it would play out, she could have prepared herself. Instead, she was stuck with merely an idea and a small sense of feeling for what would be the future, leaving the impact for her to experience in its agonizing entirety when it finally happened.

Staring out the window, and feeling the sharp pangs of loneliness and remorse, a sudden pain swept through her gut. A moment later she was doubled over as the pain turned to a blistering heat that began to sweep across her body.

She turned her gaze to the mirror, and cringed at the sight of herself. Her skin resembled that of rock splitting apart, with bright cracks of red light. As the light slowly dimmed down, it revealed her skin that was now much paler than usual. Her eyes too had undergone a change, now glowing a dull aqua blue color. She felt a dull pain in her upper back, which slowly subsided after a few seconds had passed.

Whatever she was experiencing, it had gotten worse as the week had progressed, and each time it lasted longer than the last. Along with this change, her magical powers had begun to disappear. Even simple spells had become draining and difficult to cast. Whatever backlash the spell from the black book had caused, it wasn't a pleasant one.

Worst of all were the cravings. She could feel a hunger building up inside of her, wanting to be fed. It was a need to devour, almost in desperation. There was also something else, another feeling within that desperation. It was a longing to be wanted, to be held and loved. In some ways it reminded her of the feelings of loneliness she had experienced upon her first dreams of Dantes, but they were amplified a hundred times over.