Part 44

"Wait a minute, what are you talking about?" Amrin spoke out, trying to process the information that was being thrown at her while her eyebrows knitted together.Terra leaned forward, drawing a slow, deliberate breath before she began, her gaze sweeping across each of us gathered in the dimly lit room. "Sophia, that girl we're all wondering about, she's got herself a pocketful of dark magic," Terra revealed, her voice hushed yet laden with a quiet intensity that immediately caught our attention.I felt my jaw drop involuntarily. "Hold on a moment, are you telling me she's got some sort of dark mojo going on?"Terra nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "Trust me, when I brushed against her hand, I felt it."Jasmin, leaning against the windowsill with a thoughtful expression, chimed in. "So, what do we do now? Are we looking to ship her back to the realm of vampires?"Amrin's voice sliced through the air like a dagger. "Hold on guys. We can't just jump into that decision. If we kick her out and she spills about us to the vampire king, we're toast.""That's right," I said, my mind already spinning with thoughts.Terra leaned back, her fingers tracing an intricate pattern on the table's surface as she continued. "Her dark powers should not be taken lightly, guys. We need to learn more about her before making any rash decisions. We don't even know what she's after, why she's lurking around."Lyn, who had been listening intently, leaned forward with a raised finger. "What if we imprison her? You know, just until we're sure about her intentions."

"We can't do that. We don't have any idea about what she is capable of."

The air grew heavy around us. "Hold on," Lyn interjected, "there's something I've heard – rumours of a girl with cataclysmic powers. A living wrecking ball practically razed her hometown to the ground when she was just five years old. I never saw her but heard Witches have been watching over her. I am not sure if she is the one because every single witch in the vampire land practises dark magic and this story just popped into my mind because the king summoned all the young witches from her town to catch you.""How do we find out what kind of magic she can do?" Amrin asked. the question hung in the air."I will talk to Queen Irna about this. I think she will have some answers." They all nodded in response.I found myself strolling through the palace corridors to find her. I stopped a maid who passed by and asked about the queen. She said the queen was in the garden. I quickened my pace and went to the garden where I found Queen Irna in a casual attire, not in her usual formal gown. "Hello, Kristen," she greeted me in a gentle tone with a smile.I greeted her back and joined her, my fingers wrapping around the watering can. "Queen Irna, there's something on my mind..."She paused, her gaze piercing through me. "You're fretting over the girl. Worry not. At this moment, she's no more than a flicker in the dark, not yet ready to hurt anyone."I was taken aback by her words, and my curiosity piqued. "But what about her dark powers? What are we supposed to do?"The Queen's lips curled into an enigmatic smile. "Oh, my dear, don't be worried. Time will reveal her purpose until then just play along." She said with a confident smile and left. I let out a sigh and continued watering the remaining plants before leaving.Dread was making my stomach gurgle unpleasantly. The corridor was mostly empty and my sneakers made little tapping noise that sounded loud in the stillness. I hesitated when I saw Sophia standing alone in the corridor looking at something with a smile on her face. I followed her eyes and saw Stanley training with his friends. The way he enjoyed fighting brought a smile to my face but when I saw Sophia my expression turned into stone. She was looking at him with passionate eyes. Her eyes were literally glowing and the look on her face was nothing like she was watching a stranger. She was admiring him and this is the second time it didn't sit well with me.At first, I thought maybe she didn't know about me and Stanley but then when we went out her eyes stuck on him and she tried to avoid me most of the time. I knew I was feeling jealous and reacting in a silly way. The sound of the swords washed over me when I took the stairs and walked over to him. There were three people in the centre ring this time. A huge black man with thick knotted hair reached his hips and body covered with tattoos. The other one was a man with blonde hair, heavily built with a sharp jawline sparred with Stanley fiercely. There was an old man from the council shouting out different commands and holding his sword in different ways while giving instructions. There were a bunch of guys and my friends stood among the crowd watching Stanley fight. I stared at him, fascinated."Kristen!" Terra was running towards me over the grass, her face was bright with excitement. She was breathing heavily. "Are you here to watch the training?""Yes," I said smiling and ran along with her to the other side to get a clear view. I saw Sophia from the corner of my eyes and she was still rooted in her spot on the corridor and had her eyes only for Stanley which irked me.With one last swing both the guys who were sparring with Stanley flew a few meters away with one blow of his sword. It made my stomach flutter wondering if there is anything this guy can't do. A blush formed on my cheeks when our eyes met. he smiled ear to ear and came to me. "Why are you blushing?" He asked in a flirty tone. I quickly covered my cheeks with both hands and smiled. "I am not it's the cold." I lied. He laughed and took my hand in his. The girls around me quietly giggled looking at the way I am making a fool out of myself.Kristen! Sophia's voice broke our small romantic moment. The way she called out my name was not pleasant. There was a hint of jealousy in her tone.Her expression changed and she gave a tight smile trying her best to look cool. "Are you going to train?" She asked looking at me and Stanley with a fake smile on her face. When she didn't get an answer from me she turned her attention to Stanley."That is a really cool sword." She said pointing at Stanley's sword. He just smiled and thanked her."I don't know when was the last time I trained with a sword. I really miss those times." She said looking at him."Oh, do you like a sword fight?" He asked her curiously."Yes, very much." She replied almost instantly."Okay, pick one." He said in an encouraging way. My hands were shaking and I clenched them into a fist at my sides, angry at the way she was making a move on him right in front of me. There were swords of every size and shape. She picked a long, slim blade with a silver tassel. She looked excited which made Stanley smile at her widely. "That was a great choice." "You can train with them." He said pointing towards his friends who were sparring with their partners. Her face fell instantly.She looked at him with brow creased together. "I don't know anyone here except Kristen. I was watching the way you fight and it was really inspiring. Can you teach me some moves if you don't mind?" She asked him with the worst puppy face she could make. When she spoke her tone changed into the one of a helpless mouse. He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled. I arched a brow at his expression. Like seriously do you find that cute? I thought."Okay, I will show you a few." He said and picked up his sword stepping into the ring. Her eyes were glowing once again and they both didn't give a second glance at me. The thought of him touching her made my skin prickle and my throat tight.He stood behind her and gave her instructions. "Stretch your hands and distribute the balance on each hand evenly. He touched her hand to guide her posture and showed her the way to swing. He touched her waist and corrected the way she rotated her body. I had to clench my teeth together to keep myself from screaming at him. Her sword was flowing smoothly as he guided her. I saw her having a huge grin on her face when he looked at her."I get a rough idea now about what she wants," Terra spoke in my head. I jerked my head and looked in her direction while her eyes were focused on Sophia. I heard a thud sound and when I turned my head I saw Sophia on the ground with a cut in her palm. Stanley dropped his sword and quickly went to her side and held her hand in his. "Are you okay?" He asked examining the cut. She hissed in pain but had her eyes on him. My heart was beating out in my ears and my hands started to shake in anger. Something in my gut said that she was trying to get close to him.I glowered at her when Stanley was healing her hand. She looked at me with a smug look on her face and gave me an evil smile as if she is trying to challenge me. I glared at her and moved to the ring. well, you started it. I thought and picked her up off the floor forcefully. She flinched at my touch like a fragile girl. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Kristen, what are you doing? She is hurt." Stanley said in a scolding tone when he saw me manhandling her.I leaned in closer, my gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that matched the seriousness of my words. "The last thing you want to do in a fight is to shut your eyes. You'll be dead even before you know it." I told her in a threatening way, indirectly asking her to back off. It was a direct challenge, a silent dare for her to back down before things escalated further."Pick up your sword." I challenged her with my eyes. Stanley moved to intervene, but I silenced him with a raised palm, signalling for him to hold his words. With cautious steps, he distanced himself, his watchful eyes fixed on us. Her fingers reluctantly curled around the hilt of her sword and took glances at him. Her attention wavered, and I seized the opportunity. In a swift, fluid motion, I swung my sword, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp hiss. Before she could fully comprehend, it cleaved into her right arm. A yelp of pain tore from her lips, and her glare intensified as her focus shifted back to me."Point to note. The attacker will not give you a warning before they hit you." I stood firmly on the ground twisting my wrist and swung my sword while taking a step back. "I'll show you how to block. Come at me." I said with a mean smile which made her angry. She made no effort to hide her expression and her eyes were filled with hatred when she positioned herself in front of me.I raised my left eyebrow at her with a smile."You want to fight me?" She asked in an evil tone.I snorted. I seriously doubt you'll land a blow. Just go for it." I provoked her."Very well. Just know you asked for it." She said in a venomous tone and swung her sword at her aiming for my face. I dodged it easily and the fight began. Terra and my other friends started to cheer for me while Stanly stood with a neutral expression and his arms crossed."Are you even trying?" I mocked her. She smirked at me before coming at me again with full force.Very well. I thought and met her sword mid-way. The fight was fierce and all her blow was aimed at my face like she wanted to ruin it. After a few blows it was getting a bit hard to fight her and it felt like she was channelling her powers. Suddenly a bolt of energy attacked me from her outstretched left arm and her sword pierced through my stomach. I gasped, tears stinging my eyes, the wound on my stomach burning from the inside out. Her voice was low when she spoke, "Not so confident anymore, are you?" She asked with a smirk.I tried to keep my voice from shaking while she pulled the sword out. "You are using magic.""Did anyone say not to?" She asked in a cold tone."You are not a match to me. I can hurt you if I want to you know." She said. I pulled away from her clutching my stomach where blood oozed out. She looked at me with a face cold and impassive. "There will be an ultimate battle between vampires and witches. If you're soft you won't survive." She said while circling me. I was frozen. I couldn't speak. When I looked around no one was moving as the time stopped. Her hand was still stretched in front of her. I realized she was using an illusion spell.She continued "You think you have it all while you are this delicate and getting pampered by everyone around you made your powers weak. She turned away from me, saying over her shoulder ''He is mine. I will make him mine."Part of me wanted to kill her with my powers. To show her where she belongs. I just watched her pull her powers back leaving me standing in the centre of the ring clutching my stomach with throbbing muscles aching all over my body. I turned and looked at Stanley who now came to my side. "What was that for? why did you attack her like that?" He asked in an angry tone while I was bleeding to death. "What are you talking about?" I asked him and looked at my stomach with wide eyes. The wound was not there, there was no blood as I examined closely and when I lifted my head I saw Stanley lifting Sophia off the ground bridal style as she clutched her stomach while blood seeped through her fingers. I couldn't understand how she managed to do that. Stanly glared at me one last time before taking her to the infirmary leaving me alone."That bitch." I said out loud when Terra ran to my side as they left."What happened?" She asked placing a hand on my shoulder. While others stood with confused expressions."I don't understand. She hurt me with her sword and threatened me just a minute ago and it still hurts but why does she seem injured?" I asked Terra, my confusion evident in my tone. Terra exchanged a glance with the others before fixing her gaze on me. "We saw you teaching her to attack, and then out of nowhere, you launched an attack on her."

We were wondering why would you do that?"

"No way, hold on," I interjected, lifting my shirt to show them the bluish bruise where she'd attacked me. Amrin leaned in for a closer look, and when her hand hovered over it, a sharp wince escaped me. She rolled her eyes back, muttering a spell under her breath. It felt like a tiny storm swirling around me.When she finally opened her eyes, they bore a grave expression. "Okay, this is more serious than I thought. We can't let this slide," She said looking at Terra."What do you mean?" My heart raced as I asked, feeling uneasy. Amrin's tone darkened. She used black magic on you, and you can still feel its effects. It must be eliminated before it spreads.Without wasting another second, the three of them positioned themselves around me, the elements of air, water, and fire intertwining like a protective bubble. Their voices merged into an incantation, aimed directly at me. The place crackled with energy, a white light penetrating my skin where her sword had struck. But then, a peculiar darkness, almost like fog, began to coil around me.Summoning my own powers, I fought back, pushing against the encroaching darkness. Amidst the struggle, a surge of determination to uncover Sophia's past coursed through me. My mind focused, and I willed the darkness to reveal her memories. At first, it resisted, pushing against my efforts, but slowly, our combined magic started to overpower it.As the darkness vanished I saw a vision. It was a memory, of Sophia with her grandmother. They were talking in hushed tones. Her grandmother held her hand tenderly, sharing some sort of prophecy with her. Words echoed in my head – "Blessed with two mates, choose wisely. The fate of many depends on you. Never succumb to darkness." And then, with an otherworldly air, her grandmother vanished. Sophia cried out in sorrow as she fell to her knees. But suddenly, she turned her gaze toward my direction, eyes glowing a fiery red. I retreated out of panic, cutting off my connection to the vision. As the chanting ceased, reality snapped back. I coughed, blood splattering my hand. I struggled to stay conscious as the place spun, but it was pointless. Darkness clouded my vision, and I slipped into unconsciousness.