Chapter 22 22

Chapter 22 22
Chloe’s POV

“I call thee back, rise, Queen Lacey,” The medicine man croaked as he sprinkled burnt sage all over Lacey’s body.
She lay across the bed, her face white as snow and on her forehead formed beads of sweat.
Candles were decorated all over the bed like they were trying to keep her spirit warm.
She appeared to be unconscious but her body still jerked like she was fighting an internal battle.
I leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and I looked extremely bored. I'd been here for the past hour waiting for her to regain consciousness, or maybe deep down, I just wanted to make sure she was fine.
I observed as the medicine kept trying to revive her spirit or heal her.

The scent of herbs wafted into my nostrils. I was beginning to get sickened by the smell.
“What's going on?” I asked him, and he turned to face me. His gaze looked sad and concerned.

“Lacey is in a deep trance,” he said, staring at her pale body.
“Why? She was fine an hour ago…”I questioned.
“She tampered with something dangerous, now her spirit has to suffer for it…”
“I don’t understand …”

“I don't know much, I just know that she would be fine but it would take time before she gets out of the trance.”

I swallowed hard, taking a step closer as I glared at my sister's almost lifeless body. “Will she make it out alive?”I asked, trying to sound as cold and detached as I could.
He let out a sigh, “I can’t promise but she isn’t doing well, she’s fighting really hard for her life but whatever she indulged in is far too deep inside of her and it’s really for her to get out of.”
I wondered what Lacey must have done that got her into this problem. I knew she had always been the difficult and bold twin, but then I couldn’t figure out what she could have done that would keep her in this position.

I rolled my eyes straightening, “I hope your Luna gets better, because when she wakes up, she better be ready to face me, we still have unfinished business.”I said with a smile playing on my lips.
Whatever happened was none of my business and I’m sure this surprised the medicine man because he was shocked. I'd say this about my own twin sister. “Yes, my lady.” He bowed curtly, returning to appease her spirit with chants and songs.

“Let’s leave, Antonio,” I said, turning to Antonio, as we both stormed out of the villa.

As soon as we stepped out of the villa, the sun had already set and the horses were tied to the tree waiting for us patiently.
We both climbed onto our horses and prepared to leap when I felt Antonio’s intense gaze. They were filled with so many unanswered questions.
“What is it, Antonio?” I asked.
“Not like I care but is she going to survive this?” he asked.
“Well, what can I say? The medicine man said she’s in a painful trance, anything could go wrong, this is like a 50- 50 situation.” I said with a shrug.

He tilted his head backward. “Are you truly unbothered about your sister's health or are you just pretending to be?”
I rolled my eyes, rubbing my horse's back, giving Antonio a sharp look.

“To be honest, I don’t know what to believe, my sister is a drama queen, she likes attention, in fact she feasts on it,” I paused, glancing back at the villa. “I don’t know what’s real? Did she faint just to escape me? Or was this real?”
A smirk played on his lips, “Supposing she is truly sick, what could have put her in this condition?”

“I have no idea, Antonio, but whatever it is? I don’t want to get involved in it, that’s her trouble to carry.” I mumbled under my breath tightening the reins around the horse,
“You are right, it’s none of our business.”
“Hyah!” I yelled as we both rode back to the pack villa but all through the journey the thought of what happened to Lacey couldn’t get off my mind, no matter how much I tried not to be concerned she was still my twin and wherever she happened to her somehow affected me.
Finally, we arrived at the villa and the guards opened the great iron gates.
We met Alpha again seated on his iron throne, he looked elegant in his silver robe, his fingers drummed against the armrest as he waited for us patiently.
He didn’t look in my direction once; his gaze was fixed on Antonio.
“Welcome, Antonio, would you mind telling me where you both went without the permission of your Alpha?” He asked, his voice rumbling like thunder.

Antonio's lips parted about to defend me as always but I stepped forward going on my knees. “My lord, it was all my fault, I begged Antonio to accompany me only to see my sister in her villa.”
Cain straightened in his seat, “Why are you back there again? I thought your business with her was over!”
I scrunched my nose in disgust as I looked away. “ I wished I didn’t have to return to that damned place, but I had reason to believe Lacey was connected to the archer who attacked me a few days ago. I wanted to confirm if the claim was right or wrong.”
He nodded, smiling to himself like I’d just cracked a joke but that was his way of suppressing anger when he felt disrespected. He fixed his gaze on mine. “And, did you solve the case?”
“No father,” I began, rising to my feet. “As soon as she lay eyes on me she slumped and now she’s bedridden, the medicine man says she’s trapped in a dangerous trance, we don’t know why this is so, Alpha.”

Alpha Cain went silent for a few seconds like he was trying to process my words, then he let out a deep breath. “Next time, don’t leave without informing me, is that understood?”
I nod, “Yes, Alpha.”
“When are we going to attack the witches?” Antonio’s voice cut in.
“The moon goddess will decide that, for now I believe she wants us to wait till the right time.” Alpha Cain said.

Just as I was about to ask another question, the door burst open and two guards walked in, “Alpha! We’ve captured two witches.
“Bring them in!” Cain ordered.
”Cain’s head snapped up. “Bring them in.”

Immediately I felt my heart skip a beat, a minute later the guards dragged in two females; a woman with silver hair and a ragged black dress, and a girl who couldn’t have been older than thirteen.
They looked scared and tattered, the guards forced them to their knees. Alpha Cain squinted his eyes gazing at them. “Who are these people?” He asked.

The older woman lifted her head at the king, smiling evilly as she began to speak strange words, in my life I’d never heard such language before it sounded ancient and false.
“What's she saying?” I asked.
“She’s chanting spells,” Antonio muttered, drawing out his sword. “She needs to be stopped or she’d lay a curse on us, not like we believe in it but still she seems dangerous.”

“It's too late!” the witch said, staring directly at me, “It's too late for you, you reek of hate and bitterness, revenge is the air that you breathe.”

“I asked a question, what do you want? Who sent you?”Alpha Cain asked, stepping forward, hands resting on his sword.

She ignored the Alpha and her chant, grew louder and her voice almost deafened everyone in the room. The guards tried to hold her but she seemed too hot to touch. It was like she had been soaked in a bowl of fire.
There was something about the words she spoke that affected me.

Then she fully turned to stare at me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, “And your end shall be celebrated! Your revenge shall be your end!”
I couldn't speak, it was like my tongue was tied by an invisible string.

The guards tried to shut her up or pull her down but she wouldn't be silenced, the little girl couldn't stop crying.
Instantly my vision blurred as I felt a weird pass through my spine. It almost weakened my limbs but I struggled to stand still.
“Your rage, your bitterness shall lead to your end,” she gasped as the guards tried to keep her down but she fought with so much great strength like only a wolf would.
“Your end is near….” She was cut short as an arrow piercing her chest, immediately I felt relieved, I turned to see Antonio holding the bow.
I watched her slump to the ground and even in her dying moment her eyes never left mine.
Her lips still quivered as she tried to speak; “Your end is….your end is….”
And just like that her eyes closed, the little girl beside her won't stop sobbing.

Deep down I wished I knew what she meant by my end was near.
“Take the little girl into the special basement, we’ll question her later.”