Chapter 43 43
Rhylie’s POV
I could feel the deaf silence of the witches’ chamber leaving a cold, unsettling feeling in my stomach. The voice, the one that whispered through the darkness, hadn’t been part of the spell. It was something else, something ancient and far more dangerous than I had anticipated.
I took a shaky breath, staring at the altar in front of me, the blinking candlelight. My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the table, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
“What was that?” I whispered to myself, feeling the pulse of magic still lingering in the air. The ritual had been interrupted, but the dark magic was still moving around me, suffocating, waiting for me to make a decision.
I glanced down at the book in front of me, the forbidden spell I had begun still open, the blood from my earlier incantation drying on the page. My mind was racing, fear battling with my desperate need to keep Zane. The voice had been a warning, one I should have heeded, but I couldn’t afford to stop now.
The bond between Zane and Scarlett was growing stronger by the day, and if I didn’t act soon, I would lose him forever. I couldn’t let that happen.
I wouldn’t let that happen.
I took another breath, forcing the fear back down as I reached for the book once more. The darkness in the room seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat, the shadows growing longer as I prepared to continue the ritual. Whatever that voice was, it didn’t matter. I was stronger than any curse, stronger than the magic that tried to stop me.
The power I sought was dangerous, yes, but it was my only option. I had already sacrificed so much of my time, my magic, my very soul to keep Zane. There was no going back now. If I didn’t finish what I started, everything would be lost.
“Rhylie,” Kiana’s voice cut through the silence, startling me. I hadn’t heard her enter the room. She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear. “What are you doing? You can’t go through with this. It’s too dangerous.”
I spun around, glaring at her. “You don’t understand,” I snapped, my voice trembling with anger and desperation. “I have no choice. If I don’t do this, I’ll lose him. Scarlett will take him from me, and I can’t let that happen, and I won't get to be stronger than ever”
Kiana hesitated, her eyes staring toward the open book on the altar. “This magic... it’s not worth the price, Rhylie. You’ve already gone too far.”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought back the rising panic. “I haven’t gone far enough,” I hissed, stepping closer to her. “You think you know everything, but you don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to love someone so much that you’d do anything to keep them, I know I want more than love, but either way love or power, I need Zane to be mine completely”
Kiana swallowed hard, her gaze pleading. “Rhylie, please. This isn’t you. You don’t need to use dark magic to make Zane love you.”
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Love? He doesn’t love me, Kiana. Not like he loves her. That’s why I have to do this. I have to make sure that bond never takes root, and I'm not doing this for love alone okay”
Kiana’s eyes filled with tears, but I didn’t care. She didn’t understand. She didn’t know what it was like to have everything slipping through her fingers, to see the man she loved fall for someone else right before her eyes or not get what you wanted, Kiana was little when everything happened, I sought revenge but I fell In Love and now the love I got is slipping out of my hands, no way will I let that happen
“I won’t let her win,” I growled, turning back to the altar. “I’ve come too far to stop now.”
Kiana took a step forward, her voice desperate. “Rhylie, if you keep going down this path, you’ll lose more than Zane. You’ll lose yourself.”
Her words hit me like a physical blow, and for a brief moment, I hesitated. Was she right? Was I losing myself in this madness? I had been so consumed by my need to keep Zane that I hadn’t stopped to think about the consequences of my actions.
But then, the darkness in the room seemed to close in around me, the magic pulling at me, whispering promises of power and control. It told me I was right. It told me that this was the only way.
I closed my eyes, letting the pull of the dark magic take hold. “No,” I whispered. “This is the only way.”
I turned back to Kiana, my eyes blazing with determination. “If you’re not going to help me, then get out, and keep the witches busy, you have a ritual…if you aren't there they will suspect something is going on here, so return to the witch’s forest”
Kiana’s face paled, her eyes wide with shock and fear. “Rhylie...”
“GET OUT!” I screamed, my voice loud enough for her to hear but quiet to the outside world.
Kiana flinched, taking a step back before turning and running from the room, her footsteps fading into the distance. I stood there, breathing heavily, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.
When I was sure she was gone, I turned back to the altar. The book of forbidden spells lay open before me, the ancient text practically humming with power. The dark magic was waiting for me to give in completely, to sacrifice whatever was left of my soul in exchange for the power I craved.
I stared at the blood-soaked pages, my hands trembling as I reached for the dagger lying next to the book. The ritual required more than just words, it required a part of me. A part of my essence. A piece of my soul.
I raised the dagger to my palm, hesitating only for a moment before I sliced the blade across my skin, the sharp pain quickly giving way to the warm rush of blood. I held my hand over the book, letting the blood drip onto the page, sealing the spell with my sacrifice.
As the blood soaked into the paper, I felt the power flow through me, stronger than anything I had ever felt before. The shadows in the room seemed to come alive, wrapping themselves around me and filling me with the dark energy I had been craving.
A low voice different from the one before whispered in my ear, its tone smooth and seductive. “You’ve done well, little witch. The bond is yours to control, the power is yours, Zane will be yours, and Scarlett will fall.
A shiver ran down my spine as the voice continued, its words filled with promises and lies. But I didn’t care. All I cared about was the power. I could feel the bond between Zane and me strengthening, tightening like a rope around his neck.
Scarlett wouldn’t stand a chance.
The room grew colder, the flames on the candles flickering and dimming as the shadows deepened. I could feel the darkness wrapping itself around my heart, squeezing tight until I could hardly breathe. But I didn’t care. I welcomed it.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roar of the magic. “I’ll sacrifice whatever I have to. Just give me the power to keep him and get what I want”.
The voice laughed softly, the sound sending chills down my spine. “As you wish, little witch. But remember, every spell comes with a price. And when the time comes, you will pay for it.”
I nodded, barely hearing the warning as the power rushed through me, filling every corner of my being. I didn’t care about the cost. I didn’t care what I had to sacrifice. All that mattered was keeping Zane.
And I would stop at nothing to make sure he stayed mine.