Thirty Six
Thirty Six
Silas POV:
I can feel myself going somewhere. Maybe it was death and I was finally dying. Wouldn't that be a sight. I'm on some type of hospital gurney and I'm being brought to the medical wing. A charade of people are all around me speaking quickly. They are trying to keep me awake. I see lights flashing above my eyes. I feel like I hear her voice again.
Anna.
My sweet Anna.
Memories flood my mind as I briefly hear someone say, "we're losing him." My eyes briefly roll back into my head and I'm back at the bar, I'm back with my sweet Anna.
Twenty years ago:
Pov: Anna
I hadn't been able to sleep in three days, I desperately wanted and needed sleep. I had tried herbs and meditation and spell work. No matter what I did I could not go to sleep. This was the hot season and I was sweating to death in my room inside the coven house. My sisters seemed to all be fine with this never ending heat but not me. I was slowly dying. When I wasn't overheating I was dreaming of a man with tattoos all over his arms and some that swirled onto his face with hair so silver the moon must have made. I dreamt of his laugh, of him standing over me eyes sparkling with mischief. I walk over to my window and wonder where this silver haired man is. I three crows in the distance cawing. A shiver runs through me, and I start to have a vision.
Inside my mind's eyes I see a portal to the fae world open, I see the silver haired man being dragged into it. I see Hilda smirking with an unsettled look on her face. She seems happy that this man is being dragged into the portal. The vision shifts and he’s over me, inside of me whispering sweet nothings, and then I see fire falling from the sky. I see destruction and death, I see a pack of wolves being slaughtered. My vision twists once more a young girl brings light from her hands, she’s weaving magic and healing wolves. My hands shake as I watch her on a battlefield that hasn’t come to pass yet. I know this girl. I must find this silver haired man.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The warning bell is being called, witch hunters have found us. The bell brings me out of my vision. Last week I dreamt of the coven collapsing, of our house being burned to the ground. I race out of my room as I meet my other sisters in the hall. Hilda, our high priestess, is screaming. “Sisters! Run. They have found us.”
I don’t hesitate. The number one rule with the witches of the wood is save yourself and live to fight another day if we must run, run. Too many witches have been burned. I race down the stairs and out of the house. I see some witches have gathered to form a protective circle around the cabin. I crouch behind a bush trying to hold my breath. I don’t want my sisters hurt. I hear my sister scream “praesidium” a shield is weaved in front but hunters have circled around the back, fire torches in hand. My vision, it’s happening. I hold back a scream as I watch them torch our beloved home. The hunters set fire to everything. Another weave is cast and this one sends the hunters away as golden light surrounds our home, but it does not stop the fire. Our house in the woods for now is gone. Dead.
Some witches hide with them as I catch their weaves being cast to signal it’s time to run deeper into the woods. I hear their footsteps crunching in the woods one by one disappearing. I’m torn about whether I should go with them or not. Suddenly more witch hunters appear. This time they had brought a damn army. We need to find a champion that can help us. I need to find the silver haired man. I need some fucking sleep. Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I watch in horror as witch hunters surround three witches that were trying to protect our home. They cast spells but a noise that sounds like death screaming takes out their weaves. The hunters take large thick rattling chains and swing them in the air, capturing and killing all three witches. My sisters had tried to run but as soon as they turned they were captured and beheaded.
I stifle more cries. My legs and arms can’t move but I take deep steadying breaths and begin to run. I hear witch hunters screaming behind me, “one survived grab her.” Oh, shit they have seen me.
I run and run, beginning anything magical that still lives in these woods to help me. “Praesidium” I scream as I place my hands onto the forest- trees unroot themselves and begin to slowly come alive shielding me from hunters. Their cracks and groans move around me making the ground unstable. I trip and fall dirt going under my nails, fighting to get up. I run as I hear daggers being thrown towards me. One lands directly next to me scratching my face. Blood pools into my hands. Fuckkk.
I can’t look back as I smell the smoke. They have lit the sacred trees on fire. I run until I get to the edge of a cliff, water rushing down. I'll either die here or die by a hunter's hands. I’m choosing to die my way. Fuck these hunters. I’m prepared to jump into the water if I must. Right before I can jump I hear those fucking chains.
Deep breaths Anna I tell myself you can do this. Two feet step out from the bushes. His smell is what comes for me first. “Hello you disgusting bitch I’ve got you now.”
My eye brows go straight up. This isn’t a human hunter, this man is Fae. Short silver hair with spider web tattoos cover his arms. “You don’t look like any human witch hunter I’ve ever met.” I state the obvious as I inch closer to the edge of the cliff. Water waits to greet me.
His smile is unsettling. “No, I’m not a human, my species is far better than yours or humans. I’m Draco and I’d like to make you an offer you shouldn’t refuse. Join me Witch of the woods and I’ll make your every desire come true.”
I scoff. “You just fucking killed my sisters you psycho hell will freeze over before I ever want a Fae bitch boy as anything in my life.”
His hand grips the chain and the look in his eyes screams diabolical and hate and he steps forward. I immediately have decided I’ll die now. I jump off the cliff and pray to the witch goddess.”Please don’t let me die.”