Chapter 71 71

Chapter 71 71
It was dark. Everywhere was pitch black. She could feel everything: the cold devouring her skin and the endless torment of pain deep in her bones.

She was breathing loudly and heavily. Her cries echoed in the empty air. She felt a mixture of several emotions burning through her, literally.

Another painful scream escaped her lungs. She felt suffocated.

Aderyn tried to wiggle her way free but felt constrained.

She really had no idea what was happening to her. She couldn't think. All she felt now was the burning flames that traveled her whole body.

She kept on screaming. She was in pain—a lot of it. The earth vibrated furiously. She could feel it: the loud trembling of the earth, as if it was in pain too. Even the wind was evermore restless. Though in her torment, she could feel everything—the chaos, the screams, and the pains that bubbled up within her. She felt it all, but she couldn't stop it. Aderyn wasn't even in control of herself.

She heard distant cries around, but she couldn't open her eyes. Neither could she halt the foreign tumult that crazed her insides.

She was in distraught.

"We need to contain her. Hurry!" a woman's voice yelled. Aderyn felt the rush of a presence beside her.

"Aderyn. Please, you have to be in control. We can't contain it any longer," another voice cried out.

She couldn't understand anything. Her eyes were shut closed. 'Where was she?' she thought as loud chanting rose around her. The voices kept growing and growing, and unfortunately, so was the tumult in her body.

"Arghhhh!!!" Again, she screamed loudly. She couldn't contain it. At her outburst, she felt a strong whooshing of energy surround her.

The earth shook in much more anger; there was a strong windy chaos. She felt the rough swaying of the wind as she kept screaming out all the pain. Finally, her eyes pushed open and a blue fire awakened, escaping from her eyes.

She couldn't move a muscle. She adjusted her eyes, noticing she wasn't in her room, nor at the mansion, nor at the open field she had awoken in earlier, but she recognized this place: the witches' quarters.

Her breathing intensified at the sight around her. She was laying on the floor with several burning red candles surrounding her.

The red flames somehow transformed into blue flames the instant she laid her eyes on them. They burned brightly, the blue flames breaking out of the wax confinement. Soon the blue fire circled her as if protecting her from the disaster outside the circle. She laid on the floor, not in control of her own body.

Aderyn tried gaining hold of her body but just couldn't. She felt an immense amount of energy pin her down to the cold trembling ground, which shook violently, threatening to open up and swallow everything and everyone standing on it.

"Aderyn!?" Celeste spoke to her. "You must be calm. Everything is reacting to your every emotion."

She felt as if her body would melt from the burning flames that consumed her internally. She really tried to stay calm, but it now seemed calmness was an impossible fruit she couldn't attain.

She saw the loud hissing wind form a dangerous-looking tornado within the witch courtyard.

Instantly she snapped at the sight of the witches getting hurt. Some were thrown about by the fierce wind. Some laid unmoving on the floor; others tried holding on to something. A guilty thought settled in her.

The windy storm grew into a hurricane. The sky's watery mouth allowed frosty red daggers of water to fall from it. The blue fire that surrounded her escaped and scattered throughout the witches' court, setting the place on fire.

The earth around shook more in defiance as the elements of nature's magic operated at her every emotion.

"Aderyn! Stop!"

"I'm trying!" she yelled back in frustration, seeing the effect of whatever was happening to her. The ground trembled again; this time more cracks appeared, spreading throughout the whole witch quarters, and from the looks of it, it might have extended throughout the pack.

"I can't!" she uttered screamingly, again frustrated. She didn't know what was wrong with her or what on earth she could do to stop all this.

Aderyn tried and kept on trying, even though she was exhausted and completely worn out. Worst of all, she couldn't seem to get out from this circle the blue fire had made.

"Arrggh!!!" More wails filled the dark, stormy air that also whooshed loudly around.

Her heartbeat hammered hard against her chest as she watched the total destruction around. The red frosty daggers of water the sky released in its own fury covered the earth, or what was left of it. The dark sky also had reddish clouds.

The earth had begun to crack more, sinking in everything.

Aderyn stood there, gazing at the total horrible sight.

Her heart drummed fiercely in her ears, and Aderyn's breath became even more deep and shallow. She tried her hardest to calm down the fit going on in her body, but it wasn't working. It was as if she had no say nor authority over her being. It was as if both her mind, body, and magic had carved three separate identities for themselves. This was outrageous. As much as she was confused and wanted an immediate answer to the maddening storm inside of her, she didn't want to see anyone hurt—not the pack, not the witches.

She stood still; firmness and a strict degree of determination found her deep blue gaze. Her eyes shut close as she tried taming a different side of her that seemed to want freedom.

Seeing her actions and the little calming of the earth's trembling, the wind's furious fleeting, the sky that cried reddish waters, even the blue fires that stood around her were sheathing their blazing flame.

The witches quickly got their balance. Without much words being said, Celeste nodded at Valerie and the remaining witches. Instantly they formed a tight circle and began chanting more vigorously and loudly than before. The more they chanted, they moved closer to Aderyn, pacifying the effect of her magic and also helping her reclaim what little tranquility she could.

Aderyn managed to calm the storm, and the sky closed up its mouth. The earth withdrew its murderous trembling, but the blue fire remained, burning just a little around her.

Valerie broke out of the witches' circle, moving to her. Her slender hands quickly cupped Aderyn's worn-out face.

Valerie began chanting slowly, casting a spell to keep the growing tumult inside of her at bay.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" came Aderyn's frail voice as she struggled for air.

"Breathe..." Valerie guided her; worry and concern filled her eyes as she watched the burning blue fire that consumed Aderyn's eyes.

"It's starting again!" she yelled over her shoulders to the witches, who were still focused, chanting, trying to pacify the outburst of her magic. The witches channeled their energy and magic, but all still couldn't as much match up with the strong overwhelming aura that emitted from Aderyn.

Valerie's hands never left Aderyn's face.

"Get away from me!" Aderyn roared in fear of hurting her; a whooshing energy escaped her dry throat. She could feel the heat that boiled in her stomach. Its intensity kept on rising to her throat, burning its way up to her mouth. "Leave now!" Aderyn screamed again; she could feel the hell that would soon escape her as it could now be felt on her tongue.

"GET AWAY!" Aderyn yelled. Blazing blue fire escaped her mouth uncontrollably the second she opened her mouth. Its flames directed at everything in her path. Before its blazing fire could settle on Valerie, with just a flip of her finger, Aderyn pushed Valerie out of the path as her blazing blue fire screamed hell.

Her eyes shined blue, complimenting the blue flames. She felt herself and the control she once had on her body slip away. Before she finally lost it all, unexpectedly, someone's strong hands grabbed her wrist from behind. A tingling sensation exploded at her wrist, quickly spreading its sparks around her, breaking through the burning flames that had her body.

The moment Aderyn turned, her burning blue eyes fell on Dylan, and he stared back for a half-full second before pulling her deep into his large, perfect arms. Instantly, the flames in her died, but her body shuddered at the coldness that also wanted her. Dylan held her tightly, protectively, as if daring even the devil to come closer to her.

"Amuros ecxelliz," Celeste blew on her from behind. The chanted words sent her to sleep before she awakened again. "This will make her asleep for a few minutes; if we are lucky, an hour," she told Dylan.

"I've never seen something like this before. What's happening to her?" His hold on her tightened.

"It's her awakening."

"What?"

"It's a long story. I myself haven't witnessed anything like this. But unless she gains control, she's a danger to herself and everyone around."

Dylan's eyes drifted to Aderyn's pale face. He could see the tiredness that was visible on her face. Celeste nodded at him before moving away.

She turned to the Coven. "Begin the preparation. We need to hurry before the Luna wakes up. She needs to be ready for the ritual.”