Chapter 18 EIGHTEEN
I sucked in a sharp breath, watching mutely as he stepped forward, lifting the staff high into the air, lightning crackling in the narrow hallway; burning the carpet and destroying the portraits. Prince Bancroft barely had a chance to react as Berus sent the lightning barrelling towards me, aiming for my heart; his intention to kill me before he had even spoken to Silas.
I backed away another step, moving into a defensive stance as it hit, my power deflecting the attack; launching it into the ceiling as I gasped, some of the lightning breaking through, slamming me into the hard ground.
The ceiling buckled slightly, stone collapsing onto the ground between me and Berus, the thundering clap of the lightning almost deafening me.
I withered on the ground, an agonising pain shooting through my entire body as the lightning cracked across my skin, rendering me immobile.
The warlock laughed evilly, rearing his staff back to strike at me again, though this time Silas was ready, he blurred across the hall, a shadow was all that I could see before Berus crashed into the floor, his staff laid in pieces several feet away from him.
Tears slide down my cheeks as I choke on my own breath, my lungs unable to work through the pain.
Fuck. It hurts so bad.
Berus looked shocked that he was the one that was on the floor in pain as well as me. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like the prince protecting me.
“Now listen to me Berus, you were put under my charge by my Father, our King. This girl has a lot of potential but the way you have treated her so far will hamper any progress that could be made over the coming weeks. You will do things my way from now on.” Silas sternly said. “Her training will consist of her trying to gain a form of my choosing. You are not to attack her in anyway, except for training her powers. After you have trained her for 4 hours each day. Send her to me. This is a direct order!”
“Yes majesty.” Berus replied through gritted teeth, shooting me another look, one that promised me pain.
I tried to stand, though my entire form ached and whimpered in pain, the lightning only just ceasing to crack across my flesh.
i groaned, inhaling sharply as I attempted to move once more managing to move into a seated position on the floor; my thoughts slowing down. I was suddenly exhausted. So exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open.
The prince turned back to look at me as tears slipped from my eyes, our link only strengthening as time passed. I didn’t know how or why we had such a link, but I knew not to mention it out loud, Silas warning me silently that it would be a mistake to tell anyone that he did not trust; and that meant Berus.
“Berus, you can leave. Send Blanche to the girl’s room, she will train her today.” The Prince ordered, scowling at the old warlock.
The warlock nodded, turning on his heel and walking back down the hall the way he came, only glancing back at me once; though from the look in his eyes I knew that this would not be the last I hear of it.
I knew that he hated me, that he would do anything and everything in his power to make my existence hell; and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing I could say to make him change his mind. Tears flooded from my eyes, I didn’t understand why he was so mean, why he hated me when I had done nothing to deserve it, nothing that would justify such behaviour. I placed my head into my hands, sobbing quietly as the prince probed my mind, searching for the reason behind my sadness.
Silas knelt beside me, gently pulling my hands away from my face and grasping my chin; forcing me to look into his darkening eyes. I could sense a kind of anger in his thoughts, something protective and sour; as though I was something important to him. Yet, I knew different, I knew that he only wished to keep me safe so that he could use me in the coming war; perhaps that was why I was so important, why he protected me. I was his secret weapon.
“Why did you mask your ability to deflect an attack?” He asked me softly and I could feel him in my head, his voice calling out for the power; trying to get it to show. “You mustn't hide anything from me.”
I sighed, both within my mind and aloud. “I didn’t know how you’d react, but if I didn’t use it; I would be dead.”
“Yes, you would. I'm afraid I didn’t see the attack coming, and when I did, I saw your aura glowing; and I was curious to see what you would do. So, I decided not to step in and stop the attack.”
“But I could have died...”
“Yes, I know. But Berus is a necromancer, I could have forced him to bring you back.”
“That’s not the point, I heard people aren't the same when a necromancer brings them back. They are changed.”
“That is stupid. You would be exactly the same, except you would answer to him, he would have some control over your mind.”
“And is that what you want? You want me to answer to Berus?”
“No.” He growled, dragging me to my feet.
I yelped slightly, his grip tight on my left arm as he began dragging me down the hall; I could sense the fury in his mind, the thoughts that I was too disobedient and I shouldn’t talk back to a vampire. Especially not a vampire prince.
He growled again, throwing me over his shoulder, my stomach hitting his bone, making me queasy and sore. He thought I was walking too slow, he didn’t have time to mollycoddle me, he needed me to learn how to control my powers. He needed me to be obedient and quiet.
He couldn’t handle a disobedient witch, and he certainly didn’t want one under his command, he wanted me to be a good witch, one that would not question him. But I wasn’t sure I could do that; I wasn’t sure that I was docile enough to be what he wanted me to be, though I supposed that I didn’t really have a choice.
i never had a choice.