Chapter 212 - Chilling force

Chapter 212 - Chilling force
Amaia's POV
Serena's words echoed in my mind. I could sense the storm brewing in her, and I knew I needed to stay vigilant and to protect everything I held dear until the ordeal was over. She was determined to punish those who betrayed her. I was sure she would never stop until she had taken her revenge.
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" I asked Rieka. "Taking her magic would leave her with nothing. She will grow old and eventually die…."
"She'll be human," Rieka said, her expression hard and cold. "And she'll never be able to hurt any of us again."
"Are you sure?" I asked, doubt gnawing at me. "Taking her magic is one thing... but she knows our ways..."
Rieka hesitated as she listened to my thoughts. She knew I had the right to be cautious, especially after what Serena did to us.
Rieka's expression hardened.
"We have to take that risk," she insisted, her voice steady despite the uncertainty hanging in the air. "Besides, what could she possibly do?" She asked. "Look at her! She is barely holding on as it is."
Aradia was still attending to the spell to remove all Serena magic—a similar spell she used on the coven members to drain their powers.
Serena's gaze shifted to me, and hatred flashed through her eyes. I felt a chill run down my spine at the intensity of her glare. It was clear that even in her weakened state, she was not ready to give up without a fight.
However, the witches' magic kept her in place; she had nowhere to go but to bear their punishment until they were done.
"Why did she do it?" I asked. "Why did she start stealing magic from other witches? Did she become greedy?"
Rieka sighed. "It wasn't just greed," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "She was desperate…"
Her gaze shifted to me. "She stole that magic because of me," she said. "She needed magic to keep me locked away..."
Rieka swallowed hard, and my brows knitted together.
The weight of her confession hung heavily in the air, and I could see the guilt etched on her face.
"What do you mean?" I pressed, feeling a mix of concern and confusion swell within me.
Rieka didn't answer, and for a moment my mind raced until something clicked into place.
"Oh," I gasped. "She noticed that you found a way to leave and return to the amulet."
She nodded.
It was clear that Serena's desperation had led her down the dark path.
"The first crack in the amulet appeared when Roland refused to allow anyone to see your body after your confrontation with Darna," Rieka explains.
That's why the amulet broke so easily in my hands.
"Serena didn't notice it in the beginning," Rieka went on. "But I took the chance and manipulated time..."
"Sending me back three years..." I gasped. "You did this? You knew I had seen Roland, and you hoped I would remember and find him?"
She nodded.
"By that time, I had noticed Harrison changing too... I could see the outside world through the cracks of the moonstone," she continued. "I wasn't sure if it was for the better. I didn't know he had become suspicious of her...."
"But why didn't you tell me Harrison is my brother?" I asked.
"I couldn't," she explained. "Serena's magic prevented me from saying anything."
Rieka sighed.
"It frustrated me at first," she went on. "But I slowly managed to break through the power of her magic. The more I visited you, the more it felt like the magic couldn't control me anymore. I just needed to be patient...."
I nodded, and my gaze shifted back to Serena.
Aradia was done with the spell, and she placed the medallion back into the chest, and the two wizards let go of her.
"It's done, your highness," Aradia announced.
Rieka nodded her giant head, and the sound of breaking bones filled the air as I shifted back to human.
I could feel Roland's eyes on me where he and his team were hiding and waiting. He was silently watching me in a soft layer of protection.
Aradia covered me with a cotton blanket—it smelled like wildflowers wrapped in warmth and power.
"Thank you," I said, laying my hand on her shoulder.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Thank you. Without you, our covens would never have survived."
I gave her a nod and turned my attention to Serena. She was on her knees. Panting and sobbing. She looked so small. So pathetic now that she had been stripped of her magic.
I felt a flicker of pity for her until Rieka growled.
"Roland," I mindlinked. "Have your men take Serena back to your territory.... I don't want her to wander the human world alone..."
Fenrir nodded and slowly emerged from the shadows. His strong and dominant aura filled the space.
Barrett followed him, his head bowed low. He seemed… depressed.
I turned my attention to Aradia.
"Will you please attend to Harrison's wounds?" I said. "He's in critical condition. Serena stabbed him with a silver blade meant for me. He saved me. I tried to heal him, but it seems like there's something keeping me from healing him."
She nodded, gesturing to the witches to get their supplies.
My attention shifted to Anthony, and a smile tickled the corners of my lips.
"As the new Beta of the Guard," I said. "Please secure Harrison. He will have his hearing in the immortal realm."
Anthony nodded, gestured to his team, and moved toward the cottage.
My gaze landed on Alpha Ezra next. He was standing among the rogues, with his head dropped.
Harrison warned him that Roland was here and not to attack from inside the cottage. He didn't want more bloodshed on his hands.
"Thank you," I said to Alpha Ezra. He slowly raised his head to meet my gaze. Unspoken questions roamed in his eyes.
"For not attacking," I clarified. "I can't imagine how much suffering you had to endure while you were forced to be a rogue."
The corners of Alpha Ezra's mouth twitched. He seemed to appreciate my acknowledgment, and a flicker of understanding passed between us.
"Therefore, I would like you to return to your pack and rebuild it," I said. "I assume that these men are part of your pack?"
He nodded, and tears filled his eyes.
"I," Alpha Ezra stuttered; he could barely form words. "Thank..."
A furious snarl cut Alpha Ezra's thoughts off, and my gaze snapped toward the source of the sound.
Harrison.
He stood at the entrance of the cottage with his hand pressed on his wound. His face drained of color and shook like a leaf, not due to excruciating pain, but because of his anger.
Why did he seem so pissed?
For a bare second I noticed that his gaze was pinned on something else—he was staring right past me.
What was he looking at?
The sudden smell of blood tickled my nose, and it forced my heart rate to race.
At that moment, I knew—Rieka was wrong. Serena wasn't going to stop. The realization swept over me with a chilling force, prompting me to instinctively follow his gaze.