Chapter 100 Chapter 100
_Susan’s POV_
The mirror never lies to me.
It is old and dark and carved with symbols that most witches are too afraid to touch. When I place my palm against its cold frame and whisper the correct words, it shows me what I desire to see. Tonight, it showed me victory.
I stood in front of it and watched carefully.
Leah’s body was sitting upright in a wooden chair. A circle of salt and silver powder had been drawn beneath the chair. Candles burned in every corner of the room. The air looked tense and heavy with ritual power.
Leah’s head leaned slightly to one side. Her eyes were closed. Her hands rested on the arms of the chair. She looked peaceful but she was empty. Her soul was gone. I could feel it. She was already walking in the astral realm.
Kayden stood near her. He was pacing back and forth like a restless animal. He was not touching her. He kept his distance from the circle because the seer had warned him not to disturb the ritual. His jaw was tight. His shoulders were stiff. His eyes never left Leah’s face.
The seer stood opposite him. She was watching the markings around the chair and murmuring quiet words under her breath. Fred was near the door, standing guard.
I smiled.
“They think they are protecting her,” I said softly.
Tariq stood behind me with calm patience. “They are fools,” he replied. “Is she fully in the astral realm?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Her soul is far from that body. This is the perfect moment.”
I placed both hands on the mirror frame and began the first spell which would distract them.
Kayden was the weak point. Not because he lacked strength but because love makes bonds vulnerable. I did not need to attack his body. I needed to attack his connection.
I inhaled slowly and whispered the words carefully. “Bond of mate and blood…Bond of breath and bone….Carry pain like poison….Twist the thread….Burn the heart.”
The air around me grew heavy. In the mirror, Kayden suddenly stopped pacing. He blinked hard and pressed his hand against his chest.
The seer noticed immediately. “What is wrong?” she asked sharply.
Kayden inhaled sharply as if something had punched him. “It hurts,” he growled. “It feels wrong.”
Good.
I pushed more power into the spell. “Let the bond scream,” I whispered. “Let the Alpha choke. Let fear flood his veins.”
Kayden staggered. He grabbed the edge of the table nearby to steady himself. His breathing became uneven.
The seer moved toward him quickly. “Look at me,” she ordered. “Tell me what you feel.”
“It feels like she is slipping away,” he said through clenched teeth. “It feels like I am losing her.”
I let the spell deepen.
“Collapse,” I whispered softly. “Drop.”
Kayden fell to one knee.
Fred rushed forward. “Alpha!” he shouted.
The seer knelt beside Kayden and pressed her palm to his chest. “This is dark magic,” she said with anger in her voice. “Someone is pulling on the mate bond.”
Kayden tried to stand but failed. His breathing became shallow. “It is tightening,” he rasped. “I cannot breathe.”
The seer’s eyes flashed with worry. “Fred,” she said firmly. “Go. Bring a doctor now.”
Fred hesitated only a second before running out. The seer began chanting a counter spell over Kayden.
That was my opening. I turned away from the mirror and faced Tariq. “Give me your blood quickly,” I said. “I need to summon her body through the bond I created between you and Leah.”
Tariq stepped forward without hesitation. His expression held satisfaction. “You always liked control,” he said quietly.
“And you always liked power,” I replied.
He took the ritual blade from the table and cut his palm. Dark red blood spilled freely.
I held a glass vial beneath his hand. “More,” I instructed. “Do not stop.”
When the vial was full, I placed it beside a bowl that already contained thick dark liquid. I added crushed black herbs, powdered bone ash and silver dust that shimmered faintly. The mixture began to smoke slightly.
Tariq watched with interest.
I poured his blood into the bowl. The liquid hissed and turned darker. It was almost black. I placed my hands above it and began the summoning.
“Blood that marked her,” I chanted slowly. “Blood that stained her fate. Wake the flesh that remembers. Wake the body that carries your scar. Answer the call of the bond.”
The candle flames around me bent inward. The air pulsed. I turned back to the mirror.
“Show me her hands,” I whispered.
The image shifted. Leah’s hands rested on the arms of the chair. The mark on her palms was faint at first. But then it began to glow….bright red.
The seer noticed immediately. She turned sharply toward Leah. “No,” she breathed. “That should not be happening.”
Kayden was still on the floor. He was struggling to breathe.
The mark on Leah’s palms pulsed again, brighter. Then her fingers twitched.
The seer stood up quickly. “Leah,” she said loudly. “Leah, fight it.”
Leah’s head lifted slowly. Her eyes remained closed. Her face was blank.
The seer raised her hands to cast a protective barrier.
But I pushed harder.
“Rise,” I whispered. “Move.”
Leah’s body stood up from the chair in one smooth motion. The chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Kayden looked up. He was confused and frightened. “Leah?” he called.
The seer stepped in front of her. “Stop,” she commanded.
Leah did not respond. She moved with unnatural speed. She darted past the seer before the woman could finish her spell.
The seer reached for her but missed. “Guards!” the seer shouted. “Stop her now!”
Leah’s body turned toward the window. She did not hesitate. She ran and jumped. The glass shattered as she crashed through it. The sound echoed loudly.
The seer rushed to the window in disbelief. Leah landed outside, rolled once and sprang up again with impossible strength.
She ran.
Guards chased after her.
Kayden tried to stand but fell again. He was still weakened by the spell.
In the mirror, I watched as Leah sprinted into the forest. Her movements were too fast…too smooth…too controlled.
She did not breathe heavily. She did not slow down. The guards behind her quickly began to fall behind.
The seer exited the mansion and tried to pursue her but even she could not match that speed.
I guided Leah carefully through the forest. “Run straight,” I whispered to the mirror. “Do not stop.”
The trees blurred around her. The moonlight flashed over her hair. Her eyes were still closed. She looked like a weapon being carried by invisible hands.
Minutes passed.
The forest thinned.
The Fireblood pack territory appeared ahead. Leah crossed the boundary without pause.
Tariq stepped beside me and watched. “She crossed,” he said with satisfaction.
“Yes,” I replied. “She is here.”
Leah slowed only when she reached the outer clearing of the Fireblood pack.
She stopped in the center. She was still silent….still controlled.
I turned to Tariq.
“Go and bring her in,” I said calmly. “She is now ours. No one can stop us from completing our mission.”
Tariq’s eyes gleamed. “You did well,” he said. “Very well.”
He reached into his coat and pulled out a heavy pouch filled with coins. “You will be rewarded generously for your efforts,” he continued. “I keep my promises.”
He placed the pouch in my hand. The weight felt satisfying.
Outside, I could hear footsteps as his men approached Leah’s motionless body.
I looked back at the mirror one last time. Leah stood in the Fireblood territory. She had been captured and controlled. Exactly where we wanted her.
But as I watched, the air around her seemed to tremble slightly. A faint ripple passed through the forest.
For a brief second, the mark on her palms flared brighter than before.
I narrowed my eyes.
Something had changed.
Something in the astral realm had shifted.
Tariq stepped toward the door. He was ready to claim her.
I tightened my grip on the pouch of coins. “She is ours,” I said firmly.