Chapter 98 Chapter 98

Chapter 98 Chapter 98
Chapter 98 Mirelle’s POV
“Corlin…” I said, my voice rising in panic.
“Calm down,” he hissed.
Then one of the dryads stepped away from us and walked towards the Saberthi. I could see some form of communication between them, but all I could hear from the Saberthi was something like a ticking sound. The Saberthi who had also walked closer to the dryad turned its face towards me, its eyes brightening, and its face turned hungry. I took a step back unconsciously. I was sure it saw me as a rare delicacy with that look. It turned its attention back to the dryad, who was still speaking.
The dryad didn't move even as the creature leaned closer, its ticking growing louder, faster, like a hundred tiny claws tapping against stone.
“Do you know what it's saying?” I asked.
Corlin had gone rigid, his jaw tightening, but he didn't say anything. The Saberthi around us kept stealing glances at me, and I became more and more uncomfortable.
When it was beginning to feel like their conversation would not end, the dryad turned to Corlin and me.
“Their leader has agreed. A part of the Soul Tied Princess's soul in exchange for the rebels staying here, and they will not hunt down anyone as long as you stay in the part of the territory that will be given to you. That's the deal.”
Corlin nodded. I could see him relax a bit. Then he turned to me.
“Do you want to do this? I know I am asking a lot from you. You can back out. It's okay. We will find another way.”
“You know I can't. I won't. Lives depend on it. There is no going back,” I replied and walked closer to where the dryad stood, Corlin's eyes on my back.
“I am ready. How do we do this?”
The dryad touched my fingers gently.
“Princess, I have to warn you, this is going to be painful for you.”
“Fuck!” I said out loud. ‘Sorry..’ I began to feel sweat dripping down my back.
“Taliahtie….”
“I am fine…" I said and took a deep breath, then let it out of my mouth with a loud whoosh.
“I am fine,” I repeated. “I can handle it. It is pain; it will stop.” I said, squaring my shoulders although my insides were quaking.
“I am here…. Just say if it gets too much,” Corlin said.
I simply nodded my head.
The Saberthi moved closer to where I stood, and it looked beautifully unique for something that was about to suck my soul. I heard another ticking sound. I was beginning to hate it.
“You need to lie down,” the dryad said.
I did, and I felt Corlin hold my hands in his.
“Don't forget, I am here,” he said.
I dug my hands into the soil, trying to hold on to it like an anchor. I didn’t know why I did it. It felt more like instinct.
I closed my eyes, and my body relaxed. I felt like I was floating, and I smiled at the serenity of such a feeling.
Then I felt something.
At first, it came like a tingling, then a sharp pain that startled me, and I began to feel myself fall. The pain got worse, almost like claws were digging into my brain. I could not hold it in anymore. I screamed and screamed and screamed till my voice was hoarse from the screams.
Then suddenly, the pain stopped.
I thought it was over, but I was so wrong.
The pain intensified, and I began to jerk violently.
“Taliahtie…. You need to stop, you are killing her,” he shouted.
“Prince, it's almost over. Just a few more,” the dryad replied.
Corlin's grip on my hands tightened until it almost hurt, but it was nothing compared to what was happening inside me. It no longer felt like something was clawing at my brain. It felt like something had reached into my very being and was tearing pieces of me away.
“Enough!”
“Not yet. We must adhere to the deal. You don’t want the Saberthi to turn on every rebel in this forest!”
Corlin went silent.
My body didn’t stop thrashing, and I couldn't hear them properly anymore. Their voices sounded distant... muffled... like they were underwater.
The world around me began to blur, then I heard a snap, and everything went black.


“Elisa, sweetheart, wake up.” I felt someone shake me. I groaned loudly.
“Hmmm.”
“Sweetheart, you are late for school. You need to get up.”
School?
What school?
I thought, and my eyes snapped open immediately.
Sitting on my bed was my mum. My eyes widened in shock.
“Mum!!!” I said and jumped up. I turned around in a full circle. I was in my room, in the house we moved into after the divorce of my human parents.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“No, no, no, no. This is not right. Why am I here?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, standing up and looking at me like I had grown another head.
I walked around the room and looked through the window.
“You are not meant to be here, Mum. You are meant to be with Dad. You are meant to be happy, with your baby. Not here.”
She stared at me again, paused, then smiled.
“Now I understand.” She walked towards me. “I know you hated the fact that we divorced, but sometimes things don’t work out the way we think they would.”
“Mum…. No, that’s not it.” I wove my hands into my hair and pulled at it, so confused.
“What the fuck was going on?” I asked, not to anyone in particular.
“Elisa, you are scaring me,” she said.
I stared at her for a minute. I still could not believe my eyes, but I had missed her so much. I stopped thinking and ran to her, hugging her really tight.
“I have missed you, Mum, so badly,” I said, and she chuckled.
“I miss you too, honey, but we still saw each other yesterday,” she said.
I didn’t argue. I just hugged her tight. She smelled the same, like rosemary. I didn’t want to let go, but I had to. I had to get to the bottom of what was going on.
“I love you, Mum, but I have got to go.”
I ran out of the room in a hurry, my mum’s voice calling after me. I needed to see Drake. I hoped he was here. He would know what was going on.
But as I ran out the door, I did not end up outside the house. I ended up in a boutique.
“What the hell?”
“Elisa…. You look stunning in that dress.”
I turned around and saw Angela.
“Angela…” I said in shock, then looked down. I was dressed in the gown I wore for prom.
“Angela… I need your help. Something is wrong, very wrong.”
“What do you mean….” she asked.
“I have no idea…..”
Before I could finish that sentence, something strange began to happen. The boutique I was in began to melt. I staggered back.
“Angela, we have got to go.”
Then I turned to her, and her face…
Her face was melting.
I covered my mouth with my hands.
“Angy!!!!” I screamed.