Ten
We reach the town that I ventured into before all this happened, I remember the first time I came here and worried about what it would look like but when I it was very normal. People are going about their normal everyday lives; they have no idea about the darkness that lurks in the world, the darkness that wants to take everything they have away.
Toby and I walk hand in hand looking around the town, I don’t really know what is here, I went to the grocery store and that is it, never ventured far enough to discover what was at my disposal. Why would I have a look around when I didn’t have the money to spend anyway!
I watch as seemingly happy couples and their children pass us by, that’s what I want, I want to be normal just like them. I have no idea if they are as happy as they seem, I guess no-one really knows that. I mean, these people, they could look happy but could be miserable at home, it doesn’t matter, I want normal everyday problems, like where I should live, what colour to paint the bedroom, what school should my children go to and silly arguments over spilt milk on the kitchen worktop, not warlocks and black magic.
We keep walking until we get to the centre where there is a huge shopping mall entrance, I hear a crowd of rowdy men cheering and shouting. Toby turns and his face drops as the men seem to be coming towards us.
“Do you know them?” I mumble, he nods and seems to be suddenly distant with me.
“Bro, there you are,” a man grabs him and playfully fights with him, “where have you been, we called your cell, your house, your mom says she haven’t seen you in days, dude she’s worried.”
“Yeah,” he shifts uncomfortably and doesn’t return the play fighting, his friends notice his weird body language and look at me as if I’m the reason he is acting weird, which I probably am, “haven’t been home, been busy.”
“Oookay,” his friend looks at me again, “so who is this little honey.”
“Oh this?” Toby looks at me and then back at them, “this is ummm, oh this is my girlfriend,” he pulls me into him being over dramatic, “yeah you know, just been busy with her doing stuff, you know how it is when you hook up with a little honey,” did he just call me his little honey, what am I five? “And I will call my mom don’t worry.”
His friends notice how strange he is being and there is now an awkward silence as we all stand there without saying a word, with kooky eyes all looking at each-other. I have been some places and situations but this is the most awkward I have ever felt.
“Well got to go bro, will see you soon yeah?” He pats him on the shoulder.
“Uhh yeah sure, will call you when I can,” Toby replies stiffly.
They walk off and Toby and I continue to the mall. We barely say a word to each-other, I sense he was a little off with his friends and now he seems a little off with me.
I try to put it to the back of my head but I can’t, I cannot let it go, I have to know why he suddenly changed around me, “embarrassed to be seen with me were you?”
“What,” he looks and frowns at me, “no of course not, why would you think that?”
“Just the way you acted around them, they gave me some dodgy stares probably wondering why you weren’t the friend they usually encounter, I could tell you kept your distance so would have thought you done that because you were embarrassed to be seen with me.”
“It’s just,” he sighs, “seeing them made me see how different my life was, I panicked and didn’t know what to say to them, my life it isn’t normal anymore, plus you know my mom is worried about me, look at them,” we both look at the people around us, normal everyday people, “they have no idea about the darkness or the things we have seen, and I couldn’t very well tell the guys about it could I, they would have thought I was a right loon!”
I see his point and understand why he was so awkward, I mean, what could he say to them about where he has been or what he has been doing? I guess I wouldn’t understand what he is going through, I don’t have any friends.
We carry on walking, “you said I was your girlfriend,” I mumble as we walk through the crowds.
“Well, what was I mean to say, ‘hi guys meet the witch who has dark powers’?” He smirks with sarcasm. His cheekiness has come back.
We walk for what feels like ages, down the bottom of the mall, the top of the mall and there is nothing in here that seems to be able to help me, why would I think that there was? This isn’t something you can just walk in a shop and learn about, this is my family, my dark family and I am starting to think the only person who can sort this is me. My mother certainly isn’t going to help me and the other person I relied on is now dead.
We go outside where there is a fountain and large open space; people seem to be sat down reading books near the fountain and just relaxing under the sun, seems nice and just what people should be doing, not chasing warlocks and witches.
Toby and I go there and sit on the side. I try to think of the magic I have apparently used all my life. Okay, so I imagined an entire orphanage full of people, that’s got to take some serious magic to do that, I killed a woman, need to get that thought out of my head, but that was clearly dark magic and not my fault, I don’t think? I can use my hands to release good and bad magic and I can go places with a thought if I think really hard about it, cannot think of anything else I have been able to do or anything else that I can do.
“You’re quiet, you okay?” Toby asks chucking quarters in the fountain.
“Yeah,” I watch him, “just thinking about stuff, all the stuff to be honest, what are you doing?”
“I’m making wishes,” he smiles, “if witches, warlocks and scary things are real who is to say that a wish in a fountain cannot come true, what you thinking about anyway.”
Okay, very good point, I wonder what else we thought was make-believe as children is actually real, “just,” I sigh, “you know, all the things that we have been told, me using magic all my life, both dark and light magic, just wondering how to use what I need to so that we can survive this.”
He takes my hand, “just look inside yourself and have faith that you will find what is needed and you will be able to do this.”
His words fill my soul with courage and determination, I can do this, and I will do this. It’s my life and I’m not going to let someone who wants death and destruction take it away from me. Well, at least I hope I won’t let them, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Toby and I get up and leave the mall, there is nothing for us there, as we walk outside I feel the burning sensation once again itching in my palm. Panic grips me as the last time I felt that, black light came shooting from my hand.
No, not now, I’m in a public place! I walk quickly as Toby quick walks behind me confused as to what is going on. I head behind the mall where the bins and rubbish is kept, well out of the way of passing people.
“Willow what’s the matter?” He asks worried.
“This,” I unclench my fists and out shoots the dark light. I look at Toby’s wide eyes, “you see, I could feel it coming.”
“Okay, well,” he covers my hands, “we should just keep these covered.”
At that moment a dark cloud appears overhead. We look up to the sky and see the once blue sunny sky has now gone dark, almost black even.
I feel a cold chill run down my spine and I know, they are here and they’ve found me. Surely they will not attack in public. Toby stands protectively in-front of me as warriors begin to descend from the sky on what can only be described as rope made of lightening.
They stand in-front of us like an army waiting to attack. They stand stiff, tall and proud holding their spears and armour which baffles me I mean, do magical beings need armour and spears?
There from the darkness of the clouds and the mist that has now surrounded us I see two figures slowly walking towards us.
“My daughter, it is time you take your rightful place at my side, you know this is where you want to be.” He stands before his warriors, authoritative and calm.
/> “I maybe your daughter by blood, but one that doesn’t make you my dad and two it doesn’t mean that my rightful place is with you,” I go to move but Toby keeps me behind him, “I don’t want to be by your side.”
“Ahh, but you do,” he paces slowly backwards and forward so calm and yet very intimidating, “you see I sense the darkness in you, how it rushes through your veins and calls to you. It tempts you. Like Siren’s call it pulls you in.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Toby interrupts holding me back, “remember you’re stronger than that, you have light magic inside you too, fight it Willow, you are strong.”
My father laughs, “you think so you disgusting Voluric, you think you can defeat me, you who has never known of who you are until now, you have had no training and will never be good enough, she,” he points at me, “has my blood magic in her veins, in pulses through her like fire, I know she likes it, I see it in her eyes as the darkness begins to consume her.”
“She may have that but she has her mother’s blood magic in her two,” he snaps back, “I won’t let you take her, you’ll have to get through me first before you get one finger on her.”
Suddenly I don’t feel like myself, I feel like something or someone else. I feel drawn to Chanile who is stood beside my father, his dark mask hides part of his face but I know it’s him, I see those beautiful tempting eyes.
I no longer feel Toby, I see him but he seems distorted to me, like a blurry vision I cannot make out. He shakes me but I don’t pay attention, Chanile is looking at me and I am staring back at him. The commotion around me continues but suddenly I feel like I don’t care. Do I actually care? I’m not sure, something inside me is very over-powering.
“You see Voluric, the darkness has consumed her, the battle within herself has ceased and she has chosen, her eyes are as black as the dark Princess should be, now she will come with us and fulfil her destiny, my progeny reunited with her chosen.”
I see my father’s hand reach out towards me, I walk towards him but instead of reaching for his hand, I reach for Chanile’s, I think a part of me loves this man, is it love? Or lust? I couldn’t tell you as I have never felt either before; all I feel that I know is the desire to be with him.
He swoops me into his arms, “now we can finish what we started, you and I as one, creators of the Destroyer, true rulers of darkness.”
“Yes,” I whisper happily letting him carry me away in his arms. I do not notice or pay attention to anything else, I am just happy to be in the arms of this man who is too tempting to resist. I feel like I am meant to be with him, something inside me yearns deeply for this evil man.
“Willow no!” I hear being bellowed at me as a bright white lights falls over us causing Chanile to drop me. The hard fall on the floor opens my eyes and suddenly I see. I see everything around me, I did it didn’t I, I succumbed to the darkness.
The light has shone brightly from Toby and his willingness to protect and save me, I see him fiercely run through the gathered warriors towards me.
They move in ready to attack, I cannot let them hurt him, “No, you leave him alone,” I shout as I blast the white light of magic from me, my body begins to glow and suddenly things come to my mind that I have never thought of.
Wanting to get to them before they get to Toby, I feel a sudden burst of energy and I am able to move faster and more effectively than they are. It is as if I have a rocket on my back and I am filtering through them too fast for them to be able to catch me, like a magic speed spell, not that I remember casting one or saying any words.
I am wiping them out, the warriors are disappearing and I feel a protective bubble around me, that’s Toby! Toby is keeping me protected, I guess he really is one of those Volu-things, happiness and goodness surges through me and I am on a roll, fighting this evil darkness with Toby’s protection around me.
I wiz through them but then suddenly I feel a tight grasp around my neck which knocks the air out of me. I stop mid-fight and look to see my father has gripped me by the throat.
I try and pull his hands away but it’s too tight. Toby comes towards me to get me but my father uses magic and sends him flying into the wall. He hits it hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
“You will come with me and you will fulfil your destiny. I have waited years for this moment and I will not be defeated by the fucking Tasura, you and Chanile are the Capara, the couple united in darkness and you will bring forth the destroyer.” He drops me to the floor and I gasp for air.
I try to call out to Toby but my father gripped me so tight that the sounds fail to leave my mouth.
“Tie him and take him away, his blood will be used at the ceremony, get her dressed, she is getting married whether she likes it or not,” he orders and leaves.
Married? What the fuck I don’t want to get married. I am dragged across the floor and then picked up by a warrior as Chanile is helped up by my father.
I kick and scream in the arms of a warrior I do not want to man handled by, “put me fucking down,” I fight wriggling as much as I can for him to release me but he does not obey. He throws me over his shoulder like a naughty child and carries on walking.
I am thrown in the back of the carriage but this time I am aware of what is happening. There sitting calmly is my father and Chanile, he magically binds my hands together and I feel a force pushing me backwards, I cannot move or run out of here. If I am as powerful as my mother stated why am I not able to fight them?
The carriage begins to move, I watch out of the window as huge black clouds seems to appear beside us and then we are gone, not one human managed to see that. How is that possible?
My father looks at his hands, picking the dirt from his nails, “you know my daughter, the more you fight me the more you will lose. You are weak and not strong enough to defeat me; the light magic in you is no competition for me, so give it up.”
He is right, I have no idea how strong he is compared to me and my whole life I never knew I had magic. Yes, my mother and Alfie said to me I have been using it but I was completely unaware, I get a sudden surge of power and I feel like I know what I am doing when really, I don’t. I don’t know how to force the difference of the good and bad magic within me, is it because I have so much doubt as to what I can do? My god my head is spinning, there is so much going on in my mind.
Chanile’s eyes are fixed on mine, his face hidden under the mask but his eyes so clearly visible. I feel an ache in my body as if I want to run and sit on him, the temptation of darkness is once again drawing me in, why do I feel so tempted by this man?
I shift uncomfortably as I feel the evil building in my soul, my father looks at me and smirks, “you want him don’t you, you feel the desire, the pull towards him.” I don’t say a word, well I can’t, I’m gagged, “that’s the evil woman in you begging to be set free, she loves him, she wants him and is connected to him. He is what she dreams of and yearns for, it has been that way since your birth as the red stars burned brightly at the times of your births, connecting you for all eternity.”
So that’s why I’m connected? That’s why I desire him so badly, through some evil magic that occurred when I was born. I feel disgusted in myself but at the same time my father is right, I am yearning for him. I guess my father’s point is merited, I cannot fight the evil inside me and it’s too strong, too powerful for me to overcome.
I watch out of the window as I once again see the black mountains and the dark castle; we have once again come to Acribus.
As we approach it I feel the darkness flourish within me as my soul gives in to the temptation, I feel naughty, sexy and free all of a sudden. Is this what darkness is? Freedom and sexy? If so then what could be so bad about that? What consequences could there be of feeling this good and this bad?
My father looks at me and smiles, “and there they are, the black eyes of the evil Princess, nice to see you my daughter.”
Hearing his words I look at my reflection in the carriage windows,
there I see what he sees, my eyes are black.
It’s true! I am evil, I am the evil Princess. I cannot fight it anymore; I should just accept that this is who I am.