"There is a very thin line between sarcasm and bitterness, Leila. And you just crossed it." He warned. His eyes were burning like a fire. "Now let me finish. You are: annoying, irrational, problematic and yet I would prefer to die a thousand painful deaths then go through one lifetime without knowing you." My heart stopped. Butterflies were set free in my stomach and then managed to make the way through my entire body. I felt like I was choking on his deadly words. His eyes had softened now and had faded back to that spectacular ocean blue.
"You attract danger more than anyone else. I came after you... not because I needed to for the kingdom but I thought you might need saving. I was terrified something might happen to you. Because at some point you smiled, briefly but firmly. And that smile has lingered in my mind every second since..." Every word stabbed me repeatedly in my stomach. Every word echoing a thousand times in my mind. Every letter engraved into my flesh. "I have tried to ignore you, forget you or dismiss you. How can I do any of these things when your voice still resonates in my ears, I can still see your rare smile when I close my eyes and my thoughts always wander back to you."
"Leonardo, I don't know-what are you saying." I lied. I needed an escape. I was not allowed to hear these words. We come from different worlds. He does not even know who I truly am or the monster that lurks in me.
"Leila, how do you do that? How do you pretend to not feel anything?" He questioned. "Because I feel everything." I could just hear footsteps coming towards us. "Leila I..." Leonardo began but he never got to finish.
Theo opened the door with a clank. "Is everything okay?" He stared between us. Cam must have found Theo and told him where I was. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
"Yes, everything's just perfect. We were just coming out." I had been so thankful to get out of that room. My heart was pounding. I could only hear my pulse like a beating drum and the blood pumping all over my body.
How could he say those things? He knew. He knew he could not say those things. But he did it anyway. Why? Why?!
"Leila are you okay?" Cam stared at me from across the wide room. I about managed an unconvincing nod. "Now that everyone is found, we should better get out of here."
"What about the jewel?" Leonardo's voice set me on fire and all words vanished.
"We can't leave without it." Theo joined in.
I gathered what little strength to look him in the eye. "Leonardo, I-we need to get out of here." My voice was tinged with anxiety.
He had no idea how easy it was to fall in love with his eyes that looked like the long lost seas.
"You want to leave without it?" His voice was filled with accusation.
"Yes, I think we-" I stopped with my foot caught in midair. But then I sensed the danger. There was a creature in here with us, I could sense its soulless eyes watching us.
Leonardo looked from Josephine to Cam.
Out of nowhere it striked.
The demon was clearly an expert on all fours. It ran as it lowered its forepaws to the wood and sprang as fast as a wolf in the darkness. I shoved Theo out of the way just before it reached him. "DEMON!" Josephine screamed.
She is an absolute genius. Sarcasm. Pure and whole hearted sarcasm.
The demon outstretched its poisoned claws towards me and missed me by inches. "Leila!" Leonardo shouted. The demon advanced again and attempted to sink its teeth into my neck but Leonardo drew out his sword and plunged it into its back. The demons purple scales shimmered with anger along with its cold eyes.
I felt Leonardo's hand on my shoulder, tugging me back but I fought free of him. I swung my arm back and drew a dagger, as the Serpent had taught me to. Leonardo whirled around to stop me but he was too late.
A surge of something went through me- a sense of buzzing adrenaline- I felt powerful, I could feel the strength uncoiling from the base of my spine and the elation pumping through my veins. I felt it in my very bones.
Everything slowed down around me. The injured demon spun and turned on me, racing towards me on its four paws, its sharpened poisonous fangs already drew.
"Leila stop!" I heard Leonardo call, but I had already broken into a run. I jumped onto the edge of a counter and flung myself across the room. I landed on the demon and with one slick movement I reached up to scissor off the head of the demon. Black blood sprayed like rain.
The head thrashed as the demon screamed- my heart stopped- and then with a sickening thud it was dead. There was a long silence.
"You're an absolute brute. No lady should wield a weapon."
"I think the word you are looking for is 'thank you'." Cam snapped.
"Thank you, as if I would ever thank such a disgrace to the female world." She snorted. "She just killed that monster. The closest i have come to murder is holding my cookies under the milk until the bubbles stop." She states proudly.
"Number one you can't kill demons, you can only send them back to their demon world. They are immortal. Number two, she just saved your life, you arrogant piece of work." Theo argued.
The sound of many footsteps came from all corners. "FLUFFY! FLUFFY!" The noise bouncing off all walls, echoing and tormenting. "Fluffy," the woman called. "Oh goodness, what do we have here?"
What stood before us was none other than an old hag. And if you think 'old Hag' was a bit of a harsh term, you have never laid eyes on this woman. Her dark cloak covered most of her time-worn flesh and mystical herbs dangled from her waist. Her snake-like eyes glared at me, they were like 'black diamonds' as dark as the gates to hell. The figures misshapen, raven nose stuck out making her face even more weary. She had matted black hair with silver streaks here and there. The lines in her face were so deep and saggy- like the skin no longer had a connection to the skull, which was somewhere underneath. She reminded me of coal, black thru and thru.
"Bourdet, who is this?" Josephine asked me. How would I know?
"Do you call anyone by their name?" Cam questioned Josephine.
"Only my friends." she responded.
"You have friends?" Cam mocked. The old hag stared between them clearly amused.
"Goodness me. Tell me you have heard of Miss Grim." she cackled to herself, hysterically.
"Who? Sorry, it does not ring a bell. In Fact, I have never heard of you. Like ever." Cam said and it visibly frustrated her.
"The Great Miss Grim, of course!" She snarled.
"We are here for a jewel." Leonardo cut the conversation short. "I demand that you either hand it over. If you do so with no quarrel, I shall pay a handsome price."
"Hmm..." She sighed. "The jewel of destruction. That jewel?" She made her way over to the sofa and sat right beside Josephine. Josephine paled and gazed at the figure in horror. No doubt she was judging her taste in clothing, rather than the deadly power waves radiating off her.
"Yes." Theo jumped in.
"Now, if you hand it over. I will let you live even though you use magic." Leonardo offered. Did he really mean that? Would he kill all magic users? Would he kill me if he knew my secret?
No, of course not. But I knew I was only lying to myself because if I truly trusted him, then I would have told him my secret long ago.
"Leonardo, this is not Rumore. You have no power here." She glared at him with a deadly stare that could kill most humans.
"Yes but the king of my kingdom did not ever decide to spare those out of his realm."
"Leonardo, you come into my home and threaten me, a poor innocent woman. Not to mention you killed fluffy. My dear lovable pet." She clicked her fingers and just above her appeared a beautiful china teapot that began pouring a foul dark liquid into a matching teacup. I watched as the witch made a circular movement with her finger and how an enchanted spoon stirred the liquid copying her movement.
"That thing was your pet!" Cam shouted. "Bloody hell, have you ever heard of a dog, a fish or even a cat!" Theo slapped Cam on the back of his neck. Cam had to learn to hold his tongue before he got us all killed. Miss Grim ignored him, thankfully.
"Done." Leonardo agreed. She clicked her fingers and a necklace appeared around her neck. The jewel was pulsing, glowing like a second sun, illuminating her face. Then she handed it over to Josephine's trembling hands. Josephine had lost all colour, all words and for once in her life, she was silent.
"You are a witch, you can read and sense my intentions. You know that I am not lying when I say, as soon as I return home, I shall have the palace guards send it to you." Leonardo sighed. "Then you can use that gold for whatever mayhem and chaos you desire as long as it does not hurt any innocents."
"You know Da Angelo, not all magical beings are bad." She paused. "It is just that I personally prefer the dark side." She smirked to herself. "Black magic is my specialty."
"Cuckoo-cuckoo." I overheard Cam whispering to Theo.
"Oh, I find pleasure in the ghastly and grim. I find pleasure in disagreeable and distasteful. Something about pain is so soothing..." She sighs drifting off into her own thoughts.
"She's absolutely mad." Cam muttered.
"Oh, thank you my boy but that is nothing. Nothing for me." She grins widely showing what was left of her yellow-stained, rotting teeth. I watch as Cam forces himself to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Right, well we were just leaving..." Cam shrugged.
"I could look into the future and share a vision." She wore a wretched grin that would send chills down anyone's back.
"Does this vision include me and a hot face girl or nymph or a gorgeous mermaid." Cam asked over-eagerly.
"I said 'I see visions'. Not fantasies." She cackled. "It might end up revealing important information. Information that shall save one of you. I shall predict a vision for the right price." She suggested.
"What do you require as payment?" Theo asked intrigued.
"No, we don't trade with-" Leonardo began to object but Miss Grim cut him off. She pointed her bony fingers at me and let a crooked grin spread across her face.
"A lock of hair."
"A lock of hair?" Josephine replied. "I know my hair is gorgeous but you aren't having a strand."
"Not yours mundane!" She barked. "Hers..." Giving your hair to a witch was a risky and deadly game. She could use it for any enchantment, spell, or curse. But there was no other choice...my back was up against a wall. Giving her a drop of blood or strand of hair or even a broken nail, gave her immense power over me and she had no intention of using it for good. It would cost me my life.
But what happens if this vision could be the difference between saving the kingdom or dooming us all?
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Deal."
"No deal." Leonardo and Theo both said simultaneously. Miss Grim narrows her black eyes at both boys.
"Deal." I repeat.
"No deal." Theo objects.
"I am not as delicate as I look." I mutter.
"No way in this realm, Leila." Leonardo warns in a harsh tone whilst he curses under his breath. The intensity of his gaze shakes me thru and thru. "I swear by the angel, you will not take another step. I am warning you."
Miss Grim scoffs. "The amount of feelings in this room makes me want to be violently ill. Didn't I mention I am allergic to romance." Her long-fingered hands raised to her hips as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.
The witch clicked her fingers and everything in time stopped minus her and me. Theo's mouth was still wide open and his foot dangling in the air, ready to take the next step towards me whereas Leonardo was already beside me. His hand only centimeters from mine.
My stomach tightened at the thought of his fingers in mine. Concentrate, Leila.
"I can only hold this spell for a few seconds. Do we have a deal?" Her eyes darkened. I nodded. She smirked and with that everything went dark.
She summoned a cauldron. Smoke began to rise from its mouth as she began to chant in a foreign tongue. Everything was quiet now, the smoky ground burned beneath me. Magic shimmered in the air around us like diamonds. Then everything went dark and there was nothing left but me and the smoke.
"Miss Grim!" I called. There was no reply. Do not panic. Concentrate. I closed my eyes, drifted off into thought and let the magic do its work. Magic does not need an explanation. It does not need to justify anything to anyone. It has nothing to explain or prove. It simply is. That is what makes it so special.
A series of images bombarded my eyes.
I saw a fierce dragon that breathed a wildfire.
The second image was of Frederick and he stood over a body with a sword laced with blood.
The third was of Josephine -she was in a tunnel of some sort- running for her life.
The fourth was of Cam, he was covered in sweat and dirt and he was searching for me.
The fifth was of me and I stood face to face with the Mistress of all evil. She wore a symbol, the symbol of the dark lord. She was showing me a painting, a painting of a baby and a woman. I stared at the features of the woman in the painting, she looked like a slightly older version of me.
The final image was of I and the boy with a dragon tattoo. We stood in long, wavy grass on the top of a hill overlooking an orange-sunset. He stood beside me with a deadly grin and dark magic pouring from his fingertips. But that is when I realised it was no sunset. He set the entire city of Rumore a blaze. He was burning the capital inside out. I could almost feel the heat of the flames against my skin. The high-pitched screams and cries of the city never seemed to end.
"Don't try to get inside my head, it's far too dark for you." A voice echoed in my mind. I opened my eyes to find myself in the dark room but I was not alone this time.
The powerhouse stood before me. In tight clothing that showed his rippling muscles. He was a tower that stood above me. I stared at his perfectly symmetrical face. He was staring at me with these grey-silvery eyes, they were as grey as wolfs eyes and they had a light that was brighter than a thousand stars combined.
"You burned the capital. You killed everyone!" I accused, taking heavy breaths.
"No, not yet anyway. I do hate that Miss Grim showed you a glimpse of my plan." He muttered. His black markings of the tattoo blurred into the smoke that surrounded him. He was supernaturally handsome. Well defined, with sharpline and angled jawline. There was something about the unknown, the sinister and the cold that drew me in.
"You are so dark. So evil. So sick...so dark." I tried to process the images I just saw.
"I was born in darkness. So darkness I became." His words left me speechless. "And you shall become what you truly are too."
A bright light brought me back to Miss Grim. The force pulled me back to the room that my friends were still frozen in time. I gasped for air as if I have been deprived for decades. "Oh, my poor, innocent, naive girl. You have no idea what you are up against. Mark my words, when you meet him, you will understand why storms are named after people."
"Who is he?" I investigated, desperate for information.
"I shall not dare speak his name." She whispered,"You see, the devil is real and he isn't some little red man that you mortals have created. He is beautiful. He is powerful. He is lethal. He is a destroyer and he will ruin you." She smirked. "His soul is truly as black as hell... you see some people see hell as a second life. They are mistaken. Hell comes in all forms. Yours for example, comes with two legs, thick locks, spectacular eyes, immense power, and a cold but beating heart. You see he has been watching you all along, searching for you."
My heart was doing a wild tango in my chest.
"Just heed my words, sometimes the person who you would take the stab wound, was wielding the sword all along." Every word set me on edge. What did she mean? "Such betrayals will tempt you to go to the darkness. You will be tested and you will submit like all of those before you. What's the point of having so much power if you don't get to break the rules?" she smirked wickedly.
"No, I am not like you." I argued.<
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"Don't you realise my dear, every ghost, demon and monster story you have been told is true. They live inside us and sometimes they win." She laughed.
"I am sick and tired of people telling me who I am or who I will be. I make my own future. I decide the path and I decide who I am going to be. I am Leila of Bourdet and I am going to kill the mistress of Evil."
I turned to leave but her next words caught me off guard, I had no choice but to face her. "ONLY," She shook her head knowingly. "You aren't Leila of Bourdet. That was not the name your parents gave you. That was what the king decided to call you. Leila is your fake name, the name they used to hide you." She smirked to herself.
"The king?" I asked. "Which king?" I demanded the answer.
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 24