Zoren managed to prop himself up despite the wounds and bruises on his face and all over his body. His slicked hair fell to the forehead. Blood trickled from a cut above his brow down to his ageless face.
He was holding his left arm covered in blood as he was limping towards his opponent.
My racing heart inside my chest threw itself against my chest in a desperate plea for mercy.
No. Please don’t. Stop.
At this rate, he won’t be able to take Ryia’s rage. The woman was fuming with so much anger a thick arcane aura completely cloaked her figure.
She’s going to destroy him.
But he has nerves of steel. He’s never going to back down.
He kept going towards her, occasionally throwing daggers from under his suit. All failed to even reach the angered witch.
Ryia had enough of it. She stood still as she accumulated an abundance of scarlet energy around her.
In an instant, the massive energy bolt was released without so much a wave of her finger, and it made its way to Zoren, who was no longer able to move from where he was.
His worn and battered body was flung through the forest. I could hear him whipping through trees. He would be severely broken if he even survived.
I couldn’t see him anymore.
No!
After a few minutes of waiting for him to emerge again from the trees, Ryia smiled to herself and nodded with satisfaction before walking towards me. She wreaked of arrogance and victory.
I kept looking back to where she had thrown Zoren just now, silently willing him to reemerge. I realised at that moment that I didn’t even know what he was.
Whatever he is I hope he can heal
I desperately wished he’d stand up once again. But only smoke of dust appeared in his wake.
It can’t be.
He’s not dead, is he?
My mind feared the worst.
Please no.
Ryia was still walking towards me when the sound of an opening portal vibrated through the air. She stopped in her tracks with wide eyes at something behind me.
If only she would release me from this invisible prison, I could turn to see what it was.
A familiar relaxed voice spoke beside me, “You really think a bunch of baloneys were enough to keep us distracted? You’re not giving us too much credit.”
In my right peripheral view, I could see a big werewolf on all fours baring its fangs with a snarl.
There was a cold touch in my nape that wore off whatever it was that kept me from moving.
I turned to my right and see a smiling Bran with vampire fangs out. On my left, Dain in his full werewolf form.
Relief washed over me, and I could feel my tears well up in my eyes. I wanted to jump at the fanged duo in the joy of seeing them alive.
But I did my best to hold back any emotions I felt, especially in front of the woman who still thinks I’m on her side.
The duo stood in front of me protectively as they face Ryia whose face was contorted with utter disgust.
“You’re both alive,” I managed to whisper to their backs, my voice trembling.
Bran gave me a quick glance and winked, “Of course. We wouldn't simply hand you over to such a rotten witch.”
Chapter 5
Scarlet Moon
“What have you done?”
The question, however, was directed to the duo who had appeared out of the portal that disappeared the moment they stepped out.
I stare in cold frozen dread at the woman standing before me. My pale-faced blood-sucking friend seemed to be ignorant of the scarlet witch’s rage as he carelessly taunted her.
“We only knocked your friends unconscious...forever,” he offered her the same smirk that up until right now drove me crazy.
The woman’s brow twitched, and her jaw visibly clenched. I could see veins popping out of her temples.
Whoever it was that they ‘knocked unconscious’ was probably very important to her.
Not a good idea.
She had already taken out Zoren, and she didn’t seem against the idea of taking them both out too.
Dain didn’t want to feel left out, so the enormous beast started marching on his four legs towards her. He gradually picked up a faster pace until he began sprinting.
This was a fatal déjà vu. I had just witnessed Zoren do the very same thing, and it did not work.
As I had predicted and feared, the werewolf lunged at the unfazed witch standing still.
Her eyes had become blood red, and with just one bat of an eye, a slicing force was thrown to the beast in the air.
A scream climbed up my throat.
No.
I shouldn’t be giving myself away now. There shouldn’t be any hints that would make Lili realise which side I am on now.
I still have to put up the act of being her helpless little sister.
Especially at this moment when she’s out for blood.
I watched as the arcane force charged at full speed to slice Dain in half.
In the nick of time, a portal opened just in front of where the large canine was lunging, hurling him to it and transporting him to the ground where he was out of the force’s path.
The blade-like force vanished to the heavens. The werewolf shook his head as he tried to recover from the unexpected fall. Before Dain could turn his head to the witch, another force blade was already hurled towards him.
Bran was fast enough to summon another portal in front of his ally to deviate the arcane force’s direction somewhere else. As it was released to the forest, one straight line of trees split into halves. It’s apparent evidence that anything that will stand in its way would be cut down
The power this woman displayed so far was something far more than any Arcane Witch possesses. In the faintness of my memories, I could remember encountering genuine witches governing the arcane arts with prowess above any other kind of witches.
But Ryia...
Her ability might be the apex among real Arcane Witches.
Even at this moment, I can’t help but be awed by her talent. The bubbling envy in my chest has been there for as long as I can remember. The feeling of the high regard I have right now is proof that if nothing else, the jealousy for her undeniable capability inside my troubled insecure mind was real.
Ryia was quick to figure out that her current offensive style was ineffective with how the duo worked. She set her eyes on Bran, standing just a few meters from me. Bran did not show any sign of yielding. He stood his ground, holding her gaze as a challenge and in a silent proclamation of war. He, like Zoren, would not go down without a fight.
Zoren still went down though
Dain, on the other hand, had been on relentless offence with his beastly super strength. However, the barrier of translucent red and violet around her had warded off any kind of assault he launched.
She made no move for a couple of seconds. It was like she was waiting for the right time to break the link between the two to tear them apart. I feel like I could see all the acts of murder going through her head.
I really do not know this woman
Even, in light of learning of her manipulations, thinking I’ve removed all the layers of her mask would be so foolish of me.
Bran pointed his right finger and made a slicing motion in his left wrist. His sharp nail tore a surface of his pale skin to let out blood. But instead of spilling to the ground, the blood started to clot outside.
That’s when I realised; Bran was manipulating its form.
In just a few seconds, he had already produced a gun out of his own blood. The ability, just like the vampires that have it was another myth I’d only heard about until this point.
The incision in his wrist immediately vanished as soon as the tool of destruction formed. It was like his skin was stitched back perfectly. I’d be mesmerised if this wasn’t all so terrifying.
Ryia wasted no time pointing the gun at her and firing it at full blast. The bullets sliced
through the air at lightning speed, only hitting the tough barrier around her, but unlike Zoren’s dagger, the bullets did not drop to the ground. Instead, they spun at high speed as they pierced their way through the arcane barrier and continued after their target.
The look on her face told me that Ryia was not expecting that.
A wave of her fingers and another barrier layer was added.
But, that didn’t stop any of the bullets from penetrating.
She was forced to take steps back as she added layer after layer to the barrier, to keep the bullets from reaching her.
The moment of her distraction gave an opening to Dain. He had been waiting for this.
Preparing for a leap, he bent his forelegs like a predator ready to attack his prey. His large fangs were more than ready and willing to rip away her flesh. Deciding it was the right time, he finally lunged at her defenceless open back.
The sudden smirk in her matted lips was like a pitchfork in my chest. What he did was a mistake that would cost him his life.
Without turning her head, another slicing force made its way from the werewolf’s left. He didn’t have time to shift direction to dodge mid-air.
Bran saw the fatal blow racing towards Dain and summoned a portal to transport him out of harm’s way, but at the expense of stopping the bullets.
He turned the bullets against their owner with a twitch of her slender finger. Instead of opening up another portal, the vampire swiftly turned to me and embraced me protectively. His slight slim build blocked my view and completely covered my figure.
I almost couldn’t breathe through the wool fabric of his long sleeve shirt as he squeezed me tightly. I felt the impact of the bullets he received on his back. My hands reached behind his shoulder only to touch holes in the fabric that revealed fresh wounds.
His blood trickled to my fingers, and as I withdrew them. My shaking hands were completely covered with his blood.
Everything happened so quickly.
I pulled away in fright to look at his handsome face, and after coughing blood, his thin pink lips formed a grin.
“Blood is supposed to go into my mouth not come out of it,” he tried to chuckle in an attempt to joke, but it only ended with a bloody cough.
“Are you afraid of me, Liliwen?”
His question during dinner rung in my ears, and it was one that bought me fear.
But now, I know how stupid I was to think he meant me harm.
If he did, he wouldn’t have let me live —or at least let me come back to life—in the first place.
He wouldn’t go through the trouble of trying to fix a literally broken person if he had wanted to get rid of me.
This man, under the facade of his cunning sarcasm and seemingly deceptive personality, had shown nothing but care and concern for me.
I had let his playful casual smile and riddled words mislead me to think he was an antagonist when, in fact, he was the one who showed me who the real antagonists were.
But here I am...unscathed because of him.
His right hand reached for my face and wiped the fallen tears with his very gentle touch.
“Don’t worry. This isn’t enough to kill me.”
I couldn’t help but sniff in return when he smiled.
The touching moment, however, was over as soon as a sharp voice spoke.
“No. But this will.”
Bang!
The ringing in my ears was caused by the sound of the shot, right in front of me.
Right before my eyes, Bran’s head exploded with the point-blank shot.
Ryia had the gun’s mouth right at the back of what remained of the vampires head.
After the ringing had stopped, the body embracing me fell to the ground.
I can feel the tremor in my whole body, but I could only stare at the nothingness left by Bran’s figure.
What...?
The woman who pulled the trigger scoffed at the body.
“Tch. You thought you could outwit me. But as soon as I figured your portal-making ability has intervals, I knew you’d be screwed if I attacked in succession,” as if taking his life wasn’t enough, she kicked the lifeless body with her demeaning heels, “You can’t summon one after another for about two minutes.”
Her voice was, then, overlaid with a low growl coming from behind her.
Sure enough, the death of his comrade enraged him. Dain made a beeline for Ryia with his strong legs dashing at lightning speed. He had to be faster than Ryia’s reaction to having a chance to get at her. But his calculation ended in vain.
The werewolf was vertically sliced in half by the arcane witch’s blade-like force that came out of nowhere.
My knees gave way beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground.
I couldn’t look away from the nauseating horror show laying before me as the halves of his flesh dropped separately to the ground, sending blood gushing everywhere.
Ryia brushed off her shoulder despite no blood touching the cloth of her red coat. She turned on her heels and said in a commanding voice, “Stand up, Lili. We’re going home.”
She walked over the bodies and their pieces with a coldness that unhinged me. She stomped away through the forest, expecting me to follow her, but I could not move.
No.
My heart couldn’t take it.
My mind wouldn’t accept it.
This is not real.
This is not real...
***
In the dead of night, lifeless bodies lay scattered on the ground, and blood covered the lakeside soil, finding its way to the water.
The clearness of the water was polluted with the thick redness of blood.
And as the lake reflected the crescent shape in the sky...
In the blanket of the lake, the illuminating light mixed with blood in the water had transformed its form to a dreadful scarlet moon.
WITCH’S WISHES
WITCH’S CURSED CIRCLE SERIES – BOOK 3
EVELYN COOPER
Chapter 1
A Weapon
No!
I never wanted this to happen.
The shadow of death that draped itself over the three men who risked their lives for me still lingered like a sheet, waiting to wrap around me in its deceptive embrace.
My heart longed to grieve the shocking and horrifying loss of the men who saved my life. The men who tried to shield me while opening my eyes to the truth. Men who at first had terrified me, only to lay down their lives later to save a stranger. Everything inside me begged for the weak response of the mind-controlled witch, but the newly resurrected witch inside me won’t allow it.
There’s a voice in the back of my mind shouting at me.
“Stand up. Look straight ahead. Keep moving forward. That is the only way for you to live.”
I want to reason with her, but she remains adamant. Determined to see this whole farce through to the end. Her stern voice resounds within me, calling me to arms for a war I still do not fully understand. She summons a strength I didn’t even know I had. She reminds me of someone I must have known in one of my former lives, but I can’t seem to place her.
“You have no time to weep for the fallen. Rise and never yield to despair. You must bear this pain and charge ahead Liliwen. That is who we are. That is what we do. No matter what, do not stop moving forward.”
I have no idea what she’s talking about! But she’s convinced me that I have what it takes, so I gather whatever amount of will there is left within me to stand up on my wobbly legs and march miserably behind Ryia.
I wrapped my arms around myself, in a desperate attempt to control my trembling body, offering myself the only solace and comfort I know I’ll be getting. White witch Ryia had very little comfort to offer me, so I do not expect this homicidal Arcane maniac to show me any kindness either. Never matter. I do not need her false sisterly affections. I do not need to siphon her strength.
Not anymore.
That’s right. Show no weakness.
<
br /> There must be a reason why these three protected me at the cost of their lives when they could have just simply handed me over to this witch.
I let myself believe that there might be something they want me to do—or something they want from me— if they were willing to die just to keep me from the hands of Ryia... from the hands of the coven, Bran had mentioned. I need to find a way to figure out what this coven is without raising any suspicion, but Bran and Dain went. I have no idea what my first move will be. I imagine after being chewed out by the Minister of Defense, Ryia isn’t about to let me out of her sight anytime soon.
Just my luck.
I should have asked more sensible questions back at the mansion when I had the chance. Here I am now, with not enough to go on and a wanna-be sister that is out for blood.
I don’t care. I have to find a way to come out on top. I will not let their deaths be in vain.
I suddenly remembered what the woman told Bran in the surreal conversation in the bedroom at the mansion, and I can suddenly relate.
“This is me doing my part.”
I need to do my part. It may not be an ideal situation, but maybe, after years of thinking that I’m useless and looking for my own purpose, I finally found my own part to play.
In my heart, I’m no longer the powerless witch, sister of this Liliwen persona. I’m not the dirt on the Alwyn family’s name, but a part that made the coven think it was necessary to remove all my memories.
Because... why else would they go through the effort of keeping me in check yearly?
The newfound determination gave me the strength to take steps forward, treading the bloody pathway.
No.
I won’t look down.
It will only remind me of what I lost tonight.
I keep my eyes on the path ahead where I see the back of the woman who is like a warden to me.
“You can’t keep walking behind her forever. Now, that you know who she really is, there’s nothing that should hold you back from doing what you want to, and escape her grip...
This is my new objective. I will escape this madness, but before I do that, I have to uncover the reason behind the years of their manipulation, erasure, and alterations in my brain.
Witch's Cursed Circle Complete Collection Page 7