Rebirth: The Awakening Of A Witch

by Jessica S. Quinn

  By the time we got to the table, I wasn’t feeling well. I quickly grabbed the closest bottled water on the table, opened it, and drank hungrily.

  “Sky, are you okay?” Elise asked. She was looking really worried. I probably looked worse than what I was actually feeling.

  After I few more gulps of water, I nodded at her. I actually felt better. It was probably just the long late nights and lack of sleep.

  “Let’s get you some air, alright?” she suggested as she led me out the main door of the house. Once outside, she tugged me along with her and helped me sit in the wooden porch swing.

  “Thanks for this, Elle. You really should go back inside. I’ll be fine here,” I smiled reassuringly at her. I didn’t want to ruin the night for her. She should be having fun. It was her first party since she moved, after all.

  She smiled while shaking her head. “No, no. I’ll keep you company. Besides, my feet needed a break from all that dancing,” she laughed silently as she stretched out her legs in front of her. I had to agree with her. We did spend most of the night dancing.

  I was finally feeling better the more time I spent outside. I guess all I needed was fresh air. I was enjoying Elise’s company, too. She stayed with me the whole time, humming a sweet melody that was really soothing. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the metal chains of the porch swing as I continued listening to her hum. This was the first time I felt this relaxed ever since that night at the shortcut.

  Maybe this relaxed feeling was the reason I felt a different aura, that same one that was similar with Adrien’s but had a milder nature to it. I suddenly opened my eyes and turned to her.

  “You,” I whispered.

  She smiled warmly at me, not giving me a hint if it was actually her presence I felt last time. I distinctly remember feeling someone following me the day after that awful storm and that appalling nightmare. I know it wasn’t Adrien because it lacked that strong, dominating characteristic to it.

  “Sky, I know you find my brother hard to deal with sometimes,” she started. Then she instantly laughed when she looked at my reaction. “Okay, he’s always hard to deal with,” she grinned. She didn’t mind that I have strong feelings against him? “But you should know that he has reasons for how he’s acting towards you. He always has reasons,” she murmured, suddenly carrying a serious expression. I’ve never seen her like this before. “And they’re usually good reasons.” She turned to look at me, covering my hand with one of her own. “Trust me,” she said as she smiled sweetly at me.

  I couldn’t help smiling back at what she said. “Thank you,” I replied as I placed my other hand on top of hers. She didn’t give me the answers to any of my questions, but she managed to ease some of the damaging feelings I have against Adrien.

  I would’ve liked to stay like that for a lot longer. I was enjoying taking in the cool breeze when that awful, heavy feeling struck again. I felt my body break out in a sweat. I was still trying to catch my breath again when my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I swallowed, hoping the difficulty of breathing would subside soon. I pulled my phone out to see Nana’s message.

  ‘Dear, could you please pass by that herbal store near Jessica’s place? We don’t have any Valerian root at home.’

  “That’s odd,” I said as I read Nana’s message again.

  “What is?” Elise asked curiously.

  “Nana just asked me to go get some Valerian root. She probably can’t sleep,” I replied. “It’s been years since she last needed that herb, though. That’s strange,” I frowned.

  “Why don’t you call her and ask if she’s alright,” Elise smiled, but I could tell that something was bothering her. She seemed to have tensed up a bit.

  I nodded and called Nana. I couldn’t get through the first time, so I pressed the call button again. After five tries, I still couldn’t connect the call. “I can’t get through,” I silently announced. “I should probably head to that store. I’m sure Nana already called the owner,” I was certain she did just that. She was close friends with Maria, the kind-hearted, Spanish old woman who owns the herbal store.

  “I’ll go with you just to make sure you’re okay,” Elise said suddenly when I stood.

  “Okay. Thanks,” I replied, grinning at her. It was sweet of her to offer, but I felt that she was somehow anxious all of a sudden.

  The walk to that herbal store wasn’t that far. It was just two blocks away from Jessica’s house. So, I didn’t feel the need to ask Nick or Anne to accompany me. I was thankful that Elise went with me, though, because the street lights in that area weren’t working well. They kept on flicking on and off, which made the place look suddenly creepy.

  I inched closer to Elise, grabbing hold of her arm, as all the street lights unexpectedly turned off at the same time. All at once, that awful feeling came rushing to me in warped speed. I couldn’t breathe at all. Then as sudden as it came, it was instantly gone as well.

  I felt Elise stiffen beside me as the lights went back on, and we were suddenly surrounded by six dark-clothed figures with strange, ghoul-like, eyes.

  Chapter 9 - Shocking Revelations

  Elise immediately stepped in front of me. I didn’t know what she was doing. I was terrified for her when two of the strange men promptly came launching forward, aiming straight for her. I gasped when she suddenly crouched and stretched her right leg before quickly swinging it in a round, fluid motion, successfully hitting both their legs. They immediately lost their balance and fell backwards. She then jumped in the space between them and brought her fists into their stomachs.

  It all seemed to happen so fast. I was shocked to see her like that. Her sweet demeanor totally vanished as if it was never there, and it was entirely replaced with a girl carrying a serious and focused expression who completely moved like an alley cat.

  “Sky, run away as fast as you can,” she ordered in a tensed voice.

  When one of the dark figures suddenly stepped closer to me, she immediately blocked his way and stepped in front of me again. He started running towards her, his arms outstretched and his eyes filled with revulsion. Elise sidestepped him, grabbing both his arms before turning around, pulling him on her back and hauling him over her shoulders as if he didn’t weigh anything at all. “Go, now!” she cried as she pulled me towards the direction where that man was just standing a few moments ago.

  A dark street welcomed me. I immediately started running, picking up my pace the farther I got. “Don’t turn back! You won’t be alone soon!” she continued to cry out as I got farther away from her.

  My brain wasn’t working properly. I had a strong urge to go back to her. I shuddered at the thought of something bad happening to Elise. I ordered my feet to stop, but they still pushed forward as I sank in deeper into the darkness.

  I suddenly have that awful feeling that I’ve been here before, even if I have no idea where I was. The heaviness of my feet as they still pushed forward and my unexplainable reason to keep on moving was painstakingly familiar as if this already happened in the past.

  Suddenly, I felt my breath catch in my throat as that crushing feeling consumed me. I wobbled on my steps, causing me to slow down, but I still forced myself to keep going. In all the confusion that I was currently caught up with, everything immediately stopped when I saw a ray of light dash over my head. I instantly froze.

  This happened in one of my dreams. That’s why it was all too familiar to me. And just like what happened in that dream, my feet didn’t move despite my insistence as I waited for that beam of fire carrying the girl with the raven hair crash before me. When it did, she was in that exact same position as I pictured her to be, half-kneeling with her long hair cascading around her. When she looked up at me, I had goose bumps all over my skin at the slit-like golden eyes that carried intense outrage and loathe in them. She sneered at me.

  It won’t be long now. She stood up and stretched out her arms. I knew then that it was going to be over soon. Without even waiting for h
er to start shooting out fire from her hands, I stepped back and immediately covered my face with my arms. I heard her laugh before I smelled the fire and heard the spurting sound coming from her direction. I knew then that she already discharged those bolts of flame towards me. I let my mind go blank as I prayed hard that my dream would continue until the end.

  I knew he was coming, and I instantly felt relief as I waited for the moments to tick by. ‘You won’t be alone soon!’ That’s what Elise meant back then.

  Despite the situation I was in, I managed to smile. That familiar rush of air appeared before me, and I immediately looked up before I even felt his strong aura. A robust series of lightning struck as he outstretched his hands before him. His face was the exact image I saw in my dream. It was strange how magnificent he looked with that intense concentration on his features.

  “Stay down, Sky!” he ordered me as I expected him to. I did what I was told without taking my eyes off of him. When he was done with the barrier of lightning, he turned to me. I smiled at him as I saw that his features completely revealed the exact image I imagined them to display—dread and worry. He knelt before me and very slowly but hesitantly took me in his arms.

  My heart soared as I felt tears stream down my face. I’ve never felt this happy at seeing anyone before. And of all people, it was Adrien.

  I cried softly as he stroked my hair, trying to calm me down. Even in my mystified state, I felt another presence approach us. I immediately stiffened.

  “Shh… It’s just Cole and Elise,” he cooed. I waited, and he was right. I felt that milder aura that was similar to his. Only this time, I felt them twice. Out of the blue, Cole and Elise were standing before me. It looked like the wind brought them in, and they just appeared.

  “Adrien, she’s gone,” Elise quietly said as she bent down to caress my cheek. I smiled at her, feeling relief wash over me that she was safe.

  All of a sudden, Adrien stood, pulling me up with him. I turned to the direction of the barrier he just made. I stepped back as I realized the size of the shield he did. It covered the whole area, looking like a wall that was entirely made of azure light. I felt my jaw drop as I saw him move his hand in a small swiping motion, and the blue wall was gone.

  Cole chuckled at my reaction and gently tapped my head as he tried to smolder his laughter. “You’ll be fine, Princess,” he smiled at me. Adrien tensed beside me and groaned. I looked up at him, only to find out that he was throwing Cole an annoyed look.

  “Can someone please explain to me what just happened?” I asked in a tiny voice, suddenly aware what everyone around me was capable of doing.

  He sighed and looked at me. “You wanted answers, right? Well, you’re getting them,” he replied and suddenly draped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. I had the decency to blush before I realized that we were somehow floating. I gasped and instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist. I had the urge to close my eyes, but I didn’t want to miss out on anything that was happening. Right before us, I saw images changing. The colors swirled around and the hazy dark grey of the street we were once in suddenly turned into bright colors of yellows, whites, and oranges.

  I blinked back a few times. We weren’t on that street anymore. Instead, we were in a brightly lit living room that was so beautiful that I was immediately taken by surprise. The walls were painted beige, and the tiles were made of cream-colored wood. Right in the middle of the room was three long couches in off-white color, and on those couches were several throw pillows in monotone colors of lightest yellow and bright orange. A tall lamp that was directly joined into a small, circular glass table was situated on the space between two of the couches, and a lofty plant encased in a cream-colored vase was standing on the other space. The center table was interesting. It was made of dark wood, which was divided into four equal sections. Each section had a slightly different height than the others.

  Everything in this room was simple yet elegant, and what immediately caught my interest were the two oil paintings of sunflowers on either side of a double hung, cut-up windows.

  Someone cleared their throat a few feet to my right. I saw Cole playfully smirking at me with a raised eyebrow. “I know you’re perfectly comfortable in the position you’re in right now, but perhaps you’d like to take a seat so my brother could breathe,” he said as he comfortably landed in one of the couches, propping his feet on the table as he did so.

  I blushed and immediately let my hands drop from Adrien’s waist at the same that he dropped his arm from my shoulder. I totally forgot. Elise pulled me along and made me sit on the couch opposite Cole.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s just happy that we don’t have to hide anything from you anymore,” she said, waving her hand at Cole in a dismissive gesture as she sat beside me. “Honestly, we both would’ve told you but Adrien was strongly against it. He said you were better off not knowing,” she continued on, glaring at Adrien as he made his way to the remaining couch and comfortably laid down, occupying the entire length of the furniture. “And now this happened,” she sighed, suddenly turning serious as she looked at me. After a few moments of just staring at me, she nodded. “What would you like to know?”

  I sighed. “Why are you guys here?” I asked, allowing my eyes to graze over each of them before stopping on Adrien. “Why are you here?” I emphasized, this time directing the question to him. He sat himself on the couch so he could face me.

  “I’m here to protect you, Skylar,” he said in a serious tone, looking deep into my eyes. I knew that he wasn’t lying. With what happened earlier and how he saved me several times before that, I wouldn’t doubt him at all. “…and so are Cole and Elise. It’s our responsibility to make sure you’re safe,” he continued on.

  I frowned. “Why? I’m nobody. I’m just an ordinary girl. Why would I need protection? Look at me,” I asked, completely baffled, raising my arms and looked down at myself. I certainly don’t understand why they have to protect me of all people.

  “Because you’re the Princess of Propheria, Skylar,” Cole immediately replied while he was busy arranging himself, now sitting with his legs crossed. Adrien threw him one of the throw pillows which he was able to avoid effortlessly.

  Adrien still looked annoyed before he turned his attention back to me. His expression immediately changed, now looking concerned at the look my face was probably displaying.

  “Princess of what?” I said, startling even myself as I jerked from the couch. Elise held my hand before gently pulling me back down, giving her twin a warning look.

  “What Cole tactlessly said is true. You are a princess, the last living Imperial witch in Propheria. That’s what we call our world, Skylar,” she said slowly in a soft voice, cupping my face with both her hands as she stared right into my eyes.

  “I can’t be,” I whispered back to her. “My parents aren’t witches or royalty, or Imperials, as you call them. They’re ordinary…mortals,” I said, choosing the right words to explain that they’re probably mistaking me for someone else. But the words I chose sounded weird even to my own ears.

  “You are the princess, Skylar. Your mother was an Imperial witch, too, but she married Nicholas,” Adrien said as he draped both his arms on the back of the couch. “Once a witch ties a bond with an ordinary human, she loses all her powers,” he continued on, not bothering to pause in giving out the facts. I totally felt lost and turned to Elise for help.

  She nodded in understanding. “Propheria is a kingdom divided into four ranks. You can distinguish everyone’s ranks through the color of their eyes. The highest rank belongs to the Imperials,” Elise explained as she waved her hand towards me, signifying that I was one of these Imperials. “Imperials are known by their blue-green eyes.” She turned to me and smiled warmly. “I know you’ve never met anyone, other than your mother, who shares exquisite blue-green eyes as yours.” I was blown away at what she said. That was exactly true.

  “Now for the second ranks, we call them the Guardian
s or the Conservators. The witches under this rank have silver eyes like my brothers and I. And it’s our obligation to guard Imperial witches like you, Sky,” she continued on narrating.

  I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. No wonder they all have the same eye color. But no matter how hard I try, I still couldn’t take in everything she just said. I urged her on, thinking that maybe if I knew everything that I would understand more. “Those in the third ranks are the Spiritualists, characterized by their purple eyes. They contact spirits, make spells, and determine prophecies. And the last rank belongs to the Scheols with golden yellow eyes. They have always been jealous of the Imperials and have constantly sought to kill every last one of them,” she explained as she looked glum, completely avoiding my eyes.

  I gulped. “So that girl with the black hair is a Scheol?” I asked, still bewildered at what was happening.

  “Yes, she is. Rhiannon is the younger sister of Alastor. Their family’s been doing everything they can to slaughter every last one of the members of the Imperial family,” she reported, suddenly clenching her hands in anger. I held both her hands, making her look at me.