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I caught onto the ring that seemed too real even in this transparent state in our subconscious, but joining hands suddenly heightened our senses immensely, to the point that I was now experiencing everything Bria was.
The exhilarating rush. The determination to reach our goal. The pure excitement of defying all these shifted who thought they could catch us. And the fuming anger revolving around the great lengths the Coven had gone to cover the ultimate truth.
To realize Aurelia’s birth mother who’d apparently died in a bomb incident more than twenty years ago was alive and made it her mission to screw up mine, Aurelia’s, Auraleia’s, and anyone else associated with us and the Phoenix Family's lives were baffling.
What still left me confused was why she’d kept calling me her prodigy and even seemed delighted when I called her “mother.” She surely knew of Aurelia’s existence, which was why she was using it to her advantage to try to get off scot-free, but why was she desperate for me to be her perfect creation when I had no blood relation to her?
The answers clearly lay at the top of the mountain, and it was imperative we got there on time, which was why I zoned back into the present as the exhilarating sensations of our wolf state took over.
I finally realized just how fast we were — our paws barely touching the soiled surface of the ground or patches of snow as we raced and avoided every attack aimed at us. The world was but a blur as we relied on instinct. Everything was heightened to the max, which made avoiding any unexpected obstacles a breeze.
It invited a sense of gleefulness as my determination to win this unexpected bet drove me up this mountain faster than the idea of my ex-best friend perishing at the hand of her own family. I guessed that was what must have hurt the most in Aurelia’s shoes.
To have sacrificed so much in their name, only to realize far too late that no matter what you did, it would never be enough for their satisfaction.
I wished to rekindle our friendship. To talk and share our ups and downs. She deserved redemption, and I wanted to be the one to give her that.
To finally free her from this cycle of agony.
The madness and mayhem happening around us were non-existence as I caught onto Aurelia’s scent. That wasn’t the only thing I caught onto; the aroma of wood, sage, pine, and fire reached my nostrils and made me push harder to reach her.
I knew I was super close as I caught onto words that made my heart hammer furiously against my chest as we sprinted as fast as we could.
“Aurelia Delianna Clementine, you are found guilty for treason, manipulation of royals destines, misusage of Fae and witch magic, and the attempted murder of a royal.”
There was a pause before the prime question was asked.
“Any royal who speaks against this, speak up now.”
The silence that followed through me broke my heart, and I realized if I didn’t do anything, this would truly be the end. My body skidded to a stop, all four paws gliding through the snow as we approached what I realized was a cliff.
I didn’t care if I slid right off the damn thing as I took the deepest inhale I could manage and lifted my head up.
“AWHOOOOOOO!”My howl was deafening as it quaked through the mountain and held for at least thirty seconds. Even as my lungs gave out, the sound kept echoing, which invited a blanket of silence as the sound of clashing claws, growls, and various fighting sounds came to a sudden stop.
My body stopped just at the edge of the cliff, and Bria pulled back entirely, which triggered my shift back. I was in full control as I rose up swiftly, completely out of breath, wearing black magic attire that survived my shift.
With the wind whipping through my hair and clenched fists, I merely glanced down to see the unforgiving sight below: Aurelia tied to a wooden stake with various kinds of wood beneath, while her Coven members dared to stand on the sidelines in their black attire.
A fae announcer stood at the podium and was surprisingly represented by Mervyn, while the other side was blocked off by a barrier that forced Aurelia’s men to watch the inevitable helplessly.
Everyone looked up at me. Aurelia’s helpless eyes met my wild ones as I took in her condition. She looked so frail. Her body was covered in wounds while her aura was barely existent. Her hair was cut short, and her face was sporting black eyes and a busted lip.
I didn’t dare want to think about what happened to her before they tied her to that wooden pole, but it took absolutely every strand of resistance to not go wild and punish everyone down there.
“I, Willow Alundra Phoenix of the Phoenix Empire, object to the execution of Aurelia Delianna Clementine!”I said it as loud as I could.“Aurelia has been proven innocent with multiple pieces of evidence validating the misconduct done against her to cover up the true culprit of blasphemy! Under Faerie lands with the witness of Queen Elphaba Phoenix, this trial and verdict have been deemed invalid!”
I ignored the tears that spilled down my cheeks as I saw the glimmer of hope in Aurelia’s drooping eyes.
“Any action ignited against Aurelia from this point forward will be a direct attack against the supernatural law! The individual and associated organization will be charged by the highest institute of power, the High Council, and will endure the harsh punishments which include banishment and revocation of any magic and shifter entities!”My words flowed effortlessly, as if I knew the supernatural law, leaving everyone no choice but to acknowledge the spoken words.
“Aurelia is innocent! This execution is now considered attempted murder! Those who do not cooperate will be captured, imprisoned, and judged by the High Council members!”I declared and tilted my head further up. “Which includes me.”
“Will…ow.” I caught onto Aurelia’s croak, and she fought with everything she had to smile as her tears overflowed down her wounded cheeks. “Thank…you.”
My heart clenched for her, and all I wanted to do was get down there and pull her into a tight hug. There would be no more suffering, and as the new year inched upon us, I’d ensure no one dared to hurt Aurelia like this again.
Not even herself.
