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My mind was no longer my own. I could hear my thoughts, remember my life, and yet there was a gloom over each thought, as if they weren’t true. And I no longer had control over my body. Each step I took, each move I made, was controlled by another. Controlled by the woman standing before me. Divines were at my sides, each covered in inky shadows, their eyes glazed over, and I knew that inside, they were the same as me.
“Our time has come.” Willow bellowed, the thousands of Divines raptly listening to her every word. “We now have thediciludus visEthos on our side and with him, we can move towards the next realm. The Darkness as our aide, we will rule over this world and the next, the freedom to move between both realms.”
Willow’s eyes were crazed as she spoke, and deep down I knew this was wrong, I knew I didn’t want to do her bidding, and yet the haze covered those thoughts, telling me that itiswhat I wanted. I wanted to help her rule the worlds. I wanted to serve her in any way I could.
“My queen, they’re coming for you. I haveseenit.” A woman next to me spoke, her eyes black, her skin barely visible beneath the Darkness.
“Then we will fight. They cannot defeat our numbers.” Willow continued, gazing out at her people and I did the same.
There were thousands of Divines surrounding me. Many more than those that lived in the castle. And too many more than were able to fight. My head started pounding as my mind begged me to warn the others. To tell them that they didn’t have a chance. There was no hope for them. There was no way for them to win this fight. But I stood still, trapped by Willow’s words.
Willow glided towards me, separating the crowd, all of their eyes on her. Mine were as well as she drew closer, until she stopped directly in front of me, her hands brushing my shoulders as she gripped me close.
“You are my most prized weapon child. The one who will fulfill my dreams. Are you prepared for what you must do?” She spoke, her voice filled with kindness as her eyes were filled with fury.
Internally, I screamed. I wasn’t prepared. I had no intention of fighting againstmypeople. Against the ones I loved. And yet, those words wouldn’t come forth. Instead, I found myself speaking clearly, with all the intensity of the screams inside my head.
“Yes, my queen. I’m ready.” I answered steadily.
Willow’s smile spread across her cheeks; the sight eerie. Her head tilted to the side as she grinned, as if she heard something. Moments later, I heard the noise. Hundreds of feet pounding into the ground, the unequivocal sound of creatures racing along, the Drax flashing about. And I knew that it was too late. Even if I could regain control of my body, they were already here.
“Let the massacre begin.” Willow spoke on a deranged chuckle, her army of shadows at her back.
And I was among them. My body moving to join the ranks, the haze covering my mind until all I saw was the Darkness. And then I smiled too. Because I was ready to attack.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Halley
Our army stormed through Agrum Di Vinum, Knox at the lead. Kalani and Maeve were at my side, refusing to let go of each other until the last possible second. I saw the flash of Wilder every so often as he sprinted the perimeter of our people, making sure no one attacked while we were distracted. Madden’s large tiger form was beside Knox, nearly at Knox’s shoulder.
I kept my eyes on each of them, making sure they were okay, nerves jumbling inside of me. As the Darkness grew thicker, I knew we were drawing close to Willow and her army of Divines. I also wasn’t naïve enough to think she didn’t have a Seer on her side, watching our moves. She would know we were coming. She wouldn’t dare be caught off Guard after this many years of waiting.
Walking into a large clearing, everyone around us halted at the sight. We knew they outnumbered us. But I hadn’t expected to see thousands of Divines standing behind Willow’s form. Endless rows stretched out, too many for my eyes to see. I felt Kalani’s hand clench tighter around mine, fear in her touch. And the fear speared my heart as well, when I caught sight of the wavy-haired man at Willow’s side.
Eli’s skin was barely marked with the shadows, but they were there nonetheless. And his eyes were dark and hazy, unfocused on the world before him. If I hadn’t believed it before, the truth was now standing before me. Willow truly had Eli under her control.
“Bring the Enchantress forth.” Willow called out, her voice echoing over the silence.
With one last squeeze of Kalani’s hand, I meandered through the crowd, pushing passed the Divines who had promised to stand at my side. As I passed, I felt hands grip my shoulder in reassurance. My shoulders straightened as I felt the support of all the people surrounding me.
“Ah, there she is. My Heir.” Willow spoke, her words filled with resentment.
“You don’t have to do this. You weren’t given thediciludus vis, but I know you didn’t intend to destroy your home. You can stop this.” I pleaded, hoping that some part of Willow hadn’t corrupted. However, my hopes were useless as she responded.
“You are correct about one thing, child. I didn’t intend to destroy my home. When I had realized what I had done, I immediately tried to fix it. And then I sent my people away, my own child, to protect them from the Darkness I had created.”
Pausing dramatically, Willow glanced around, as if to make sure we were all listening. “When I closed the portal, I erected my shield, trying to protect myself from the destruction I had brought. I sat in isolation for centuries. Decades and decades of waiting. Until one day, I realized that I had nothing to fear. The Darkness wasn’t my enemy, it was a part of me.” Her voice grew wistful as she spoke about the evil power, as if it was her own child.
“But it’s not a part of this land. The power isn’t right. You tried to draw from Agrum Di Vinum’s energy, but it wasn’t yours to take.” I told her, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.
Turning towards me with a glare, Willow shrieked. “But it was supposed to be mine! I deserved the power. My mother had it. My grandmother had it. So why did I not? Of course, I pretended I did. I would have never been elected as the next ruler if I hadn’t.”
Walking towards me, the Darkness trailed her, the tendrils wrapping around her skin in an adoring caress. “When I stepped outside of my shield, I realized that the Darkness had been waiting for me. I was its rightful ruler. And then I found my people, still living among the shadows, waiting for their queen.”
“They weren’t waiting for you; they were trapped by your power.”
As I finished speaking, Willow stepped closer, her hand striking me across the face, swiveling my head with the power behind the hit.
