AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the witches tried to bring Nicolai back to life, it was too late, he had already died. It was the goddess who brought him back, but during that time, he was basically tortured by the witches. Of course, they took the success as their own. Now, we find out he has magic… I don’t know what they did to him, he won’t tell me, but I suspect that whatever it was is behind his new powers.
Nicolai has been watching this whole interaction in silence, his hands now lowered but held out at his sides like he doesn’t know what to do with them. “It must have to do with the magic they used on me,” he comments, obviously thinking along the same line of thought that I was.
“Can anything be done to undo this?” Scott asks, speaking for the first time since we entered the room. He’s shocked, and I understand why. When he learned about Nicolai losing his wolf, he struggled with the idea of never being able to shift again, and now Nicolai has magic. Scott may not be vocal about his feelings towards witches, but if he thinks that they could somehow turn him into a witch and take away his wolf, it will change his attitude towards them, which is dangerous, seeing as we’re surrounded by them.
“We’ve never heard of anything like this. People don’t just develop magic,” Atlas explains, frustration lacing his tone as he gestures to the destroyed room and the scattered debris around us. “But this is what happens when a witch starts to lose control of their powers. If he doesn’t learn control, it will kill him.”
The world seems to stand still for a moment.It will kill him.The statement plays over in my mind on repeat, until it finally registers, and one thought hits me, freezing me to my core.I’m going to lose him again. The heartbreak I felt then was nothing compared to what it feels like to lose a mate, and I’m not sure I would survive it.No, I tell myself fiercely. I won’t let that happen, and I’ll do anything to keep him safe.
Apparently I say this out loud, because Luna appears in front of me, her expression full of regret. “I’m sorry, Laelia, but we don’t have time for this. We need to go.” She might be regretful, but that doesn’t take away the firmness in her voice. There’s no room for negotiation here. I don’t know what she knows or has been threatened with, but she’s not prepared to give us extra time to sort through this. This is not like my friend at all, which is the only reason I’m not kicking off about this.
“Go?” Nicolai laughs, but it’s devoid of all humour. “I can’t go anywhere. I’m dangerous!” As if to prove his point, his magic flares, and something smashes in the other room. This only serves to stress him out more, the erratic flutter of his magic reacting to his panic.
Atlas steps forward slowly. “I can block your magic for now. It will stop it from coming out, but you won’t be able to use it,” he explains, his voice low and soft now, realising how close to losing control Nicolai is.
Eyes wide, Nicolai stumbles forward a few steps, only coming to a stop when everyone moves back—everyone except for me, that is. I’m not afraid of him, and he needs to know that. “Yes, do that,” he answers eagerly, his eyes locked on me.
“It’s not a permanent fix,” Luna warns. “Witches who have their magic blocked for a long time tend to get a little… loopy.”
I know that feeling, having gone through it myself when I first got here. That’s something I definitely don’t want for Nicolai, but we don’t have many other options right now. Ultimately, the decision is his, and as I watch his expression harden, I know he’s chosen.
Eyes flicking from Luna to Atlas, he rolls his shoulders back. “Well, I’m not a witch.” He nods his head firmly. “Do it.”
* * *
I’m outside the throne room, waiting to be announced, and I’ve decided I detest all this pomp and circumstance. The hall is packed, since everyone was required to attend, dressed in their finest attire. They are going to be in for a shock when they see what I’m wearing. Unsure what the challenge will entail, I chose form fitting but easy to move in trousers, calf-height boots, a dark-shirt I discovered at the bottom of my dresser, and a leather jacket.
I’m currently leaning against the wall, just down from the entrance, taking a quiet moment for myself before the bullshit begins, my mates waiting by the large doors. Luna disappeared into the hall as soon as we arrived, promising she’d see us soon. The nerves she was unsuccessfully trying to hide as she said her farewell did nothing to ease my growing sense of dread.
I can feel the weight of my mates’ stares on me, and while it makes me feel guilty, I keep my distance. They keep looking over at me, and I know they want to be at my side, but they also respect my need for space. With everything that’s happened today, I’ve made sure to stay within eyesight so they don’t freak out and come looking for me.
The process of blocking Nicolai’s magic was laughably easy. We explained everything that happened in the last few days to him, bringing him up to speed, but also because we could see how much he needed a distraction. Glancing over, I watch him now. His attitude has changed remarkably, and I see some of my old Nicolai shining through now that he’s not terrified he’s going to destroy everything. He’s been through so much already. His whole identity changed when he lost his wolf, and now it’s changing again. I do worry about how he’s going to cope when we have to unlock his powers, but for now, I’m just glad that he seems okay.
“This is an interesting development,” a voice comments from beside me.
Startling, I spin to find Ivar standing beside me with a smile pulling at his lips, his eyes on Nicolai. I press my hand against my chest as I try to get my breathing back under control. “Holy goddess, Ivar! You scared the crap out of me.”
Blinking those strange, depthless eyes, he turns to look at me, tilting his head to one side as he watches me, assessing the change in me. He doesn’t scare me like he once did, and I actually find that I quite like the unusual witch, but that doesn’t change the fact that he can be a little unnerving sometimes.
“Apologies,” he finally answers, dipping his head once before turning back to look at my mates. “I smelled the scent of new magic, and I had to come investigate. How interesting.” He stares at Nicolai, and I only just manage to hold back my shudder.
Clearing my throat, I change the subject. “Do you know anything about today’s challenge?”
If anyone knows, it would be him. His loyalty to the queen will probably mean that he can’t tell me anything, but it’s worth a shot.
“That is information I am unable to share with you,” he replies, confirming my suspicions.
Assuming this is the end of the conversation, I nod and release a slow sigh, pushing away from the wall to rejoin my mates, but I’m stopped by a pale hand on my arm.
“Remember to trust your instincts and your goddess.”
Staring into his eyes for a hint of anything else to come, I frown and nod again, showing that I’ve accepted his advice. I understand what he’s doing, and I’m grateful for it. He can’t tell me anything about what the challenge consists of, but despite that, he’s still trying to give me information that will help us. It seems like basic advice, and something that I would do anyway, but he must be telling me this for a reason.
Placing my hand over his, I give him a small smile. “Thank you, Ivar.” I mean every word of my appreciation, and his eyes widen slightly, his own smile broadening. “I’ll see you later. I need to return to my mates before they come over here and demand to know what we’re talking about.”
Saying our goodbyes, I walk across the corridor towards my males. Atlas stands a little way out from the others, but he’s talking quietly to Nicolai, which gives me hope that we can make this work. My two alphas look as though they are about two seconds from storming over and wrapping me in their arms, so I head over to them first. Joel stays silent, but he smiles down at me, reaching out to brush some of my hair from my face. Syn, who seems to have no concept of personal space, steps right up to me, practically bumping Joel out of the way so he can rub up against me, nuzzling my neck. Once he’s finished, I press a kiss to his cheek and move around to smile at Scott, brushing my hand down his arm in a silent greeting. Nicolai seems more hesitant about coming forward, but Atlas strides over and presses a blistering kiss to my lips, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck to hold me in place.
None of us say it, but this feels like goodbye. Of course, that’snotgoing to happen, I won’t let it. Even so, this little moment is bittersweet. Reaching out to pull Nicolai in for a hug, I pause when footsteps approach.
