The Blind Witch
Chapter 13

Fire is destructive. Though it is a source of light, fire is a friend to the darkness. Fire destroys, making room for the darkness. Where one is, the other is sure to follow.

A month had passed since the vampires had attacked the palace. The vampire lord at the Twin Mountain stronghold denied any association with the dead vampires, which surprised no one. Few records were kept of who was a vampire and who belonged where. And without proof, Azrael could not accuse them of treachery.

But the warning still stood. The Royal family could protect themselves against intruders. Then there was Clarissa. Ophelia and Victor were certain that her existence was spreading. But with the month of quietness, perhaps it was a good thing. Maybe they were wary of her magic.

The thunderstorms of the previous month had passed and made way for snow storms. Clarissa enjoyed the snow. She had not seen it much growing up. The Kingdom of Rovia is in a warmer climate. Snow was rare. So, when she awoke this morning and heard there was fresh snow on the ground, she was excited.

She had been dressed in a double-layered wool dress and thick leggings. She scowled as her maids put a shawl over her shoulders. She didn’t need warm clothes; the cold did not bother her much anymore. The fire magic within her kept her warm. But they still worried over her.

Once dressed, she walked over to Aiden’s room. His door was open, so she peeked in. She could see his aura across the room. But she could not tell what he was doing or if he saw her. She quietly stepped into his room, making her way to him.

Aiden couldn’t help but smile. He was sitting in a chair, putting his boots on. He could see her walk in, tip-toeing to him. But he didn’t say anything. She was in a giddy mood, and he didn’t want to spoil her fun. So he watched her sneak up on him. Only when she was close did he reach out and grab her hands.

She gasped at his touch. She was sure his back was turned because he said nothing to her. She put her free hand on his arm, traveling up to his face. She realized he was sitting, watching her.

“You knew!” She scowled.

“Even if I wasn’t facing the door, I can still smell you, mate,” he smirked as he stood. Clarissa pursed her lips.

“Can we go outside?” She questioned as she changed the subject. She stepped back, tugging on his hand.

“The snow isn’t going to melt, you know?” He chuckled as he followed her. “It will snow another few months before then.”

“I still want to feel it!” She exclaimed happily. “I want to be able to lay in it, to play in it!”

“Lay in it, you say?” He whispered into her ear.

“Get those thoughts out of your mind!” She gasped while trying to hide her blushing. “Not until we get older.”

“In two years and four months,” he replied with a low growl. “Then you will be 18. Then I make you mine.”

“How do you know I even want to be yours?” She questioned as she pulled her hand away from his.

Aiden smiled as he backed her into a wall. He put his hands on the stone beside her head. He leaned in close, breathing in her scent.

“Are you saying you don’t want me?” He pouted teasingly.

“I could manage,” she mumbled as she blushed. She could feel his heat near her body.

“Can you?” He asked as he leaned closer, nearly touching her body with his.

She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. Aiden leaned down and touched his lips softly to hers. She closed her eyes but groaned when he pulled away.

“Not yet,” he whispered. “But you’ll be begging me for more when you’re older.”

She put her hands against his chest and pushed him back.

“It’s you who will be begging me for more,” she huffed as she walked away.

“You’re not wrong,” he grumbled as he followed her.

Clarissa walked down the corridor, but she stopped, waiting for Aiden. She held her hand out to him. He took it willingly and led her outside. They went out back and into the gardens. She could feel the snow crunching beneath her feet and giggled happily.

Aiden stopped and knelt down. He scooped up some snow and placed it in her hands. She laughed at the cold sensation, but as the snow sat in her palms, it began to melt from her fire. She frowned when all she felt was liquid.

She crouched down and balled up snow in her hand. She tossed it at Aiden before it melted. It hit him square in the chest. She could hear the impact, and she bit her lower lip, hiding her smile.

“You better run,” he growled playfully as he gathered snow.

Clarissa squealed as she turned away from him.

“Tasaeyoule,” she whispered as she ran. With each step she took, fire energy rippled from her feet. She was able to see a thick tree. She ran behind it, giggling as she did so.

Aiden stepped to the side of the tree and threw a snowball at her. It hit her in her left shoulder. She laughed as she moved around the base of the tree. Aiden ran up to her, reaching around the tree for her hand. But instead, his hand found a wall of fire. He smirked as he put a thin layer of his fire over his body. He jumped through the wall, but he froze. She wasn’t behind the fire. Suddenly, the wall fell, and he felt a snowball hit his back. She had tricked him, and it worked.

Aiden laughed as he pulled her close to him. He was cold in the snow, and he wanted to feel her warmth. But as they stood there, black smoke swirled near them. Aiden frowned, expecting it to be Victor who would scold him. But when he turned, it was a woman. A witch he did not recognize.

Aiden pushed Clarissa behind him and shifted into Cyrus. He lunged at the witch, snapping his jaws to bite her. But the witch grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him to the ground. The witch positioned herself beside Cyrus, one hand on his neck and one on his back, holding him down firmly.

Clarissa could hear him whimper. She could see his aura radiate quickly while a dark cloud and orbs swirled around him. She was frozen. She didn’t know what to do. She had left her sword in her room. Thoughts ran through her mind.

“What is your name?” The witch questioned her.

“I am Clarissa,” she answered hesitantly.

“Clarissa, what coven do you belong to?” The witch asked.

“I belong to no coven.”

“What is this wolf to you?”

“He is my mate,” she replied, holding her hands to her chest. “Please, don’t hurt him!”

“I won’t hurt him, so long as you do as I say,” the witch hissed as she pushed her hand against Aiden’s back, causing him to whimper.

“I’ll do anything!” Clarissa cried out.

“Walk to me,” the witch instructed.

“I can’t, not without help,” Clarissa asserted as she looked at the ground. “I can’t see.”

The witch didn’t believe her. She pushed hard against the wolf until Clarissa could hear a bone snap. Cyrus yelped, trying to pull away from the witch. But she held him tightly. There was something she was doing that forced him to the ground, making him feel heavy.

Clarissa quickly began to walk. She kept her eyes on Aiden. She had an idea, but he could be seriously hurt if she was wrong.

“Luiasis Parairum Tasaetora,” she whispered under her breath, waving her hand to Aiden.

She watched as magic left her fingers and swirled around him before disappearing into his wolf. The witch didn’t seem to notice. Clarissa took a deep breath. She created a small fireball on the tip of her index finger and shot it at Aiden.

Cyrus lit up in flames once the fire hit him. Aiden closed his eyes, waiting for the searing pain, but all he heard was the witch yelling. He was on fire, but he didn’t feel it. Cyrus turned to look at the witch. Her hands had been burned because of the flames.

Cyrus growled and lunged at the witch, knocking her to the ground. He placed his front paws on her chest, keeping her in place. The witch screamed in pain. She was being burned slowly by his fire.

Clarissa could see not only Aiden’s red orbs but she saw her own fire. The red was slightly different; it was brighter than his. Her orbs swirled erratically around him. She looked at the witch. There was a thin red layer of magic on top of her.

She could feel the aura of someone else approaching. She didn’t have time to wait to see if they were friend or foe. She created a fire shield on her right arm while her left hand formed a fireball. She turned, ready to shoot.

“It’s me!” Victor yelled with his hands in the air.

Clarissa recalled her fire shield and fireball before she turned back to Aiden. She could see Ophelia running up to help him. Victor watched as Ophelia tried to approach, but she couldn’t. She held her arms out in front of her face. The snow around Aiden and the witch had long melted away. Victor’s eyes went wide. He realized that even though he was probably 30 feet away, he could feel the heat.

“Recall your fire from Aiden! Ophelia can’t get close enough to help!” He instructed.

Clarissa opened her hands, and the fire from Aiden left him and returned to her palms. The moment Cyrus’ paws were not on fire, the witch was able to turn to smoke and escape. Cyrus growled, snapping at the smoke, but it didn’t deter the witch. She was gone, floating in the wind.

Clarissa ran up to Aiden as he shifted back into his human form. Victor grabbed her and forced her to turn around.

“Let me go to Aiden!” She commanded him.

“No!” He hissed as he moved closer to her. “He has no clothes on!”

Clarissa blushed at the realization. He had not said his incantation before shifting. His clothes were destroyed when he turned into Cyrus. But she stiffened when she heard him groan in pain.

“What’s wrong?” She asked as she looked at Victor. “I heard a bone break when the witch held him!”

“My back!” He cried out.

Ophelia knelt in the snow beside him. She removed her cloak and placed it over him before running her hands over his side and back.

“His back may be broken,” she called out. “We need to get him carried inside.”

Clarissa gripped Victor’s arm. Aiden was hurt, so much so that he needed to be carried. She could hear as guards ran past her to him. Victor quickly led her inside, so that she did not hear Aiden in pain when he was being moved.

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