Thorned Shadow [+18]
Chapter 4

The golden light became a second skin as she fell and fell through dark holes one after another. Her scream echoed in the silence of the darkness, the light the only barrier between her and the darkness. Her body turned, floating but she didn’t open her eyes.

Cerelia kept her mouth shut after a few seconds of screaming. Her body moved so fast she was afraid her skin would peel off, but she fell for minutes that seemed like hours. Until she felt a breeze on her body, she opened her eyes ever so slowly to see the green grass nearing.

She tried to push her arms out of the golden light but the light did not allow her, not as she slammed into the ground, her body rolling around, the light disappearing and vanishing from the air as she rolled down the bright green hills.

Panting, she thrusted her hands out onto the grass, her nails shifting to claws in fear. They were long, five inches claws that dug into the mud, and slowed her down. Cerelia rolled onto her back, staring up at the sky and the sun that warmed her body.

She was breathless, as if she had been running for days. Large hawks instantly clawed at her skin and she swatted them away, curling into her body.

“Leave her alone!” A war cry registered in her mind before she felt the wind swirled around her, the hawks instantly flying away. Cerelia lifted her arms away from her head, staring at the female who stood with a bow in her hands.

Two other girls stood behind her in the cottage, ready with their own bows, but they were young, barely ten years old twins. Their red hair shined brightly under the sun, as they lowered the bow.

“Who are you?” The older female had lowered the bow, her long dress a mess with dirt as if she had crawled in mud. Cerelia pushed herself up, sitting on something sharp. She looked under her, at the mud, at the clawed hand.

She shot up, her weak legs stumbling a little as she whirled around, looking at a dead hawk. “It’s alright. It’s just a Fae. I killed him last week. Little fucker doesn’t want to be buried even when he’s dead.” The female spoke the ancient language, the two girls laughing behind her before they disappeared into the cottage, leaving the wide door open.

Cerelia turned to look at the red head tall female, who still had a bow in her arms, as if ready to strike Cerelia. “Again, I ask who you are and where you came from? My sisters say they saw you falling from the sky but I don’t believe that.” She spoke.

“Cerelia.” She answered immediately. “I- I’m a witch?” She stumbled out her words, thrusting her hands out, to show the claws the female had.

She lowered the bow. “A witch? I’ve never seen you before.” She ran her gaze down Cerelia’s body, making her pull the coat closer to herself so she could hide. “What happened to your hands?” She cocked her head to the side a little. “Magic gets a little too strong?”

“I-I don’t have any magic.” Cerelia blurted, hiding her hands under the coat. “I’m from a different realm but I think this is my home.” She watched the female who placed the bow on the floor before pulling her short straight hair into a small pony with a leather strap behind her hair.

“That doesn’t make sense, and take that off. It’s boiling.”

Cerelia had nothing to say because the tall female was right. She didn’t know anything about being a witch but there was another witch standing in front of her, one who had killed a fae and buried him with her flowers. She shrugged off the heavy fur coat and held it in front of her, letting the cloak behind her cover her back.

“Are you going to speak or shall I take you to the high witch?”

“The high witch?” Cerelia questioned, standing a little straighter as fear warmed her heart. “What is a High Witch?”

The female frowned. “Are you even a witch?” She scoffed. “Do they not have a High Witch in the realm you fell from?” She chuckled to herself as if not believing a word Cerelia said.

“I was the only witch.” She spoke.

“Name is Aideen.” The female spoke before turning her back to Cerelia. “Keep up.” She walked quickly.

Cerelia followed slowly, her steps slower since her legs were burning. She walked around the cottage that was bigger than she thought. “Aideen,” she repeated her name. “Where are you taking me?” She tried to match Aideen’s pace but lacked behind as she saw the huge tower.

It was a single tower, surrounded by a large gate, and other houses scattered like Aideen’s cottage. Cerelia saw children as she followed Aideen who crossed a bridge. She looked over her shoulder, realising Aideen’s cottage was the only one behind the bridge.

“I’m taking you to the High Witch. Since you don’t even seem to really understand that you’re a witch because you were allowing the Fae to kill you.” She shook her head in disgust and didn’t face Cerelia as they walked on a path.

Cerelia pulled the cloak closer to her body, clinging onto Delphine’s coat, feeling the gaze of males and females but she stared at the little children playing with flowers. She tried not to gape as their fingers danced with a little light and the red roses grew.

Aideen spoke again, sighing before she waved to a few people. “With your blood, we can know which bloodline you come from.” She waved at a male who fell into a pile of dirt the children had been playing with. Aideen chuckled, her laughter softer than her deep voice. “The High Witch will know what to do with you.”

Cerelia did not want her blood to be taken but she was surrounded by witches and if she so much as turned away, or ran, they would kill her. She could sense it in the air as their gaze lingered. “Is taking my blood necessary?”

“Well, do you know any relatives? Any names? Does your family have magic in their blood?” Aideen turned to look at her as they neared the tower. Cerelia didn’t answer. “I thought so.” Aideen rolled her eyes before her back straightened a little as she walked towards the gate. She pushed it open a little, slipping past it.

Cerelia followed her, keeping her gaze on Aideen’s head because she could feel the robed females staring at her.

“Aideen.” Instantly Cerelia froze as did Aideen before she could reach towards the door. “You can not enter the Holy tower when you are impure.” A hardened voice spoke behind them.

Cerelia turned slightly, looking over her shoulder at the cloaked body. The female with wrinkled hands lowered the hood of her cloak, her brown eyes frowning at Aideen. “I have told you many times now, child.” She spoke, the hint of anger in her voice.

“Sorry.” Aideen sighed dramatically. Cerelia could not look away fast enough as Aideen pulled the cotton gown off her body, revealing her bare skin. “Where was the pool of pure water that I needed to taint with my filthy body? Was it right or left?”

Cerelia faced the old witch. There was no other way to describe the witch she herself feared. The witch mumbled something under her breath before pointing right. Her gaze landed on Cerelia slowly before her whole body turned rigid.

“It can’t be…” her voice was no longer hard, but a terrified whisper. “Ladies!” Instantly the witch shouted. “Get her inside immediately!” Before Cerelia could say a word, hands grabbed her body, her arms, and dragged her backwards, into the dark tower, forcing her to throw the coat onto the ground.

“Let go of me!“She screamed, fear rising inside of her at their hands. “Please!” She cried, the traitorous tears falling from her eyes as she felt her legs being lifted by a pair of hands and her body tilting slightly and she was dragged upstairs.

Her rapid heartbeat echoed in her mind as she tried to twist out of their hands, her claws vanishing into nails once again. She had never fought, had never known where to kill a fae or a witch.

Images flashed in her mind, as she moved her head, words escaping her lips in a plea to stop. To stop touching her.

“It can’t be.” The old witch spoke again as Cerelia was forced onto a soft single bed. Instantly the bed was pushed upwards by a switch but her body was pressed against the bed by two pairs of hands.

“Please!” Cerelia cried. She didn’t care whatever they said to her as long as they did not touch her. “Please stop touching me!” She felt the tears sliding down her face, her own eyes tightly closed.

She didn’t want to look at them, didn’t want their faces to register in her mind so the nightmares would cling to their faces, making her scream louder and louder.

“She said don’t touch her!” Aideen’s voice filtered through the other voices that spoke. “So that means, remove your hands immediately.” She hissed at the two pairs of hands that held her down. “High Witch? Is this what the fuck goes on in here? Binding a female without her wish? Because I will tell-”

“Tell who? No Royals live other than the female they bind to the bed.” The High witch spoke.

Immediately all hands let her go and her body sagged, as a silent cry escaped her lips. She wiped her eyes before slowly opening them to the room she was in. Four robed females stood near the bed she was forced to sit on. The old Witch stood to her right, behind shelves of glass vials full of liquid of every sort of colour.

“What?” Aideen gaped.

No royal lives other than the female they bind to the bed.

Immediately she saw the rope in one robed female’s hands before it vanished into nothing. The high witch spoke again. “Look at her. Look at her eyes, at her hair. Are you so lost in your own mind, you don’t remember the history of our people?” She said to Aideen who was looking at Cerelia as if she saw someone new.

Cerelia did not move, wanting to become a shadow.

“It can’t be.” Aideen spoke, shaking her head. “You expect me to believe she just fell out of a sky and now she’s the only last royal left?”

“Did the Fae not celebrate the return of their king? Can you not see fate’s work behind this?” The High Witch was grinning before she turned to look at a petrified Cerelia. “Tell me, child, what is your name?”

“Cerelia.” Aideen answered for her. “She doesn’t know anything about herself. I brought her to test her blood, to see which bloodline she is from…”

“There is no need for that. I know the child of Queen Asha.”

Queen Asha.

“I came from…” She didn’t even know the realms name. “Eridaya, Wisteria, Amaris, Pearlmire.” She said the names of the kingdoms and lands of the realm before she looked at Aideen. “Can I please leave?” She questioned softly, moving her legs to the edge of the bed.

She needed to leave. Her body was too cold, her breathy shaky as were her hands that shook slightly under her thighs. She needed to leave, to go back to Zemira. This had been a mistake, a terrible one.

Before Aideen could answer her, the High Witch Spoke. “Child, you can not leave without knowing the story of your birth, of your future.”

She didn’t want to know anything but was not given the choice to say it out loud as the high witch continued.

“5 centuries ago, the two queens were pregnant with a child. The fae and Witches are at war with each other every single day.” Cerelia remembered the hawk Aideen had buried in her flower garden as her shoulders bent slightly, as if her body was too tired to hold her up.

“Queen Asha and the Fae Queen were tired. They spoke to the Gods, when the fae Queen gave birth. Asha had gone to the fae Queen, ignoring every concern for herself and helped deliver her baby.” The High witch spoke softly. “You were not born yet. You were not conceived yet, but your mother had nearly been caught. I swapped my cloak with hers, becoming the stranger that had gone to help the fae queen. The king locked me in his dungeons-”

Cerelia covered her ears with both of her hands. “Please stop.” She begged softly. She didn’t want to hear it but the witch continued. “Ten years later, when you were ready to be born, the fae queen released me from the….rooms.” She said the word but Cerelia knew she meant the dungeons. “I rushed back to your mother with the Fae queen beside me. Your mother gave birth to you but both queens were tired of a continuous war. I don’t know what the Gods told them, they never discussed it with me.” Cerelia knew what the witch would say next, she could feel the dread in her body.

“They gave me the Fae boy and you, told me to go to a realm and to leave you both there. I don’t remember what realm it was, but I left you both with humans, thinking you’d replace your way to each other as Fate claimed you would. When I returned, the queens had killed themselves, their souls for the sake of yours.”

“And the kings?” Aideen asked in a quiet voice.

“Asha’s husband died of a broken heart but the witches blamed the Faes. They killed the Fae king, and war has continued on, never stopping but getting worse.” The witch said in a sigh. “Rosa told me the king arrived a few days ago and it was the perfect time to strike them all because they’re celebrating. They’re weak.”

“And you tell me this now?” Aideen seemed to roar. “It’ll take me hours to get to the castle.” She hissed. “I need to gather everyone up.” She spoke of war as Cerelia stared at her with wide eyes.

“Do you not understand what I have just said?” The witch hissed at Aideen who had turned around to leave the tower. “I told you two Queens had sacrificed their souls so the future king and Queen would meet. So they would come and reunite our people.”

“If you think I’m going to dance with a fae male, you are mistaken.” Aideen glared at the high witch.

The high witch turned to look at Cerelia, her eyes softening. “Did you meet the king in the other realm? Did he fall in love with you? You were only a babe when I had to leave you, but the king was ten years old. He must remember what I had told him.”

“I do not know who you speak of.” Cerelia said softly, her voice slightly raspy.

The high witch moved around the table, looking at Cerelia with confusion in her eyes. “It has been five hundred years, child. Do not play with me.” Her voice hardened as those brown eyes glared at her. The witch stood in front of her. Cerelia shrinked away. “What have you been doing for five hundred years?“The witch hissed.

She did not want to tell the old witch what had happened to her. “I did not meet him.” She said instead, her mind slowly trying to pierce through everything the witch had said.

The witch slammed her hand against the bed, making Cerelia flinch. “It’s okay.” The witch said to herself. “Fate is giving you another chance.”

“You expect to wed her to a Fae king? Have you seen her?” Aideen spoke the words of Cerelia’s mind. “She’s frightened as it is and you want to throw the last royal-saying I believe you that is- into a kingdom full of Fae? You must have not taken your medicine.” She chuckled in disbelief.

Cerelia’s answer was always going to be no. She would not marry anyone.

The old witch turned to look at Aideen. “The Gods have given us another chance. You know the Fae are getting stronger. They may be partying but magic is something we do not possess like them.”

Cerelia frowned, her voice low. “I saw the children.” She said,

Aideen blinked at her, a small frown on her face. “When they come of age, they will need to give their magic up. For five hundred years, we’ve been using every drop of magic we have to make weapons that can strike far without needing to get close to them.” She turned to look at the old witch. “Is that why there haven’t been any attacks within this week? I only saw three hawks on her.” She pointed to Cerelia.

She had claimed they were fae.

“I know you don’t like the idea.” The High witch sighed as she looked at Aideen, as if Aideen’s approval was needed. “I’ll test her blood.” She said and turned to look at Cerelia who shook her head.

“No.”

The old witch said in a gentle voice. “It will only be a prickle, that is it.” She held her hand out to one of the robed females, who handed her a thin stick with a sharp edge. The witch moved closer to Cerelia but she pulled her legs up, pushing her boots under her cloak on the bed as she curled into herself.

“Please don’t.” She whispered, turning away.

Aideen did not say anything, neither did the silent robed females as the old witch pulled her scarred hand out of her cloak. Cerelia did not move, neither did she breathe as her heart pounded in her chest, beating so fast, she couldn’t suck in a breath as the sharp edge pricked her finger.

Cerelia shut her mouth tightly before the witch released her hand. “You have scars.” She said something that sounded like disappointment. Cerelia lifted her gaze to see the old witch walking to the glass ball and she tilted the sharp stick, letting the drops of blood hit the top of the ball. “We would need to get rid of your scars.”

Her mind spun as did the pictures in the glass ball. Cerelia could see a silver haired female, grey eyes identical as hers, smiling at the child in her arms, with tears in her eyes. “The final goodbye.” The witch said softly.

Dark spots danced in her sight and she wholeheartedly gave herself to the darkness that embraced her tightly, suffocating her of any air, as her mind cleared.