"What happened to the ritual?" Damon hesitated at her question.
He looked down for a mont before eting her eyes again, sothing guarded flickering behind his gaze.
"You took Oriana’s place in the ritual," he said gently. "You stepped into the circle before they completed it. they didn’t expect it. The whole thing went wrong after that."
Olivia blinked, trying to sit up straighter, but her limbs felt like they were made of sand. "I did?"
Damon nodded. "Oriana passed out right before the final chant. You.." he swallowed, "...you walked into the center and said sothing. I couldn’t hear it. Then the runes lit up, and you collapsed. But we saved the girls. Rhistel had sent them back to their houses. Oriana is unconscious but she is fine. What about you?"
Olivia’s brows furrowed. She looked down at her trembling hands.
"I didn’t an to.." she started, her voice hoarse. "I just rember the light and then this burning. Here." She pressed a hand to the center of her chest. "It still hurts. It’s like sothing is clawing inside . Like I am empty. My heart is hollow."
Damon stood quickly, concern flashing through him. He fetched the pitcher of water from the table and poured it into a glass with trembling fingers, then knelt beside her again, offering it.
"Here. Drink," he said.
She took the glass with unsteady hands and sipped, but the mont the water touched her lips, she pulled back. It tasted wrong. As if her body rejected it!
She looked at him, her voice low. "It doesn’t help."
Damon’s throat tightened. "You’re thirsty," he murmured. "But not for water?"
She stared at him, horrified. "What do you an?"
"I don’t know," he admitted. "But I saw your eyes when you collapsed. They were crimson, Olivia."
He saw her flinching and regretted his words. He leaned on her to give her warmth.
Damon reached out and placed a hand gently on hers. "You saved Oriana. You saved everyone. Whatever this ritual was, it didn’t get completed. That should be good."
"But at what cost?" Olivia whispered. "What did I beco, Damon?"
"I do not know. But we have Liliana with us. She must have answers. I will go and fetch her."
Olivia nodded and watched him leaving with fear and reluctance in his eyes. She sat stiffly on the bed, her hands pressed to her lap as if anchoring herself. Her breath ca shallow, as though her lungs didn’t trust the air. The strange thirst was making her lose her composure.
Within monts, the door opened again, and Damon returned with Liliana. She hurried to Olivia’s side, brushing Damon aside as she knelt at the edge of the bed. Her fingers were cool and steady as she placed two fingers beneath Olivia’s wrist, checking her pulse. A frown creased her lips almost imdiately.
"It’s... strange," Liliana murmured, moving to check Olivia’s eyes. She gently tilted her chin and pried open one eyelid. The mont the candlelight hit her iris, Liliana froze.
"What is it?" Damon asked, tension rising in his voice.
"There is a flicker of crimson still there in your eyes." Liliana said with fear evident in her voice.
Olivia’s breath caught. "What does that an?"
Liliana looked between them both before speaking. "I don’t know yet. But we need to find out exactly what the ritual did to you, what it left inside you. For that, we need to perform a clarity rite. A mirror ritual that reveals changes in the body and soul."
Damon nodded at once. "As long as it could save her! Tell what you need, I will arrange everything."
But before Liliana could answer, the door slamd open and Rhistel strode in, his coat still covered with dirt and mud.
"You can’t do it here," he snapped. "This place isn’t safe."
Damon stiffened. "What happened?"
Rhistel moved to the window and pulled aside the curtain just enough for them to see.
Outside, the narrow street was swarming with villagers. The n ca with torches, won gripping pitchforks and sticks, boys clinging to their fathers. They weren’t shouting yet, but their eyes burned with fear and rage. Soone had scrawled crude symbols on the walls "Burn the witches."
"They believe that the witches had killed the son of their lord and kidnapped the kids and now they want justice. They doubt Olivia and Lillian for the accident. Soon, there would be a riot. We need to return to the manor."
As if summoned by his words, a loud voice rose from the crowd.
"Bring out the witches! We saw what they are! Let the fire purify them!"
"Give them to us!" another shouted. "We won’t let this cursed blood poison our village!"
The roar of agreent followed, pitch rising enough to echo in the whole village.
Inside the room, Olivia flinched.
Damon turned toward the others, his voice low and firm. "We’re leaving now. Liliana, can you perform the ritual sowhere else?"
Liliana nodded. "There’s an old shrine in the woods where the earlier ritual was completed. Since everyone is scared of witches, no one would go there to check. We will be safe there."
"Then that’s where we go," Damon said. He turned back to Olivia and took her hand. "Can you walk?"
She nodded shakily. "I will try."
Rhistel drew his sword, already halfway out the door. "Then hurry. We don’t have long before they start breaking in. I will stop them with Oriana while you pay the inn owner and run away from the back door." Olivia paused, hesitating.
"What if you need us! There are too many." Rhistel smiled at her. They did not start at the right foot but it did not an that he did not care for her.
"Olivia! They are searching for you. As long as they confirm that you and Liliana are not here, they will leave us alone. I will try to buy as much ti as possible. But once you are done, you must return to the manor. We can not trust anyone now."
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