*Mila*
When I left Soren, I went to my room in the inn. The spellbook from the box was open on my dresser. Ever since I got back from the dream that April had sent into, I felt like I could understand more of the text.
I’d spent hours staring at it but I hadn’t been able to make any words out. It just felt familiar when I looked at it.
Sighing, I picked up the book and flipped through it. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was my mother’s handwriting in that book. Sohow, the spells in it felt even older.
I plopped down on the bed and flipped to the beginning of the book, studying the simple text. Maybe a na or an introduction.
Scanning over the unusual language, I brushed my thumb over the inked characters wishing that they would tell what they said.
Was it possible to do a spell to translate the book?
I’d been successful at casting spells before. My mory proved that and I had broken a curse on a whole village. Whenever I felt very strongly about sothing, I could focus on my desires and pray to the Moon Goddess.
It always felt like the Moon Goddess was with , filling with a strong power that consud . It always felt like the Moon Goddess was speaking directly to and telling what to do and say.
Like she was guiding .
Could I create that connection whenever I wanted or only when I was focused on casting a really important spell? Would I be able to make spells up or could I only use spells my mother had taught when I was a child?
I knew I had to strongly desire what I wanted to make the magic happen.
As curious as I was to read the spells in the book, I didn’t desire it strongly. I didn’t feel about it the sa way I felt about healing that child or breaking the curse. It was sothing I wanted, not sothing I needed.
But there had to be other ways to get information or tap into my own powers...
Closing the book, I set it on my lap. I crossed my legs and rested my hands on my knees. Maybe, I could put myself into my own dream-like trance, like April had done, and I could see so more mories.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused my mind on my past mories. I thought of the way I felt as April had put into that trance.
Drowsy, detached from my body, light, and floating.
My head dipped and I swayed slightly.
I breathed in through the nose and out through the mouth, deepening my breath and keeping my eyes closed.
I thought of my childhood with my parents, the mansion, the woods. I focused on the feeling of happiness from my childhood, from before the fire and the destruction of my pack.
My mind unfolded and I felt like I was wandering into a dream. I was still aware enough of my body to know that I was sitting on the bed but I wasn’t seeing the room or feeling the room anymore.
I was feeling my past and my mories.
The image in my mind beca that of the forest where I’d t Helen when I was dreaming, many tis. The woods weren’t the sa as my dreams. It was older and damaged, like I was seeing the woods years after the fire.
I heard a grunt and I whipped around.
Helen was lying on the forest floor. She clutched her stomach, her dress and clothes stained with blood. She was breathing hard.
As soon as she saw , her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“Mila!?” she gasped.
Helen winced and groaned, turning onto her side slightly.
I went to her and knelt down beside her.
“Helen, what happened to you? Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked, looking her over. I touched her and she was solid.
Was she here? Was this a dream or a mory?
“Mila, what are you doing here?” she asked, her breathing labored. Sweat dripped down her forehead.
“I was ditating and... that’s not important. What happened to you?” I asked.
She reached for with a blood-stained hand.
I grabbed her hand, squeezing her warm, slippery fingers in my own. Tears pricked my eyes even though I couldn’t tell if this was real or not.
“It doesn’t matter... you don’t need to worry about ...” Helen winced again and her hand slipped from mine.
“Let help you...”
“Mila, I don’t have much ti left,” she said more urgently. “Since you’re here... that ans your witch power has started to awaken...” she gasped and her eyes rolled back.
“No! Stay with , Aunt Helen,” I said. I put my arm around her shoulders and lifted her slightly, hugging her against my chest.
“You found the box in Miltern, didn’t you?” she asked, looking up at with a pained, affectionate smile.
“Yes! I was there. I found the box and... I was able to break the curse,” I told her, smiling.
Helen’s eyes lit up and tears brimd. She blinked them back and sighed.
If she was asking about the curse, this had to be real, right? It had to be so kind of vision of Helen in the present mont.
“You lifted the curse? Oh, my sweet girl. Thank you... thank you so much. Your... parents would be so proud,” she gasped out. Wincing again, Helen reached for my face and then her hand dropped.
“You’re welco. I was just doing what I had to. But Aunt Helen, I have questions for you.” I told her, tightening my arm around her a little more.
Helen sniffled and blinked, fresh tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.
“Mila, please don’t call ‘aunt.’ My dear... I don’t deserve that...” she said, shaking her head and sobbing.
“What? What are you talking about? You’re my mother’s sister, that makes you my aunt,” I reminded her.
“Your mother was the powerful one. She was the witch. But I... I could always see the future. One of my visions has caused all this chaos and destruction...” she told .
“I don’t believe that. You’re not responsible for what happened, even if you saw it. Just because you say it doesn’t an you could control it,” I said, defending her to herself.
“But I tried to. I tried to change things and that’s when everything went horribly wrong,” she said. She closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth.
“What happened?” I asked, needing answers.
Helen was right. She didn’t have a lot of ti left. I could tell and I wanted to know what she knew!
“I was young and ignorant, thinking that I could change the future. But it is my fault,” she insisted.
“What is your fault? How did my parents die?” I pressed urgently.
“Your parents died... because of ,” she admitted with a long, heavy sigh.
“No!” I shook my head. “I don’t believe that, Aunt Helen. My parents died because of greed and conspiracy.”
“Oh, Mila, you are truly a wonderful young woman. I wish... I wish Jessica was here to see you now. She’d be so proud...” Helen whispered.
“I don’t bla you. Whatever you saw, whatever you tried to do, at least you tried. You’re not responsible for the outco,” I insisted.
She smiled weakly, her tears glistening in her eyes. “My dear, sweet girl, the past is in the past. It cannot be changed, so please don’t let it haunt you.”
“It doesn’t,” I assured. It was a lie, but I wanted her to feel better in her painful, last monts.
“The future... it can’t be changed either. No matter what you know or what you see, it can’t be changed,” she told .
“That... can’t be true...”
“It is. We can’t change the future so all we can do is cherish our present,” Helen said. She sighed and closed her eyes.
“Helen! Helen!” I said, shaking her slightly.
She coughed and her lips turned up slightly. “I’m still here. Be gentle with .”
“I’m sorry.”
“Listen, Mila, soday, you will et your mate. When that day cos, live a happy life and cherish him and the ti you have. That’s what I ask of you, what your parents would want for you...”
Helen sighed again and her body sagged in my arms. She muttered sothing else, her voice trailing off. The vision began to fade.
I tried to hold onto her but she slipped from my fingers. All my focus and willpower was on maintaining that image of her.
She was almost invisible when she opened her eyes again and looked at .
“I wish I could spend more ti with you and get to know you... please, my dear niece, find the artifact. It belongs to you. Find the Blade of Souls. When your beloved is in danger... you will need it...
“Aunt Helen! Wait!” I cried, grabbing for her.
The image faded, Helen faded, and I was drowning in darkness again.
Slowly, I blinked my eyes open and looked around, my vision was blurred with warm tears and I sniffled, wiping my nose.
Where was I? I could tell where I was. My mind was still fuzzy and disconnected. My body felt numb and heavy.
I blinked my tears away and the room at the inn ca into focus. What had I seen? Was it real? Was Helen really injured and dying sowhere alone in the woods?
My heart sank and I hugged myself, rocking back and forth slightly.
That was my aunt. She cared about , I could tell. More than anything, I wanted to et her and get to know her too.
I hoped we hadn’t missed our chance.
My mind raced with everything Helen had said to . I could easily shove away her concerns about thinking the death of my parents was her fault. I didn’t believe it and I didn’t bla her.
It was what she said at the end of the vision that I paid attention to.
She ntioned finding my mate.
Who was my mate? I hadn’t found them yet, right?
Imdiately, my thoughts shifted to Soren. He could be my mate... or... I sighed and shook my head.
If Soren was my mate, I would feel it, wouldn’t I? I couldn’t feel that with him. But I didn’t feel it.
My heart sank slightly at the thought that Soren might not be the one for . I was falling for him hard and I didn’t want to think that soone else could co along and ruin that.
From what Helen said, she made it sound like she had a vision of my future. My future and my mate’s future. I’d have to use the artifact to save my loved one, was that what she had told ?
Helen had called the knife the Blade of Souls. That was ominous.
I lay on my pillows and sighed. Rubbing my eyes, I kept sifting through the chaos of my chat with Helen. She told a lot without actually telling a lot.
Even before she urged to find the artifact, I’d planned to get it. It was sothing that belonged to , that my parents had left for . Even if I never used it, I wanted it. I wanted to keep it safe from others that wanted to use it for evil.
Besides, I needed to know if it was the artifact that was the true cause of my parents’ losing their lives.
If not... then I had good reason to use it, whatever it did!
Suddenly, Helen’s words popped into my head.
‘When your loved one is in danger.’
Did that an that if Soren was my mate, he’d be in danger? Would he die?
My heart ached and I threw my arm over my eyes. No. Soren couldn’t die. He couldn’t be dragged into more danger because of .
Hadn’t I already put him through enough?
It was better that I didn’t feel a mate bond for him. That ant he probably wasn’t my mate and probably wouldn’t be in danger in the future.
At least, not the kind of danger that Helen had warned about.
The rest of the day, I stayed in my room. I tried looking at the book and deciphering more of it.
When that didn’t work, I got myself so lunch and then took a nap. The next ti I woke up, it was dark again.
The inn was quiet. I wasn’t sure how late it was but a lot of the lights were out in the inn. Most of Soren’s n were probably asleep now.
I grabbed my pack and snuck barefoot down the stairs. Keeping away from the guards, I slipped out the back door. This ti, no alarms went off.
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