Eyes of Light

I recognized the large field we were in from all my dreams. The clouds were large and dark, but they laid still in the sky. The wind seemed to howl, rustling the trees and leaves, making everything cooler at first. I shivered. The grass was taller, all the different colored flowers looking somewhat light and dainty as we stepped closer. The dry twigs scratched my legs as I pushed through, my mind just registering the fact that I had picked a stupid dress to wear this morning. At least I was going to die pretty.

I glanced over at Nick to see him staring down at his now invisible shoes, wading through still somewhat gracefully. He let the wind attack his curls, his hands limp at his sides. I wanted to do something, anything. But what could I do?

I heard rustling in the distance and Nick quickly looked up, reaching out to grab my shoulders--not my hands--and pulled me to stop. I looked up at him, but he didn’t return the glance, his eyes too focused on what was coming. I inhaled deeply, letting it out with relief once I saw Eve rushing forward. Her face was frantic, her eyes soft, but worried. She rushed through the grass as if someone was after her. It occurred to me that, that was probably the case.

“It’s time. It’s coming!” she hissed, breathing deeply once she reached us. Nick quickly let me go, turning his head to look around. Eve could feel the tension and she glanced at me with added worry, opening her mouth to say something when another sound erupted. All of us turned to face the trees, my breath catching when I saw a familiar wolf sauntering over. The great wolf… Nick’s dad. Nick’s expression was unreadable, but the way his lips parted told me he wished this would all just go away and that things could be normal. I shared that wish.

“I want to change him,” I muttered suddenly, catching both Eve and Nick’s attention. “I-I want to.”

I stepped forward, breathing a shaky breath when I felt a had grip on my wrist. That spark flew through me and I knew it was Nick.

“Are you crazy? You can’t,” he grumbled, pulling me back and behind him with force. I bit my lip and tried to move again, this time feeling his arms snake around my waist. “I said no Lonnie. You have more important things to deal with.” His voice was low and determined, his eyes hard as they stared into mine. I stared back weakly, doing my best not to cry. He pulled away from me, his eyes settling on his dad, and he looked that much more in pain.

I hated this already.

“You can do it after, Lonnie. Everything will be okay,” Eve whispered reassuringly, though her eyes weren’t as convincing. I nodded anyway, telling myself it was true. I could only hope.

“Nick!” Two voices called in unison. It didn’t take me long to realize they belonged to Russell and Ryan. The two ran over, their muddy brown hair bouncing, their eyes clouded with fear. They tried to look relaxed, with their hands in the pockets of their ripped jeans, their t-shirts muddy from the woods. Nick always looked clean, even when he was out like those two. I guess that’s the way he was, though. The perfectionist. I missed him already. I was way too attached, but he was my soul mate.

“Any word on Jeremy?” Nick muttered, forcing himself to speak. They shook their heads.

“Anything on Lucas?”

“I think he was at our school.” The two looked shocked, their identical eyes meeting each other.

“Why’s he that desperate?”

“He wants my magic,” I breathed, getting all of them to look at me as if I were weird. Maybe it was because my voice was so soft and sad. Nick knew why, he just chose not to care.

“But he isn’t getting it,” he reassured me, his eyes only meeting mine for a second. I trusted him. I just didn’t know how well I would do.

The great wolf howled from nearby quietly, his eyes darting around. Nick hurried forward and, in an instant, dropped down into wolf form. His fur blew in the breeze, his gold eyes dull. His ears perked up as he listened, all of us silent. But then my eyes caught sight of something… three shadows in the distance, their eyes peeking out like the ones in those Scooby-Doo cartoons. I wished that was it.

“N-nick,” I breathed shakily, unable to tear my gaze away from them. Nick’s head snapped over, his wide eyes immediately meeting what I was staring at. His howl pierced through the air frantically and Ryan and Russell phased on the spot. The two of them bounded over to the wolves in command, leaving Eve and I to stand behind them.

“We have to let our people know what’s going on,”Nick informed me, his eyes locking mine. “Tell Eve to cover her ears, you do the same; I don’t need you falling asleep.” While his howl hurt other witches, it only made me tired. I almost smiled. But I didn’t.

“Cover your ears,” I whispered to Eve, my breathing shaky. We clasped our hands over our ears at the same time, a series of faint howls still being heard. I blinked repeatedly, trying to keep my eyes open, while Eve winced some. She stayed by my side though.

Just then, the wind started to pick up, whipping my hair around my face and giving me goose-bumps. I dropped my hands and stared up at the darkening sky, swallowing the lump in my throat. A large black cloud of smoke began to rise in the distance, swirling slowly. It began to pick up with the wind, faster and faster until the cloud became bigger, stronger looking. I was scared. I was completely frightened and the one person that could comfort me wasn’t going to. I didn’t know what to do.

I heard a high pitched hiss and winced, quickly whipping around to see it swoop through the trees, picking up dry leaves as it swarmed. I gasped when the leaves began to fly at us, shutting my eyes so no dirt could irritate them. I could feel a few leaves hit my face, stinging my skin with tiny little cuts, and a few tangled in my windblown hair. I felt my glow begin to trickle and I looked down when I felt softness rub against my leg: Nick. He was standing in front of me protectively, his ears down, his eyes still dull, but wide with alertness. The great wolf took his position to the back of Eve’s side while Ryan and Russell jumped forward, ready to protect Nick. He did a little growl, letting them know he didn’t need it. Glancing over at Eve, she gave me a slow nod and stepped back some, moving to the corner with Nick’s dad. My breathing picked up.

The hiss rang through the air in an eerie echo, words I couldn’t understand. The air seemed to get darker, clouding around so much that I could hardly see the shadowed figures in the distance. I was getting hotter, my breath escaping faster.

“Calm down,” Nick barked in my head, his order harsh, frantic. I couldn’t. My breathing only picked up and I began to shake. Was I having a panic attack? It felt like it. I leaned forward, gripping Nick’s fur tightly.

“I… I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice quivering. I felt woozy.

“Yes, you can. You’re ready. Focus, Lonnie.”

I stood up taller and backed away some, needing clean air to breathe, but there was none. I remembered my dreams, all of them. Every single one since my mother died. That wolf in the forest, staring at me, speaking to me.

I stood, the empty field around dark and silent. A small crackle came from beside me, my eyes flashing to the ground, but I stopped at my hands: they were illuminating, so bright, blinding. A shaky breath escaped my lips and a surge of warmth ran through me when I stepped forward, a small growl echoing from the edge.

“Careful,”it rang, but not out loud. The voice, so smooth and calm, like velvet, rang through my head.

I bit my lip and took another step forward, a large, soft body brushing up against my bare leg, curling around to stand in front of me, another growl sounding.

“What?” I breathed, my voice shaky, my whole body surging with a sudden energy. It was silent, only for a moment, a creeping breath racing through the air. My head snapped around, my eyes scanning the dark trees, everything suddenly turning light.

I gasped, a ghostly hand flickering in my eyes for one second before I flew backwards, the wind whipping me harder, the light drifting out of me.

“Lonnie!”that voice shouted in my head, the deep worry working with the strained huskiness, jerking me into a sudden awareness.

It almost sounded like he cared. But then I realized… that happened in my dream. I gasped harshly and did my best to breathe, scooting back when the smoke rose in a sudden sight, the blackness darker as it floated, the hiss menacing.

“Get up! What are you doing?” Nick hissed frantically, running to my side. His head nudged my arm, but I sat there, stunned.

It was like the black magic was taunting me, a faint laugh piercing my ears. It wasn’t the same voice though. It wasn’t the voice that had practically begged for help, it was… darker, stern.

I found myself getting up slowly, shakily, my glow brighter once I tried to clear my mind of everything but what I had to do. Nick pounced forward, his paws digging into the thick grass, tearing up a few flowers.

“Lonnie, you can do this! Think about Rosalind!” Eve’s voice sounded, so faint compared to the harsh wind. That was right. My mom had sacrificed herself for me… I had to do this. But that wasn’t what was keeping me going, as selfish as it was. I took once glance over at Nick and knew that’s what I wanted. But he didn’t want me… that was a problem.

My breath flew out of me suddenly, the dry, hot air moving into my lungs, almost suffocating me like it did last time. My mind was too focused on Nick’s anger towards me; I’d never get through this.

“Lonnie! Focus!” he growled, letting a small howl pierce through the air, pushing the magic away from me for a moment. He was distracting it, but that could only help for so long.

Clearing my mind for an instant, I moved my hands out, the glow sparking, like it was ready to electrocute something. Pushing it forward, I tightened my jaw, doing my best to control it as it flew out, hitting the smoke by less than an inch. I watched the tree almost burst into flames, the trunk going limp, almost falling over. Without stopping, I let out a groan and spun around, attacking it somewhat. I heard that same hiss, but it sounded more like a yelp, and then it disappeared, shaking the leaves. Where did it go? I panted, knowing I couldn’t go on like this. If I didn’t focus, I wouldn’t have enough energy. This thing was stronger and I was weaker..

“Stay close,”Nick breathed, his irritation clear as he stared at me. I wondered if his eyes got a tad brighter, but I was probably just light headed.

I moved forward, standing as close to him as I could, glancing around. Eve looked scared, the great wolf stern, but his eyes held even more emotion than I could imagine. My heart raced when I heard Nick yell.

“Lonnie watch out!” But before I could move, I felt myself flying forward, a scream working it’s way out of my mouth. I hit the ground with a thud, the soft grass doing nothing to cradle my fall. I felt a stinging pain in my foot.

I gulped and began to breathe erratically, my eyes settling on the black magic that was hovering above me, but it looked like it was forming… a human. Sheba.

“S-sheba?” I questioned, my voice cracking and weak. I wanted to cry. This was too much for a fifteen year old girl to handle.

Her round eyes locked mine, her expression dazed and out of control. A large, black hand shot out and grabbed my neck, my own hands searching for something to grab onto, but that part was dissolving for me. It felt like all my air was gone, the smoke clogging my passages, the hand cutting off any air I could try for. I stared at her, struggling, choking and coughing.

I heard a terrifying growl ripple through the air and my wide eyes settled on Nick as he leapt forward, taking down the fading human form of the black magic. The hand stretched out but soon dissolved completely once he growled again, rolling as she tried to disappear so he could cause no harm. I dropped to the ground, gasping for air, the pain in my foot only worsening. It shot up through the side of my leg. Nick was doing all he could… and I was doing nothing.

He let out a groan of frustration in my head, jumping back onto his feet. He looked around, the black magic finally able to disappear somewhere. I saw it suddenly and before I could protect him, he was shot forward with a whimper, flying through the air like he was some rag doll. He hit the tree, twitching on the ground with a sudden pain-- I could see him wince.

And it was breaking me. I was losing, I was making him lose. Instead of protecting Nick, I was hurting him. The magic swirled towards me, almost like it was whipping it’s head around. I couldn’t help but let a few tears fall as I sunk into the grass, not bothering to move.

“Nick!” I called, hoping to get something out of him. I could hear his shallow breathing in my head. “Nick, I’m so sorry, for everything,” I whimpered, turning my head away from the nearing smoke to catch sight of him. I was surprised to see the human Nick lying there, trying to get up. The hit knocked the wind out of him and I cringed myself. “I’m sorry that we have to do this and I’m sorry I’m failing. But most of all, I’m sorry for hurting you.”

My voice seemed to echo through the air as I spoke loudly, shocked that my voice was able to carry over the hissing. It neared some more, almost like it was stalking.

“And I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose. All I do is try and it’s never good enough, but I screwed up. I didn’t kiss him, I swear.”

I could hear Eve mumbling something from the side, her voice frantic, wondering why I was going on about this when I should be picking up my slack in the fight. I was going to die. I knew that. I could see Nick move a little, trying his best to raise his head. A cut was formed on his forehead, a few curls sticking to the blood that was oozing out slowly. His shirt was ripped, he was flushed red with a mixture of anger and pain. I didn’t want to cause either.

I could feel the air become thicker again, but I struggled to stay calm and breathe, letting it out shakily. I didn’t wipe my tears away. I clutched the necklace around my neck, my glow brighter than I expected it to be. His eyes met mine.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again, speaking to him and only him now. He furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes wide with alert. He wanted to yell at me, to tell me to focus on the black magic that was now right in front of me. But I didn’t listen to his silent instruction. I opened my mouth again, my dry lips quivering, and I pushed back the fogginess of my eyes. “I love you.”

I didn’t get to see the expression on his face before I was yanked into the air, my eyes shut tight. It felt like I was about to throw up and faint at the same time. I was clouding over, my mind swirling slower, blanking by the agonizing second.

“No,” I heard a faint whisper. It was Nick. “No, no, no!” he repeated, his voice getting louder each time. “You-you can’t say that. You can’t.” His voice was cracking and shaky, and I could hear him trying so hard to stand. I wanted to open my eyes, but now I couldn’t. I couldn’t even breathe.

For a second, everything was silent. Nothing moved, nothing changed. I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t feel anything. My skin was burning, but it was slowly dying down, and the fast beat of my heart was now becoming sluggish, ringing through my ears. It felt like my lungs were shriveling up and I couldn’t do anything about it. But then I saw my mom. I saw her beauty and the way her eyes sparkled with care. She looked so crystal clear, so smooth and vivid. I saw her smile and I couldn’t help but think that maybe dying wasn’t so bad. And then I saw Nick and his smile, and the way his chocolate orbs shimmered. He was faint though, disappearing, and it frightened me. But I couldn’t cry.

“Stop!” his voice shouted through the air, his voice begging desperately. I had never heard that tone before. “Sheba, you know what it’s like to lose someone!” His words and the way his voice cracked seemed to bring attention to the ghostly magic holding me, and I felt it’s grip loosen. In an instant, my heart rate picked up, but just barely, and I had enough air to suck in for a few moments. I tried to clear my head.

I heard that low hissing again, this time ringing right through my ears. Nick’s breath shook and I told myself to open my eyes; I couldn’t.

“You… you know what it’s like to lose your soul mate,” he repeated. “Don’t make someone else feel that pain. Don’t make someone go through life knowing that they aren’t meant for anyone else, that they can’t be happy with anyone else. Don’t make me feel like I made a mistake. Please.” He was… begging her, begging her to stop. I sucked in another deep breath.

And that’s when I heard a voice. “Finish her off!” it hissed, and it was surprisingly just as close.

“Sheba,” Nick warned. I could feel my glow reignite, hearing the leaves crunch as he stepped closer cautiously. “Think about what you did to your soul mate. Think about what you did to Rosalind, you didn’t want to hurt your best friend. Don’t hurt mine, please.”

I finally found the strength to open my eyes, swallowing when I saw how clear Sheba’s face was, the agony and suffering and indifference coursing through her as she hovered in the air, the black smoke circling her, making her look faint.

“Don’t listen to that stupid wolf!” that other voice hissed. Mr. Barnes… Lucas. “This is what we’ve been waiting for, what we’ve been training to do. If you hadn’t screwed up with Rosalind, this girl wouldn’t be a threat to us!” The voice was harsh and scary, but Sheba didn’t budge. She listened to Nick.

“Are you going to live your life off everyone’s suffering? Is that what you want?” Nick’s voice sounded more angry, and I finally turned my head to face him, my breath hitching at his beauty. I could see him.. All of him. He wasn’t fading. His eyes met mine with an emotion I couldn’t decipher, and I wondered if he still hated me.

Good thing to think when you’re about to die.

“Help,” Sheba suddenly quivered. I could hear Eve sob from my side and I tried to wriggle out of her grasp, finding it easy as she stared at me. “I’m so sorry.”

Sheba wasn’t bitter… she was scared.

I dropped through the large smoky hand like it was invisible, yelping when I landed, rolling some. I began to cough uncontrollably, trying to clear my lungs to gain some oxygen. My heart began to thud and I was panicking again. Taking one look at Nick, I thought that maybe I could do this.

A loud cry suddenly sounded and we all winced, Sheba’s form disappearing for a moment. I looked around frantically, pushing myself back, but then something unthinkable happened. The black magic appeared… throwing her to the side. She looked lifeless.

“No!” Eve cried out, almost dropping to her knees. I couldn’t breathe.

“Sh-sheba?” I whimpered, doing my best to crawl over to her. Nick beat me there. He hovered, his eyes wide, shocked. I was close enough to hear now.

“Sheba?” he muttered, shaking her a little. She was barely breathing.

“I’m s-sorry,” she repeated, her face twisted with pain. She was… dying. I felt tears sting my eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Nick said clearly, nodding. He kneeled beside her, almost defeated looking. “We know.”

“You have to… you can… Lucas,” she stuttered, breathing sharply. I could feel pain shoot through me at just the sight. “You can win this. End it, now. He needs to be stopped.”

“We will,” he breathed, his eyes meeting my weak ones. He opened his quivering mouth, but she began to speak, coughing some. He quickly looked back down to her, digging his knees into the grass.

“And listen to me, mutt,” she ordered, her voice stern. She managed to look at me for a moment, a dry smile curling over her frail lips. She looked so gone. Glancing back up at Nick, she spoke, but it was loud enough for me to hear… she wanted me to hear.

“What?” Nick prompted quickly, his curls blowing in the breeze. The blood had dried on his forehead. Thunder sounded and I could hear the growling from the magic behind. It was close.

“When it’s mating season for you and the girl, don’t go bringing all your little dogs around my house. Eve might tolerate them, but I’ll always hate wolves.” I was surprised by her somewhat playful tone, my cheeks burning with her words. And Nick smiled, chuckling breathily.

“There’d only be one or two dogs anyway,” he grinned. He made her laugh. What kind of world was this? Sheba and Nick getting along… maybe I really was going to die after all.

She let off one last smile and then her eyes shut, the air around once again clouding over. Nick looked sorry, but when his eyes darted up, they widened. I suddenly felt a jolt of pain course through me, feeling like a hammer was banging against my insides. The hand had punched through my back, dissolving into my skin, and before I knew it, I was thrown back again. I gasped, but hardly any air flew out. I couldn’t take much more, I knew that.

I whimpered, the pain almost unbearable, and I watched it swirl around… like it was ready to cast some sort of spell. I was too tired to move.

“Lonnie! Lonnie, get up!” Nick ordered, his tone both harsh and scared. I could hear him run towards me, sliding on the dirt, the knees of his pants ripping. He probably cut himself, but he didn’t let out a sound, his eyes locking mine. I shut my eyes tight, the beating in my chest rapid, and it felt as if I were freezing.

His hands connected to my arms, warming them some, but everything else was cold. I was bruised and broken and I didn’t know what to do anymore. I was done.

“Lonnie, would you open your eyes?” he begged, his voice soft. It was just like before, but I didn’t think I could this time. “Come on beautiful, please.” My heart skipped at his words, even at a time like this.

His hands slid up my arms, muttering something about how cold I was. I felt his hands run up to my neck and then my cheeks, allowing his fingers to graze my skin. I could feel his hot breath on me; it was helping.

“Lonnie, just listen to me right now. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I did, but most importantly, everything I didn’t do. I seem to be sorry a lot, but I don’t know what to do when I’m with you. You’re part of me, you’re my soul mate. I-I need you. Don’t go.” His voice was so soft, so pleading. I couldn’t understand why he wanted me to stay so badly. Did he forgive me? Did he know I hadn’t done anything wrong? I knew he knew I loved him.

“I-I can’t,” I breathed, my voice a little more clear.

“You can. You can do this. I’m right here,” he encouraged, rubbing his calloused thumb over my cheek and then my lips. He gripped my chin, his other hand moving to my back, sitting me up some with no help from my own self. “Why can’t you focus?”

“You-you hate me,” I managed to cough out, deciding now wasn’t the best time to die. I wanted to see his face. I managed to peel my eyes open, blinking back the blurriness to see his wondrous beauty.

“No Lonnie. I don’t hate you. I could never hate you,” he responded, his voice almost raspy, like he was about to cry. I remembered how broken up he was about his family and how I was there to hold him. I just wanted him to hold me. “I love you. I love you and I don’t know what to do.”

Something in me clicked, like that one simple sentence had given me enough strength to do anything. I had been watching too many of those cliché movies. It felt like a fire ignited on my skin and I realized that my glow resembled fire, my heart racing and my breathing taking off. That’s what I needed to focus: Nick. I was back.

I felt a smile work it’s way up to my lips and my eyes brightened, my hand lifting up. I still coughed, but I managed to lace my fingers with his, exhaling my breath shortly. He looked somewhat relieved. My eyes widened though and I pointed behind him shakily, his own eyes knowing. He jumped up and carefully pulled me with him, holding me tight to his chest protectively. I hugged back, taking in his scent and the way he was making me feel. I was sure he knew his affect on me.

“I can’t!” I whined, trying to shake off my nerves. My eyes focused on the black magic, Sheba’s body no longer being controlled. But a new figure emerged through the smoke, allowing it to carry him like a pedestal. His face was menacing, his laugh cold, his eyes hard. It was just like they were in the classroom today. Lucas Plaster. Glancing over, I spotted only two figures in the bushes now. I felt my anger bubble up.

“This is you. It’s all you, Lonnie,” Nick breathed in my ear. I remembered him saying that to me in my dream. This was me. I could do this. I would do this: for Nick’s family, for the great wolf, for my dad, for Sheba and Eve, for my mom… for Nick.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and shivered when he pulled back, the cold air hitting me. I watched him phase out of the corner of my eye, smiling slightly at how bright his gold eyes now were. I was going to do this. After all the hurt and pain, I was ready. And I would win.

“Say goodbye to your little witch, mutt,” Lucas spoke, his voice chilling as it echoed like a horror movie. Nick let out a growl and a piercing howl, just for the heck of it. I could hear Nick laugh dryly when Lucas cursed under his breath, his face scrunching up with pain. And then it hit me.

“Lucas is a witch?!” I hissed, whipping my head around to see Nick. It was one of my duh moments. He gave me a short nod.

“That’s what I had been wanting to tell you, but I wasn’t sure.” Was I sure I could do this. “You’re stronger, you’re better, you’re smarter. You can do this.”

I gulped, slowly nodding my head. The smoke seemed so gigantic and Lucas floated in the middle of it, his eyes as black as the cloud. I coughed some more and glanced over at Nick, his bright gold eyes full of fury towards Lucas. And then something jumped out of the bushes. I let out a scream and stumbled backwards, the wind being no help for my lack of balance. It was a big, jet black wolf. His eyes red and his sharp teeth bared. He snarled and jumped on Nick. I covered my mouth as I watched him roll through the grass, letting out a whimper. It was Jeremy attacking Nick.

“Nick!” I screeched, my heart trampling my mind. I wanted to run over to him, to rip that nasty wolf off of mine, but I couldn’t.

“Don’t worry about me! Just take care of Lucas!”he ordered, his voice strained. I held my breath and watched with wide eyes, not turning until I saw Nick get up and claw Jeremy’s side. I cringed. Nick knew what he was doing.

“Why are you doing this? Using your son as a decoy?” I asked quickly, snapping my head back to the black smoke that was now so close to my face. I whimpered in fear. Lucas’ face emerged again, his smile sour.

“He’s not really my son.” I remembered Nick’s story of how Jeremy came to Nick’s family and wanted to become the great wolf. He had found his father, Lucas, when he became council leader, or something like that. “You see, dear Lilliani… I knew your mother very well. She grew up in my village, similar to the one where your precious Nicholas’ family lives. There are villages throughout the world that no human knows of, ones deep in the forest. When Rosalind grew to know of her great witch status, she tried to get out of my village. If she left, then I wouldn’t get my powers.”

“What?” I breathed, absentmindedly grabbing the orb around my neck. This wasn’t making sense. I heard rustling and growling nearby, trying my hardest not to pay any attention to Nick and Jeremy who were still rumbling around, fighting.

“Rosalind, for whatever odd reason, had gained a human soul mate. Rosalind was my ticket to power. We were to marry and I was to take her powers. She didn’t know I was a witch, the only male witch in the history of our world. Just like you and Nicholas… you two are the only witch and wolf soul mates of our world.”

“You… you wanted to marry my mom? Just to take her power?” Now I was furious.

“I’m not a sap for love like you or Mr. Jonas. What you two have is sickening; it’ll make it easier for me to kill you.”

I shivered, shaking my head furiously. He laughed and went on.

“Now, you see…” he cleared his throat, floating down to my level some more. His feet were still off the ground, though. “When your mother refused to break that one silly rule, I made it my job to jump into the council. Only very few knew I wasn't human. And I needed help, but of course. That’s where dearest Sheba and Coimbra come in.

“They agreed to leave innocent Eve out of this if I didn’t hurt her, and, of course, in exchange of power. I’d bump them up on the council and allow them to roam our lands freely, taking over whatever they wished in the human world. With the great witch out of the way, her dear friend, the great wolf, wouldn’t know what was coming.

“Now you can see the dilemma. Sheba failed to gain Rosalind’s powers because she had already given them… to you,” he grinned, touching my face. I jerked away, but his hand gripped my jaw tighter, forcing me to look at him.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Nick hissed in my head. I took a deep breath.

“That’s where dearest Jeremy comes in. He wants the council power, and I’ll give it to him, once I have yours. He’ll be in charge of our world while I dictate the humans. It’s a win-win for us. And… you have a choice: you can join me and be my great witch, or you can stay with that mutt and you, along with everything you know, will perish. Choose wisely, Lilliani.”

“You make me sick,” I spat, raising my hand up to smack his face as hard as I could. It rang through the trees, his hiss loud and angry. I found myself falling backwards, but, at that moment, I cleared everything useless out of my mind.

I didn’t fall. Looking down, I realized that I was floating just as he was, and the air around me was warm. Just as the smoke started to cloud around me, I raised my hands and pushed my glow out in a series of rippling rings, my eyes wide in amazement.

“I can do this. I can do this,” I breathed over and over, feeling like that train in that old book I used to love.

I felt resistance as soon as the two powers collided, and I shut my eyes tight, concentrating on everything I knew; the practices with Eve and Nick, the knowledge Nick had given me, wanting to see my father’s face, wanting to prove my mother didn’t die for nothing, needing to change Nick’s dad back, wanting to finish this so I could finally rub it in Nick’s face that he loved me and that he definitely couldn’t take it back now.

I could feel him pushing harder and harder, but I stayed strong. I wasn’t going to let him win. I wasn’t going to lose everything and give up. I could see different colored lights flashing in the back of my mind, a series of voices ringing off, like all the chatter in the halls at school. These voices were familiar, though. These voices I knew, and they were telling me that I was winning; they were telling me to keep going because I was almost there. My skin felt like something was burning right through and I bit my lip, groaning at hard this was. I was tired, I was in pain; I wanted to drop and sleep for hours, but I was close.

My eyes fluttered open, the black smoke right in front of my face, but it couldn’t get closer, and I noticed Jeremy yelping, limping away. Nick stood there, unaware of the black magic that was now zooming towards him. Just like I practiced.

“Nick!” I breathed out, getting him to snap his head around. He phased back to normal in an instant, his eyes locking mine, and I pushed the gold all the way out. It looked like a ball bouncing, sticking to him like a magnet. His deep eyes widened, but the smoke rolled away from him, the heat too much for it to take. I found myself wanting to smile, Lucas’ face becoming clear, weak.

And that was all I needed. I shut my eyes and let out a yell, throwing my hands in front of me. I could feel everything shake around me, my glow seeming to jump off my body for a second, taking over the smoke. And a piercing hiss flew through the air, a deep scream following. Everything went black as the wind grew stronger, resisting, and then I fell to the ground. I didn’t move. Another yell sounded, but it was weaker, and before I even had time to blink, I felt my body jump with a jolt: my glow. I gasped for air suddenly and shot up, my eyes wide, my hair sticking to my face in the still air. The surroundings looked dim, gold--the sun was setting. The black smoke was gone, only a faint sound of a scream echoing through the trees far away. It completely vanished.

After a series of deep breaths, I let my back hit the small grass, the colorful flowers around looking even brighter. The clouds seemed to part perfectly, the setting sun almost as blinding as my soft glow. The flowers tickled my face as I laid there, doing my best to calm my heart. I shut my eyes tight, feeling my head become dizzy from all of this stress. I could feel the pain in my leg and the stinging in my arms, and now I had a massive headache and I was exhausted. I was sweaty, too. Gross.

When I opened my eyes, I sucked in a breath, my eyes settling on Nick’s soft ones that were so close. He was kneeling beside me, the sleeves on his shirt completely torn off, along with a slit that went up the seem, and his muscles were very visible--he was tense. His skin appeared to be illuminated in the light and he leaned down, his breath hitting my face. His shaking hand found my own, giving it a light squeeze. That’s all I needed.

“You did it,” he breathed, his voice also tired and in shock. “You did it Lonnie.”

“Uh-huh,” I muttered, smiling lazily. I bet I looked delusional: that’s what I felt. And before I knew it, my mind completely shut off, and I found myself to be in a dreamless sleep, Nick’s hand still warm in mine.