The Darkness Within

44 - Furious Little Shadow

Lucienne looked over the white ash that was all that remained of most of the barracks as witches started loading it into wheelbarrows to move it somewhere else. Nothing really could be done with it, since it was a strange form of shapeless half-matter. Perhaps she would one day learn to use the same magic that Ciara had, and unmake the dust completely so that it would bother no one. Until then, it would remain out of sight and out of the way of the witches as they went about their daily lives.

Witches moved around her, pushing empty or full wheelbarrows, or carrying shovels to help load the wheelbarrows, as she watched over them beside General Lilian. The witch general had not seemed too upset with Ciara's accidental destruction, only appearing mildly inconvenienced before working with Lucienne to come up with a plan that would work for the potentially eternal housing of the useless substance.

As she watched the witches work with efficiency, she felt Ciara's annoyance rising down their bond. Something someone was saying or doing was upsetting her mate, so soon after having a nightmare, and she almost turned towards the mess hall, prepared to step in for her mate if need be. A second before she felt like she would have to turn away from watching the witches work, she felt the mate bond, finally, being recognized and flowing both ways.

Before, their bond had felt like a fraying rope with only the last few fibers connecting on Ciara's end. The bond was enough, on Lucienne's side, to affect her: to make her want to be close to, to comfort, to protect, more than she already would for her power-bound. It was also the bare minimum, on Ciara's side, to cause Lucienne's presence and physical contact to calm the Dark Goddess when distressed. Now, though, the bond was like a burning wrap around her body and soul, pulling her to Ciara.

Ciara's mind opened to hers, and Lucienne could see what caused the female to recognize the mate bond in the first place: Evelyn. The werewolf's words echoed in Ciara's mind, and Lucienne tried to enter Ciara's mind further to communicate as only mates could and comfort the female's growing anger. The anger, however, was not directed at Evelyn as Lucienne had first thought, and rather directed at herself, made apparent by Ciara immediately blocking her from her mind.

A part of Lucienne, further affected by the growing bond, was fearful of Ciara's reaction. While rejection wasn't common, being bondmates was a choice, and if Ciara chose to, their bond could be broken. Unfortunately, Lucienne had fallen for Ciara the moment they met and had only fallen more and more in love as she got to know the dark-haired goddess. Her mate was strong, a survivor who continued to fight regardless of her scars and disadvantages. Her mate was sweet and gentle, somewhat withdrawn with new people, but if her trust was gained she cared very much and would show it in unique ways- like that time Ciara brought her chocolate cake unprompted. Her mate was strong and powerful, protective of those she cared for with unmatched ferocity. Her mate loved the outdoors, proven by the fact that she blended in perfectly in forests and radiated peace when on walks through the tall grass in the witch's cavern. Those were only a few of the endless list on why she loved Ciara, and she knew that her love for the other goddess wasn't just the mate bond's doing, she would have loved everything about Ciara even without it.

Ciara appeared in a flurry of shadows before Lucienne, materializing full of godly wrath directed solely at Lucienne. Ciara took one angry step towards Lucienne, unseeing eyes open and glowing bright silver, adding to the ferocity that Ciara radiated as shadows consumed the rest of her body. Lucienne's fear grew as the prospect of their bond being broken seemed more and more likely by the second.

The Dark Goddess's arrival was sudden to the witches gathered, and since Ciara was covered in shadows, their instinct was to prepare to fight off a threat; they are a species born with the prowess and ability to fight high above the average supernatural with the instincts to match, after all. Unfortunately, their preparation to fight coincided with Lucienne's growing fear, and with the mate bond so new and Ciara being so clearly unprepared for its existence, the Dark Goddess took their actions as the cause of Lucienne's fearfulness.