His to Serve

Chapter Sixty-one - a vision

I awoke from a nap as I groaned, still in my clothes from the morning. Thankfully Bethany and Hyde hadn't returned yet and the events from the morning had drained me, but clearly I had slept longer than I thought. I climbed out of bed as I wandered the halls, desperate to talk to Brand after earlier.

As I turned the corners of the castle I groaned loudly. I was so glad things were going well with me and Brand this morning, and now all I wished was I still felt that way.

I loved him, and I truly wanted to be with him. I knew he had his flaws, and I had killed people for lesser things, I just couldn't get over the fact he had lied to me. I was not innocent, and frighteningly, the more I began to compare us, the more I realised we were the same.

They were trying to overthrow him, of course he was going to take action. That was clear to me now that didn't upset me. But the secrecy hurt, it really didn't have to happen that way.

But then I wasn't innocent either. I still hadn't told him the true facts around the King of the West's death, and I had continually hidden things from him. He didn't know about Hecate, and all the information she had unloaded onto me.

I was just as bad as him, and worse I was punishing him for doing exactly what I have done, when in reality, all he was doing was looking out for his throne. Something any ruler would have done.

Recently I had felt more connected with him than before, but all these secrets and lies were going to tear us apart.

We were together forever, no matter what my body or anything told me. I was Brand's and he was mine, I just trusted my gut for some reason, I knew we belonged together. We were both equally flawed, and perhaps that's why the gods chose us to be together. I needed to speak to him, to apologise and just get us back on the right track.

As I turned around the corner I walked straight into Damien and I fell back tripping as he quickly reached out grabbing my wrist and catching me so I didn't completely fall onto the floor, sharp shocks ringing through my body at the contact.

"Gods, you shouldn't hide around corners you know. Scare someone to death you idiot" I growled as he shook his head smiling at me, "Always a joy to see you too gorgeous, how are you doing?" he said as I quickly removed my hand from his, trying to stop the reaction his touch was creating.

He shook off my quick withdrawal as he looked at me crossing his arms, his muscles bulging under his shirt as I quickly averted my gaze,

"I'm guessing you and Brand are okay now, have you spoken to him yet?" he said as I folded my arms, "Why would you care?" I said as I pushed past him, I was not in the mood for one of his bipolar episodes now and I was mad my body was still reacting the way it was towards him.

"Gods Lillian. It was just a question you don't have to be a complete bitch" he said as I turned to him anger filling me,

"It always seems to be a question now with you. What do you really want Damien, because I can't seem to figure it out. You wanna be my friend, then you completely ignore me or you flirt with me. You decide to help me out, but then you act completely inappropriately whilst I try to find out something that is very important to me. Like gods above just make you mind up" I ranted, this anger coming out of nowhere as I couldn't seem to stop the words from spilling out my mouth, what the fuck was my problem?

Damien watched me frowning as I ranted, "You make no sense. Can't you see I am with Brand, nothing else is going to happen. So stop eyeing me up and down, stop watching me, wear some clothes and just leave me alone. This will never happen. So stop following me everywhere I go, what happened this morning had no need to contain you, I am perfectly happy dealing with my own problems" I spat as his eyes narrowed, a weird rage filling me as I struggled to contain it.

"Don't you dare lecture me Lillian. As I've said before, don't flatter yourself. I have been with many women much better and prettier than you, and as I said you're a human. A pathetic weak human who has no idea what she's doing, with her life and clearly with her mate." He said as he sniffed the air, detecting I was I still unmated as I growled narrowing my eyes,

"Sure you have some freaky potential power, but it's not like I really want that in my life. So stop thinking you're something special here, because you are nothing to me, just another pathetic inexperienced little girl clearly desperate for any attention she can get." he growled back to me as I froze and glared,

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way" I spat clenching my fists as I grit my teeth, "Then find someone better and get away from me. You seem to ruin everything you touch; you get in the way and you keep making me feel something I shouldn't because I'm with Brand. So find someone else and do whatever you want to them. Bring them here, fuck them for the whole castle to hear. I don't fucking care." I said as I quickly closed my mouth realising I had admitted to feeling things for him again, fuck.

Damien froze as he took my words in, "What did you just say" he said as I growled and flicked my hair over my shoulder turning on my heel,

"I don't have anything more to say to you. This pathetic little inexperienced human is done with this conversation, and with you. SO LEAVE ME ALONE FOR ONCE" I said as I rushed away from him and down the hallway, trying to get away from him as soon as possible.

As I picked up the pace I saw Evelyn at the end of the hall talking to Cyrene, I walked up to them calming down as Evelyn turned to see me and frowned,

"Lillian what on earth is wrong with you?" she said as I sighed running my hand through my hair as I felt the anger dissipate,

"Oh gods, I don't know. I just had a massive argument for no reason with Damien. Its just I was so angry I couldn't stop myself, something is wrong with me and I just can't contain it" I said as she pulled me close and hugged me,

"Hey it's okay, don't worry about it, we are here" she said as I hugged her, "I just have so much on my mind right now, I just feel like I'm going to explode, and I mean that literally" I said as Cyrene and Evelyn frowned looking at me,

"What's going on Lillian, tell us. We can help you." Cyrene said as I shook my head,

"I don't know who I can trust" I whispered as they both frowned and looked at me, I ran my hands through my hair again as I thought this through. Could I tell them? How could I know if they were to be trusted?

Then I got it, "Okay do something for me" I said as they nodded, "hold my wrist, the one with the marking on it" I said as Cyrene gasped and I looked at her shaking my head, "Don't even right now, and don't ask. I just need to know something, please" I said as Evelyn gripped my wrist first,

I closed my eyes as I sighed, "Hecate, please I need to know who to trust, can I trust Evelyn" I thought as I felt a cooling sensation run through me,

Evelyn gasped as I opened my eyes to see red power snaking around her hand. However it was not hurting her, it seemed as if it was hugging her hand, linking us together.

As I watched the magic flow between us I knew I could trust her, I could just sense it.

"Cyrene, your turn" I said as Evelyn let go shaking her hand lightly and Cyrene placed her hand on my wrist, however my power doing the exact same, I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled my hand away and the power faded,

Cyrene looked at me as I grimaced, "Lillian, that is the symbol of Hecate. No witch has ever received such a symbol, it has only even been written about in the most ancient of books, what is going on here, what have you gotten yourself into" she said as I held up my hand, looking around quickly,

"We cannot talk here in the open. I still don't know who I can trust" I said as Cyrene nodded, "Do you have any magic or spells where we can talk totally secluded?" I said as she smiled, "hold my hands" she said as me and Evelyn gripped her tightly,

As we did I felt my soul lift out of my body and I watched myself float out of my body above myself, however my body didn't fall. It continued to interact with both Evelyn and Cyrene, as if I was still in my body, and if anybody walked past, they would assume we were just having a regular chat,

I frowned as I saw Evelyn and Cyrene opposite me, both in a kind of spiritual form, allowing me to see straight through them.

"Lillian this is totally secluded, our bodies will act like this for a while, but we will have to return, or we will not like the outcome. And if someone comes along we must return, the magic cannot hold up forever" she said as I nodded and began to explain,

I explained the entire Hecate meeting, how I was related to her and that I had been warned about a potential betrayal. I then explained the King of the West and this morning with Brand. They both stayed silent the whole time as I spoke, listening intently to every word that came out of my mouth,

I also told them about the mating with Brand and the entire situation of me falling off the balcony, and they both, not to my surprise, had no idea what I was going on about.

Once I had finished they both looked at each other stunned. Evelyn looked at me as I grimaced, "how have you held onto all of this Lillian, you know you could tell me, I could have helped you, you shouldn't have to deal with this all alone" she said as I sighed,

"Evelyn, within a few days I am meant to erupt, literally. The snow is going to fall at any moment, and if that power, my power, is in the wrong hands, it could destroy this world and do gods knows what else. I don't know who to trust anymore, it could be anyone. And I know Hecate wouldn't have spoken to me unless she knew something was wrong" I said as Cyrene nodded,

"This is not good Lillian. Hecate is banished from this realm, that is why she had to leave so quickly. The gods do not allow her to come here, it is her punishment. So for her to risk it by entering your dream, it must be serious, there must be more we do not know" she said as I nodded,

"However we must return to our bodies now, my magic cannot keep this going much longer" she said as I looked at her, seeing the evident strain on her face.

I felt myself float back down and into my body, as I opened my eyes I saw I was looking at the real Evelyn and Cyrene again and I breathed in deeply, shivering at the sensation of being back within my body,

"You cannot tell anyone, swear it to me. Only you and Bethany know the whole story and you cannot say anything to anyone, not until I can identify who it is and perhaps what they want from me." I said as they nodded,

Cyrene held my hand as I smiled at her, "I will research as much as I can, I have all my mother's old diaries and books. I will research the Erebus as much as I can and see what this magic is really for" she said as I hugged her and she walked away quickly,

As I turned I saw Evelyn standing still, as pale as a ghost, her eyes unmoving,

"Evelyn? Are you okay?" I said as I shook her lightly, she didn't move as I panicked, "Evelyn hello, talk to me" I said as I watched her eyes flicker slightly,

I shook her again as I noticed her eyes were a pitch black, not their usual light grey and I began to panic.

"Evelyn wake up, please. Oh Gods" I said as she suddenly blinked her eyes returning to their natural colour as I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her close,

She was slightly shaking as I sat her down and rubbed her back, her breathing coming out in short fast pants, "What was that? Was that a vision?" I said as she nodded, "What did you see? Tell me?" I said as she turned to me an unrecognisable expression on her face,

"I saw the fight Lillian, I saw it all, I saw you explode, I saw Erebus" she said as I gulped, "What about the prophecy? Did you see what triggered it?" I said as she bit her lip taking a big gulp,

As she went to open her mouth Brand walked down the hall, clearly hearing me yelling at Evelyn. "Lillian, what happened? I heard you yelling" he said, searching me all over as Damien rushed around the corner not long after,

"She had a vision Brand, she was the battle" I panicked as he paled slightly and walked over picking a fragile Evelyn up in his arms, "I need to get her to my office, don't worry. I have just things she needs, don't worry she'll be fine" he said reassuring as I took a step forwards nodding,

"Evelyn, what else did you see? Please" I called out as she lifted her head to look at me over Brand's shoulder, "I'm sorry, all I can say is it was horrific. This power, it changes you Lillian, you are not ready, and I don't think we are either" she said as I gulped watching her eyes gently close as she rested her head on Brands arm,

"Lillian please, I need to go and take care of Evelyn, please go to your room and we can talk about this later, I will be with you as soon as I can" Brand said as I wrung my hands nodding and he sped off down the hallways, I turned as I saw Damien looking at me as I sighed and pushed past him walking towards my room,

"It's okay Lillian. I have a choice, remember. It's all going to be fine" I said muttering to myself, however not quite believing it. I walked into my room as I saw a box on the bed and I smiled, but the thought of Evelyn's face was still imprinted in my mind.

As the door closed behind me, I found myself alone wondering if she had really told me everything she saw, or if there was something else she had seen and wasn't able to tell me before everyone else turned up.

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oooo the build up lol - what did Evelyn see?

thank you so much for reading x