Shadow Witch

Chapter 29

Two guards came barreling in. They were running right for us. "River! River!" The man across me stirred, so that was his name. "The King requires you immediately. Its Dohan, he's been injured." The shock that came across his face worried me. Whoever Dohan was, he was very important to River.

River stood quickly sprinting out with the guards, and since no one was watching I followed behind. They were hard to keep up with, but I was able to keep them in my view. We were heading back to the throne room.

When they barreled through the doors, I could see the scene inside. Cain was cradling, who I could only assume was Dohan's head in his lap. He was in a lot of pain, shifting and squirming in Cain's hold. The others were standing near watching the scene.

"River! heal him, quick!" Cain was commanding, screaming at him.

River kneeled beside them, but he went into total shock.

"What is wrong with you River! This is obviously magic, heal him from it!" River didn't move.

I spoke first, "It's a curse." I walked up calmly to them. "He will die." River flinched on my words; he was trying to hold back his tears.

"Ava, are you sure?" Cassius asked.

"Not even the slightest doubt."

"My wife, now my son! I will kill all of you!" Cain was about to move but Cassius got in front of him first.

"Aviana can you heal him with your other abilities?" I knew he would ask, maybe this was part of that treaty River was talking about.

"I can, but I won't unless you order me too."

"Aviana, I am ordering you to help him. Do not let him die."

I sighed, "Damn. You all need to get away from him."

"Cassius what is she..."

"Cain move." It took him a moment, but he gently let Dohan's head on the floor and moved back, River followed back with him.

I watched him squirming on the floor. He was clenching at his throat, which makes me think they made him swallow this curse. I hated this, I don't want to have to do this, curses are some of the darkest magic my father had put on the surface.

I knelt and started to shift until I was in my wolf form. I don't look like a typical wolf. My fur would flicker in the light, just like a shadow would. Everyone moved back a step, they knew what I was now, which world I belonged to.

I stepped towards Dohan stepping over top of him. I bared my teeth, growling, it was what I expected, a mouse was eating at his artery, forcing a permanent hole. Even with his vampire healing it would continue until Dohan ran out of energy and couldn't heal anymore. The mouse stirred, even flicked a whisker but just continued to eat. I really had hoped that would work, scare him to return home, but now I had to take control of it and there was only one way to do that.

I had to grow for this to work. My form became larger than anyone of the shifters that were here. I growled one last time before my teeth came barreling down on Dohan's throat. To others it would look like I'm attacking him, but there is only one thing that I'm going after.

Everything seemed to happen at once, everyone was reaching for me, but I pulled back before they could, dragging the damn mouse with me. I didn't want to look at them this was the worse part. I chewed it, swallowing the curse, forcing it to be mine. It burned so bad. I returned back to my human form. I couldn't get up, staying on all fours I was going to hurl.

I wasn't sure who spoke my name, everything was muffled.

"Stay back!" Oh god, talking burned. I clenched my eyes shut.