Immortal Dragon ON HOLD

Chapter XI

Rhaella sat on the rocks beside the falls with Kol.

Now twelve years old, Kol had begun showing signs of magic far earlier than most witches. Esther had begun his training. But whenever she was busy, Rhaella offered to teach him instead. Kol quickly discovered he preferred learning from his sister.

She wasn't nearly as strict as their mother. And practicing with her felt more like an adventure than a lesson. The falls had always been Rhaella's favorite place to train. Soon, it became Kol's favorite place too.

Water rushed loudly over the cliff beside them, mist rising into the cool air as they practiced. Right now, they were working on simple spells. Kol stood across from her, concentrating hard.

Rhaella watched him carefully. "Focus," she told him gently. "Feel the magic, don't force it." Kol nodded and tried again.

Just as they began another spell, Rhaella suddenly felt something strange ripple through her body. Like a pulse of energy moving beneath her skin. Her eyes flew open. A faint blue glow rolled over her body like a wave before fading into the air.

Kol stared at her eyes wide. "Ella... what just happened?"

He looked down at his hands nervously. "Did we do that with our spell?"

Rhaella shook her head slowly. "I don't think so." Her brow furrowed. "That didn't feel like our magic."

She looked around the clearing for a moment before turning back to him. "That was strange." Then she lowered her voice slightly. "Let's keep that between you and me, alright? At least until we figure out what it was."

Kol nodded immediately. "Okay, Ella. Whatever you want."

Rhaella studied herself for another moment. But everything felt normal. She shrugged. "Well... I don't feel any different. Maybe it was just some random magical surge."

Kol gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure we shouldn't tell Mother?"

Rhaella smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, Kol. No need to worry, Mother or Father, unless something else happens."

"Okay?"

He nodded again. "Okay."

She held out her hands toward him. "Alright. Let's try that spell again. You almost had it." Kol grabbed her hands and closed his eyes again. Together, they began chanting the spell once more as the sound of the waterfall echoed around them.

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The entire village had gathered outside their homes. It wasn't often that new families arrived. So when word spread that newcomers were coming to settle among them, everyone came out to greet them.

The Mikaelsons stood together with the rest of the villagers.

Rhaella stood between her parents, her siblings lined up beside her from oldest to youngest. In the distance, the sound of wheels creaking against the dirt road announced the arrival of the carriage.

Soon it came into view.

The carriage rolled slowly into the village before coming to a stop. The door opened. The first person to step out was a tall man with dark hair—Mr. Petrova. Next came a woman with soft features and a warm, welcoming smile. Mrs. Petrova. Finally, A girl stepped down from the carriage.

She looked to be about seventeen. The same age as Rhaella.

Rhaella offered the girl a polite smile out of courtesy.

The girl returned the smile. It was sweet. Friendly.

But for just a moment— Rhaella noticed something else. A faint, almost malicious glint in the girl's eyes. The feeling sent a quiet warning through her instincts.