A GREAT EVIL | Fate: The Winx Saga ~ Alternate Season 2

Chapter 31 - A Matter Of Trust

I listened carefully to the Queen's lecture on Defence Against the Dark Arts, so that I could equate as much of it as possible. There was only a week left before the eclipse, before the fight against Rosalind and probably the fight against the witches. I had to perform well, I had to transform, otherwise I would never be able to cope. Sitting next to me, Musa was keeping her eyes on our teacher, she was in the same situation as I was, so being a mind fairy took even more work.

"I'll put you in a stressful situation right now," Luna announced loudly. "I'm going to simulate a witch's attack and you'll each take turns using your powers to subdue her. Let's start with Bloom."

I turned to my sister, who stood up with a grunt and walked to the front of the class. As usual, she was in a bad mood.

"Are you ready?" the Queen asked.

She nodded with determination and at that moment the witch appeared from a large cupboard. She was a porcelain-skinned creature, her dull brown hair falling over her shoulders, her frail body covered by a white robe. She appeared to be at least forty years old and, with her unattractive face, did not inspire sympathy. Physically, she did not seem so different from the fairies, and I understood better how Beatrix could have blended in among us.

Before the witch could attack, Bloom transformed, wings of fire flaring from her back, and shot a jet of flame at her. The creature fought back, but my sister was stronger and had no trouble getting rid of her. Suddenly, in the reflection of her flames, I saw something shining at her neck: it was the locket.

The teacher ended the exercise, satisfied:

"Thank you for the colourful demonstration, Bloom, now I'd like to see Jade at work."

She smiled at me and I stood up, trembling, clearly doubting my abilities. I had a horror of practicing in front of an audience. As I passed my sister, my gaze fell on the necklace and I realised with amazement that it was in the shape of a crescent moon and not a sun. Where had mine gone? In Rosalind's hands?! I was dreading it...

I pretended not to have seen it, arriving in front of the witch in a distraught state, not knowing which spell to use, too disturbed by what I had just seen.

"Focus, Jade, she will leave you no chance," the teacher advised me calmly.

I did so, I had to take control of her mind in order to anticipate her actions and then neutralise her.

However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it. I was fighting in the void, as if I were drowning, being dragged into a deep abyss. In an instant, I felt a violent stabbing through my stomach and I screamed in pain, to the panicked exclamations of my friends. No blade had touched me, and yet I was beginning to bleed to death! Luna made the witch disappear, and the wound, which closed cleanly. I couldn't feel any pain anymore.

"Jade, are you all right?" she questioned, concerned, as she helped me to my feet.

"I think so," I answered, a little shaken up.

"It's ok if you failed, you started your training later than the others, it's normal. You'll need private lessons, we'll have to meet outside of class," she reassured me, before turning to the others. "Students who don't pass the exercise will have to come to me after class to schedule a remediation session, for your own safety."

I came back to my seat and avoided meeting anyone's eyes, least of all Bloom's, because I felt so humiliated.

As I sat down, I noticed a small, neatly folded piece of paper lying on my notebook.

"Beatrix sent it floating through the air," Musa warned me worriedly.

Beatrix?! What did she want from me? Was she trying to manipulate me too?