Circe Riddle (Book 3)

Chapter 44

TW: Blood, negative 'thoughts', daggers, self-harm thoughts

(Still Mattheo's pov)

"Is that why you attacked Nicholas?" He asked

"You attacked Nicholas?"

"It's hard to explain. Yes, it was partially the dark magic, but it was also something else, I don't know what" Thomas tried to explain before looking at Circe. He looked like he had something else to say but didn't continue.

(Circe's pov)

Everything around me was pitch black and there was perfect silence for a couple of seconds before wisps of smoke started to appear and took the shapes of people I knew. They were all muttering quietly to themselves as they all walked in a circle around me.

Suddenly all of them disappeared except Thomas. He walked closer to me, his eyes, hair, and outfit– black, his skin was pale. His voice came out cold "Well well well, look who we have here" A evil grin appeared on his face "If it isn't little miss show-off, fathers pride"

"I didn't ask for that"

"You're right" He agreed "So I'm going to solve the problem. He disappeared and reappeared right in front of me. I didn't notice he was holding a dagger until he stabbed my chest. My body suddenly felt like it was burning up in flames and he kept his hand on the dagger as he twisted the handle around before he pushed me back and took the dagger with him, disappearing again. I used my hands to try and stop the bleeding but there was too much blood.

Mattheo appeared then with a smirk on his face. His eyes were red and filled with anger as a ring of fire appeared around the two of us. It got smaller and smaller as Mattheo moved closer and soon I could feel the heat from the fire on my skin "How does it feel, to have no one who cares for you, no one that loves you?" He asked "Did you know that Theodore never actually had a crush on you? It was me he liked the whole time. No one loves you, even Indu has ulterior motives for you and your completely oblivious to it all" He laughed quietly

"No, Indu is my friend, Theodore is my friend, and that's all that matters"

"They are using you, everyone is using you because of your power. Father is using you, Theodore, Indu, even me. We are all using you"

"No- no, no" I called out "no. This isn't real, this is fake"

"You can say whatever you want" A different voice spoke up, Indu's voice. I looked up and she was standing there, Mattheo was gone now. She was standing there with long black hair, pale skin, and the eyes of a monster. Of a predator stalking its prey. She started to walk in a circle around me. "You really think I would come back, all the way from America to see a girl who I knew for less then a year. A girl who is the daughter of the Dark Lord–"

"No, you don't- you-"

She stopped walking and took a couple steps closer. "You think I would come back for a girl who killed someone when she was eleven years old, who has killed numerous more since then. Some without any remorse. You watched as they took their last breath, then carried on like it was any other day"

"You killed people too"

She brought her hand up to my face and I pushed her hand away "I did it to save you. I couldn't afford to have you dead. Not when there was so many other things I needed from you"

I was starting to get dizzy as Indu disappeared and the wound was still bleeding. Suddenly someone came up behind me and pushed me to the ground. I flipped over on the ground to see Theodore looking down at me. His eyes were black and I could see some black veins beneath his pale skin. Shadows came from the darkness and swirled around him before it absorbed into his hands. "You know, I don't know whether to love you or to hate you, but I think I'm leaning more towards the hate side. You have caused so much chaos for such a small insignificant little girl. I don't know how you do it. I know I promised to kill you if this ever happened but maybe I won't, maybe I let you become what you hate so that you know how it feels, how you made me feel when you forced me to hurt Mattheo" He smiled "After all, who would care if you became a monster? Your brothers wouldn't, Indu wouldn't, your father wouldn't, I wouldn't. There's nobody left anymore who cares for you Circe. If you want to be free then be free" He pointed to my dagger on my side "No one is going to stop you if you choose to go"

He started walking around in a circle around me and soon all the others joined him "Do it" Thomas declared "I won't miss you"

They continued circling me for another minute before they all disappeared and I was in complete darkness again. Then the screeching voices came, filling my head, making my ears ring.

I grabbed the dagger from my side and glanced at the wound then brought the dagger up. Right as I was about to do it, two invisible hands grabbed mine and fought to pull the dagger away. I was getting weaker and soon the dagger disappeared from my hands.

(Mattheo's pov)

I threw the dagger away from her and tried to shake her awake "What is happening?" I asked

Thomas's lips formed a straight line "Terrible nightmares" He claimed "Much worse then any I had ever had"

"What are they like?" Theodore asked

"I don't know if everyone's the same but basically picture a pitch black room, then seeing all the people you care about come and tell you your worthless and that they never cared about you"

"Will the same thing happen to Theodore?" I asked

"I don't know, maybe"

(Circe's pov)

Everything was dark now. I couldn't see a single thing. The darkness was surrounding me, the dark magic calling me, getting louder and louder with every second that passed. I crouched down and covered my ears but it just got louder, then suddenly it stopped.

I slowly dropped my hands back to my sides and a figure emerged from the darkness, parting the shadows. It was a girl. She stopped and stood a few feet away from me. Her hair was similar to mine, just darker, and black eyes that glanced down at me. She was about my height but her black heels made her a bit taller. It took me a second to realize that I was looking at myself. It wasn't a mirror, but somehow I was looking at a different version of myself. "What are you doing on the ground?" She asked, her voice was low and smooth, I couldn't detect a single hint of judgment in her voice.

I slowly stood up "Who are you, why are you here?"

"I'm you" She replied shortly "But why I'm here is a little more complicated" She paused "You are a strong, powerful, and intelligent person. Your better than this"

"Not everyone seems to think that" I glanced away

"Who cares what other people think? The only thing that matters is what you think about yourself. You are loved. You are not small or insignificant, you are not a monster. You have so many people that care about you" She was in front of me now and grabbed my hands and held then in between the two of us "You deserve so much more" I nodded my head sadly and looked down but she brought her hand up to my chin and softly raised my head to look at her "But in order to do that your going to have to make the first step, don't let other people or things control your life"

"But what do I do about the dark magic and the siphoning? What about my father?"

"What about it?" She asked

"I can't control it"

"That's what they wanted you to think. Malachi taught you the only way he had ever learned, the only way any of those boys had ever learned— with dark magic, but that's not the only way. Malachi wanted you to think these things to control you, to make you fear it, to make you weaker— unless you had his help, so he could pull you into the darkness. They were right in some ways— it has its gifts, but the gifts weren't what he thought. You were able to help save Theodore, by giving Mattheo the magic to heal him, and you saved him after Malachi died, and he saved you. You were able to help Thomas when he was weak, and so much more. And when it comes to dark magic, just don't let it control you"

"Easier said than done"

"The darkness can be a powerful tool, it only controls you if you let it, it prays on the weak, so be stronger then it, get it to bend to your will"

"What if I can't?"

"Well if you keep up with that attitude then there's no doubt it will. You are a leader, people respect you, follow you, protect you, help you, you have all the tools you need, be someone people can believe in. You might be the last born, but you were always destined to rule. Gain your fathers respect and trust, and then– I think you know where I'm going" I nodded my head and she took a step back "Build up your own group of people, they will follow you, not out of fear, but out of respect, admiration, and loyalty"

With that she disappeared back into the shadows.

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