Crimson Kisses | ENGLOT

Chapter 12: It's Over

After the battle, calliope almost dies but eliza saves her and they live happily ever after. Noah going to lirien is calliope's plan all along

of her coven witches' neck snapped. In the blink of an eye, lirien and her witches are in an ambush against eliza, calliope

...

The weight of her words hung heavy in the damp air, pressing down on Noah like a stone slab. "I'll lead you to her," she rasped, her voice raw with regret. "Just... promise me she'll be safe."

Lirien's laughter, cold and musical, echoed through the moonlit woods. "Safe? Oh, little lamb, you haven't been paying attention. I need her blood. Every drop of it. Do you understand what that means?"

Noah's stomach lurched. The truth, ugly and undeniable, slammed into her. She hadn't just betrayed Eliza, she'd condemned her to death. Shame coiled in her throat, thick and suffocating. Tears welled up, blurring the witch's mocking face.

"Please," she choked out, voice barely a whisper. "I didn't... I thought..."

Lirien's laughter cut her off. "Foolish girl," she spat, her smile razor-sharp. "You played hero, thinking you could control the outcome. Now, show me the way to your precious friend."

Noah clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. Each beat of her heart was a hammer blow against her ribs. Betrayal. Regret. Fear. They twisted within her, a poisonous cocktail.

But there was no turning back. Lirien held the power, the chilling threat of a slow, agonizing death hanging heavy in the air. With a sob, Noah yielded. What could she do? Resist and face the wrath of the Lirien? Or lead them to Eliza, hoping against hope that Lirien would show some shred of mercy?

Despair gnawed at her, but a flicker of defiance sparked in her eyes. "If I do this," she whispered, her voice laced with steel, "you swear on your magic, on your coven, that Eliza won't suffer. A quick end, that's all I ask."

Lirien's smile widened, but this time, a flicker of something akin to respect danced in her eyes. "A worthy bargain," she conceded. "Lead the way, little lamb, and perhaps I'll grant your wish."

Noah knew it was a gamble, a desperate plea to a predator who thrived on pain. Yet, it was the only hope she had, a fragile shield against the storm of guilt that threatened to consume her. With a heavy heart, she rose to her feet, her traitorous steps leading them deeper into the moonlit woods, each rustle of leaves a whisper of her betrayal echoing in her ears.

As they walked, memories of Eliza's laughter, her kindness, flooded Noah's mind, each one a shard of regret piercing her heart. She had sworn an oath to protect Eliza, and now she was leading them to her doorstep. The weight of her actions threatened to crush her, but she pressed on, driven by a sliver of hope and the chilling certainty that she had become the very monster she sought to escape.

The path ahead was shrouded in darkness, not just of the forest, but of the choices she had made. And as she led the Bloodthornes towards Eliza, Noah knew that the consequences of her betrayal would forever stain her soul.

...

The dense foliage swallowed them whole, darkness pressing in from all sides. Thorns snagged at clothing, roots tripped unwary feet, and the air grew thick with the damp scent of decay. Noah's heart hammered against her ribs, each beat a drumbeat of dread. They were close, too close.

She faltered, feigning exhaustion. "I... I need a moment," she gasped, clutching her chest.

Lirien, her eyes narrowed like a serpent's, approached with a predatory grace. "Do not test my patience, little lamb."