A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Thirty

"I still have magic," it came out, almost like a whisper. I thought back to my prophecy, the promise of becoming the most powerful witch with fire magic. It had been so easy to ignore the prophecy after meeting what seemed like my fate to die. I thought I was lucky for escaping my demise and safely making it to Silverleaf. What if Celeste didn't want me to go to Dreadshade Summit, not for my own death, but for the death of countless others when I let that witch free? Or for people like Cybill to try and take over Silverleaf and other surrounding areas by capitalizing on the pain and fear.

I felt invigorated. No longer did I feel like I was on the run from a witch guaranteed to kill anyone in her path. Instead, I was in hiding, finding a way to build up my power so that I could take her down. It was a relief and welcome switch in my mental state.

"By the look on your face, I'd say you just realized you're the phoenix born from ashes in your prophecy." He laughed at me, and I instinctively reached for my face. I couldn't stop smiling, of course I was happy.

"I need to figure out how to make it work." I stood up, suddenly conscientious of the fact that I couldn't use magic, but still had magical ability. How long did I have to study for before I had to stop an attack from the witch who nearly killed me, or overthrow Cybill?

"Slow down." James raised his hands and stood up with me. "You need rest. Your magic relies on you. You've been through a lot; I wouldn't expect your body to produce much magic in its current state."

"How can I rest knowing that I have magic?" I laughed back at him and grabbed at the books strewn across the table, hoping one of them might contain magical history or stories of warriors who became more powerful than they had ever been before.

James grabbed my hand, stopping me from grabbing any more books and piling them into my arms. I looked at him, confused that he was so eager to help me only moments before, and now he was holding me back.

"Look." He nodded toward the seawall. The moon lit the Vault and the waves gently swayed against the wall. The Vault was always beautiful at night. There was something calming in the way the low tide met the glass compared to the thrashing waves during the daylight. At the same time, the eerie quiet made me more aware of the deeper waters below. In the darkness it was harder to see if a larger animal was waiting in those waters, watching us, or merely swimming by. But I knew James wasn't pointing me in the direction of the seawall to look for sea creatures.

"Do you suggest waiting until light? I may be more powerful under the effects of the hot sun?" I questioned him. A smirk covered his face and he pulled me in for a hug. I resisted at first, not interested in hugging someone I don't know, and then I felt comforted. His smell calming and his arms wrapped around my body offered me protection in such a confusing time that I immediately relaxed. I didn't want him to let go, even when he finally did.

"It's night, Rhea. You didn't know what day it was before and I'm here to tell you the sun has set on another day. You need rest. You'll never defeat Eris in your current state."

"Eris?" I questioned him. My body felt cold without his touching mine. I wanted to be closer to him and I resisted a primal urge for connection. It was hard to shake the feeling given that my emotions were running wild. Maybe it was the comfort he provided me when I felt so lonely, but I just wanted to smell his chest again—is that too much to ask? Instead, I started walking away, finding comfort in one of the cots in the corner of the room farthest from the seawall. It was darker on that side of the Vault and made it easier to get rest.

"That's what she's calling herself," he answered me as he sat down on a cot opposite the one I chose. Without any other context I knew he was referring to the witch who took my powers. It felt odd to hear a name so beautiful for a woman who had caused so much destruction. Still, hearing her name gave me closure, if that was the right word. I'd felt so confused about who attacked me, why I was attacked, and what was happening in the world without the knowledge a phone could provide me. Being able to put a name to the face only helped me place a target on her in my mind with my renewed confidence.

I'm coming for you, Eris.