The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 3 - Morana, the Witch of Life

Chapter 86 Chestnuts in the fall

Morana

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I was numb, not processing what was happening, but also being too aware of everything and experiencing a pain that was like nothing else. It had me wanting to scream and destroy, but it also made me hold on to Alejo with all my might, as if that could make it all go away.

He had a wound at the side of his head. A wound that mirrored that of the dead version of Alejo I had seen when looking at the Librarian.

"Why? You shouldn't have!" I asked him and noticed as I did that I had started to cry. I wanted to shake him and yell at him for being so fucking stupid. I wanted to reverse time and be the one getting hit. I wanted to protect him from past, present, and future pain.

"I had to," was his answer, and it made me want to curse at him even more. He hadn't had to do anything. It should have been me, not him. I didn't matter. Not like he did.

"I can't lose you. I can't be without you," I told him and watched as he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Not a single sound. But I didn't need any to know what he wanted to say. That he wanted to reassure me that all would be fine, that he would always be there. What a liar he was to dare to make such promises as he grew weaker and weaker.

I knew it was the last one before he even took it. I saw him breathe in. Heard rasping as the air passed down to his lungs. Saw his chest expand as the air reached its goal. And then contract. The air left, he breathed out with a shaky sound. I could feel his life disappear with the breath, but I was completely and utterly helpless and unable to stop it.

And as I lost him, a final thing happened that took the air out of me.

As his brown eyes dimmed, they made me think of chestnuts in the fall. That clear sign of that summer was well over and winter on its way.

Next thing I knew, something clicked in me. From the way Alejo had described it, I had imagined the feelings the mate bond would cause would be overwhelming, but they weren't. It wasn't anything I hadn't already been feeling. I loved him. His safety and well-being were so much more important than mine. I would do anything to protect him.

I couldn't imagine life without him.

But, at the same time as the bond clicked into place, life left him. His eyes stared blankly up, unseeing, and the complete unfairness grew in me.

For a moment, I just looked down at him. My whole body shook, and I was unable to breathe, unable to comprehend. I was as empty as a blank canvas. Alejo had taken all the colors with him. Then something broke inside of me.

I clutched his body to myself and the tears clouded my vision. I sobbed, but the sobs turned to quick and shallow breaths. My mind exploded in anger and sorrow that deeply contrasted the love I felt.

Or complimented it.

He was gone. He was dead. I would never talk to him again. Never see him smile. Never fall asleep while listening to his heartbeat ever again.

I was angry at everything and everyone. Hated the whole damn world and most of all hating myself for having caused all of this.

And it all hurt. My body, my heart, my soul. It all screamed in pain and as I hugged him, I doubled over from that pain and let it out the only way I could. By making the emotional scream inside of me into an actual one.

As I did, I could feel more emanating from me. A raw power that surged out and did its best to destroy what it encountered. That tore at the bushes and flowers in the garden. That caused the sounds of windows shattering. That had yells of fear mingle with my own.