The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

99

Ariel had absorbed her grimoires account of her mother's life. A witch who never manifested. Whose powers never came to the surface. She could have likely been taught to harness her power. Instead she had met a tragic, and sudden end. Deluca knew her mother's name, and admitted to being the one to kill Ariel's mother.

Ariel's serenity, and ability to hide that she was free and in control of her own magic vanished. A scream fuelled by generations of feminine rage for the unfairness of the world she had been born into, Ariel unleashed her magic. Burning Deluca before his disgusting hands had managed to so much as touch her.

It had happened in a flash. In the blink of an eye. One moment Deluca was revealing disgusting details of how he had murdered Ariel's mother, the next, he was a curtain of ashes drifting to the floor of the hidden basement.

Tali was frozen in place. Flight, fight, or freeze and still to this day, Tali always fell into freeze. Ariel moved to begin to wield her magic around her. Intending to protect both her and Tali. To kill the monster who had taken her from Golden Green. To take herself and Tali to safety.

Ariel went to turn her magic against Fi'Ahn. Only to feel the unwelcome, familiar feeling of the liquid metal band, so cold it burned growing around her wrist. Before the last of Deluca's ashes hit the concrete, Ariel's magic was once again locked down and taken away from her. Ariel looked down in shock at the metal band that had returned to bind itself around her wrist. Only realising in the void of silence left after her magic was taken, that Tali was screaming. 

Her captor appeared from the shadows, looking unmoved by the fiery demise of Deluca. Speaking with her strange, lisping voice. "A dreamwalker you are, your gifts will be greatly appreciated by The Empress." Fi'Ahn made a gesture with her hand, a sign for a rune in the air. Ariel could feel the new spell take effect, and knew she would not have a chance to try and bring a new skeleton key to herself. The dream had been blocked and she would not be able to find it again until the band around her wrist was removed.

"I hope bringing justice for your mother-wound brings you satisfaction, it is beneficial that you become free of burdens of the past before being presented to The Empress." Fi'Ahn smiled. Deluca was going to be a loose end she needed to take care of on this end before she left. The Liente had taken care of that burden easily and avenged generational trauma. The omens did not lie. The time of her return was nigh.

Fools were as fools did. Fi'ahn would not be a fool. Now that the gift to The Empress was properly rebound in her leash, Fi'Ahn bound both her and the sacrifice in binds of air. Silencing them from being able to communicate. Finishing by adding another binding layer and boundary spell around the basement, extending it up to protect the entire building. Satisfied that they would remain as they were, Fi'Ahn made her way back up stairs to begin setting up the ritual. There was much to prepare, and she felt the urge to move quickly.

Ariel and Tali were trapped, bound, unable to move or speak. Ariel burned with rage that needed to be let out. She had fought back this time, she hadn't frozen and it still did not matter. She was just as trapped and just as helpless as she had been when Gaelen took her back to the cackle. Tali could only cry silently as rivers of tears poured down her cheeks.

Ariel had a brief moment of pure confidence and strength. She had thought herself a changed woman. The kind of woman who could be strong, who could defend herself. Was resourceful, and clever and finally worthy of being loved by Alex and August. Desperate to get back to them. Now she knew, she was just as useless as she always had been. She had tried and failed. She had been so scared of what having feelings for them, scared of letting them in past her defensive walls would mean, and now she was worried that she had missed her chance. Wallowing in the despair of her failure, Ariel felt certain that she was going to die tonight without ever knowing how it would have been to truly be loved.

Ariel and Tali were both unable to hear anything from upstairs as Fi'Ahn kicked and shoved ancient broken furniture out of the way.Needing the extra floor space to ensure she had enough room to paint the signs and runes required for the portal spell. Smiling to herself as she opened the jar of cuttlefish ink, the briney scent bringing back memories of home and better times. Dipping in the brush she had made from her own hair and a branch from a lilac bush into the blackness of the jar. Singing the songs of blessing as she painted the blessed circle, the sign of Nakith and the runes needed to set the spell.

Fi'Ahn never stopped singing as she worked, setting the candles in their proper places, arranging lines of salt to concentrate the spell, burning the first offerings to life magic, fresh herbs and flowers burned one at time at ordained places over the appropriate runes. Fi'Ahn could feel the magic rising around her. Coming to her calls. The omens had told true.

Everything was almost ready. Fi'Ahn fished out the last of the items Deluca had procured for her. Another jar, filled with another dark liquid. The blood of a freshly slaughtered lamb. Fi'Ahn used her finger to add the final touches to her makeshift temple. Invoking the underworld to bear witness to her travels. Imploring the spirits to grant her the sage passage that she sought.

Fi'Ahn rose. Her back cracking after spending so much on the floor ensuring the lines of her spellwork were flawless. Allowing herself a moment of vanity to regard the beauty of her work of art and magic. The air positively humming with the energy waiting to be called and directed to follow her bidding.

Fi'Ahn finished her song. Placing her dark crystals still brimming with stolen magic at the center of her finished temple floor. Calling on the magic of this Empress forsaken hellhole to come to her aide her spell. Calling forth all spirits and magiks she could. When she felt she had exhausted every prayer, every invocation, and every blessing or incantation she could remember. Fi'Ahn turned to head back to the basement to collect her sacrifice and her gift to The Empress. Soon she would be back where she belonged, and the dangerous wild Liente would be safely under the control of The Empress, may she reign forevermore.