Burned at the Cross

Burned at the Cross ~ Ch. 16

{[Alyssa]}

My head throbbed, my vision blurry, taken over by the maddening urge to kill, out for blood. I don't know why, but it was something that couldn't be ignored or else I'd go insane. I'm in a garden, my feet taking me where they were supposed to go. The rain pounded my back through the cloak, a man running up to me.

Kill him... a voice in my head pounded. Something was wrong. It felt as if a part of me didn't want to, but the pain was too much. The pain in my heart, my head, my back... it was too much. Kill him and the ache shall go away, it whispered.

The man shouted at me. Remember what happened to your sister Brooke? How no one would help her? Someone deserves to die! A life for a life! Bring justice to her!

The pain doubled, added on by her rage, the mere thought of what had happened to Brooke. They found her body in the woods, mauled to death, half covered in leaves and foliage -the work of a beast. No one helped me hunt down the animal, no one thought much of her death, it wasn't anything to them!

I drove the dagger I had into the person, focusing all of my pent up frustration and sorrow.

Then, just like the voice had said, the pain was gone and I could come back to myself fully, still angry... and staring into the shocked eyes of Eamon Price. I was snarling and gripping my weapon until it sunk to the hilt into his stomach.

I still wasn't in full control of myself as I yanked it out of him, a victorious smile on my lips. He coughed once and crumpled to the ground. Shouts came out from the party still inside the house, and I threw up a shield to block them out as I knelt by Eamon's side.

I gripped his hair and pulled his face to mine. "Now, you have met with Death."

"Alyssa," he rasped weakly. "Snap out of it. What's wrong with you?"

I opened my mouth when something seemed to choke me. My anger and blood lust rushed out of me, and in my shock, I dropped Eamon and backed away unsteadily.

The tea, mother, the spell... Oh my god, Brooke.

{[Eamon]}

Searing pain ripped through my abdomen as Alyssa pulled the weapon out of me, blood spilling. I went down and she gripped my hair, her eyes glowing and unfocused. She wasn't doing this of her own will, I was sure of it.

When he yelled at her, she seemed to snap out of it and recognition came to her eyes, then horror. She let me go and I slumped to the cobblestone ground, watching as she doubled over and let out a howl of sorrow.

The sound chilled me, not Shifter, not animal, and certainly not human.

The pain in my stomach was becoming more and more agonizing, and as if she sensed it, Alyssa straightened up and made her way back towards me. She knelt by my side.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered, barely heard above the rain. "I don't have time to do a full healing ritual, but it won't hurt you any more."

Her words couldn't be any clearer. I wouldn't survive. I shut my eyes in agony and said a silent goodbye to every loved one.

"Stop it Alyssa!" a voice shouted. "That's an Ferro Flammaque! You'll die if you perform the chant you're doing!"

{[Alyssa]}

I paid no attention as Kalen made the attempt to reach me. By the time he got here, it'd be too late. The incantation she was doing was quick and messy. It would heal Eamon, but she'd take on his injuries.

What Kalen was worried about was the blade that I had stabbed Eamon with. I had somehow gotten my hands on a fire blade, the only death that Diviner's knew. It caused for the victim to burn from the inside out.

I put my hands on Eamon's wound, my hands already soaked with scorching heat and his blood. He was breathing so heavily now. I closed my eyes and saw the earth and myself give spritual energy to Eamon and flow through him and out the wound, dispelling an ugly black smoke that got sucked back into the earth.

The cycle continued and as time went on, I felt a searing pain as my own blood soaked through my cloak onto the ground. Sweat ran down my face and onto Eamon.

Quickly, I got rid of the excess energy once it was done and drew in a painful breath.

Eamon sat up just as I couldn't hold myself up anymore. I lay gasping in his arms as he seemed to be struggling with something.

"Brooke was my younger sister." I managed to get out, the only sound in the thunder and rain. "She... died when she was only eight years old. They found her in the woods. She was killed by a Shifter. My mother and I were bitter and our hatred built up for a while. We both... no, I hated Shifters for years on end.

"The only solid thing I had was my mother, but even her hatred got in the way. She never came home, she was never there when I needed her. Then she didn't come back, and I was left to fend for myself. I had to move on, I had to forget my rage and just let it be. I still haven't gotten over it, but I promised myself that I wouldn't feel anything as I served the Shifters."

Eamon just held me and listened to my story.

"But I had to find my mother. She was still out there and unlike me, I knew her hatred just kept on growing. I had to find her, make sure she wouldn't disrupt us. I thought that if I came here, I would find a clue to find her.

"I'm so sorry. Eamon, you have to listen to me: take the Overlord and-" I said, desperate.

"What about you?" he asked.

I winced, only now feeling herself heating up. "I won't be able to..." she rasped.

He frowned at me. "Preposterous."

Weakly, I took his hand and held it in mine. "Eamon, I'm burning up. I can't survive something like this."

"No."

"Loui and Kalen will take care of you." I said, Loui whimpering at her feet and Kalen in the shadows, watching her with sorrow in his eyes. "You have to leave."

Eamon opened his mouth to say something when the chilling voice of Danielle Bell's voice interrupted him.

"I think I will be ill if I hear any more of this talk." she said in a disgusted tone.

I couldn't see her, but could tell she was close.

She sighed. "Honestly, Alyssa, why didn't you just let him die?" she didn't wait for an answer. "As the saying goes, 'if you want something done, you must do it yourself'. Isn't that correct Aiden?"

And then the whole garden was in flames.

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KABOOM!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially reached the climax! Still more to go, so keep tuned! I'll be focusing on this story for a while, so there'll be more uploads more often. Hooray!! :D

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