The Enchantress

Prologue

1894

It was dark. A blanket of darkness had swept over the village, casting everything with an eerie glow. I could barely make out the silhouette of the woods.
I was running, bare foot through the dense woods. Branches scraped me, roots protruding from the ground tripped me, but I didn't care. I didn't feel the pain.

They had them. Had him.

I needed to get to the clearing. I just had to get there. That's all that was on my mind.
My mind was in panic. Turmoil.

Why had they gone?
Alone. Why couldn't they have waited for me?

Because they didn't want me there. Didn't want me to get hurt.

Blinding pain raced through me. My body ceased. Blind, blistering pain radiated from my stomach and I silently screamed. Images flashed before my eyes, too fast for me to catch anything properly.

I knew who's pain I had felt. I could feel him. Barely.

I scrambled off the ground and ran as fast as I could, hoping I would get there in time.

I reached the clearing. My eyes adjusting to the dim light that the fire in the middle cast.

Fighting. There were so many of them. So many of mine lay on the ground either dead or dying.

But my eyes laid on one body in particular. I could smell him from across the clearing. Pine and apple. The scent I had engraved in my mind over the last three years.

I felt it then. Our bond breaking. It was excruciating.

I windowed across the clearing to his side. Kneeling down I gently laid his head on my lap.
"No no no no no. Come on open your eyes for me. Come on! Open them!"

I searched his stomach for his wound. Blood. So much blood. It covered his whole shirt and was pooling on the ground around him.

Oh god no. Oh Mother Earth no.

Placing my hand over his gaping wound I put all my power into healing him.

But it wouldn't work.

I sat there cradling his head for moments, that seamed like hours, when I heard a cry I looked toward the battle again.

Vesta. My eyes landed on a struggling brunette. Two men had grabbed her on either side while a third was slicing her stomach repeatedly.

When her body went limp the men dropped her. My eyes wandered around the clearing. So many friends, family dead. All dead.

Anger coursed through my blood. Momentarily clouding my vision. But when my vision came back it settled on my mother. She caught my eye and mouthed five words.

"Never forget who you are."

I stood up slowly. My eyes never leaving hers. A blade sliced through her heart from the back. Her eyes stayed on me the whole time. Then she dropped.

I could feel it. The connection braking. I lost another person.

Hot, consuming anger burst through my veins. A scream ripped from my throat. It was more animalistic than anything I've ever heard.

I couldn't control it. My other side consumed me. And I erupted.