The High Priestess of Shadows

Chapter 11

Lilly screamed as she watched the world around her burn. The force of the blast sent her sprawling along with several other witches. Her first instinct was to head for cover but then get training kicked in a split second later. "Don't break the circle!" she screeched as she saw Heather and Viv about to bolt. "You'll just make things worse. We should be safe here."

"Are you sure?" Heather yelled. 

No, she thought but said, "Yes, we'll be fine here." She tried to peer through the flames to see what was going on. "It's protecting us. There's nothing to worry about."

"It's an illusion!" she heard one Knight yell. "They want to trick us into thinking that we can't get them."

"If you're so sure about it then you go through, Whitley," the Commander, Will and Sophie's father, barked. "Prove to us that it's all some elaborate ruse."

"I'll go," a woman said. Catalina. Lilly gasped quietly at the woman's bravery. She was stupid but still brave. "Once I get through everyone else can follow." She said it like it was a question but there was a little steel in her voice. Not much but it was there. 

"Fine, woman," the Commander laughed. "Go ahead." 

Catalina stepped forward and started walking. "Help me, please, Lilly," she whispered barely audible. Lilly's eyes widened and she muttered a protection spell under her breath. 

"She's through!" the Knight, Whitley, yelled. "I told you it was a trick."

Lilly helped Catalina through the last few steps and the maid collapsed sobbing. "I thought I would die!" she whispered. "Aaron said that I would have to test your magic to see if it was real or not. He gave you up to the Knights. He wants power and discovering a group of rebels in league with the witches would be just the way to get it. He said that if I died it would prove you to be evil but if I made it through it would prove that I was part of the rebellion and that you were actually collaborating with us."

"There's no way for him to lose," Lilly said horrified. All the witches had come to see what was going on and began panicking at the news. 

"We're going to die," Dawn moaned. "The rebels betrayed us and now we're all going to die."

"The rebels didn't betray us," Sabby said. "It was their no good, power hungry leader."

"What do we do?" Vivian asked looking to Lilly for an order. 

"We fight," she said simply. "Any objections?" No one said anything. 

"Let's do this," Ross said conjuring a dagger. 

"Everyone pair up. That way we'll be harder to kill," Jake said. “ Ari and Gabe, me and Mark, Sabby and Ross, Sophie and Viv, Jace and Izzy, Dawn and Heather, Lilly and Catalina. Okay?"

"Fine," Izzy said. "Split up and take different points to defend."

"Charge!" a man yelled suddenly and the witches scrambled into position. Lilly nearly fell over in surprise when Catalina produced a knife and looked like she knew how to use it just as well as any Knight they faced. 

Lilly had out her twin daggers and was ready to cut down any Knight that came her way. Then the screams started. 

The Knights were burning in the fire surrounding the circle. They had charged in and the spell activated before they could take more than a few steps. "Lilly! Help me!" Aaron cried from the fire. "I started the rebellion and I would never do anything to hurt the witches. I was trying to trick the Knights. I knew you'd make sure she got through safely and the Knights would be destroyed. Please, help!"