Uncovered

Chapter Eight:

(Benjamin's POV)

"Lei? Lift the curse!" I yelled repeatedly through the temple.

I had watched my coven perish too many times today. The children were crying beside their mothers' motionless bodies. I already lost count of the graves I had dug. Lei was lurking. His heavy breathing audible whenever I turned a corner. It was almost sundown. I was stuck in this false reality. The curse reset every two hours. I just wanted to wake up and see Anne again, maybe even see Jeremiah and the rest.

"At least talk to me, you black magick bastard! A conversation without someone dropping dead would be lovely right now," I walked back into the courtyard.

Fellow warriors crumpled on the ground with wide, frozen eyes. It wouldn't be long until they were alive again. My heart broke while watching so many souls be held back from finding peace.

"So, Benjamin. Are you enjoying your visit?" Lei suddenly appeared near the water fountain.

"Yeah, it's great. Being stuck here watching my coven die was always on my to-do-list. Good of you to show up. You always liked being late to a party though," I stepped into a defensive stance.

His grey eyes sparked as he laughed. We stared at each other, taking note of new scars or healed burns. Both of us enjoyed fire too much.

"I'd like to extend my apologies for capturing your soul this early. You were supposed to be free for a few more years so you could have time with that precious, little Storm Voice," Lei frowned.

"You're disgusting. How could I ever have called you brother? I spent decades trying to master Gazer traditions, but then you ruined everything."

"I was following orders, Benjamin. Don't you see that I'm scarred by their deaths just as much? You're a powerful warlock, maybe more than I was. No amount of magick or any skilled healer could save our coven though."

"Who gave the order?"

"She was a Storm Voice in a past life, but is currently reincarnated into a witch."

I stared at Lei for a while. His cheeks remained still, as if he was telling the truth. Could Anne really have given order to kill my coven? She couldn't have. Her soul wouldn't be so pure with this life cycle.

Metal bells clanked deep within the temple. The curse was resetting itself.

"Lei, I can fix things if you let me go. I know the spells and rituals to bring our people back," I stood straighter.

"I'll give you three months, but only because you were my brother once," he smiled sadly before snapping his fingers.

Everything went black.