The Enchantress

Chapter 20

Curses rang throughout the room. Leaning over the desk I take the bourbon back from Xavier. He lets me take it while watching, keeping silent for once. Pouring out a two glasses I slide one towards him while I down my own, relishing in the burn it leaves behind. Slumping back in the chair I stare out the window not really focusing on anything at all.

"What are you thinking?"Jaxs' voice rings out in my mind. Always so worried about me.

Looking over to him I silently watch him observe me. "I'm going to have to connect again. And I'm going to have to go meet with the council. They're going to be delighted to see me."

Throwing me a grin he nods completely agreeing with my sarcasm.

Feeling other eyes on me I turn back to the rest of the room. There are answers I need and I already know that I'm going to have to battle to get them. Bracing myself against the oncoming storm I lean into the desk and level my stare at Blake and Xavier. "I need to know how she gets her power."

Silence yet again greets me. But this time I m going to get the answers I need.

"Haven't got a clue what you're talking about," a casual shrug of Xavier's too-tight-to-be-casual shoulders.

Humourless chuckles fall from my mouth as tension rises in the room. Jax takes a casual step towards me, though he knows I don't need it. "I don't care what she was to you but I need to know who she is as a witch. Her power isn't natural. She is very powerful, yet she looks in her twenties. No witch is that powerful at that age. That spell should have killed her but it didn't. I need to know where she gets her power. And you can tell me. I will not risk the lives of thirteen children just because you two don't want to talk about an old lover."

Xaviers eye burn with rage as he takes me in, his power filling the room. I let it. Then I slowly loosen my grip on my own power just enough that my eyes start to burn and glow, like dancing fire embers.

"Those children are one of mine Xavier, do not get in my way of protecting them."

The tension in the room was stifling but I would not, could not, drop this. It was too important and he had to understand that. We sat there staring at each other, sizing each other up for what felt like hours, yet was only moments. Finally he relented. Growling lowly he looked towards Blake.

"I don't know how she does it exactly. You witches are very good at hiding things."

Ignoring the jab thrown at me, I unconsciously start playing with the talisman hanging around my neck. Softly answering, "Just tell me things you noticed about her. Maybe things you wouldn't have noticed at first, things that might have been slightly off about her, or maybe things that were too enchanting. I need to know as much I can about her if I'm going to counter her spell."

"If you're going to counter her spell wouldn't that mean doing something just as juristic and deadly as her, using the same amount of power?" Anna's soft voice drifts over all of us, causing me to glance over to her. She looks worried, concerned even as I nod.

 "You said that much power would kill a witch if they didn't sacrifice someone in exchange or draw from something powerful, right?"

My eyes burn gold as I mumble, "Except me."

Rolling my shoulders I try to relax, gently stroking my power I calm it. Feeling everyone's undivided attention on me I don't elaborate on my vague answer.

"When I first met her she was beautiful, her beauty drew me first. Everything about her was feminine and... luxurious. She liked money, spent a lot of it. If she wanted something she got it. She had a way of getting people to do as she wishes, making them fall over themselves to accommodate her without having to speak to them," the gravelly, growl of Xaviers voice carries out, he keeps my gaze, never once looking away from me.

"Was there anything that she seemed just too good at? Or things she did that you would of normally thought of weird or you wouldn't normally like it. But once she said something to you about it you didn't question her, you nearly forgot all about it."

Xaviers eyes slowly darken, "Yeah. She used to say thing to our staff that we didn't like, then the minute id bring it up to her she used to say, running his hands through his unruly hair he curses quietly, she used to say, they deserve it honey, do you not trust me, she'd bat her fucking eyes and I'd immediately forget why I was questioning her ethics. There were other little things like that and it was always the same words she'd answer with." 

Dropping my talisman I lean forward in the chair again, my eyes finding Jax, "Were you here when she was?"

"Yes."

"Why did you two stop seeing her? She had you bound what made you break the connection?" Seeing Xavier shut down I move quickly, appearing right in front of him I squat to his level, "Listen to me. She bound you to her, you were practically her servant, the fact that you got out of her binding means you have great control and great power. She wouldn't have been happy about you getting out of it, either of you. I need to know what caused the severe reaction from you two. Please Xavier."

"I found her in the dungeon. She was covered in blood, the colour darker than her hair, covered her entire front. Three of our maids were at her feet. T-they had been.. she'd killed them and then she.. she was drinking their blood, l-l-like it was her favourite wine. They were the maids that she had been talking about. The ones that she was targeting and bullying," stumbling through the sentences, Xavier told me as much as he could.

A sickening feeling spread throughout my body. Mother Earth those poor women. That vile bitch was using them.

Xavier continued on, his voice getting harder, firmer the more he spoke, "We told her she had to stop doing what she was doing. That it was wrong and only bad things could come of it. She said she wouldn't give up her power, not for anything in the world. We told her she wouldn't be getting away with tormenting the staff or anyone else and she had better stop before she was forced to. She laughed. The she tried to spin her spell over us again, telling us to trust her. When it didn't work she became enraged and she tried to sack the place before she disappeared."

 Suddenly a burning rage covers my body. My power wants out. I want to destroy something. A storm picks up outside the window. Thundering clouds, claps of thunder, flashes of lightening, lighting up the dark sky. No sun is to be seen only endless blackness.

Picturing her in my mind, watching her red hair wrap around her shoulders and back is only enraging me more. The blood in my veins is like molten lave, spreading slowly. She just put a target on her back, and I can mark her magic.

Walking back over to the glass which had my bourbon, invisible claws cut open my wrist and I let my blood fill half the glass before letting my skin heal. Murmuring the quick incantation I let my magic connect, a pathway so that whenever that red witch uses her own magic I can find her anywhere.

Pulling my power back into me I let it simmer, slowly stroking it, and calming it. Looking up I notice all eyes on me, "Her name."

Xavier knows it is not a question, but a demand, and for once he seems obliged to answer me without a fight.

"Amanda Collins."