Chasing Ghosts

Blood is Love

(Warning Unsavory scene in this Chapter has been modified still works, but no breaking rules. The scene between Jade and Ulric in original version is not how it is written here. However must follow site rules.)

Gabriella sat staring at a fire, letting her thoughts wander. She had been warned that her brother was coming for her, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to rip him to pieces, he had killed the love of her life. There was little more she could think about, under the circumstances, than splitting his face in half with her bare hands. The image in her head was a bloody scene of her standing over her brother's bloodied body, his slowly dying heart in her bare hands before she devoured it. She snarled into the dancing flames as she tried to calm herself down. She had successfully evaded her power-hungry brother for so long, and had managed to make sure that her daughter was able to dodge the fate of a Blackwood. She was frankly upset that he had somehow managed to find out where she was after all this time, knowing that there was no way that the witches had let this information slip meant that some outside force had gotten the information and given it to Ulric. If necessary, she'd have to deal with her brother and then she'd hunt down the ingrate who would dare disturb her self-seclusion and make them pay. Her thoughts were interrupted as one of her new companions, Esmerelda, joined her by the fire. 

"You're safe, as long as you stay within our sanctum," she spoke softly, "Lycan or not, he will have a tough time breaking through our barriers."

Gabby didn't turn her eyes from the flames as she responded. "He may have a difficult time, but if he wants to, he'll make it through," she said as she took a few deep breaths, still trying to calm her racing heart, "Our father taught us that there is no such thing as a obstacle we can't overcome. Magic or not, if it can be broken, then we can and will break it." Her voice was low and even as she spoke, not trying to disrespect the power that she knew these witches possessed, but she wanted them to understand. A Blackwood doesn't believe in giving up or losing, and would sooner bring themselves to the verge of death before admitting defeat to something as simple as a barrier or trap. 

Esmerelda chuckled a bit, sitting next to Gabriella. "That's probably the most you've talked in a long while." Esmerelda turned her gaze toward the flames. "The fire is soothing, yes? However, you won't be able to find the answers within those fleeting flames. You've been running from this encounter for a while now, it was only a matter of time before you were going to forced to face it. The time has finally come...but don't worry, you'll have our sup-,"

Gabby cut Esmerelda off before she could continue talking. "You all have helped me enough as is," she interjected, "Spells and traps aside, if my brother makes it here, I will deal with him myself." She slowly stood up and looked at Esmerelda, her eyes flared with a long repressed anger and fury. "He took something from me that can never be replaced, and I'll be damned if I let him continue to act like a spoiled brat!" She was almost yelling at the end of her sentence. She paused for a ten-count as she felt her pulse throbbing and her muscles constricting and loosening in rhythm with her rapid heart beat. 

Esmerelda shook her head as she stood. "I can see that temper of yours still needs some work, but I commend you for coming as far as you did. Truly, you've made some hard sacrifices to get this far," she sighed deeply, "I just hope that it wasn't all for not...you may not be able to talk to the flames, but I can...," she reached into the fire, her hand not burning, and pulled a small flame from the fire, "I can though., and the flames show me that a true trial lies ahead for you." With that said, Esmerelda excused herself and went back inside, leaving Gabriella to calm down by herself.

Gabby's hear rate slowly decreased as she stood there and stared into the flames, her mind drifting from her brother and to the daughter she had given up, in hopes to spare her from the curse that came with baring the Blackwood name.
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