Enchanter

Chapter Twenty-Four

No one could believe it, but nobody was in more denial than Azalea and Anton. For nine years they had been a connected to one another. And for the first time in their lives, they were face to face with the hope of unlatching. Maybe things were looking up, but with everything that had come their way, there was a catch. No one was more aware of that than them.

Aaric cleared his throat. "Um...excuse me, Miss...Bleeding Rosebud?"

"Yes?" she questioned. "Were you the one to summon me?"

"No, that was-"

"Then be quiet," she shrilled. Jerking her head to face Anton, she smirked. Stalking up to him, she questioned, "Your blood summoned me, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," he swallowed.

Closing her eyes, she grabbed hold of his hands. She lolled her head back and moaned under her breath. "Hello, darlings. It is lovely to meet you both."

'You can feel me?' Azalea questioned.

"Yes, my dear. I hear you loud and clear." Opening her eyes, she stepped back. "You seem to have a spirit trapped inside of you? You wanting for me to take her out and kill her for you?"

"No!" everyone exclaimed at once.

"She merely latched onto me a near decade ago. We've been searching for you, because we have been told that you could help set us free. Is there any way you would be able to do so?" Anton questioned.

Looking deep into his eyes, Bleeding Rosebud could see nothing but pain, misery, and hope. Hope was an emotion she had long since forgotten all about. Hope was nothing, as being a witch there was no reason to hold onto hope. If she wanted something to happen, she could easily make it happen with a mere snap of her fingers.

She hated to see the emotion. In a way, it made her feel as though people did not respect nor trust her given powers. There was a reason she was so powerful, a reason why she could only enter other dimensions when summoned. If she were to fall into the wrong hands, chaos would endure. But she would never allow herself to succumb to such foolery. If anything, she would inflict pain upon anyone who dared used her for such hostile circumstances.

Yet as she stared into Anton's eyes, she knew the hope came from the pain and misery he had endured from his long journey to find her. She knew it wasn't the fact that he didn't trust her but that he relied on her as his only hope, and the fear of her not helping him was what scared him the most.

"Yes," she stated. "I will help you."

Just hearing those words lifted a weight off Anton's shoulders. His eyes lit up in glee, absolutely thrilled to have his dream come true. Finally, he would no longer be part of someone, but rather a whole person. He would be just himself once again.

In all the excitement, he fell to his knees as sobs overtook his body. Aaric ran to his side, holding him close to his chest as he too cried in joy for his mate.

"I take it he's yours?" Bleeding Rosebud questioned, though neither knew who she was speaking to.

"Yes," they answered simultaneously.

"No way to mate while latched, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, werewolves, can't go long without mating, especially the two strongest and most powerful werewolves of them all," she smirked. "That is just plain animal abuse, isn't it?" Strolling through the monochrome roses, she tsked. "Unfortunately, I will need to go away for a few days to search for an unlatching spell of some sorts. It has been centuries since I have last unlatched someone, yet I do not believe they were together for as long as you two were, nor do I believe they were witches of some sort. I will need for you to summon me in exactly three days' time. By then, I should have the tools needed to unlatch the two of you. Farewell."

And just like that, the roses were back to red, and she was gone.