The Dark Witch's Daughter

Chapter 22

She was waiting for me by the lake. I struggled to breath as I made my way toward her. Despite Silus and Ian's protests I had decided to come out here alone.

Even from a distance she was stunning. She wore her hair in a small elegant bun. The dress she wore was the color of blood. It ran down her body like a fine silk clinging to every curve. She looked like she was headed to the red carpet instead of waiting to commit mass murder.

A smile appeared on her rosey red lips as she watched me draw near.

"Sweetheart-" she began.

"What do you want?" I interrupted no longer in the mood to play games. I could feel my power surging through my veins like electricity.

"I wanted to see my sweet girl. You have grown into such a beautiful young lady." her voice had an entrancing tone. It was almost as if she was hypnotizing me.

"What makes you think I wanted to meet you? You cursed all of my friends!"

"Oh those spells will wear off. Its nothing to worry about really. You sound just like your father. He always cared about everyone else's well being before his own," she chuckled. Her smile faded as she noticed my icy silence.

"I wanted to tell you a story, Josie." She explained looking down into the water at her own reflection. I continued to stand there in silence.

"Once upon a time I was a young school girl like yourself. I had a passion for magic. I used to come down here and sit for hours wondering what magic nature would bless me with."

"While I did develop feelings for Silus and Dimitri, magic was my mistress. I consumed myself in every spell book you could think of. One day a gypsy trader came through town and sold me a book on dark magic. At the time I was just reading it for educational purposes."

"Before I had even finished the book I was already craving that kind of magic. It became all I could think about. I practiced some of the spells in secret. After nature rejected me, I found a demon who could lead me to the underworld."

"Hades price was my soul for all the dark magic in existence. Over time the more magic I performed the more it consumed me. The more witches I killed only made me stronger. The darkness inside of me is beyond my control. I never meant for my life to be like this."

"When you were born I finally felt a love that I'd never felt before. It was beyond anything that magic had ever ignited in me. That's why nature chose you, Josie. You're my one weakness."

I struggled to hold back the emotions her explanation had conjured up inside me. She brushed a tear off of her own face as she studied me.

"Then why dont you just let me kill you now so no one else has to die?" I asked.

"Did Amelia not tell you what it was going to take to defeat me?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"It is going to take someone you love dying by my hand before you can fully harvest enough power to destroy me."

"You're lying!" I spat but inside my heart was racing. Had Amelia really kept that from me?

"Ask her yourself. I'm just here to give you a choice."

"What choice?"

"I'm going to let you choose who I kill. Do you want it to be your annoyingly protective dad? Or what about Dimitri, the oh so brave night? Hmmm Amelia would be a good choice. I doubt you'll choose Ian." She rattled off the list sounding sickeningly amused.

"You're not going to harm any of them!" I snarled. I released a fireball in her direction. It stopped halfway and rose up in the air. It popped just like a balloon. She threw her head back and laughed wickedly.

"You'll have to do better than that, sweet Josie. I can pop those cute little balls of flame all day."

I took a few steps back. I had no other tricks that could defeat her.

"Why dont you choose that half breed fairy? You'd be doing her a favor by putting her out of her misery. She really did love that boy." My mother sighed.

"No one else has to die!"

"You have until midnight to make a choice or I will make it for you." She threatened before disappearing into nothing but a small cloud of black smoke.