The Cursed

Chapter Twenty Six

Lilura

I connect the pieces. I solve the mystery of my past, but I still had much to uncover. I need to see Willa. I close my eyes and sat up back in my room. My skin is coated in a film of cold sweat. The candle has gone out, and the wax is solid again. The house is silent with no sound of Willa downstairs. I stand, but wobble as though my legs were made of the jelly Walter makes, strawberry and apple. I wobble through the door and downstairs to the room Willa was in. She's sitting in a wooden chair, leaning on the counter. A circle of salt surround her with jars filled with various herbs toppled on the counter.

"Willa? What's wrong?" I ask. My voice shakes as I step closer to her. I'm at the edge of the salt circle when she looks up at me. Her eyes are violet and the pupils so dilated the violet is almost swallowed.

"Stay back," she says, but her voice echoes as though a hundred voices were speaking.

"Willa? What's wrong?" I repeat.

"You have awoken something deep and dangerous in you." My stomach drops. "You must leave." I stumble backwards into the cupboard, knocking several bottles over. They shatter on the ground releasing white smoke into the air. It curls around me, turning black like obsidian.

"I learned my past. Willa, please," I beg, "let me stay. I would never harm you."

"Leave Lilura, you have broken your curse. Your memories release your powers. Leave." Her voice bounces over the room.

"No, please. I need someone. They all lied to me," I beg, dropping to my knees. The smoke wraps over me and turns to chains. They tangle over my wrists and bind me to the ground. "Please I need to be released. I can help people. I was lied and tricked. Not you too," I cry. Tears stream down my face, and I sob.

"You cannot help. Your magic is dark and cannot be done for good. You are past the point of return and goodness."

"No, it's not. I can change!"

"You cannot."

"Not you too!" I cry out and collapse on the four day bound by chains, Willa, my last friend turning on me. I am alone and lost. No one cares for me, they all lied to me. A voice in my head spoke up, and fire began to burn in my stomach.

They don't care about me. The Queen, Everette, Willa-Sage, none of them. They thought I was dangerous cause a threat to them and their livelihoods. They were scared I would hurt them. I hadn't hurt them ever, intentionally. I would never harm them. I wouldn't steal them or their way of life. I couldn't.

If they were scared of me now, I would give them a reason to hate me.

"You betrayed me," I scream, the sound is ripped out of me. I yell and the chains fall away. Willa's violet eyes shine and turn black. They stare at me. I stand and the chains clank to the floor. Willa and my eyes lock, challenging each other. "You betrayed me," I say with a steely calmness. It washes over me and pours into me, igniting the spark of revenge. The thought of showing everyone my power, starting with Willa. Her protection spells lay shattered on the ground, the only thing protecting Willa from me is a flimsy circle of salt.

I approach the salt circle, Willa sitting in the middle. I meet the salt and hold my hand to reach over the circle, miraculously, it allows me to go past it.

Willa thought I would never hurt her, she trusted me. What a mistake that was. I cross the circle, standing right in front of Willa. She stares at me with her black eyes, myself reflectes in them, so I stare at myself. I would question myself, but now I burn my old self away. I'm ready to fight through everyone so I am free from them and their lies. I was going to get better for Everette, but now I'm doing it for myself.

I look at Willa. She's wearing a grey dress embroidered with symbols and what I assume to be sigils. She wear no jewelry. She looks aged beyond her years, older than I've ever seen her.

I stand above her and raise my hand. A purple light bursts to life in my palm. It smokes and flutters. The spin the light into fire, and then I spin it into a perfect sphere and aim it at Willa's chest. She holds up her hands.

"Lilura, please, don't. I mean no harm. I can help you. I will help you," she begs. I stare at her. I was sent here specifically to be trained and aided by her to find my past and control my powers. I have done this myself without her. I do not need her. I let the flame go. It hits Willa's chest and ignites her dress. The flame crawls up her dress to her throat. The flames choke her. Her breathe hitches and her body shutters. "Li...Lil...Lilura, please," she sputters.

"No. You did nothing to help me. So when I did it, I learned my past, you cast protection against me. You blocked yourself from me, betraying my trust. You never helped me and broke your promise."

"I...I never promised-"

"Me. But you promised Everette. He will be killed next. But you are first." With my words, she breathes out once more, and her body falls back into the chair. The flames die and fade, no scorch marks cover her clothes, and no burns cover her skin. There is no way to tell how she was killed.

I step out of the circle and make my way to my room. I step out of my clothes. I pull on a white dress that fights me like a glove, the one thing left from the ship. It's v-neck dio far too low for me since Everette found me, but now it seems all to fitting with the red undertones that you see only if I move. I want to see their faces when their blood stains the dress more. I think scarlet would look lovely on me.