The Witch's Son

Chapter 42: Loss

*Ava's POV*

I fell to my knees, crying. Large hot tears poured like rivers down my cheeks and watered the ground beneath me.

I cried like there was no tomorrow. I punched the wet ground and swore to the heavens above. But it was no use, it wouldn't bring him back. 

How could he leave me?

After everything we have been through why would he leave me like this?

" Please give him back!" I screamed into the night air. My voice broke with sadness.

All my crying was making my head and my eyes throb and breathing became difficult. But none of those things stopped my tears from coming. Nothing could possibly ever stop my tears. And nothing will ever be able to mend the tear Tobias slashed into my heart. I am broken.

I felt a pair of strong hands try to pull me up, my dad.

" Ava please we have to go back to the village." He begged. 

" No." I sobbed throwing my arms up at him. I tried to shove him away but I was weak.

He pulled me up and into his embrace. I shoved at his chest, punched him, trying to get him away.  I didn't want to be in his arms. I wanted Tobias, but he is gone forever.

"Go away." I quietly sobbed, my voice too strained to go any louder.

" Not when you are in such pain." He whispered.

He stroked my hair as he began to hum a sweet tune like he did when I used to get upset. It was a tune my mother used to sing to me and after she died my father started singing it to me.  Normally it would bring me out of my misery, but not this time. This is a form of misery that a simple tune can not repair. 

" Why would he leave me?" I sobbed,  staining his shirt with my tears and a bit of snot. 

" It was the only way to keep you safe, he did it to protect you." He whispered.

" I wish he didn't." I mumbled. 

I sobbed harder as memories of us came flooding.

The first time we laid eyes on each other. Our first kiss in the meadow.  Playing tag and the nights cuddling together in my room. All the I love you's whispered after nights of passion. Our first time after the romantic date.

Now it was all gone. Memories that are supposed to bring great happiness will only bring me pain for the rest of my life. With his one simple act of leaving I will never be happy again.

I slipped from my dad's arms and fell to the ground again. I picked up the pendant and held it close.

" Please give him back. Please I can't live without him, I won't live without him. So for the love of God and all his mercy please please please give him back!" I begged my tears staining the pale, blue glass.

But it was no use my Tobias is gone. And no matter what I do or what I say I am never gonna get him back.

*Naomi's POV*

I groaned in pain as I slowly lifted my pounding head off the table.

" What the hell happened?" I mumbled to myself. 

I winced in pain as I touched a small red lump in my hairline.

" Ava!" I called out only to receive no answer 

" Ava are you here?" I called again. 

Despite my drowsiness, I managed to pull myself up from the chair and slumped towards the kitchen to start my search.

Using the walls as railings I managed to get to the kitchen without harming myself.

Ava was not in the kitchen but there was one thing that caught my eye. A red medicine bottle filled with a clear liquid. As someone who had sleeping issues when she was a child, I recognized the medicine instantly. 

" That little bitch." I laughed. 

She went back to the temple. 

I grabbed my fur coat and tightened it around me.

Using a walking stick I found by the door I started my journey back to the temple. 

I ignored the few terrified gasps of the people still in their houses and a few spits some of the older men gave me and kept hobbling to the temple.  For I fear something grave happened there.

The mud mixing with the soaking grass from the heavy rains was not helping my journey. But even after falling ten times, I pushed through and I was greatly rewarded when I finally reached the temple.

But my elevated mood was quickly fouled when I felt that the protection spell had been worn off.

Out of nowhere, I heard a loud heartbreaking cry from inside the temple. It was the cry of a woman.

Ava!

I pushed all the feeling of drowsiness away and bolted down the passageways and into the arena.

I was delighted to see the men were unharmed but the sight of Ava on her knees sobbing made my heart sink.

" What in devil's name happened here?" I asked.

The men turned to me in sadness, none of them saying a word. 

I ran towards Ava and drooped down beside her. In her hand, she clutched Lizzie's pendant with such strength her hand was turning white.

Her eyes were puffy and red from heavy crying and small hiccups flew from her parted lips. 

" Ava, what happened. Where is Tobias?" I asked in a hushed voice. 

At the mention of his name, she choked back a sob and a few tears trickled down her face.

" He did some sort of spell and sent the witches into the pendant."

" For good reason, they would be dangerous if left out here."

" I know that but after they were all gone he kept doing the spell and sent himself inside." She sobbed.

If I wasn't already on my knees I surely would have fallen over with grief.

As much as the hate what the damn bastard did I understand why he did it. If he stays in the pendant he will be able to keep the coven there. 

" I'm so sorry." I whispered pulling Ava against my chest.

She started sobbing once again. And I joined her.