Sacrifice in Blood

Chapter 59: Blood Magic

"Leina, wake up! You need to listen to me!" A voice was saying as they shook me.

My eyes shot open and I sat up to see Aliénor leaning over the bed next to me. She wore the same golden medieval dress I always saw her in, her long blonde hair looking windblown and her eyes wide.

She offered me her hand which I took, momentarily struck by the fact I could touch her. How was this possible? I shouldn't be able to touch a ghost, but then I looked around to see I was back in my room at Ava's house where I had left Aliénor's brooch.

This has to be a vision, I thought, my mind racing.

"You must not let Morgana and Severus succeed. She failed once with me, but this time she's determined..." Aliénor said cryptically, her eyes wide with concern.

"Succeed in what? What are they trying to do?" I asked, my voice stricken.

"Chaos will follow,
A bloody and terrifying sight,
All, death will swallow."

Aliénor quoted the prophecy, her eyes haunted.

"My sacrifice wasn't enough for Him. He needs both." She continued, her voice trembling as she seemed to be overwhelmed by the memory of her death.

Who was "him"? Was she talking about Severus? Had Severus been working with Morgana all those years ago as I had wondered?

"What are you talking about?" I said frantic, wishing she would speak plainly. I took both her hands in mine, trying to get her to focus. Her mind seemed to clear and she came back to the present.

"He needs both an Elemental and a Pureblood for the sacrifice." She said. I nodded to show I understood- they needed both Talon and I, but I knew that already.

"Who is the sacrifice for? What does it do?" I urged, my heart racing and dread filling me.

"She's served him all these years and now he wants to rule." Aliénor said, her voice deadpan.

"He's coming." She said, her voice a whisper before I was pulled from the vision violently. It felt like someone kicked me hard in the stomach and I was thrown backwards.

I woke up bolting upright in the bed, breathing hard. I was back in the dark motel room.

Ava was fast asleep in the bed next to mine. The clock read 3:14am. I was shaking. Aliénor's last words kept echoing in my mind:

He's coming.

Who was he? She had said Morgana served him for years and now he wants to rule. That had to be Severus right? But why was she warning me like this? We had known for a while now that Morgana and Severus were in league with each other. Did Aliénor know something we didn't? Was their plan being put into motion?

I sat there, trying to get my breathing under control as I stared at the dark wall.

Then another thought occurred to me. Maybe it wasn't a vision.

Maybe my mind was exhausted from working overtime and I had dreamt the whole thing; my subconscious trying to make sense of everything.

But it had felt so real.

In any case, my head hurt and I needed fresh air. Too long I'd spent locked in a room like this. I needed to escape.

I quickly pulled on my clothes and shoes and crept outside as silently as I could. I noted that the guys' room was dark so they were still sleeping soundly too.