The Enchanted

Chapter-30

Caleb dragged me across the floor. I screamed as my already wounded head hit the cold hard floor, nearly losing consciousness. I somehow managed to keep it together, digging my nails into my palms. I had to escape from this place and take the others with me. I couldn't stand the thought of any of them being hurt.

Caleb threw me across the ground, leaving me scrambling to regain my balance. He then proceeded to drag the others around. Ethan seemed to have woken up and made no sound as Caleb grabbed him roughly by the arms. Sabrina was whimpering and Elara still wasn't fully conscious.

"Please Caleb," Sabrina said. "I've known you my entire life. You're not like this. Don't do all this please."

He ignored her as she continued to plead.

"You've had so much time to kill us all- but you're just putting this off because you don't want to do it. Deep down, you're a good person. You can't just kill people you've known all your life."

He merely looked at her and said- "I was waiting for the moon."

My heart sank. Caleb wasn't in the mood to hear logical arguments. I felt hopeless- I'd never been this helpless in my life. I still hadn't figured out an escape plan and now come to think of it, I knew I couldn't kill Caleb even if I had a chance to. I could never do that to someone I'd considered a friend. I was a coward.

Yet, I felt I had to get the others out not only because I cared about them but also because I felt like a failure for not having seen this coming despite my powers. A small strangled sob burst out of me. I couldn't help it. I pictured Azari moving on and leaving me all alone, with no one who could understand my powers completely and felt tears run down my cheek.

Ethan who was tied up on the other side of me, noticed me weeping and I felt humiliated. I was not brave like Azari had told me. Not brave at all.

"Sabrina's right, you know." he burst out, a strange look on his face. With a start, I realised it was raw despair. It shocked me because I had never seen any emotion like this on his face before. He'd always looked closed off except for the occasional amused glances he'd reserved for whenever I said something stupid.

"Is she, you bloodsucking Burmonte?" Caleb spat out with a maniacal look on his face. If he'd looked angry before, he was positively livid now.

"My grandfather is dead because of you," he screamed. "Your filthy family did this, they killed an innocent man."

"Sabrina and Moro didn't kill him." shot back Ethan, with a look of disgust on his face. "And neither did Adriana, who is the most caring person I've ever met."

I stared at him. His words had made me want to cry again. I couldn't live up to anyone's expectations. Ethan was wrong- I was the most selfish and stupid person there ever was.

His face closed off again.

"And come to think of it, your 'victims' were innocent too. Is this what your grandfather would have wanted you to do? Spill blood of innocents to resurrect him?"

"Don't. Talk. About. Him." said Caleb, through gritted teeth. "Do you understand? Don't you dare, you filthy animal!"

He lashed out a hand and slapped Ethan full across the face. Blood flew out from Ethan's mouth and landed on the floor. Ethan glared at him and screwed up his face in concentration.

"I gave you a drug to disable your powers vampire." Caleb sneered. "I'm growing bored with you."

He took out a knife from his belt and advanced towards me. I could feel Ethan struggling to unknot his bonds besides me. I lowered my head. I bit and tried to kick Caleb when he came near me. I was done being scared. If I was going to die here today, it would be with my head held high.

I felt that if I had gone through so much and was still here instead of running away, I might as face my problems head-on. I don't know what spurred the sudden change in me, but looking at Ethan's blood on the floor, the terrified expression on Sabrina's face and Elara's motionless body, I felt furious.

Caleb dodged my kick and bent down to untie Moro's knot. He took the tarp off a few buckets lying on the floor and proceeded to spill the dark blood sloshing inside them. The whole warehouse was filled with the smell of blood and roses.

He began drawing a huge pentagram all across the floor with his hand. By now, Elara had woken up and looked frightened. It felt wrong seeing her usually chipper face contorted in fear. Ethan gave her a comforting look which warmed my heart. He truly did care about her. I smiled slightly at Sabrina and she smiled back through her tears.

Caleb had finished drawing and got up. Wiping his hands, he began chanting in a low voice. Candles flickered up suddenly, startling us all.

"For the rebirth of my kin, I give you my blood..."

He sliced his hand, spattering a few drops of blood on the ground. The flames flickered even higher.

"For the rebirth of a wolf, I give you the life and blood of a wolf of my clan..."

He threw Moro into the pentagram, making the flames rocket sky high.

"No!" yelled Sabrina and I at the same time as he slit Moro's throat. I felt an odd pounding in my ears and everything began to feel distant. I felt dream and reality being distorted and gasped, trying to take in air.

Every ounce of my being was screaming against what Caleb had done, trying to free me of my bonds. I felt myself beginning to wail, my mournful voice echoing everywhere.

'Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.' A chanting began in my head, making my legs buckle. 'Wrong. Wrong. Wrong..."

I try to block out the noises as Caleb dragged forward Elara next. My blood was boiling, my powers and emotions mixed in together. Caleb had committed the murder of an innocent in front of a banshee and now he was about to draw the blood of a dear friend, knowing it would hurt me.

Everyone always felt that banshees were bad luck, bringers of ill omen but that was untrue. We warned of a tragedy about to befall someone, so they could prepare in time. And as it turns out, when innocent blood is spilt in front of us, we do more than just wail.

My blood literally began to boil, growing hotter and hotter as the chanting grew louder. As from a distance, I heard Caleb saying-

"For the rebirth of an innocent, I give you the blood of his killer's kin..."

He put the neck to Elara's neck and pressed. As soon as the first drop of her blood fell to the ground, I felt myself explode. All my fear, anguish, hatred, desperation, anger and hurt flew out of me and the whole warehouse seemed to glow.

I screamed and wailed, light and fire erupting all around me. I could feel myself losing consciousness as I collapsed.