NOELLE’S POV,
At 5 o’clock sharp I stand outside the castle waiting for Magister Ember. My mood is not great when I think about the fight I had with Holly yesterday. Hopefully, I can see her tonight and clear the air.
Magister Ember arrives and she nods to me. I walk to her and take her hand without saying anything. I am not really in the mood for talking. The whole morning, we practice perfecting my ice and snow magic and after a few hours, I have mastered it as perfect as the magister herself. We eat some sandwiches in silence for lunch and then continue.
The magister looks at me calculating, ”I think we should try making some storm and thunder. You seem to be in the perfect mood for it. Storms and especially lightning are difficult to master. The only one with full lightning control in all the Realms is King Gabriel. To make a storm you have to go to the darkest corner of your mind. Feel your anger and let it all flow out in form of a storm.”
I nod to her to let her know I understand and then close my eyes. I slow down my breathing and let all the other noises go numb. First, I think about the fight yesterday with Holly and all the things she said to me. I feel my anger starting to boil up again. Then I think about Roan and all the times he lied to me, how dominant he was, how he had total disregard for my opinions, how he didn’t say he loved me back. A tear rolls down my cheek and I clench my fists from anger. Then I think about how he staged his capturing and made me go to the Under Realm all alone. I think about myself laying on that altar while he was just watching and doing nothing.
I feel so angry now that I can’t seem to control it anymore. I think about a black sky, dark clouds, loud thunder, and bolts of lightning. With a big scream, I pour all my anger out and hold my arms in the air.
I open my eyes and see that the sky is as black as night. The wind is blowing so strongly that Magister Ember almost falls. Dark clouds begin to gather, and rain pours out. The whole Sky Realm shakes when loud thunder emerges. Lightning bolts fire from the sky all the way down to the Mortal Realm. I stand there with a smile and my hair blowing in the wind. I definitely feel like a witch now.
It felt good to let all my anger about what happened go. I feel much better and lighter now. I feel a hand on my shoulder and Magister Ember takes my arm, ”Come let’s go back before the storm gets too heavy to fly in. You did good.”
She brings me back to the castle and says, ”Tomorrow 5 O’clock don’t be late.”
I stand at the stairs of the castle looking at the storm proudly when Holly flies in soaking wet.
Her eyes are big, ”Holy shit did you do that?”
I laugh, ”Yes it worked out rather well I must say.”
Holly shakes out the water of her hair, ”This is incredible, out of nothing the whole Sky Realm was shaking from this storm that appeared.”
She puts her arm around my shoulder and brings me inside, ”Hades will have no idea what is coming for him. Come on let’s get warm at the fire.”
I walk with her, and we both stand at the fire warming ourselves up.
”Listen Holly about last night.”
She interrupts me, ”Ssshh it’s okay we both said things we didn’t mean. I know I am not always easy to put up with. Of course, you can’t understand my issues when you don’t know what happened. But Gabriel trusts you so maybe it is time for me to do the same.”
I take her hand, ”Whatever it is you can tell me.”
Holly stares into the fire, ”I have always been stubborn and eager to break the rules. When I was 16, I fell in love with a lowborn angel. He was sexy and adventurous a bit of a bad boy really. We spend all our time together, but my parents didn’t agree, they already had a match in mind. We decided to run away together but one night we ran into one of Hella’s dark human generals. He took a liking to me and said he didn’t have to kill us if my boyfriend gave me to him without a fight. Stupid as I was, I thought he would die for me. But all he said was, I have had her so take her, there are enough girls in the world for both of us. So, there I was traded like a cow. I knew from the moment I saw the general’s eyes that there was no kindness there. He raped me and took me with him to the Under Realm. I was to be his slave, for him to torture and rape whenever he felt like it. When he was generous his friends could also have a go. After a year I got rescued by Gabriel and Nolan. The general kept traveling so it was hard to find me. So, by the time, Nolan found me I was no more than an empty shell. They killed the general and Gabriel told Hella it was because he was plotting a rebellion against her. That’s when Gabriel created Liberum to give me a place to heal. It has taken me all these years to get where I am now, and I am still not completely healed. So maybe now you understand why I am a bit fucked up and I keep Nolan at a safe distance. I know it isn’t fair to him, but I don’t think I have a heart left to give. I told him to find someone he can have a future with, but he won’t listen.”
I hold Holly in my arms and give her a tight hug, ”My god Holly that is more horrible than I could have ever imagined. I am so sorry that happened to you.”
I take her face in my hands, ”You are so strong though. I don’t think many would have been able to come back from something like that at all. Of course, Nolan can’t move on with someone else. Who would ever be able to live up to you.”
She laughs through her tears, ”I guess that’s true.”
We sit at the fire cuddling the rest of the night and I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship.