Jonathan was the first to come back, he looked disorientated. He turned to look at me and I gave him a small smile not knowing what to do.
” What happened to the rest? ” he asked
” I don’t know, you were like that too. What happened to you? ”
at happened to the rest? ” he asked
” I don’t know, you were like that too. What happened to you? ”
“My worst nightmare. ” he answered and there was this sound we heard after that.
” And what is that? My past, the darkest of them all. I re lived it. ” he answered
” So that’s what that was. This is crazy. ”
” Very, let’s just hope they get out of it. ”
Vulcan was the next to get out of the trance and he had the same look that Jonathan had. We waited for them to snap out of it then Sam was next. We’ve been waiting for the past thirty minutes for Damon to come back but nothing happened. Could it be that he was trapped there already?
” Aria, Aria, Aria. ” Damon called frantically panting. He was panting although he was still in a trance. I don’t understand why we could hear him, his emotions were definitely stronger. ” Please don’t leave me, don’t leave me. ”
He was uttering the same word he uttered the morning I woke up and it was not directed at Cici, it was directed at Aria, who then was Aria? The question was left hanging in the air.
Don’t leave me Aria. ” he said again
At this rate if he’s not trapped yet he probably would be.
” Yaaay, he’s mine. ” the nymph shouted excitedly.
” What? ” I asked staring from her to Sam. ” We can still get him right? ”
” No we can’t, she took him to let us move to the next stage of this journey. ” Sam said
” You’ve got to be kidding me, I’m not leaving him here for anything. ”
” Then you’d die. ” she said
All of a sudden roots started appearing from the ground turning into trees, live ones. This can’t be good.
” We can talk this out can’t we. ” Jonathan said. ” You’re very pretty you know that, leave our friend for us huh ”
” You’re too late. ” She said. All the living trees about five in number turned to look at us.
” Damon, Damon come back to me will you. Stay with me. ” I said tapping him trying to see if he’d wake up but he was long gone.
How on earth do we even fight this thing, I turned away from Damon to be faced with one. It was holding a sword in its hand which it tried to use to strike me but I dodged. How does a tree get a s. word? Couldn’t it have gotten something natural?
I’ve been trying to defeat it but it was futile. It wasn’t even affecting it, all my bows and strike. I guess there’s no bad in using my powers now.
The tree was about striking me when I pushed it away with a strong gust of wind. It looked at me with a raised brow and I did the same. It attacked me and I kept dodging attacking it until I had the perfect moment to strike then burnt it and since it was wood, it caught fire instantly. Sam and I concentrated in burning it while Jonathan and Vulcan had to dodge being killed. When we had finished burning it all up Damon wasn’t still conscious.
I got a hold of the nymph and was holding a knife to her throat
” Release him. ” I said and she just disappeared. I turned around trying to find where she was but I couldn’t see her, it was like she disappeared into thin air that is until she started hitting me.
First it was a cut on my ankle causing me to fall and hold it in pain, the next was on my stomach. I turned trying to find out where she was but instead I got a cut on my wrist. I was trying desperately to find her but she was invisible. I laid my hands on the floor and immediately it started turning to snow. I’d be sure to see her foot prints on them. When she came next I could see her foot prints coming towards me and I started to freeze it from the bottom to the top until she was a frozen statue. Just as I was about to burn it Sam stopped me and I turned to look at him.
” She has to release him remember. ”
” Doesn’t he get released when she dies? what if she doesn’t want to release him huh
” And where do we find them? ” Vulcan asked.
” This particular one lives in the water. ” Sam answered
Water? I already dreaded water since this morning incident with the river and I wasn’t ready to face another one.
” Why do we even have to go to all this stress to get to the witches kingdom? I can see why you don’t visit often this is torture. ” Jonathan said
” And that’s why I’m going alone. ” Sam answered looking at me like I would jeopardize his plan.
” Good for us then.” I said and we watched as he walked away.
” You’re not going to follow him? ” Jonathan asked
” Hopefully he’s got this. ” I said and defrosted the snow till it was the same forest as it was.
After waiting for hours Sam finally showed up with Damon but he still didn’t look himself.
What’s wrong with him? ” I asked
” Kiss him. ” Sam said.
” Excuse me? ” I asked. We weren’t even on talking terms.
” Now. ” Sam said urgently and I wasted no time in taking his mouth. He didn’t respond at first but after a minute he began to give in taking control of the kiss.
” You’re here, you’re here. ” he said after pulling out of the kiss looking at me as if I wasn’t really there.
” Yes I’m here Damon, I’m here. ” I answered and he wrapped his arms around me pulling me into a tight embrace
” You didn’t leave me, you’re here. ” he said then gave me a kiss on the forehead.
We resumed the journey finding a place to sleep and while we walked Damon didn’t let go of my hands at all. We finally found a cave to stay and entered there laying a blanket there. What ever happened to Damon in there was really troubling him. It brought up memories that he had probably buried.
” Stay with me, don’t leave me. ” Damon said pulling me to his side as we slept.
” I’m here Damon, I’m with you. ” I said and he smiled
” Do you want to talk about it? ” I asked. ” Do you want to talk about the nightmare you had? ”
” I’m sorry I don’t want to talk about it. ” he said and I sighed, I wasn’t expecting him to tell me anyway.
” It’s okay, you would talk about it someday? ” I asked
” Maybe someday. ” he said. maybe?
” Go to sleep princess. ” he said kissing my forehead
” You too. ” I said
He pulled me closer to him that there was no space between us and I rested my head on his chest and he stroked my hair until I fell asleep.
The next morning we woke up and continued our, it was getting longer and I hope we get there sooner than later.
We left there and continued our journey, Sam and I didn’t talk much but at least Damon was talking to me even if he didn’t say much. Jonathan was trying to make the place lively by involving us all on a debate but when it started getting into an heated argument between Vulcan and Damon it ended then Jonathan resolved to saying jokes to lighten the mood but it didn’t work now everyone is on their own not saying a word and the silence was just too much. I was exhausted and hungry, how much more do we have to walk before getting there?
” We’re here. ” Sam spoke up and we all turned to look around us.
It was an empty vast area, we were staring at nothing and it was supposed to be our destination.
” So how long would it take to get to the witch’s house? ” Damon asked
” You’re looking at it. ” Sam answered.
” Is this some kind of joke, was her house burnt to the ground or something? ” Jonathan asked angrily
” Don’t tell me this journey was for nothing cause I don’t know what I’m going to do to someone. ” Vulcan said angrily
Everyone was angry that our journey was all for nothing and a waste of time while Sam just looked at us saying nothing.
” Would you all just keep quiet. ” Sam shouted and we all did wanting to hear what he has to say for himself. ” You should have let me explain before jumping into silly conclusions, you can’t see the house cause it’s protected by a spell, so I’d have to cast a spell before it comes to view. ”
Well no one thought of that, I kinda felt a little bit stupid, I should have guessed that was the case but I didn’t, nobody did. We all stood in silence and watched Sam cast the spell until the house came into view. After casting it he just walked inside not saying a word and we just followed.
The house was small but at least it looked like it could contain all of us. It looked welcoming and homely like a normal human being house, I was half expecting to find her making some kind of poisonous soup or doing something out of the ordinary instead she was just watching TV, weird, how does she even get signal and all considering the environment.
” Sam, long time no see. ” she said turning to look at us. ” I see you brought your friends, not dangerous I hope? ”
” They’re all good Hilda. ” Sam said and she nodded
” What brings you here? ” she asked after the introduction
” She’s under a spell, black magic and we were hoping you could help break it. ”
” Okay but we’d do it tomorrow, I’ve had a long day I need to rest you all should too. There are two empty rooms by the left.” she said and entered a room that was obviously hers.
” So how’s sleeping arrangements going to be? ” Jonathan asked
” I’m hungry. ” I whined and everyone turned to look at me
” I’d stay up in the living room, you all can take the room. ” Vulcan answered, and that was how I was ignored.
” Seems like you would be sleeping with me again mi reina. ” Damon said and I just nodded.
” But I’m hungry. ” I whined and no one even looked in my direction, I wasn’t liking this at all.
” There’s food in the fridge. ” Hilda said coming out of the room with clothes and sheet which she handed to me.
” Thank you, at least someone listens to me. ” I said and she smiled and that was when I realized that she’s pretty.
She had long black hair with pitch black eyes. Her face was somewhat oval and her nose pointed but what I
noticed most was her lips, they were so red, before I could come up with crazy things that she did for them to be that red she pulled me to the kitchen and laid the food on the table. The guys were still in the living room leaving just me and her and I was slightly scared, she could murder me and make a stew with my body parts and then grind my bones till they are smooth and use them for some ingredient to solve one of people’s numerous problems. She was looking at me intently and I guess she was already going over her plans or reading my future or my mind.
” You are pretty. ” She said and I just looked at her totally surprised and confused.
” Thanks I guess. ” I said and she nodded. ” You have to be careful, someone wants what you have and would stop at nothing to get what they want. ”
Now I was scared and confused. What could I possibly have that someone wants?
” Who and what does the person want? ” I asked and she just totally ignored me.
” You should rest, I figure it wasn’t a smooth journey. ” she said then went out to the living room and I just ate the food not worrying too much about what she said. It must probably be Loranda, it’s nothing new.
After eating I went to the room to find Damon just getting out of the bathroom shirtless wearing just shorts and gosh his body.
” Don’t worry mi reina, it’s all yours. ” he said with a smirk and laid down and because I had nothing to say I just got into the bathroom and did all the necessary things that had to be done. I came out of the bathroom wearing the cloth she had given me which was a night gown and I was pretty uncomfortable with it but I was glad it wasn’t exposing anything and wasn’t red or white, it was thankfully black.
I laid down beside him ready to sleep, thank goodness we were already here, I could get the spell broken and a small part of this would be over. I turned to look at Damon who was closing his eyes but not at sleep. This was the perfect time to do what I’ve wanted to do, look at his body for as long as I want.
His body was magnificent, like it was sculptured to perfection. His muscles and packs were just mind blowing and I could stay up all night looking at him. He seemed to have various tattoos around his body, they were mostly written in languages I couldn’t read or understand and I looked at them closely, some seemed to have been hiding scars but it was nothing out of the ordinary, everyone has scars, he hid his behind his tattoo. I was about taking my eyes off him but noticed another one. It was not a writing it was a crescent moon shape looking closely at it it didn’t seem as if it was a tattoo, it looked like a birth mark and not just anyone had birth marks like that.