Silence descended in the hall as Sheila’s question hung in the air. The people surrounding the table, which had moments ago been caught up in Nathan’s mild accusation against Jan, now turned their attention to the subject of Eva.
During the reunion of Nathan, and his family, Shane had been the first to notice Yodah carrying an unconscious Eva in his arms. His gasp of alarm had attracted the others, and cut short the reunion, at least until Yodah had vaguely told what had happened, and until they had confined her to bed rest, this time borne out of magic.
It was clear to everyone present that something was terribly wrong with the little girl.
Yodah broke the silence first. “Eva was not herself,” He began, his voice steady but filled with concern. “Yes, she had attacked first, just like she had attacked Esther, but it was not her doing. As I mentioned earlier, Eva is currently possessed. I’m not sure by what, but Prescott had been the one to actually knock her unconscious before disappearing to find Emma.”
“You mean Prescott stopped by the pack?” Sheila asked, unable to keep the incredulity out of her voice. “And then he disappeared? You will have to explain much better, Yodah.”
Yodah sighed, and exchanged glances with Freya and Maya.
Freya took up the discourse, interpreting well enough the weary look on Yodah’s face, seeing that she had been the one to have called Prescott for help.
“I think I should start at the beginning.”
The murmurs of consent encouraged her to continue the explanation.
“We had noticed that Eva had been acting strangely since after healing Fayot. Or rather Yodah had noticed it at first. When Esther had been attacked, Yodah had called I and Maya out of the room, to let us know of his suspicions, not believing that the Luna would believe his words. Whilst we were outside discussing, Eva had intercepted us, and had threatened us with death. I called for help from Prescott, knowing that his fluency with teleportation was next to none. Luckily his mind path had been open, and he had come to the rescue, and had saved us from harming Eva. But he hasn’t stayed long. As a matter of fact, he had just appeared as a flash of light and zoomed off again. He seemed to be in a hurry, I think to meet up with Emma, whenever she is.”
“I thought you mentioned that Prescott was with my daughter…” Nathan asked Aiden and Julian. They both shrugged their shoulders. “He had to take care of Casper’s burial first. That had been Emma’s first command to him. His attention to it was the only way we had been able to separate her from the dead body.”
Nathan sighed. Of course he had heard Casper’s tale. And although he was proud of his daughter’s prowess, he still wasn’t happy that she was already killing at her young age of seventeen.
“I have tried searching around Eva’s body, but I haven’t found any demon in her yet. She is possessed, but I am not sure by what.” Freya mentioned, reclining deeper into the chair. “We will need someone that is very skilled in exorcism. I might have good magic, but I have less experience in that field.”
Sheila bobbed her head in agreement. They needed another witch. Only if Tempest was here, or even Margo…
However, they couldn’t back down. She had assured Melvina and Peter that Eva would be okay.
“We need to decide what to do about this,” Sheila said firmly, her gaze sweeping over the assembled. “This isn’t just about Eva. If she’s been possessed, then it means the threat is closer than we thought. We need to find out who or what is behind this. We need to get rid of whatever has taken over her,”
“How do we do that?” Melvina inquired softly, holding herself strongly so that she wouldn’t collapse with grief.
“We do a ritual.” Nathan stated simply.
***
Meanwhile, in the dense, shadowy forest, far from the bustling hall where Eva’s fate was being determined, Tempest prepared for a different kind of ritual.
The night was cold, and the air thick with an unnatural stillness. A full moon hung low in the sky, casting eerie shadows over the ancient grave she stood before. This was Malone’s resting place, her husband, the man she had loved deeply and who had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
Malone who had been unfaithful with her cousin, who had fathered a child with the latter. The revelation still shattered her. Now, she stood determined to confront him, to drag him from his grave and force him to answer for his sins.
She drew a circle around the grave with salt, muttering incantations under her breath. Her hands moved with practiced precision, arranging candles and sacred herbs in a specific pattern. She could feel the power building, the veil between the living and the dead growing thinner.
“Malone,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the rage simmering beneath. “I summon you. By the power of this sacred ground and the bonds of our past, I command you to rise.”
The ground trembled, and a chill wind swept through the forest. Slowly, the earth began to part, and a ghostly figure emerged from the grave. Malone’s spirit, pale and translucent, hovered before her, eyes filled with a malevolent gleam.
“Tempest,” he hissed, his voice echoing with an unnatural timbre. “What have you done?”
Tempest stepped forward, her eyes blazing with fury. “I brought you back to answer for your betrayal, Malone. Why did you do it? Why did you betray our love with my cousin?”
Malone’s spirit laughed, a cold, bitter sound that sent shivers down her spine. “You always were so naive, Tempest. Love? It was never about love. It was about power, control, and the thrill of it all. You were just a means to an end.”
His words cut deeper than any knife. Tempest’s heart ached, but she held her ground, determined not to show weakness. “I loved you, Malone. I trusted you. How could you do this to me?”
“Because I could,” he replied with a sneer. “Because you were too weak to see the truth. You were a fool, Tempest.”
Anger surged through her veins, hotter and fiercer than ever before. She had hoped for some semblance of remorse, some flicker of the man she had once loved. But there was nothing. Only cruelty and disdain.
“I see now,” she said, her voice cold and resolute. “You’re nothing but a malevolent spirit, filled with darkness and hatred. You don’t deserve to walk this earth, not even as a ghost.”
With a swift, decisive movement, Tempest raised her hands, chanting an incantation that resonated with raw power. Chains of glowing energy materialized, wrapping around Malone’s spectral form. He struggled, his expression turning from arrogance to fear.
“What are you doing?” he screamed, his voice filled with panic. “You can’t do this!”
“Oh, but I can,” Tempest replied, her eyes burning with righteous fury. “I banish you, Malone. I chain you to the depths of hell, where your malevolent spirit belongs.”
The chains tightened, and with a final incantation, they dragged Malone’s spirit downward. His screams echoed through the night, a haunting wail that gradually faded into silence. The ground closed up, sealing the darkness away.