that would be. There wasn’t much she could do about it now though. Once chosen, there was no going back.
It was doubtful that knowledge would appease Kyden, but hopefully, it would keep him from acting foolishly. He had no protection against magic. If he went up against a Black Magic Witch, he would lose.
Once we reached the portal in the Council’s Foyer, Sabi, Zia and I grasped hands and stepped through the door. A flash of light shut my eyes. When my vision came back to me, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Four Black Witches stood, circled around a black powered pentagram. It looked like any normal pentagram I’d seen, but experiencing it in use was scary as shit. Breathing was almost impossible. The air was thick and darkness surrounded us entirely—practically sparking off the wind.
The witches chanted in some odd language as a wolf lay in the centre, howling in pain. “Er…why are they not attacking us?” I questioned aloud.
“They are entranced,” Zia answered. “Given up to the dark spell they have cast.” She glanced at Sabi. “Go quickly, get the others.”
Sabi nodded, then vanished immediately.
“We will need more than the three of us to defeat them,” Zia told me, worriedly.
“They don’t feel as strong as Astoria did.” She was the only bitchy Black Magic Witch I had the not-so-great pleasure of encountering.
“These witches are not in Magnus’ guard,” Zia answered. “They just live in his realm. They are not gifted with such a strong force.”
The witches continued to chant as the wolf continually writhed and howled in complete agony. Suddenly, the wolf began to shift forms quickly, changing back and forth from wolf to man repeatedly.
He screamed and when he shifted, my heart plummeted. “Dante,” I screamed, and rushed forward.
Zia grabbed me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders, forcing me still. “Don’t.”
“That’s Dante,” I shouted, trying to break free. “We must do something.”
“We can’t.” Zia held me tightly. “He is lost now. Look at him. Look at his eyes.”
I squinted, noticed that Dante’s eyes were now clouded over with shadows. Then, like a smack in the face, the answer laid before me. This wasn’t the wolves’ doing at all. Dante would never accept the darkness. He was the essence of good. What was he doing here? How had someone done this to him? The last I knew, he was off telling the Alphas of this situation. Now he was knee deep in it.
“This is so horrible,” I managed in a whisper.
“Very,” Zia replied.
“What have they done to him?” I asked.
“They are doing a Black Magic ritual. They have used black ash and blood to draw that pentagram there. It is summoning the darkness to steal Dante’s soul. Do you see the markings in the ground?”
I followed her gaze, and saw serpents drawn together in a weaving pattern, which sat around the edges of the pentagram. “What is that?” I croaked.
“That is an offering ruin.”
“An offering to whom?”
“Magnus,” Zia replied with a little growl.
“Why would they do that?”
She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea. This offering ritual here is how Black Magic Witches welcome a new one into their realm. They are offering Dante’s soul to Magnus—offering him to the dark realm.” She glanced back to Dante. “Never have I heard of this ritual being done with one who didn’t want it.” She looked back at me. “Ever.”
“Ever?”
“Think of how you feel about them.” She gave a nod when my face grimaced. “That is how they feel about you.” She glanced back at the witches. “They would never force someone to come into their realm, just as we wouldn’t them.”
“But it’s Dante, he’d never…” I started.
She stopped me, raising her hand. “Exactly, which makes this all the more peculiar.”
I gave my head a little
It was doubtful that knowledge would appease Kyden, but hopefully, it would keep him from acting foolishly. He had no protection against magic. If he went up against a Black Magic Witch, he would lose.
Once we reached the portal in the Council’s Foyer, Sabi, Zia and I grasped hands and stepped through the door. A flash of light shut my eyes. When my vision came back to me, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Four Black Witches stood, circled around a black powered pentagram. It looked like any normal pentagram I’d seen, but experiencing it in use was scary as shit. Breathing was almost impossible. The air was thick and darkness surrounded us entirely—practically sparking off the wind.
The witches chanted in some odd language as a wolf lay in the centre, howling in pain. “Er…why are they not attacking us?” I questioned aloud.
“They are entranced,” Zia answered. “Given up to the dark spell they have cast.” She glanced at Sabi. “Go quickly, get the others.”
Sabi nodded, then vanished immediately.
“We will need more than the three of us to defeat them,” Zia told me, worriedly.
“They don’t feel as strong as Astoria did.” She was the only bitchy Black Magic Witch I had the not-so-great pleasure of encountering.
“These witches are not in Magnus’ guard,” Zia answered. “They just live in his realm. They are not gifted with such a strong force.”
The witches continued to chant as the wolf continually writhed and howled in complete agony. Suddenly, the wolf began to shift forms quickly, changing back and forth from wolf to man repeatedly.
He screamed and when he shifted, my heart plummeted. “Dante,” I screamed, and rushed forward.
Zia grabbed me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders, forcing me still. “Don’t.”
“That’s Dante,” I shouted, trying to break free. “We must do something.”
“We can’t.” Zia held me tightly. “He is lost now. Look at him. Look at his eyes.”
I squinted, noticed that Dante’s eyes were now clouded over with shadows. Then, like a smack in the face, the answer laid before me. This wasn’t the wolves’ doing at all. Dante would never accept the darkness. He was the essence of good. What was he doing here? How had someone done this to him? The last I knew, he was off telling the Alphas of this situation. Now he was knee deep in it.
“This is so horrible,” I managed in a whisper.
“Very,” Zia replied.
“What have they done to him?” I asked.
“They are doing a Black Magic ritual. They have used black ash and blood to draw that pentagram there. It is summoning the darkness to steal Dante’s soul. Do you see the markings in the ground?”
I followed her gaze, and saw serpents drawn together in a weaving pattern, which sat around the edges of the pentagram. “What is that?” I croaked.
“That is an offering ruin.”
“An offering to whom?”
“Magnus,” Zia replied with a little growl.
“Why would they do that?”
She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea. This offering ritual here is how Black Magic Witches welcome a new one into their realm. They are offering Dante’s soul to Magnus—offering him to the dark realm.” She glanced back to Dante. “Never have I heard of this ritual being done with one who didn’t want it.” She looked back at me. “Ever.”
“Ever?”
“Think of how you feel about them.” She gave a nod when my face grimaced. “That is how they feel about you.” She glanced back at the witches. “They would never force someone to come into their realm, just as we wouldn’t them.”
“But it’s Dante, he’d never…” I started.
She stopped me, raising her hand. “Exactly, which makes this all the more peculiar.”
I gave my head a little
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