Chapter twenty one

Sybil was wearing a black nightdress, A black candle in her hands as she chanted the spell. Talia was gifted a second opportunity to reconsider what she was doing. Here she was, against Persephone's wishes, trusting a dark witch to contact her body. Her mind reeled at what the goddess might do the moment she discovered Talia had been trying to play fresh with her. Sybil stopped chanting, brought forth a bowl. An ancient-looking bowl she suspected was made from clay.

“Your blood,” Sybil said, eager to get her end of the bargain.

“Right.” Talia sighed, collecting a knife from Sybil and making an incision on her palm. It stung like hell and as blood seeped from her cut into the cup, Talia spoke.

“What do you need my blood for by the way?”

Sybil sighed, collecting the half-full bowl and pouring the content in a vial. “You’ve asked me before and I remember telling you it was for a spell.”

“But what kind of spell?”

Sybil’s mouth tightened but she did not speak. In her stead, One of her roommates did.

“What is your deal Demigod? She did not ask you why you wanted to contact your mother?”

Through the candlelight, Talia could see the speaking witch staring back at her with a grim face. Talia turned back to Sybil, enraged that she spilled her secret to the coven.

“You told them! I trusted you!”

“Chill!” Sybil demanded, several candles around them blazing to life. “The casting is about to begin.”

Talia swore it was a very convenient way to shut her up but she was not done yet. She glanced back to the nosy witch and said, “The name is not demigod, Its Talia.”

The girl looked at her warily but kept her lips shut. Giving herself a commendatory sigh, She resumed to the ritual.

“Your mother’s name?” Sybil asked.

“Maveth. Maveth Trueborn.”

“Maveth Trueborn,” Sybil intoned, “Your daughter seeks to speak to you. The realm knows no bounds, Let us hear you.”

For a moment, nothing happened. All Talia could hear was the sound of dwindling flames and Sybil’s constant humming. Just when she was starting to believe it was pointless and a waste of time, The flames of the black candle Sybil had cradled on her hands flickered out, and almost immediately, It burned back. This time, the orange glow was replaced by an alluring blue. The rest around them followed suit and strong winds began to blow through the room, rattling the books on the shelves and the ornaments on the walls. It got stronger, So powerful that all that could be heard was the howling of the wind. While Sybil continued to concentrate on chanting, Talia was worried and lucky for them both, She was not the only one. The nosy witch crept off her bed, Her eyes glazed with fear.

“Sybil, A communication spell should not be doing this. I think you should stop. Maybe there is some block preventing from reaching. It might not be a one witch job.”

Despite what the girl said, Sybil seemed unresponsive. Talia noticed an eerie smile on her lip. While Talia was concerned, She wasn’t interested in stopping Sybil. She badly needed to have a conversation with her mother. Grabbing Sybil’s hands, She followed the chants much to the shock of the nosy witch.

“What are you doing!” The witch demanded. However, before Talia could give a valid answer. She felt a surge of power rush through every inch of her. The whole room became a blur as the candle flames went aghast and spilled around them in a true circle.

“Talia?” A whisper followed and Talia turned around to find herself in a body of water. Something latched on her ankle seemed to be dragging her deeper and deeper. She struggled to breathe as the water kept pouring. What was happening? She asked herself. Her head was becoming light. Oxygen deprivation and just as she succumbed to the power of the sea, Warm hands touched her. This time she was strong enough to open her eyes and those warm hands did not belong to the sea prince, They were her mother’s. Just as Talia wanted to feel her, the tentacles latched themselves on her mother’s neck and flung her backward. An untamed fire burned within Talia and she let out an exploding screech.
Talia flicked her eyes open to see splintered glass impaled in books and almost every corner of the room. Sybil was on the floor, Crimson liquid dripping out her nose and eyes while the other girl laid limp on top of a now broken bunk bed. With blurred sight, Talia saw feet walk into the bizarre sight before it all turned black.

***
A flash of blue. A fate set in the stars. Persephone could not believe her ears. The demigod was becoming an increasing threat with every second she remained in the castle walls. If the girl was not going to be making a choice soon, She would have to dispose of her quickly before any part of the prophecy came through. Persephone looked back at Ulu, bringer of bad omens, and despised the lower god harder. The one job she had to do was be my Denys’s side, be the perfect partner but she was useless doing both. Lightning truly did not strike the same spot twice. Now Persephone was convinced the “love blossoms” part was not her part to play at all.

“So you know something about it. Does this mean Denys and I will not end up together?”

Persephone gaped at the self-acclaimed princess. How gullible was she? And for someone who wanted to bounce up the ladder to a high ranking god. If she did not need her around to stall things, Ulu was entirely useless but she did so she had to play her game right.

“That was a stupid question to ask Ulu. You should be scheming your way to cheating fate and not whining to me. Denys is yours. Make it happen!”

“But will that not affect the prophecy? If he does not fall in love with me?”

Persephone remembered the old god’s words. He never went back on his words. It was the only reason she had managed to escape destiny for millenniums. Nothing was bound to change no matter what strings she pulled.

“The future is a fragile thing Ulu. It is always changing. Who is to say it is that girl anyway? One thing I know my son truly cherishes right now is not you, not me but the desire to wield that trident. There is still an opportunity to make yourself a priority in his life.”

“I will,” The girl noted, bowing in curtsy and heading for the door. As her hands grazed the handles, She faced Persephone one last time and asked; " What if this is what the old god wants? What if no matter what we do, we lose?”

Persephone had to admit, That was the smartest thing she had heard the girl say. Even she did not have an answer to that. It sent a shiver down to her spine knowing that was the only mystery she was yet to decipher. As she made an effort to speak, a gust, feeling more like a tornado with the sound of thunder blew through her. Persephone felt the necklace on her neck singe her. It was magic. Magic seeping from the pits of hell. She immediately pushed Ulu aside, tracing where the energy flowed. She was running mad as she tried to find her way through the familiar castle walls with Ulu racing behind her and asking questions. She stopped in front of the student quarters. As she staggered through the door where remnants of that dark energy poured from, She could see that it was a spell gone wrong, a spell that had opened the gates of hell on the third realm momentarily. One person out of three seemed to be fine. It was Talia. Persephone heard the girl mutter something before dropping to the floor.

“What happened?” Ulu questioned no one in particular.

“Your Majesty, I have it. “ A faint voice whispered.

Persephone kneeled over Sybil’s body and whispered, “What?”

“Her blood.” The girl then reached to her side and produced a crimson vial, proving to the goddess she was capable. Persephone accepted it just as Denys dropped into the room. Despite the chaos, Persephone could do nothing but smile. To Ulu’s question, She had the perfect answer. While the words of the old god could rewrite history, In the end, There was always a choice.