Ch 38: The Burning Fear

Astasha knew these trees. She had been here before, but when, she couldn't remember. The forest was cold and dead. She found her feet moving slowly across the hard earth, but the sound of leaves crackling and breaking beneath them was absent. The only sound was an eery breeze that surrounded her, whispering through the woods.

Slowly she made her way through the branches until her eyes fell upon a sight that made her breath catch.

A dark stone castle stood before her, parts of it crumbling away, other parts overrun and overcrowded with ivy and plants void of life. It looked to have been abandoned long ago.

A chill ran down her spine as if someone was watching her.

'Astasha.'

That voice. It came from everywhere and nowhere. She had heard it before and again it made her heart pound in her chest.

'It has begun. Everything that was shall burn. A new world will rise from the ashes of the old. Seek for your answers here. Embrace the truth Astasha. Set your fire free.’

Her breath was labored, her blood pumping in her ears. Slowly, she raised her gaze to one of the many towers, and through its window, she met a pair of eyes, swirling black that reached into her soul.

A scream tore from her lips.

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"Tasha!"

Her scream was echoing through the healing ward, piercing, and blood-curdling. Calder tried desperately to wake her, but her eyes were clenched shut.

The doors burst open and Errant and Talib rushed in.

"What's happening?" Errant hurried to their side. Astasha stopped screaming and began convulsing. Talib still stood in the doorway, his face covered in shock.

"Help her!" Yelled Calder, trying to hold her, to calm her, but nothing was working.

Errant held his hands over her and began muttering but was suddenly thrown back.

Astasha's eyes snapped open. Dark fire was raging within them.

"Tasha!" She didn't look at Calder, it was as if she hadn't even heard him.

Helia and a young woman Calder had never seen before rushed into the room past Talib. The woman’s hair was almost silver and flowed past her waist, her eyes the darkest blue he had ever seen.

Astasha's gaze turned to them. "No."

Suddenly, her head was thrown back as another scream ripped through her, and fire burst from her chest, yet again lashing out at everyone save Calder in the room.

Cal turned his face away from the blast as Errant cast a shield to try to protect the others. But Talib was still at the door, too far from the spell and completely defenseless. The young woman with silver hair jumped in front of him, throwing her hands up. The fire turned to steam as it met an invisible force, instantly doused by whatever the newcomer had done.

Cal had never released his hold on Astasha, and now, she collapsed into his arms. "Tasha!" He tried to shake her but her head simply lolled from side to side.

Errant was back by his side, his brow furrowed. "Lay her down."

Calder shot him a look but Errant rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Please, your highness. I need to know what's going on and your energy is mixing too strongly with hers."

After a brief moment, the Prince nodded and gently laid her limp body on the bed.

Talib was next to him, his eyes wide. They had seen more than most could even imagine, but this, this was something Calder knew must have shocked his friend.

"What the fuck just happened?" the Captain asked.

Cal shook his head. "I don't know. She was asleep and then I felt her go cold and then she was shaking her head, like she was trying to get out of a nightmare. That was when she started screaming."

Errant had his eyes closed. Calder guessed he was trying to feel whatever inner turmoil was happening in Astasha.

It felt hot in the room Cal noticed. He was sweating. And then he felt fire burning inside him.

He yelled out and clutched at his chest. He was burning, burning from the inside out.

"Calder!" Talib put his hand on his back but pulled it away immediately as if his flesh were hot coals. His eyes shot over to Helia and the other sorceress who had been watching nervously. "He feels like he's on fucking fire! Do something!"

The woman with dark blue eyes rushed over to him. "Your highness, look at me." Her voice was like a trickling stream.

Cal tried to look up but the heat was too much.

Errant's eyes flew open as he pulled his hands back in shock. "Her powers have become unstable, for some reason they're raging out of control with nowhere to go. Sorceress Narelle, I need you to defuse them or it's going to burn her and the Prince alive from the inside out."

The silver-haired woman nodded and turned to Astasha, holding her hands out over the body of the fire witch. She began muttering under her breath quickly and without hesitation, her focus intense.

The pain wasn't subsiding from Calder's chest though, and Talib caught him as his knees gave out. "He still feels like he's burning up! It's not working!"

Helia hurried over to a basin of water. "Give her a moment. She has to find a way to work her power into Astasha." She dipped a rag in the liquid and brought it over, placing it on Calder's forehead, running it along his neck.

Sorceress Narelle took a deep breath and grit her teeth, placing both her hands on either side of Astasha's face, her muttering becoming louder and quicker.

The heat began to subside and Calder drew a deep breath. Helia knelt down in front of him, her gaze drifting from him to Narelle to Astasha. "Your highness, Astasha needs you, she needs to know she's safe. I need you to bond with her, reach out to her again. She's going to drain Sorceress Narelle if she doesn't get control of herself and you’re the only one who can seem to reach her when she’s trapped inside herself.”

Calder was panting, the pain still present, but not raging as it had before. He looked over at his love, whose face was pale and covered in sweat. He nodded. "Talib, help me up."

The Captain was looking at him like he was crazy but took a breath and hooked his arms under the Prince's, lifting him up to his feet.

Calder slumped onto the cot next to Astasha and took her hand in one of his, the other he placed directly on her chest where her scar was. He closed his eyes and tried to feel her energy, tried to send his own out to her. He was shaking with pain and exhaustion but he didn't stop. He called out to Tasha in his mind, begging her to calm herself, to gain control.

The fire in his veins cooled, and he felt her hand tighten around his. His eyes opened just before hers, but instead of seeing his crystal blue, she saw the dark blue of who Calder had realized must be the replacement water witch.

He felt her tense. Narelle must have too because she released her hold on Astasha's face, but not before Tasha threw her hands up, pushing the poor sorceress backward with an invisible force.

Calder immediately grabbed her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Tasha, it's ok. You're safe."

He could feel her panic, her fear.

“I was there! I know it…”

She was frantic and he pulled his head back, brushing her hair away from her face. "What are you talking about?"

“The abandoned stone castle in the dead woods… I saw it, it was real, I could feel the death around it…”

Calder's brow furrowed and he looked deep into her eyes. There was a pleading in them for him to understand the horror she had seen, and he knew why.

"What in the hell is she talking about?" Asked Talib.

Errant stepped forward. “Sorceress Astasha, there is no abandoned stone castle or dead woods anywhere in this kingdom."

Tasha didn't speak, she just kept looking into Calder's eyes with that same desperation. His hands felt clammy, his heart in his stomach. If he hadn’t already seen and felt the connection they shared he wouldn’t have believed it was possible. But what did it mean?

Helia was watching the two of them intently. "What did you dream Astasha?"

Tears formed in Astasha's eyes as she shook her head.

“There’s a forest, dead and decaying, a decrepit old stone palace at its core.” said Calder quietly. "I've seen it too. But it's not the place that worries me. It's the entity that hides inside the tower, with dark eyes that whispers to us." The two still hadn't looked away from each other, the terror reflected in each others faces at the realization of what this meant.

The room was silent for a moment as worried glances were exchanged.

”What does it whisper to you?” asked Errant.

Calder finally looked away from Astasha to face the group standing around them. “To release our fire so the world as we know it can burn."


**Author’s Note** *Thanks for reading lovelies! Sorry for the delay in updating… My computer died and I had to get a new one, but we are up and running on a beautiful new Mac and hopefully there aren't any other issues moving forward! Make sure to add the book to your library and leave a comment with what you think! Love and light everyone!*