Chapter 100
The tension in the room was suffocating. Jake’s jaw was clenched so tightly I thought it might snap. His eyes burned with anger, not at me but at the situation I had thrust us into. Yet, the weight of his frustration felt like a physical force.
"You could have died, Priscilla," he said, his voice low and controlled, the kind of tone that carried far more weight than shouting ever could.
I wanted to argue, to defend myself, but he wasn’t wrong. The dream, or whatever it was, had been too real. The cut on my arm was proof enough. But I was alive, and that was what mattered.
“I didn’t die,” I said quietly, meeting his gaze. “I’m here, Jake. And now we have a lead.”
“That’s not the point,” he snapped, standing abruptly and pacing the room. “You can’t just keep throwing yourself into danger like this! You’re not invincible.”
I sighed, standing to face him. “I know the risks, Jake. I’m not doing this recklessly. But we don’t have a choice. Jacob isn’t going to stop until he destroys everything we care about. And now I’ve seen how far he’s willing to go.”
He stopped pacing and turned to me, his eyes softening just a fraction. “I can’t lose you, Pris. Not to him. Not to anyone.”
“And you won’t,” I said firmly. “But if we’re going to end this, we have to take risks. I have to take risks.”
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “What’s your plan this time?”
I rolled up my sleeve, revealing the angry red cut left by the spider. “This. The magic that attacked me—it’s still here. I can feel it, Jake. If I tap into it, I can trace it back to its source.”
His expression darkened, and he took a step closer, his hand brushing mine. “That’s black magic, Priscilla. You don’t know what it could do to you.”
“I know,” I said, my voice steady. “But it’s the only way. Jacob isn’t working alone, and if we can find out who’s helping him, we’ll have the advantage.”
Jake stared at me for a long moment before finally nodding, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease. “Fine. But I’m staying right here. If anything goes wrong, I’m pulling you out of it.”
\---
I set up the circle in the living room, the air thick with the scent of herbs and burning incense. Fatima stood nearby, her arms crossed and her face pale. She didn’t say anything, but I could feel her unease.
Jake hovered behind me, his presence a steadying force.
I knelt in the center of the circle, placing my hands on the cut on my arm. The energy within it was sharp and foreign, a dark thread woven into my very being. Closing my eyes, I began the incantation.
The world around me faded, the room dissolving into a haze of swirling shadows. The energy from the spider’s magic pulled me forward, dragging me through the haze until I was standing in a strange, twisted version of reality.
And there she was.
Jena.
Her fiery red hair was a stark contrast against the dark backdrop, and her smirk was as sharp as ever. She looked at me as if she had been waiting all along.
“Well, well,” she drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. “Took you long enough, little witch.”
I stared at her, my chest tightening with a mix of anger and betrayal. “It’s you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re helping him.”
She laughed, a sound that echoed unnaturally in the haze. “Of course it’s me. Did you think Jacob could pull all this off by himself? Please.”
“Why?” I demanded, taking a step forward. “Why would you go this far,black magic will destroy you Jena”
“destroy?” she repeated, feigning offense. “Its made me stronger darling.”
Her words cut deep, but I didn’t let it show. “You’re a fool if you think Jacob will let you walk away unscathed.”
Her smirk widened. “Oh, sweet Priscilla. You still don’t get it, do you? Jacob and I are the same. We’ve both been wronged, cast aside. You and Jake? You’re just the latest in a long line of people who deserve to burn.”
Before I could respond, she raised her hand, and the haze around us began to shift.
“I have a little present for you,” she said, her voice sweet and venomous. “Just for fun.”
The world lurched, and I was yanked backward. The haze shattered, and I slammed back into reality, gasping for air. The protective circle I had painstakingly created was gone, the candles snuffed out.
Fatima’s scream pierced the air, and I turned to see her pointing at the corner of the room.
My blood ran cold.
The spider from my dream—the monstrous, car-sized beast with glowing yellow eyes—was here, its massive body twisting and writhing as it emerged from the shadows.
“How is this possible?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
The spider let out a screech, its fangs dripping with venom.
“Priscilla,” Jake said, his voice urgent, “we’ll talk about Jena later. Right now, we have a real problem.”
The spider lunged, its massive legs crashing down where Jake and I had been standing just seconds before. Jake shoved me aside, drawing his blade and slashing at one of its legs. The blade connected, leaving a shallow gash, but the spider barely seemed fazed.
Fatima scrambled toward the kitchen, shouting, “We need to burn it!”
The spider turned its attention to her, its movements eerily fast for something so large. I threw out my hands, summoning a wall of flame that forced it to back off.
“It’s too strong,” Jake growled, dodging another strike from its legs.
“We’ll slow it down,” I said, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at me.
Jake and I worked in tandem, each strike of his blade coordinated with a burst of magic from my hands. But the spider was relentless, its glowing eyes tracking our every move.
“Fatima, hurry!” I shouted.
She reappeared moments later, clutching a bottle of alcohol. Her hands shook, but her aim was steady as she hurled the bottle at the spider. It shattered against its body, the liquid soaking its coarse hairs.
“Priscilla!” Jake called, blocking another strike.
I didn’t hesitate. Summoning every ounce of fire magic I had, I unleashed a roaring flame that engulfed the spider.
Its screech was deafening, a sound of pure agony as the flames consumed it. The heat was intense, forcing us to shield our faces as the creature writhed and thrashed.
In seconds, it was gone, reduced to ash that scattered across the floor.
The room was silent except for our labored breathing.
I turned to Jake, my hands trembling. “Jena,” I said. “She’s working with Jacob.”
His expression darkened, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. “We’ll deal with her,” he said, his voice low and fierce. “Both of them. Together.”
I nodded, my resolve hardening. Jena and Jacob thought they could break us, but they underestimated just how far I was willing to go to protect my family.
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