Chapter 78

Sasha
She drew in a deep breath and let herself sink into her mind. *Irina’s crimson body lay in a field surrounded by beautiful trees with vines wrapped around it. The vines had white flowers in full bloom on them and a small creek ran along the east border. Sasha went over to her and sank to the ground with her back against Irina’s warm body. Irina brought her head around to lay it in her lap. Sasha put her hand on Irinia’s head and ran her fingers between the large scales.*
*“Rin, we have to shift,” she murmured.*
*“I know,” she whispered. “I’ve been trying.”*
*Her frustration tore at Sasha’s heart and she weeped internally for them, for her sisters and for the rest of her family that she had no idea what was going on with.*
*“She will kill them. We can’t let them happen.”*
*“Do you know what they gave us to not be able to link?”*
*“No. I wish I did. Maybe then I would know how to combat it.”*
*Irina stood up suddenly, sending Sasha sprawling on the ground. She paced a few steps away, before sitting back down.*
*“Stand up.”*
*Sasha climbed to her feet and faced Irina.*
*“Close your eyes, Aja.” She closed her eyes. “Now, breathe in and out deep. Slower. Good job.”*
*Sasha’s body was nudged and she giggled a little. “Stop it. That tickles.”*
*“Focus! Arms out at your side.” Sasha lifted her arms up, thoroughly chastised. “Good. Now, picture me and imagine your body getting hotter. That’s a girl.”*
*Sasha squeezed her eyes closed tighter. She searched through her memories to the day she marked Aiden in his office. She latched onto that memory, focusing everything in her on the feeling of Irina’s fire burning in her chest. She imagined it seeping throughout her entire body, setting fire to each and every minuscule part of every cell. Her body began to burn and she tried to pull all of the sensation into a center location.*
*She sank to her knees and fell forward onto her hands. She started panting as her bones began to crack and pop. The burning got worse and she screamed out. Fire erupted from her mouth and the grass in front of her was set ablaze. She collapsed as her body seized up. She went into a seizure and foam filled her mouth. Irina pushed her onto her side as she continued to flail.*
“SASHA! SASHA! WAKE UP!,” her sister’s terrified screams reached her ears.
Her eyes snapped open and her head hit the floor again where she had slumped down. The smell of blood filled the air. Lily was on her knees beside the bars between their cells, reaching through for her. She fell forward onto her stomach as she stopped shaking. She lay face down, too exhausted to move. She struggled to push herself back up. She crawled over to where Lily was sobbing and took her hands.
“Shh, Lily. It’s okay. I’m okay.” She met Kalani’s eyes. “I have to go back in.”
Kalani nodded. Her face was pale and she pointed to Sasha’s head. Sasha lifted her hand and touched it. Shit. She must have cracked her head hard. She quickly sent healing energy into her wound and she felt it close. She gave Lily a reassuring smile.
“Baby, listen to me. Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything,” she whispered.
“If I start shaking again, make sure I’m on my side and try to keep me from hitting my head.”
Another bout of tears started, but she nodded. “Okay.”
She kissed the back of her hand. “I love you, Lily.”
Lily wiped her face. “I love you, too, Sasha.”
She closed her eyes and let herself enter her brain again. *She arrived back at the clearing. Irina lay on her side, snoring. She walked over and began to shake her.*
*“Irina, come on. Wake up. I need you. We need to shift.”*
*“She won’t wake up,” came a melodious voice from behind her. “I put her to sleep.”*
*Sasha spun around to see who was speaking to her. An ethereally beautiful woman sat on the rocks by the creek.*
*“Who are you?”*
*The woman pointed at the rocks in front of her. “Come, my child. Sit.”*
*Sasha didn’t understand the desire to do as she was told, but she was almost falling over herself to obey. She sat on the rocks and stared up at the glowing woman. Now that she was closer, the light surrounding her was not as bright. Sasha looked over the woman completely in awe of her shifting features. Her eyes went from blue to grey to brown to hazel. Her hair switched from blonde to grey to brown to jet black to orange to red. Sasha watched in awe as every different combination of facial features came and went on her face. Her body shifted and morphed with her face. Wait. How was this possible? She got up to kneel in front of the woman.*
*“Goddess.”*
*Her musical laughter put Sasha even more at ease. She touched her shoulder and Sasha’s body leaned towards the mother of life itself.*
*“Come, my child. Let us go for a walk.”*
*Sasha took her hand and she began to lead Sasha through the clearing. She stepped through the trees and found herself in an elegantly decorated ballroom. People twirled and spun around her dressed in the most extravagant ball gowns. Shades of pink, blue, green, purple and yellows created wave after wave of rainbow effects in the large room. Servants catered to the obviously entitled royals. Sasha looked around the room when she heard a familiar laugh.*
*Her eyes landed on her father sitting high above the rest of the room. He looked happy and content. A stunning woman with brown hair and the most beautiful turquoise eyes sat beside him. When she looked at him, her eyes lit up with love and Sasha had no doubt that this was the woman he had chosen to mark and mate with. She took a step towards him, but the Goddess put a hand on her arm, stopping her.*
*“Come, my child.”*
*The Goddess walked to the balcony and pointed down toward the courtyard. A stunning redhead with green eyes caught her attention.*
*“Mom,” she murmured.*
*She watched enthralled as her mother laughed and laid her hand on a man’s arm. He took her hand and pulled her in close to his chest. They shared a passionate kiss and the smile it left on her mother’s face was not one she had ever seen. Her mother looked so happy. The man twirled her around and her giddy giggles made Sasha’s heart ache. Suddenly, her mother froze and tried to tug the man away. Sasha leaned over the edge of the balcony to hear better.*
*“Eis, please, let’s go. We can’t go in there. Please, take me home.”*
*He pulled her close and held her. “Asia, what’s wrong?”*
*“Please, just take me home,” she begged.*
*Another man that exuded power stormed over to them to grab her arm.*
*“What are you still doing out here?,” he hissed.*
*“Please, King Lionel. I can’t go in there,” she pleaded.*
*He dragged her inside and Sasha hurried back into the room. A guard at the door opened it.* *“Announcing King Lionel of the Lotus Clan with his witch, Anastasia Soma.”*
*Her father’s head jerked around to stare at her struggling mother. He stood up and every single person in the room dropped to the floor. He walked over to the door and walked around her mother. She stood still with tears streaming down her face. Her make- up ran, leaving black streaks down her cheeks.*
*“Anastasia,” he purred.*
*She trembled when he touched her. “Please, I have someone. Please, let me go.”*
*His eyes narrowed and he growled. “No.”*
*Her mother looked up at her father’s chosen mate, pleadingly. She turned her face away. The woman’s bottom lip trembled and Sasha could tell she was trying to remain composed. Her father started leading her mother out and the Goddess followed behind them. They went to a nearby empty room where her father let her mother go to sit in a chair.*
*“You’re a witch.”*
*His words were almost an accusation. Her mother didn’t have an option about what she was. It wasn’t like she chose to be a witch. Sasha bared her teeth at her father. What an asshole!*
*“Your Highness, please. I have a husband.”*
*He growled again. “And I have a queen. None of that matters. We’re mates.”*
*Tears fell from her eyes. “I- I’m marked.”*
*She pulled the collar of her dress down to reveal a werewolf’s mark. He sighed and sat in front of her.*
*“My name is Sterling.”*
*“I- I am Anastasia.”*
*“How old are you?”*
*“27.”*
*“Do you really love this man you’re married to Anastasia?”*
*“I do.”*
*He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “You understand how this all works, don’t you?”*
*Her head dropped. “I know that fated mates are irresistible.”*
*He tipped her face up, his eyes moving over her face. “And yet you don’t want to stay?”*
*“No.”*
*He knelt in front of her and laid his head in her lap. “Anastasia, please, give me 24 hours to change your mind. If you decide then that you don’t want to be with me, I will let you go.”*
*She lifted her hand and almost unwillingly ran her fingers through his hair. “Do you promise?”*
*He nodded. “Yes.”*
*“Okay.”*
*He lifted his head to meet her eyes. “You can’t see your husband during that time or I will kill him.”*
*She swallowed. “Okay.”*
*He took a deep breath. “Would you like to dance?”*
*She nodded again and he stood up. He held out his hand and she hesitatingly took it. He led her out of the room and Sasha followed them. The Goddess stopped her from entering the ballroom.*
*“This way, my child.”*
*As Sasha followed her through the hallways, she was aware of the time shifting forward. The Goddess led her out into a small garden. She turned to her.*
*“What’s here?,” she asked.*
*The Goddess put her finger to her lips. “Just watch.”*