Chapter 79

*They didn’t have to wait long, before her mother walked into the garden. She ran her fingers over the rose petals, humming to herself. She sat on the ground in front of the beautiful blue backlit fountain in the center. The two dancing figures on top look so in love. She crossed her legs, pinched her fingers together and set her hands on her knees. She closed her eyes and her power surged around her. Wind whipped around the area and she began to levitate. Her hair floated out from her head and she relaxed. Sasha walked up to her and ran her fingers through her hair. She sat in front of her with her head tilted, curiously.*
*“You look so happy, Mom. What happened?”*
*She reached out and touched her cheek. Suddenly, her mother dropped to the ground. She looked behind her and the man from the courtyard stood there. She jumped to her feet and the tension rose drastically in the air. Sasha got to her feet and circled them. His eyes were glazed over and he started growling. Her mother’s eyes filled with tears as she pushed on his chest.*
*“Go. You have to leave. Please. Just go. We can’t be seen together,” she begged him.*
*He grabbed her arm roughly and began to shake her. Her mother cried out.*
*“Stop! Stop! You’re hurting me.”*
*“YOU WHORE! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME ALL NIGHT?”*
*“Eis, please, I’m trying to save us. Please. Just go,” she begged.*
*“YOU ARE SUCH A BITCH!”*
*“Eis, please. I-”*
*His hand went around her throat and he forced her back to the fountain. She struggled, trying her best to escape. He threw her against the fountain statues and it cracked.*
*“Eis, stop. I don’t want to hurt you. Please.”*
*He pushed her under the water and she thrashed harder. Water splashed out of the fountain as her mother started to turn blue. Her hands clawed at his hands and Sasha could see the panic in her face. There was an angry roar and her father charged into the garden. Eis was jerked away from her mother. Her father pulled her mother out and breathed fire out onto her. It was absorbed almost immediately. Her body jerked and she started breathing again. She rolled off the ledge of the fountain and spewed water all over it. Her father leapt to his feet and began to stalk Eis.*
*“What are you doing here?,” he growled.*
*“I want my wife,” Eis yelled. “She is mine!”*
*“You have five seconds to leave.”*
*Her mother slid in the mud as she tried to stand. She rushed to get between them with her hands out.*
*“Please, Sterling. He’s spelled. This isn’t him. Please, I’m begging you. Spare him.”*
*He growled again and held his hand out. “Let’s go.”*
*Her mother reached for his hand and was yanked backward by her hair. She screamed out as she hit the ground. Eis landed on her and began to tear into her with his shifted claws. Blood and tissue flew everywhere. Her father ripped him away from her mother. He didn’t even hesitate to tear Eis’s throat out. Her mother screamed. The heartbreak in her voice made Sasha sink to her knees with tears pouring down her face.*
*“Mom.”*
*Her father fell to the ground at her mother’s side and breathed more fire over her. Her injuries healed before their eyes. He pulled her onto his lap and stroked her back.*
*“Shhh, baby, I got you.”*
*She rolled out of his lap and crawled over to Eis’s body. She curled up next to him with her head on his chest. She started sobbing and begging the Goddess to bring him back to her. Her father approached her slowly.*
*“Anastasia, I’m-”*
*“STOP! DON’T TOUCH ME! JUST GO AWAY!”*
*She kissed Eis’s lips. Her father hesitated for a minute watching her grieve, before his shoulders slumped and he walked away. Her mother continued to cling to his corpse until the sky started to show signs of day break.*
*“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know better than to disobey the king,” the queen said as she breezed into the garden.*
*She picked a white rose and sat on the edge of the fountain. Her mother raised her head to look at her. She wiped her nose on her sleeve. The queen crossed her legs.*
*“You know, you may be his mate, but I am the queen. You will never take my place.”*
*“I didn’t want it. I wanted to do my 24 hours and leave. With my husband.”*
*“Excuse me?”*
*“He told me that if I gave him a chance for 24 hours, he would let me go.”*
*The queen sat forward and the Goddess moved to stand behind the queen. She placed her hand on her shoulder. The queen’s voice began to talk without her mouth moving. Sasha tilted her head.*
*“I am showing you her thoughts, child. Listen,” the Goddess said.*
*‘That’s not possible. He would have told her, wouldn’t he have? Did she just just murder an innocent man? No, no she couldn’t have. This woman was trying to take everything from her.’*
*The queen stood up. “You lie.”*
*Her mother closed her eyes. “I’m not. I would have left and you would have never seen me again.” Her eyes popped open and the evil hateful look that Sasha had always known was present. “You took mine from me and now I will take yours.”*
*She got up off the ground, bent down and incinerated the body. She slowly crossed the garden to the queen. Power radiated out of her.*
*“I know what you did, Odanya,” she growled.*
*Odanya stiffened. “I didn't do anything.”*
*Her mother laughed coldly. “I’m a witch, Odanya. I saw what you did and for that, I will take everything from you.”*
*“I’m queen,” Odanya hissed.*
*Her mother smirked and wiped Eis’s blood on the queen. “You’ve been marked. I suggest you run.”*
*Odanya took off sprinting, dashing away from her mother as fast as she could go.*
*“Come, dear. It’s time we get back. Your sister’s are calling for you.”*
*The Goddess took her arm gently and the scene around them faded until they stood back in the clearing where Irina was still sound asleep. The Goddess rubbed her snout.*
*“You and Lukas, have much to prove. Kalani has already passed the test I have given her. She is truly the Secunda Reina.” She turned to look at Sasha. “This is your test and however you choose to answer it, will determine if you make it through to live your life. Your parents made a lot of mistakes. Are you and your siblings enough to fix them? Kalani was enough. Are you?”*
*She disappeared and Irina woke up. Sasha put herself right in front of Irina’s snout. She pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.*
*“I know what I have to do, Rin. You have to trust me.”*
*“Always.”*
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Lily was cradling her head through the bars.
“Sasha? She’s awake, Kalani.”
Sasha pushed herself up and to face the bars. She grasped Lily’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes.
“Lani?”
“Yes, Aja?”
“I love you, my forever.”
Kalani’s face fell. “Aja, whatever you're doing, don’t. We will find another way.”
Sasha shook her head and met her sister’s eyes. “I’m preserving life.”
She separated herself from Irina and pushed her into the fire she breathed out into Lily. She pressed her forehead against Lily’s.
“Keep her safe, Irina.”