Chapter 147: Control yourself
~Ava's POV~
Time seemed to slow as Gwen's body began to fall. Without thinking, I pushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
Her weight sent us both to our knees, her blood warm and sticky against my skin, staining my clothes.
"Gwen! Gwen, stay with me!" I cried, cradling her head in my lap. Her eyes fluttered, focusing on my face for just a moment before sliding away again.
"They knew and were waiting for an opportunity," she whispered, her voice so faint I had to bend close to hear her.
Anastasia's scream pulls me from me.
"You dare?" she roared, her voice angrier than I'd ever heard it, seeming to come from deep within her. "YOU DARE HARM MY WOMAN?"
The weather instantly changed. Soldiers closest to her froze in place, ice spreading across their armor, their exposed skin turning blue. Those farther away backed away in terror as waves of freezing air rolled off around her.
"Anastasia Wan!" The high priest raised his staff defensively. "Control yourself! This is the will of the gods!" My eyes searched for Elder Councilor Atticus, but he was nowhere to be found.
"My will is stronger," Anastasia growled, and with a swing of her hand, she sent a spear of ice through his raised staff, shattering it. The priest staggered backwards, his face ashen.
Elder Councilor Atticus ran forward and shouted an order and several warlocks raised their hands.
They blew a sparkling powder toward Anastasia, some kind of spell or medicine. I didn't know, but where it touched her skin, her powers quickly dwindled, and she fell to the ground.
I gently dropped Gwen to help her. Fighting through the soldiers, I summoned my new powers, blue flame, burning a path toward Anastasia.
The fire came easily now, fueled by my rage and fear. Soldiers screamed as the flame consumed them, turning them to ash in seconds.
"Ava!" Anastasia called as I reached her side. Her face was pale, her movements sluggish from whatever powder they had used against her.
"We need to get Gwen out of here," I said, supporting Anastasia with one arm while keeping my other hand extended, flame dancing on my palm to ward off approaching soldiers.
Together, we fought our way back to where Gwen lay. Anastasia knelt beside her, placing her hands on Gwen's wound.
"Come on," she muttered, her hands glowing with a soft white light. "Heal, damn you."
But the light sputtered and died. Anastasia tried again, sweat beading on her forehead.
"It's not working," she said, panic edging into her voice. "Why isn't it working?"
"The powder" Gwen whispered, her eyes opening briefly. "It must ...it must weaken you..."
"Save your strength," I told her, scanning our surroundings. The soldiers were regrouping, forming a tighter circle. We were running out of time.
That's when I saw Clarai, Anastasia's trusted soldier, lying motionless on the ground a few yards away. Her armor was dented, her sword still clutched in her lifeless hand.
"Clarai..." Anastasia followed my gaze, her expression crumpling.
I looked around desperately for Callie, but she was nowhere to be seen. Had she abandoned us? Or had she already fallen?
More soldiers were approaching. I raised my hands, summoning the blue flame again, but it came weaker this time. My strength was fading. I had never used my new powers so extensively before, and the effort was draining me rapidly.
"Stay back!" I shouted, but my voice lacked conviction. The flame in my palm flickered, barely reaching beyond my fingertips now.
Anastasia wasn't doing much better. Whatever that powder was, it had severely weakened her. She swayed on her feet, her ice powers came only as a light frost on the ground around her.
"We can't hold them," she whispered. "There are too many."
Gwen's breathing had become shallow, each breath a painful struggle. The blood had stopped flowing, but not because the wound was healing, because she had so little left to lose.
A crushing sense of helplessness washed over me. If only I had listened to the warnings.
If only I had stayed within the palace walls. All of this, Gwen's wound, Clarai's death, Anastasia's weakened state, it was all because of me. Because I had been too stubborn, too determined to have my own way.
My legs gave out, and I sank to my knees beside Gwen. The blue flame on my palm sputtered and died.
I could feel tears streaming down my face, but I lacked even the strength to wipe them away.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."
The soldiers began to advance, their expressions grim behind their helmets. The high priest stepped forward, another dagger already in his hand.
"This is the will of the gods," he repeated, but this time, there was no one strong enough to challenge him.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the end.
And then, cutting through my despair like a beam of light, I heard a voice. Not spoken aloud, but sounding inside my mind, clear as a bell.
"Princess of Mesodomica, will you accept your powers and heritage now, or will you allow your people and friends to die?"
Lorraine's voice. Impossible, we are not linked. And yet, I knew it was her.
"I don't understand," I whispered, my eyes still closed.
"You know who you are. What you are. Now you have to choose."
A soldier's boot crunched on the gravel near my head. I could feel the shadow of his weapon falling across my face.
"If I accept my powers," I called out desperately, not caring who heard me, "would you help my friends?"
The voice in my mind grew stronger, more insistent. "Yes, just accept who you are."
"Yes!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "Please help my friends. I will do anything."
"You have chosen well."
I don't know what happened but I saw myself, she was so beautiful in the most radiant white beautiful gown, I had ever seen.
Her silver hair was matted in a twist wrapped around her head with silver jewellery shaped like flowers impeded into her twisted bun.
She had the purest blue eyes; they looked just like mine. In fact, she looked like me but more like a refined version.
I see her standing by the balcony of chambers or more like something that is like a garden, a very large one.
Someone rushed in, with the same silver hair and blue eyes but nothing in comparison to the lady who looked like me.
" Princess Norelle, the sacred beast king is here. He is finally here. You have been waiting for him and have not eaten for days."
" Are you sure, Callie? Is he well? No scratch on him right? Do I look good? Are my eyes puffy?" She kept piling questions upon questions on the lady called Callie.
I tried not to think too much that my human maid was also called Callie. I really tried but I couldn't help it. Is it really my Callie? What are the odds?
I hear my name being called from a distance and I jolt awake. " You are awake, Princess Norelle."
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