Chapter 63

“I see Belinda got you.” Misty points to my bloodied tea towel covered hand.
“Yeah, thanks, a warning would have been nice.” I give her a mock stern look. She smiles and lets out a small laugh.
“Why, so you could have avoided her?”
“Well, duh, yeah. I would have kept out of sight of a crazy woman branding a knife.” I glance at the dried blood coating the towel and feel relieved the sight of the blood hasn’t turned my stomach. I’m getting better at the small things. Strangely, I notice my palm doesn’t hurt anymore. I pull the towel away and gulp in surprise. The wound’s almost closed. The others see my reaction and gather around me.
“Wow, witches and angels both heal fast, but never like this,” James declares, shaking his head while inspecting my palm.
I shrug my shoulders and pull my hand back. I head to the bathroom to wash up before I try and get some sleep. I’m going to need as much rest as I can get. I have a feeling thing are about to get much worse.
I climb into the bed and close my eyes. The destruction of Enchanted Falls lays heavily on my mind. I’d come to like the place and its beautiful countryside. I think of all the families forced from their homes and into hiding. My mind conjures up images of my hometown being destroyed, along with all the humans.
I toss and turn for hours before sleep finally comes over me.
***
I wake to shooting pains down my spine. My blood feels like molten lava is running through my veins. My head pounds, and my heart hammers. My breathing becomes short and shallow.
Blurry faces come into view. My eyes sting and burn in their sockets. The low mumble of voices reaches my ears, but I can’t make out what they’re saying.
I feel like I’m floating in the air, like a feather on a breeze. Static runs through my body and intensifies the pain. I suddenly become very cold, my teeth chatter uncontrollably, and I shake violently. I try to move, but something holds me down. All I can see is darkness. The cold seeps into my bones and replaces the burning sensation. My blood feels like ice is coursing through my veins now.
I land on something soft and sink into its comfort. Distant murmurs echo around me, I shut them out. I focus on my pain and will it to go away. My entire body aches, pain ripples through my bones. I close my eyes, willing the darkness to take me. No such luck. The pain continues, intensifying with every passing second.
I float in a bright white light. My heart rate slows, and the pain gradually reduces. I find myself slowly floating upwards.
‘Am I dead?’ I wonder as my mind starts to clear. I stop floating, and the white light fades. I find myself standing in a clearing in a wood or forest. Numerous women appear out of the trees and hold hands, forming an unbroken circle around me.
I spin around, looking at each of them. They keep their heads bowed and their eyes closed. I try to take a step, but I’m thrust backward. I look down and see I’m standing inside what looks like an ancient symbol, surrounded by candles.
I start to panic when the women chant, in a whisper at first, but then the level increases. The wind picks up, blowing their hair around. Their chanting becomes louder, and the floor shakes beneath me. I struggle to keep my footing and not fall flat on my bottom.
Huge flames leap from the candles and create a fiery circle above me. The fire swirls and dances until it creates the same symbol I’m standing upon. A green mist with a hint of blue rises from the white lines on the floor. It comes towards me until I am surrounded.
Through the smoke, a grave voice intones, “You have now been given the powers of the Grace ancestor line. Use them wisely, girl.” The smoke evaporates, along with the scenery. I feel like I am falling, my stomach drops and leaps at the same time. I land on something soft and clench my eyes shut.
Slowly, I open them to be met with a dozen concerned looking faces.
“When is your birthday, Kayla?” My grandmother demands. I look at her in confusion. Misty gasps and covers her mouth.
Grandmother repeats the question, but slowly and more deliberately this time. “I will ask you again, when is your birthday?”
“In three days,” I snap. My body is in too much agony to care.
She marches out of the room and slams the door behind her. I look around at the surprised and concerned faces of the rest of the group.
“What was all that about?”
“You just received your full powers, sweetheart,” Amelia informs me as she sits on the edge of the bed, gently taking my hand in hers. I look into her usually bright eyes to see sadness reflecting from her dull blue irises.
“When a witch receives their full powers, not all of them make it through the transition. Try not to worry though, we have purposeful measures in place to help the transition along and lessen the pain.” She stops and looks at me directly. “Your transition took us by surprise, you could have died.
“You will feel tired for a couple of days, and you will need plenty of rest to enable your body to adjust to the change. Kayla, you were enormously powerful before, so be careful with your emotions. Your powers will be out of control until you get a good handle on them. The more powerful one is, the harder it is to control.” I nod my head in understanding. Inside, I’m terrified. I couldn’t control the power I had before. How am I going to control them now?
That simple thought sends my breathing out of control.
“Don’t worry, we will help you,” Misty says softly. Her words are well meant but do nothing to reassure me. The only person that can really help me is…Me.
Amelia, and a few others I still don’t know the names of, file out of the room. I let out a deep breath as my mind runs over her words. “You could have died and be careful.”
“I guess Hope screwed us over again,” Chris declares while pacing the floor. James looks at him angrily
“How do you know it was Hope?”
“Come on, James, we all know Hope had the power to manipulate minds.” He stops his pacing and looks James in the eyes. “Our plan has just been thrown out the window.”
The pair carry on the conversation in their heads. I wonder what they mean by plan. I want to say something. I want to know what they’re talking about. But I’m too exhausted right now to care.
“We’re supposed to be in this together,” Justin says, “So why don’t you let us all know what you are talking about?” I can see he is seething with rage, with how his body slightly trembles.
“I don’t remember asking you to join the party, never mind the discussion, Wolf,” Chris replies. The deadly look on Chris’s face should have told Justin to back off. However, Justin was having none of it.
“I am in this whether you like it or not, Chris. You can treat me like crap all you want. You can blame me for the death of your sister if it makes you feel better.” With this revelation, Misty gasps, and James whips his head towards Chris. My body suddenly gains a little strength. I stay quiet, wondering what he meant?
In a small barely heard voice Justin says, “Just remember, I am not the one who killed her.”
“Hang on, how do you know how Amber died?” Chris yells, his face turning red with rage.
“Let us just say I have heard stories, rumors,” Justin says, slowly backing off.
James glares at Justin. “Amber was attacked by wild bears in the forest surrounding this cabin. She refused to use her powers to defend herself.”
Chris bows his head. James catches the movement. “Isn’t that right, Chris?” He lets the question hang in the air.
“Your sister was a disgrace to the name Michael,” Justin says. “She didn’t want to be an angel. She wanted nothing to do with the path set before her. Do you really think your father would let one of his children defy him? The almighty Archangel Michael? No is the answer. He was the one who ordered my brother to attack her. He knew she would be reading in the forest. His plan was to attack her and provoke her to use her powers.” Justin steps closer to the Michaels. Misty stands a few paces away, silent tears running down her face, while the other two look ready to rip Justin’s head off. Justin ignores them. “My brother went too far. But did your father care? No, he let my brother run freely. Amber was nothing to him.”
Chris punches Justin in the face, sending him sailing across the room. Misty lets out a haunting scream. Chris hovers above him, raining more blows to his head and face. James just stands there, watching the scene play out before him.