Chapter 39 - The Potion

Brielle knew she had Kaleigh exactly where she wanted her. Kaleigh was hanging on the wall, unable to move and in pain. Brielle smirked as she walked around the cave to prepare one of the potions she had brought with her.

"Did you really think you could defeat me? I am the High Priestess of the Dark Sphere Coven, and you are nothing but a child. I have been practicing magic for hundreds of years, and you don't even know the power you hold. I could kill you with a snap of my fingers, but that would be too easy. I want the stone. Only then will I put you out of your misery." Brielle cackled loudly, watching Kaleigh glare at her.

"Brielle, I don't care what you do to me; you will never get my stone. If you kill me, how do you plan on getting your filthy claws on it? I will never tell you where it is, and you won't find it no matter how hard you look." Kaleigh took deep breaths and said a little spell, temporarily numbing herself to the pain.

Kaleigh and Skylar could use their magic together to get off the wall, but Kaleigh was not ready to show her hand just yet. She wanted Brielle to think she had bested her. The longer she let Brielle believe she was in control, the longer Kaleigh and Skylar could work on their plan.

"You may be the last Emerald Stone witch, but you will never beat me. If you could have done it, you would have already. That tells me that you don't know where to begin. I, however, know what will bring you to your knees, so to speak." Brille smiled evilly and pulled something out of her pocket.

Kaleigh looked at the small red bottle in Brielle's hand, and she felt a small trickle of fear run through her. Whatever was in that bottle couldn't be good.

*"Skylar, can you tell what that is and what it will do to us?"* Kaleigh hoped that Skylar could counter whatever was in the bottle with her black magic knowledge.

*"From what I can smell, I think it will let her see what is in your thoughts and memories. So that means she will be able to see where you put the stone. It is also going to cause you a lot of pain. Kaleigh, I will counter the potion, but I need you to pretend that you are in pain. I will make her think the stone in your necklace is the sacred stone, just like we talked about."* Skylar was confident she could protect their secret. She began her spell before Brielle could even get started.

"You see this little bottle, Kaleigh. When I force it down your throat, I will be able to see all that you have seen. I would tell you to hold still, but my tentacle friends already have that covered." Brielle slowly walked up to Kaleigh with a sickening grin on her face.

When she was standing in front of Kaleigh, she slowly levitated herself off the ground. Kaleigh was taller than she was, and she was hanging on the wall. Brielle grabbed Kaleigh's hair and pulled hard, tipping her head back slightly.

Kaleigh struggled and tried to keep her mouth shut, but Brielle was stronger than Kaleigh in her poor state. Brielle forced the liquid into Kaleigh's mouth. Kaleigh tried to spit it out, but Brielle forcefully held her mouth shut, making her swallow.

Kaleigh felt the thick, sludge-like liquid slide down her throat. The taste was horrid, like swallowing mud mixed with something rotten. Kaleigh thought she would be sick; however, she didn't feel any pain.

Skylar reminded her to act like she was in pain because her spell was working so she wouldn't feel the pain. Kaleigh began thrashing as much as the tentacles would let her, and she started screaming in pain. She felt nothing, but she acted as if she was in terrible pain. Kaleigh knew her life depended on it. She could hear Skylar chanting in her head.

Brielle was getting excited as she watched Kaleigh. She thrived on the pain of others, and the pain of an Emerald Stone witch was powerful. Brielle started focusing and began looking inside Kaleigh to see her memories. This would be the quickest way for her to find the stone. Even if this worked, she still had more plans for Kaleigh.

Brielle's eyes turned a bright blue as she read Kaleigh's thoughts or at least the memories that Skylar was producing for her to see. Brielle smiled when she saw Kaleigh putting the stone into the charm on her necklace. She started laughing, sending chills down Kaleigh's spine.

"Did you think that you could wear the stone right in front of me and I wouldn't be able to find it? You are even dumber than I thought." Brielle snatched the necklace from Kaleigh's neck and landed softly back on her feet.

Kaleigh continued to scream in pain and struggle with the tentacles. She felt like laughing in Brielle's face telling her that she was the dumb one thinking Kaleigh would be that naïve. Skylar told her that she could act like the potion was wearing off now. Kaleigh slowly stopped struggling and pretended she was out of breath.

"If you touch that stone, you will die, Brielle. You know that no one that practices black magic can touch the sacred stone." Kaleigh yelled at her in pretended anger.

"I don't plan on actually touching the stone with my hands, you idiot. I will get the stone out when I am ready for it. Right now, it's time to make you pay for thinking you could keep it from me." Brielle put the necklace into her pocket.

Kaleigh didn't like the way that sounded. She knew Skylar could help her some, but there would be things that would be even too powerful for Skylar. Brielle walked away, going down the other path in the cave. Kaleigh quickly mindlinked Allie, Mollie, and Felicia.

"*Are you girls still doing okay out there?"* Kaleigh asked nervously, hoping they could hear her.

*"Yes, we are still hiding close by. We sent your werebear friend to help out with the fight at the packhouse. Just let us know when you will be ready for us and what you want us to do."* Mollie answered for them all.

*"I will, and I am glad he went to help. Brielle is coming back now, stay safe, and I will reach out soon."* Kaleigh closed the mindlink when she heard Brielle coming back down the path.

Celeste, who had been standing in the corner this whole time, looked at Kaleigh with sorrow on her face. She hated that the young witch was going through this, and she hoped she would be able to get out of here. Celeste was willing to do whatever was needed to help Kaleigh, even if she died. When she heard Brielle coming, Celeste slinked further back into the corner. She was hoping Brielle would forget she was there until Kaleigh needed her help.

Kaleigh looked over at Celeste and winked at her, letting her know she was okay. She made sure not to bring any attention to Celeste when Brielle was in the room.
She didn't want Brielle doing anything to hurt Celeste. Kaleigh turned toward Brielle as she walked back into sight and gasped.

Brielle was carrying a long whip made with silver. Silver was lethal to werewolves. Kaleigh was worried that if Brielle used the whip on her, it would hurt her and Skylar. She could hear Skylar growling angrily in her head.

"Now that I have the stone in my possession, it's time to have a little fun. Well fun for me, pain for you. How do you and your wolf-like silver Kaleigh? I will whip you with this silver whip, not enough to kill you yet, just enough to cause you and your wolf a lot of pain." Billed flicked the whip in the air, and it made a sickening slap against the rock next to Kaleigh's head.

Kaleigh was fearful of the pain Brielle was going to cause Skylar. If Skylar was in too much pain to use her magic, things would not go as planned. Kaleigh glared at Brielle when she began laughing.

"Let the games begin." Brielle said as she laughed and raised the whip.