ELLA The cold slab marble that I am bonded to is beginning to hurt my back. The seven witches on the council study the runes that are tattooed on my arms. They murmur to one another in a language that I am unfamiliar with while they try different spells to remove the markings.“I know if we could free her from the chains that traitor put on her, her powers would come to life,” the High Witch says curiously. “But these runes are more than simply etched into her skin.” “They were burned on,” I yell from the table unable to stand their hands on me any longer. “What was that dear,” another of the witches yells in my direction. She has been holding a funnel up to her ear to be able to hear me better. “They were burned on,” I yell louder, and I can see her nod in the direction of the other witches.“They appear to be burned on,” she yells to the other witches surrounding me and I catch many of them rolling their eyes at her. I have to stifle a giggle from escaping my lips.
EREBUS We land with a thud outside of a run-down mansion. Lucian runs to the tree line and begins to vomit in a small bush as I try to stagger to my feet. I cannot help but notice the look of amusement on Grace’s face as she watches us struggle to regain our balance after being teleported.“This is where I leave you,” Grace says once Lucian and I are back on our feet. “You aren’t coming with us?” Lucian asks before swallowing another hiccup of vomit. “I can’t,” she says before turning to me. “If Ella bore your mark they wouldn’t be able to keep her from you,” she says before she teleports from the area. “Are you ready to battle some witches?” I ask Lucian as I slap him on the back. Lucian’s face is still green from the teleport. He holds up one finger and heads back over to the bush and vomits one last time. “Ready,” he says as he wipes the remaining puke on his chin. “You find your way to Ella…” Lucian doesn’t wait for me to respond before he runs towards the dilapi
EREBUS As soon as I sink my teeth into Ella’s neck I can hear the wind stop blowing downstairs. My skin stops burning and I fall onto Ella’s chest exhausted. Ella’s eyes are tightly closed as she tries to fight off the effects of my venom, but she isn’t strong enough and I feel her body go limp under my own. Placing my ear on her chest I can hear the subtle beating of her heart and I know that she is still fighting in there somewhere. I try to push myself off of her, but my arms are weak. Looking at the skin on my arms it appears as if I have walked through fire. Huge pieces of flesh are missing, and the rest is bubbled and blistered. The sound of footsteps running in the hallway outside catches my attention. I force myself into a sitting position, ready to fight for my mate. The door to Ella’s prison swings open and hits the wall with a thud. Lucian is standing in the doorway panting heavily, partially shifted with his claws extended, ready to attack. Looking around the
EREBUS The flight back to Lycan City was awkward to say the least. Andrew insisted on sitting next to his daughter’s unconscious body and growled any time I got near. My inner lycan wanted to rip his head off but I knew that Ella would never forgive me for killing one of her fathers. So I sat with Lucian and we went over plans on how to up security around the city so the witches cannot teleport in and out as they please. Once we arrive back at the mansion Andrew refuses to let anyone but himself carry Ella. Stoically he carries her into the mansion and waits to be directed on where to put her. “Place her in my room,” I gesture to the door at the end of the hallway, but Andrew doesn’t move. “No,” he says simply. “Where was she staying before?”“She will heal faster in the proximity of her mate,” I try to reason with him, but he is ignoring my words. “You know,” I say with a smirk on my lips. “I am the King. I could command you to place her in my room.”“But you won’t,”
ELLA I can hear voices surrounding me but all I can see is black. Every inch of my body feels like it is being engulfed in flames. I try to open my eyes, but it is as if they are sewn shut and my limbs feel as if they are made of lead. I can’t move, I can’t speak, so I can only burn in agony alone. Everything is dark until a memory fills my mind. “But I don’t want to be homeschooled,” I pout pushing my plate away from me in anger. Ten year old me is sitting with her arms crossed over her chest in protest. My brother, Emerson is pushing his vegetables across his plate refusing to eat them. My father, Andrew, pokes him in the side and points to the veggies with his eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. Emerson pops a piece of broccoli in his mouth and pretends to gag before he begrudgingly chews and swallows. “Ella,” my mother says gently. “It is time that you start your training.” “But I don’t even have powers,” I pout again. My mother uses her emotions to calm the t
ELLA The cold night of my first shift fades away and a new memories surge forth. Birthday after birthday rips through my mind. Disappointment after disappointment with every birthday morning I woke up powerless. The moments pause on my eighteenth birthday. The ringing of a phone awakens me from my sleep. “Mmmm ’ello,”I say sleepily into the phone. “Happy Birthday, my Love,” my mother’s voice rings sweetly through the phone like a song. “Do you feel any different?” She asks and my heart sinks with her words. “No mother,” I cannot hide the exasperation from my voice. “I am still powerless.” The memory fades and another comes into my field of vision. “No, Ella,” My uncles voice screams at me in frustration. “You aren’t paying attention. Again.” Taking a defensive stance in the center of the training field. I motion to my Uncle that I am ready. Circling one another I watch intently as he studies my movements. He expects me to be on the defensive but instead I hur
ELLA Dragging my eyes away from the literal Goddess that is standing next to me, I look back at my unconscious body lying on the bed. “I am dying aren’t I,” I whisper to the Moon Goddess.“Not necessarily,” Selene says gently. She guides me over to the chairs in the corner of the suite and gestures for me to sit. “Whether you live, or die is up to you.” “He marked me against my will,” I choke out through silent sobs. “What was it that you said to your wolf before turning yourself over to the coven?” I can feel the Moon Goddess flickering through the memories in my head. “One life to save countless others,” she repeats my words. “Ella, this is what you have been doing for years. Why do you think I put you back in those memories? You constantly sacrifice what you want for the good of those around you. Your mate was only doing the same thing.” My memories flicker back to my time in the coven, and I remember how they refused to let me go because Erebus hadn’t marked me yet.
ELLAI have been awake for three days and it has been three days of listening to my father and Erebus bicker over my wellbeing. Erebus insists that I stay locked in my room because I need rest. My father is sure that fresh air and letting Lily out for a run is the best thing for me. I just sit between the two of them and listen to them fight. Most days I zone out and think about the mark that I now have on my neck. I was certain that Erebus would have regretted his decision by now but every morning I awake to fresh flowers from the greenhouse in my bedroom. Each day a different flower and color. Not to be outdone, my father makes my breakfast every morning and brings it to my room himself. Every morning it is absolutely awful, but I don’t have the heart to tell him.“It looks like you will be getting your wish, Alpha,” Erebus says as he storms into my bedroom. My father shoots a deathly glare over his shoulder. I think he has forgotten that Erebus is more than just my mate,