To Have And To Hold

I Believe I Can Fly...

Chapter Fifty-Seven: I Believe I Can Fly...

CHARLOTTE

Searing pain tore through me as my back hit the water with mindboggling velocity and force while I fought to take in a deep breath before instinctively closing my mouth tight. I furiously tried to link out a frantic call for help, but was met with defeat as I discovered that ability had been taken from me...

My body quickly being dragged further down, I began my fight against the enemy magic at play, thrusting my arms forward and forcing them back again in an effort to stop my downward progression, trying to comprehend what was happening as the sounds of Tink’s muffled cries grew more and more distant...

While my furiously flailing arms made it look like I was trying to fly, I was doing anything but—the action only quickening the pace of my aqueous descension as the stream of power rebelled. The girth widening around my waist, strengthening its hold with every attempt made, I stopped my resistance, going still in hopes that it would keep me from hitting the muddy floor below while praying Auntie would arrive quickly, knowing Tink had made the call...

The glistening light from the sun hitting the top of the water was growing faint and it was becoming more painful to hold the air in my lungs—and then, I saw it—finally! Auntie’s light! Her emerald green not only lighting up my shoulder, but top of the lake as well, diving down towards me at a furious pace towards the magical binds that held me hostage. Though I was surprised that she didn’t immediately bring me forth, it didn’t matter—I could do this! I could hold my breath until Auntie brought me back to the surface!

Thanks to Auntie’s powers, I finally saw the dark shadowed outline of my sister. Constance was to my right, closer to the surface, her arms flailing like mine were moments ago—trying to fly—and to my despair, like me, she couldn’t make any headway...

Worse still, as I watched Auntie’s emerald magic hit the multicolored beam around Constance’s hips, it didn’t make any headway either, bringing forth a panic as I realized I was in deep, deep trouble...

*************

TATIANA

The vision of Constance and Charlotte by the lake hit me with such a force, my brain felt like it was being torn in two from the painful pressure and heart-stopping trepidation. Jumping off Horacio’s bed, I frantically whisked my hand out in front of me—

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING? CONSTANCE! CHARLOTTE!”

“AUNTIE! THEY GOT YANKED INTO THE LAKE!”

Tink’s earth-shattering fearful cries of their names and then mine rang out as I arrived—just after the girls were taken into the water—loud, powerful splashes sailing high into the air. I immediately linked Reina with an image of my location, There’s been an attack! I need everyone, including Loa and Talon here NOW!

My right hand flinging out my protective semicircle close by, I ran forward, furiously blurting out, “Magic embedded, I command thee! Danger no more, set them both free! Bring them forth now, bring them to me!”

Beast and Tink were by my side before I finished my call, their fretful eyes glued to the spot where Constance and Charlotte had forcibly been taken under while I felt my spell rapidly pushing towards them—only to feel a powerful refusal of my order...

I stood stunned, feeling every mighty blow in the opposing battle occurring in the dark water below...

“Auntie? Where are they? Why aren’t they appearing?” Tink frightfully asked, the volume of her question deafening as she yelled out in a full-on panic as everyone appeared, “WHY AREN’T CONSTANCE AND CHARLOTTE IN THE DOME?”

Panic-stricken shouts rang out all around me as I instinctively shot up into the air—the loudest being the devastating angst-ridden shouts by Jace and Carson—but I couldn’t answer as there was no time to waste. The swiftness of the appearance of my vast Fairy Queen wings sent me flying high above as I homed in on my girls, blocking all communication from my horrified family below, but not before instructing my four shell-shocked sorcery sisters to be on the ready for my call for assistance...

Immediately bringing forth large glittering green globes that I held in each hand, I sent them barreling into the lake, the ferocious force hitting the watery surface with ear-splitting thunderous booms—the annihilating weight of my powers sending a huge tide of water towards the edge of the bank as my fierce sorcery-to-sorcery battle began...

I got to Constance first, quickly going to work to break through the magical barrier that held our Goddess hostage and in a perilous position. Sending a jolt of healing powers, I covered her mouth with an oxygen filled bubble to help her breathe while continuing to wage war against our magical enemy—suddenly realizing that there wasn’t just one sorceress I was fighting against—there were several who combined forces to place this spell...

Charlotte was reached by then, bringing forth a whole new concern—judging by the harsh rebound I felt from my strike, she was the primary target—the deadly force of the powers used against her far greater than those inflicted upon Constance, posing a whole new set of unforeseen complications, including the fact that my air bubble was instantly broken in every attempt made...

Sending out an urgent open link to Persephone, Reina, Loa, and Ursula, I soon had the additional power I needed sent forth as they vigorously threw out streams of their magic towards me in a move that we all hoped would work—the vicious battle requiring me to have a continuous presence in the sky...

Loud gasps rang out amid a myriad of loudly shouted out questions about my shocking actions as I broke off small rope-like streams from each of my brightly glowing hands to capture their magic before intensely concentrating on harnessing and incorporating them into my own.

My gigantic wings were set aflame with all five colors of our combined powers to my great relief. My plan worked and fortunately, I was able to balance the addition with ease. Even more fortunate was the hard surge of formidable power I was able to send through the beam enabling me to finally give Charlotte the oxygen my girl desperately needed.

Everything was happening at a rapid pace, but I knew what needed to be done, moving at a blinding pace to break my young loves free. Shifting a larger bulk of the force towards Constance, while still maintaining enough strength to continue my unrelenting fight for Charlotte, I increased the pressure against the magical hold on Goddess’ waist.

The moves made caused much-needed fractures to finally appear in the vile opposition. However, as the live spell realized that defeat was near, the forces within it revolted against me, bursting the air bubbles and forcing Constance’s mouth open to allow water in—the first of several unwanted and least desirable maneuvers in its final stand...

My intertwined monstrous powers heeding my call, I was able to bring Constance’s stilled body shooting out of the water—her arms outstretched as she flew up towards my hand, sending waves roughly rippling towards the bank in her wake. However, no sooner had I pulled her up mid-air towards me, five beams that looked like large eels sprung up out of the water—one blue, two orange, one yellow, and one magenta—soaring up to weave around her body again before forcibly pulling her back down below.

I saw the fruitless attempts Persephone, Reina, Loa, and Ursula made, their streams of individual powers bouncing off the magical attackers, driving me to become more relentless in my pursuit, barely allowing her below the wet surface before bringing Constance gliding back up high into the sky. Splitting my mighty beam into two to hold her with one and pummel into the approaching magic trying to reclaim her with the other, I decisively sent the vanquished magic back down into the lake.

Unfortunately, my action caused a change in their course, diverting to make a mad dive towards my Charlotte, who was still being held captive and sinking further towards the bottom of the lake. Instantly hitting Constance with the necessary surge of power, I readied myself for what I hoped was the right next move because if I was wrong—Charlotte’s life could very well end...

*************

NICHOLAS

What the hell is that?

That’s the magic of not one, but five sorceresses! We need to help now!

Jace’s infuriated question and Aunt Persephone’s immediate shocked and highly alarmed answer had everyone unnerved and sinking into deeper despair. Igor’s methodical attack had rendered us—rendered me, their Alpha—to mere helpless spectators in another vicious strike—on our land.

“I’m so sorry, Nicholas,” Mahan breathlessly murmured, reeling as we continued to stare towards the sky.

When we arrived by the lake, chaos immediately broke out as we heard Tink’s furious question and saw Auntie bring forth her emerald Fairy Queen wings. Jace and Carson were understandably hysterical, looking between Auntie and the water with wild, traumatized wide eyes and expressions—faces full of fright soon crossing all our expressions as we watched our Fairy Queen make a desperate rescue attempt—including having our other four sorceresses send additional power to her in an amazing, mind-boggling move I had never seen Auntie perform—after the combined efforts of several witches penetrated her protection spell on the girls...

My heart sank as our sorceresses’ attempt to help failed miserably and Constance was taken back into the water, unabashed fear for her and Charlotte—who had yet to be seen—fully consuming every fiber of my being as Jace suddenly doubled over in overt pain...

Through a bated breath, he rasped out, “Constance’s chest—she’s—she’s—"

His words were cut off by Auntie’s next retaliatory strike, bringing Constance flying back up into the air before hitting the thin streams of adversarial powers with a loud crashing bolt of her own deadly magic. As they were sent plummeting back into the water, Auntie simultaneously sent out another heavy streak of her powers to the aura around Constance, causing an explosion of green so great, it sent them both flying several yards back.

My held breath expelled into the air in relief as I saw Constance’s chest suddenly jerk forward before coughing out a large mouthful of water—gasping for air—then suddenly vanishing, causing my hastened breath to still once more.

It didn’t last long—the heavy breath I let out this time, however, a conflicted one of relief and immense shock and horror. Constance reappeared right in front of Jace, fighting for every breath as he thrust himself forward, falling to his knees and pulling her drenched body up, cradling it against his shaking frame, frantically calling out, “TALON!”, before placing several kisses on the side of her temple, brokenly exhaling out, “It’s alright, Goddess. Talon is coming. You’re safe—I’ve got you, love. Mother will get to Charlotte.”

Talon was instantly by his side, assessing Constance as my Alpha, Tink, and Vivian ran towards them, while I stood still—my gaze darting over to a panic-stricken Carson, who Beast was protectively guarding—before swiftly moving my eyes back up to the sky.

Auntie’s face was full of determination and resolve, continuing her fight against the combined effort of several witches Igor had utilized in his heavy-handed strike against us. But her eyes held something that sent a renewed sense of great unease flooding through me—struggle and fright—as she urgently bellowed out, “Send as much of your power directly to me as you can—NOW!”

Aunt Persephone, Aunt Reina, Loa, and Ursula were ready—reactively thrusting out large bursts of their magic towards her. Auntie whipped her left hand to the side, her eyes still on the water below as she confidently captured it all within the palm of her hand, her enormous twelve-foot-wide wings lighting up brightly in the sparkling colors again as Auntie somehow one-handedly harnessed the magic all at once, something else I’ve never seen her do.

The action had everyone’s attention as more sharp breaths expelled heavily in the air with Jace anxiously questioning, “How the hell did she do that?”

“I’m not sure how, but Tati had no choice—fortunately it worked,” Loa slowly drawled out in deep concentrated concern, “I’m afraid the full weight of the spell is attacking Charlotte now.”

“Come on, Auntie, you can do it—break the spell,” Carson brokenly muttered out through a forced breath, “Bring her to the surface—free my Charlotte.”

***********

CHARLOTTE

With Auntie’s green bubble covering my mouth, I could breathe as her green powers fought against the magic that held me hostage under water. Trying to remain calm as she had succeeded in fending off my body making any further descent, my struggle continued as the swirling beam continuously tightened around my waist.

With every harsh penetration made by Auntie’s powerful green, there was a fierce retaliatory counterattack—like I was being stabbed over and over by hundreds of sharp knives all over my body while fear set in watching Auntie’s battle to save Constance. And then the air bubble ferociously burst—and what happened after she succeeded in saving Constance made me realize—I may not survive this...

My fight to hold my breath was made impossible as the beams that had once held Constance hostage came streaking towards me after Auntie thankfully set her free. The immense weight of the powers slamming into chest, what little air was left came bubbling out as a thick bright blue strand slithered up like a snake, forcing my mouth wide open, allowing water to flood my lungs...

All my hope was dashed as my body succumbed to the attack, my mind automatically starting to play out happy images of moments spent with my sisters before a vision of Carson’s sweet goofy smile pushed its way to the forefront of my mind. Every moment from the time we reconnected until now playing out until my body betrayed my will and I fell into a sea of blackness—my last heartbreaking thought being that I wasn’t ready—I didn’t have enough time with Carson—as his gorgeous face and cute, crooked smile stilled in my mind...

I was blinded by the intense, bright white that suddenly appeared, still trying to focus as I saw a colossal, shadowed figure in front of me—was I dead? Had my father come for me?

When my vision cleared, I was shocked at who was standing before me—it was Horacio, who emphatically demanded, “Don’t you dare give up, Charlotte! Don’t give in to death! Tati’s almost there—it’s not your time. I love you too, so fight for me now and remember these words—repeat them—I am the storm!”

“I am the storm,” I whispered back to him in wonder, bringing a smile to Horacio’s face—one that was returned with a bright one of my own...

**************

NICHOLAS

Mere seconds had passed after Carson’s quiet, but desperate plea, when he crumpled to the ground in agonizing pain as Beast and Alastor worriedly knelt beside him. Mahan and I charged forward to do the same, helping to sit him back up as Alastor supportively murmured, “Have faith in our Winged Angel, Carson. She will do whatever needs to be done to save Charlotte.”

Our hold, however, was quickly broken and Alastor’s words negated as Carson’s viciously fell forward, throwing his hands out to catch his fall, excruciatingly croaking out, “I’m—I’m losing her! I can feel our connection shattering inside! I’m losing Charlotte! She can’t breathe!”

His head flying back, Carson desolately wailed out, “Auntie! Charlotte can’t breathe! She’s dying! Help her—please—YOU HAVE TO GET HER OUT NOW!”

Directly after his fervent request, profoundly powerful beams ignited in Auntie’s hands—her next brutal strike destructively pounding into the lake to save our Crescent Moon—and what happened next stilled every breath...

The ground began violently shaking beneath us as our tranquil lake became a raging and turbulent whitewater pool of watery magic with an intense Auntie at the helm. Her tiny body and massive wings quaking from the overwhelming powers being utilized in her fight, Auntie’s expression held a hardened fierceness and resolve as she sent another mighty tidal wave of water across the ground in front of us, droplets of the forceful hit flying up into the air.

It was then that we caught our first glimpse of Charlotte—her body horizontal and lifeless as it slowly rose above the raging water, like Constance, her arms outstretched—only to be attacked just above the surface, the five glowing ropes reappearing, but vastly thicker and stronger this time as the two separate arms of the spell had combined as one. Swirling up around her ankles, it revealed the immense strength Auntie had been battling against, instantly righting Charlotte up before savagely attempting to take her back under.

My heart was pounding in my chest, which was heavily heaving now as Constance’s hoarse voice hysterically wheezed out, “Charlotte!”

The heavy toll on her body and struggle to defeat the underwater foe clear, Auntie suddenly boomed, “By my command, encapsulate the resistance, relinquish the hold back to me! Her Fairy Queen demands that my Charlotte be protected at all costs and most of all, SET HER FREE!”

The already rough tides turned explosive as Auntie’s incantation took effect, the conflicting spells clashing against one another in a frenzied fury as Charlotte’s body was viciously rocked up and down between them in a back-and-forth war for control.

Both of Auntie’s palms were determinedly remaining firmly in place, appearing to be building momentum before she bellowed, “Enough is enough! This battle ends NOW! All my powers come forth to finish this fight! Taking my Charlotte’s life—I refuse to allow!”

The two wide rays of light containing the harnessed magic of our five intensified dramatically, overtaking the opposition—the combined magic of the adversarial five sliding away from Charlotte before barreling back down into the water—the spell finally being outmatched by our Fairy Queen.

The tumultuous waves Auntie had created instantly stilled, which would have brought sighs of relief, but danger still loomed as Charlotte’s chest wasn’t moving at all, but I only caught a glimpse as she and Auntie disappeared from the sky. And before I could say a word, Aunt Persephone, Aunt Reina, Loa, Ursula, and Remi vanished as well...

“NO! Don’t do this to me, Charlotte!” I heard Carson harshly whisper, before shoving himself forward and clumsily leaping up off the ground to take off on a mad run.

Turning my head towards him, I saw all our sorceresses’ hands clasping together a good distance away with an exhausted-looking Auntie looking up, linking, We need to keep Carson from Charlotte for now, Nicholas. It’s going to require a vast amount of power to bring her back...

*************

TATIANA

My energy was severely depleted, but I rebelled against it as time was quickly running out to save my Charlotte, whose breath had all but fully ceased. Removing us from the sky while sending another urgent link, we reappeared on the ground far away from the water and our family. While shortening their girth to two feet outside my shoulders, I kept my swallowtails on hand as my sisters, Loa, Ursula and Remi appeared beside me...

There was no color in Charlotte’s beautiful, sculpted face as I grasped Persephone and Reina’s hands, informing everyone in a harsh whisper, “We have mere minutes left. We need to get the water out of Charlotte’s lungs now!”

Carson’s crushed and traumatized state broke my heart as I looked up to see him charging towards us, linking Nicholas, who, along with Gavin, Beast, and Alastor went after my poor darling boy with a frantic Tink not far behind them.

Quickly bringing my attention back to Charlotte, I brought forth my magic, harnessing the other four along with it, quietly murmuring, “Remi, you know what to do, but watch the force of your entry.”

Remi ran back several yards before turning around and replying in a determined tone, “Just tell me when, Auntie.”

Close, but not too close, I heard Tink and Carson as I sent the ferocious bolt of harnessed power out to pierce through Charlotte’s chest—

Tink’s tone was harsh and unusually petrified as she questioned, “Tell you when for what, Remi? Why are you standing so far back? What are you doing?”

His tone completely broken, reflecting his shattered heart, Carson desperately pleaded, “Do what you have to do, Auntie—please—just please save my Lottie!”

Charlotte’s body violently arched up, lighting up from my overwhelming blow as I urgently shouted, “Now, Remi!”

Remi’s spirit made a blazing sprint after exiting her physical body, leaping up into the air and twisting into a wide oval spiraling beam before slamming hard into the center of Charlotte’s chest, causing an even more frightening upward arch of her body in response as an enormous amount of water spewed out of Charlotte’s mouth, sailing straight up into air before falling to splatter all over her face and the ground all around her—but she was still barely taking in air, meaning there was more that needed to be expelled...

“AGAIN!” I loudly demanded as Remi reeled her healing stream back in and I hit Charlotte with another round of unimaginable power...

Relief flowed through me after Remi’s second powerful entry into Charlotte’s chest, as another powerful gush of water flew out of her mouth and she took in a sharp, deep intake of air, filling her lungs with much-needed oxygen, though her exhale was heavily wheezed. Talon was on standby and after a shaky nod from me, began assessing our girl.

My gaze drifting over to our large family, I saw the same heartbreaking remains of devastation on everyone’s faces that I had seen when my Horacio had fallen victim in Igor’s last attack. Nicholas, flanked by Gavin and Alastor, had a strongarm around Carson’s upper body, holding his limp frame up but understandably incapable of holding him together as Carson peered at me fractured and fragile. Beast had the same hold on Tink, both with the same expression as tears flowed heavily down my sweet girl’s face.

“You can let Carson and Tink go to her now,” I thickly informed them, watching as Carson almost tripped over his feet when Nicholas released him, rushing over and falling to his knees beside Charlotte, his hand violently shaking as he gently wiped the water off her ashen face, hoarsely rasping out, “That’s my girl. Stay with me, Lottie.”

“Charlotte is going to be okay, right?” Tink desperately exhaled out, her eyes on her sister as she fell down to the ground beside Carson with Beast crouching down behind them.

“Yes, thanks to the help of our amazing sorceresses and Remi, I believe Charlotte is going to be just fine, Tink,” Talon wholeheartedly assured her.

Peering over at my overwhelmed and alarmed Jace, who was sitting on the ground lovingly holding a tearful and weakened Constance, surrounded by many of our loved ones, I infuriatingly murmured, “Keep your powers at hand, ladies—there is still work to be done here.”