Chapter 6 - Assassins
1337 Words
Assassins
Elizabeth
The guards from the castle are alarmed. They burst out, all wearing an armor with their weapons and shields. Pain threatening through me. My eyesight blurred, but not because tears were welling up. Everything became fuzzy; then I saw nothing at all. My consciousness was floating through an empty space filled with a thick static. Throughout the inky space my heartbeats pounded loudly, echoing in my ears, alongside fading pleas for help. Feeling in my body drained away until finally all was black.
“Help Lady Elizabeth, and get her to the Infirmary!” Daemon authoritative voice said. I couldn’t see anything, but I can still hear everyone around me.
“At once, your grace!” a man said. He swung me up in his strong arms as if I was nothing more than a ragdoll and pocketed the bottle before picking up the abandoned glass and carrying me to my room. My head rolled back between my shoulder blades as he staggered up the stairs with my weight.
*****
My eyelids were heavy, and make it difficult for me to open it. But, I forced it to open anyway. My mother was staring at me, with worried eyes. Tears are starting to form in them.
“Lizzy!” she cries out.
“Mother,” I said. My voice was hoarse and dry.
I tried to rise, but the pain in my shoulder only gets worse. I cried out in pain. She stopped me from moving. “The arrow was laced with a cobra’s venom.” she murmurs. I recognized where I am. It’s my chamber. I am home. The door was pulled open, and Daemon enters. He was carrying a tray of food and a bottle of water. His eyes widened at the sight of me. “Elizabeth!” relief flooded in his voice. He put the tray on top of the dresser table, and padded towards the bed. He took a seat at the edge, next to me.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“I feel like hell. I can’t move without feeling the pain,” I said.
“The poison came from Galapornea. And, the only House who create such poison, is the House of Ward.” Daemon said.
“Why would they do that? I’ve never heard of them, until now.” I said.
“That’s the answer we need to know. I’ll send a raven to my father, and have him know what happened. But, until then, the castle is under question. Your mother has stock of goods here. No one must leave or enter the castle, until we have a primary suspect. I told the healer to keep the arrow so your mother can trace the assassins they sent to do their dirty works.” Daemon mutters. My mother was about to oppose, but then he looks at her.
“Don’t bother to deny it, my lady. I already know you’re a witch.” he said flatly to her. Her eyes are wide. She gulped, and nodded.
“I’ll need Elliot’s help to do that. He’s kinda good at tracking.” she said. “But, before that. The poison must be taken out from her body first. Or it will spread. I know how this thing works.”
“Of course. Do you need anything, perhaps?”
“The ingredients I will need are not here, and couldn’t be found here,” she said.
I sighed. “I know someone who can help us. You just have to summon him.” I said. “He’s a warlock.”
Daemon snorts out. “I just don’t understand your thing about lame people.” he remarks with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. I let out an exhausted deep breath. I don’t really have time for his cocky remarks. My mother looks at me with a disapproval look that almost similar to Daemon’s expression.
“Why are you friends with him?” she finally ask that question. Daemon smirk.
“Well, he happens to be my classmate.” I am not sure if I should tell her that he’s from Galapornea and guards the rightful Queen of Galapornean people.
“You should stay away from their kind.” she said. I scoff. “You mean from your kind?” I snapped.
She sighs. “I know you must think of me as a hypocrite. But, Elizabeth. I didn’t tell you that I was a witch for a reason.” she said, “If you think this warlock friend of yours can help us, then I am willing to help you summon him. You’re a powerful witch. And, besides, I can’t summon someone I have never met.”
“I don’t think I can. I am too weak mother.” I said. My voice faint and weak.
She scoots closer to me. “You're more powerful than you think you are.” she said. Her hands were on top of mine.
“I’ll try.” I mumble.
Daemon started to draw a pentagon on my wooden floor. While my mother tried to help me sat on the edge of my bed. My bear feet meets the floor. I wince at the pain. I took a deep breath and stand up straight. Even though my legs were feeling weak and jelly. I ignore the scorching pain in my shoulder.
“Ready?” Daemon asked. He stands at the narrow point of the pentagon, and my mother did the same. My mother nodded at me and said,
“She is ready,” she held my gaze. I gulped.
“What should I do mother?” I said. Frantic was clear in my voice.
“It’s similar to conjuring and summoning demons, the only difference is that you have to think of him. That’s the only way he’ll answer your call. Summon your magic, lizzy, It will help you.”
I closed my eyes and hum. Searching for the heat inside me. It didn’t reach out the way it used to. But, it was something else I had tapped on. It grasped my hands in a powerful way. The windows blows open. The wind blew through the house with a powerful passion, scattering old documents as if they were the leaves of fall and banging the doors as if they were its chaotic drum beat - the marching band of one without fingers or hands. When I look at them, their eyes widened at my feet. When I look at my feet, I was no longer standing on the floor. My mother nodded,
“Mater naturae! Adiuva me audet testimonium huic. Nikolas Disteel et a me citatus, accedas!” I chanted. The winds got stronger and stronger. The pentagon isn’t painted in white chalk anymore. The line reddens like fire. Fury fire scorching in like a beat of heart.
Nik appears on the surface of the pentagon. “Bloody hell of the seven! Elizabeth, what the hell is going on?” he exclaimed.
“I need your help to get these ingredients.” I said, and took the small paper from my mother’s hand. “We got ambushed during the progress, and the arrow was laced with cobra’s venom.” I said. He took it from me.
“I will have it delivered to you before dawn.” he said.
“We don’t have time, warlock. So, you better hurry up.” Daemon said.
“I will try my best. But, the Herb garden is well guarded.”
Nausea hits me. My vision blurs. My chest tightens. The next thing I knew, darkness consumes me for the second time again.
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