The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Waverly's POV

I know it has been a while since I started this escape. I have made it through 7 walls so far and let me tell you it was hella harder to do than what Bema put me through. Granted we never thought that Cleo was working with other dark witches, I only saw her in my visions. I am sure if Bema had known the training would be a lot harder, but it was a crash course in what to expect not that it would be as easy as she had tested me.

Currently I am working on barrier wall number 8 and I am hoping that it will not exhaust me like the others did. After the walls would tumble I would end up collapsing and working hard to stop the darkness from trying to take me over during my weakened state. She would mock my while I was trying to regain my strength. Calling me pathetic and a worthless excuse of a Luna, mate and Guardian I am. The worst part was how she described what she was going to do to the pack and Xavier once she took over. How she would burn them all to the ground while forcing Xavier to watch until it all turned to ash. Then she would slowly rip is heart out. The worst part will be he would have to die at the hand of his mate. "Icing on the cake" she would say. Like a bipolar person she turned sweet and cooed at me trying to coax me into giving into her. Telling me how powerful we will be if I just gave in and stood by my 'true mate'. Every time it seems like I will snap and just let it happen, she says Gideon's name calling him our mate and that snaps be back out of the pain and exhaustion that I am in to remind me that Xavier is my true mate, the only one that I will ever love, he is my green eyes, and I will not fall into temptation so easily. And every time I push back against her the more pissed the darkness gets. It tries to push me back and ruin all my progress but it never happens, my determination makes it impossible for the darkness to just push me back to the far corners of my mind now. That just pisses her off more and she starts her torment before disappearing to some other corner of my mind, just waiting to pounce again when I am too weak to move.

 I have my hands up against the wall, I can feel the sensation of my power flowing through my hands and into the wall, slowly breaking it down. Finally after what feels like hours and probably is, the wall starts to shake and crack. A smile plays across my face, as another obstacle in my way is being destroyed. I push myself a little harder and a loud snapping sound vibrates all around me. I step back from the wall, as it collapses all around me. "Yes!" I yelled out to myself, and this time I wasn't nearly as weakened as I had been. I think that the closer I get to the light, the less strain it is having on me. I clenched and unclenched my fists, I could feel that I am getting stronger. I am thankful for this, I couldn't deal with another onslaught from 'evil me' as I like to call her. The last time she showed me in detailed flashes of what she was planning to do with the pack. Part of it showed my vision of me standing in-between Gideon and Cleo as the pack was taken down. Then she showed me her lighting the fire that will burn them all alive in the pack house while Xavier was being held down by Cleo. I shuddered at those thoughts, then pushed them back out of my mind. I needed to get to the next wall. 

 I started walking again towards the next wall, it was a little taller and wider. Just like the others that I had already tore down, each one was bigger and wider than the next. I think the darkness knows that I am going to continue so it had to reinforce the walls it had put up. Too bad I was going to bring them all down and take back my body, mind and soul. Out of nowhere a hot piercing pain starting from where Xavier's mark used to be started pulsing throughout my body. I let a small whimper which ended up being a bloody murder scream. I don’t understand what is happening to me, the pain is only getting more intense. I feels like I am being marked, but not by my mate. So this is what Elder May meant about being marked against you will or by someone who wasn't your real mate. "A fire so hot that it feels like lava will erupt from the marking spot and engulf all of your senses. The pain will be unbearable as your body tries to reject the bond forming and in some cases they die from the pain. It becomes too much for the body to handle." I could hear her words as clear as day' and I knew right then I am being marked by another. I am being marked by Gideon. 

I collapsed due to the pain, while what felt like liquid fire started flowing through my veins. My screams echoing around me in a taunting manner, like they were getting enjoyment out of all of my misery, out of my soul being ripped apart again. The pain was worse than when the light was being ripped from my being. The void lit up like a movie theatre again, only this time it was like the film reel that was playing my memories was malfunctioning and burning holes into the film.

My memories started out nice but soon burn holes could be seen and then they turned to dust disappearing in the voids dark abyss. With each memory of us they all ended like this as if it was all a dream and none of it ever happened. Hot tears were free falling from my eyes as the last memory of us making love right before I was taken turned to dust, the pain increased tenfold. I screamed out as the pain wracked my body. After a little while I started to shake uncontrollably, like a person does when they have a seizure, hell that is probably what is happening. I am so scared, I wasn't prepared for this overwhelming all-consuming pain radiating all over my body. It truly felt like I was dying and selfishly I wished in that moment that I was. 

Eventually my body stopped shaking, and all I felt was numbness engulfing me. I felt hollow, the only thing that I had left to hold onto us was gone. I was more vulnerable now to my evil self, than ever before and it was all because I was marked against my will, and not by my mate. My body was trying to reject it, but the darkness in me seemed to be trying to force my body to accept the new bond.

I had slipped into a deep sleep, and when I woke up, I was so confused. Why am I here? I thought to myself. I don't remember how I got here.

Footsteps that started out so distant, are coming closer to me, until they stopped just in front of my numb form. "So the mark was all it took, huh. That witch should've lead off with this over a week ago and it would have been so much easier." Evil me said with annoyance laced in her words. I guess no one cares for the witch. After hearing what she said it all came back to me. I was destroying the barriers and then the overwhelming pain from coming from my neck. My eyes went wide with realization, he marked me against my will. The pain and my memories being destroyed right in front of me. I held back the tears that were threating to fall, I didn’t want her to see me so defeated. She would get too much enjoyment out of it and her confidence level would go up and I'll be damned if I am going to be the one to make her think she is winning.  

My tormentor kneeled down and pushed some of my hair behind my ear. Uhh, bipolar woman I thought to myself. "Come now, let us be one and take over this world together. I can give you more power than the light could ever give you." She stated in a sweet voice, trying to butter me up. Unfortunately for her power was never what I wanted. I wanted to be with my green eyes, the one who saved me from these evil bastards that destroyed my life. Now they have taken him away from me too, all that is left is just a fuzzy memory of green eyes peering down at me. If they think that I will just bend to there will now that they think they have me cornered and broken. Ha, over my cold dead body, I will never give up! With that thought in my mind a surge of power washed over me, causing evil me to gasp aloud while she stood up and backed away from me. "How is this possible?" She whispered to herself.

 Wave after wave of power washed over me, cooling the fire in my veins and giving me a renewed sense of confidence. I can and I will win! I have to do this for myself. I have to this for my pack. I HAVE TO DO THS FOR MY MATE! I kept reciting this to myself over and over like a mantra. Each time I recited this the void around me started to tremble and I knew that the walls that were blocking me from gaining my full powers back were slowly breaking down. "This isn't possible, the light is separated from you. You shouldn't be able to channel it like this." I could tell she was slowly moving away from me with each word she spoke. "You aren't the only one with a witch." I said as a devilish grin spread across my face, if she thought she was evil she has no idea what a scored woman could do. At that moment an loud crack reverberated around us, I caught the gasp that escaped her mouth which only made my smile widen. Another powerful surge ripped through me and the walls separating me from my powers exploded, blowing rock and dust all around us. "NO!" she screamed as she looked around us in horror. The light that was a blue glowing ball just a few feet from me, reached out to my kneeling form like tentacles, the same way the darkness tried to first bind with me before separating my power. I didn’t stop it as the light wrapped around me like a warm blanket, filling the hollowness in my chest just a little. It will not be the same until Xavier marks me again and we are one soul once more.

 She wasn't going to win this battle, not this time. I lifted my head and I could feel the bright blue of my eyes glowing wildly at the power coursing through my veins and the rage that has slowly been building up within me, since the night I watched my friends and family die. The look on her face made me smile more, I could now see the fear in her black eyes. "My turn." was all I said to her and she began shaking with fear as I slowly stalked towards her. I felt like a fierce predator, slowly stalking her prey.  Taking in the moments before I end their life. This is what Rom must feel like when he is on the hunt. That thought made me smile inwardly to myself. She turned to run from me but this is my mind and I have taken it back. I through my hand up stopping her mid stride, forcing her body to turn around to face me. The look on her face was priceless. "Nah Uh, where do you think you are going? I haven't even started yet." I said as I wrapped my hand around her throat. "They will know the moment they see your eyes that the spell didn’t work and the mark will start to fade." I laughed like a maniac in her face. My anger was seriously getting the better of me and to be honest I didn’t care at this moment. All I wanted was to destroy this vile thing trying to take my body and mind over. "You see…" I paused for a moment while I closed my eyes and did what Bema and told me to do to disguise my blue eyes. "I know how to manipulate just like you do." I said as I opened my now black eyes her grip around my wrist tightened as she realized she isn't going to get out of this. I snarled in her face as I threw her body backwards, she landed hard groaning from the impact. Strange that a force that looks like black mist could feel such pain. I am actually glad that it could feel pain. She slowly stood up glaring at me, "Oh are you mad now?" I asked in a mocking tone while smirking at her. "YOU!" She yelled while trying to lunge at me but I just snapped my fingers and within a split second the light reached out and grabbed both of her arms forcing her into a standing position with her arms spread out like a cross. She struggled to get free, but that wouldn't be happening. I concentrated on forcing my power into my right hand as I placed it against her heaving chest. "Now what was it you said to me when we first met in a similar scenario?" I paused for a moment resting my left pointer finger against my chin, to imitate thinking back to that time. "Oh, that's right. You told me goodbye. I guess you never thought the tides would turn. It's time for you to go back to the hell you crawled out of." The light shot out of my hand straight into her chest. The next sounds that came out of her mouth were like something from a Exorcist movie. Multiple voices, howling and crying out in pain echoed around me as I watched the light force itself into every vein in her body. With each passing moment the light burned through her, and blue colored ash stated to fall from her as she slowly disintegrated. Right before she faded completely away, a man's voice full of power, and rage came from her. "THIS IS NOT OVER WAVERLY!" he roared out. "I know Ravannah, and I will be waiting for you." I said with a s**t eating grin on my face. 

With that the void fell silent and slowly the area started to light up. I turned to my right and saw the path that leads back to reality waiting for me. "Ok part one down, part two here we come." I closed my eyes after saying this, turning them black. Once I was done I started down the path, full of confidence and determination to destroy Gideon and that witch b***h Cleo. A sadistic smile formed on my face at what I will do to them when the time came to end their lives. "You have no idea what you two have unleashed." I said as I strolled down the path back to reality.