IMPRESS.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Original Witch.

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12 hours later...

My legs wrapped around his torso tightly when he lifted my body from the bed, pulled open my balcony doors and carried me over to the railing.

He started to leave the harshest love bites one could leave, creating a trail down to the nape of my neck longingly.

My eyes closed in an absorption of the immense pain his sucking was inflicting onto my skin.

The stinging satisfaction of his tongue lapping over each tiny bite he created sent my heart into a rapid beat against his chest and made small gasps of delectation abrupt from my throat.

My breathing came out rocky, hitching out of rhythm whilst my arms tightened and almost strangled the sexy vampire trapped between my legs.

He hungrily launched his blood-dripping lips to the only thing he had craved more than my blood since they day we laid eyes on each other.

My lips...

On his.

Support was provided by one hand on my lower back as he pressed his lips roughly on mine, causing my back to arch and a drop of fear of falling back off the railing to up rise in my stomach.

"W- wait- wait..." I began to panic feeling my bottom slowly slipping back off the wet and slippery railing.

It was raining and I could feel the rain droplets trickle down my skin as I tried my hardest to push the idiot off of me.

He wasn't having it, the more I resisted, the more he kept me restrained and violently kept his lips moving against my irresponsive ones.

What was he doing?

Why was he acting like this?

He was harassing me.

He acting like the awful and abusive slave masters back in Icilia.

"PL- plea- please..." I said between the kisses he kept forcing me to respond to by gripping my chin and lifting it up, "I'm- I'm going t- to fall."

Oh my God.

"Shuushhh," he whispered aggressively before tugging at my bottom lip and playing with it between his teeth until I could taste blood on the tip of my tongue.

As if making it worst, I felt the arm that had been supporting my back move away from my behind and when I realised nothing was keeping me balanced except he who was holding me...

He who had finally decided to speak up with a sinister undertone to his voice.

I felt sudden nausea.

"You deserve this," he insincerely mumbled into my ear and in a blink of an eye, I was no longer staring at him.

For a moment I wasn't staring at anything.

It all seemed to move too fast.

Instead,

I was looking up at the night sky whilst everything rushed by me like an illusion...

Feeling the strong wind blow past me, whip my hair away from the ground and the rain act like a sprinkle to my skin.

He had pushed me...

With zero remorse.

With no reason...

But his unexplainable spite.

I was falling to a death I wasn't ready for.

A death even I couldn't save myself from.

[THE NIGHT BEFORE..]

Back at The Cabin.

"What are you doing here?" I followed the candle light her figure was holding, circling around me just like the moon orbiting both the sun and earth.

I heard a sarcastic and grim laughter abrupt in the room and saw the smirk of the one and only Anastasia in the darkness.

Anastasia the girl who abused me in Icilia for some years until she left and moved with her wealthy dad Richard Harris.

"Aww cute, young Natalya has learnt how to defend herself without having her slim fucker of a boyfriend save her," Anastasia amusedly pouts.

By 'slim fucker' I knew she was on about Harrison and last time I remember, he wasn't at all like she described. I folded my arms and was already channelling the fire within me, concentrating by focusing my eyes on her shadow.

I knew I couldn't just recklessly use my powers whenever in trouble but, I mean what if I caused her mind to burn without actually showing that I was the one creating the fire inside of her.

"You didn't answer the question," I said continuing to spin on my heel, following her figure as she tried to almost isolate me in a circle from my surroundings.

Hearing a short chuckle come from Anastasia, I breathed in nervously feeling so small and vulnerable in her company. "Why do you think I am here, Natalya?"

I furrowed my eyebrows thinking hard and blinked in thought. "To torment me?"

Anastasia halted in her steps finally and stepped towards me.

"It is unfortunate that you think so less of me, I personally thought we ended on good terms..." although Anastasia's face was a partial shadow, it didn't take a genius to know that she was inches away from my face, smirking and ready to hit me with her best shot.

She thought we were on good terms?

HAHAHAHAA...

Why would I ever be on good terms with the bitch who ruined my life for the longest time?

She was on my list of people I wanted bittersweet revenge on.

"If we weren't on good terms, would I tell you that your cousin Ella is actually a crazy bitch?" Anastasia spat outputting so much emphasis on the curse word.

My mouth fell open.

Like she can say anything.

"You know, you shouldn't talk about yourself like that. It's not healthy..." I shot back at her and pulled the rudest smile I had ever had on my face.

Anastasia scoffed, "I'm just warning you, Natalya, she is one hell of a liar and a pretty good actress at that. Just watch your back, think your cousin has a side to her she has yet to show you."

Luckily I had managed to mentally sense three candles in the room which I was able to light with my mind and with my hand behind my back, I clicked my fingers quietly and watched as the room was refilled with a tiny bit of life.

Anastasia looked at the candle lights flare up momentarily and brushed off the fact that they had somehow lit themselves on their own.

Unless she thought it was someone else she may have come with???

You never know, rich girls like her don't travel alone.

Worriedly, I scanned the room to make sure it was just me and her.

It didn't help that my vision was quite blurry from the intake of alcohol I had had not long ago.

"Noted," I finally responded sharply to her not so friendly remarks about my cousin.

I exhaled.

"Now let me out of here or I'll make sure I scream super lou-" the rest of my words were completely muffled and sounded like gibberish when Anastasia's hand flew up to cover my mouth.

I didn't panic. I didn't try to scream either.

But, my annoyed eyes did question her.

"I am not here to have a long chit chat session with you, Natalya..." Anastasia stated spitefully, "I am here to deliver a message from a friend of mine."

As soon as Anastasia revealed that she had a message from a friend, the pendant hanging around my neck transformed into a ruby red and began to make my skin tingle and itch around my chest.

I had the most jarring feeling and a wild sense that another presence was with us in the room. But, looking around it did not seem like anyone else was physically here but myself and Anastasia.

"Message from who?" I asked irritatedly.

When I finished scratching around my neck, leaving red marks and nail prints on my skin, I glanced back up and the breath I had accidentally been holding in for the longest time, was instantly knocked out of my lungs.

My eyes grew.

The entirety of Anastasia's eyes had glazed over with a shiny, reflective glossy black which made my body shudder and initially step back from what I recognised as a possession.

Something had entered Anastasia's body.

Something threatening.

Like an evil spirit.

"Wh- what are you doing?" I snapped when Anastasia's hands gripped my upper arms and held me in a still position which had me wincing.

I won't lie to you, but, I was petrified right now.

Although some candles were lit, it was still quite dark and dim in the room and again my faint drunken state was making it hard to see properly.

I thought I had gotten away from crazy and messy shit like this in Icilia, however, it seemed to just be following me.

"Assssshiraaaa..." Anastasia viciously hissed my way in a completely different voice to her original one, she sounded scarier, snakey and minacious.

Ashira? (A-shigh-ra)

My eyes widened in fear and my heart pumped way too hard that I swore it could have ripped through my chest any minute and fell out.

"Is that who I am talking to, Ashira?" I asked fighting the fear tearing me apart instead of fidgeting to get myself out of the this 'Ashira's' hold...

I kept my cool.

"Ashira you speak to dear and you, you come from the prophecy," Anastasia's head was swirling in a spiritual way which freaked me the hell out, "you will restore the peace in Asten," the woman speaking through Anastasia stated something similar to what the Black Witch and Kace Titan had told me not long ago.

It was confirmed. A woman named Ashira was delivering a message through my childhood bully, Anastasia.

A woman I assumed was a witch from the way she came about with the prophecy. Ashira?  I recognised her name from the letters I had found in Sir Richard Harris' possession back at the castle.

I could have sworn the only witch that was known to exist in Asten after the war years ago was Aeliana. The Black Witch. I guess that was down to her being the only full witch allowed to show face and live among the royals. 

I wondered why the royals kept her around anyway, if they claimed to hate witches so much? And I wonder why she stuck around too?

"Who are you? And what do you want from me?" I asked both curiously and worriedly.

The black eyes of the hidden witch burnt through my own and slowly but gradually made their way down to my necklace.

Anastasia's face lifted into a freakish smile, eyes glimmering with want and desire and a mind raiding with more than just moral but sins too.

The witch reached for my necklace, unaware of the Nixon keeping filthy hands from tarnishing the powerful jewel and was shocked by the dark red pendant like fire burning flesh.

"Exceptional..." The witch said profoundly before looking back into my eyes and processing the questions I had asked her, "you are speaking to the original witch, I escaped to Hellstone years ago, waiting to return here safely for this exact moment between you and I to happen."

The original witch!?!

WHO ESCAPED!

What the...

Waitttt.....

Am I the only one who can smell fire?

I have a feeling the others have realised I am trapped in the house and assumed the only way of saving me was by burning the cabin.

Am I right or am I correct?

No need for an answer I already know.

"You might want to make this fast, I am sorry to rush you but the cabin is burning down as we speak," I notified and the witch using Anastasia as a way of communicating to me nodded vigorously.

"It will take them a while, there is a protective spell I have put on the cabin."

Well, that makes more sense, I wondered how Anastasia had got all the doors to lock and all the candle lights to blow out.

"All witches know about you, in Hellstone we all know what you are capable of. Your mother and entire family were closer than you think with us witches, partially because we were partially the reason your family possessed such powers," the witch explained, "the prophecy doesn't show how you will bring the peace back between the supernatural and humans but, all us witches know is... The royals have to go and any other vampire in their support."

I didn't react and remained blank through expression whilst listening to the dark witch. "Your mother failed her mission, she was loyal but her heart was too pure, too kind and she ended up falling for the wrong kind and fell into a mess she could never clean up. Which is why, sadly, her passing came sooner than your abilities. She didn't embrace her powers, and that is something you should definitely do."

"So what is it you want me to do?" I narrowed my eyes at Ashira, waiting for the response I had been aching to hear.

Ashira smirked wickedly and I had to keep myself from trembling in fear of her sinister black eyes.

"Kill the king, kill the queen, kill the princess and kill the prince and annihilate anyone who stands in your way."

"And how will I do that all on my own?"

Ashira's eyes only seemed to be getting darker.

"You won't do it alone, you have humans, witches and possibly every other supernatural around that isn't vampire on your side. Besides you will never be walking alone again, and the reason for that being, I am going to become a part of you, hidden in your pendant, and whenever needs be I will take control of your body and do the complicated tasks for you."

I didn't agree with killing anyone but at the same time, I did.

I don't know what it was but I found sense in what Ashira was saying and before I had come to the castle, I had wanted the royals after all the stories I had been told to be struck down.

My perception of the royal family has slightly changed now that I have met them.

I thought I would like the Queen but I dislike her most and she clearly hates me for some reason. The princess is unusually nice to me, the King sees something special in me and for Zac, well I don't know about Zac.

It could be that I am blinded by the truth just like my mother.

"Deal."

Ashira's cruel smirk did not falter and when we could begin to smell the fire coming from outside the door to this room, Ashira slid her hand into mine and mumbled a few ancient words under her breath before hovering her hand over my necklace which had turned indigo once again.

I really had to learn what the colours of it meant.

I had no idea, I just assumed specific colours meant certain things but I couldn't be sure.

The original witch Ashira's soul formed a grey overwhelming fog from Anastasia's mouth and spiralled into my necklace, causing a bright spark to ignite.

Anastasia's body faded away as if being teleported elsewhere by Ashira who had entered a part of herself into my pendant which had also become a part of me since I left my horrible Aunt's house.

As if it was the smoke that was left to roam the air which made me dizzy, my legs turned to jelly and my body went numb. My mind stopped making sense of things and I just felt my whole entire body drop and unable to cooperate.

Before I knew it I had fallen on my side and my eyes were no longer able to fight in order to stay open...

And when I took one last breath, I felt my eyes close and allowed my mind to completely blackout on its own.

***

"You are going to punish her? Why, when you already almost destroyed her with fire!!" I heard a voice which belonged to my brother boom throughout the room I laid down in.

He was yelling at someone.

Pretty angrily.

"Alaric, you don't tell me what to do no no no, you might be my best man but I will not stand by here and watch your sister prance around like she owns the place, she cursed at me! Burning the cabin she was in wasn't me trying to intentionally kill her, it was meant to break down whatever weird force that had entered in there with her, and the spell that was stopping us from entering the place!"

It was Zac he was arguing with.

I could tell by his icy stone cold tone and heartless way with words.

He too had his voice louder than I had ever heard and there was no doubt that Zac was pissed off too.

Alaric laughed sarcastically and it echoed in my ears, "you are scared Zac, you are scared to fall in love with my sister, you are scared to tarnish your family name by falling for a human."

I heard a silence arise and continued to pretend I was asleep.

I felt no ache or burns from the cabin fire last night which was a good sign.

I mean I didn't expect to feel any pain but, I did feel different.

I could feel another conscience inside of me, another part of the puzzle, the original witch guiding a section of my thoughts.

I'll be your guide...

The witch whispered in my mind, her voice startling me to death.

I responded with a mental yes reply and decided to listen to my brother's conversation with Zac.

"I am Prince Zachary, I am not afraid to ruin a rep and fall for a human. There is nothing imperfect about your sister Ric, except the human situation... the times I find myself acting strangely worse when I'm with her makes me think she is the only one who can bring out the deeper darkness within me, I like that I do the same to her and she reminds me of how much power I will have as King."

"Then why do you want to punish her?" Alaric straightforwardly asked without the bullshit.

I heard Zac sigh, "I want to see if she can handle it, if she can get through a royal punishment, she will be able to keep me pleased in the long run. I'm not only challenging your sister Alaric, this is for IMPRESS... I'm challenging the other girls too, she just so happened to get the worst challenge."

Zac referred to me as she.

Oh so the punishment is a test and if I get through it... I impress him.

The typical violent mind of a twisted fool...

Ashira's voice in my mind was softer than birds chirping in the morning.

"Fine, Zac. But, take it easy on her she is the only decent family I have left, we both might hate that she's human but that's what makes it more exciting."

My brother hates that I am human?

Oh, nice to know.

I heard the door close and like an idiot, I "woke" up thinking it was Alaric in the bedroom with me but instead, it was just Zac.

When I realised I quickly covered up the fact I had been eavesdropping on the conversation by yawning and looking around to see I was in my own bed.

I don't know how I got here.

Although it's unrealistic, I'm just going to assume that I was carried all the way from the cabin to my bed by my knight in shining armour who only seems to exist in my dreams.

"Wh- what? Why aren't we at the forest? Wha-" I exaggeratedly made myself appear all ill and sick, by coughing and fake gagging.

I knew why we weren't in the forest, I just needed to make sure that Zac would find that I have mild amnesia of the night believable so that I wouldn't have to ask questions like...

"You don't remember what happened last night?" Prince Zac was wearing his castle slacks, a loose creme v neck which was slightly transparent, putting his muscular body underneath on show and his favourite black pair of baggy breeches.

His hair was a chaotic mess but like always, Zac was making it work.

He looked great.

It was a nice to sight to wake up to.

No what am I thinking?

I should be angry at him.

"I remember some of it but the last thing I can recall is walking away from the fire and then boom, a bright light..." I easily lied whilst using my hands to create a fake explosion of bright light.

Zac was registering my words in his mind and when he thinking, I pushed my duvet from my body and slid out of bed.

Standing up I peered over at one of the windows in my room to see the night crawling in. The moon was full and reflected on one of the