Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (5 page)

“Hey! Ugh! Willow!” he argued, but followed
her anyway, stumbling when she pulled him faster. They stopped at
an area where there were very few people and she turned to face
him. “Geez, Willow,” Declan said adjusting his waistcoat, and
pushing his bangs away from his eyes, “If you really wanted to get
me alone, you could’ve just said so. I know how much you want
me.”

“Declan, something’s wrong,” Willow said
panicky, ignoring his little comment and the way he smiled so
conceitedly.

He furrowed his eyebrows and scowled,
suddenly turning serious. He looked her up and down hastily
appraising her. His hands moved as if he wanted to touch her, but
then thought better of it and dropped them to his sides. “What’s
wrong? Are you hurt?”

“It’s not me,” she said annoyed and gestured
to the crowd. “Look around. Do you notice anything weird happening
to the witches?”

Declan scanned the crowd and the dance floor.
His eyes landed on a few of the witches that were hunched over.
There were more affected now than she thought. About half of them
were sitting down now and holding their heads as if they had some
major migraines. “I don’t know, I mean, they look worn out. This is
a better party than I thought it was-”

“No, Declan,” she interrupted shaking her
head, “look closer. The talismans, they’re….I don’t know, they’re
not working! They’re all turning black!”

Declan stared harder, then stepped in front
of her, almost as if he was trying to shield her from something. He
turned back to Willow looking concerned. He was so intense
sometimes, yet could be joking and sarcastic the next. Willow’s
stomach did a weird flip flop, but she shrugged it off. “You’re
right, Willow,” he said. “I’m going to find my father. You should
try to find your sisters.” He started to walk away but then turned
back and smirked, “Don’t do anything stupid.” He walked away.

Willow called after him. “I’m not a child,
Dec!” He didn’t turn around but continued towards his Order. She
swore she heard him chuckling.

Well, at least he noticed there was something
strange going on, and it wasn’t just her vivid imagination running
wild. Willow took off to find her sisters, getting more and more
anxious as they were nowhere to be seen. She saw Declan talking to
his father in deep conversation with others of the Emerald Circle,
but there was no sign of her sisters anywhere. A creeping panic
began to well inside her. Where were they? Where could they be?
What happened to them? Willow only saw them an hour ago at dinner,
and it’s not like the ballroom was that big, so where were
they?

She was about to ask a witch at the punch
bowl if she’s seen them when a strong power wrapped around her
nearly bringing her to her knees. She trembled slightly when she
felt a breeze caress her bare back. Her skin felt slimy, like it
was slicked in oil. There could only be one person to force that
kind of reaction within her.

“Willow Rose,” a deep woman’s voice spoke her
name behind her. She turned to find Hekate, Queen of the Witches
looking at her through solid black eyes. Her heart jumped. She
reminded Willow of a ghost. So pale and cold, her black hair and
red lips were frightening against her white skin. She barely moved,
but her beady eyes seemed to take her in all at once. She didn’t
expect her voice to be so deep. “Before the ceremonies begin, I
must speak with you alone. Step outside with me.”

It was a command, one that was expected to be
followed. Willow’s heartbeat only increased as this witch that
could kill her with one word wanted to speak with her…alone. She
had no idea what it could be about, but it must’ve been important.
Perhaps she would give instructions about the talisman before she
presented it to her. Willow was worried, but found her head was
automatically nodding yes. She couldn’t refuse her.

So she followed Hekate to the main foyer.
They slipped past warlocks and witches as if they weren’t even
there. Nobody even turned around to watch them leave. It was
strange, since everyone was constantly staring at her earlier as
the center of attention. Willow couldn’t shake the feeling that
something wasn’t right. Her instincts were buzzing and everything
inside her screamed at her to run the opposite way and find her
sisters. But all she could do was follow Hekate as she guided her
through the darkness of the grounds, her heart quickening with
every step. She left the party as the night engulfed her.

Hekate guided Willow along the stone path
that twisted and winded through the gardens. The very air around
them stilled and the sky darkened when she past as if the shadows
knew her. Hekate walked to Willow’s rose garden and turned around
in front of the small bench that she usually sat on for thinking.
The hedges were taller here and Willow could hear the trickling of
a small fountain in the distance as well as the faint sounds of
music being played. Apparently, no one was missing her. Willow
looked back to see a faint light coming from the windows of the
house. It was welcoming in there; out here, she felt vulnerable and
defenseless.

Disrupting her thoughts, Hekate asked, “Do
you know your purpose in this world, Willow Rose?” Her eyes had
turned to a deep shade of purple, making her look even stranger in
the moonlight.

Willow’s nervous hands fidgeted in front of
her. “The same as any witch, Your Highness,” Willow responded, her
voice coming out more even and confident than she felt. “To honor
tradition and help those who ask, using magic for the good of
others.”

Hekate looked at her darkly and folded her
hands in front of her; the talismans on her fingers clinked
together causing small sparks to lighten the dark around them and
sneered. “I saved you from death and the bitter streets that would
have destroyed you. I knew you were special the second I laid eyes
on your discarded form.”

Willow’s breathing grew shallow. She never
knew her life before she was brought to the Southwick Manor, but
from what very little information she could gather from her
sisters, she was abandoned as a baby and left to die until Hekate
found her. She was an orphan on the cold streets of winter, and
Hekate saved her and gave her a home before death could claim her.
But as Hekate continued to talk to Willow, dread overwhelmed her.
She didn’t want to know about her devastating past. She just wanted
to know why Hekate was bringing this up now.

“I don’t save everyone,” Hekate said firmly
and looked away from Willow. When she looked back, a twisted look
crossed her face before she masked it into stone again. “You are
different, Willow. For you see, little one, I tried to murder
you.”

Willow stepped back, stunned. She couldn’t
even gasp as the ability to breathe assailed her. She couldn’t
think straight. What was going on? Why was Hekate telling her this?
This was Hekate! The good, powerful witch who saved all those who
are lost; this was the Hekate she remembered. Standing before her
now was someone completely different than her memories. Even
Pertussia talked and worshipped Hekate like a goddess. Was
Pertussia wrong?

Stuttering, Willow asked, “Wh-wh-what did you
say?”

“Sometimes it’s better to rid the world of
lost souls,” her cold gaze pierced her, “Especially if their magic
is weak. I didn’t realize you were a Healer until I attempted
murder on your life. You healed without a potion or a spell! It was
blasphemy! Ridiculous! Your body just restored itself without aide.
There hasn’t been a Healer in any Coven for generations! I thought
my power was playing tricks on me when it happened.”

“What? What does it mean?” Willow asked,
tears pricking her eyes. She couldn’t comprehend what Hekate was
implying.

Hekate let out a small, breathy laugh. “Isn’t
it obvious? With the power you possess, you can cure anyone and any
ailment by just thinking and touching them. No spell. No
potion.”

The memories of Willow’s earlier incident in
the bathroom rushed back to her. She was able to heal the cut on
her arm. Without a potion. Willow glanced down at her forearm, the
skin there smooth and healthy. She remembered feeling accomplished
about this task, but she was certain it was a power advanced
witches could do too, at least, on very small cuts.

“That power,” Hekate continued, “was just too
good to pass up. You see, I’m the most powerful Witch of this age
and ages past. I cannot be bested by any, but sadly, I do not
possess this special gift of healing without aide. How you came to
have it is beyond my wisdom.” She looked off into the distance
seeming sad. Then, she turned back to Willow. Her eyes were now a
silver orb. “I made your sisters swear an oath not to tell you
until this night. It is my decision alone to give you your
talisman. But with your talisman, your powers will only increase.
This… well,” she chuckled darkly, “I cannot allow.”

Anger rushed inside her, threatening to
overflow like a river. Willow knew she should be afraid. She knew
Hekate was beyond her in power and skill, but all Willow felt was
anger and hate bubbling in her gut. Hekate wouldn’t give her
talisman to her? Never has a witch been denied this! It was her
right to have it! It was hers! Destined for only Willow! How dare
she do this!

“There was a prophesy foretold long ago that
one day someone will take my place,” Hekate continued without
acknowledging Willow’s inner struggle to remain calm, “A healer, as
it were. This healer would rule with compassion and grace for
decades. This healer, I believe, is you. How fortunate for me I
stumbled upon you in the streets! How fortunate that I knew exactly
what you were and who I would give you to. I’ve watched you for
years, waiting for this moment…”

“Why not kill me when I was a baby, then, if
I am such a threat to you?” Willow gritted through her teeth, her
hands were in tight fists by her side. Paranoia and terror fueled
her anger. Hekate had been keeping tabs on her? Watching her for
sixteen long years and she hadn’t even noticed? Willow’s magic
sizzled inside her, begging to be released, but she kept it under
control.

“Because you have a shield on you, you
insolent child!” Hekate yelled. “I couldn’t break the enchantment
around you until your sixteenth birthday. Even my power could not
touch you. The magic in you is beyond me,” she sneered, “But trust
me when I say this, I would have killed you, Willow Rose.” She
smiled nastily at the same time her hands unfurled and revealed a
small wooden box.

“Do you know what’s inside this box?” She
hissed like a snake. “I’ll give you a hint, little one. I’ve
decided to name it Pandora’s Box. Catchy, isn’t it?” Hekate cackled
a chilling laugh that left her speechless and confused on the
sudden change in topic.

Willow’s jaw dropped when Hekate cracked the
wooden lid. A small light appeared within the box illuminating the
night with rays of yellow and white. Suddenly, moans of anguish, of
voices in agony released a painful cry into the night. Hekate
quickly shut the lid and the sounds died instantly. A quiet fear
crept up in its place. Hekate smiled maliciously as she waved her
hand and the box disappeared again. Willow knew what it was.

“There are souls in there! People!” Willow
gasped as fear gripped her, taking hold of her and penetrating
through her body. She trembled uncontrollably even though the night
was warm and humid. It was a cold that came from wickedness and
fright.

“You catch on quickly, Willow Rose,” Hekate
said and adjusted her dress as if having a dozen souls locked
within an enchanted box meant nothing to her. “Where are your
sisters? Where are half your guests? Surely even you noticed I was
beginning to drain their power, their life force tonight…one by one
all falling under my spell, making ME the most Powerful Witch
EVER!”

“Pandora! Pertussia! Portia-Anna!” Willow
called out to them, but her cries were extinguished by Hekate’s
cruel laughter. The dead silence around her mocked her as a dawning
realization hit her like lightening. “You’re an extractor!” She
cried and stepped back, a bush harshly snagging her gown. Thorns
and twigs poked at her like jagged fingers trying to ensnare her in
an embrace. The souls Hekate trapped inside that box added to her
power. She may have even killed a few to gain their talismans.
“Why?” Willow squeaked out and tried backing away, but the hedge
blocked her retreat.

“Because I want power, you fool,” she said
simply and then cocked her head eccentrically. Sounds of running
feet stomped in the distance. She looked back to Willow and said,
“And I’m running out of time.”

Hekate waved her hands in the air and Willow
was immediately wrapped in a vortex of wind. The wind tugged and
whipped her dress and hair in all different directions, spiraling
and gaining unnatural speed. Willow screamed as it tossed her in
the air, her arms extending and stretching their full expansion.
Willow was trapped in a tornado, the violent wind making her stand
still in midair as it continued to circle her. Willow’s shoulders
felt like they were ripping out of their sockets. The air shimmered
around her and a deep pull so strong jerked deep within her body
that she lost the breath that filled her. Seconds later, she
dropped to the ground on her knees as a great weight was lifted
from her. She felt and heard several bones in her body crack and
break and she wailed in pain from the impact of the hard
ground.

“What did do you?” Willow cried as tears
poured down her face. Her composure was gone. She was losing it.
The pain was unbearable. She gripped her knees in agony knowing
tendons were ripped, the bones fractured and cracked.

“The shield is gone,” Hekate cackled and
clapped her hands in glee. “The power of the Healer will be mine
and I will soon be unstoppable! I will be the most powerful witch
in the world!” She said this as a rushing chill of terror cascaded
down Willow’s spine. As if remembering she was still there, Hekate
cast her hateful gaze upon Willow.