The Blind Witch
Chapter 37

Darkness. I can feel it. It feels... free. The choking grip has loosened. I can breathe again. Thank you.

Aiden shifted into Cyrus as he watched Clarissa walk towards Thresnora. He eyed the creatures she went past, ensuring that none tried touching her. But they had all backed away, pushed by Erebus’ lightning strikes. Everyone was silent as they watched her approach the temple. None dared to fight; none dared to speak.

When she was out of sight, tensions began to rise. Enemies began to eye one another as they calculated their next moves. Dray stared angrily at the volcano. Erebus had stopped him from killing the girl. She had killed Teresa. He wanted to avenge his partner, but the god he served took that away. All he could do was hope that she continued to fight Erebus, forcing his hand so he would kill her. They would replace another way to give him Nyx. A method that did not involve forcing the willful girl to submit.

Dray could hear heavy breathing behind him. His eyes went wide as he turned around. It was Ophelia and Sybil embracing one another. How dare they take a moment to comfort each other when they had a hand in killing the one person he could say he loved? He picked his sword up from the ground, and as he stood up straight, he yelled to the sky with all his might.

Those who stood around him began to hiss or growl in unison with him. It was a rallying call. The fighting was to continue. It did not matter that Clarissa was gone inside the volcano. She belonged to Erebus; she was his to deal with now. So he would take out his vengeance and anger on the others who stood with the girl. They would know pain; they would know the true depth of the darkness.

Sybil tried to use her magic, but it was weakened. Even the barrier that was across her body had faded away. Ophelia pulled Sybil behind her back as Dray yelled into the air. She held out her left hand, creating a shield that stood between them and Dray. Craigen watched as Dray ran toward them, slamming into the shield. He hit against it with his sword, slashing away at the magic.

Craigen ran up, shooting ice daggers into Dray's arm. Dray snapped his head to Craigen. He held his hand out, sending a cloud of smoke to him. The smoke hit Craigen as if it were a solid object, sending him flying backward. Dray then turned his attention back to Ophelia and the dwindling magic shield. He swung his sword across it, breaking the shield and grazing Ophelia's arms.

The sound of thunder filled the air as Dray struck Ophelia with the back of his hand. She fell to the ground with a thud. Dray then looked to Sybil and smiled. He knew that this was Ophelia's only remaining child. He reached out, gripping her throat tightly. He squeezed her as he pulled her close. He opened his mouth, sinking his fangs into the top of her shoulder.

Sybil struggled against Dray's grasp as he drank her blood. The sound of gargles came from her mouth as she slowly choked against his grip. From a distance, Vi saw Dray holding Sybil in his hand. She grabbed a sword that lay on the ground and ran towards him. But before she could strike him, he had a wall of dark clouds rise up around him. It was his own barrier; though it consisted of shadows, she could not penetrate them.

"Sybil!" Vi yelled as she did her best to break down the wall.

She hacked and slashed at the dark clouds, but it did not make a dent in the magic. She tossed the sword to the side and slammed her hands against the barrier. She summoned all the remaining magic that she had. Fire seeped from her palms, but it couldn't break the wall. Dray was regaining his energy as he drank Sybil's blood, allowing him to hold up his defenses.

Ophelia sat up, watching Vi scream at the wall. She gasped at the realization of what was happening. She held out her hands, pointing them at the shadows. She closed her eyes, concentrating on what she wanted her magic to create. And then she made one last prayer to Tir. She did not know how much more she could ask of the gods. She was nearing her own limits, and perhaps so were they.

Ophelia yelled as her eyes opened back up. Behind the wall of dark clouds, light spikes shot up from the ground. The spikes went up through Dray, piercing his body. He gasped sharply, releasing Sybil and dropping his barrier in the process. Sybil fell to the ground with a thud. She was unconscious. With Craigen's help, Vi grabbed Sybil and pulled her away from Dray.

Ophelia watched them carry away her daughter, but she looked back to Dray. He was still alive. No amount of blood loss or spikes through his body would kill him. But it did help to immobilize him. At least long enough for her to create a sword in her hand. She walked in front of him to look into his eyes one last time. But she saw Sybil's blood dripping down his chin. The anger within her grew, and she needed a release. She swung the sword, cutting his head from his body.

When she dropped the sword, it evaporated into magic, floating away in the air. She closed her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks. They were dead. Both Dray and Teresa were gone. She could feel the burden of her grief leaving her shoulders. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she went over to Sybil.

She was breathing, but her breaths were shallow. Ophelia held her hands over her daughter. She could feel the last of her magic glowing, healing Sybil. It wasn't much, but it was enough to allow Sybil to wake up. She was dizzy, and she felt sick to her stomach, but she was alive.

"Vi, take her to one of the Sacred Mountain witches! Have them heal her!" Ophelia commanded.

"No, I can help," Sybil groaned as she sat up.

"No, I shall not lose you, go! Please!" Ophelia pleaded as she took Sybil's hand.

The sound of thunder was deafening them. It was mixed with the sound of metal hitting metal, the screams of the wounded, and the growling of the wolves. All around them were dead and injured warriors. But the fighting was still going on. It would be a risk to even move Sybil. It did not matter where Ophelia looked; there was someone trying to kill another. And the thunder, the clashes were more intense, shaking the ground beneath them.

But then, everyone stopped when black clouds billowed out of the tunnels of Thresnora. The clouds rushed out and into the already darkened sky. The vampires and witches began to cheer. The same smoke had come out of Erebus when he was brought to life in the oracle’s body. So they thought that he was able to succeed in sacrificing the girl.

Aiden began yelling within Cyrus as he watched those that he was fighting cheer. His wolf tried to push through the people to run into the volcano. Vampires jumped him, forcing him to the ground. They did not attack him; they simply pushed his head to the ground, but they made sure that he could see the temple.

“Watch as your mate is brought out by our god,” one of them hissed into his ear. “Watch how she transformed into a goddess. She shall aid Erebus in his campaign to rid the universes of their light. She is the key to his destruction.”

Cyrus growled as he struggled against the vampires. Aiden did not want to listen to them. He did not want to believe that Clarissa was the one that fell. She was stronger than Erebus; she had to be.

Ophelia watched as Cyrus was being restrained. She could hear him whimper and growl as he struggled. She tried to run and help him, but Craigen held her back. He pulled her to the ground, pinning her down.

“Let me go!” She yelled as she pushed against Craigen.

“It is too late!” He yelled as he held her. “Don’t you hear them?! The girl has fallen, and Erebus has her! There is nothing we can do!”

“No!” Ophelia cried out as tears brimmed her eyes. “Let me at least get my grandchild, please!”

“He is surrounded by over a dozen vampires and Requiem witches! We can’t get to him without killing ourselves. I am sorry, but we need to go!” Craigen whispered as he pulled her close.

Ophelia gripped his arm as she fought back her tears. She looked over her shoulder and saw Vi helping to take Sybil away. Many were retreating, trying to escape before they were slaughtered. She looked back to Aiden, her heart breaking as she watched him struggle.

“I can’t leave him!” She stated as she pulled away from Craigen. “You go! You run like everyone else! I pledged myself to the King of Kings! I will die trying to save him!”

Ophelia crawled away from Craigen, trying to replace the strength to stand. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued to stumble across the ground. She could feel hands take her arms, but rather than pulling her away, they were helping her up. She turned her head and saw Craigen.

“I have waited patiently for you for over 90 years,” he said as he helped to keep her steady on her feet. “If you die here today, then I shall die alongside you.”

Before she could speak, there were gasps throughout the crowd. She looked first to Cyrus. The vampires had released him as they stepped away. He was still alive; they had not harmed him. She then looked up at Thresnora. She could see Clarissa stepping onto a ridge outside the volcano.

Clarissa grunted as she dragged Erebus’ heavy sword across the ground. The magic orbs that filled her vision created a barrier, stopping her from falling. She looked down at everything before her. Her eyes scanned the auras and magic until they landed on the familiar wolf aura. She could see Cyrus standing out past the others.

She turned around, gripping the sword with both hands. She yelled as she tossed it over the edge. The celestial weapon fell from the ridge, shattering on the ground upon impact. Clarissa held out her hands, reaching to the sky. The only remaining remnants of Erebus’ power was in the air. The darkness that blackened the night sky.

She summoned his powers into her hands. The clouds and smoke began to funnel around Clarissa. The darkness slowly seeped into her skin, his power slowly becoming hers.

Cyrus shifted into Aiden as fire and lightning began to swim around the black clouds that circled around her. As she absorbed the last of the darkness in the sky, she stepped off of the ledge. He ran forward, thinking she was falling, but he halted when he saw her floating.

Clarissa slowly drifted down to the battlefield, stopping when she was a few feet above Aiden. She looked around at everyone. She could sense their hatred, their desires, and their fear. She could suddenly feel more, but her eyes could not see more.

“Those of you that have fought with Erebus, stand down now or face the consequences,” she called out to the crowd. Her voice echoed across the battlefield for miles.

Aiden turned around, watching as people fell to their knees one by one. No one remained standing. No one dared to meet her wrath. He looked back behind him at Clarissa floating in the air. He could not help but fall to his knees as he looked upon her. She was magnificent and divine as she stood above everyone. Her black eyes sparkled from the fire and lightning that swarmed around her. Her aura was imposing and unmoving. Before him stood a goddess of beauty and wonder. And he was the one who was blessed to be fated to her. Clarissa was his to love.

The last songs of the book!

When Legends Rise by Godsmack. Something to celebrate the victory!

The Light by Disturbed is another good song regarding Clarissa. If you read it/listen to it, think about it as Nyx singing it.