Eighty three

Only you have the power to save them...  a sweet voice reminded me...Save them all

The memory of my mother reared up before me, so intense that for a minute the greens of the forest plundered in my vision, the image of it transposed over the frozen horror to come. I smelled the rain, felt the coolness of fresh air running through my face and hair. I remembered the feats my mother has performed with her gifts, the stance she took when she chose to heal ravaged the recesses of my mind.  The bearing of her breath in the cold night when she helped dying animals and plants, the isolated moment I saw her drain ichor from a coyote that stole her goats. The sigil atop my palm glowed hot and sang to every memory. And finally, I understood what the power my mother had left in my protection did. What it meant and why it was converted by many. All that power resided in me to create balance and the frozen picture before was not harmony.  Single strands of bright red exploded from within me, pure and relentless, flooding over the entirety of the room before twisting to where Lilith stood. Before the vampire queen could dagger my mate with the force of her fingers, the threads wrapped around her and held her in place. Almost immediately, the frozen image before me came to life. Jason swooped Satake up and turned to face Lilith. The threads held her in place. Blood streamed out of her flesh the further she tried to shrug off the cords of fate. Using the threads as a collar holding a stubborn dog, I commanded Lilith towards me. The power within me rose ten folds as I peered into the eyes of the famed countess of blood.

"What is this?" She hissed, struggling to stand her ground. The more she tried to root her feet to the ground, the deeper my threads cut; inflicting wounds that would never heal.

I stopped my assault when I had gotten her close enough. There was terror in her face. With the way her face mangled to the expression, it was clear fear was not something this vampire was used to. The threads tightened and pulled Lilith to the ground. The vampire had no choice but to heed. She fell to the ground, impure ichor streaming from her wounds as my threads deepened with brutality.

"I am Lilith!" The vampire narrowed her eyes looking temporarily confused. "I am a fucking original."

The power within me evolved as I sauntered over to the vampire queen. Hecate had indeed blessed me with knowledge because the vampire was not who she called herself. Lilith was merely a lie she was content with telling herself. The threads sponging off her ichor had told me so and fate did not lie. My feet floated off the floor as I reached her. "Your name is Wilhemina. A once human girl whose unfortunate fate had rid her of the peace death brings. You have become a child who fears death and has not the slightest idea what love should look like. Your life has lacked balance for long enough. It is about time a semblance of that returns to this world." With that said, I reached out my hand to a white thread that dangled below Wilhemina's chin. Wilhelmina trembled as my fingers trailed her velvety skin. Tears of claret danced down her lids as her eyes met mine. I could see regret within. A plea for wishes undone.

"Speak child," I urged.

"All I ever wanted was love." She whispered. "It's all I ever dreamed of."

I leaned into her and whispered to her ear like a mother with infinite knowledge. "You will find that," I promised. A sinister grin then curled up against my lips as I wrapped my middle finger around the white threads and pulled. "In the afterlife!"

Lilith blazed up like heavenly fire. I whirled back, floating over the edge of collapsed floorboards. Lilith was burning, burning like the monument of light that went before the Israelites in biblical times. You could still see Wilhelmina within the flames, but they were around her, eating her up in their white gleam, turning her to an outline of gray char within a fire so bright, it almost seared the eyes of those around me. Her shrieks stopped as quickly as they started. The platform cracked under the weight of those around threatening to give. The fire was gone and all that remained of the famed vampire countess was the charred floorboards, melted flesh, and darkened bones.

Jason walked up to me causing the sigil atop my hand to glow iridescent pink. His eyes were dark, glazed with worry and concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked, reaching for my hand. I pulled away. My eyes flickered across the room, stopping once they landed on the witch that started this all. I did want to tell Jason I was alright. I wanted to hug the heavens out of him and ball my eyes out now that I was reunited with my brother but at the moment, none of that seemed to concern me. My head was conflicted but the dominant thought remained apparent; to end the witch. I soared across the room, circling the witch who hugged onto her scythe for dear life but even that cursed object would not be enough to save her.

"Olamide, what are you doing?" Jason stressed.

My attention remained fixated on the witch. With the clap of my fingers, the crimson red threads hounded her. Yasmin Maplewood. Yes, that was her name. She struggle for a bit however, the minute the threads snipped into her skin and drew red, she quieted, her breath hitching as she tried to swallow the tears. And she stopped struggling, which was good. I noticed the silver strand along with her plush jet-black hair. It called out to me. I closed in and took in the fragrance of fear that surrounded her. "Grief is cruel, isn't it?" I began. This time I tried to fight it off. The urge. I didn't want to enjoy this. I didn't want to take another life. But the battle within me was a losing game. I lost by a stretch. The feral impulses snarled at me sending me further into an abyss of midnight. I curled down to the floor of my mind, knowing this spelled doom. "Losing your husband must have been so hard on you. Your daughter being a constant reminder that a piece of you has been untimely snatched away from you. Your sufferings are valid but you chose to take out your misery on the wrong person."

"Olamide..." Jason cried, fear evident in his voice. "...What do you think you're doing?"

Finally, I gave him an audience. "I'm about to give this witch her happily ever after. Don't you think she deserves one after everything she has been through?" With that said, my fingers moved like a cold wind, my deft fingers ran through her hair, picking out the distinct silver strand. As I made an attempt to pluck her life force out, Jason grabbed my hand. My eyes bolted to his. "Let go of my hand Jason Crow."

"No." Jason retorted. "This is unnecessary. We have won. The Primrose witches will handle their own."

"I repeat, let go of me, Jason Crow."

"I cannot."

"But why not? Is this not justice?"

"Justice may be blind but it is definitely not heartless."

"You really don't know someone until you have heard them beg for mercy. Are you begging me to spare this witch? Don't tell me you have gone soft."

Jason looked at Yasmin then back at me. "History is bound to repeat itself if I let you kill Yasmin. She has a beautiful daughter who does not deserve to suffer for her mother's stupidity. Call it what you want but I know my mate would understand. No matter how shattered she might be. Wherever she is right now."

Whatever he said seemed to diminish the resolve of the being that took over my body. Heartbeats thundered in my ears. The threads that wrapped around Yasmin loosened. I blinked heavy tears. They dropped to my cheeks and rolled downward. My mate stared at the corner of my mouth upon noticing that shift in the dynamics. Jason’s body plunged into mine. He roughly plundered at my lips. His tongue dashed around my mouth. It was sharp and ragged, yet beneath the brash nature of his kiss, I felt his need to keep me safe in that embrace. His mouth tasted like metal. The sour kind that made your mouth tingle. "Come back to me." He whispered.

The threads exploded out of existence as my legs settled to the creaking floorboards. With tears pooling in my eyes, I embraced Jason, and he crushed me against his heaving body. "You did it," he said on gasps. "I love you."