"No, it's not." She shakes her head hard and she paces in front of me. "It's your power being unbalanced. If you don't continue to gain all the artifacts, your energy will spike, and you'll implode."
"What?" Why wouldn't anyone tell me this? "The council would have told me this by now."
She bursts out laughing. "Do you think they would?" She takes a few breaths and wipes her eyes. "They don't want you running off more than you already do."
Could that be true? She does kind have a point there. "So, you're saying if I refuse and don't find the third artifact soon, I'll implode."
"Have you had low bouts of magic or overwhelming power surges?" She holds her hands out and some of her power seeps out. "Oh, yes you have and recent. I feel it."
Shit. She's not lying. She's having way too much fun for her to be trying to pull one over on me right now. "So, I'm stuck? I'll have to find all four and then make sure I stay alive."
"Just remember, if you die then you need to say the incantation to send the other two back to their home." She puts her arm down, her eyes glowing from her powers being used.
"They have me right where they want me." Both Damien and the council are still playing me. Dammit, I have to get the upper hand. I'm tired of it being the other way.
"Yes, they are." She looks toward the door and then back at me. "But it's time for me to go. I've come to do what I wanted. Just remember everything that I've said. And make sure that bastard demon doesn't get his hands on them."
My goal is for no one but me to get their hands on them. I don't plan on dying any time soon. "All right, well, uh ... be safe." What do I say to her? It's not like we're friends or anything.
The witch opens the door and sighs when Dax fills the door frame.
I have to give her credit for not startling. "Hey, Dax. What are you doing here?"
His eyes take in the witch and stay. "I'm here to get you. The council was worried about you, especially when the driver reported back that a witch was visiting you."
Great, he somehow did see around me, the little jerk. Next time I'll just thump him on the head. "It's fine she's leaving."
"Bye, Christina." She turns and winks at me. "Remember what I told you." She turns and walks past Dax and disappears down the stairs.
When she's gone, Dax stakes his head and sighs. "What are you doing? That witch has been around for a long time and is powerful. She's dangerous."
He acts as if I don't know that, but I do, all too well. The questions now, is how much of that information can I trust from her?
21
Now that the witch is gone, you'd think I would be relieved, but no. I'm trying to process everything she's told me. Was everything the truth and she's trying to screw Damien over, or does she have ulterior motives as well. I'm thinking there is more than what meets the eyes.
"Hey, we need to go." Dax's large muscular arms are crossed over his white shirt and there seems to be concern in his eyes. "Are you ready?"
That's a good question, but one that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter if I'm ready. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Let me just grab my phone." I turn to get my phone and my power begins to thrum inside me.
Holy crap. This isn't good. It begins thrumming inside me, circling, and increasing in speed. This feels similar to the day I was with Becca, but I was able to maintain it. I try to take deep, steady breathes and ignore it.
When I get to my bed, it flairs even harder, and I fall to my knees onto the carpet.
"Hey." Dax hurries into the apartment and shuts my door. "Are you okay?" He rushes beside me and reaches out to touch me.
"No, don't." I don't want him to touch me, I'm not sure what that will do to him. This is almost like the day they absorbed into me and Charlie got shocked. The white and brown powers merge together, and it feels as if my body is shuddering on the inside. They swirl and twirl inside me and then begin attacking my black reaper magic. It's almost as if it's trying to dominate me all the way through.
"What can I do to help?" Dax tenses beside me and glances around. "I don't know what to do."
Not sure if I can answer I shake my head. "Nothing." I stay on my knees with my head on my bed while the powers surge and fight with one another. Neither one wants to give up. I don't know how long it goes, but after a while my reaper power blends in with the other two. It's almost as if they smashed it into smoke. Once that happens, the power recedes and I'm able to take a deep breath, and raise my head.
"Are you okay?" He's there with a glass of water and hands it to me. "Just tell me something. Did that witch do something to you?"
"No, she didn't." I take a large gulp and smile. I stand and stretch out my back. Shit, how long have I been like that. There is no telling. "She just told me some things I needed to know and that confirmed it."
His forehead creases. "What did she tell you?"
"I'll tell you on the way there." I grab my phone and jacket. I need to take Luke his car back, but it won't be happening today. I feel like shit. "We don't want to make them wait any longer than we already have."
"That sounds fair." He walks over and holds the door open
