Chapter 10: Ciaran

BOS entry included

I've received a witch message from Ariah. Goddess, she's in trouble. Selene Belltower has got her! She's taking her somewhere! I have to find her! Oh, Goddess, what am I going to do? I have to save my cousin!

Morgan

"They're here," Elliot Farwell told me. I stood up as Selene Belltower and my niece – Ariah Woodhouse – entered the room. Selene was wearing her beautiful crimson and orange robe, whereas Ariah was just wearing normal every-day clothes. I don't even think she has a robe! But she will have her mother's robe. I saved all Annabel's witch tools the day she left.

"Ariah." I took her hands in mine and kissed them gently. Goddess, she was so beautiful, just like her mother. Then I turned to Selene and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Selene, you have brought her to me," I said, my voice dry and raspy. "You have served your purpose." And then he spread his fingers out wide in front of her face and she blew up.

Ariah's eyes widened and a dry gasp escaped her mouth. "You..." She stuttered. "You...you blew Selene up!"

"Aye," I said sadly. "She needed to die. She knew too much. It wasn't safe. I'm sorry that you had to witness it, but it is your heritage."

"I don't have to be like you," My arrogant little niece retorted. "And I won't!"

I shook my head, amused. "That's what they all say."

Suddenly, the door burst open and in came my daughter and her seeker boyfriend.

"You!" I cried as the seeker hurled a ball of witch fire at me. I managed to deflect it just in time, but there was a slight graze on my hand where the fire had hit me.

"Ariah, show them that you have chosen to follow your destiny!" I snarled. There was a mischievous glint in her eye; a glint I knew too well. She was the splitting image of her mother.

Ariah conjured up a ball of fire – very uncommon and extremely hard to do – and sent it hurtling over to the seeker. Unfortunately, he ducked just in time.

"Ariah," Morgan pleaded. "Don't do this. Please! Remember who you are! Who your mother was!"

"I'm a MacEwan," Ariah snarled as the seeker and I fought. "This is my destiny, dear cousin. And neither you nor your seeker boyfriend can stop me. You're a disgrace to the MacEwans!"

Fuelled with anger, Morgan hurled a ball of witch fire at her cousin, which she brushed off easily and sent one straight back. The impact was so strong that my daughter was blasted off her feet. Tears began to drip down her face as she said to Ariah, "I'm sorry I didn't get here in time to save you." And with that, she grasped Hunter Niall's hand and led him out of the building.

Suddenly, a sob erupted from Ariah's throat and I watched her whilst she wept.