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8. Captured
Seeing Fiona made my heart feel ripped in two again as it had after I first discovered her death. But I have more things to occupy my misery now. I am becoming increasingly worried about Morgan. She is getting weaker quicker than either Da or I anticipated. I just hope Da finds the spell quickly. It is already nearly too late. If I lost Morgan I doubt that I would ever recover.
I still haven't heard back from my contact in England. He must realize how ridiculous my ideas are. I will think further about this when the troubles of the present are over, if they are over.
Giomanach.
I woke up gasping for air. My covers had wrapped themselves around me, and I was shivering uncontrollably. I felt so ill and weak. I looked over at my clock, it was 2 am. I took in some deep breaths, trying to calm myself, but that didn't work. I felt like I was going to faint any minute. I got up to go to the bathroom, and try splashing some cold water on my face.
It was then that the familiar pang of pain ripped through my head, Goddess I thought. I clutched my head frantically looking around to find the stone to call Hunter, but I couldn't see it anywhere. My vision was narrowing as Selene's presence flooded me for the second time. I was gripped in a vice like hold of fear and panic. She forced me out of the room and scrambled her way downstairs.
I was watching her make my way out to the car, and sat down in the drivers seat. Drive to the Power Sink, she told me, Don't disobey me or you will wish that you were never born.
Then she was gone. My vision was clouding over as I realized that I was fainting. No, she screamed and a sharp burst of pain produced a gash on my arm. How had she done that? I forced myself to drive to the power sink. There was no way that I could contact Hunter without my powers. It was hopeless.
When I got out of my car, I could barely stand. There was a group of witches wearing black cloaks waiting as I arrived. My stomach clenched. They were all wearing animal masks, only one was missing, the wolf. One of them, a Jackal came and grabbed hold of me and handed me a black robe. I tried to call on my power, please help me Maeve, I thought, tears streaming down my face. All I got was an empty nothingness. Goddess, I was going to be used in some terrible plan of theirs, and there was nothing that I could do about it.
"Hurry up," screeched the Jackal. She sent a spell that caused me to double over in pain. I gasped and stripped off my clothes and wrapped the black robe around me. It was very cold outside, just past winter and the air was frosty. Then they walked with me into the middle of the wood, where there was a clearing in the middle of the trees. A circle had already been drawn, and they all moved to their positions around the edge, leaving me standing in the middle.
"She has had her powers bound," a cougar announced.
"That's no problem," muttered the owl. She briefly spoke her power chant and I could almost see the energy coming off her in waves. Then she muttered a quick spell, in harsh, guttural words and sent that energy at me. I felt like I had been hit by a stone wall, as the energy tore at me from inside, threatening to burst all the cells in my body. I ripped away the bindings and I tasted blood in my mouth where I had bitten my tongue. Finally it subsided, and I felt my magick roaring through me once again, which then dissipated into the Earth. I slumped to the floor.
"Get up," snapped the Cougar, sending a binding spell on me that forced me to my knees and to my feet.
Once again I felt the gnawing at my brain, I tried to hold it off, but I was too weak.
This time I was flooded by Ciarans presence.
"Welcome back master," murmered the owl. The others nodded in agreement.
"You have done well in preparation for the resurrection." Ciaran spoke. "Now let us begin to rectify what my damned daughter inflicted on me."
The animal sniggered in delight, as I was filled with dread at what the would do.
I joined the circle, feeling Ciaran draw up my power using his own chant. They circled around, and I felt the energy build up to incredible volumes. Ciaran began uttering long complicated chants, which I vaguely noted were setting the spell's limitations.
He entered the second part of the spell, which was when I noticed billowing clouds of black smoke building up in the centre of the circle. Powerful dark magick was being used here, but for what purpose.
Ciaran picked up a spelled dagger and used it to focus the energy from the circle to the centre. It was then that I felt the huge rip in the ground. A bith dearc. As Amyranth continued circling the rift in the ground grew bigger, and bigger. Suddennly, Ciaran stopped chanting and sent all the power to the dearc. In a flash of bright light, the smoke cleared and I was released from Ciaran's presence. I was caught by a member of Amyranth who roughly pushed me over to the edge of the bith dearc. There in the centre was Ciaran, in a shadowy form.
I called on my power in a feeble attempt to stop him, I tried hauling a ball of white witch fire at him, but it passed right through his soul and crashed into a tree opposite.
"Pathetic, Morgan, there's nothing that you can do to save yourself. You should have joined me ages ago. Now you will be helping us to bring back all the lost members of Amyranth. All the truly powerful witches. You're death is a small sacrifice to pay." He laughed, with the rest of Amyranth, relishing in his own glory. "Now let us begin the final part."
I slumped to the floor, recognizing my failure. I was going to die. I felt the piercing pain in my head once again, as Ciaran tried to re-enter my body. Nobody is having my power, I thought, as I plunged the dagger into my heart. As I felt my life ebbing away, the pain clouding my senses, the cold penetrating my thin robe, I heard the shrieks of Amyranth as they realized what I had done.
"No," shouted the owl. I used my last bit of energy to send a witch message, Hunter, I tried. At last I faded into blackness, relishing the escape from the pain.