Chapter 13
His hands caress my face and I wrap my arms around him. I hadn't experienced these kinds of emotions in a long time and this just takes my breath away. The kiss stirs something inside me, something I like. It makes me want to kiss him again and again when we break apart, but I hold off knowing there will time later. We smile at each other.
"Had to take the moment." Is all he says. I kiss him on the cheek.
"Your timing was perfect." He smiles and walks forward, toward the door. Everything seems happier now; the light of the moon creates a beautiful glow when on the snow. Everything in the burnt house is alive, the charred planks of wood even, and it makes it eerie too. Stiles wraps his arm around me, I think it is out of our new relationship, but then I notice he has a limp. I look down at his leg and see it is slightly bruised on the ankle. I point at his ankle.
"Do you want me to fix it?" I ask peering down at it.
"It won't hurt, will it?" he asks. I help sit down on the steps, and roll up his jeans. I shrug.
"Doubt it." I say. "But then again, with my full powers back, there may be a slight pinch or so." He watches me, unsure of what to think.
"Water, ice and snow;
Stars as bright as night.
Moon watch me now,
As Aloe to Burns;
Heal this, for it is his turn."
It's not my best spell, but it does the trick. I hear an intake of breath from him as the bruise disappears. It is as good as new and I stand.
"That was unbelievable Aiden," he says. I blush.
"It's what I have always done. Never a killer, always a healer." My grandmother used to tell me that. She wanted us to become healers, powerful ones. Not to overtake the court, but to give them the message that if they mess with us, they will live to regret it. They have, and I hope they regret it. They know the one weakness we have, and told the Argents. Stiles kisses my hand as we descend.
"Such a gentleman." I say with a flirtatious tone.
As we reach the first floor of the house, I hear yelling voices. Alison's. I look over at Stiles and he nods. We run out the door and see Alison going ballistic on Gerard.
"…did you do to her?" She yells at him, tears pouring out of her eyes. "She didn't even touch me, you said she would! She isn't a monster Gerard, you are! You just want her dead for your own reasons don't you? For your own selfish reasons!" She screams. I walk toward them and as Gerard speaks, the rest of our crowd comes in.
"She is playing mind tricks with you Allison. She wants you to think she is innocent, when really she-"
"Oh so is that what you told the rest of your family when you murdered mine?" He shakes his head. "Oh." I say surprised. "Do we have a different word for murder now? Is that a little in-proper now a-days?" Alison walks over to my side and looks at Stiles and gasps.
"You didn't?" She pleads. Gerard just shrugs.
"It had to be done Alison, you will learn that soon." He says. Alison shakes her head.
"Not this way."
I stare at Gerard, he stares back.
"You know what gets me the most Gerard? That you just set my home and family on fire without a cause. The law was very clear then; no crime was committed. But you didn't need one, did you?" I say, I turn to Allison. "My grandmother, who I resemble very much, was in love with Gerard. The reason, I will never know till I see her again. I never liked Gerard when I was living with my grandmother. He just didn't have a kindred spirit you could say, but they were to be married. You want to know why he left her?" I stare at them all who have surrounded us, Argents, hunters, and wolves alike.
"Yes." I hear Allison say loud and clear. Our eyes lock and she has a cold look in her eyes.
"You see, he didn't know what we were, he had no idea." I say with almost a laugh. "Our scents are very specific, every witch is different. One day, though, my grandmother told him we are witches. He left the very hour." I stare at Gerard with cold eyes. He broke her heart and for that, I cannot forgive him. "And five years later he came knocking at our door. He murdered her, my parents, my cousins, my older sister, my brother, and of course a mortal." I see Chris shake his head. "I'm sorry Chris I know how much of a disgrace that is. He killed Burt, my fiancé. I was in the meadow picking flowers because being in nature helped calm my nerves. When I returned I saw the house engulfed in flames. I heard them die."
"Gerard," I hear from Chris, "a human. You killed an innocent human." Gerard shakes his head.
"No dear son, he was with the witch here you see. He was going to be married to her." He slyly says.
"Like Scott and I Gerard? Would you kill Scott in a second?" asks Alison. Gerard just smiles.
"I do what I have to do."
Alison looks away over to Scott. She shakes her head at her grandfather. I continue with my story.
"Now the moment Gerard was waiting for had come, but he missed one. The Healer. How he got rid of me was quite fascinating actually. He saw me come out of the woods but I was already running across the fields to Deaton's. There, I learned my fate. I was blamed for my family's murder and I was sentenced to have my soul taken from me, slowly and with that went my power to heal. The court, you know, wanted all witches dead, knowing we could over power them in a snap of our fingers. Until I came here, I was a mere year away from losing it forever, and becoming empty. I came here." I smile over at the rest of my friends who are here. "And with every effort I made, I gained back my soul. Morrell and Deaton are trying to figure out why, but I doubt we will know."
I hear Gerard start to clap.
"My, what a speech young lady. But I believe you are forgetting something." he says. I almost laugh.
"Now, what could I have possibly forgotten? That you've been killing innocent beings, human or not? Because I'm pretty certain I made that clear." He shakes his head and snaps his fingers.
I hear struggling voices and the life from my face drains from my face and I drop to my knees. It's impossible, they never could have figured out what she was. She was protected, by me and others.
I feel Stiles wrap his arms around me, pulling me to my feet with Scott's help. When I am upright, I see a small pale girl with jet black hair, around the same age as myself. It was why she was put with me, I would keep her safe. Her big dark eyes stare at me, I keep her stare. I shake free of Scott and Stiles' grasp and break my stare with her. I look at Gerard.
"How dare you. How dare you bring her here, she has nothing to do with this." I say.
Gerard smiles at me and walks around Cala.
"Oh young lady, she has so much do with this." He says in a cold tone.
My body goes numb as I watch him circle her. Scared he will kill her. He taps his chin and walks around her. I make for him, but am held back. He lifts her hair, examining her.
"Take your filthy hands off her."
Gerard rounds back toward me and nods at himself.
"We found this girl, she was around your house this evening. It was strange, you see. To find a girl outside, in the cold with nothing what she is wearing now." I look at her black sweater and jeans. She has no shoes on, and her hair lies around her shoulders. Her eyes look frightened, she is no fighter but a hunter. She knows how to fight but is out of her league here. "She saw us, and started to run, but we caught her and she transformed. I had never seen anything like this before, as you may have assumed. A shape shifter, one I have seen before you know. On PEI, when I murdered those witches." I snarl at him and Cala hisses. "But now, to business, who is she?" he asks.
"My younger sister." I say. I hear whispering behind me but I do not break my stare with Gerard.
"Ah, but you said all were lost in the fire."
"She wasn't in the fire. She was away with Morrell. All witches are family to me, no matter who their ancestors are." I say with dignity. Gerard brings out a knife and my breath catches in my throat. "That is forbidden Gerard. That dagger is forbidden." He plays with it in his hands.
"Then why would I have it?" He winks at me.
"If you touch her-"
"What?" he asks. "What will little Aiden Lark do?" he sneers.
I feel the anger rising in my heart, spreading throughout my body but then it goes away. I know what to do.
"What do you want?" I ask. Gerard smiles.
"Here we go, time for negotiations." He claps his hands. "I want you Aiden. I want to tear you apart piece by piece. To be rid of the Lark family."
"In exchange for her safety." I say meekly. He nods.
"Here we go. Now what do you say?" he asks. I smile up at him.
"I don't think that'll quite work." I snap my fingers and the silver handle of the dagger heats up. Gerard yells and drops it. Alison with one quick motion grabs the knife. I look at Cala and see someone grab her and push her to me. I frown as I see Isaac. He has wrapped his jacket around her and is holding her tight. I shake off the confusion knowing I will have answers later, I look at Gerard.
"Oh young lady, that was very foolish of you."
"No, it wasn't Gerard." I see Deaton walk out from behind the trees. "You see, this is exactly what I've been telling the court for all these years. Did you see this Airwin?" I gasp as I she her walk out from behind the trees. I drop on my knee and bow to her.
"Rise young one." I rise and see her walk toward Gerard. She smiles over at me. "Lave, you have shown great love tonight even without part of your soul. I am the one who has given it back to you. I am your goddess and knew my child could not have killed, for her vows are sacred to those who have spoken it. Now Hunter," she turns to Gerard, "you have shown disgrace to your family. I ask you to leave my woods or I shall take matters into my own hands." Gerard just stares at her with a look of awe. Her beauty made the forest light up with life and he knew he couldn't touch her. He couldn't defy her because she could bring death to him. He nods to his men and starts out of the woods.
Airwin looks over at me now.
"Come forth my child." She holds out her hand and I walk over to her and take her hand. She smiles down at me. "You have protected Cala for many years and now she is old enough to fend for herself. You have done well my child." She says to me. I smile up at her.
"Thank you Airwin. I hope I am worthy of your grace." I say. She smiles with chuckle.
"Always Lave, and before I leave to talk with the court," she holds my hand and waves her hand over it. A ring appears on my finger and I gasp.
"Your ring, but,"
"You have deserved this. This is my ruby ring Lave, and you have earned it. Now, go back to your loved ones. I shall see you soon." She turns and walks into darkness and then is gone. Deaton smiles over at me.
"It was her, wasn't it?" he nods.
"Yes, some of them up there are still rooting for you Lave." He smiles over my shoulder then walks away.