Chapter 11

None of them were going to deny it. They were nervous and confused.

It was a nightmare.

They just saw Bloom nearly killing Icy.

'Do you think she was aware of what she did?' Stella quietly asked at some point. No one knew what to answer.

The Winx and the specialists were waiting for information in the winx suite. They all knew Bloom was being interrogated right now and that Faragonda and Griffin asked Darcy to search her mind. Hopefully the witch was able to find something that could explain all of this.

Flora was still in the infirmary, so far the flower fairy didn't return to tell them about Icys condition. They didn't know whether that was a good or a bad sign.

Stormy was still asleep. Flora gave her something, to make her calm down. Darko occasionally went to check up on her until he decided to go to the infirmary. No one stopped him.

Sky was pacing through the room. He just couldn't sit still. It was tearing him apart, not knowing what was going on with his girlfriend.

For most of the time none of them talked. They just sat in silence. Each of them lost in their own thoughts.

They imagined how the door opened and Bloom stepped in, telling them it was all an act. Or how Faragonda informing them about the worst case scenario.

They didn't know what to expect. They didn't know if they wanted to know.

And then the door opened. Flora stepped inside.

'Hey, Bloom would like to talk to us.' She immediately said.

None of her friends were able to tell, if that was good or bad news. Still they got ready to go.

'Have you seen her?' Sky asked.

Flora nodded.

'Should we wake Stormy?' Musa looked at her friend.

' I'm awake. Let's go . I would like to tell that fairy my opinion.' Stormy walked in from her bedroom.

'I am sure you would rather talk to Icy.' Flora smiled at the witch and Stormys eyes widened.

'Icy is awake? How is she?' Tecna asked for the storm witch.

Flora shortly told them she was fine. Then they made their way to Faragondas office.

The group arrived. When they saw Icy they all actively tried not to stare at her. Which made the ice witch raise an eyebrow. The only one who stared at her was Stormy. Her sister didn't even hide the fact that she kept her gaze at her neck.

' It will heal. I am okay.' Icy tried to reassure her sister.

Stormy tore her gaze away from Icys neck, looked into her eyes and nodded.

''You can come in now.' Faragonda announced.

When they walked in, Icy, Darcy, Addy, Darko and Flora went to stand next to Griffin close to the wall. Icy pulled Stormy with them. They wanted to give Bloom the chance to explain to the others what was happening.

'Bloom?' Stella carefully asked. Neither of them were certain who they were dealing with right now.

Most of them expected to see red eyes staring at them instead of Blooms blue eyes.

'Yeah…. It's me.' The fire fairy answered and gave her friends a small smile. She understood why her friends were cautious. She would be as well.

Sky was the first one to walk up to the fairy and to Blooms surprise embraced her. The redhead just enjoyed the comfort of her boyfriend for a minute.

'What is going on?' Sky pulled away and looked at Bloom. There were tears glistening in her eyes.

'There is something I need to tell you all.' Bloom spoke to all of them. She looked at Faragonda, who gave her an encouraging nod.

'Belladonna cursed me with a blood curse and has been taking control of me whenever I fell asleep.' Bloom took a deep breath. 'She made me attack Icy.'

'But now we know what happened and can solve the problem. Like we always do. Right?' Stella said.

Tecna was already looking through her computer. Her eyes widened when she understood what a blood curse is.

'I don't think it will be that easy.'

'No, it won't be easy.' Bloom replied quietly.

The Winx and specialists who didn't know about the blood curse gathered around Tecnas computer. Bloom could see how each of their faces paled.

'It's irreversibel…?' Musa said in disbelief.

' Yes.' Bloom answered. 'Only death can stop the curse'

The fire fairy let her friends comprehend what she just said.

'Luckily I have always managed to find a way to avoid death, so far.'

'I think we have reached the moment were my colleague and I should leave you alone' Griffin said.

'It may be a bit inconvenient for you, but I have to inform Blooms parents about what happened. All four of them. They might not agree, so whatever you do, do it fast,' Faragonda continued and looked back and forth between Icy and Bloom.

'Are you sure?' Icy spoke up when the door closed behind both headmistresses. She understood that Bloom has made her decision.

'Yes.' Bloom said determined. 'Why? Are you having second thoughts?'

'Nope. I like illegal experiments' Icy smirked.

'What the hell is going on!' Sky said what everyone thought.

''Just to be clear. We are doing this without Faragonda and Griffin? What if we do something wrong.' Stella said 'What if we get into trouble?'

All of them ended up back in the Winx suite.

'You mean if I do something wrong.' Darcy hissed at the blonde fairy. The witch of darkness was reading through as many books about blood rituals as she could which wasn't easy, all of the books were ripped apart an loosely put in a box. A little present Belladonna left them after taking control of Bloom earlier.

'I thought you said she knew how to perform such a ritual.' Bloom whispered to Icy, who in return just shrugged her shoulders.

'You fairies really need to learn to be naughty sometimes.' Stormy spoke up. 'Rules are meant to be broken.'

'Easy for you to say.' Musa replied

'I think Stormy is right' Flora said to everyones surprise. 'I don't mean we should be breaking rules regularly. But in this case? We are doing this to help Bloom.'

No one said anything but they all silently agreed.

' Stormy can you hand me the smashed caterpillar.' Icy told her sister.

The ice witch was currently brewing a potion that they would need. It wasn't difficult to make, still she double checked that everything was right. They only had oneshot at this and they were all tired.

The storm witch hadn't left Icys side. It was like she was afraid to let her out of her sight. Icy did not comment on her sisters behavior and just decided she was going to let her help with the potion.

'You know, I thought there would be knifes and needles and voodoo dolls. Why are you only brewing a potion?' Sky was constantly asking questions about everything.

'We also need a spell.' Icy replied.

'But I thought it is a blood ritual. Aren't we doing this to get your blood inside of Bloom?' Musa frowned.

Icy and Darcy exchanged a look and then returned back to their work.

'I think I found the right spell.' Darcy announced. She took the page and walked over to her sister.

'Read it out loud a few times.' Icy didn't even look at the paper.

'Are you joking?'

'You know that Icy doesn't joke.' Stormy walked around to glance at the spell 'Go on, don't be shy, we are waiting.' The youngest of the Trix teased her sister.

' Red sucus vitae

Datum et capta

Praecipio tibi

Coniungere ad novum unum. How was that?' Darcy read the spell out loud. She knew she pronounced every word right.

'Great. Do it again.' Icy said and added another ingredient to the potion.

Darcy rolled her eyes but still repeated the spell over and over again.

'Can I stop now, you heard me say it without any mistake.' Darcy asked. 'It's like I'm a child again.' She muttered under her breath.

'How much longer is this going to take?' Brandon asked.

When it was clear that Bloom wasn't allowed to go back to sleep, they decided to stay awake as well.

'Oh god. Look. The sun is about to rise.' Timmy looked outside. Him and Tecna were sitting close to the window. The pink haired fairy dozed off with her head on his shoulder. Tecna opened her eyes when she felt her boyfriend move. Her gaze went outside as well but not at the sky.

'We have a problem.' Tecna said sleepily.

'Why? What's wrong?' Layla asked and walked over to the window. She immediately understood the problem. 'Your parents are here, Bloom. All four of them.'

Bloom and Icy exchanged a look. They knew whatever they did right now, it had to be fast. Blooms earth parents wouldn't understand the concept of a blood ritual, but Oritel and Marion would. They would stop them right away.

'Everyone who is not involved. Get out.' Icy finished the potion. It was pitch black. They all just stared at her. 'Do I look like I am kidding. Try to keep them from coming here and don't mention anything about the blood curse.'

'She is right. They can't see you here.' Bloom went over to her friends. 'I love you all.'

'This will work, right?' Sky asked his girlfriend.

'What could go wrong.' Bloom smiled sadly and kissed her boyfriend.

It took them a lot of willpower to leave Bloom alone like this.

'Darko? Take Stormy with you.' Icy said. Darko nodded kissed her forehead and left the room with a confused Stormy.

Addy walked over to the ice witch and handed her a small dagger. ' I hope you know what you're doing.'

That only left Icy, Bloom and Darcy.

'Try not to freak out.' Icy took the dagger and cut into her own palm.

Blood dribbled down her hand and into the potion. The liquid turned as red as Icys bood.

Darcy handed her a cloth to cover up the cut. And then poured the potion into a cup.

So that's how Icys blood was going to get inside her.

'Don't smell it and don't look at it. Try to imagine it is something different.' Icy saw how Bloom turned a bit green.

'Why are you doing this? Helping I mean.' Bloom asked the witch.

' The enemy of my enemy is my not-enemy. I want Belladonna and her coven sisters to die as much as you do. And if the only way to achieve that is with you pixies helping us, so be it.' Icy answered honestly. 'Moreover I want to see if you pull through with drinking that potion without gagging' The ice witch smirked and handed her the potion.

Bloom drank it. The liquid was as cold as ice. She had a hard time keeping the potion down, but somehow she managed to drink the whole cup. When she was finished Icy took hold of her hands. She could hear Darcys voice.

Red sucus vitae

Datum et capta

Praecipio tibi

Coniungere ad novum unum

And then she felt….nothing.

'Did it work?' Bloom looked at both witches

'I don't know. How do you feel?' Icy asked

' I don't feel different. Maybe it takes a few minutes.' Bloom sat down on the couch.

'Have you talked about what to do if this doesn't work?' Darcy carefully asked. It was Bloom who answered

'If we can't neutralize the blood curse, Icy has permission to kill me.'

'Oh…ehm..ok…I guess the others don't know about that one.' Darcy eyes widened.

'No, they don't. And you better not tell them when you join them outside.' Icy told her sister.

'Join them? I am not going anywhere.' Darcy argued and looked at her sister

'Bloom has to go to sleep. If it didn't work, Belladonna will make an appearance. She will be furious.' Icy explained ' I don't want you anywhere near her and don't you dare to tell anyone you were involved in this'

She saw how her sister was about to argue.

'This is not up for negotiation.' Icy stopped her.

Darcy nodded. 'Alright' and walked over to the white haired witch. This was the second time today they hugged. She then walked out of the room and left Bloom and Icy alone.

'Can you promise me something?' Bloom said quietly. 'Should I die, keep working with the rest of the Winx to get rid of those three witches.''

'Bloom, If anyone finds out what we just did, I will be arrested.' Icy sat down on a chair on the other side of the room 'But I told Darko to make sure Darcy and Stormy will, just in case.'

Bloom didn't reply.

'You need to go to sleep now.' Icy told the fairy.

The fairy nodded and closed her eyes.

Sleep almost instantly overtook her.

'Bloom. My darling little girl. You need to wake up.' Someone was trying to disturb her sleep

'Bloom?' The voice continued when the fairy didn't responded.

The fire fairy began to stir. When she opened her eyes, she saw her mother, Marion, close to her. She had a hand on her shoulder and had been trying to wake her daughter.

She instantly sat up to Marions surprise. Bloom was still on the couch. Nothing changed in the room, the only thing that was different was that instead of just Icy watching her, there were now five people starring at her.

Icy still sat on the chair, she held her hands up. Blooms father, Oritel, stood next to her and held his sword close to the witches neck. And there were two guards at the door.

'What happened?' Bloom looked at Icy

'We talked and you fell asleep.' Icy replied. The witch shook her head a little. Bloom understood. It worked. Belladonnas curse was neutralized. She couldn't take control anymore.

'Be quiet, witch!' Oritel commanded and held the sword, if possible, closer to her neck.

'Bloom, darling, what happened?' Marion calmly asked her daughter.

Bloom took another glance at the ice witch. Before looking into her mothers eyes.

'I fell asleep.' God, she hoped her parents didn't already know about the blood ritual.

'What is she doing here?' Oritel wanted to know.

'Don't you already know. The news are full of it. Icy, Darcy and Stormy are helping us. The ancestral witches…..' Bloom started

'Yes, we know. We heard about that.' Marion was still calm. 'Is there anything else?''

And then Bloom did something she never thought she would do. She lied

'No, there is nothing else. I am alright.'

Marion nodded and turned to her husband and Icy.

'Those burn marks look fresh. What happened to your neck?' The queen of Domino asked the witch.

'We have been training. I didn't duck fast enough.' Icy lied instantly and if Bloom didn't know better she would have believed her.

'Interesting, Faragonda told us Bloom attacked you.' Marion said before addressing her husband 'Oritel, lower your sword.'

Shit, they knew.

'Something is fishy here' Oritel looked at his wife and reluctantly put his sword away.

'I agree. Let's wait and see what Layla, Stella and Sky have to say.' Marion said

'What do you mean?' Bloom asked

'The royal houses have assambled here in Alfea. Stella is the princess of Solaria, Layla the princess of Andros and Sky is the crown prince of Eraklyon. They were asked to testify in front of the assambly.' Marion told them.

Bloom and Icy exchanged a look. That was bad. If the three of them lied, they would get into serious trouble.

'I'd say we join them and see what they had to say.' Oritel said.

On their way out of the room Icy saw Marion take a glance at the cauldron she earlier brewed the potion in. The queen frowned.

Blooms mother noticed that she was being watched and turned her head towards the witch. Her gaze wandered to the cut on the witches hand. Icy could see in her eyes that Marion knew exactly what happened. She knew about the blood ritual.

'Marion, are you alright?' Oritel noticed the weird behavior of his wife as well.

'Yes, everything is alright.' She answered to Icys surprise.

The assambly included the kingdoms of Solaria, Eraklyon, Andros, Domino, Zenith, Melody and Linphea. Not a big surprise that the home planets of the Winx were the biggest Kingdoms in the magical dimension.

Stella, Layla and Sky were standing in front of the rulers of six of those kingdoms.

The news of the ancestral witches surviving and the Trix staying in Alfea were spreading fast. Of course the kings and queens wanted to know what to expect now.

The three of them answered all of their questions honestly. Then came the difficult part.

'What about Bloom? Oritel and Marion have been informed by Miss Faragonda that there had been an incident.' King Radius spoke up.

'An incident?' King Erendor questioned 'What kind of incident?'

'Bloom apparently attacked Icy' Queen Luna answered

'Is that true?' King Erendor looked at his son and his friends.

Sky, Stella and Layla each took a deep breath and answered the question