Page 8 of Witch's Exile
All the chatter and distractions melted away and I came to a wall with many nooks, crannies, shelves and crevices within it. The light from my flame did nothing to reveal the shadows cast by all those hidden places.
What do I do now?I asked Ash.
Feel, touch, and explore what you can't see,he answered.Take your time and don't rush anything. Whatever you discover might startle or overwhelm you but remember to keep your focus and I'm right here with you.
After a moment to gather myself, I began feeling along the wall. It felt cold and solid. I never felt anything like this in my mind before. Shadows were usually soft and pliable.
Nothing came to light right away and my frustration grew. Was this simply the edge of my consciousness? Had I already found everything within my mind? Ash encouraged me to keep going, even though my search seemed fruitless.
I reached through a hole in the wall and nearly lost my grip when I touched something warm.
Ash, I think I got something!
Keep your focus, love. Go easy and slow.
The sensation was pleasant, like holding my hand over a space heater in a chilly room. I tried to draw it out into the light, to bring it to my awareness but it seemed stuck in this rocky wall.
I struggled, cursing with frustration as I tried to wedge it out of its position but a rancid breath of air made me stop.
STOP MESSING WITH THAT, DEMON WHORE. YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR IT.
Diana!I cried out with a shock. She was here in my head. Even here I couldn't escape from her.
Ignore her, love,Ash instructed.She's trying to use your pain against you, but she can't do anything if you don't allow it. Keep trying.
I KILLED DEIDRE BY CASTING BLOOD MAGIC ON YOU. I'LL KILL YOU THE SAME WAY-- BY CASTING MY SPELL ON YOUR FILTHY DEMON SPAWN.
"No, you won't touch her!"
Vertigo set in. All directions turned on their heads and became meaningless as I lost focus. Which way was up? Where the fuck was I?
My limbs flailed and something heavy smacked against my face. I realized it was Ash's chest.
"You're okay, love," he whispered, pressing kisses to my face. "I'm here."
I blinked slowly as our surroundings came back into focus. We were laying on the ground, Ash on his back and me on top of him. The air smelled like pine trees and fertile soil. Earth magic hummed all around me.
"Fuck," I breathed, dropping my head to Ash's sternum. "She's way deep inside there."
"Rotten cunt," he spat, tightening his arms around me protectively. "She used your desire for a family to worm her way in there. Now she's using it to hurt you."
"How do I get her out?" My voice grew hysterical, knowing this failure meant more nightmares would greet me tonight. "How do I make her stop?"
His silence broke my heart.
"We'll figure it out," he said softly, tilting my chin up to look at him. "We came close today. I know it's hard, love, but you have to shut her out. She only has such a strong hold on you because you feed into that fear."
"How can I not?" A hand flew down to my belly. "She's either going to kill me or our daughter."
"The old cunt can try."
Ash and I looked up to the voice that spoke. Sal stood a few yards away, somehow able to walk right up to us without making a sound. He wore military fatigue pants hanging dangerously low on his hips and no shirt. His bare, rippling torso was streaked with drying blood. Slung over his shoulders was the body of a young buck with velvet antlers. Its throat had been ripped out and was still bleeding slowly.
"You couldn't clean your kill any more... cleanly?" Ash said wryly.
Sal shrugged. "Smelled you two out here and got tired of dragging this thing with my jaws. I'm sure you'd understand Ash, if you could, y'know, shift."
"Fuck off, you damned beast," Ash retorted, pulling both of us to our feet.
