Page 18 of Sorcia's Heart
He reached out and took her upper arm, guiding her gently but firmly toward a door that shouldn’t have been visible.But Marcus saw it.Of course, he did.Damn him.He always seemed to see everything.
He waved a hand, and the door opened with a faint shimmer, revealing a room bathed in deep blue.The walls and ceiling sparkled with points of light that looked like stars, creating the illusion of a serene night sky.To anyone passing by, it would seem like a decorative feature, but Sorcia knew better.
The stars weren’t just for show.They were spells—powerful ones—that protected the room and its occupants.No one could listen in or even sense that someone was there.
Marcus stepped inside, his gaze steady as he turned to face her.“You never gave me the chance to explain,” he said softly, the patience in his voice tempered by a growing edge of frustration.“You decided I wasn’t enough for you before you ever let me prove otherwise.And now, you’re still doing the same thing.Running from what’s right in front of you.”
Sorcia clenched her fists, her emotions roiling as his words cut through her defenses.But she refused to let him see how deeply they had struck.Not yet.
The private meeting room was as striking as it was functional.In the center of the room stood a polished, circular table carved from black granite, its surface etched with ancient sigils of power and unity.Floating above the table, suspended in an invisible current, was the crystal sphere that acted as both a sentinel and a conduit for the coven’s collective magic.
The moment Sorcia stepped into the room, she was bombarded by her council members.
“Did you feel it?”Zelda asked breathlessly, her dark eyes wide with urgency.
Bethany stepped forward, her long hair cascading over her shoulders like a silken waterfall.“I’ve felt it several times over the past twenty-four hours,” she said, her tone laced with concern.She turned to Jane, the third member of the council, whose expression was as calm as ever despite the tension in the air.“But Jane said she’s been feeling tremors longer than just the past day.”
Sorcia lifted a hand, calming her friends and council members.“Yes, I’ve felt it,” she admitted, setting her purse on the table and heading for the coffee station in the corner.She poured herself a cup, adding cream and sugar with slow, deliberate movements, as if the routine could steady her racing thoughts.She hadn’t slept last night, her nerves frayed from both the tremors in thesphaeraand Marcus’s constant presence.
That’s when the others noticed him.Marcus stood in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the soft glow of the room’s protective spells.
“Marcus?”Bethany asked, her worried expression hardening into a glare.“What are you doing here?”
“I thought that—”
“It doesn’t matter what happened in the past,” Jane interrupted, standing and moving to Marcus’s side.Her calm demeanor didn’t waver as she added, “He’s here, and I suspect he’s offering his powers to help us battle whatever is invading our territory.”
Zelda looked contemplative, her striking hair shimmering in the light as she folded her arms.“I wonder if the disturbances have anything to do with the recent power struggles Viktor and Jace have faced.”
Sorcia stirred her coffee with a finger above the liquid, using a tiny spell to blend the cream and sugar.“Before we start jumping to conclusions, let’s lay out everything we know,” she said, gesturing for everyone to take their seats at the council table.The sphere above the table pulsed faintly, its glow a reflection of thesphaera's activity—or perhaps their collective unease.
Sorcia pulled over an extra chair for Marcus and placed it between Zelda and Jane.She hesitated for a moment before sitting down at her usual spot.“Let’s go around the table and share what we’ve seen, heard, or felt.Jane, why don’t you start?”
Jane straightened in her chair, her eyes briefly flicking to Marcus before settling on Sorcia.“I don’t remember the exact moment I first felt something, but it was recently,” she began, her voice steady.She tilted her head, her expression thoughtful.“Maybe three days ago?It was a faint tremor, so slight I didn’t give it much thought.It was there one moment and gone the next, like a whisper of magic.”
“But it was soft?”Sorcia clarified.
“Yes,” Jane confirmed with a nod, her silky blond tresses shimmering around her beautiful face.“Then, a couple of days later, I saw flashes—brief, disjointed images that didn’t make sense.They came and went too quickly for me to understand them.”
“Where was this?”Sorcia asked, leaning forward slightly, her green eyes intent.
“Near my home,” Jane replied.“And afterward… I felt weak.Drained.”
A heavy silence fell over the table at her words.
Sorcia nodded and turned to Zelda.“And you?”
“Same as Jane,” Zelda said, her voice steady but tinged with unease.Her copper curls bounced slightly as she shifted in her seat, the warm light catching the fiery strands.Her freckled face was unusually pale, a stark contrast to her usual vibrant demeanor.“But I didn’t feel any tremors until yesterday.When they came, they were strong.And afterward, I saw flashes—bright, almost blinding.”
Sorcia shifted her focus to Bethany.“And you?”
Bethany frowned, her caramel-colored eyes darkening with concern as she spoke.Her long brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, framing her thoughtful expression.“I only felt the tremors.No flashes, but the tremors were intense.That’s why I sent you that message.”Sorcia blinked, her heart thudding in her chest.“What message?”
Bethany picked up her phone and scrolled through her text messages.When she found what she was looking for, she slid the device across the table to Sorcia.
Sorcia read the words, her blood running cold.She slid the phone toward Marcus, her hand trembling slightly as she gestured for him to read it.
The tension in the room deepened as Sorcia looked up at her council, her voice calm but heavy with foreboding.“I didn’t get your message.If you’ve felt tremors and seen flashes… that can only mean one thing.”
