AYLA

Cheers erupted from all sides of me.

Lucius’ arms closed around me, pulling me to his chest while the hall roared in approval.

"What did you do?" I said when I could finally speak. "What did you do?" my voice rose again.

The cheers began to die around us as some of the people turned to us, confusion filled their faces.

"What did you do to me?" I shouted louder.

Lucius laughed, turning to them.

"My Luna is distressed," he announced. "The bond has come as a shock to her system. It is nothing to worry about. Tonight is a celebration."

He gestured to some guards.

"See to it that your Luna gets some rest in her chambers."

"No" I yelled. "Let go of me."

I was dragged out of the hall but we did not go to the room. They led me down a flight of steps where a door stood at the far end of a dark corridor and I was pushed inside. They proceeded to tie me up in a chair with ropes and blindfold me.

"Let me go, please" I called out.

The sound of the door closing and footsteps receding reached my ears and soon I was alone.

I screamed until my throat was raw. I pulled at the ropes until they burned my wrists. I threw my weight against the chair until it tipped and I hit the floor hard, and I lay there in the dark with the blindfold pressing against my eyes, tasting blood where I had bitten my lip.

I had no idea how much time passed before the door opened again and I heard footsteps again, light ones.

"Who is there?" I said. My voice cracked. "Who is..."

I felt myself being lifted off the ground and the blind fold coming off.

I blinked, adjusting my eyes.

Amara stood over me, a single candle in her hand, her white hair falling around her face and her eyes...those pale, endless eyes looked down at me.

"What are you doing?" I said. "What is your plan with Lucius? He is not my mate."

"But he is."

"He can never be." My voice shook. "What did you do to me?"

She did not answer.

She turned away from me and set the candle on the side table where a clay bowl sat.

"You do not have to do this." I called out in desperation. "Whatever Lucius has promised you..."

"Promised me?"

Amara laughed.

"Oh, Ayla." She turned to face me. "You look just like her. It is very uncanny."

"Just like who?"

"A girl I used to know. She was kind of like you." Her head tilted. "An Omega Dualis."

What? I thought. The only other Omega Dualis was Morgana and there was no way this young girl could be talking about her.

Even if the witches could slow their age... for that long? She would have to be what?...

"Yes" Amara smiled again. "I do not look my age."

She folded her arms across her chest.

"I used to serve in Morgana’s court before her unfortunate demise."

"How is that possible?" I gaped at her.

"Anything is possible with the right kind of spell, Ayla and that is what I am going to teach you after all this is over."

"I assume you had something to do with Morgana’s death." I said.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you are working for Lucius." My voice hardened. "Because you are trying to harm me."

"I am trying to help you, Ayla."

"Then untie me. Let me out of here. That would be you helping me."

Amara tsked. She looked at me for a long moment, before the door opened again to Lucius.

"Well?" he said. "Have you done it?"

"Not yet." Amara responded. "I was wondering if you would like to explain things to her before I do what I have to do."

"Explain things?" I yanked at the ropes. "There is nothing to explain. Whatever you plan to do will not work."

Lucius crossed the room. He stopped in front of my chair, close enough that I could smell the wine on his breath, and he looked down at me the way he had looked at me that first morning, standing over my bed.

"Ayla. Listen to me." His voice was soft. "I would have loved for this to go some other way, but I do not have the time to cater to you. You are going to see that I was right in the end, when everything falls into place."

"You mean when you succeed in using me to get what you want."

His eyes flashed but he said nothing merely turned to Amara and nodded.

I pressed myself back as far as the ropes would let me, my heart slamming against my ribs as she crossed to me and stood before the chair then she closed her eyes and began to mutter.

The words were not in any language I knew.

Her body began to glow, white light poured out of her as her voice grew louder and louder even though her lips had stopped moving, I could not look away.

The light bent at her feet and pooled into a thick black smoke curling along the floor toward me.

No, no... I had to do something.

I had to fight her.

I closed my eyes and willed for my powers. I felt my skin begin to hum and I heard Amara grunt.

"What is it?" Lucius asked.

"She is fighting me." Amara answered.

I was pushing at back her, fighting the pressing that was her magic enveloping me, wrapping around my ankles.

"She is strong, Lucius... she is strong." Amara laughed with glee.

I screamed as I felt cold hands wrap around my heart, my lungs seized and my powers faltered.

"You may be the Omega Dualis but I am older than you, you are yet to harness the full extent of your powers, Ayla."

I thrashed against the ropes as the cold sank into my blood. The world spun before my eyes and the black smoke finally enveloped me.

Then it was gone.

"Is it done?" Lucius asked.

"Yes." Amara’s voice sounded far away to my ears. "She is all yours now."

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