Chapter 488
124 – Elara
I walk towards Eliza, confidence oozing off of me. Her movements stutter for only a moment. She isn’t used to being challenged. Good.
“Let’s use the roots and branches, like she did to you when we got here.” Juliette whispers behind my left shoulder. “”And, just so you are aware, green magic is the hardest thing for me to do, so it might not be the best.
“I trust you.” I say again, my movement never wavering. Her magic doesn’t come anywhere near me. Ben learned something while we were separated. I can’t wait to hear his side of events when this is all done. Even the rippling ground veers around
us.
Only then does Eliza pause. She saw it. She’s confused, but recovers quickly. “Are you ready to hand over the key and finally protect your pack the way a leader should?”
“What would you know about leading anything?” Ben asks, and even I’m surprised. Pissing off an already angry and unpredictable caster is not what I would have chosen to do.
She must agree as her fingers crackle. I can feel heat radiating off of her. “I lead an entire coven AND a pack of wolves. My leadership exceeds yours.”
“Bullsh*t.” Ben drags out, like he’s egging on Jax. What the hell is he doing?
“Get ready.” Juliette breathes. “Small movements; open your fingers, palms down…”
“I’ve been helping lead packs since I was ten. I didn’t have to hypnotize or drug anyone to get them to follow me.” Ben chirps a little louder.
“…keep the medallion secure in your hand, she’ll aim for it…”
“You’re a brat with a God complex.” Ben continues and I feel the ground rumble. I just don’t know if it’s me or her doing it. The tension in the air is getting thick again.
“Think about the roots in the ground; all of them. The massive tree roots and the tiniest grass roots. Ask them to help you subdue her.”
What?!? I mentally shake my head, I trust her. Witches spend a ton of time in silence with their element. This has to be part of it. ‘I’m asking for help from trees and plants in the Rift.’ I try to not sound sarcastic in my own head. ‘I don’t know what I am doing, but I want to stop this and protect you and my pack and the covens. Any assistance in that would be greatly appreciated.’ I add on vulnerably at the end.
The wind picks up and whips my hair around my head. I can’t see a thing, but I feel Juliette just behind me and Ben has a hand on my waist. I’m not alone. They are here fighting with me. I keep repeating the mantra as I ask the earth for help again. The tingling in my fingers is increasing, I just wish I knew what it meant.
“You’re going to burn out trying to do magic, wolf. Just hand over the key to someone who knows how to control it.”
“Ah!” I can’t hold back the gasp of pain I feel in my fingers. It burned me. The magic burned me. The air increases and the ground is full on rumbling and roiling. It’s hard to stand.
“The Rift clearly doesn’t like you.” Ben shouts over the din.I don’t think the Rift likes any of us at the moment, but I keep that to myself. “Maybe stop pissing it off so it will stop trying to kill us.”
“But, that’s what I want.” Her voice carries smoothly over the noise. Is this her wind? “When you die, I will take full possession. Possession of your pack, my sister’s coven and this raw untapped source of power.”
“Ha!” Ben lets out his bark of a laugh, and with it the wind dies off completely.
“Get ready to pull the roots up.” I completely forgot that I have a job to do. Magic is very distracting. I set my feet, every emotion flowing through me. I feel the ground through my feet, small little vibrations hit tiny pressure points in my soles, not painful, reassuring.
“… You think any of us are going down easily. You aren’t as great as you pretend to be. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
I pull up with my hands, trying to keep the movement small. Ben is doing a great job maintaining Eliza’s attention. I feel the weight come with my hands, and the pride that courses through me is a balm to all of the pain of the last few days.
“ENOUGH! Stop trying to use magic against me, you will never succeed. I am the most powerful witch in a hundred years…”
“Ah Hahaha!” Ben hasn’t let go of my waist, but he is full on laughing now. “You are so full of sh*t. The assholes who groomed you made you think you are great, but you can’t even control us correctly. They got you to do what they want. How have you made it this far being so stupid? I bet this is why your mom bound your magic. She was hoping to give you some intelligence first.”
A feral, pained sound rips from Eliza. I feel bad for her. Ben clearly has information he’s using against her…Gah! No! I can’t be distracted. I pull at the ground again as she starts to pace back and forth, each pass bringing her closer to us. She is mumbling, but I don’t think it’s a spell. I can’t take any chances, we need to end this.
There’s a squeeze at my waist and whispers in my ear. I don’t know what Juliette is saying, but my body is following her commands. I can feel every shift in the earth beneath me the trees are ready to help. The sparkle and glint from the Rift encourage me. I feel the swell of power bubble up from the earth, into my feet and through my limbs. Copyright © 2025 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions.
Eliza turns to me, eyes blazing. I blink and feel the magic falter, but her eyes are literally on fire. This is it, if I fail now we are all going to die. I
pull on the ground again. Ben’s fingers are warm against my side, Juliette’s hand warm on my shoulder. The heat builds and I don’t know if I can hold onto the magic much longer. My hands lift to the sky and roots shoot out from the ground all around us cocooning Eliza. I see white flashes and feel the heat of whatever she is throwing at us, but nothing is penetrating the Rift’s grip.
My body goes slack against Ben. He catches me easily. Always.