Of Fate & Forbidden Desire (The Gatekeeper Duet #1)

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

To break a block you must almost break your mind, sounds like a hoot, not.-Charleene

W e'd spent what felt like days forcing my magic to the surface and seeing how long I could maintain it. Each time I held it longer and longer, until now I could find it easily and Eilidh had finally deemed that I was ready to try and break the damn block which had been placed on me. Excitement with a twinge of trepidation flowed through my body, making it shake as I paced. Either I broke the block or I'd die trying.

“Are you ready?” Eilidh's sweet voice broke into my doom and gloom thoughts, dragging me back to the present.

“As ready as I'll ever be.” I replied, trying to give her a small smile but my lips twisted wrong and it came out more like a grimace.

“Ok, I have placed the candles, inside this circle you will be on your own. I can not step across the barrier until you have either succeeded or failed,” she reminded me, pointing out the ring of unlit candles.

She'd explained their need; they were to protect herself and The Inbetween from any magical outburst I may make. We'd found out that my two greatest strengths were with the fire and spirit elements, and I would use a combination of the two to break the block. Hence the protective circle so I couldn't damage my surroundings with my spirit magic. Taking a deep breath I stepped across them, carefully so as not to knock anything over as I sat in the centre with my legs crossed.

“When you are ready, light the candles and I will evoke the protections.” Eilidh said.

Drawing in another deep breath, I held it for a few seconds before feeling the heat of my own body and kindling it to ignite the fire magic inside of me. I felt a small flame dance with a comforting warmth in the palm of my hand and letting my fears of failure go, I stared at one of the candle wicks and willed it to light by heating the air around it. The candle burst to life and I imagined all the others following suit. One after, each candle sprang to life and Eilidh's soft voice filled the space around us.

“Hecate I call upon you to bless this space and protect it from harm. I ask that you keep the magick contained within the barrier, until its work is done.” Her voice trailed off, and after a few seconds, the candle flames leapt higher before dying down and with a pop, the magical barrier settled into place around me.

Breathing in a shorter breath, I held it and closed my eyes, turning my focus inward as Eilidh had coached me. I focused upon—what I imagined—was a silvery thread of magic that surrounded my heart like a protective barrier and willed it to expand. Ever so slowly, my magic listened to me as I thought about it flowing through my veins, until it followed my silent request and I felt a pleasant buzzing filling my whole body. Letting out my held breath slowly, with barely a sound, I imagined that silvery magic coating my whole body in a gentle light, smiling serenely as I felt a comforting cocoon envelop me.

I'm doing it, I thought to myself, trying not to get too giddy as I requested the magick to move higher. Concentrating it around my head, picturing a thick halo resting against my forehead and ringing my head. Evoking my fire magick next, while holding the threads of spirit in place, I entwined the two. Seeing alternating fiery red and sparkling silver threads weaving together like a living snake, before letting it sink through my skull and surround my mind. Eilidh had explained that whoever had bound my magic had bound it within my mind. Keeping it secret from myself and all those around me.

“Well done Charleene, you should feel–” Her words cut off as a scream ripped from deep in my lungs. Pain like nothing I'd ever felt pierced my mind, and my focus on my magick slipped for a second as tears slipped down my cheeks. “ Remember, keep the magicks contained and pressing against your mind.” Eilidh's voice registered, reminding me of what we were doing and why the pain was necessary.

“It will all be worth it,” I thought aloud, concentrating on keeping the magick wrapped around my brain and asking for more.

Willingly, both of my magicks thickened and the pain rose higher, making my teeth grind as I suppressed the urge to scream again. I pictured both magicks thickening further and rushing round my brain, asking it to search and destroy anything which wasn't ours. I don't know how long I spent with my teeth feeling like they would sink back into my gums and my mind like it was on fire, when suddenly my magicks increased the fire, becoming an inferno while spirit fanned the flames higher and faster.

Just when I thought I couldn't hold the magicks any longer, something inside me shifted and shattered as unimaginable pain speared through my entire body, then everything went blissfully dark.

“Hush Child,” A calm balm soothed the pain within me, as I stirred to the motherly voice.

“Mother?” I asked the maternal voice, and received a soft laugh that sounded a little like tinkling bells.

“No, but you are a daughter of mine, as all Witches are my children,” she explained, making my brow furrow as I refused to let my eyes open.

“Who are you?” I wondered aloud, hoping that she'd explain.

“Open your eyes, Daughter of Mine,” she whispered, her voice shifting between the motherly tone, to wavering, to as young as mine, and then back to motherly all in one sentence.

Unable to resist her command my eyes opened, meeting a woman leaning over me. I met her pure silver eyes. She didn't even have black pupils or the whites, they were just swirling molten silver. I would have flinched away, if I wasn't already laying flat on my back with my head cushioned on soft moss instead of the grass I'd expected. Rainbows danced quickly across the sky, making my stomach roll, so I looked back at the woman above me.

“Who are you?” I repeated, my tone sharper than I had intended as I watched her jet black hair float gently, wafting away from the thin oval face that constantly shifted. One second she looked as young as myself, then aged asif she'd grown to forty something, before wrinkles creased her eyes, brow and mouth. Then the cycle would repeat, almost as if she was three people in one body.

“You have been so brave and fearless, Daughter of Mine. I am known as Hecate, the Three Faced Goddess.” Her voice soothed my frayed nerves, even though I knew I should be shaking with fear as I faced off with a Goddess.

“Hecate…the goddess Hecate?” I queried, my eyes widening in shock.

“Yes,” she said, smiling kindly down at me, “I wish to show you something , if you will allow me.”

Her question sounded more of a nice demand and I felt my head bobbing up and down, giving her my permission when my words became lodged like a lump in my throat.

“Thank you Daughter of Mine,” she said, moving soundlessly to kneel above the crown of my head. “You stand upon a crossroads, so to speak, Daughter of Prophecy, and I wish to gift you knowledge of the past to aid your journey forward.”

“Erm okay?” I whispered, not really understanding her words, but something within me trusted her.

Her fingers were soft against my temple, her touch feather soft, “Close your eyes.” She bade me and I automatically complied.

I began to feel silly, as my eyes saw nothing but darkness, “Am I supposed…”

“Hush child, patience is a virtue,” Hecate chuckled.

Her words echoed, bouncing around my mind as light seeped through the darkness and words grew clearer.

“The gates have been closed successfully,” a woman's voice said confidently. “Yours is the last.”

The whiteness faded, leaving me looking at two young women, around my own age. One stood with her back to me, her long dirty blonde hair full of waves, hung above her bum. The other stood facing the first, with flowing chestnut brown hair, a pale face and striking eyes. The violet seemed to glow brighter as her lips turned down at the corners.

“Will I see you again?” The one whose face I couldn't see asked.

“I think not, Gabriella, I fear that the Shadow War is just beginning and I do not know how, or if, it will end.” Her companion replied sadly, reaching out to grasp the other's shoulder. “I will not open the gates until everyone is safe again.”

“We can protect it Serralynn.” Even as her words were being spoken, the pale faced woman began shaking her head.

“Not from this, the cost would be too high if any failed.” Serralynn's voice didn't waver even as she quickly wiped away a tear. “Gabriella, I have already closed every gate, to leave one open would be irresponsible. Your family line will always be Gatekeepers, prepare them well.”

Serralynn gave the woman a tight hug, closing her eyes briefly as though she was wanting to remember this moment. When she pulled back, a shimmering archway blinked into being behind her.

“Not yet Serralynn, please my friend, do not fight this battle alone,” the woman pleaded, her voice breaking as Serralynn stepped backwards.

“Teach your children and their children the way of the Gatekeepers, one day they will reopen.” Serralynn said, before turning on her heel and striding confidently into the rainbow surface. I gasped in surprise as the surface rippled before it disappeared and the other woman turned towards me. I froze, staring at what I thought was my own face. She was almost a carbon copy of myself, except with green eyes instead of blue.

The woman who looked like me uttered something, but I couldn’t hear what she said, as the scene grew hazy. Like thick mists had rolled in off of an unseen sea. Squinting, I tried to see what the woman was doing. The mist cleared, slowly revealing a different scene; the huge standing stones now stood before me. They were the same ones that Eilidh had said belonged to the Nicnevin Witches. Three women all of differing ages, but with similar looks, stood in the centre of the ring whilstI remained outside them.

“I have foreseen it,” the youngest of them said, her green eyes piercing against her pale skin. “From an ancient line will come twin flames both born and blessed, to set our world on a different path. Separated their paths will be long and hard as light turns to dark, love to hate. Familial bonds will be broken but our salvation or destruction will be decided by their hands. Ancients shall herald their arrival as they return to wage new battles upon our fields. Burnt bridges may be remade as gates long closed will open. All will hail the Gatekeeper.”

“What could it mean?” said the one who I’d seen before, but she looked older now, more middle aged than the young woman.

“It means that a child from our own line will spell death and destruction for us all. We must act to make sure this future never happens,” the woman with lines creasing her face and white hair pinned up in a severe looking bun declared. A shiver ran down my back at her words, she uttered them so calmly. “The prophecy must not come to pass. Any babes that could be the one must be put to death. If they do not live then they can not destroy everything.” Her words were so cold, and her face didn’t even twitch as she discussed killing innocent babies. My heart broke for them as they made this decision.

The fog returned and I lurched forward as though my action would stop time from moving forward. I wanted to tell them how wrong their future actions would be. However, as time moved on without pause, I couldn’t see anything but thick white mist, but my heart shattered as I was surrounded by the echoing cries of babies, each one overlapping the last.

My eyes opened and I stared up at the Goddess above, and my cheeks were soaked with tears. My breath hitched as she met my eyes with sadness shining in her own. “My children have suffered because of this prophecy. However, the future is never set in stone. They saw but one path that could be and solidified it’s coming with their actions.” Her voice shifted with each sentence sounding young, old and motherly all at once.

“Why would they make such a choice?” I found myself asking as Hecate sat back on her heels. Why would anyone think that killing children would be the answer?

“They trusted in their powers too much, and as with all mortals, they feared death and being forgotten.” Hecate answered solemnly, “Yet you are here, Daughter of Mine, and I must hope that you will rectify the wrongs of the past.”

“I will make sure no more witches are killed.” I promised her, knowing no matter what I would make it happen.

“Good.” She replied with a small smile, “Merry Met, Daughter of Mine.”

With her last words, she rose from the grass and walked away, “WAIT!” I called after her, needing any more advice she could give, “I don’t know where to find my so-called Coven.”

“Your magick is now free Child, learn to master it and you will be shown the paths that are open to you.” Hecate’s voice was kind, even if her answer frustrated me, however before I could ask any more questions my eyes were forced closed and when they reopened, I met Eilidh’s worried stare.

“Your back.” She breathed with relief, her eyes closing briefly.