tw: implied/referenced rape, memory tampering, blood, violence, drowning

( 10th century — kingdom of norway )

Alix paced the short length of the river. She was starting to get worried. Esther hadn't shown up yet. It was giving her bad flashbacks to the last time.

Running through the woods with her heart pumping, hearing the cheers of a crowd, seeing the love of her life dressed in white.

Alix closed her eyes and shook her head. She released a breath. Maybe Mikael came home early and she was stuck? Alix decided to hell with the plan, she was going to check on Esther—

"She's not coming." Alix tensed at the voice, spinning around and meeting Dahlia's eyes. It had been a while since they last saw each other. Dahlia tilted her head, leaning against a tree as she watched Alix with this intense look. It unnerved Alix.

"What are you doing here?" Alix demanded. How did Dahlia even know what was going on? How did Dahlia know what they were doing?

"To deliver a message," Dahlia replied, smirking a bit. It was unkind and made Alix's heart beat faster. She didn't like this. "She won't be coming. She's gotten what she wanted."

Alix narrowed her eyes, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, but then shook her head, "nevermind. I don't want to speak with you." She turned on her heel and started toward Esther's.

"Did she tell you that she came to see me?" Dahlia called before Alix could get too far away.

Alix paused in her step. She turned. "What?"

Dahlia hummed, crossing her arms. "Yes. She was having problems with her infertility," she said and Alix blinked, infertility? "What, she didn't tell you that either?" Alix said nothing. Dahlia laughed mockingly. "Oh, honey. You are so... pathetic."

Alix tensed, glaring at the woman. "Piss off, Dahlia."

Dahlia smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm trying to help you out here, Alix. My sister is not the woman you think she is. She should've already been here, right?" Alix glanced behind her, still not seeing her. "She went with Mikael the first time... why wouldn't she now? He is her husband. A husband who had wished to have children."

Alix frowned a little and glared at Dahlia once more. "That means nothing. Esther isn't happy with him. I know that. She told me herself—"

"She also told me she was happy with him. That she had fallen in love with him. You saw when she was fourteen and her infatuation with him. It was inevitable," Dahlia shrugged, taking great pleasure in the way Alix's face crumbled a bit, "Look, Alix, I'm going to give you some advice. Run. And never look back. Esther hasn't loved you in close to a year and a half. She likes playing with people—I mean, just ask our father. She was the one who poisoned him."

Alix truly didn't care for Cyprian. Not after what her mother told her about Esther's parents. "She doesn't play people..." Alix muttered, looking away a bit. "I don't believe you."

Dahlia sighed heavily. "I didn't want to do this, but..." she waved her hand and an image shimmered into existence in front of Alix.

It made her almost throw up and she quickly spun around. She did not want to see Mikael and Esther having sex. That is the last thing she ever wanted to see. Ever wanted in her mind.

Dahlia waved her hand and the image disappeared. She was satisfied with the sick look on Alix's face. "Now, do you understand? Now do you believe?" She asked curiously.

Alix felt tears burn the back of her eyes. "No... No, I don't. I know Esther. Better than you ever will and ever tried. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out." Alix spun on her heel and started walking.

Dahlia sighed heavily. "So stubborn." She quickly waved her hand and Alix stumbled. Alix's vision blurred for a moment before she straightened. "Now, do you understand? Now do you believe?" Dahlia repeated, smirking.

Alix turned toward her, face contorted with anger and heartbreak. "Yeah... yeah, I do..." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. A single tear fell down her cheek. "Thanks for the heads up..." she sighed and quickly shifted.

She gave one last look back out at the woods before sprinting off in the direction of her pack. They needed to leave. 

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

As soon as Mikael falls asleep, Esther quickly gets out of bed. She ignores the aches, using a spell to make it go away. She dresses quickly and grabs her important items.

Then she runs.

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

She knew she was late. Very late. But she had faith that Alix would still be waiting. It was a bit weird to her that Alix hadn't just come to get her, but she wasn't going to argue. She never wanted Alix to see her so weak... so hurt.

Esther makes it to the river. She sets her bag on the ground and looks around quickly. "Alix!" She calls, breathing heavily. The giddy feeling that had started in her chest had started to dim. "Alix?" She calls again, this time more hesitant.

No, Alix wouldn't've left. Right? They had a plan. She knows she's late, but was she really that late?

"She's long gone now," Dahlia said and Esther spun around, her eyes wide as she met her sister's eyes.

"D? W–What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. There was no way Dahlia would've known what was going on. She never said anything and she's sure none of the pack members nor Alix had said anything.

Dahlia tilted her head. "What, not happy to see your big sister?" She pouted a bit, "you were so happy yesterday."

Esther swallowed roughly. "D, I can explain that. I swear—"

"How you manipulated me?" Dahlia asked, her expression blank, "how you were going to steal from me?"

Esther flinched a little. "How do you even... I wouldn't've agreed to it if you hadn't given Mikael full control over my magic! Over me!" She snapped, her chest rising and falling quickly. She was getting scared now. Alix was nowhere to be found, Dahlia was here, and Mikael was back home. "Why would you do that?"

Dahlia narrowed her eyes a bit. Then she looked away. "I told your wolf that she was wasting her time with you. It took a bit to convince her—the love she holds for you is true. Strong. But in the end I could."

Esther felt her chest squeeze. "What?" She choked out, "what did you do to her?" She demanded, rushing forward.

Dahlia held her hand up and suddenly, Esther was frozen in place. "I told her a little... extension of the truth," she smirked a little, tilting her head at Esther, "and I showed her what you had been doing for the last hour."

Esther's eyes widened. She knew what it must've looked like and she could only imagine the slap in the face it gave Alix. But that wasn't what it was! It never would be! Tears welled up in Esther's eyes as she stared at her sister.

What had she done to get the woman to hate her so much?

"So now, she's far away. Even if you tried to find her camp, they left a while ago. They're on their way back to their village and she will never seek you out again."

Esther made a slight noise, one of pain and sorrow. Her hands twitched and suddenly the hold around her broke. She jerked her arm and Dahlia was thrown off her feet. "How dare you ruin my happiness once again?" Esther snarled, her eyes glistening yellow. Similar to Alix's eyes, but Dahlia knew it was not because her sister was a wolf.

Dahlia quickly got up but it was no use. Esther had already started slashing the air around her with some form of weapon she had never seen before. It was some sort of blade connected to a chain that Esther was throwing around.

Dahlia was shocked at how good she was with it since she never seen her sister pick up a weapon before in her life. Dahlia could barely block the attacks, the blade slashing through every spell she tried.

She knew through the grapevine that Castillo's 'person' (stupid phrase in her opinion) was blessed by a god or goddess and was given a weapon of their own. She also knew that their magic had no effect on the gods, goddesses, or demigods—unless you were a Blessed with magic. Something about being blessed by not just one but also the goddess of magic, Hecate.

"FIGHT, YOU COWARD!" Esther yelled, her rage taking over. She wasn't going to kill her sister, she could never live with herself if she did, but maiming? That was another thing altogether.

Dahlia felt blood slip out of her nose. A singular drop. And she knew the only way to win this was to catch her sister off guard. She had never had blood drip, she was not a weak witch like all the others. She was the most powerful of their generation. A firstborn Hagen witch.

Esther was giving her a run for her money though. Not only was she using that blasted weapon, but her spells were going haywire, knocking Dahlia around.

Dahlia felt more than just her nose bleeding. Her hands were cut, and so were her cheek and forehead. She had a couple of cuts along her body.

"COME ON!" Esther yelled again and just as she was about to deliver the blow that would end the fight, Dahlia raised her hand with that damned totem.

"Stop."

Esther's arm dropped immediately as she felt every muscle in her body freezes up. She gasped in surprise. She glared at her sister. "You can't defeat me by yourself? You need to control me to finish the fight?" She sneered.

Dahlia glared at her. "As if you aren't using a weapon," she snapped.

"At least I didn't take away your ability to use your limbs," Esther said, her eyes wet. So much for wanting a relationship with Dahlia.

Dahlia cocked an eyebrow and lifted her into the air with one hand. Her fingers clenched slightly and Esther felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as her body was constricted from an invisible force.

"D—" she choked out, unable to breathe.

Dahlia smirked. "You did this..." her hand jerked down and suddenly, Esther was under the water. The pressure around her body had let up, but she was still forced to stay under the water.

Esther screamed, kicking and trying to swim to the surface. Her head began to pound from the lack of oxygen. Her sister was going to kill her. Darkness began to creep into her vision. Esther gave one last scream and suddenly, the break on her body broke.

She swam with all her might to the top and over to the side. She coughed up the water that had gotten into her lungs as she knelt on the ground. Tears fell from her eyes, sobs coming out of her mouth.

All she wanted was to be happy with Alix.

Instead, she was almost killed by her sister.

"You will never defeat me, Esther. I am stronger and I am your undoing," Dahlia said and Esther looked up at her. Her wounds had been healed and the blood was gone. It looked like she hadn't suffered at all. "Goodbye, sister. Enjoy your miserable life."

"I hate you," Esther sobbed, shaking from the breeze and her wet clothes, "I hate you so much."

"The feeling is incredibly mutual," Dahlia sneered before she disappeared into the tree.

Esther laid her head on the ground, exhausted. 

AN: damn, dahlia. you can't give your sis a break?? 

if you guys had read the other two books in the series, you'd know that I can never give any of my characters a break :))

wc: 1999