The door falls away behind me as I step into the small cottage. Except it's not as small as I had expected instead the overfilled room is quite large with high ceilings, large bay windows and above the kitchen area a loft that houses a very comfortable looking bed. My eyes flash around the room so many amazing things are crowded into the room, so many things that I don't even know what half of them do.

My eyes fall onto the spot next to me a small leather-covered book seems to pulsate with power. As if it's yelling into the void, 'look at me, read me.'

My hand reaches for it before I even make a conscious decision to grab it. My fingers tingle with desire to open the book and look into its pages but quickly my mind catches up with my body and tugs my hand away. Almost instantly the need to open it disappears.

I want to explore more and then I will come back for the book, I decide quickly to walk away from the book. Each step away sends a tickle down my back but I ignore it the best I can and continue exploring the cottage.

It doesn't take long, besides this one room their the loft above and the small kitchen area filled with all kinds of ingredients and overflowing with recipes and utensils. The only room closed behind a door is the bathroom which is also the least cluttered area. Behind the house, she can see a garden overflowing with plants and herbs. She knows Annie would love to be here and find all the plants inside that garden.

I spin on the spot smiling, this place is magical and it makes her feel so relaxed like she's home. Something she hasn't felt for an actual place in a long time.

She turns back to the crowded bookshelves seeing books filled with potions, spells and history. Tables filled with combat gear and weapons. A display of potions on the wall promising health and good luck.

This little cottage is like a museum for all things witchy and supernatural.

The air is filled with the scent of old books and the same smell as the potions room in the school. Aislynn must have done a lot of potion-making while she was away.

A small frown finds its way onto my face. Aislynn had been living inside these walls for how long? Is being inside these walls mean that I will be stuck just like her? I shake the thoughts from my mind, not wanting to think about it I reach out and grab the first thing I find to distract myself.

In my hand I pull out a large silver sword, it feels immensely heavy, heavier than any of the practice swords in Mr Hunt's room but as soon as I hold it the way I was taught the heaviness flows away and the power of the weapon runs through my veins. My magic awakens just a little bit and I feel powerful. I feel like I could take on the world.

A smile spreads on my face and I place the sword near the door a sheath materialising around it as I place it down. Magic is awesome. I laugh as I turn around.

My mind races around the room trying to find something else that fills me with the same awesome powers.

My hands once again find the object on their own, as if the power inside of the object is calling to my subconscious. I find myself holding a black outfit almost like the outfit Annie had worn when the attack happened this one feels more worn and when I place it against my body I know that it will fit perfectly along my body.

As I place it beside the sword I realise what the power is doing, it's getting me ready for an attack for a battle. A shiver of fear runs down my spine and I suddenly feel sick. Even with these magical tools I could never win in a fight not even against a baby, my magic deserts me when adrenaline fills my body and I barely know how to use a sword knowing my luck I would try to help and end up hurting myself and others around me.

I feel something tugging on my subconscious this time as I turn around, another weapon or armour I don't know because fear stops me from turning towards it. I push it away and try to take a steady breath in. Nothing works the thing yells louder almost painfully in my head.

I need to do something to push it away, to make it stop and then my eyes fall back to the leather book once again sitting right beside me.

With a deep breath, I finally make my way back to the leather book. As if reading my mind its power pulsates through me again demanding to be picked up and read. I shake my head at it and finally let my fingers slip across the smooth leather binding.

A gasp escapes my mouth and I know instantly that this book is filled with magic it dances through my fingers, around my arm and stopping in my chest, in my heart my body vibrates and warms. It's a nice magic, soothing magic like the fire that burns through my veins.

A smile drops onto my lips and I grab hold of the book pulling it to my chest. No more power pours into me but I can still feel it underneath the books covers.

I move quickly through the room heading for the small recliner in the corner, a blanket is placed on the back of the armchair and I quickly place it over myself before taking a deep calming breath and opening the book.

The smell of rain, herbs and old books fills the room and I sigh another delicious content sigh.

A sound seems to be coming from the pages, the fluttering of rain on a tin roof, the sound of hooves hitting the grass near me and then a voice calling out somewhere behind me. Confused I look around but the sound cuts off and the air is still.

The sound is coming from the book. I turn back to the book looking down at the first page where just a date has been written on it.

February 9th, 1903.

The sounds come back quickly the voice closer than before and this time I don't look away instead I pull the book closer, trying to see the hidden words in the thick pages.

Eventually when the girl's voice starts making sense and her words echo around my head the lines on the page blur and start moving around on their own accord until an outline of a rainy day in the forest emerges.

"Aislynn." The girl calls again.

Colour slowly leaks onto the page as the image swings around to a person, all her features instantly coming into focus in an instant.

The girl in front of me is adorable, she looks to be about 12 or 13 years old and has bright white hair and bright green eyes. She's smiling a large smile as she looks down at us and she gives her head a shake pulling her hood down now that she's out of the rain a little bit.

"What are you doing here, Aislynn?" She asks in a small voice bending down beside us.

I feel a smile spread onto my face but it doesn't feel like my face at all.

"Watching the rain, Winnie." My mouth moves around the words but it's not my voice replying, I recognise the cool tone as Aislynn. This is her diary, her memory I've gotten myself lost in.

I want to pull back to look away, leave her private thoughts and memories alone but the magic of the book holds me in. I need to see this, the book tells me and instead of fighting I fall back into the body of Aisle. She's looking at the rain again.

"Father sent me in," Winnie whispers as if afraid that their father might hear Aislynn sighs loudly.

"He wants to go?"

Winnie shakes her head.

"No I don't know why he sent me in, he just told me to go find you and to leave him alone."

Strange, I think to myself. Aislynn looks over at Winnie and then behind her the way Winnie had come through, a small path is set in the forest but the sound of hooves slamming in the ground has left the area and I feel Aislynns stomach drop.

She stands up and without pulling up her hood or saying another word she pushes into the rain and through the thick brush towards the opening. In front of me the trees open and the cloudy skies open, in the distance I can see the same peaks that surround Westtown Peaks. By my quick calculations, they are just outside of the school's grounds.

Aislynn bends over her knees I can feel her heartbreak in her chest and I look around us to find out what she saw while I was looking at the mountains. There's no one around her, there are no horses or there is no father. He's abandoned them in the forest, alone.

She hears her sister coming through the brush.

"Aislynn what's wrong?" Her voice is behind us and Aislynn spins quickly grabbing her sister and pulling her back through the brush. She keeps her voice low as she talks, pulling her into the forest.

"Winnie I had an idea." Beside us, Winnie grins, excitement buzzing through her small body. "This is our chance, our one moment to finally escape father and his rules."

Winnie's smile falters, she is unsure but Aislynn doesn't let her think it over she continues pushing her away from where her father had left.

"Aislynn... we can't," Winnie whispers looking around again as if expecting their father to pop up and punish them.

"Winnie he's chosen my husband already, when I get married we won't be living together anymore. You will be alone with father." Aislynn tries to persuade her.

Winnie gives a shake and grabs hold of our arm tightly. Shaking her head.

"I would rather be alone with you in the woods than alone in the house with father." She steadies her spine, suddenly looking a couple of years older. That one decision has matured her and instantly Aislynn knows that Winnie has officially lost her childhood years. Gone like a brush of wind in autumn leaves.

Winnie's face fades from my vision and I'm suddenly back in the armchair looking down at the leather book. I feel sick as I try to push it away from me, off my lap but it stays put and the pages start turning quickly.

My mind races, where in the world will it take me this time?

The pages flip and turn until finally stopping around the middle of the book. Again the only thing on the page is the date.

August 27th, 1903.

The images pull me in quicker this time and as I slam back into Aislynns mind the world spins around me.

I knew instantly that we were inside the cottage, it didn't look the same for one there was almost nothing around the room that is overflowing now but also the house structure looked different, I suppose it looked a lot more like the houses around in 1903.

Aislynn was working with some potions in front of her mixing them while looking around the back window, her mind at ease and her body working quickly. She seemed happy.

I can hear Winnie behind her.

"Yes, this elixir is said to rid all aches in the body." She tells someone and I feel Aislynn smile at the exchange.

It appears after the two had found the house, the magic within them decided to open a potion shop.

"Okay, I will take it." A woman's voice replies before the clinking of glass exchange.

"Thank you, please come again," Winnie calls to the woman, as Aislynn places the glassware in front of her. Readying the caldron to make more potions.

"How can I help you, sir?" Winnie continues onto the next customer.

A grunt from behind Aislynn has her blood running cold.

"We don't take kindly to witches around her." A man's gruff voice calls out to her. Fear has her body moving slowly as she turns to look out the front area of the house. A small opening in the front of the house works as a counter and right now Winnie is hanging over it scratching at the man's hands, he tightens his hold around Winnie's neck.

"We're not witches sir." Aislynn tries to reason but the man shakes his head.

"We smelt you witches miles away." His growls, his skin vibrating. "Do not lie to us."

It's then that Aislynn notices the others standing behind the man, seven men stand behind him all of them glaring into the house.

"You shouldn't have come into werewolf territory if you didn't want to be killed." He tells her a grin widening his smile.

"Werewolves?" Aislynn had no idea she was a witch much less about werewolves and vampires, I think with a sickening realisation.

The guys all laugh sounding like a pack of hyenas before he glares back at her. She notices Winnie struggling to fight.

"I'm sorry sir. We had no idea. If you let us go we will be out of the territory as quickly as possible."

Without realising it Aislynn had moved towards Winnie and the man she places his hands over his and he bites back dropping Winnie to the ground. Aislynn can feel the magic in her veins but Aislynn ignores it confused as to why the man suddenly dropped Winnie.

She quickly bends over to grab Winnie but the man isn't done.

"No, we don't give out warnings." He turns to his friends and Aislynns body moves on autopilot.

She pulls Winnie up quickly shoving her behind her.

"When I give you the signal you run, you run as fast as you can out of here." She doesn't wait for Winnie's reply.

"Let's burn this witch hut to the ground." The man roars and his friends instantly start moving pulling flames seemingly out of nowhere but Aislynn pays them no mind. She's moving quickly grabbing potions out and placing them into Winnie's hand.

"Take them quickly. They won't be able to track you. Just get out of the forest and don't stop until you've hit the water." Winnie does as she's told but it's clear she wants to fight her sister on this.

"What about you?" She asks as the first splash of flames hit the house.

"I'll be right behind you."

A window breaks and Aislynn is shoving her again. Pushing her towards the small back door hidden behind potions.

"You'll be fine just keep on running."

"I love you," Winnie whispers her voice filled with fear but Aislynn straightens her shoulders and kisses her head.

"You are the best person I've ever met. I love you, Winnie. Now run."

She shoves her sister out of the door. Slamming it behind and spins on the ground. She has to distract the wolves long enough for Winnie to be far enough away that they can't track her.

Flames lick towards her, climbing over everything and growing more ferocious with each breath but Aislynn doesn't let that stop her as she walks towards the men determination in each step.

The only way to save the ones we love is to give the greatest sacrifice we can.

The words burn onto the page and I finally pull myself from the pages and slam the book closed, throwing it across the room within seconds.

I know now why I've been put into this cottage, into this school. Not because I am the next all-powerful but because I am the next one that needs to sacrifice myself for my loved one, to finally put a stop to the evil that threatens us. I won't fail. 

AUTHOR NOTE

Okay, I know guys, its been a while since I posted Myth Breakers. I took a break for Nanowrimo and then just couldn't get back into Myth Breakers enough to write. I think that's pretty clear by this novel it's not up to my normal standards but I still enjoyed writing it and hope you all enjoy reading it. 

There are only roughly 7 chapters left of this book so we are coming to an end. 

As always if you see any issues or problems with this chapter or any of my chapters please bring them to my attention so I can fix them. 

Thanks for reading, and sticking through the long wait,
LAURA