MUD FLEW UP as the horse's feet pushed off the ground. At their last stop, Davinia braided her long hair to keep it out of her face and drew on her warrior paint as she did at the cave. Gillian sprinted alongside her in his wolf form. The light of the sun shone through the roof of the tree leaves.

The plan was clear. Go to the village—the old protection runes should still be there unless Atropa cleaned it after they left—scan it for more enemies, send a message to Azura when night fell while Gillian hid, and channel as much power as she could to defeat Azura. And if needed, she'd try to channel the dead again.

Whatever it took. Azura would be no more.

They stopped outside of the village. Any emotion trying to surface, Davinia pushed down. There was no time for that. Her feet hit the moss-covered ground, and Gillian immediately came to her side. She knelt to his level. "We need to check the village. I can cast out my senses, but we must be ready to fight if Azura or others notice." Davinia gestured for him to come closer, and she checked the runes drawn on him. "They shouldn't be able to know you're here."

Her fingers dug deeper into his fur, checking every marking of the bond spell, even though she could sense it was there. A weird sensation of connection and an energy running through her veins—his energy—proved their bond.

While resting her forehead against him, she closed her eyes. Her senses spread past the trees, the road, and the buildings and infiltrated the village. She'd never cast it as far or so clearly as with Gillian. His lycanthrope power strengthened her. A smile crept up her face.

"Thank you," she whispered to Gillian, and she took a second to ease her nerves. "No one is here yet." She grabbed her coal. "I want to draw my runes and sigils one more time." She clasped the dagger, and Gillian offered his paw. With his blood and the coal, Davinia traced her markings, whispering her spell.

They walked into the village. The destruction of the last time they disturbed the overgrown plants was still there. More emotions pushed to the surface—the memories, pain, death—she wasn't even sure if it was hers, Gillian's, or maybe a mix of both. She swallowed them away, but her hands still trembled as they stood before the place where Gillian's father had taken his last breath.

Any sorrow she felt before changed quickly into anger. "We both will get our revenge tonight," she said.

A low growl rumbled in Gillian's chest in response.

"I'll send Azura a message as soon as sunset comes."

"Don't bother, my darling daughter." Azura's voice sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine as if nails screeched a board. Gillian and Davinia twisted around to Azura. "I see you didn't dare to come alone."

Davinia quickly gestured for Gillian to go. His snout brushed her hand, and Azura's face changed ever so slightly, but Davinia saw the shock mixed with disgust.

Azura's icy laugh echoed through the village. "You brought your own weakness. How kind of you."

Not exactly, Azura, she wanted to say, but she swallowed her words. Gillian turned and ran deeper into the village, out of harm's way.

"You came alone," Davinia said, and Azura gestured as if to say, of course. Davinia scoffed. She really came alone. Why shouldn't she? Most of her loyal followers were gone, and Azura was older, stronger, and a high priestess. Yet..."Again. You're underestimating me."

"Oh, darling daughter, far from it. Maybe if you stayed longer, I could've taught you that you can't extract the same magic from the dead twice." Azura smiled a wicked smile that made her seem inhuman.

Davinia glanced at the faded pentagram on the ground.

"And I know you have the moon on your side. So here we stand the sun's light."

"Please, Goddess of the Moon—" Davinia began her prayers for power. An ice-blue fireball blazed towards her. She threw up her hands and changed the fire's direction.

"There's no time for praying now, my darling daughter. It's too late." Azura stepped closer, but kept her distance.

"I'm not your daughter." And she didn't have to vocalise the prayer for the gods and goddesses to hear her. She whispered them silently, the words reaching out from deep inside her soul. Her finger moved ever so slightly to draw her protection.

"Of course you are. No matter how hard you deny it, you and your bloodline once were Atropa too." Azura raised her hands with a crackling sound. "Your mother knew not to fight it."

It took all of her power not to scream at Azura. To tell her not to talk about her mum ever again. Goddess of Earth, put your roots deep inside my soul and show the destruction you can bring. Goddess of the Moon, standing above us, guiding us, even in the daylight, radiate your power to your children.

"Don't worry. I'll ensure you'll join us once more after your death," Azura said. But she could talk all she wanted while Davinia gathered magic.

Mother of the elements—her fingers drew the elemental symbols—our primal force, help me show the wicked witch is not welcome anymore. Her movements grew larger, and Azura laughed.

"Don't laugh at me." Davinia clapped her hands together before her, and a whirlwind of air blew through the street. Azura blocked the wind with her arms crossed in front of her face. But the force moved Azura's feet a few inches back. Davinia stepped into the pentagram as Azura stretched and tensed her fingers. "Fire my comfort, come to me as you've always done," Davinia raised her hands, her palms upwards. The fire that had once burned before came alive again from the pentagram. "You should've cleaned the streets instead of cowering away in the bushes."

Azura laughed. "Oh no, a burning pentagram on the ground. Whatever will I do?"

Davinia pushed towards the fire, sending it forward. But it barely reached Azura. The shadows behind Azura grew unnatural, her face dark and her eyes even darker. Noises that didn't sound human left Azura's throat. The light was forced away. Even the fire burning inside her heart whimpered at the tendrils of darkness. Davinia sang her song of protection as her eyes grew wide. The pressure of the magic that shouldn't exist pushed against her. Her heart pounded in her chest.

How did she stop this power?

She called out to anything divine. Anything good.

Witch lightning broke her concentration. She dashed away; the fire wavering. Her hand stretches to the nature surrounding her. The moss overgrowing the village, the ferns, bushes growing into buildings, and trees claiming back their space. She was willing them to help her. To convince them they didn't want this magic here. She felt their power reaching out to her, growing stronger together with Gillian's strength.

A deafening scream forced her to the ground. Her hands covered her ears. The pain paralysed her in her spot.

"Don't make this so hard for yourself, Davinia."

A howl broke through the scream. "Gillian." Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She threw a blast of energy, feeding the fire and sheltering her from harm.

"You used him...cute, but that won't be enough." The words intertwined with the weird spell of Azura. How could she speak and cast at the same time?

Davinia stretched her fingers again—they bent, her muscles tensed—roots grew under her pentagram and broke through the ground. As she rose to her feet, the roots expanded along her towards her hands. Some wrapped around her ankles, cold against her skin. Fire crawled with them, and a strong wind swept through the street. She closed her eyes. "Take this evil from this earth."

The last words left her lips as darkness rushed in her direction. It dashed through her fire, killing it in the process. A scream. Hers. And she threw every protection she had up, but it could only absorb so much force. It was as if the roots and plants cried out. The power flung her back—out of the pentagram—the air pushed out of her lungs. Pain shot through her rib cage, and the hard ground bruised her body.

This wasn't happening.

Black spots danced before her eyes. It took a minute to regain her focus.

She'd not lose to Azura!

Gillian howled in her pain. With his strength, Davinia threw a fireball, but it didn't even make it halfway. Azura laughed as she came closer. Davinia crawled backwards, a tear rolling over her face.

"To the death who were wronged—" But she couldn't sense the spirits the way she felt them before.

"No, Daughter. They won't help you."

God and goddesses, hear her prayer. Screaming, she shot out energy. It reached Azura, but she easily withstood it.

She wasn't able to breathe—literally. Davinia gasped for air. Her fingers crawled around the handle of her dagger. With one powerful swing, she cut into the flesh of her arm.

"The universe will take my sacrifice, take my life, but yours will end tonight too." The curse rolled off Davinia's lips, the words of the spell rushing out of her. Blood dripped down her skin onto the blade. "I'm not clean, but my bloodline has just begun."

"Desperate attempts won't help you."

Agony shot through her head, the words of Azura screaming in her ears. With all her might, she threw the dagger. Her last attempt. Desperate? Perhaps.

Azura threw up a deflection, but it didn't work. The dagger flew right past it, cutting through the fabric of her dress and the skin of Azura's side.

She missed.

The dagger hit Azura, but failed to strike anything vital. Davinia's cheeks were wet with tears. Her hand presses down on her sliced arm. Only a bit more power. She was clever. She was strong.

Fury filled Azura's eyes. Consuming her.

Another pain rushed through Davinia's body—a wave she'd never experienced before—but it wasn't her own.

Gillian.

"Stop!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as Gillian sprinted through his tortuous agony.

Please, no.

Breathing heavily, Davinia staggered up. "Gillian!"

But it was too late. Neither Davinia nor Azura had the power to stop him. He charged Azura, and it was like Davinia's heart stopped beating.

"Take me," she whispered quickly to any god or goddess that could hear her. "Give me the curse," she said to any power there was.

The pain of Gillian brought her to her knees as she screamed. Azura fell to the ground, Gillian's teeth and claws ripping into her. Aching pain that would turn anyone insane took over Davinia and Gillian. His body rolled over, his eyes turning pitch black as he convulsed on the ground.

One breath, two breaths, three more—the feelings in her muscles returned. Davinia rushed to him, screaming louder than Azura did.

The corrupted witch had one hand clasped to her side as blood poured out. The other hand lay next to Azura, separated from her body.

Davinia's fingers dug into Gillian's fur in a desperate attempt to stop the seizures. "Please don't, Gillian." she sobbed. Tears blurred her vision, but she never left Gillian's eyes. "Please don't leave me."

How dared he run through the curse? How could he save her? And how could she not sense any power to help him?

Somehow, Azura shot magic at her. But Davinia screamed so loud in devastating agony—pain she wasn't sure was Gillian's or hers—that magic rippled out of her in a wave of power, blocking Azura's magic and throwing her further back.

Azura whispered protective spells as she crawled away.

This wasn't a sacrifice Davinia was willing to make.

His body stopped seizing. Stroking his fur, Davinia drew sigils and runes with her blood as she begged again. She felt his breath become shallow. "I lied, Gillian." She held his gaze, and tears rolled onto his fur. "To myself the most—" her breath broke her voice. "Because I love you. I love you like I never loved no other." She pressed her teared-stained lips to his head. "Please."

He whimpered as the curse took him slow and torturous.

"I love you. I need you. You'll always be a part of me. My heart belongs to you," Davinia whispered, and she felt his love surge into her as he exhaled his last breath.

No movement.

No warm breath on her skin.

No howls, words, or comfort.

Thoughts overwhelmed her, rushing through each other in agony before silence took over. Davinia rose to her feet, letting out a slow, deep, and even breath. "You did this," she spat under her breath as she turned to Azura. "You did this to him." She pointed at Gillian's body. "THE ONLY GOOD THING I HAD LEFT."

She didn't use her magic. Neither did Azura. Davinia charged at her. She sat on top of Azura as she hit blow after blow.

"Why are you smiling?" Davinia screamed. She held in her punch as she watched the vile and bloodied face of her tormentor. "Why are you smiling?" she breathed.

"Because I made you powerful," Azura laughed. "I made you the strongest witch that will ever walk these lands."

Davinia blinked at her. Stunned. "No. You—"

Azura blew her off with witch energy. "You're welcome, my daughter." Blood dripped from Azura's mouth. "You'll need the strength." Azura seized her dagger and slid her own throat. Red splattered everywhere and splashed down with the last beats of Azura's life.

Frozen to the cold ground, Davinia stared at Azura's limp body.

Seconds pass—minutes—perhaps hours.

It was over.

It was done.

And Davinia lived just like Gillian wanted...

She lived.

The moon shone on them, and Davinia blinked up at the bright circle. "Please give him back to me." Tears streamed down her face as another sob pushed past her lips. "Please bring him back. He deserves to live."

She crawled to his body. The body that had turned back to a human form. His veins were as dark as her fingertips. The warmth of his skin was gone, and she couldn't hold in her sobs.

"He was good. You can take me instead. Or choose someone. I'll give you anyone you want." She stared at the moon, but no one answered. She held his face in hers, taking in every feature she once loved—she still loved. "I'm sorry."

Even if the Goddess of the Moon gave Gillian the option, he wouldn't trade his life for somebody else's death.

She stroked his cheek. "It's okay. You're okay now, my sweet warrior." She kissed his lips. "You're probably up there already. Walking through the beautiful forest of your ancestors with your father."

Davinia wrapped Gillian in sheets she found and dragged his body to his childhood home, which stood across the streets from hers. "You're home now."

She bowed down over him. Her lips were warm on his forehead. "I love you."

She took the broken vial with the root and placed it on his chest. "Whether there is darkness or light, we walk together. May we meet again in life or death." She tried to hold in her sob but failed. "In life or death."

She tore her gaze from his body, standing up and turning her back to him. A pressure weighed heavy on her with every step she took away from him. She glanced over her shoulder one more time.

He was home. He was at peace.

A fire grew around him, and she walked out of the front door. The sky coloured dark, with only the moon and some stars shining down on her. She sat across the street, watching the house being engulfed in flames. A shimmer of a wolf—of Gillian's smile—rose in the flames. His eyes filled with love would always be with her. The fire tried to destroy more, attempting to eat other buildings, but she kept it contained until it was all burned up.

Davinia got her revenge, and Gillian fulfilled his promise. She'd live.

With heavy feet, she walked to her old house where only her childhood memories lived now. She stepped over the broken door with the faded sigils her mum once drew in blood on the night of the reaping. With a shaking body, she lay in front of what once was her home. She could still see herself playing on the street, careless and free. A tear rolled over her cheek, dripping down on the wood of the porch below her.

She watched the smoke rise above the house.

Was it worth it all?

✩ ⋆ ✩ ⋆ ✩

What sacrifices are you willing to make?

Gillian <3