Dedicated to JessEubanks

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Ella restrained herself from trembling when Jacob approached her with a knife. He smirked at her, refixing his glasses on his face and bending to her level.

"Don't worry, you're not going to die yet." He cut off the ropes from her legs and hands then turned to his companion.

"Emerald, why don't you use your magic and get us all out of here. The walk down here was so annoying. Those pesky bats kept on flying at me."

Emerald laughed. "Be glad. The only thing you attract are bats."

Ella couldn't help but laugh heartily. Jacob glared at her. "Who said you could laugh?"

He grabbed her arm and together with Emerald, they walked out of the room into a sort of tunnel. There was no source of light apart from the green glow emitted from Emerald's skin.

"Why is this place so dark?" Ella asked.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "There are a lot of forces that thrive down here and the less interference, the better." He had not even finished speaking when Ella felt something swoosh past her. She yelped in fright and Emerald giggled at her.

"That's Amos. Amos! Stop doing that! You're frightening our guest."

"Yeah right." A voice replied, before laughing out loud. Ella wondered what kind of strange place this was.

They led her to an open space where there was a single throne-like seat and the same lady that came at her was seated on it flippantly chewing strawberries. Upon seeing Ella, she stopped chewing and dusted her hands.

"Come forward, Ella." She ordered, combing through her snow-white hair with her fingers.

Jacob shoved Ella forward. She would have fallen if she hadn't controlled herself immediately.

"Cathy must have told you about me. But whatever she told you was a lie. I'm not a bad person. I only want something and after getting it, I'll let you go."

Ella scoffed at her blatant lie."You're such a liar. I know you and your blood-sucking goddess are after Prince Eric's blood."

Willow chuckled, coming down from her throne. "Are our plans that obvious? I thought you were stupid."

Ella honestly wished she could launch one of those iron rods in the corner into Willow's chest. But for now, she was still their captive.

"I have more interesting cases to handle than you. Emerald, prepare for Her arrival. Jacob, bring the other hostages in."

Other hostages?

Ella was confused but not for too long. Emerald strolled out through a door and Jacob speed-walked out through the same door only to return with three people she never expected, the princess Annabelle, the King and Queen.

Their faces were sober and full, their clothes reduced to rags. Ella lowered her eyes at the humiliation they were subjected to.

They were forced to sit on the floor a few feet away from Ella. "Your Royal Majesties," Willow did a mocking courtesy at them before exiting the area leaving Jacob to watch over them.

Princess Annabelle's eyes settled on Ella, observing her carefully as her usual manner was. "Ella right?"

Ella nodded. "Yes, your Highness."

King George and Queen Lillian glanced at her, then Annabelle leaned in and whispered something in both their ears. Queen Lilian beamed at Ella whose confusion grew taller.

"Charity spoke so much about you. At first, I was wondering why she would make so much fuss over a maid but she said you were different." The Queen spoke.

"You're the daughter of the late Julian Hastings, right?" King George questioned.

Ella nodded. "Yes."

"God bless his memory but the mansion was bequeathed to you."

Ella's mouth formed into a large surprised 'O' which got Annabelle giggling. "I don't quite understand."

The Queen gritted her teeth."I hope all these clear away. That barnyard animal will be taught a lesson."

"The mansion was actually willed to you and your mother. I found out a few days before the attack." The King continued.

Queen Lilian frowned."I heard how you suffered so much with your mother who disappeared without a trace-"

"What a family reunion." Willow's merry voice broke the sober atmosphere hanging over the captives.

They all gasped when they saw Eric being pushed in on a bed. He was quite unconscious. Or was he dead? Ella was quite scared. The Queen's breathing rate picked up speed and the King had to calm his family down by wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter.

"I've been quite bored for days now. It's time we had some fun, don't you think?" Willow trailed a slender finger down Eric's pale face.

Another table was pushed in. And Ella's face sank in horror at the assortment of knives displayed on it.

Queen Lilian's hands flew up to cover her mouth while her body trembled violently as she wept for her son. "Please don't do this!" She begged.

Willow ignored her and switched her attention to Emerald who just returned with a red robe. She helped Willow into it while casting a glance at Ella who had fallen deep into her thoughts.

"Amos!" Willow screeched. A boy instantly appeared behind her. Willow hit his chest. "Don't ever appear like that again."

Ella looked up and was met with a set of burning brown eyes staring at her. He quickly diverted his gaze to Willow.

"Get me the wand. I need the runes drawn in a flash." Willow ordered.

"Rude." He said out loud. When Willow reached out to strike him with a scroll, he vanished.

"Amos, I'm going to kill you!" Willow joked. Her eyes flashed with anger all of a sudden. She stretched out her right hand and immediately the floor was cleared out and replaced by bare earth.

Amos returned with a golden rod that was almost the same height as Willow. Snatching the rod from him, Willow pinned it in the earth and grinned as weird shapes appeared on the earth.

Ella and the royal family watched in utter fear. Their fear heightened as Willow moved to the table with knives and picked up a sharp one with jagged edges. She walked to where The Prince was lying and stood at his head.

She cut the skin close to her wrist and held her hand over the Prince's mouth until some of her blood dropped on his lips.

Ella lost focus as she heard a voice in her head. The same voice that called her out two nights back. Romera.

"Don't act like you can hear me. But I want you to do something right now. I need you to cut off a strand or two from your hair. Willow is trying to summon Samira right now and if she succeeds, all of you are going to die."

Even Willow, Emerald, Jacob and Amos?

"No. Just you and the Royal family. You'll just be a side dish. A calabash will be used to contain Eric's blood."

True enough, Jacob handed a calabash to Willow.

"Your hair contains a secret ingredient that will alter the spell she's going to cast. I'll come in and distract her and the others and while I do so make sure you get your hair inside that calabash. Do you understand?"

Yes.

When Ella looked, Willow was piercing through Eric's skin with a knife. His mother sobbed and his sister hid her face in her father's arm.

Ella glanced away as his blood started flowing into the fairly large calabash.

Hurry up already. Ella pleaded with Romera. She couldn't watch anymore.

"We have intruders, Willow." Amos informed Willow after looking into a small mirror.

"Let the banshees take care of them." Willow instructed, still focused on Eric's blood.

"Too late. The banshees have already been taken care of." The voice belonged to neither Romera or Cathy. But...

Einat?

"It's a pleasure seeing you here again, Ella." She grinned.

Ella was dumbfounded but cleared out her thoughts, remembering Romera's words.

"Let's dance." Einat smirked.

While she kept the others engaged, Willow never stopped chanting some spells and collecting Eric's blood.

"The spell requires her utmost concentration. Go now!" Romera ordered.

Ella creeping on her knees inched closer to the calabash whilst keeping an eye on Amos, Jonah and Emerald who were attacking Einat. With a motion, strands of her hair floated into the crimson liquid.

Mission accomplished.

Ella slunk back, ignoring the questioning eyes of the royalties and sat in her former position.

Einat glanced over at Ella and with a smile stopped fighting and willingly surrendered as Emerald bound her up with strong magical ropes.

"You made a mistake coming here." Jacob said.

"We'll see." Einat smirked, falling to her knees and watching Willow chant out the rest of the spell.

Next, she went to the center of the rune with Eric's blood and sat cross-legged. Her eyes flashed a dangerous red as the spell grew stronger. Ella feared the worst as the rune glowed.

A mysterious wind started up and Ella shielded her eyes from the dust devil it created. The wind threw things around in the most violent manner. Even Jacob, Amos and Emerald had to lie flat on the ground for support.

"Lie down!" Ella yelled at the royalties. They did and the King used his weight to press down on his wife and child.

Then, Willow's mouth opened. "Yes, bow before me mortals." The voice that proceeded sounded like thunder and the rushing of many waters.

"Oh get over yourself, you filthy blood sucking pig." Einat cursed.

Willow or rather Samira rose from the earth with a majestic gait and glanced down at the body she was occupying.

"Oh, fair Willow. Thank you for allowing me borrow your mortal body. I assure you it won't be for too long." Samira's glowing eyes landed on the Queen.

"Lilian," Her eyes moved on to the next person. "George," Again, they moved. "Annabelle." And then finally, they settled on Ella and narrowed to slits.

"Ella, daughter of my arch enemy. What a lovely dinner you assembled for me. We're going to have so much fun together." The goddess' vision settled on the Prince.

"Ah! The lovely sacrifice." She lifted the blood offering and sniffed it with great delight.

Ella scrunched up her nose in total disgust. Jacob and his friends watched on silently, the King and his family watched on helplessly.

The blood-thirsty goddess raised the calabash to her mouth and took a drink, smacking her lips in satisfaction when she was done.

"Very good."

Ella watched keenly, expecting the worse to happen. Two seconds, five seconds, ten, twenty...

"Now, as for you." Samira's glowing eyes fell on Ella and the royal family. She inched forward with evil intent showing in her smile.

"You shall not hurt a hair on the head of my family." The King held his wife and daughter closer.

Samira laughed. "Oh, is that so? We'll see about that, won't we?"

With a single wave of her hand, she sent King George flying to a corner of the room. The Queen and her daughter screamed when he landed with a thud on the floor. They couldn't determine if he was dead or alive as he did not stir.

Suddenly, Samira's hands flew to her throat. She made choking sounds and knelt on the earth. Her eyes glowed fiercely.

"The blood was poisoned! Foolish mortals!"

Jacob, Amos and Emerald watched on calmly. It seemed they were pleased with the turn of events.

Ella noticed smoke rising from the goddess and before she could think again, Samira had melted into nothing, all that was left of her was ash.

The Queen rushed to her husband and checked his wrist for a pulse. She sighed in relief at the steady throb in his vein.

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Did you like this chapter? What are your thoughts?

There's three more chapters to go.

Thanks for reading!