Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (6 page)

“Don’t worry, Willow, this will be over soon.
I cannot guarantee it will be painless though.” She laughed again
and raised her arms in the air. This was it. Willow was going to
die. Her short life would be ended in her garden. Willow looked at
her rose bushes, trying to find beauty in the dark world. It would
be the last thing she ever saw. The roses were white and pure,
delicately tended and watched over to produce such big and lush
flowers. She loved her roses.

Through her blurry eyes, a strange calm
encompassed her as she turned and faced Hekate, staring her in her
coal black eyes. She couldn’t hide or escape her. She was just as
trapped as those souls in Pandora’s Box, but Willow refused to
cower. Willow refused to let Hekate see her break, yet she was
already broken.

Willow’s mind grew hazy. Hekate’s smile
suddenly expanded higher than her cheeks and her mouth revealed
razor sharp teeth. The whites of her eyes turned black and she
laughed in a deep, dark voice. The garden was spinning as the demon
before her approached, long black nails reaching out to grab her.
She wanted to fight and get up and run away, but her body felt like
lead weight and was numb to the core. She did not have the strength
to move an inch.

Hekate opened her mouth wider than
imaginable, her features turning dark and hollow. With great
effort, she started sucking and inhaling the wind around her. The
wind raised Willow up on her feet and no matter how much she tried
clenching her jaw, her mouth was forced to open. Willow’s knees
screamed in pain, her back flared with an internal fire she
couldn’t douse. She felt dizzy as oxygen exited her body in
swirling tendrils. Then, she watched in horror as Hekate began
sucking the life from her. But not only was her life being taken,
but Willow’s magic was being drained! It came out of her body in
glistening, golden waves upon the wind. Hekate continued to suck
without remorse. She was stealing Willow’s essence. Willow saw
black dots before her and knew she had seconds before she blacked
out and would never wake again.

“Hey!” a deep voice bellowed somewhere in the
distance. Rushing feet echoed in Willow’s dizziness as she tried to
remain coherent. Hekate screeched ferociously and turned on the
intruders. The sucking and extraction process stalled and Willow
fell to the ground unable to move. She inhaled oxygen as fast as
she could, trying to get her muscles to move and escape from the
abomination in front of her. But it did no good. Willow’s whole
body twitched and convulsed with pain until she couldn’t take it
and her body suddenly stilled. Hekate was halfway through the
extraction process and Willow was laid completely paralyzed in the
scratchy grass, her body a splintering, tangled mess.

Hekate blasted red fire at whoever it was
that came, and soon ashes fell all around Willow like snow as a
loud electric sound vibrated and popped in the air. Willow used her
peripheral vision to watch helplessly as witches and warlocks were
fighting to restrain Hekate.

A great loss hit her when she realized the
ashes were from bodies. Witches were igniting into flame all around
her as Hekate threw fire at them, and it was clear that Hekate was
winning. She could take on twenty warlocks and witches as if they
were ants, and she was a giant with a magnifying glass, taking
pleasure in incinerating the magical beings.

Flames and gray and black smoke engulfed the
garden, killing Willow’s beautiful flowers and the land that she
loved. Some warlocks tried to douse the fire by producing water,
but the flames were unnatural. They were green and red and burned
with an everlasting energy. They couldn’t be put out with simple
water! But the warlocks were more concerned with stopping Hekate
than coming up with a better way to kill the flames. Willow lay
immobile as her eyes welled with tears and dripped down her face.
Her roses were dead.

“Willow!” A soft, scared voice came to her
side. “Are you okay?” She couldn’t respond but felt fingers
prodding her body. Tears blurred her eyes and streaked down her
face, but even now, she felt the rejuvenating magic inside her
burst to life. It hummed and buzzed in her ears, and soon she was
able to twitch her fingers. When Hekate released the shield on her,
it allowed Willow to tap into her internal healing magic. It was
strange, but she felt stronger and in tune with her body and
mind.

In fact, her body was healing itself on its
own, and very rapidly. Her broken bones were mending together and
Willow wanted to scream and yell in pain, but she couldn’t. It was
torture, being unable to talk or scream or move. The pain was so
intense she thought she would pass out, but the darkness refused to
take her.

“Don’t worry, Willow, I’ll get you out of
here,” the voice said shakily and whistled softly. Strong, secure
arms lifted her body and held her close. Willow could feel a broom
underneath her and seconds later felt the whoosh of wind on her
face as she soared up in the sky. Her belly filled with butterflies
as she was unable to steer and see where she was going. She managed
to turn her eyes on the scene below her.

Green and red lightening lit up the sky.
Warlocks were pressing forward with the green power. Warlocks, she
recognized, were from the Emerald Circle. Emerson Aldridge led the
charge against Hekate. The garden was on fire. As if Hekate sensed
Willow wasn’t in the garden anymore, a great scream filled the
night. The chaotic sounds of the fight quickly died away as she and
her rescuer swiftly flew away into blackness. Willow didn’t know
who grabbed her and she couldn’t tell in the dark. Willow watched
helplessly as the Southwick Manor and everything she knew was left
behind.

Tears continued to streak down her cheeks and
she was relieved to be able to blink her eyes again. They burned
from the smoke of the fire, but underneath the burning, her eyes
stung with the loss of her sisters, who were now trapped in the box
of souls in Hekate’s possession. Willow wasn’t familiar with that
kind of magic, but she knew they could be saved. They were still
alive. If any of her sisters had died, she would know it through
the Coven’s bond. Determination lodged in her body. A flicker of
hope caught hold in her mind. She could free them. Somehow, she
would find a way, even if it killed her. She would try her hardest
to save the ones she loved.

After a short ride, the broom was descending
and finally stopped moving. Willow’s body was still healing, and it
tingled from repairing the numbness that had gripped her. She
couldn’t shake the feeling that she was some kind of freak. Was
Hekate serious about the healing power? Was she really a Healer?
What does that mean about her? What was going to happen to her?

Willow was being carried by those strong arms
again. It was uncomfortable and awkward, lying limp, but she heard
the sounds of doors opening and closing and then she was dumped
upon a soft mattress. The lighting was dim, and she still couldn’t
tell who it was that rescued her until an extremely familiar voice
made her wince.

“You’re safe now, Willow Tree,” the deep
voice said. “The Emerald Circle will protect you.”

Willow cracked open her eyes and gazed on a
blurry form above her. The lighting in the room was extremely
faint, but there was no denying that Declan Aldridge was the
warlock who rescued her. His deep colored bangs fell in his
forehead as he leaned over her, adjusting Willow to a sitting
position.

“Don’t touch me,” she growled out painfully,
thankful she was able to talk. She made an effort to move herself.
Declan backed up shocked and his hazel eyes fell on her in the
dark. They burned with intensity and worry, but he was frowning.
Willow was able to move herself a centimeter, but her arms were
still weak, so she stopped and just lay limp where she was. Willow
hated feeling helpless, and certainly didn’t want help from
Declan.

“Well sorry for trying to help,” he snarled
back angrily. “And here I was thinking I did the right thing by
saving you from…I don’t know, your DEATH!”

“Just stop it, Dec,” she snapped back. “I’m
not feeling good at all. Just please leave me alone…”

“I don’t think you should be alone right now,
Willow. If someone tracked you—”

“I can handle it,” she said curtly.

He smirked at her and crossed his arms. “Yea,
I saw how well you ‘handled’ it against Hekate.”

“What you saw and what you think you saw are
two different things,” she retorted, unable to confess the fact
that she was more than grateful for his rescue. In fact, if it
hadn’t been for him, she would probably be dead right now. Call it
what it was, but she just didn’t want to admit it to him how
vulnerable and desperate she really was. Why did it have to be
Declan to rescue her, anyway? Where were all the other
warlocks?

He sighed. “You’re so stubborn.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Willow said
and settled back into the soft pillows.

“I’m going to get someone. If anything
happens…just scream.”

“Oh geez, thanks,” Willow said sarcastically,
“I didn’t know that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re being
attacked.”

Declan laughed and shook his head, walking
out of the bedroom. He left the door wide open and light from the
hallway streamed into the room lighting up the shadowy areas.

Willow took a moment to look around the
bedroom and immediately grew uncomfortable. This was Declan’s room,
she was sure of it. Just by the décor alone, it was obvious. There
was a laptop in the corner on a desk and an HDTV hanging on the
wall in front of her. He had dark hardwood floors and his room was
painted a deep green, except for a large yellow lightening bolt
that flashed across the room every few seconds. It was charmed to
do that, but she couldn’t help but think this was a pretty cool
room. Willow was never allowed technology, and felt a twinge of
jealously at his fancy gadgets.

Then, an even more disturbing thought filled
her head. She was sitting in Declan’s bed. His bed nearly took up
half the room it was so big. He had a warm, fluffy green comforter
and several white and gold pillows. She could easily drift asleep
in here. Willow rubbed her eyes and paused. Her arms were moving!
Willow’s upper body had finally recovered from the extraction and
had gained back some strength. She drew a deep breath and squished
herself between two large pillows in the center of his bed.
Sleepiness clung to her like a sedative drug. If only she closed
her eyes for just a second….

“Willow,” a voice called her from above. She
felt arms shaking her shoulders. She didn’t open her eyes or budge.
This bed was too comfortable, like it contained some sort of
sleeping spell. Willow wasn’t ready to wake up yet. She didn’t even
know how long she’d been asleep, but she didn’t care. It was
extremely relaxing. She didn’t want to open her eyes; they still
burned from lack of sleep. In fact, she could easily sleep for
another twelve hours or more she was that exhausted. It must’ve
been part of the healing process; rest was essential.

“Go away, Declan,” she moaned groggily and
tried rolling away from his persistent attempts to wake her up.

“You know, I’ve always wanted a witch chick
in my bed,” Declan said sultrily above her, lowering his voice to
sound sexy. Willow’s eyes instantly shot open. He was smiling with
his perfect teeth. “Gotcha,” he said then glanced over his shoulder
as a small, slender woman came into view. Declan stepped aside and
Willow immediately knew it was his mother. She was short and small,
but beautiful with large hazel eyes and the same Chesnutt colored
hair as Declan. Hers was wavy, though, and fell down her shoulders.
There were subtle caramel highlights that caught the light when she
moved. She was very pretty indeed.

“Willow, this is my mom Millicent. Mom, this
is Willow Tre—I mean, Willow Rose,” Declan said and looked at her,
humor lighting his face. Willow bit her tongue in order to suppress
the smart comment that almost escaped her mouth. She wanted to act
mature in front of the wife of the most powerful warlock in the
Emerald Circle, and being sarcastic was not the way to go.

“It’s great to meet you, finally, Willow,”
Millicent said in a soft voice. She wore a dress of white linen
just as Willow’s sisters preferred, and sadness overcame her. She
almost forgot why she was here and how she almost died. It seemed
like a dream that only a few short hours ago, Hekate had nearly
claimed her life. “We have much to discuss. But first, how are you
feeling?”

Willow took a second to analyze herself. She
cleared her throat before speaking. It came out scratchy from lack
of use. “Better. I can finally move my body now. There’s no
pain.”

“So, it’s true then,” Millicent said looking
at Declan in awe. He was standing at the end of the bed with his
arms crossed watching the conversation with avid interest. “You’re
a Healer?”

“Um…I don’t really know,” Willow said
half-truthfully. “Hekate says I am, but, right now all I need to do
is help my sisters.”

“Where are they?”

“In a box of souls. Hekate keeps the box…”
she trailed off, a swell of anxiety and fear curled through her
stomach at the dawning realization of how dangerous her situation
was. Reality set in like a rock as her heart sank. Hekate almost
killed her. How could she possibly hope to have a fighting chance
against her? She wouldn’t give the box up willingly. Would she have
to fight Hekate? How could she save her sisters when she felt so
powerless?

Millicent’s features grew sad. “Hekate has
betrayed us all.”

“Indeed she has,” a deep voice bellowed in
the doorway. Willow turned her head around Millicent to see Emerson
Aldridge filling the frame with his commanding presence. He looked
weary and disheveled as he was covered in ash and soot from the
neck down. His clothes were tattered and ripped, but he still
radiated power. He turned his stormy gaze upon Willow and she
shrunk inwardly as he briefly nodded, regarding her as if she were
a fly on the wall. “Welcome to our home, Willow. I’m afraid we
don’t have much time. You must meet me in the living room in
fifteen minutes. We’re having a meeting. Millie, I trust you clean
her up and give her some clothes.” He turned to leave, leaving
Willow stunned. What did he mean they didn’t have much time? She
was safe here, wasn’t she? The Emerald Circle would protect her.
What was going on? Did they manage to kill Hekate? Was it over?