Scornful Sadie (Dark Sorceress Trilogy Book 1) (22 page)

Absurd, but ok. I did as she instructed.

“Close your eyes,” she said next.

I did it.

“Sadie Tabors, I need you to feel the energy around you. Pull it from the ground. The other side is surging right now, sending it through the core of the earth. You just have to find it. Pull it to you, embrace it, become it.”

She silenced then, so I focused. I moved my fingers around in the dirt, feeling the wet mud beneath my nails and on my skin. Digging deep within, I used my magic to feel for more, and picked up on something. Pushing my hand further in the ground, I desperately tried to reach the power.

It needed me.

I needed it.

My head fell back, and I felt it crawling through the earth to get to me. It spun and shot through, claiming me as its own. I felt the power touch my fingers, then coursing through my veins.

In the background, I heard Tarann cheering me on, her voice fading quickly.

I kept on, pulling the energy that latched on deeper inside me. It filled me to the brim, my body feeling full and more powerful than ever before. It consumed me, taking me over as it sunk into my bones, mixed with my own power, and made me stronger than ever before.

My eyes were closed, but I saw the blinding light through my lids. It was bright, probably to the point of blinding me had my eyes been open. With a flash, it disappeared and the surge stopped. Flying back, I lay out in the garden, my body humming with power.

“Tarann?” I called. I wasn’t sure I could move.

She didn’t answer, and I knew it had worked. I was the Dark Sorceress and she’d moved on to the other side. A part of me was sad I didn’t say goodbye. We were briefly in each other’s lives, but she’d made such an impact.

“Thank you, Tarann,” I said softly.

The wind picked up, caressing my cheek, and a small droplet of water landed just below my eye. She’d heard me.

Finally certain I could stand, I got up and started back toward Chamber House Castle.

Grandma would not be pleased with me.

“Sade!” he cried from the walkway. He was running faster than I’d ever seen him move, a look of pure terror outlining every inch of his face.

“I’m here!” I called. “I’m fine!”

He followed my voice, rushing to me and holding me close. “You scared me so badly,” he admitted. Was his voice cracking? Was he crying over the thought of losing me?”

“I’m ok,” I reassured him.

“That light…” he said. The realization of what I’d done dawned on him. “Oh, Sade.”

“I had to,” I said. “Tarann showed up in ghost form. I can’t freaking have a ghost haunting me. I have enough going on.”

“What now?”

I shrugged. “Now everyone gets pissed and I’m one step closer to being sent to this other realm.”

He closed his eyes, exhaling heavily. “Can I go?”

Scoffing, I leaned my head back to look at him better. “Are you kidding me?”

“I can’t let you go by yourself, Sade.”

“You can’t go,” I chuckled. “Aiden Rivers, the boy on a mission to die.”

“You’d protect me.”

He had a point, but I shook my head no. “We have to go in. I’m sure they all saw that.”

“What exactly did you do?” he asked. Pulling away from me, he put his arm around my shoulder, and I put mine around his waist. We started walking back and I explained what had happened.

He stopped, stepping a few feet from me and inspecting me. “You look kinda glowy.”

“What?”

“Glowy,” he said. Moving his hand around my outer body, he said, “All around here.”

I felt my eyes grow large. “Are you seeing my aura?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea?”

“SADIE MAE TABORS,” Grandma yelled from the door to the castle.

Giving Aiden a side glance, I strutted up, ready to take my tongue lashing. “Grandma?”

“You said you would wait,” she scolded. “Why is your aura golden?”

“Oh my god, Grandma! Aiden can see my aura!” I told her.

“What did you do to him?” she squealed. She rushed to Aiden, her eyes searching his body. “I don’t see his.”

“Me neither,” I said. “But he said I looked glowy.”

“Why did you do this?” she said. Disappointment laced her words, her face etched in worry.

“Tarann came to me in the gardens. She said I had no choice. The other side sent it to me.”

“The other side?” she asked, stunned. “This is so much worse than I expected.”

“Why?” I didn’t understand.

“The other side doesn’t help unless it’s an extraordinary situation.”

“I’d say the Six being resurrected is pretty extraordinary,” I scoffed.

She waved Aiden closer, and directed me toward the door. “Both of you get inside.”

Once we were sealed in, she turned to Aiden. “Can you see anything around my body? Any colors?”

He shook his head. “No, Ms. Anna.”

She pondered his reply. “Maybe you are glowing from within, Sadie. How much power was given to you?”

Chewing my bottom lip, I chuckled. “A lot.”

I shifted my eyes, cracking the table by the window and taking the bathroom door off the hinges simultaneously. Moving my wrist, I levitated Aiden and myself while spinning the furniture around in the air.

“Sadie, stop,” Grandma demanded. “I can’t believe you accepted this.”

I lowered everything to the ground and fixed the messes I’d made. “Well, it’s true. I am the Dark Sorceress. Why should I fight it? Why deny it? We knew I would have to do this. They’re coming tomorrow.”

“I know,” she finally replied. She looked defeated, upset. She thought I wouldn’t survive this.

“I need to know about the rest of the Six. I only know of Bram, Pryce, and Wolfe. Who are the others?”

“Quinton, Jyler, and Aric,” she said.

“All men,” I huffed. “Go figure.”

“Women weren’t allowed to have magic back then,” Mark said, strolling in the room. “If one showed signs, she was put to death.”

“Well, that’s nice,” I said sarcastically. “All of these dudes are super powerful?”

“More powerful than a fifth-generation,” he told me.

Groaning, I flung myself in the closest chair. “I’m so screwed.”

“You just ingested a huge amount of power,” Aiden pointed out. “How are you screwed?”

“Six to one?”

“They’ve got nothing on you,” he said.

Mark came closer, squinting his eyes as he looked at me. “Is your skin glowing?”

“I told you!” Aiden yelled.

“My skin?” I held my arm up and saw little specks of glimmer dancing across it. Well, hell, my skin was glowing. Aiden wasn’t seeing auras after all. “What’s happening?”

“You’re consumed with power,” Grandma said. “You have to relax and let it settle.”

“How long will that take?” I asked. The glittery specks grew brighter.

It was getting worse.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Let’s go. You need to rest and we need to prepare.”

“Why can’t I prepare?”

She glared at me. “I just told you.”

“Fine,” I growled. “Aiden, you wanna go watch a movie?”

“Sure,” he said eagerly. “Let’s go.”

We parted from Mark and Grandma, my anger growing as we walked. I was sick of being told what to do, how to act, when to do stuff. I was an adult and a damn powerful sorceress.

“Wait,” I said halfway up the stairs. “Let’s go outside.”

He looked confused, but came with me. Aiden was the only person who trusted my decisions, who believed in me no matter what. “What are we doing?”

“I’m going to see what I can do.”

“But Anna said…” he started, but seeing the fuming glare on my face was enough to stop him short. “I mean, good idea.”

I chuckled at his words. “Thank you, Aiden.”

“For what?” he grinned. He bumped his shoulders into mine.

I bumped back. “For trusting and believing in me.”

“You’re the best sorceress out there, Sade. I know you’re doing the right thing.”

His words touched me deeply. Emotions were tied to my power, and my expanding joy for Aiden was evident all around us. The floor shook and cracked as flowers sprouted from the tile. I looked around at the garden I’d created and bolted to the door.

I may not have to do what Grandma wanted, but I really didn’t want to be around when she found that.

Hurrying outside, I spun as I felt the power within me. It danced and leaped, eager to play. I grew a tree, and changed the colors of the fountain from soft to bright. After I created a car from nothing, I tossed the keys to Aiden. “Wanna go for a spin?”

“Is it safe to leave?” he questioned, mischief dancing in his bright blue eyes.

“I’m going with you,” I said with an eyebrow wiggle.

“Then let’s go!” He ran ahead and opened the passenger door for me. Once I was settled, he closed the door and was in the car in seconds. “Oh man, this is gonna be fun.”

He turned the ignition of the old car, a Camero I thought, and rested his head on the wheel as he listened to the engine purr. He moaned and did weird boy noises before shifting gears and revving the gas.

“Go!” I yelled excitedly.

He spun the tires on our way out, heading down the street to town.

“Aiden!” I squealed. “We’re in England! You’re on the wrong side of the road!” I couldn’t help but laugh as he freaked out and got the car on the right side of the road.

“Shit,” he chuckled. “My bad.”

I looked out the window as he drove, seeing lifeless trees and plants. I waved my hand, healing them all back to life, and adding a few to the mix. Aiden pulled to the side of the road to watch a sheep be sheared, and I decided to have fun.

As the man shaved the wool, I snapped my fingers and made it grow back instantly. Confused, he looked at the instrument, then his sheep, before doing it again. Giggling, I kept it up until he began to look around him. Ducking in the seat, I told Aiden to go before we got caught.

“I can’t believe you did that,” he laughed. “That man was so confused.”

With a shrug, I said, “I was helping. He can sell that now. And he didn’t have to wait forever for it to grow back.”

“True,” he said. Turning to me, he took my hand. “It’s nice to see you smiling.”

Blushing, I lowered my eyes. I couldn’t tell him the truth. This was probably my last day here. Tomorrow, I would either die or open the door to Clorva. Either of those options wouldn’t include him.

I was going to lose Aiden again.

I didn’t know if I could handle it, so I decided to have fun. Enjoy being with him for the time being, and not think about the dangers and dread tomorrow would bring.