Page 71 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

¨ ...Who do you think taught the werewolves how to mind-link in the first place? 〃

Oh... Oh. Now that she mentions it... that probably wasnˇt an animal trait. I chuckle nervously, in a bit of a weird state after all that crying. I guess I have a lot to... learn from that knowledge she gave me. I take a deep breath, and finally nod, my head full and my heart heavy.

Luna closes her eyes, holding my hands a bit tighter.

"...Moon Goddess, I can finally go," she whispers.

Suddenly, her eyes move to somewhere over my shoulder, and she gasps, her eyes filled with tears again. What is it? I glance back, but I see nothing but the wall... Yet, Luna keeps staring at something I can't see, and she slowly lets go of my hands, stepping away from me and turning back into her wolf form.

¨ ...Go back, Mara. Don't stay trapped here like I did. Go back to your family, to your pack. To your people. To... your mate. 〃

She moves to walk past me, and... slowly, she disappears. W-... What just happened? I stand up, but she's really gone, I can't even feel her anymore. There's nothing where she stood a second ago, just... some traces of snow, melting on the ground. I look around, a bit lost. I'm alone in that cabin, but things around me start to change. Moss appears under my feet, covering the ground. The walls and wooden furniture all start to rot at an incredible speed, it decays. I have a bad feeling.

I run out of the cabin, and turn around, to see... ruins. Just ruins, where that old cabin stood a second ago. There's no roof, no walls, just a few... rotten planks left there. I look to the side, and the magic circle's gone too. I realize I hear... the birds. The birds, and the wind in the trees too. It's back. This place is back to normal, this is the real world.

Wait, if this is the real world, where am I? How the hell do I go back now?!

No, no, calm down, Mara. You're not clueless, you're a witch and you can do this. I take a deep breath. This is definitely the modern world, my time, just... the wrong place. Where the heck am I? Luna, you fucking old witch, you could have sent me back before you freaking left... No, no, no, focus, Mara. I take a deep breath and look inside, channeling my inner wolf to feel Nora and Selena. No matter the distance, I should be able to feel them...

I got them! It's very faint, but I can feel their position, like a compass inside me... Oh, well, now, time to get there. You're a witch, Mara, you got this. I look inside, searching for something to help. Wait... is that a teleportation spell? No, it can't... Oh, Moon Goddess, it really is! I take a deep breath, a bit nervous, and trace the circle in the ground beneath me. It's a bit scary how easily I can do this now, in... literally two seconds. Powerful witch, she said. No kidding... I take another deep breath and, as soon as that circle is done, I use my magic to activate it, bringing me back to Silver City. This better work...

"Moon Goddess, Mara!"

"Mara, where the heck did you come from?!"

I open my eyes. Wow... I'm back at the site of the battle, on the ravaged East Point Ground, but... it's later. Night has fallen, and... everyone around looks exhausted. Nora runs to me, in her human form, wearing some clothes but looking like she didn't get a shower or a nap. Her black hair is stuck to her temples from the mix of blood, mud, and sweat.

"Thank Moon Goddess you're back," she suddenly sighs before hugging me.

Selena arrives behind her, dressed too, with a sour expression.

"How long has it been...?" I mutter.

"We came back an hour ago, and... for them, a bit more than that," she sighs. "We're just... trying to... find the bodies. That makes it one less, I guess..."

After her sentence, I hear Nora letting out a cry next to me.

"Nora? What... Who did you... find?"

She sniffles and steps back.

"Many wolves," she mutters. "We just... we just found Tonia and Bobo. Tonia... She didn't make it, and... Bobo just left for the ER with... a lot of other people. I did what I could, but..."

She breaks down in tears again, and I hug her again, unable to say anything else. Oh, Moon Goddess... Selena looks restless too.

"Can you help?" she asks with a tired voice. "The whole... fight stopped as soon as we came back, but there's still a ton of people buried. Perhaps there are more we can find... and save."

I nod. Of course I'll help... Moon Goddess, I'm terrified, but we have to find all those bodies...

Suddenly, my finger hurts, as if a ring had just burned me. Moon Goddess, the butterfly tattoo! I let go of Nora, and look at it from up close. That thing is... glowing on my finger. Not only glowing, but moving and spinning around my finger. I can feel the magic imbued in it... Earth Magic!

"...What is this?" asks Nora, staring at it too. "...It looks like a butterfly?"

"Yeah... A present from Sylviana. I think. Step back a second, Nora."

She nods, and wipes her nose as she carefully steps away from me, standing next to Selena. Oh, Moon Goddess, could it be? Is that what Luna was referring to when she mentioned I could do... more, for the last time? I take a deep breath, and focus on that ring, unlocking the power inside. It suddenly bursts out.

I feel the ring explode, and a large mark appears on my hand, on my arm, spreading through my body with a strange sensation.

"Mara!" shouts Selena.

"I'm alright! These are different markings... Just stay back for a second."

I'm not sure I can handle this, but it's coming anyway. I feel it grow inside, like a new strength, a... large tree pushing my Fire and Water Magic aside to take up some space. Oh, Moon Goddess, thatˇs a big bundle of Earth Magic. I need to take big gasps as I let it all in, feeling it grow inside. This is so different from what I'm used to, and it doesn't even leave me room to adjust to it. I feel my feet suddenly rooted deeper in the ground, and my whole body as if... torn in all directions, attracted to the ground like a magnet. I feel each tree around like an underground connection, from my feet to their roots... It's powerful, but it's not... me. I feel it. That thing isn't staying in me like the fire, not even like water.

"...What color are my eyes?" I ask Selena.

"...They're back to dark brown, maybe a bit golden. Not blue or anything else."

I nod. Alright, I guess I know now... This is limited. All of it. It's not part of me, just a little... borrowed. I get down on my knees, and bury my hands in the ground, closing my eyes.

I feel it... all of the ground around. The minerals, the soil... I can find a shy baby root in one area, or a buried stone there. I can find... what shouldn't be there. I take a deep breath and, using all my power, I start moving them, bringing them up. I move the ground above them, undigging the bodies and bringing them to the surface, one after another. I try to use the mind-link and, through Nora and Selena, find as many wolves as I can... I realize I can feel the humans too through Selena's mind-link. She's... connected to them too. I feel like I'm not breathing, this power is too big for me. I force myself to take another deep breath, and keep bringing them back. One after another, the bodies and those still holding on to life... I hear cries of joy or sadness around me, people shouting all around, but I don't have time to listen. I have to go on, bring them back as fast as I can. Perhaps some can still be saved... and the others can find a proper grave.

I stop only when I'm sure I can't find anybody else. I'm... out of breath, and I can't stand up for now. However, all the cries of joy around me makes it worth it. This was worth it. I nod, feeling a bit better.

...Liam.

I lift my head, knowing exactly where my mate is. ...Why did Luna say I should go back to him too? I... I look down at the markings on my arms. I still have that Earth Magic. I... I have the three powers. It's not for long, and I can't save anyone else, but... if it's my mate, perhaps...

No, I can't use Dark Magic. I can't do the same. I can't...

Wait a second. What if I use... Light Magic?

"...Mara?" Selena calls out.

I began stumbling toward him without thinking. I reach it, the cloak they covered him with. I fall on my knees next to Liam's body, unaware of his brothers on the other side. Moon Goddess, I'm shaking. I'm shaking so much. I'm scared, and at the same time, I'm... feeling hope. This crazy, blazing flame of hope. I pull back the cloak, just a little, to see his face. I let out a gasp. Moon Goddess, Liam... Liam, Liam, Liam... Is it possible?

"Mara? Mara, are you alright?" gently asks Nora, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No... Nora, I think I'm about to do something really crazy.

My heart is beating like crazy. I feel so insane, crazy, and excited. I shouldn't be, right? I... I am faced with the body of my mate, with... Liam's dead body. Itˇs the worst vision ever. My Liam, lying there, just... nothing inside. I can't feel him at all. Not him, not his inner wolf, nothing. My eyes see him, but inside, I feel nothing, just that horrible void that eats me from the inside. I keep staring, and a part of me really wants a miracle. I don't want to see his... cold skin, his blue lips, or his body not even moving to breathe... Death looks horrible, and empty. It's Liam, but there's nothing there, I'm... just facing a body. I never thought it would be so hard. I'm fighting inside with the horrible urge to cry again, to bawl it all out, and yet, I have that crazy idea shining in my mind, like a flame that won't disappear. I must be going insane.

I can bring him back... Right, Luna?

"...What are you going to do? Mara, talk to us!" says Selena behind me.

"...I can use the same spell. The one Luna wanted to use to bring her mate back."

¨ You can bring him back...? 〃 asks Nathaniel.

I nod.

"Mara, no!" protests Nora. "Isn't it the same Dark Magic that caused all of this in the first place?"

"It is, but the spell itself wasn't the cause. It turned into a curse because of the dark feelings that caused this spell, and because Luna used Dark Magic in the first place, not the other way around. I've seen the spell. It was perfect, and it would have worked if Luna hadn't been so inexperienced and dominated by her emotions. She knew nothing about the difference between Dark and Light Magic; only Luna the Witch did, but she couldn't stop her mistake."

"Wait a second," growls Selena, "isn't the difference between the two about... using your own life energy?"

I remain silent as an answer.

Yes, it is. That is one of the founding principles of magic. Witches need life force to make their spells, either their own or someone else's. Luna the Wolf was so desperate, she unconsciously used her friend's... and turned that spell into a dark one. However, Luna the Witch was about to do the right thing... She wanted to give her own life to bring the wolf she had killed back.

"Mara, no!" shouts Nora, falling on her knees next to me. "You want to sacrifice yourself? This isn't... Liam wouldn't want that!"

I take a deep breath and turn to her. It's strange, I want to cry, but... I'm also feeling stronger and calmer than ever. Nora's blue eyes show she's much more worried and panicked than I am, I can even see her lower lip twitching. She's cried a lot already today. Behind her, Selena is standing with a shocked expression too, but she doesn't say anything, her eyes going back and forth between her mate, Liam, and me.

"I know," I gasp, "but... Nora, this is my last chance to use the spell. I'm running out of Earth Magic, and... I'm sure Sylviana gave it to me for a reason in the first place. She loved him too. Moreover... I don't plan to die yet."

"B-but... then..."

I chuckle a bit nervously and exchange a look with his brothers. Damian and Nathaniel have been through hell too, and they stay silent. I know they probably miss their little brother so much too... I try to take a deep breath, but I realize how heavy my chest feels. I can barely fill my lungs, and I have this knot, still there and so painful.

"...I'll share with him, Nora. I have to use Light Magic, and willingly give Liam some of my own life force. I think I can handle that spell well enough to know when to stop."

"What does that mean?" asks Selena, frowning. "You'll be fine, then? You can heal afterwards, right?"

"I'll be fine," I nod, "but I won't heal, there will be nothing to heal. This is more of a... long-term thing. The life force I give Liam won't come back to me, ever. I will... probably sacrifice some of my own life span in the process. Maybe a few decades."

"...You're... going to give Liam years of your own life?" mutters Nora, shocked.

"...Yeah, in a way."

"Mara..."

A heavy silence follows my words, all of them looking conflicted, and I feel it inside too. I know what they are thinking. They don't want me to make that sacrifice, but... they all love Liam too much. They can't stop me knowing that it can bring him back. I turn to his brothers again.

"It... won't be the same," I warn them. "Liam will get more years, but... even if I give him an even share, he and I won't..."

¨ ...You won't live to grow old, 〃 mutters Damian.

"...No."

This is a hard decision to make, but this is why I am making it for them. This is my life and my mate. Compared to living and dying old alone, I would rather share what I have left with him. Even if we only get one or two decades together, it's okay.

"...I don't like this," cries Nora. "This is just... so unfair. I can't believe you will lose so much time, and... Liam too..."

"It wasn't fair for him to die either, Nora. But it's okay. A lot of people don't even get this chance, or as much time together as we will. This is... the last time this choice can be made. After that, I will no longer have all three powers, and no witch will be this powerful for a long while, either. Luna gifted me some of her Light Magic, and Sylviana left me some of hers too... just for this moment."

Nora is really crying now, and Selena has that conflicted expression on too. To my surprise, Damian is the one who turns to me next.

¨ Mara... I'm not sure Liam would be fine with this. He loved you. 〃

"I know," I chuckle. "That's why I'm making this decision for his stubborn ass. He can get mad at me later, this is... about me, and my selfishness. I will... tell him the details later, and explain everything to him, I promise. But... I want to do this, both for him and myself. I know I would... be okay, but... if I can genuinely make this choice, I want to. Not just for my own selfishness, but this is also... for Luna. This is the one life she took that I can bring back."

Nora bites her lower lip, and Selena shakes her head, visibly frustrated. I know they are sorry for me, but this won't change my decision. I take a deep breath, and gently take Liam's hand. Moon Goddess, it's so cold...

"...Can't we help, somehow?" suddenly asks Selena. "We have Light Magic too, right? Can't we do anything to... help out?"

...I didn't think of that. Nora turns her big blue eyes to me, full of hope after hearing Selena's words. ...Can they? This wouldn't be like the two Lunas' mistake, if they are willingly helping me with this spell. But still, I don't think I can just say yes like that! I shake my head.

"No, you guys have children and everything. I can't ask you to do that, this is about our lifespan we're talking about. What if I take too much?"

"You were sure you could control what youˇd give Liam just ten seconds ago!"

"When it only includes my own life as a margin for errors! I know the spell but I have never actually done it before!"

"You can just take a little!" says Nora, looking all hopeful again. "Just a bit of mine, and a bit of Selena's. She and I are only Light Magic, and full of it too! Mara, you can just tap into it and get yourself and Liam a few more years!"

"You guys are... No, no, this... this is very dangerous," I argue, turning to their mates, hoping they would stop them.

The two brothers exchange a quiet look.

¨ ...We would do the same if we could, 〃 mutters Nathaniel.

I can't help but roll my eyes. Now this does sound insane! This is too much! I am grateful they want to help, but what if I seriously end up taking too many years off of them? It's not an exact science, we're talking about necromancy! It's dangerous and damn unpredictable! I could end up splitting their lifespan in half instead of just taking a couple of years!

Nora smiles, a bit bitter, and takes my other hand gently.

"Mara, please. You're not alone, remember? You and Liam are our family. I.... We are so grateful you're willing to give away some of your life for him, so please... let us do this for you. Just a bit, alright? You deserve this, Mara. You deserve as much time as you can get with Liam... I understand we won't know exactly how much time you guys have left, and anything could happen before that, but... at least, let us do our share. Let us help you a little, Mara. Please."

Shit, I feel like crying again... I can hardly believe this. Liam, can you imagine? They are all willing to give some of their lives for you... for us. I hold her hand a bit tighter. I feel her... I feel Nora and her wolf; here with me. I feel all of them and how close we are, like a family indeed. I take another deep breath, but it's hopeless, I burst into tears again. I can't, I'm just... Moon Goddess, it's been a hell of a day. Nora smiles and hugs me gently.

"...It's alright, Mara. Everything will be alright."

Just as she says that, something in my heart does feel relieved. I feel as if everything will be okay again. Just... I feel as if her words were a key. Something that soothes me, and gives me confidence. A bright, vivid, and warm flame shining in my heart. Yes, we will be alright.

Even if it's just a few years, one or two decades together. Liam and I are going to live young, die young, and be fucking happy in the meantime. We're going to be together, and that's all we need. Perhaps this was meant for us all along, and it feels perfect in a way. We're going to have to enjoy each day twice as much, live enough for the lifetime we should have had together. Life doesn't always play out the way we want it to, but... this is one hell of a second chance, and we can't waste a second of it. I want me and him to be happy every damn minute we are together. Live as if we were going to die tomorrow, or next week, or next year. I chuckle, feeling a bit silly and strange. Yeah, this is just like us. Restless, reckless, impatient wolves.

"...Alright," I mutter, trying to focus. "Get ready, then."

I take a deep breath and Selena comes to sit on my right side, putting her hand on my shoulder. Nora is still holding my hand, so now I can focus completely on Liam. I take one last look at him and close my eyes.

I keep the new flame in my heart close, and I summon my Earth and Water Magic at once. I feel Liam's body, where I need to intervene, what I need to do to bring him back. Humans are made of matter, and now I understand why a witch needs all three powers. The earth is for the body, the muscles, the skin, and water is for the blood, everything inside that flows and moves. I focus it on Liam, finding that horrendous gap, both in his body and in his soul. I feel the magic circle appearing beneath us, but I keep going, I know how it has to play out. The spell comes to me so easily, as if it had always been stored in my mind. The Earth Magic fixes the tissues, the Water Magic gets everything running and moving again. I work silently to focus my magic on healing his body. It's a long and draining process, but it's only the first and easiest part.

Now, this is where I bring his life back. I take another deep breath and, his body restored, I need to breathe life back in. I focus on my inner flame, and grow it, bigger, brighter, hotter. A fierce fire burning inside, channeling my own life energy. I feel it... it beats just like my heart. Gently, I convey it to Liam, placing it in his body. His wolf takes the energy, but the magic doesn't stay, and I have to continuously send some, return it to me, and send more again. It's difficult and really draining as I feel my flame diminish. I can almost feel... my body getting tired. It's not decaying, but I feel how it's getting tired inside, how I'm using several years' worth of energy. Like running several marathons in seconds, or crossing two oceans without breathing. I have to keep focusing, or I'll give too much, and pass out and die. We don't want that, right, babe? I take another deep breath and, just when I feel my fire about to give out, I stop, and gently pull some of Selena and Nora's. It is easy to find, I feel their hearts like little birds within my reach. I want to be careful, I just pick a little from them, and that's it. Maybe... Maybe not enough, but that's plenty already. I know you wouldn't agree to this either, babe, and I am with you on that one... I get their energy inside, and take another deep breath to close the bond.

I look for him. I look for Liam, his wolf, to see where I can wake him up, how to light the flame inside him with all that energy... I found it. I gasp, and rush all in at once. That's one hell of a lot of energy, and I burst in, like a spark in the darkness, praying that fire will take and grow.

"Moon Goddess!"

I try to stay focused despite the gasps and exclamations of joy around me; I just need to finish this properly... I give it all I have left of the Water and Earth Magic to make sure his body is fully healed. I search for anything that I may have missed, reinforcing each organ, each muscle. I give it all out, without an ounce of regret. This is the first and last time I'll perform this spell, so I might as well be sure... You wouldn't have wanted me to keep it either, right, Luna?

A couple more seconds later, I finally open my eyes. I can already see it. Liam's face has restored its colors, and... he's breathing. I let out a nervous chuckle, half laughter and half a cry. His brothers are frozen like ice on the other side, but Nora is crying next to me, and Selena gasps again.

"...Babe?" I call out, holding his hand a bit tighter. "Liam!"

Liam stays unconscious, but I take a deep breath and slap his torso, a bit annoyed. I didn't freaking fix you so you could take a nap here!

He opens his eyes and sits up all at once.

"Whoa!" he exclaims, out of breath. "Wh-... What the... hell?"

"Liam!" I cry out, jumping to hold him.

Oh, Moon Goddess, thank... thank you for letting me bring him back... I keep sobbing loudly, Nora's echoing behind me. I just can't stop the waterfall, and I keep crying, hugging my mate tight. I hear him chuckling nervously, and he holds me back.

"Okay, uh... Did I miss something? You guys are... making faces... Mara, babe, you're killing me here..."

I chuckle, and pull back a bit to give him some space, and look at his face. It's really him. My Liam, with his blue-gray eyes I love, his confused expression, his warm skin, and half-smiling lips. Moon Goddess, I can hardly believe it really worked. He is back. My mate is back with me, for real.

He keeps staring at me and sending glances to his brothers and sister-in-laws, completely confused, with no idea what just happened.

"Wha-... Seriously, you guys are making such weird faces... Mara, you okay? And Nora... Guys, seriously, what did I miss?"

Nathaniel suddenly shakes his head and walks away, his shoulders low. I'm a bit worried for him, but Selena exchanges a smile with me, and goes to hug him a bit farther away, hiding his face onto her shoulder. Next to us, Damian Black chuckles too.

¨ Welcome back, Liam. 〃

"Thanks...?"

He sighs and hugs me.

"Okay, I guess you guys can explain to me later what happened while I passed out... Mara, you okay? You look very pale."

"I'm just a bit tired, babe," I chuckle, putting a kiss on his cheek. "I'm glad to see you... I love you."

He raises both eyebrows, and I see a dash of red appear on his cheeks, traveling all the way up to his ears.

"Th-thanks... I love you too, hot stuff."

I chuckle, and hug him again. Moon Goddess, it feels so good to feel Liam's warmth again, his arms around me, hear his voice ask again what did he miss. I hear Nora keep crying, tears of joy this time.

My head on Liam's shoulder, I keep looking around, and although my heart feels a lot better with my mate back, I can't help but see how many people we did lose in this battle... Everything around us is desolated, and no one else is able to cry of relief. There are still too many bodies, too many wounds. The rain has stopped, but the sky clearing doesn't match the atmosphere down here. Everything is... hard to process. I take a deep breath.

We will need to take care of our people. Heal the wounds, bury the bodies, see what we can save. The battle has left traces everywhere. There will be a lot to do, but... the worst has passed.

This battle is over. ...And it was the last one for Silver City.