"You cannot do this to me!!!" I screamed so loud my mom flinched.
"You will do as instructed and nothing less"she said with finality.
I stared into her sad eyes,I could tell she didn't want to do this,it was one of her selfless sacrifices to the coven.
I totally understood how she felt because being under pressure is the worst thing that can happen to someone in my opinion.
It's the thing that's been clawing at me my entire life.
"It's your duty to the coven, afterall it's the least you could do for us"
Those words hurt more than a stab wound,my insecurities slowly creeping in as I struggled to steady my wobbly lip and blink away the tears.
"I'm so sorry my love…..I didn't mean to speak to you like that"
She rushes over and draws me in for a hug.
"Trust me Adele it pains me to do this but I'm under a lot of pressure from the coven...the magic…. It's fading"
She pulls away to look at me and she sees the tears welled up in my eyes.
For a moment I think about it and it's all coming back to me.
The ricochet spells,the bad luck,the failed charms…
I've seen it all. The coven was in chaos, even though they tried to hide it. Their magic was running out. Every ritual struggled, every spell faltered. You could feel it in the air — weak, empty, like something that was supposed to protect them had already left.
"P…please….. Adele please just—"
The words stayed in her throat like it burned her to say it aloud.
The sight was so heartbreaking, because my mom has always been composed and put together,she may be strict as hell but she loves me and my sisters very much.
"I'll tell them you can't do it"she said.
Returning back to her strict and cold demeanor.
"We'll find another way…we'll search uncharted territory, we'll search the history books, we'll—"
"I'll do it Mama"I cut her off.
"No Adele,he's dangerous, he's evil, he's the worst thing to exist, he's—"
"The devil in white, he's the most manipulative thing to exist, he's called the Winter because he sucks all the life like the snow sucks off spring?"
Mama gulped as I finished off the stories Old Nay always told us about The Winter.
"Mama…I'd love to help the coven in any way I can and if this is my part to play then I'm ready for it"
Trying my best to hide the fear in my voice with a shaky laugh.
She looked at me with sad eyes and nodded.
"Change into something presentable,say your goodbyes…. the carriage leaves in ten"
"Okay" I turned around to get my Jar.
The jar of my moonlight flower, i always keep her by my window when the moon is bright, shes kept me from being alone, she's everything to me.
Funny how she's never bloomed but I still have my hope in her,I know it's going to happen someday.
And when it does I'll—-
"And Adele?"
"Yes mama"
I turned to see her staring at me with that encouraging look she always gave me during our tough times.
Before I knew it I was in her arms
"I love you sweetie, don't ever forget that, and don't you dare forget who you are and where you come from"
She says sternly
"Take this, it'll keep you safe from being compelled to do what you don't wish to…..I know, it's it…is bare minimum—"
"Mama I love it, thank you"
It's a pretty necklace,it has a black rose pendant,I love pretty things.
"Im glad you love it"
She smiled for the first time since she entered my room.
"A pity party without me?"
Cosette said bursting into the room like she owned it, along with my other sisters.
Mama was scared of me being treated differently so I always stayed indoors,she didn't want me to feel like an outcast for "my condition" they called it.
So my sisters were literally the only friends I had.
"We'll miss you Red" Agnes, my second eldest sister said as she pulled me in her arms.
"No soul should touch my things!!!"
I warned and they all burst into laughter.
Within minutes I was done packing and already in a carriage as I waved to my family.
Staring at the place I lived all my life while the carriage rode away.
I never got the chance to go out and part of me was excited but that excitement died quickly when it dawned on me that I was riding to the lion's den.
'It's for the coven'
I kept repeating in my head.
I only got a few hours of sleep while tending to pip,my cat,I guess she didn't like the idea of leaving home, neither did I but here we are.
And the occasional bumps of the carriage,it was starting to get really annoying.
Then pip meowed for more snack
"Just one last snack pip"I scolded her.
The carriage stopped so quickly causing me to bump my head while silently cursing.
I grabbed pip in one hand and came out to meet the rider,to my surprise he'd already brought out my bag and dropped it beside me.
"What are you doing?"I asked, very confused.
"Look miss I can't stay here for long, I need to get going" he says looking very scared and before I get the chance to answer him, he's gone.
I scoffed and turned to see the huge double gate,it looks so pretty yet very scary and dark.
I was so distracted with pip I didn't realize we've reached Shadowed peak.
I grabbed my bag in my free hand and walked through the gate.
"This is it"I whispered to pip and she just meowed like she understood.
She did though.
I walked till I reached a very tall chateau, it's just like the stories,even more fascinating.
The castle rose impossibly high, black upon black, its spires piercing the fog like needles through silk. Narrow windows glowed faintly red, not bright enough to comfort.
Gargoyles crouched watching me,the walls decorated of pretty wall flowers,they were dark purple and they looked so beautiful.
I could see a trail of flowers leading to the back,taking a mental note to remember to check the pretty garden I stepped forward
Taking a deep breath,I clutched the door knob and twisted, while pushing the hard heavy door.
"stupid stupid door" I hissed as I finally entered the castle.
No one, not even a soul in sight.
I wasn't expecting him to wait for me and welcome me properly but at least a butler to show my room.
But instead I was greeted with silence.
"Hello…."
I called out hoping for even a maid to answer but no one came.
Well if this is how they want to act then I'll show them how to treat me with respect because I am the daughter of the high priestess,Lady Olenna and no one will treat me with disregard,I reminded myself as I began walking up the stairs, silently hoping for to see someone because it was getting really scary now.
It's rather strange the nearest room on the first floor was empty and tidied so I decided to make it mine, keeping my things and arranging a place for pip to sleep because of how tired she was from the journey.
Alas I also got some hours of sleep,the heavy, metallic smell of old dust from the room in my lungs.
My eyes snapped open, the room was a was slightly bright,I could tell it was evening which was terrifying because the place looked more spooky.
I tried to move,to check on Pip only to feel a weight, cold and immense,pressing down on my chest.
A silhouette loomed over me, featureless and towering. It was an elderly lady.
In the pale light, her eyes were two dark hollows, and her mouth was set in a thin, grim line. She didn't say a word.
Instead, she raised her arms high, a massive square of white fabric bunched in her fists,it was a pillow.
I tried to scream, but my throat felt like it was filled with glass.
The Lady leaned in closer, the fabric snapping taut in the air.
She's going to do it
My heart hammering against my ribs.
She is going to choke the life out of me in this bed of shadows.
As the white cloth descended,I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the weight of the fabric to seal over her mouth and nose, cutting off my last breath.