Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Abigail’s POV I returned to find out Silas had marked her; she has been asleep for two days now. The dragon kings have been on edge and everyone has been walking on eggshells. The atmosphere has been thick with their anger and I was becoming anxious. I hoped Elora woke up soon because I had a bad feeling that Silas was about to go on one of his rampages. One of the cooks told me she sacrificed herself so he wouldn’t kill me and my family, that she was also the reason the power was back on.

Walking down the corridor to the library, I place the tray of coffee on the end of the desk while preparing their dinner plates. They had been scouring the books in here for days, barely leaving except to check on Elora. I usually ignored them when I had to serve them, but something with the way they were speaking made me tune in.

“She won’t allow it, Silas. She will never forgive you,” Matitus tells him.

“It’s the only way to break the curse unless you have a spare oracle we don’t know about.”

“There has to be a loophole there always is, you know this. You force her hand she will hate us.”

“She will never know; we can tell her it’s how we break the curse on the fae. And what does it matter.

The only fae other than her is Marian, and she is too old to use magic” Silas argues.

“So, you expect her to give up her magic, become the sacrifice?”

“Yes, she is our mate, her duty is to carry our children. She doesn’t even know how to use her magic, she won’t miss it.”

“The book said we just need to find the oracle and reverse the sins of the past to break the curse, we are already reversing them. We marked her, and she didn’t reject us. But doing this will make her,”

Dragus says siding with Matitus.

“He is right Silas, if they say there is an oracle, we will find them. We found her didn’t we?”

“We killed every fucking witch alive, there are none. So, she is the only way. We need a magical sacrifice or spill the blood of the oracle. Elora wouldn’t want an innocent dying for us, I know if she had to choose, she would give her magic up.”

“No, she won’t. You think she will turn her back on the fae. You’re asking her to give up who she is”

Matitus yells.

“No, we will find the Oracle kill them, the curse breaks and we live happily ever after with our mate”

Dragus tells Silas. Silas punches the table and I hear the wood split and I jump, looking up all their eyes are on me. Like they didn’t realise I was in the room. Silas eyes flicker like a reptile as he walks around the desk, stopping next to me. My hands tremble and my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

“You speak one word of what you have overheard to anyone. I will make you watch as I skin your daughter alive, understood?” I nod, words failing me, and I become paralysed by fear.

“Get out,” he screams, and I bolt from the room.

Running down the corridor, I head for the kitchens. Peter is sitting there waiting for me still and I reach into his pocket, finding the castle phone. I know he just used to ring his brother before running off to my room. Closing the door, my hands tremble as I punch in the numbers. The phone ringing and I feel my heart thumping against my ribs painfully. The phone rings out and I hit redial.

“Come on, mum pick up” I mutter in panic when I suddenly hear her voice. She sounded like I woke her.

“Hello,” she says, and I can hear her yawning.

“Mum, you need to get her out of here.”

“Abigail, is that you dear.”

“Mum, listen to me, you need to get her out, they are looking for the oracle. You need to get her out now.”

I hear my mother gasp and the phone goes silent.

“How? Do they know it’s her?”

“No, and you need to get her out, promise me you will get her out.”

“I will find a way. I will look after her. I will keep her safe,” she tells me, and I feel tears brim before rolling down my cheeks.

“Tell her mummy said she loves her,” I tell her trying to not break down. The phone goes silent, and I can hear her breathing loudly. “I will and I won’t let them find her. I love you, Abbi.”

“I love you too,” I tell her before clicking the red button on the phone and hanging up. I may never see her again, never see her bubbly little face, hear her angelic little voice. I could feel my heart tearing to pieces, each part that is her breaking off and leaving nothing but a void inside me. I had to do this; I could live with this guilt of leaving her if it means she can live. That will be my burden to carry, and I know my mother would give her last breath for my daughter. Pushing my tears aside I scroll through the phone settings deleting my mother’s mobile number from the call list.

Getting my bearings, I wipe my tears and walk toward the kitchen before handing the phone back to Peter. He places it on the charging dock. “Everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Peter. You should head to bed,” I tell him. I watch as he leaves before collapsing on the stool at the bench. My daughter was who they needed to break the curse, she may be the key, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice her, not even for the good of others. She was my baby. Mine to protect. I will die before I let them touch her. I have always known the risk of being a witch. In my family, Oracles were born every third generation. My daughter was the third, and she already suffers from nightmares that I know are our future, her future. So many times, she has dreamt of my death and now I know that is one that will come true, because I will die just to keep her safe from them.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear her come in, I wasn't expecting her to wake so soon.

“Abigail, are you alright?” she asks, stepping into the room.

“You’re awake,” I exclaim.

“Yes, I just woke up, is everything alright, you look like you have been crying” she asks concerned.

Silas walks in behind her, my eyes darting over her shoulder. He glares at me in warning.

“Yes, everything is fine. Only tired,” I tell her. She goes to step closer when Silas grips her arm and she spins around having not noticed him behind her.

“You’re awake little one” he says, pulling her against him and crushing her against his chest. His eyes darted to me and I know he is telling me to go. I got up, using the back exit to leave before she could see me and head to my room. I had to warn her somehow, but if I do, they will know it was me and I didn’t doubt Silas when he said he would kill her and right now I need to make sure she is out of the city before I warn Elora.

They already took my husband. I won’t let them take my daughter from me.