083 A Heart For A Heart

"Weird..." Kitty mumbled as she looked around at the circle, looking for a stone that should appeared by now.

"How did it happen the first time?" Erebus asked calmly -- he could see her panicking when her words weren't proved.

"Well, it just appeared before my eyes when I stepped in. I don't understand..." Kitty frowned, "Did they die for not reaching this point?"

She meant the dead bodies on the way here.

No. Erebus thought to himself. They had one thing in common -- a dead rose grew out of their chest. It could not happen for no reason, or by chance.

But the truth was, he didn't get one, but Kitty did.

It only works on pure witch, but not on werewolves with magic? It should not be. He felt the cutting on his body, too.

Or maybe, it was the key for getting out of the forest, and a royal werewolf don't need one because they can just shift?

Too many questions with no answer.

It would be great if she could get out of the forest with the stone, and Erebus could just shift and wait for her even though he couldn't see her, but like she said, they didn't know what would happen after they eat the seed, and it's more likely a death row because there were a lot of bodies, but not that many living souls with a tale of surviving.

What was interesting was that, the boy went even further than some of the grown witches and wizards. There were died bodies even the first few steps away from the circle of the trees!

It was too much a risk for Kitty, and Erebus would never allow that.

"You can have mine." Kitty suddenly said, "It's just, I'm not sure that's the best way, but at least, there is a chance."

Erebus froze right there in the circle of the tree, feeling the calling of mating strong than ever!

He never expected her to be giving her life for him, and that easily!

"What-- You..." Erebus fell into stuttering, "I... I'm really--"

"Well, I DID get you into this mess. It's only right if I could reduce the damage." Kitty looked away with the ear tips flush red.

She was not used to people being emotional to her, especially when she didn't think she did something nice -- to her, 'it was only right'.

"Still, that's really, really sweet of you." Erebus came a bit closer to her with his hand pressed against the tree, "I appreciate that."

"It's okay." Kitty put the seed in Erebus hand before he could think of a better way to refuse without telling her he could just get out of the forest in his wolf form. If she knew she would insist on him to leave her, and he couldn't do that.

Kitty turned and walked right into the forest without another word -- now that she didn't have to even struggle on whether to take the seed, it was just a matter of how much pain she could take before she gives up or die.

"Kitty--" Erebus called her name but came to a sudden stop. The moment she walked into the forest, Erebus felt the exact same cutting pain on his own body, even though he didn't even move.

They were linked!

But how?!

Just because they were both in the forest?!

"Oh my God!" Erebus mumbled to himself--

They were mates!

Their souls were bounded by magic, and that bond was considered as one, by this ancient spell cast on the forest!

So did that mean--

"Kitty! Wait!!" Erebus put the seed in his mouth without thinking twice --

If he could take the risk for her, even if he might die on the way out, she would have a better chance at surviving!

Kitty didn't stop at his calling to her. She thought he just didn't want to keep her seed -- she didn't know the seed was also the key to a deadly path.

But she suddenly realized, the pain was gone!

She turned back to look at Erebus, not knowing what happened just now that lifted the cutting pain. And Erebus felt the cutting was gone as well--

"Are you alright? Does it still hurt to walk towards the edge?" Erebus came to her side and asked her in a haste.

"Well, no, actually. How did you do that?!" Kitty jumped in excitement with a smile on her face.

"Just a small trick." Erebus grinned, deciding not to tell her about the death rose just yet.

"Oh my God, really?! You could lift such a powerful and ancient spell?!" Kitty didn't suspect a thing, "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Got it by luck," Erebus didn't stop her hugging him -- yes she was not over 18 yet, but this just might be his last chance to get a hug from her ever, and he just didn't have the will to give in to his long time desire.

"You are so cool!" Kitty yelled, "Let's go then!"

She didn't even notice she was holding on to his hand. To her, they DID just escape an almost certain death! Her feelings towards him and the jealousy suddenly felt so light and tiny. She couldn't even remember why she got so upset about it.

Even Erebus felt her happy, and not just by her expression -- It seemed that the magic field also enhanced the soul link spell between them, and Erebus could somewhat feel her feelings through their link.

He let she dragged him along by the hand, and followed her towards the world of life at the directing of the blue flowers, knowing the end was coming--

He could feel the seed growing in his heart, and it was like have a thousand small knife cutting through the heart over and over again.

He couldn't shift into his wolf form because obviously, these are two different worlds, and he was linked to Kitty also. There was no prediction on what would happen to her if he stopped this process abruptly.

Sweat came down from his forehead, and soon his whole body was covered in water. Erebus was taking deep breaths to suppress the excruciating pain.

The flower of death finally blossomed.