The night sky was filled with screams and cries for help, heart-wrenching sounds that would move even the cruellest of people except the ones causing it.Helena hung limply in the hands of her captors, her head swaying as blood dripped down her swollen and bruised face.Her feet dragged against the rough earth, pulling on grasses and scraping her delicate skin on rocks but the two men holding her were unbothered by her injuries. She was in more pain than she had ever experienced but the anguished screams of her people numbed her of it as she silently wept for them. The shackles that had been placed around her neck, wrists and ankles, dug painfully into her flesh, the sharp edges of it cutting her skin and creating large wounds. Helena knew that if she managed to escape and live to see another day, she would leave with horrifying scars that she would have to carry for the rest of her life.But she did not want to live because she deserved to die with her people in the land they had a
Bells. Helena could hear the soft and melodious ring of bells surrounding her like a warm blanket.They reminded her of her dear mother. The joyful woman who had loved tiny bells and always had a smile on her face, even when her sickness had gripped her and left her a shell of the person she was.Helena felt light and weightless, and the soft jingling of the bells added to the heady feeling. She struggled to open her eyes but it felt like they were glued shut so she gave up, choosing to enjoy the warm music.~Wake up, Helena~ She frowned and shook her head. For some reason, she felt dread at the thought of waking up but she could not understand why.~You have to, child. Everything depends on you waking up~"No." The bells stopped ringing and Helena was surrounded by a suffocating silence. Her eyelids grew lighter and she was finally able to peel them open.She was in a kingdom of white fluffy clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. Helena slowly sat up, unaccustomed to ho
Her family's home was just like she remembered it and she looked around with a mixture of awe and sorrow. Soft blue and gold colours surrounded her and everything had a worn and lived-in feel to it, something she had missed while living with Rigel, who enjoyed new and impersonal designs.Helena thought back to when Rigel had presented as her mate and how eager she had been to pack up and run away from her people and family. Looking back, she had been selfish and self-absorbed, too caught up in her fantasies of a new life, to see how her avoidance and eagerness to leave had affected her sweet Father and hotheaded Brother. Charon hated Rigel the moment they met and had been against her leaving with him but Helena had fought back, seeing her older brother as an enemy she chose to ignore. Now, she knew better and will not make the same mistake twice.She walked into the large kitchen that her Father took much pride in and was greeted with the sight of him standing in front of the stove
The next morning, after her father and brother had left to carry out their duties, Helena was left to herself in their quiet home.She spent most of her morning exploring the home that had become a stranger after how long she had been away from it. Everything remained the same yet it all seemed so different to the woman who had defied time and death. The scratches and dents on the floorboards from her brother's younger days, when he could not control his wolf, were present and the smell of lavender that had filled the air after her mother's passing washed over her in a nostalgic, calming wave.She walked down the hallway that led to the bedrooms and stopped in front of a plain door with a name carved on it. 'Cassandra'. It read and she carefully traced the indent with trembling fingers. A memory of the shattered door lying among the rubble of her home flashed in front of her eyes and she took a deep shuddering breath to calm herself."You're not there anymore," she whispered as she
"Helena stirred the contents of the pot, simmering on the stove, robotically. Her trembling hands and overall shaky countenance had made it difficult to get everything done, as fast as she would have liked but she powered through and prepared a small feast for dinner."You're not evil," she whispered with a wide-eyed stare as she placed the lid on the pot and moved away from the stove. "It's not evil." She whispered again as she took a seat on one of the chairs and held her trembling hands out in front of her.Helena clenched her hands into tight fists and opened them back up. She stared down at the small purple mist that slowly poured out from the centre of her palm and her eyes grew moist."It's a part of you," she sobbed as she held her hands up to her face and allowed the mist to pour over her."Are you alright?" Came her brother's voice causing her to startle as she turned to stare at him, tears streaming down her cheeks."I'm..."A flash of purple light filled the kitchen and t
"Control your breathing," Tristan whispered as he circled Helena's form with slow, steady steps."You are the master of your mind, body and emotions." He recited in a soothing whisper that did little to calm the purple-eyed woman trembling uncontrollably."I don't know how much longer I can do this." She whispered with a breathless huff, sweat trailing down her tense and achy muscles, and falling in little drops to the pavement below her.Tristan stopped walking and stood in front of her, giving an upside-down Helena a perfect view of his large, bare feet."Your magic is inside you, Helena." He informed her as he dropped to a crouch and placed a palm on her trembling abdomen. "To control something as uncontrollable as your power you need to push your body to the limit.""I know... I just..." She tipped over and began falling towards him, her weak arms unable to hold her body up.Helena relaxed as he easily caught her and spun her body so she was standing upright and leaning against him
Helena levitated the large fallen tree out of the road and rested it to the side, the gathered workers looking on with a mix of awe and disbelief.In the few days she had been using her powers to help get the pack and its surroundings ready for their guests, she has been given fearful, bewildered and fascinated stares by her people.Her last life had taught her the wide range of reactions her powers elicited, so she had prepared herself for the worst when her father suggested that she use her powers for simple but focus demanding chores, to help her control it better."Last night's storm was a beast but it's no match for our resident witch, eh?" Joked the man overseeing today's work with a playful nudge that nearly sent Helena crashing to the ground.She smiled with a small wince, thankful that they had all gotten to the stage where they could laugh about her powers (though there were still a handful of people who refused to do much as make skin contact with her)."This is the last of
"Charon! Helena!" Felicia greeted as they stepped into the house, throwing her arms around them and pulling them into a hug. Which was quite a feat seeing as how short her arms were compared to Charon's large form was."Felicia," Charon answered with a quick kiss to her soft cheek then pulled back and hurried away, leaving the two women alone."I thought you would be at the bakery by now," Helena commented as the shorter woman led her up the stairs."This is far more important than kneading dough, Helena." She giggled in response as she ushered the purple-eyed woman into her bedroom then shut the door behind them.Helena allowed herself to be led to her bed and sat down, obediently, with growing confusion and impatience. She needed time that she did not have to figure out what the change in timeline would be and plan how to maneuver so she hoped the older woman did not take offense when she asked her to leave."Felicia..." She trailed off, feeling like her tongue was held down by weig