CH 5

Nora The moment was closing in on her, just a few minutes now until the pain of that night arrived, and she was flooded with the memory of how it had come about. Nora recalled arriving in the woodland area that she had been provided directions to, by Caliver. There was nothing much here, deep in the woods. Just a narrow, well-worn path that allowed for a single person to walk along it. Which lead to a full circular grassy filled clearing with what appeared to be a very large stone well in the center of it, though as she stepped from the woods and into the grassed clearing, she felt a difference to the ground below her feet. She stopped walking, knowing it wasn’t wolfen territory, likely witches’ land, and she stood and waited to see if anyone would come to her, not wanting to offend the coven. It only took a few minutes for her to see a tall red-haired woman appear to come up out of the ground right next to that well in the middle of the clearing. “You’re punctual, Nora. I’m Caliver of the Grey Storm Witches Coven. Please step forward, you are expected and welcomed on this the night of the new moon,” and she motioned for Nora to come forward. “We’ll be performing this ritual underground. Please follow me and don’t be afraid of the shadows you see; they will not harm you. They are here of their own free will and can also leave of their own accord. But some are needed to help with rituals and so hang about.” “Shadows?” Nora asked curiously as she walked across the grass. “Mm from the demon realm, they can only appear as shadows here in the human realm. Can only be seen in humans peripheral vision. Humans often think they feel or see something and turn to look for it, but can’t locate it because their eyesight spectrum doesn’t actually allow for it. Scares them a bit at times. Many legends come from this for them. “But you’ll be able to see them in full. None of them are malicious in intent, just don’t want to be in their own realm, all are welcome in Grey Storm if they are useful to the coven.” She went on and turned to walk down the stairs. Nora nodded, she didn’t know who witches associated with. She followed Caliver down into the underground; it was a spiraling staircase that appeared to have the well above it, but as she looked up at it from below, she realized it was just so that they could see the night sky. Kind of like a skylight, she supposed. “That will move of its own accord every night to make the moon shine through it and into the ritual room, right onto the alter we use. Even tonight, it will align with the new moon when it sets, even though it can't be seen,” Caliver told her. “You have no secrets I see,” Nora murmured. “No need to hide what we do. The Witches Council also knows where we are and at times pay us visits. We disclose all spells and rituals involving otherworldly creatures that request it, so they are aware of our doings. This request of yours has been declared to them. They were not concerned, it’s not the first time another otherworldly creature has done this, nor will it be the last time. “Some creatures like yourself and your beast want all remnants of their past eradicated. There is no harm in it, but we only perform it if there has been a rejection attended to already. Otherwise, it harms the other half in the bond.” “He accepted it.” Nora stated. “We know, we check on that ourselves.” Caliver nodded as they entered a circular room with a large stone alter in the middle. “Now all you need to do is strip that shirt off and lay on the alter.” Caliver walked over to it and turned to look at her, “You’ve followed all the instructions I sent. You’ve not eaten any meat in the past month, and nothing for the previous two days at all?” “I have done as requested.” Nora nodded as she walked to the altar, and for the first time she saw them; dark shadowy figures along the far wall, they had defined shapes and different shaped and colored eyes that could be seen, but that was all. “No fluids other than water for the past month, yes?” Caliver asked. “Yes, and nothing today at all,” she nodded, knowing that was going to be the next question. “Why is that necessary?” “Reduces impurities in the body, and today’s requirements. Well, that’s so you don’t vomit on the one pulling the venom from you, they don’t really like that.” Caliver smiled at her. “The one? They don’t?” she asked, “It’s not going to be you.” “No, no witch other than the queen of the light witches can do this, and she’s… not yet realized to her bloodline or even in the know of who she is at this point, but we felt her being born some time ago.” Caliver stated simply. “Then who will be?” Nora asked curiously. “One of the shadow demons you see before you now,” Caliver answered. “Place your head here. The time is nearing, Nora.” She touched one end of the alter that had what looked like a new moon carved into it. This alter was large and round and all the phases of the moon were inlaid into it with what she thought was moonstone; she could only think it was so that whatever spell or ritual they were attending to could be aligned to the particular place on the alter to help them focus or draw power, maybe. She removed her shirt and slipped off her shoes, got up onto the altar and lay with her head as directed, and she watched as several items in the room lit up around the ceiling, crystals and then a thin red magical line connected them all, and she smelled her own blood and could track the scent of it as the lines connected to form a Pentacle above her. “Try to relax and breathe as best you can. I’ve prewarned you this will hurt. But now you have to endure it of your own free will. Only one attempt will be made if you pull away or leave the alter. That is it, the ritual is over, and it will never be attempted again. “That will be seen as you may want this, but are not actually willing to do it. You must stay strong and truly want this, and not just you, both you and your beast must be aligned to wanting this. We will not tie you down or shackle you to force it from you. Only one that is truly willing to suffer the agony of it being removed can have it done so. Do you understand?” Caliver asked. “Yes,” Nora nodded, and she felt Rosa’s resolve to stay put, not to harm or attack the shadow demon that was going to be pulling their ex-mate’s venom from them. “We will not fight nor harm any during this ritual.” “You must also not voice the words; wait, stop, no, don’t, I can’t. Is that clear?” Caliver looked directly at her and Nora understood the importance of what she was being told. “Yes,” she stated as she looked up to the night sky. Then there was a shadow on the ceiling and its glowing yellow eyes were looking at her. “That is Vitirol, the shadow demon that will pull the venom from you and your beast. He is larger than he looks and strong... This I warn you will not be pleasant in any way.” Nora looked at Caliver. She kept saying that, reiterating how painful it was going to be, almost as if she was giving Nora and Rosa the chance to back out; but they would not. This had cost them a fortune, every dollar they’d earned over the year. She’d also had to take on extra work at a strip club, dancing to get the rest of the funds as well. It was an astronomical fee for someone like her; 25 thousand dollars, and she’d had visits from another in this coven that took a single vile of her blood every three months in the lead up to this. Blood taken on a full moon, on a new moon, the first quarter and the last quarter of the moon. Now she knew why it was for that magical symbol above her. She was not about to back out now. She felt the new moon set and the diminishment of her connection to Rosa settle within her body and then Vitirol was rushing towards her, its shadowy hand snapped to her neck as its eyes glowed brilliantly, and her head was turned aside. Then, before she understood what was going to happen, teeth were sunk deep into her flesh right into her marking scar, and she felt a pulling and draining sensation as Vitirol searched out the venom within her body. She cried out in pain and fisted her hands tightly as all the veins in her body felt like they were filling with liquid fire, and every part of her body was starting to fill with pain and agony. It was almost as if tiny glass shards were racing through her veins, scraping and tearing at their very insides. Rosa was roaring in pain inside of her mine and a scream ripped from Nora herself as she felt even more pain spread throughout her body; it was like a burning heat that was scorching her insides as if being burned alive, from the inside out. Inch by inch, she could feel the venom being dragged through her body, from the tips of her toes up along her legs, from her fingertips to her shoulders, all the way through her body and organs, his venom was attached to every part of her being. All she could do was to ball her fists and scream in agony as tears spilled relentlessly from her eyes, as the pain ripped and tore through every part of her, as she and Rosa steadfastly refused to utter a single word of rejection; they were unyielding in their will to rid themselves of their former Mate. She would endure it all to be free of her ex. She reminded herself at every moment that she wanted to pull away from this shadow demon, and it was many, many times that she was doing this to set herself free of him, once and for all. She would never stop this; she would never utter a single syllable that would give even the slightest impression that she didn’t want this. She would endure it no matter how painful it was, even if it brought her all the way to the brink of death, she and Rosa would endure. She could feel all that venom within her accumulating in her neck where her mark spot was and she and Rosa roared together into that ritual room, with all they had, in utter and complete agony as it was finally pulled from their body. In a long stream of shiny yellowish liquid pooling above them as the shadow demon leaned back away from her, its mouth finally gone from their neck. She was just lying there exhausted, unknowing how long it had taken; time had stopped for her somewhere along the way, and her body was weak, limp and heavy on the altar. Nora could smell her own blood in this room as well, and now that the searing burning pain of the ritual was over, she could feel the pain in her own hands and understood that though her hands had been fisted, her claws had come out and pierced through her own palms and out the back of her hands. The demon was gone from above her; its job done. Her eyes moved to the sky above; it was still dark. “Well done, Nora, you and your beast are free of your previous Mate, no longer do you scent of having a Mate, are not Luna ranked anymore. You are now as you once were, prior to meeting him for the first time on the full moon,” Caliver told her as she looked down at her. “You did well, so very strong and determined to choose your own path, I see. Not many can endure what you and your wolf just have. Vitirol thanks you for feeding him. He is well satisfied and no longer hungry. “I will tend to the wounds you have received from him, and by sunrise you’ll be good as new. Rest now, here on this altar until dawn, you’ll feel better with healing moon stones and crystals all around you for the rest of the night.” “Thank you,” Nora stated, and her voice sounded rough and raw, a bare gravely whisper, from all the screaming she’d done as she endured the agony to be free of Jace completely. Now she was just Nora Hammond. There were no attachments to that Alpha. She sighed as her eyes closed as she felt healing herbs being placed on the wound on her neck and then on both her palms and the backs of her hands. It was cool and lovely, and the darkness that was teasing the edge of her vision finally claimed her, and dragged her into the blessed oblivion of unconsciousness.