Chapter 22: Change of plans

Just before Alex's wolf landed on Zack, Elize was shoved against the wall, her shoulder hitting the hard surface violently. The impact shook her insides, followed by a stinging pain on her right shoulder.

"Fuck! That hurt." She swore under her breath. Elize placed her left hand on her shoulder and closed her eyes.

Heal! She willed her magic to seep through her hands into the spot. A few cracks later, the pain in her shoulder subsided. She opened her eyes and sighed, relieved.

"Elize!" Irina shouted from where she stood. Elize could see that her face was already pale, making her hair look more red.

"Stay there. Don't come near!" Elize shouted back to her friend, looking at the fight that was happening in the space between her and her friends. She couldn't risk them getting hurt. She stepped closer to the wolves, as their movements gained pace. She didn't reach far before it happened.

Elize fell down to the floor, clutching her chest. Pain spread through her body, fiercer than the impact on her shoulder. She took her hands off her chest and looked at it, shocked. Both her hands were covered by blood. Before she could comprehend how it happened, another gash opened on her thigh.

She screamed in pain as more and more wounds kept appearing on her body. She was bleeding too fast.

Within minutes she felt the room spinning around her. Elize swayed slightly as she tried to keep her balance by holding on to the wall while sitting.

"Now!" She heard Agatha shout from the distance.

Elize looked towards the fighting wolves.

It was a blur of movements. Her eyes could not get adjusted to the pace of the wolves. To a human, it would have looked like a gray and brown spin of lights. And it looked the same to a witch's eyes. Elize felt vulnerable and desperate at that moment. 

Never did she experience such agonizing pain, except for when her wolf was trying to claw itself out of her body. Her breath was now coming out more strained.

She looked towards where Irina and Agatha were standing. They were chanting something while holding hands. Elize smiled. No wonder she was healing so fast. They kept her from bleeding out.

Turning back weakly towards the fighting wolves, she felt a tear slide down her right cheek. She had to stop the fight before something happened to her, in which instance the wolves, she knew, would tear each other apart. Her friends won't be able to hold on for long. They were using quite a lot of energy to keep healing her.

With bloodied hands, she reached forward, crawling ever so slightly towards the blur.

"Alex, please," She croaked, warm liquid pouring out from her eyes and blurring her vision further.

Nobody heard her. She could hear growls and barks from the swirl in front of her. Elize lied down on the floor, not able to stand up anymore. A fresh wound opened on her stomach. She cried out in pain, the sound coming out like a squeak.

Her eyes were becoming too heavy for her to keep them open. But she fought to stay awake. She didn't want to hurt them by using magic. She wished someone would help her.

Suddenly she heard a voice in her head. A familiar one at that.

'I'm here.'

"Who's there?" Elize croaked.

'I'm the spirit of Ruah Yareach. You called me.'

The figure of a woman materialized in front of her. Her blond wavy hair was now tied up in a bun on top of her head. Kind blue-gray eyes gazed at her with love. Elize recognized her from weeks ago. The woman who she thought resembled her dead grandmother.

"Please help," Elize begged weakly.

'The answer is within you, child. Believe in yourself.' The woman said, in a musical tone.

"But my wish, it's not coming true."

The spirit chuckled. It was a weird sound to her ears, like the sound of wind chimes on a windy day. The woman leaned forward, stopping inches from her face.

She whispered, 'Words matter, child. Where are your words?'

"But I thought-" Elize stopped the sentence midway seeing the woman smile as if she was pitying her. "I guess I don't know how." She said, admitting her lack of understanding of her own powers.

The woman winked at her. 'Fine. I'll help you this one time,' she said as she placed a hand on Elize's chest.

Elize felt a warmth spreading inside her body. Magic traveled through her body, momentarily letting her see through the blur. Elize saw Alex's gray wolf biting and clawing at the brown wolf that she knew was Zack. Zack was trying his best to dodge the blows, but not fighting back. His smooth fur was now matted in places with blood- places identical to her own wounds. She knew what it meant. Alex probably didn't realize it yet.

She had to stop him before it was too late, Elize thought. This time, her lips moved on their own.

"Open a way to his heart. Let him hear my plea." She whispered.

Just like that, the spell was complete. Her first spell.

Elize felt something leave her body, draining her of her last bit of energy.

"Please work." She whispered before her vision blacked out completely.

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Elize groaned as she felt around for a pillow on her bed. She opened her eyes grudgingly, not finding it in its usual place. Her hands were gliding all too smoothly on the surface. Black silk covered the surface on which she was lying down.

"When did I buy black silk sheets?" She said to herself sleepily.

She sat up on the bed, searching her surrounding. The room was completely dark, except for the moonlight that was streaming in through the curtained huge window on her right. The light-colored walls and the lack of furniture helped jog back her memory. She knew that she was back where it all started.

Fully conscious, Elize slid off from the bed onto the wooden floors, which felt cold to her naked feet. She walked towards the full-sized mirror on the side of the huge wooden paneled door. A pale version of herself stared back at Elize.

She was standing in a dark blue night suit that reached only midway to her thighs. Elize ran her hands over the silky material of her dress. Intricate black lace covered her shoulders, holding the dress upon her body. Her hair was brushed and left loose, falling gracefully on her back.

"Somebody changed my clothes!" She screamed, pointing at her reflection in the mirror.

The door burst open, suddenly revealing Zack with a worried expression on his face. Elize looked in shock at her mate.

"What happened?!" Zack asked, walking towards her.

"You!!" Elize thundered, pointing her finger towards him.

Zack stopped abruptly, a confused look taking over his expressions.

"Did you change my clothes?!" Elize asked, walking toward her mate.

"Uhh, I can explain-" Zack stuttered, walking backward, his eyes looking at Elize warily.

"Yes or no?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

Somebody cleared their throat from the doorway, distracting Elize. She stopped and looked in the direction. Nina stood there with a smile on her face.

"You're finally awake! How do you feel?" The redhead asked, coming towards her.

Elize took a quick look at her mate and back at Nina. Of course! She had to be here, Elize thought grudgingly.

"Uhh, who changed my clothes?" Elize asked awkwardly.

"That would be me," Nina said with a smile. "Your clothes were too bloody when your friends brought you here."

Elize cocked her head in confusion. "My friends?" She asked, looking at Nina. She turned towards Zack and asked, "Why am I here again?"

"I'll explain. Please sit down." Zack said calmly.

"No, I'm fine like-"

"I insist. Please." Zack said, stepping towards her.

Elize sighed and walked back towards the bed. She sat down on its edge, taking the only pillow and placing it on her lap.

"Talk." She said.

Zack nodded and sat on the chair opposite her. His hair was disheveled and he had bags under his eyes, Elize observed.

Zack started, "Well, you know how you got injured when Alex-"

"Yes, because you bit me. I guessed that much." Elize said, interrupting him.

She heard Nina chuckle. Elize chose to ignore that. Zack looked taken aback.

"Go on." Elize pushed.

Zack nodded. He said, "Yes, it's because of our bond. When either of us gets hurt, the other will experience the same. If it weren't for you, Alex would have been devastated, and so would I. I don't know what I'd do without.." He paused, taking a moment to calm himself down.

"It's okay," Elize said, leaning in and taking hold of his hand. 

She squeezed it lightly, smiling at him. Zack smiled reluctantly.

He continued, "If you're here with me, I can protect us both better. Everyone thought that it was for the best. And I couldn't be happier, having you by my side."

Elize's heart felt warm at that moment. He had admitted his love for her in front of someone else. In front of a very specific someone else. She stole a glance at Nina, who appeared to be smiling at her.

Why was she smiling? Elize thought, confused. Wasn't she supposed to throw a fit?

"...and Aileen is talking to my mother at this very moment." Zack finished.

The mention of Aileen's name brought Elize's attention back to Zack.

"What do you mean Aileen is talking to your mother?" Elize asked warily. She was feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden. "You have a mother?" 

She felt stupid as soon as she asked that. Of course, he had a mother! Elize scolded herself in her mind.

Nina's laughter roared in the room. The woman was slapping the wall and laughing.

"Nina," Zack warned.

Elize laughed awkwardly at her mate.

Zack sighed. He said, his tone serious, "Yes, I have a mother. She came to your initiation ceremony."

"Ohh! The pretty Chinese lady who came with her daughter!" Elize exclaimed, remembering the female wolves who stood beside Zack on that night.

"Her daughter?" Nina asked, finally calming down.

"Yeah, there was a girl with her who was also very pretty. I didn't know Zack had a sister." Elize rambled happily, suddenly not finding the woman in front of her intimidating at all.

Nina burst out laughing again. Elize turned to Zack, confused.

"Why is she laughing?" She asked.

"I don't have a sister Elize.." Zack said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Then who is-?"

"She's his fiance, silly!" Nina said in the middle of laughing,

Elize's heart stilled for a second. Shocked, she turned to her mate, who had guilty written all over his face. That was enough confirmation for her.

She stood up suddenly and gave one last look at Zack. A look that she hoped conveyed to him how disappointed she was with him. Without wasting another second, she bolted out of the room, leaving the two wolves inside stunned.

Elize knew what she had to do. She had to find that girl herself before someone tried to stop her.