11 Chapter 10:

Ivy's POV: part 2

"Ivanna... isn't this a rare sight to see," I could hear the voice of a familiar witch but it's been so long since I've heard it, I can't quite remember. My eyes took in everyone, we're literally right outside the barrier and because of the ripped up grass and dug in mud, I know Oriness hadn't meant to pass it. They had used magic to lull her into it and she hadn't been able to get back through the shield before someone tried to do something to her. Whatever it was, it triggered my magic.

There were six of them, two were older as they watched me with a look of disgust while the others who had an expression of fear practically snitched on themselves.

The main thing right now is ensuring that they have no time to prepare their magic. They had been confronting Oriness and hadn't been expecting me.

Carefully so as not to alarm any of them, I let some energy grow outside of its normal cage. These witches were trying to do something to Oriness and even though it didn't work, it tells me exactly who's behind this.

Valentino brought in the witch council, more than likely paying them as the history between him and witches is pretty bad.

His only advantage is that I'm on their top most wanted list.

If the witches had wanted Ori dead, it's doubtful she would've come out of this alive. Not with one who seems to have met me.

And survived.

"I don't even know who you are... let's play a game, who can survive?" Before they could respond, the magic that had gathered in me shot out. It was a blinding light of a dark blue and while the witches around me screamed in pain, it felt wonderful to me.

I could feel the power at the very tips of my fingers but I can also feel how chaotic it is.

Erratic.

It took everything in me to force the magic around me to dissipate. Bringing it back into my body wouldn't be good.

The natural ability of a witch to gather magic around them and expel it naturally doesn't work the same for me.

My body accumulates the magic around me but it doesn't have the natural skill to discharge any of it. This means that I unknowingly assemble energy that's adding to what I already have. Since it has nowhere to go, it just piles up until one day it becomes too much for me to hold in.

Since my soul is broken, so is my magic.

Though I'm lucky because unlike other ancestors, I had a grandma that had found out how to fix herself. Fortunately for grandma Zaleria, or Zaza, when she put her soul back together she'd been given two choices.

Either ascend to another plane beyond this one or stay with access to just enough magic to bring you over. Still, it won't be at your fullest potential.

Unfortunately for me, Zaza had chosen to leave and... I had been crushed. For a long time, all I could think was that she'd left me to the evil of my mother as well as the witch council.

My mother sees this stage of life as becoming a god. And she's hated that her mother had chosen to not bring her along with all that new power Zaleria had unlocked.

When I could finally feel my body get a bit lighter and the unstable magic had stopped its assault, I fell to my knees. A smile formed on my face at the chance of being able to finally let some energy go.

But it disappeared when I looked up at their purple and blue bodies, ice crystals coating their face or any exposed skin. They were paler than before with the bruising of their body only coming from how dried and cracked their skins had become from the frost.

The spell had been so cold they died from it. Within seconds.

Witches who had come for Oriness but got me instead. All I could do now was harden my heart and soul as I stood up and began to walk around to check if any of them survived. It would take at least twenty minutes before the magic of the dead ones expels back into the earth but I don't have the time for that.

It was the whimper of pain that made me freeze, one of the bodies I had yet to check that was more to the side. Luckily for me, it was one of the witches that had seemed more experienced.

Which means they should have more information.

Reaching into my pocket to pull out a pale blue stone, I roughly shoved it into the woman's chest. Ignoring the glare from her only good eye as she groaned in pain. One look at the other one said it was frozen shut. The magic in the jewel would keep her body together, ensuring the witch stays in the exact state she's in. It wouldn't be good if she up and died.

It was time to go back home but before that, I once again went around the other dead witches to check their pockets.

I found a piece of paper, some little jars of dangerous potions, and some healing charms. Cute. They'd have to have better remedial magic than this if they wish to heal from wounds caused by my magic. Still, I'll take them. It couldn't hurt to piece together the ingredients they used. This means that I'll be able to close in on the location of where they might be. Some components can only be found in certain areas.

Witches loved rare things so if they used something valuable in any of this, I'll be able to use that against them.

Not only was Oriness attacked by the witches but they'd been daring enough to wait outside of my barrier. This leash Elzrurron has on us is going to be a heavy setback. If any of his men had been here, I know they would've stopped me from doing what needed to be done.

This is war.

And I will not be held back by men, nor women, who wished to keep govern over my magic.