Chapter 34: Shadows of Ancestry

NIMAH

"Where are you? I need those herbs and crystals right now! I have to calm her emotions before we can bring her back," I said, voice tight with urgency, clutching my cell phone so tightly, I was afraid my fingers might break..

"I'm on my way. I'll get there as soon as possible," Siobhan replied.

"You're sure you have everything?"

"Yes, yes. And then some…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

"You'll see when I get there."

"Okay then. Hurry up!" I ended the call, though I was anything but reassured. 

Normally, Siobhan was my oasis, my constant source of calm. Today, that was definitely not the case. She was supposed to be here almost an hour ago. Where was she?

I turned to Ronan. He stood by Maeve's door, arms crossed, his stance like a stone sentinel, guarding her from whatever threat lurked on the outside. 

Did he consider me part of that threat? 

His expression was intense, every emotion from fear to anger spilling out of him.

I knew he was a mess. After what had happened to Maeve, after his confrontation with Jean — it was a lot. Even for someone like him. But I was stretched thin too. Maeve needed me, and I had to focus.

"Will she be all right?" he asked, his voice barely hiding the storm brewing beneath it. Fear, anger, pain… all tangled up in helplessness. To be honest, we were all helpless right now.

"This was a strong one. You felt it too, didn't you?" I asked. He nodded, his gaze fixed and stern. "I don't know what to tell you, honestly. I'm sorry. I just know I have to calm her emotions right now. And yours too. This… this vision — it drained me."

Surprise flickering in his aura though he stayed guarded. "How so?"

"You see, I'm an empath. The only one in the Coven. Among other things, I feel the emotions of everyone around me. I felt what Maeve felt. Or at least a part of it…"

His jaw tightened, and his fists clenched like he was preparing for a fight. 

"Tell me," he demanded.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Memories of the vision clawing their way back up, the weight of it almost suffocating me again.

"When Maeve's vision struck, it was as if a storm of dread and horror crashed into me. It was like every terror in the world happened at once. Usually, I sense everything — the anxieties, doubts, flickers of hope from those around me. But at that moment, all of it disappeared. There was nothing but her fear, her absolute terror, pouring through me. I didn't just feel her pain; I was drowning in it. I couldn't think; I couldn't breathe. It was horrible. I couldn't tell where her horror ended and mine began." I took a pause because the memory of this vision was hard enough to make me dizzy again. " I… I need to recover just as much as Maeve does. And if it was this bad for me, I can't imagine what she went through." I paused again, feeling his rage swell around me like a tidal wave. "That's why I can't help her right now with my powers alone. I need a potion, some crystals. Siobhan's bringing what I need. I swear to you, Ronan, I'll do everything in my power to make sure she's okay."

The other Coven representants must have noticed my reaction — saw me stagger, saw the color drain from my face. I couldn't feel them but I was sure they already figured out what happend.

And that they will use that knowledge.

"Thank you," he murmured, but he was still watching me, weighing every word, every movement. There was a wariness in his gaze, like he wasn't sure yet if I was friend or foe.

"You don't trust me. I can feel that.So while we're waiting, ask me whatever it is you need to ask me. We need to clear the air for Maeve's sake." I offered, knowing he wouldn't calm down until we did.

His brows lifted slightly in surprise, but he didn't hesitate. "Why were you attacking Maeve in the council hall? I thought, as her sister-in-law, you'd try to help her, not… not destroy her."

"Ah, that." I took a deep breath. "I was actually helping her. The coven forced me to manipulate her emotions —"

"They did what? And you agreed to that?" he snarled, and the intensity of his fury nearly knocked me back.

His eyes blazed, promising destruction. Not that I could blame him. He didn't know the whole story.

"You heard me. And it's not like I had much choice." I swallowed, his anger still pressing down on me. "But she knows. Maeve knows everything. We don't know why the Coven wants me to influence her emotions; they're keeping it all very secretive. But before I'm forced into anything — and let's be honest, that public vision probably pushed them to speed up — I send Maeve little signals so she knows what's going on. Until now, I haven't actually done anything to manipulate her."

His gaze softened, if only slightly. But it was enough to let me catch my breath.

"As for the 'attack' in the council hall — that was all a ruse." I could see the flicker of surprise behind his guarded expression.

"How so?"

"In public, I have to appear loyal to the Coven, make it look like I'm willing to follow every command without question. I need them to trust me, which means I have to act the part. That's why I said what I did. Because I knew Maeve could handle it, and she understood what I was doing."

He was still wary, still on edge, but there was a slight shift. He chose to believe me. 

That was progress.

"So, I assume you're trying to get information from the witches? About Maeve? About what they've done to her?"

"Yes. I'm searching through the library, listening, piecing together anything I can. Be the fly on the wall." I took a moment, catching my breath. "They're very tight-lipped right now. It's not an easy task —"

"Have you found anything?" he pressed, his patience clearly running thin.

"I think so, but I'm not entirely sure what it means…" I hesitated.

"Tell me anyway."

"Okay… so you know," I began cautiously, trying to ease him into this, "at the wedding, there were supposed to be two rituals for you and Isabelle…" His jaw clenched at the mention of his ex-fiancée's name, but he let me continue. "One for fertility and one for —"

"For sharing my powers with her. Yes, I know that. Now get to the point."

"Well, something was wrong with the second one."

We stood in silence for a moment as he processed this new information.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you never shared your power with Maeve." His confusion mirrored my own. "I've gone through the scrolls and books, comparing everything with the details of the ritual. And I found out it was designed specifically for her. It was never intended for Isabelle. The ritual's entire purpose was to awaken something hidden, something locked away a long time ago with powerful magic."

"So you're saying —"

"I'm saying that whatever's happening with Maeve has nothing to do with your power. It has to do with her ancestry. Something buried inside her has been awakening, and this was set in motion a long time ago."

Ronan's posture stiffened, his gaze drilling into me as he absorbed every word, every implication. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might challenge me again. 

But instead, he simply asked, "Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"I'm researching her family tree – which is really extensive. But it's hard when I don't even know what to look for." I glanced at him, feeling his intensity like a steady pressure on my chest.

"Keep searching. If there's any way I can help, let me know. And in the meantime, I'll keep her safe."

I nodded, and we lapsed into silence. His emotional storm had calmed. Not entirely, but just enough that I could breathe a little easier. A thread of understanding hung between us; we were in this together, whether we liked it or not.

A sudden knock broke the quiet.

"Finally," I muttered, hurrying to the door. "What took you so long?" I demanded as I swung it open.

Siobhan didn't waste a second, striding into the kitchen, bags full of herbs and crystals in hand. 

Just as I was about to close the door, something — or rather someone — caught my eye. 

A young woman, maybe around twenty-six, stood there. Her aura told me she'd been through a lot, and the instant she saw me, I could feel the surge of hostility radiating from her.

"And who's this?" I asked Siobhan as she came back from depositing her bags all over the kitchen.

"This is Ariadne. She's here to help Maeve."

I watched Ariadne warily, feeling her stare and the unspoken hatred that came with it. 

Something told me that this was about to get even more complicated.