Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Ora’s POV

King Augustine had already made all the preparations. A twelve- point star had been laid on the floor using candles. Each of the points boasted a large crystal mounted on small golden pillars. All the other necessary ingredients were arranged with precision, the blood flower, snow crystals, jade flakes and the blood of seven seven different mortals.

Sensing my gaze on the goblets, King Augustine explained, “Don’t worry, we just raided a blood bank. Nobody was harmed.”

I gave him a curt nod and continued to assess all the items. King Augustine seemed to have deeper understanding about magical objects than most witches; everything was arranged with such precision that there was no chance of error at all.

Even so this ritual was very risky, I had to sit in the center with the blood pearl crystal in my hand. That was the only crystal that couldn’t be kept on a golden pillar. Its power could be channeled only through a human body.

It was the catalyst needed to start the infinite flow of energy between the crystals. With so much of energy flowing through me, it was just possible that my brain could get fried. That was the reason, I pushed Sandy away and told Nivaan the truth. There was nobody left to care for me. So, Nobody would be upset even if I died.

I stepped into the formation and was about to sit down when King Augustine spoke up, “We can still wait for a few days before performing the ritual…” I could sense the helplessness, the hesitation in his words. I smiled at him and replied,

“Its okay, King Augustine. You don’t have to worry too much. I am fully aware of the risks. Let us just get this over with.”

He gave me a curt nod and walked outside. I sat down in a lotus position. The blood pearl crystal gleamed in the bright light of the candles. Drawing in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and started chanting the spell….

Sandy’s POV

I watched with spell bound admiration as the glow of the red crystal fell on Ora’s face. It made her look strangely alluring; akin to some goddess.

“I am really grateful that you allowed me to watch the ritual, King Augustine.”

“There is no need to thank me. I have my own reasons for letting you stay. Such an intense ritual can have severe consequences. She might feel muddled and confused once the ritual is done. It might be good for her to have a familiar face around.”

I stole a glance at him. He was gasing at Ora with unbridled concentration; his posture was stiff and stance protective; almost ready to pounce if something went wrong.

“If it doesn’t offend you, can I ask a question?”

“Sure….”

“Do you like Ora?”

For the first time since we started talking, he tore his gaze from Ora and looked at me. His expression turned thoughtful as he replied, “Do I like her, Yes… But, am I in love with her, no; I can never be. Nobody can replace Melinda in my life.” He squared his shoulders, “I have to admit that I was drawn towards Ora given that she is so much like my first wife; unbridled, carefree. But that is it…

He reached out and clapped my back, “It will never be more than that. So, you don’t have to worry.”

I don’t where I got the courage from but I ended up asking the most dreaded question, “If you don’t have feelings for her, why did you take her to your bedroom.”

His eyebrows raised and his eyes twinkled with amusement, “Ah… so that is the real question you wanted to ask…. Whether, I slept with her?” He placed his hand on my shoulder, “What if I say that I took her to my bedroom and f***d her like there was no other day, what will you do?” His voice took on a taunting edge, “What can a weak werewolf like you do?”

Blood rushed to my face and my fingers clenched into tight fists. It took every ounce of my will power to keep my voice from shaking, “If you forced her, I don’t know how, but I will kill you. But, if she wants to be with you…” My voice wavered as I spoke the rest of the sentence, I will let her go….”

His lips spread in a smile and his hand dropped to his side, “Don’t worry, nothing happened between us. I keep my stash of magical crystals hidden in a secret shelf in my bedroom. Taking them out of the bedroom is quite risky. So, I took her inside.”

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. It was good to know the truth. My attention shifted to the room where Ora was performing the ritual. Her eyes were closed peacefully and her body was still; only her lips quivered slightly as she chanted something non stop.

A few minutes later, a fine sheen of sweat formed on her forehead and her nose started bleeding causing my heart to clench in fear. If King Augustine handn’t gripped my shoulder on time, I would have rushed inside. He drew closer and said in a soft voice, “A few more minutes and it will all be over.”

“But, her nose is bleeding…. What if something happens to her?”

“I have taken care that nothing will happen to her. So, you don’t need to worry.”

The crystals located at the points of the star pattern started glowing with different colors and then there was a blinding flash. My hand flew to my eyes reflexively and I staggered.

The light had been so bright that I couldn’t see anything for the next few minutes. When my eyes finally adjusted, I saw Ora lying on the ground right in front of me. King Augustine had probably carried her out and was kneeling in front of her. The expression on his face said that something was not right.

“What happened?” My voice shook as I scrambled close to her. I placed her head on my lap and took her pulse. It was weak but still there. She had probably passed out due to exhaustion.

My gaze shifted to King Augustine again. Why did he look so distressed? I cleared my throat and prodded again, “What is the matter, King Augustine?”

He tore her his hair, “Why didn’t it work? Why is she still unconscious? She should have woken up by now.”

“Ora is probably drained. She will wake up once she has recovered. I checked her pulse. She seems okay.”

“You are not understanding, Sandy. She should have woken right after the energy surge. I had given her the resurrection stone. So, she should have woken up.”

His words caused me to panic as well, “If you think her condition is critical, why are you still sitting here? Please call the royal healers.”

His expression deflated and his body went limp, “It is no use, Sandy. If she didn’t wake up after the energy surge, she is probably never waking up again.”

“I don’t believe that.” I said in firm voice as I gathered her in my arms, “Ora is going to wake up. I will make sure that she does.” With those words, I carried her out of the room.

King Augustine had probably never seen a witch faint after excess use of power. That is why he was so flustered. I was positive that Ora would recover soon…. She had to recover soon…