The RisingThe Rising Book One The Darkness Series
Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Her head was pounding so hard, Lexi thought she was going to be sick. This vision was the hardest one she’s had. And if they are attacked, she will be a liability to the boys. They will want to protect her and they may not be able to. That’s the truth of it.

Sitting up, She threw her legs over the side of the bed, and held her head as it took one dizzying spin after another. Finding some balance, Lexi went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. It only woke her up, it didn’t help with the pain.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she watched it shimmered and waved until it was no longer her reflection in the mirror but someone else . Someone she doesn’t know. Not moving or calling for help, Lexi stayed where she was and took in every detail.

She looks young, almost like a child or a young teen. Her wild springs of bark brown hair circles her round almost cherub-like face. She looks peaceful enough, with the different shades of green forest behind her. She’s dressed in a green tunic and dark brown trousers. Rough looking boots cover her feet as sits quietly with her eyes closed.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The girl spoke softly as she opened her eyes. Big round brown eyes looked directly into Lexi’s. “You had your vision to help him. Have you gathered what you need?”

The girl from Asher’s dream. It has to be her. “You’re Willow. You’re the one from Asher’s dream!”

“Did you do the spell?” She asked again.

“I.. no. I passed out after the vision. I haven’t been able to…”

“You’re running out of time! Asher will die if you don’t do the spell! Get up, stupid girl and get the ingredients for the spell! Only you can save him!” Willow demanded harshly, not having any patience for a response.

“I don’t know what I need. I don’t know how to do this! What kind of bird, and flower? It gave me no details! I’m not a witch!” Arguing with this person in the mirror seems as crazy as making a potion to heal Asher.

“Remember the spell heard just once, to heal the darks given forbiddance. Find the flower at the base of the oak, grind the powder to duly cloak. The falcon wing from overhead. A drop of blood from the one who led. A talon sharp from an eagle proud. You need all this to stand your ground. Bubble and brew before morning’s dew. Drink this potion, darks plan is in motion.”

The verses made more sense than the vision did. Before Lexi could ask anything more, the girl was gone and she was looking at her own reflection again.

Coming out of the bathroom and into the main cabin, Asher was asleep on the couch. His face was covered in sweat as he shivered under the blanket.

“He’s getting worse,” Lexi whispered knowing they didn’t have time to figure this out.

Cosmo came out of the kitchen and looked down at Asher. The worry etched on his face. “He passed out a half hour ago. Is he gonna be okay, Lexi?”

“He has to be. He’s important. I know that. Don’t ask me how. He’s important enough that that woman risked going to him through a dream. That’s not a simple thing to do. We have to get to work. I know how to heal him. And you have to help me.”

They got to work. Lexi gave Cosmo the instructions she was given and sent him out to find what was needed. The flower was easy once Cosmo figured out which tree was an oak. The feather, again, was an easier task than the eagle talon. She didn’t know how he was going to get that. And lightning isn’t something that she can just summon.

It took hours for him to come back. As the sun set in the west, she kept a cold cloth on Asher’s forehead and kept vigil by his side. Lexi tried to look into the fire to see how he was fairing but got nothing. Not even a glimpse of where he was.

When the front door finally opened, Cosmo didn’t arrive empty handed. Carrying a basket he hadn’t had when he left, he moved aside and another walked through the door.

“Willow? You’re here, how?” Lexi asked, watching her come straight to Asher’s side.

“He’s running out of time. Get a caldron over the fire, quickly now. We don’t have much time.” Willow took the basket from Cosmo and got to work.

“She just showed up like she knew where I was!” Cosmo whispered. “Who is she?”

“She’s from the light. Asher’s dream. She’s the one who helped him. She’s one of the good guys, Cosmo. Don’t worry.” It didn’t help. They were both worried especially after Asher passed out.

Using a mortar and pestle, Willow began to combine her ingredients. Breaking down the talon, she grinds with the pestle until it's a fine powder. Trimming the feather and mixing it in, then smashing the flower into the powder and letting it set.

Going to Asher, she pulled a knife from her waist. “Woah! Woah! Woah! What are you doing?” Cosmo stopped her. “You ain’t gonna use a knife on him!”

Sighing and almost out of patience, Willow held the knife with both hands out to him. “It’s an athame, not a knife. It’s specifically for magicks. I need a drop of his blood to finish the spell. Now move aside unless you want your friend to die.”

“It’s okay, Cosmo. She won’t hurt him.” Lexi didn’t know how she knew that, but she did. In her gut, she know she is Asher’s best shot to live.

Stepping aside hesitantly, Cosmo and Lexi watch Willow score Asher’s right palm and hold it over the mortar. As the drop of blood drips into the bowl, the contents sizzle.

“Mix this potion, blood and bone.

To turn the darkness back to stone. The Frostwing lives to one day free, the human race the dark deceive. Save his life from the touch of harm, release his tracks that have been charmed. Give Ash strength so he can flee, as I will, so mote it be.”

She waves the athame over the potion until smoke rises from the mortar. The thunder clapped loud outside making them jump and a lightning bolt flashed above the mortar and into the potion. Lexi heard Cosmo curse under his breath and swallow hard. With a sharp snap of a spark, the potion settles.

“He must drink every drop,” Willow instructs them. “Make sure he drinks all of it. It’s imperative that none be left. You will keep him here until one hour before dawn then you must leave. Do not come back here. She will be here just after dawn. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Are you not staying to help us?” Lexi thought that was the point of her being here.

“I’m not allowed to guide you. I have one hour to make the potion and return to the glade. My time is almost up.” Willow passes the potion to Lexi , and as she takes the mortar, Willow's hands cover hers. Their eyes meet over the bowl and hold as Lexi watches Willow’s eyes go opaque.

“Danger is around every turn, you must go east to hide the burn. The witch Solara is on your trail, leave tonight you will not fail.” Her eyes close and with a deep breath she opens them. “Leave before dawn. We will meet again.”

Lexi turned to look at Cosmo then turned back to ask her when but Willow was already gone. “Where’d she go?”

Cosmo shook his head, as Lexi noticed his hands shake. This whole magical new world is a lot to get used to.

Going back to Asher, Lexi knelt down and had Cosmo help her lift Asher up to drink the potion. Small steady sips at a time, they continued until the entire liquid was gone. Asher slowly came to and opened his eyes.

As he sat up on his own, Asher held his head. “What was in that? It tastes like shit.”

“You don’t want to know. And we don’t have time to tell you. I’ll get the car loaded up. Be ready to leave in an hour,” Cosmo ordered, going into the kitchen he started packing up the supplies.

Asher rested while they hurried around him to get everything into the car. Once they had everything loaded up, Lexi looked at the sky. The sun would be coming up soon. They don’t have much time.

Cosmo helped Asher to the car and drove off down the mountain road and back onto the main road. It was just as empty as it was when they got here. They were five miles away from the cabin when the sun broke over the horizon.

A dark gray cloud rolled over the sky behind them. Lexi watched out the back window as lightning struck where they just left. The wind kicked up and everything behind them went black. They barely got out of there in time. Hopefully they didn’t cut it too close.

“Hurry, Cosmo. Go! Just go! Don’t look back. Don’t talk, just drive. Get us out of here!” She slapped her hand on the back of his seat once, twice, the third time he looked back.

“What the fuck is that?” His voice was so high pitched, you’d have thought he hadn’t hit puberty.

“Drive! Stop gawking and go!” Lexi yelled, snapping him out of his panic and got him gunning the engine. The sudden jerk had her falling back into the seat. But she was just fine with it as long as they made plenty of space between them and that darkness closing in on them.

Lexi didn’t have to see to know Solara was there behind the dark. She could feel her, reaching out to find Asher. The spell she had cast on him was powerful. Lexi hoped Willow's spell was more powerful.

They turned curve after curve down the mountain, mile after mile on back roads, weaving between abandoned cars, cautiously going past buildings that have been burned out or looted. Their fingers crossed that they were out of Solara’s reach.

Lexi felt Solara’s anger, like a slash of a whip, when she lashed out in anger. The cold fingers of fear crept down her spine. She was hunting them. Solara couldn’t track them with the mark she left on Asher but she was powerful enough to use other means to find them. This was far from over.

Lexi couldn’t relax despite the narrow escape. She didn’t want to use her abilities for fear Solara could find them. Lexi didn’t want to think that she would come after her next. Solara is a witch she doesn’t want to face.

Cosmo wiped the sweat off his brow despite the cold air in the car. He was sweating like it was midsummer, instead of late fall. He could feel her too. Solara’s reach was long, they were very certain of that.

By the time they hit the next town, the sun was up and the darkness they felt was behind them. But for how long.

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