qetsiyah

🩸 — "the night's still young." enzo didn't know how to react to the night's events. it was a conflicted kind of feeling, having the identity you've lived with, suffered with, is ripped away with so much as a whisper. "i'm holding out for a breakthrough, or better yet—i wake up from this fever dream."

🔮 → "it's going to be far too long for my taste..." the former witch sighed bitterly, fully intending on working until morning to try and make any sense of it all and find a way to reverse it. "in that you are not alone... the end of this nightmare can not come a moment too soon..."

🌙 — "you're a witch, aren't you?" she accused. her experience with them was limited, and only through her connection with her sire.. but she could tell the other was trying to do something weird.

🔮 → "i was." qetsiyah admitted bitterly as she looked from the flames to acknowledge the other for just a moment before watching as the flames danced before her, mocking her every attempt. "i don't know what i am more."

"Looks like he did the world a favor then, hm?" Silas couldn't hold back his sigh of frustration during her spiel, rolling his eyes as annoyance ebbed at his core. "Are you quite finished? I know you've been crafting this whole villainous monologue for the past two thousand years until you tracked me down again, but it's kind of dragging on a little too long for my liking." He took a step forward, holding his hand out towards Amara. "And you're painfully stupid if you think she's going anywhere without me from this moment on. What are you going to do, Qetsiyah? Kill me? Kill her? Unless you've got the cure in your back pocket, I don't think you have anything to use against me."

🥀 — If it wasn't the back and forth between the two, it was the way she gravitated toward Silas' approach. Against better judgement, against everything that screamed danger in her mind, she reached back toward him; desperate to feel a modicum of comfort. And then, suddenly, she stepped forward and directly into him—bypassing the hand altogether to tuck herself against his form. "I'm so sorry." She didn't know what was going to happen, but she knew how much it pained her to be involved.

🔮 → "Depends on who you ask." The ache in her chest rattled her to the core, though she gave neither of them the satisfaction of seeing the pain as she watch the anchor throw herself at her one true love. "I created a cure the first time, Silas, and I can create it again. Until then.... have the solace of knowing your time with Amara will be marred with her misery... and her misery will become your own if you ever loved her at all."

🥀 — instinctively, amara sought comfort—reaching for one of the witch's hands and gripping tight. it was different this time; she was awake, and given the false sense of control over her situation. she had seen them over qetsiyah's shoulder, right before she spoke of her want.. or lack thereof. "please," the girl begged in a strained whisper. "make him go away." it wasn't the wolf's fault. he was doing the only thing he could, and like her, would be trapped in this new state of being. forever.

🔮 → when amara took her hands the witch was confused, even more so as the grip on her hand tightened... until the anchor muttered words that cleared up that this was not a move of endearing affection but fear instead. " - i can't, i'm sorry." if she destroyed the otherside she could release amara from her torment, but she couldn't do that, not until silas was firmly planted there at the very least. "the sooner we find silas, the sooner this is all over."

🥀 — "You're different..." So was Amara, but she wasn't about to reveal that to the other just yet. The change was unmistakable for her, though she didn't quite yet understand its scope. Untapped, unadulterated power. "Do you know what's happening..." she asked, almost accusatory. "Did you do this?"

🔮 → cut off from her magic, qetsiyah feels empty and hollow in a way she has not experienced before - even in death. it's cruel, unbearably desolate and vacant in a way that leaves her fearing she would never be whole again. she's wallowing in it now after struggling to conjure up the slightest spark of magic, and there was nothing. it was as if she'd been locked away in her body, no doubt a retribution for her sins. "believe it or not, amara, not everything that ruins your perfect little life is my doing."

🥀 — she dared not speak again, and does as is asked of her. it didn't take much coaxing, though, as the blood still served to revitalize her and take away the ache that was her immortal body. it was the best she'd felt in centuries.. but the fear of what came next hovered over her like a storm. qetsiyah had something planned for her, and after all this time? there was no telling what horrors await. so amara focused on what was in front of her. she drank, her shaky hands moving up to brace the witch's wrist to hungry, quivering lips.

🔮 → the witch doesn't need to repeat herself, and amara follows the orders as if they are as easy as breathing. the blood loss in noticeable to a degree, but it's doing the woman in front of her a word of good. with every drop her color is returning, hard and rough rock turning into something soft and pliant. reaching up with her free hand, she fixes the hand maidens hair, laying it flat, moving it from her eyes, even pausing for just a moment to caress her face as she paid the woman an endearing "good girl."

so the taste of blood was sweet ichor. every cell in her body writhed in painful ecstasy as new life burst through her. consciousness. eyelids flash open and her favorite nightmare is suddenly real. and it was right about then that everything became too much. the hot blood, pooling along her neck from down her chin. the chill of the air. the way he heart began to hammer inside her chest. "q—" she tried to scream, but her throat isn't ready for it. she isn't ready.

when the handmaiden tried to speak, the witch moved her free hand to press a finger against her own lips - a universal symbol of silence before pulling it back. "drink, get your fill... we have a long journey ahead of us."