SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ENLIGHTENMENT

THE PACT

CECIL'S POV

I stand beneath a black ugly looking tree with its branches twisting and turning high above the darkened skies. Upon the branches hang several locks in various colours and sizes. The tree trunk is huge, upon it are various faces in expressions of agony with the eyes shedding tears of blood. The blood flows down the trunk into a river of blood, which some of the huge tree roots are dipped into. All around me, I hear wails of agony and desperate pleas for mercy. Why am I here again? I have paid my debts.

'Welcome child, we have been expecting you.' says a wretched croaky voice I recognize well. I turn around to find seven women sitting upon cut tree trunks around a black boiling cauldron, creating a half moon, all dressed in black cloaks that hide their identities.

'Why have you summoned me here again? I respond angrily, trying to sound brave.

'Come now child, Is that how you talk to your benefactors, who have given you all that you have asked for? We simply wanted to give our congratulations to you. The prince has rejected his mate. That means there is only you now. The only and true chosen princess of the dragons,' replied the dark witch I recognised to be called Lydia.

'Is this some kind of trick?' I ask

'TRICK!' says the fattest witch sitting on the largest trunk to accommodate her bulky frame. She shakes beneath her cloak, hissing at me while the wails grow louder around us and the others begin to snicker. The witch in the centre trunk stamps her staff twice on the ground, and the remaining six bow down low while everything goes silent. She raises her hand, indicating that I can continue.

'You told me that Warren would desire only me. You said he will do only what I say. You said he would love me'

'No, no, no Cecil,' says Lydia, sitting closest to the centre from the right. 'Love was never part of our bargain. It wasn't what you and your parents asked for? You asked for the princes' attention and his control. Is that not you have been given?

'Are you not recognized as the chosen mate of the crown-prince? Have you not enjoyed the luxuries and powers that come with your title? You should be thankful, Cecil, for all we have done.' says the witch sitted on the outer right with a huge hunch on her back.

'What do you want from me?' I ask.

'What was promised to us. You were chosen by the dragon prince as assured by us, and now we demand payment.' Lydia states.

'This isn't fair. I have paid the sacrifice asked of me. I gave you the life of my mate. Haven't I done enough?' I ask, sounding desperate, and they all burst into fits of laughter.

'Silly child, the life of your mate wasn't the required payment. It was the critical ingredient required for the spell to work, and the spell did work; did it not? Despite the earlier complications we had, he rejected his true mate for you. Killing her was the best option but; still it all worked out as we planned. You used the hate doll just as we instructed, and everything worked out perfectly for you.'

'No, it didn't! His dragon hates me, publicly humiliates me. People are beginning to suspect that something is wrong. How will I wear his mark, how will I be queen?' I ask.

'The same way you got him to bed you obviously, or do you need help on that department as well?' says the hunch back in a mocking tone.

'Do not tease the poor girl sister,' Lydia says and turns to me

'We are not your enemies Cecil, we only ask to be paid for the service we rendered to you as agreed by you to do anything. You swore that oath in excitement on the very spot you stand now, when the prince came to you and took you passionately. You swore upon the blood you spilt that night, you swore to us, to pay us anything we ask Lydia states.

'But.you.promised that.I.would be.queen.

'Did we?' Lydia asked, looking around her.

'You didn't ask to be queen. You asked to be the chosen of the prince and that we have given you.'

'YOU PLAY WITH WORDS!' I scream

'AND YOU PLAY WITH A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH!' Lydia screams back at me, standing up, the other witches bow down cowering, except the one sitting in the centre. Lightening strikes all around us as the wind begins to build, blowing everything around us. I look to the ground littered with different sun bleached bones as tears spill from my eyes upon the realization that I am trapped with nowhere to turn. The wind subsides, and I feel a smooth palm on my cheek.

'Come now child, do not be dramatic. We have not even made our request, and you treat us like villains. We are your allies Cecil, do not doubt our intentions towards you. You have shown a decisiveness rarely seen which would prove useful to us. We merely wish to show you your true potential, and in return, as long as you do what exactly what we say, we will bless you with power beyond your imagination.' Lydia tells me

'Will you make me queen of the dragons?' I ask, shivering

'Give us what we want, and we will place the heart of the prince in your hands. You will be the most respected of queens. With our backing, all shifters will be placed beneath your feet. History will remember your name in glory. You have seen what we can do, so you know we will not fail. Give us what we want, Cecil, and we will make all your dreams come true.' she replies to me as she walks around me stopping behind me with her hand extended, showing me a scene of myself dressed in Royal robes and expensive jewelry sitting upon the golden throne of the dragons with Warren by my side. All the shifters are bowing down together to us, and that stupid lycan Lucas is stripped and bound in chains.

'Yes, yes. Take what you want,' I say, noding my head.

'Are you willing to pay the price Cecil, daughter of Raqid?' Lydia asked me

'Yes', I respond

The picture before me changes, and I see Moss flying in the sky wearing the dragon crown. My dragon armyconquered land, and the lesser vermin bowing to me.

'Do you submit completely to our will in exchange for your desires?', she asks me again.

'Yes', I reply again.

'Good girl,' Lydia says, folding her hand, making the scene disappear, and all the witches begin to cheer with the hunch back, jumping up and down upon her trunk in excitement.

Lydia walks away from me towards the tree and begins to chant with the wind once again, building up

'COME TO ME, YOUR MISTRESS COMMANDS YOU!' she screams with a loud voice with her hands rising up. The faces on the tree all look at her and begin to contort out of the tree. They moan and groan with blood streaming from various wounds on their bodies. I recognize one of them, Akan, my mate. He looks at me lifelessly, his tall naked body dripping blood from the chest wound I myself inflicted on him, causing his death.

'Welcome my pets,' she says, and they all bow to her.

'I present to you Cecil,' she says, pointing to me, and I step back in fear for my life.

'She has come to submit herself to our will in exchange for our support. Accept her my pets and bring to me the proof of your acceptance.'

They all run to me like dogs and carry me towards the cauldron and lay me on the ground. I call to my dragon Moss, but I can't feel her, nor does she come to my aid.

'Do not fret, child. You may even derive pleasure if you relax,' I hear Lydia say. Akan lays beside me, looking at me with blood spilling from his lifeless eyes, and I look at him crying. He sniffs my hair like a dog and moves down my body, continuing to sniff until I hear him sniff deeply upon reaching my core. He uses his tongue to open my lips and begins to feed on my core like a hungry man until I come undone. He crawls away, and another takes his place, and it continues until all of them are done with me, and I am left on the floor, panting and trying to catch my breath. I scream as a shearing pain spreads through my entire body.

'Breathe child, it is almost over,' Lydia whispers.

I take short gasps of breath in pain as I feel a slight suction within me as the pain recedes. Akan walks away from me, and I see he is holding a ball of light in his hands. He walks over to Lydia and hands it to her bowing.

'Well done, my pet, you have done well.' she says, taking it from him.

'What is that?' I ask, tired

'Your offspring' she responds casually and tosses it in the cauldron, causing a loud explosion. She takes her stick and turns the contents, and I hear the cries of babies fill the air. The witches come down from their trunks except the one seated in the centre and begin to dance in a frenzy tasting from the contents of the cauldron.

Lydia looks at me and says 'Congratulations Cecil, your offering is accepted. The pact is complete, and we accept your offering. You belong to us now' and the witches begin to laugh again.

'No, no,' I whisper to myself. I slowly lose consciousness and my eyes close as my mind drifts into darkness.