The warm bath felt soothing against her skin, yet unnerving inside of heart and stomach. She sank below the surface, remembering the last time she took a bath and all that transpired in the process of it. It was the last time she saw Sargon. What she would give to see him again, one last time.
Memories of him were quickly consumed by the images Sybil forced her to see. He was a murder. His entire lineage were all murderers. They didn't care about witches. They didn't care who they hurt. He didn't care who he hurt… or did he. Sybil only said he had killed witches, but she did not show it. She showed the kings prior to him. Sargon was a fair king. He wouldn't hurt innocent people. He wouldn't hurt her.
That night she last saw him kept replaying in her head, creating confusion in her decision to break the bond. Sargon's eyes burned through her mind. Sargon's actions told her that he loved her. When she still had her power, she could feel how much he wanted and needed her. The way he touched her and looked at her was not of a man who felt nothing for her.
Was the weakened bond enough to help him to move on?
Would he just give up on me? Is this how it worked in their world? You just find someone else and move on?
Sybil had to be lying. Sargon wouldn't be with Dezerae. He couldn't do that, not now when she needed him the most.
He cared for her more than Sybil wanted to admit. She wondered if that is what angered Sybil so. If a wolf loved a witch like he would love his own kind, it would change her entire narrative about wolves. It would raise concerns in her coven, but Marie knew this wasn't only about her and Sargon. She had a hard time accepting that.
There was so much he had to worry about other than her. With the bond broken, he wouldn't have to worry about himself. Anything that happened to her wouldn't affect him. He wouldn't even know. He wouldn't feel it. She swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of it.
Ultimately, risking his family and his kingdom to try to save her was not something she could imagine. He was responsible for so many people. How could she expect him to put her first? He had too much to lose.
No! It was better this way. It was better for everyone…except her. She couldn't be selfish. She thought.
Her body forced her to rise above the surface as she gasped for air. She had no idea how long she was under the surface. It felt like a safe space, away from the chaos and pain and she didn't want to leave.
She was not ready to do what she had agreed to do. She was not ready to end it all. The faint mark of the bond ached as she gently touched it, then covered it with her palm while gazing blankly at the wall.
Closing her eyes, she thought of a simple spell and chanted the words, but nothing happened. She tried again with two more spells and again, nothing happened.
Marie rested her head on the back of the tub as she cursed to herself. The most powerful witch in the world, has no power. How was Sybil able to take her power? She was not a more powerful witch. Her own mother wasn't stronger than her. This made no sense.
Her thoughts directed her back to the day of the ritual for Harold. What was she missing? What happened that she couldn't see? Everything happened so fast.
Sybil had to have blocked her memory so she couldn't figure out what happened. That means, there was a way to get back her power. If there wasn't a way, she wouldn't have wasted her time removing her memory of that night.
Isabel was who Sybil used to strip her power and hurt Harold. That was the one thing she was certain of. There was no other way for her to get close to Marie.
She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing allowing herself to fall into darkness. Images of that night formed in her mind. She could see herself and everyone else who was there that night.
Beth was scared but she was still focused on the original spell. Poor Beth, she tried so hard to help. Isabel stood frozen glaring at Harold as her eyes changed colors. Her lips moved slightly different to Beth's. Marie recognized the movement of her lips. She mouthed a different spell in the midst of Marie's spell, while they were trying to help Harold.
"She triggered his wolf!" She whispered.
That was a distraction for her to cast Sybil's spell and take her power. That is why Harold attacked her. He knew! How did he know? How could I not know? She thought as her head began to ache from the thoughts crowding her mind.
She went back to the meeting before the ritual with just her, Isabel and Beth. She hugged Isabel and Beth when she saw them. That had to be when it began.
Sybil was able to block Marie from reading Isabel's thoughts to protect her so she could follow through with her plans. All Isabel had to do was to be the medium for Sybil to cast her spells on her and Harold. She was just the host and Sybil was the parasite. How fitting for her. It all made sense now.
"Sybil extracted my power through Isabel, but how do I get it back?"
"Bravo! You have figured it out. It took you long enough. I thought you would have more smarts than this. I guess your mother was the smart one." Sybil said through a smile as she clapped her hands while walking into the bathroom.
"Oh, and don't get any ideas. Getting your power back is a long shot"
"You did all of this!" Marie accused as she sat up in the tup, covering her breasts with one arm.
"What did you expect dear? You wouldn't give up so easily. That wolf of yours has won a soft spot in your little heart." She teased with her lips pursed.
"All of this for power?"
"No. All of this for what is rightfully ours. Do you not understand yet? Do you not understand that the wolves' control everything from how we live to how we think?" She asked as Marie sat back in the tub without a word.
"What you have chosen to do is the best thing for our kind, but it will not work unless you truly want to break the bond. You will only hurt yourself if you are not ready."
"Have you done this before?"
Sybil looked away and did not respond immediately.
"Yes. I broke the bond once before." She said as she walked over to the mirror, placing her hands on either side of the sink. She gazed into the mirror as she raised her fingers to her face, smoothing out the skin underneath her eyes.
"What happened?"
"It was a very long time ago. I cannot remember all the details, but it appeared to be a dreadfully painful experience. She wasn't ready to let go. I remember the sound of the screams as her body contorted whilst the spell was cast. It took days for her to give in and for the bond to break. She nearly died."
Sybil reached for a robe and handed it to Marie. She accepted the robe and slipped her arms through it, tying the ropes in a knot in front of her.
"Who was she? Why did she want to break the bond?"
"That is not important now, my dear. Are you ready? This will be for the best." She said as she cupped the side of Marie's face endearingly.
"I guess I am. Do I have a choice?" She asked as Sybil's smile turned into a thin line.
"No. You do not. It is time to rid yourself of that creature."