~Layla~
’Wake up, child. Open your eyes’ I squirmed, unable to take a deep breath as I reached out and grabbed the sheets. They wrinkled under my hold, and my legs were kicking and pulling as I tossed in the bed.
’Open your eyes,’ that raspy voice said again, but I didn’t want to. I was in bed. Did that mean that there was someone in the room? Was someone watching me? Terror filled my body, and my eyes shot open as I inhaled my first deep breath and flew up, but I wasn’t in the bed. Looking around, I didn’t see any walls. The hanging lights were gone, and behind me wasn’t a bed; there was nothing, in fact. It was all grass- covered ground and big tall trees that reached towards the sky.
I looked down and saw that I was wearing a white lace top with linen pants and no shoes. The grass tickled the soles of my feet, but touching the earth was calming, and I felt the energies flowing through my body.
”Welcome,” a cottage appeared from nowhere, with a chimney from which smoke was coming out. The door was wide open, and on the stove, I saw a teakettle.
The woman was older but beautiful, With white hair and wrinkles under her lips and eyes. She exuded a calming warmth.
Her blue eyes looked straight into mine, and I could feel her confidence from miles away.
”Who are you?,” I Asked. She walked over with her hands clasped in front of her.
”I’m Analise,” she reached out her hand and cupped them into mine.
”I’m Layla,” she nodded her head and smiled.
”I know who you are, let’s go inside,” she said and looked around as if searching for something or hiding from it.
Without giving it a second thought, I walked into her cottage, and the door closed behind us.
I saw plants and vials filled with herbs and dried flowers hanging about the house.
”Are you a witch?” I asked with furrowed brows. Analise shook her head and poured water into two cups that had been prepared.
”Here you go,” I blew on the tea, and the smell of rose immediately swept up my nose. It was delicious. The fact that I was drinking tea handed to me by a stranger in her home was weird and unlike me, but I trusted her. I couldn’t explain how; I just felt it.
”Why am I here?”
”Because I needed to see you, to talk to you.”
”Why aren’t we meeting in person? Because I’m guessing that I’m asleep right now.”
”Yes, you are. I’m conversing with your subconscious, but you will remember everything once you wake up.”
I took another sip and poured in some sugar to sweeten it up.
As I tilted my head back, I could see her smile faltering and her eyes glimmering with sadness. She looked like my mother did whenever she was about to give me bad news. With that image, I put the cup down and prepared myself.
‘you’re a very special girl, Layla. I have both awaited and feared your birth.” Uhm, excuse me? ”You feared my birth?”
She giggled and placed her cup down. ”The Emberclaws were not supposed to exist. You, my dear, were not supposed to exist. Many moons ago, a child was born into a loving family of a pack of werewolves. The child was young when the pack was attacked, and she was hurt badly. The mother, desperate and frightened, sought out a witch far away that said she would help. Many others had turned her away because the case was too bad, and the child would not be able to survive any spells without consequences. The witch she met with
was one of the darkness. She agreed to help the grieving mother and performed her craft on the child. The little girl did indeed survive, but not before the mother was warned of a price that would accompany the miracle. What the price was, she couldn’t say, but it would be shown in time. The girl grew up strong and healthy, and only after she had turned five did they start noticing these strange behaviors in her. She was in her teens when she ran away from her pack and left her family behind. She was believed to have settled in a human town far away from her home, and there she remained. With time, she grew older, married, and had a child of her own, a little girl with eyes as blue as the ocean. The balance of nature is a powerful thing, and it cannot be disturbed without severe consequences befalling oneself. Only in this case, it was not only one person paying that price; it was many for centuries to come. That little girl was the first-born Emberclaw. She was given her mother’s last name, Sabrina Lecruest.” I wrinkled my nose and leaned back, abasing the chair. ”Lecruest?” I asked in no more than a whisper.
”Your ancestor,” She replied. I shook my head because I couldn’t believe what she was saying. In my head, that wasn’t the truth, I knew my parents, and they weren’t Emberclaws. There was no way that this was true.
”You come from the very first line of Emberclaws.”
”Stop, you’re lying or you have your facts messed up because this isn’t true. My parents are regular werewolves with no other powers.”
”You have heard the stories. Emberclaws are born by natural selection, and your birth has been awaited.” I leaned forward and placed my arms on my knees as I nervously fidgeted with my fingers.
”Why?” I asked and felt the tension rise within me.
”Because you are the key to Nathaniel’s last fight. The one that will overthrow any other werewolves and change the species’ ways completely.” A thought occurred to me, and my eyes narrowed on Analise.
”Nathaniel told me that he came from the first line of Emberclaws,” I said.
”That is what he has been told, but it is not the truth.” She looked up at the wall where there was a clock.
”It’s time for you to head back, but please, Layla, do not trust him, and whatever you do, do not show him the powers you hold.”
”What if I already have?” I asked in a whisper.
Her eyes widened, and she pursed her lips.
”You are the key, Layla. You are the one he has been waiting for because of the powers you hold. You are strong, stronger than he is, but do not let that fool you because he has years of training behind him as well as a pure bloodline. You need to practice in silence and not show him anymore of what you hold.”
”What do I do if he asks? We practice together.” She smiled and grabbed my hand as we stood. ”Then you play dumb. I will meet you again, but until then, stay safe.” She leaned in and gave me a hug. As we pulled back, I grabbed her arm.
”Why can’t we meet in person? I can come to you,”
”Meeting me is the last thing he wants you to do, but fear not, I have my ways around rules I do not like.” She said with a devious smirk.
