Chapter 7

Daria's POV

The circle was illuminated beneath my feet.

Bright. Hot. Alive.

I embraced Harriet, but Silas took her out of my arms.

No, I said to myself, trying to maintain myself.

He shook his head. You can not move to the next level holding her in your arms. It'll hurt you both."

As he sent her to some other witch, my heart sank in pain. Harriet whimpered.

Take care of her... please... take care of her, I said.

And you have my word, the witch said.

Then the chanting started.

Then it was gentle, as the wind in the leaves. Then it got louder. Stronger. Heavier.

Soon, Silas joined me in the circle, on his cane. This will make everything different with Daria.

My chest tightened. "I know."

"Are you ready?"

I wasn't.

I could never be prepared to kill the name my mom gave me.

I would not be prepared to lose the girl who survived the Blood Pact, was struggling with food crumbs, and kept hope in a dying ember.

But Harriet had to have a mom who was not hunted.

I swallowed hard. "Do it."

Silas raised both hands. The circle glowed with fire.

I felt the excruciating pain in my flesh. I gasped, nearly collapsed.

"What—what is happening?" I cried.

Your wolf is fighting, your wolf, said Silas. "Hold on."

A scream burst out in me,--the voice of my wolf, with the hurt in him.

"No! Don't break the bond! He is our mate!"

I clutched my chest. "Stop! Oh--she is screaming--fighting--it hurts!

One of the witches screamed in the chanting, "Take her to the next level, Silas!

Silas grabbed my shoulders. "Daria! Look at me!"

I tried. My vision shook.

"You survived worse," he said. "You survived betrayal. You survived the woods. You survived childbirth when you were dying. You can survive this."

I clenched my teeth. "My wolf... she won't let go. She keeps calling for him."

Silas touched his hand on my forehead. Then I will make her submit to me.

I was struck with a cold wave of energy.

My knees buckled.

My wolf screamed again.

"No! No! He's ours! He's ours—"

Lucius is never your future, you fool, said Silas. "He is your past."

The circle glowed brighter.

Like fire, my skin flushed with heat. My eyes were lowered, and I beheld dim marks, petal lines, winding and turning, gleaming like tiny stars.

"What... what are those?" I gasped.

Your witch blood rising, said Silas. You got these after your mom.

The markings burned. I cried out.

A witch has screamed and called the second binding.

There was another voice, which said, Erase the old name!

My heart dropped. "Wait—don't—!"

But it was too late.

Silas talked the words that shattered my world.

Gone... gone... I call Daria of the Blood Pact.

I was so shocked that I fell on my knees.

My wolf howled in pain.

My breath caught.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Daria..." I whispered weakly. "Daria... that was me..."

Silas was on his knees, and he was gasping. "You are not dying. You are transforming. You are becoming Ari."

But I do not want to lose her, I said, crying. "She suffered. She tried. She survived."

And Ari will glorify all she went through, Silas cried.

There was another spurt of magic, which burst under my feet. The circle was flaring blue. My hair stood on end like a wind blowing upwards.

"Third stage!" a witch yelled.

"Change the scent!"

"Change the aura!"

Silas touched me with his palm on the breast. "This is the final step. Hold on."

Light poured into me.

Through my skin.

Through my bones.

Through my heart.

The agony became even more acute. I screamed.

My wolf huddled back, weeping, calling Lucius to him. But her voice was far off. Soft. Dying.

"Mate... mate..."

Her voice faded like smoke.

Silas whispered, "Good. Let her go. Let Daria go."

I felt as though my chest was splitting apart.

I clawed at the ground. Pain-- pain-- pain,-- Silas-- it hurts-- it hurts so much--!

Yes, I know, said he, coming down on his knees beside me. "But you must finish this."

And all that was in me turned round, and broke--as a chain.

One last discharge of magic shot through me. The room shook. Candles blew out. The witches staggered back.

Then—

Silence.

Complete silence.

My body leaned, and I was feeble and shaking. I was grabbed by Silas before I hit the floor.

He looked at me with wide eyes. "It's done."

I breathed shakily. "What... changed?"

A witch stepped closer. "Your scent is gone. You are no longer stinking of sheep like a wolf.

Your other one added, now your aura is witch-born.

Silas touched one of my strands of hair. "And this... your hair is lighter."

I attempted to speak, but the words were not forthcoming.

I didn't feel like myself.

I was not like the girl who was brought up alone.

I did not feel like the omega that sought to be adored.

I did not feel like the mother who crawled into the forest to rescue her child.

I felt... strange.

New.

Wrong.

Different.

One of the witches came along with a small mirror of silver mirror.

"Look," she said softly. "Look at who you became."

My hands shook as I took it.

I lifted the mirror slowly.

My breath caught.

The other lady looking back at me was fair-haired with bright spots on her cheeks and older and stronger eyes with an air of magic.

"That's... that's not me..." I whispered.

Silas sighed. "That is Ari."

"No..." My voice cracked. "That can't be me."

"Daria is gone," he said gently. "You survived. But she... did not."

My pulse beat high, and I looked at the stranger in the mirror.

"No..." I whispered again.

"No... that's not me."

But the mirror didn't change.

The face didn't change.

I didn't recognise myself.

I dropped the mirror.

It shattered.

And the room went cold.