Possession ＆ Shadows – The Accalia Series Book 1 & 2

Ava Pov (Two Days before the Blood Moon)

“Have you located her yet?” Samael asked me impatiently. After we had gotten back from Netilan, we flew through the storms surrounding the island that seemed to only get stronger with Samaels rage, as if he was controlling them now. Since Jasmine had left, he had been so unrecognizable. It’s crazy what not having your mate would do and, honestly, I’m not sure if I will ever want one. I thought I felt the presence of what my wolf called the mate bond, back in Xavier’s castle, but I reached out and got no response back. I’m currently sitting in the planning room with my crystals and a shirt from Jasmine to scry for her across the map of worlds and realms.

“No, but I will. I promise”, I told him as I looked him in the eye. Most would cower in fear at his anger and rage though he never lashed out. I could see it every time he looked at me under those orange orbs just how much he wanted to, but I could also see the hesitation of it too, just because it’s me. I couldn’t explain what made me lash out at Jasmine, or why I had been feeling such malice towards her, but now that she is gone, all I want to do is find her and beg for forgiveness, if that’s what it takes. We haven’t had much time together for the last few days and I had just started getting used to her. I should have found a way to save her. After all, We made a promise to each other.

Flashback To the Night of Avas Rescue

Jasmine has been out cold since she fainted. Dad had brought her to what had been Lori’s small hospital house and had hooked up Jasmine to cords, checking her vitals.

“Is everything okay?”, Xavier asked, coming in. I could already tell dad hated him and, even though I didn’t know why, so did I.

“Yes, she just passed out. The toll of everything tonight was too stressful,” dad said quickly to him, ignoring him after, so he could get back to Jasmine.

“You should go. Dad and I have everything under control and her wolf may keep trying to get her to shift if she smells you while she is unconscious. It won’t be good for her body”, I told him. His eyes flashed dangerously at me, but I held his stare, being my father’s daughter and all, until he smirked and nodded, then simply left.

“Strange” dad said, glancing after him.

” You feel it too?” I asked dad, who nodded. We could both feel something dark attached to Xavier’s presence, but it was as if something was masking it. We could detect it, but not enough to know at the time he was a demon. He kept his demon side cloaked at that time.

After dad finished getting her situated, he sat down, and I leaned against the wall. He was just as spent as well, but he knew with me watching her, she would be in good hands. After a few minutes went by, I slid onto the floor but as soon as I did, I started to feel a pull towards Jasmine’s bed, as if some imaginary force was doing so. It pulled me upright, and I saw Jasmine sitting up in bed, with her eyes open, glowing a bright purple and looking right at me. I couldn’t speak or do anything with the force that pulled me, but I wasn’t feeling danger, so I allowed it. I ended up standing by her bed as she took me in.

It was silent for a good second as she scanned me as if reading me whole. With her purple eyes, I knew her wolf had taken over.

“Sister” was all she said before touching my head, and I felt like something exploded in my head, but not in a bad way. More like a powerful way. I closed my eyes as the change took place and suddenly, I was in a clearing, surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees, and in the center stood Jasmine in a purple dress, with her brown hair flowing down her back, looking as radiant as ever. I somehow knew I had been drawn to her subconscious. She turned around the second I arrived and was in front of me instantly.

“What are you doing here?” she asked me curiously. Just as her wolf had done, she was taking me in too, analyzing me, as I’m sure Harmon must have taught her.

“Your wolf Lunar brought me here. I don’t know how, but she did, and when she touched me, I felt something happen in my head. I don’t know what, but all I know is I feel so strong right now”, I told her. She nodded.

“Lunar says my sister is powerful,” she said and smiled at me for the first time. In her smile, I could see traces of my dad, and I knew without a doubt she was my blood.

“As well as my sister” I replied and she smiled, starting to tear up. Now I’m a bit stubborn, but the moment she teared up, so did I, and I found myself hugging her, both of us with silent tears streaming down our faces. I could tell she needed me, just as much as I needed her, and neither of us knew it.

“My sister” She mumbled as we held on to each other, a crying, sopping mess. It stayed that way for some time.

The weather suddenly changed until it was dark and stormy, with a strong wind blowing through. Her subconscious is conflicted with itself. Is that why I was brought here?

I pulled back from Jasmine, who only looked at me sadly before looking up to the sky. I grabbed her hand and said a spell, surprised to see my necklace was not on and I could control magic here.

The storm seemed to calm down instantly until it was back bright and sunny, with everything beautiful.

“What did you do?” She asked in awe as she looked around. “It’s been changing weather nonstop for a while now.”

“Your subconscious was out of control because your feelings were. From what I’ve been told, you have been through a lot. I just cleared away the darkness from it, but it won’t remain gone for long. For now, you have peace”, I told her, taking her hand in mine.

More tears started forming in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said happily.

“Of course, I told her. You’re my sister. I will always protect my family”, I told her on a promise, as I wiped her face.

“And I will always protect mine,” She said, hugging me again.”

That was the last thing I remember before being pulled out of her subconscious back to the wall I was sitting by. She was still sleeping in bed as if it had never happened.

End of Flashback

” Don’t promise something you can’t keep” Samael sneered at me before leaving. I can taste his anger with me but also his love. It’s the only reason I haven’t told him how I have felt. He doesn’t need another burden to carry. Whatever is wrong with me, I will figure it out myself.

I made a promise to my sister to protect her. Regardless of what’s wrong with me, that’s what I intended to do. With that newfound realization, I focused on my power and tapped into the power Lunar unlocked from me. To this day, I don’t know what it is, but it feels good, yet strong at the same time, and I need it now more than ever.

” Find her” I commanded, with tears pouring down my face. The power was so much. So strong. This power is what consumed my mother. The real reason I was afraid of it. My sister needed me though, and I wasn’t gonna shy from it. Not any longer. The crystals on the world map started spinning around in a circle that moved all along the map. Dad came in at that time and dropped everything as he looked at me in shock. I knew why. With the new power I tapped into, I was now levitating. My hair was blowing in multiple directions and the room was shaking and I knew he felt it. Just how raw the power was. I couldn’t bring myself to focus on him. I had to find her.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“By my power, FIND HER” I commanded, to the stones, and I could feel everything shaking. The whole palace was now shaking, and books started falling from shelves. The stones moved faster now until they stopped on a map. At once, I dropped to the ground, but dad caught me before I could, the worry evident on his face. I was feeling weak, but I brushed him off. I located her. I fucking did it.

I scrambled out of his arms and went to the map that pointed exactly to where she was at just as Harmon. Brandon, Samael, and Katie came running in.

“I found her,” I told them, pointing to the map of the realm she was in. So much power had taken its toll on me, and before anyone could react, I dropped unconscious.

My eyes opened and I found Xavier’s pack ground. It was deserted, and as I kept walking, I could see why. Bodies were scattered all around it, but something was bringing them back to life as they suddenly rose, their eyes black. The eyes of the possessed. None of them sensed my presence. I saw them walking to a figure in the distance, who I recognized as Xavier. His whole aura was flooded with power. Dark power. I wanted to kill him now, but my subconscious pulled me in a different direction. I don’t know why I was going in the direction I was, but I knew it was for something important. It was leading somewhere it wanted me to go, and I followed it. Once again, I had the same strange feeling I had the last time I was here, only this time, it was stronger.

It led me deep into the castle and through the doors as if I was a ghost, able to penetrate the walls. The pull led me into what seemed to be a dungeon, and I knew this was where this monster was doing his work. Signs of “the demon call” were everywhere, with the blood-stained pentagram. The dungeon was dark, but I could see as the force started to pull me to the cells. I stopped at the cell and prepared to defend myself but was taken off guard by a rush of power I received as I looked at the person inside. It was a man. He was in battered clothes and was skinny. He looked underfed and weak.

He looked at me through the cell and his eyes lit up. I could also feel my wolf starting to stir crazy. She wanted to get to him. Why did she want to get to him?

Calm down, I told her, but even I could feel the instant connection me and him had. She was saying something. Chanting something, but I couldn’t focus on her.

“Sorena?” his voice weakly asked as he looked at me in confusion. His voice was raspy, deep, and…… beautiful?

Sorena? I’ve heard that name before, but I couldn’t make out where. No time for that though. I penetrated the cell, but I found I couldn’t touch him. I was only here subconsciously.

“You can hear me?” I asked him in my mind and his eyes lit up once more like he was very happy to see me. He nodded.

“I can,” he said, looking at me.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“My name … is Atlas. Your… Sorena.” he said, panting and matter of factly.

“No… no I’m Ava,” I told him, kneeling to him. He looked confused.

“A…. va?” he said, and I nodded, loving the way my name sounded on his lips. Why did I love it? He seemed to accept it.

“Forgive me… Ava… you reminded me… of someone”. How are …. you here?” He asked me, which let me know he could tell I was not truly here, though I don’t understand how he could see me and the others there could not.

“Why are you here?” I asked him back. I was feeling worried about this person. Why?

” That demon stain…. has been…. keeping me here for years, feeding off my essence, using my face” he panted. Just as he said that his face was brought into the low light, I jumped back. His face was indeed the face of the monster who had been the cause of my sister’s misery. The face of Xavier, though, I didn’t see him this way. I was feeling funny in my stomach.

“You know whom I speak of,” he asked. After telling myself it wasn’t Xavier, I kneeled back down.

“I do,” I tell him. ” He has been causing chaos,” I tell him.

” Get me out of here… Ava… Promise me you will get …. us out of here… he coughed, and I tried to touch him, but it went through him. I wanted him in my arms and my wolf growled that I couldn’t have him.

“I promise… I will come for you, Atlas. I will come for you”, I told him. Nothing on this earth was gonna stop me from breaking it. I knew nothing about this man, but from the moment I laid eyes on him, it was like he lit up my world in a way that confused me greatly and I intended to free him. I stood up, and backed away slowly, trying to force myself out of my subconscious until something he said clicked.

“Us… You said to us”, I told him, and he pointed behind me. I turned around just as the light flickered to the body of a woman in the same clothes on the floor asleep. As the light covered her fully, I saw who she was. There was no mistake. I had seen this woman’s face in my father’s old study. I saw her face when I looked at my sister. Seeing her face now, there was no mistake about who she was. Her curly brown hair framed her features as she opened her eyes, looking through me, not seeing me.

Xavier had her. This whole time. He fucking had her. Fury like no other graced me as I realized just how much pain Xavier had brought into our lives. I kneeled to her, even though I knew she couldn’t see me, but I made her a vow.

“I promise, no matter what, I will take you home too. I will bring you back to them, Jessica.”