Helia~ The Great Witch~ Part 2 

A/N: italics represent events of the past and people in the past talking

 Ana Pov

The skin on my body felt like it was being pressed with the weight of the world onto my bones. It was as if I was being suctioned through a straw. I tried to open my eyes but all around there was nothing but flashing colors. They zipped around me brightly as my body continued to tumble into an abyss. 

Time seemed to slow down along with my flailing limbs. Until I landed hard face down on a cold floor. The impact hurt like a bitch but I couldn’t move my body at all. What I could do was hear sounds, all around me; the shuffling of feet, murmuring voices and a loudly creaking door either opening or closing. Damn it, all I want right now is to open my eyes. Something tells me this place isn’t Helia’s kitchen.

“Just relax little time traveler. The pain will subside gradually” a woman’s soft but firm voice glided down my ears. It wasn’t a voice I’d ever heard but one I could listen to all day.

Who said that?

Maybe if I could at least get my eyes to open that simply question could be answered. Taking her advice I relaxed my stiff, sore body. Focusing hard I was able to finally pry my eyes open. The blinding white in the room was a little too much to bear so I closed them instantly. A few minutes later I slowly opened them again more prepared this time.

The room that came into view I recognized as the one from the picture I fell in. It was even more beautiful in person. Everything was white with gold accents. If I lifted my head I was sure a gold chandelier would be there. A few feet in front of me the spectacular looking woman sat unmoving on her gold throne.

My eyes danced all over her, taking in her mirror image features. She looks more like me than I care to admit. With the exception of a few details and her obvious beauty, she could be my older sister or something.

Her eyes locked with mine and she smiled a small smile at me. Who is this woman?

The sound of heavy doors opening behind me drew her attention away. If only I could turn my head to see who entered. Instead I laid there waiting for them to pass. First to march by me was a woman with long white hair. She had it in a single braid sweeping down her back. The long black dress swooshed as she moved.

Trailing behind her was a little girl carrying a wooden doll. The girl’s brown hair was in a similar braid and her little burgundy dress looked too big for her. She didn’t pass me like the woman but stopped and looked at me curiously

“Grandmother, who is this?” She asked. The woman stopped short of the throne and turned back to the girl

“Who dear?” She said looking confused at the child. The little girl frowned

“The girl laying right her” She replied point a small finger at me. The woman placed her hands on her hips in a disapproving fashion

“Helia stop telling stories. There is no one there. No come on” The woman’s voice left no room for arguing. The little girl stomped her small foot but obeyed.

She took two steps away before turning and looking me right in the eye. “I see you” she whispered. Well I see you too kid, I wanted to say but couldn’t. Geez was I sucked in here to just lie around.

They approached the throne and bowed respectful

“Celeste, I have come to warn you” The white haired woman said            

“Carry on” The woman called Celeste replied

“Arc must not go into battle. None of my visions show us winning this war. We must flee” The older woman’s voices sounded full of fear.

What is she talking about? This is so confusing. More feeling came into my fingers and I could move them slightly. Like that helps.

Out of nowhere a smoky apparition began to form right in front of my eyes. I watched closely as the shaper became clearer and clearer, until Helia, Jace’s old grams stood in front of me. Well more like floated.

“Helia?” I murmured with a raspy voice. Clearing my throat I tried again “Helia where am I? Are you a ghost?” I asked because she did look like floating smoke but still like herself.

“No dear I’m no ghost. This is just my spirit coming to guide you through this. And this place you’re in would be Nexus, home of the supernatural.” Helia explained but it didn’t make sense to me.

“Uh could you explain it like your talking to a five year old” I said getting movement in my neck. Helia floated to the side no longer blocking my view of the woman talking beyond me.

“The image I showed you was one thousand years into the past in a place we call Nexus. Nexus is a realm parallel to earth and where all the creatures’ humans consider supernatural originated. There are two portals that connect this place to your land that you call earth.” Helia said watching the exchange between the women get more intense. Celeste still looked calm, but the older woman was on a rampage explaining something with lots of hand gestures.

“So am I like on another planet?” I wondered. This is all so strange

“No. Think of Nexus and earth as the same place but separated by a wall. Humans don’t know the wall is there and never see it. Supernaturals from Nexus know about the realm that separates us but can only enter through a portal.” Helia glided to the other side me, glancing over my body

“Why am I here? And why can’t I move?” My frustration was growing by my inability to budge

“Traveling through a vortex is a strain on the body. You should gain control soon. As to why you’re here-” Helia was cut short by the doors bursting open forcefully.

I could hear several feet stomping in along with clanging metal. Soon enough I was almost surrounded by bulking men dressed in chainmail carrying swords. There was one man leading and the only one in gold chainmail. These people sure do like gold. His movements were firm and hard. He walked with authority and power. The guy snatched off his helmet of revealing a handsome scruffy face and dark hair. All the men with him dropped to one knee saying “your majesty” prideful to Celeste, while he simply placed his right fist to his heart.

This guy must be some big deal if he didn’t have to bow.

“Who is he? Better yet who are all these people?” I asked Helia who was watching like she already seen this before.

“That man is named Arc. These are the men in the army he leads. The woman on the throne is the creator. She is the first vampire and ruler of Nexus. The older woman is a crone of this time named Hildegarde. And the little, scared looking girl is me.” My head jerked up quickly. Her statement just shocked some life into me. Slowly I moved myself into a sitting position.

“Uh did you just say that little girl is you?” I asked thinking I heard wrong. Helia nodded. No way! “But this was a thousand years ago! You only look like sixty or seventy, not a thousand!” My disbelief was in every word I said. Helia looked unfazed by outburst as she continued to watch the scene before us.

“Vampires are the only creatures that stop aging. The rest us age at a human rate until about age twenty and then it slows. The reason I live so long is because I am a crone and a crone cannot die until she names her successor, which I have not.” Her explanation was so simple yet complex at the same time. I was going to ask why she wouldn’t name her replacement but Arc’s roaring voice stopped me.

“NO! We must attack now before Erebus illegally uses the portal again and transports more turned humans here!” Arc shouted pacing in front of the throne. Celeste regarded him coolly.

“My son if you do this we will all fall” Celeste said gently. The more I watched Arc it became easier to see his resemblance to Celeste. She did just call him son so he must be.

“Nonsense! I have the best men! Just because your witch says I will lose doesn’t make it a fact mother!” Arc countered

“Young prince my visions are never wrong” Hildegarde threw in angrily. Arc just waved her off

“Mother, please listen. Erebus is out of control. He is illegally turning humans into vampires and creating an army to kill you and take your crystal heart. If we don’t stop him now he will succeed. I have sources that located his hide out. If we surprise attack him tonig--” Arc abruptly stopped talking when Celeste stood.

Her calm was long gone and lightning bolts shot through her eyes. She was mad

“Son, I gave you an order to stand down. You will not disobey me!” Celeste’s voice was so powerful everyone in the room dropped to the floor, which the exception of her son. Even I was scared of her and I’m already unseen on the ground.  Arc angrily strode from the room, his men shortly after.

Meanwhile I finally had enough strength to stand. Even though my legs felt like jelly.

“Well, that was intense.” I said to Helia “What’s he so upset about anyways?” Helia sighed sadly before speaking

“Arc was Celeste’s only son and a warrior; very strong, but very foolish. A vampire named Erebus wanted to be king, he wanted power. So he began illegally using the portals to travel to earth where he turned hundreds of humans. His goal was to take the crystal heart of immortals that lie in Celeste’s chest and awaken the red dragon to enslave the human race” Helia told me

“Oh my gosh that’s awful. Did they stop him?” my anxiety increased because for some reason I felt connected to this story. Just wasn’t sure how

“Yes and no. Celeste’s mate, Arc’s father went to battle alongside the wolves. But they were outnumbered. Erebus knew that the alpha of the weres carried a crystal heart of wolves. As he slaughtered the huge wolf he tore it from his chest. Arc’s father saw this and knew he couldn’t allow Erebus to have one of the hearts. He attacked Erebus and shattered the heart, forcibly launching the pieces into the air. Erebus chopped his head off seconds later” Helia said sadly floating closer to watch her younger self play.

Wow this Erebus guy is a real ass! I guess that explains why Arc was so determined to kill him. So where did this go wrong?

“Once the heart of wolves was destroyed it split the wolves. Those in wolf form at the breaking couldn’t change back and those in human form could no longer sense their beast. The weres blamed the vampires and refused to help them fight again. Every creature began retreating into the portals causing chaos. This brings us to this day we are in now. This is the day we fell. Arc disobeyed his mother and was led into a trap where he was killed.” Helia’s eyes welled but no tears fell.

For some reason the tears fell from my eyes. This is such a sad story and these people feel so close to me. Being here makes me feel like I’m home strangely enough

“Come on Helia” The older woman said to young Helia. The little girl waved at Helia who smiled and waved back at her young self. As if that’s not weird. Celeste gracefully strode from the room followed by Hildegarde and young Helia. I turned my attention back to the Helia I knew, whose aberration seemed to be more transparent than before.

“So there was a war here that was lost. Those who didn’t die fled to earth using portals. I get that, what I don’t get is what a war a thousand years before me in a different place has to do with me?” I asked very confused. Yes I feel a connection here but hey I am a vampire now so that’s probably why.

Helia didn’t respond. Instead she floated from the room after the women. Not seeing any other options I followed. Exiting the large iron doors into an immaculate corridor. It was the complete opposite of the throne room. The floors were made of black marble and the walls a shined like jagged ice. I ran my hand along the surface and was stunned by the coldness. Is that really ice?

Everyone was getting further away from me so I picked up my pace to catch up.

Celeste had entered a grand bedroom after walking down a set of spiral stairs. Little Helia bounced on the bed way bigger than any king bed I’d seen. I wondered what we were doing in here for a moment but chose not to ask. Celeste ran her fingers along the mahogany wall. There didn’t seem to be anything on it but she paused with her fingertips on something. She pushed on it and the wall caved in. the walls expanded and opened. Celeste walked into it and when she came back she had a sleeping black haired baby girl in her arms.

Well that was unexpected

“Does anyone know about your pregnancy?” Hildegarde asked sitting next to Celeste on the bed. Celeste rubbed the baby’s head lovingly

“No. I hid my pregnancy from everyone and you were the only one there for her birth. If Erebus knows she exists he’ll kill her. He will kill my son tonight I’m certain but he must not take both my children.” Celeste said with deep sadness looking at her daughter. She laid the baby on the bed next young Helia. Celeste then stood and began pulling down her dress.

Okay what is she doing? I looked to Helia and was certain her form was fading.

“You have to cut it from me Hildegarde” Celeste said drawing my attention back to her topless figure.

“Are you sure about this?” Hildegarde questioned taking a short, shape blade from between her breasts.

“It’s the only way to save my daughter and hopefully one day the people. Take my crystal heart and put it in her. When Erebus comes to kill me I won’t be as strong but I’ll be strong enough to imprison him for at least a millennium” Celeste said raising her arms in the air. Hildegarde nodded in agreement and stuck the blade into her left side. Celeste howled in pain, the sound made me ache. The old witch drew her blade slowly down leaving a trail of thick blood.

When she pulled the knife back a gaping hole was still in Celeste side. That’s when I realized the blade must be made of platinum because she wasn’t healing quickly. Hildegarde reached her hand inside the hole; Celeste cringed but still remained still. When she took her bloody hand out, inside it was a rugged shaped crystal. It shined and thumped magnificently, as if it were alive. Celeste wound closed and she picked up the sleeping baby.

 The intensity was so high I thought I could feel it. No this is something else. I clutched my stomach as an uncomfortable knot formed there. What the hell? Turning to face Helia, her ghost form was barely visible

“Helia what’s happening?” I asked still holding my stomach

“My time is almost up. The spell doesn’t last long” Helia said fading out

“What about me? How do I get out?!” The pain increased causing me to double over.

“Find the portal” Helia sounded far away

“Where, How?” My desperate voice showed my fear

“Follow your instincts…” Helia’s voiced trailed off as she completely disappeared leaving me alone a thousand years in the past with no way out.

I looked back up and Hildegarde was chanting something. The crystal heart spun wildly in the air with trails of lights. The spinning increased as it lowered itself into the baby chest. The crystal sunk into her chest with ease not even showing a point of entry.

“Remember to go through the portal and use the spell to freeze her in time” Celeste said kissing the baby in her arms. “I love you” She whispered kisser one last time before handing her to Hildegarde. The crone bowed respectfully before vanishing through the still open wall with the baby and Helia.

My knees gave out and I dropped to the ground. My insides felt like they were being crushed. Crap this hurts.

“You’re almost out of time young traveler. Go now to the portal” I looked up from the floor to see Celeste looking down at me.

“You can see me?” It wasn’t the best time for that question but hey. She smiled

“Yes, there isn’t much I don’t see. You grew up even more beautiful than I expected” She said looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world. Why is she looking like that?

I never got the chance to ask because her doors shot open and at least ten men barged in. Celeste began gracefully fighting them with her bare hands. Not one could touch her.

Wow she’s good. I force myself to my feet desperate to help her

“Go to the portal before you die here daughter!” She shouted ripping off a man’s head.

Wait I can die here? No, no, no. I use all my will to run from the room out the huge palace. I end up running into a garden the back yard.

A pain in my chest seizes my next step. Its hurts so bad the feeling of dying washes over me. No I will not die twice. Once was bad enough. If I can survive that death I can survive anything.

With deliberate steps I continue pushing my way through the garden. Once I get to the end of the yard I realize this palace sits on a cliff. Down below waves crash against rocks on the shore.

That’s just perfect.

What now.

Helia’s final words flow through my mind. I close my eyes and concentrate on what I feel beside pain. The cool wind brushes my face.

Celeste smile warms my heart. With my eyes still closed I take a few steps back from the edge.

Briefly I paused before running full speed and diving off the cliffs edge…

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seb Pov(perspective)

“How long does this take?” Seb questioned growing more irritated by the second with the young witch

“It depends, I don’t know exactly” Jace said with equal frustration. He was desperately trying to find the right ingredients to get the vortex screen back up. It went off shortly after his grandmother’s spirit left. And Seb has been losing his shit ever since. That was 2 hours ago.  

“Why can’t you bring the image back up witch?” Seb asked for the one hundredth time

“Half-witch actually and these are complex spells” Jace said dropping blue liquid on the table.

Just like every other time he tried it just sizzled but no picture. Which means no Ana. Seb was so worried he felt like his heart running wildly trying to break free of his chest. Jace went back to the cabinets searching for other ingredients. Hopefully some that really works

“So you’re a half witch?” Seb asked stopping his pacing

“Yes. Human father, witch mother who hates the craft.” Jace replied mixing things together. That explains why he isn’t as strong as a full witch.

Seb didn’t really care. All he wanted was for Ana to get out of that vortex. He couldn’t stop thinking about the moment at the motel. He had the perfect moment to tell Ana how he truly felt and choked. Honestly he was still pissed about her kissing this witch boy. But could he blame her?

By now he was sure she wouldn’t give him another chance. But was he willing to stand by and watch her be with someone else. Hell no! Sounds selfish, but it’s the truth. He’d have to find a way to get back in her good graces. That would be easier if the witch kid wasn’t around. Seb turned to Jace as he yet again unsuccessfully poured another fluid on the now multicolored table.

“Ugh it’s been too long!” Seb shouted running his hands down his face

“I’m doing the best I can! You’re not the only one who loves her you know” Jace said angrily. Seb paused his movements and regarded Jace

“Who said anything about love?” Seb questioned taking a step towards him. Jace laughed humorlessly taking a matching step until they were face to face.

“You don’t need to say it. It’s in the way you look at her when she’s not watching. It’s in your actions since she was sucked in. What you don’t know is I love her too and I will fight for her” Jace said voice hard and determined. Seb half smiled. He admired the boys drive but if he thought himself competition then he needs to think again.

“You know nothing about Ana” Seb challenged. He spent every day with her the last two years, he was certain the Ana now is nothing like the Ana Jace knows.

“I know now she’s some type of supernatural. The rest will come when I make her mine” Jace shot back. Seb was starting to get pissed off. He and the witch boy were almost nose to nose. The testosterone in the air weighed heavily.

“Touch her and I will break every bone in your body” Seb said ferociously

“Is that a threat?” Jace dared. Seb gave a dark chuckle

“No. It’s a guarantee” Seb saw Jace’s eyes widened slightly before he tried to cover it.

Jace didn’t chance to add anything else because Helia bolted awake with a scream. Both men separated and Jace ran to his grandmother’s aid.

She was panting hard but jumped off taking off out the room. They both ran after her. Helia went to the bathroom and started filling the tub with scorching hot water. Now is not the time for a bath, Seb thought.

“Grandmother what happened? Where’s Ana?” Jace was looking as confused as Seb felt.

The tub was half way full now with more water rushing through. Seb couldn’t take his eyes off the water. He thought he saw something flash in it but brushed it off as a trick of the light. Helia was still trying to catch her breath

“Por-portal. She needs an entry point” Helia pulled another vile from her pocket and poured the contents into the water.

Here Jace can’t make one good potion and Helia has pockets full of them. Jace really must be a half witch after all.

Seb looked back into the tub and this time he was sure he saw something in there. And he knew exactly what it was. He moved so quickly he almost knocked Helia out the way as he drove his upper body into the tub.

Seb came back up empty handed but wouldn’t dare stop. He dove is arms back into the burning water ignoring the pain as he felt for something, anything.

Suddenly he felt an object.

Seb used both arms to reach in and yank it out with all the force in his body.

Finally Ana emerged from the water gasping. Her face was pale, lips blue, she was shaking terribly and even had frost on her eyelashes but Seb had never been happier to have her in his arms. He cradled her as tightly as he could on the bathroom floor.  

“S-s-s-seb” Ana stuttered. Seb could scream at how relieved he is to hear her sweet voice again. In reality she wasn’t gone that long but given where she was he wasn’t sure he would get her back. Seb couldn’t help himself and planted hot kisses all over her cold face

“I-I’m st-still mad at y-y-you” Ana said shivering. Seb didn’t fight the laugh that bubbled up. He squeezed her harder trying to warm her before he replied

“You can be mad at me forever if you promise to never scare me like that again…” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*********A/N: WHOOP THERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!********************

***********SO THAT WAS ANA'S BLAST INTO THE PAST***********

****************AND SHE MADE IT OUT YAY!*******************

************THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE EVERYONE!************

**********I HAVE BEEN GETTING AWESOME MESSAGES***********

****************KEEP EM COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*******************

***********IF YOU ARE CONFUSED ABOUT ANA'S CONNECTION NO WORRIES IT WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER***************

****************LOVE MY FANGERS!!! KEEP SUPPORTING!!!!!!!!!!!******

****************PIC ON SIDE IS CELESTE!**********************

**************AS ALWAYS...........FANG ON ME PRETTYS!**********