Chapter 956 Conjuring Light

• Lila’s POV
• “Zagreus?!” My mother gasped, furrowing her brows together as she stared at Hazel. The disbelief on her face made it obvious that she knew this was very bad. “You know who he is?” I asked, eyeing her carefully. She was quiet for a moment as she processed this information. “I know of him,” she answered. “As does your father. Does he know that Zagreus has surfaced?” “I haven’t seen him,” I answered. “So… no.” “Have you met him before?” Enzo asked, also eyeing my mother. “We’ve only heard rumors of him in the past,” she answered. “We know she has summoned him in the past and the two of them have caused havoc.” “How was he defeated?” I asked. “He wasn’t,” Hazel was the one who answered this time. “He helped Jazzy take over an entire coven and she no longer needed him. She let him go back to wherever he came from.” “I don’t understand…” Diana breathed. “Why would she summon such a demon again?” My mother’s eyes found mine and held them momentarily before responding. “She’s after something,” my mother said, gravely. “And I fear it has to do with our kind.” “It’s likely,” Hazel agreed. “She doesn’t like Volana wolves.” “Why now?” Diana asked, furrowing her brows together. “Why is she taking action now? After all these years?” “Something must have happened,” my mother said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure what that could have been though. But it can’t be good…” “We shouldn’t be here,” Enzo finally spoke after what felt like a long while. “If she’s after Volana’s then this village is no longer safe. A shield is not going to keep darkness away.” “If that is what she truly wants, there’s nowhere we can hide that darkness can’t find us,” Hazel said, a grim look falling over her expression as she looked around the table. A tight knot had formed long ago in my stomach, and it was only getting tighter. I looked up at Enzo who sat beside me; he met my eyes. “What more can we do?” I finally asked, looking at Hazel. She was quiet with uncertainty. “How about a protection ceremony?” Diana suggested, looking at everyone with a timid frown. “We can do a protection ceremony. Keep our village surrounded by light. Darkness doesn’t like the light; it can’t survive in it.” “That could work,” Hazel said, nodding her head. “But if she really is going to cast a dark curse using the darkness she conjured, I don’t know if my magic alone is enough to keep our village protected from it.” “Maybe not yours alone, but together, the protection spell will be even stronger,” my mother said, giving her a nod of encouragement. “Me too,” I said without even thinking about it. “I just got my wolf back this morning, and I can already feel my powers recharging. I’ll stay and help.” “We have to get you back to school before curfew,” Enzo reminded me. “I think this is more important than a curfew,” I said in return, narrowing my eyes at him. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing. We have to protect your mother and the rest of her village.” Enzo’s eyes found Diana’s and they held eye contact for a long while before he sighed and then eventually nodded in agreement. “Okay,” he finally. “We will stick around to do this spell; but right after I’m taking you back to school.” I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek gently. “I love you,” I said to him gently. He smiled in return and kissed me back. I turned to Hazel, feeling determination surfacing in my body. “So, what do we need to do?” I asked. “I will grab my spell book from my home; just give me a few minutes,” Hazel said, jumping to her feet. She quickly left the house, while the rest of us looked after her. “Do you think it’ll work?” I asked, glancing at my mother. She met my eyes. “I think it has to,” she responded, reaching over to me and grasping my hand firmly. “How about I make us some dinner,” Diana suggested, standing to her feet. “Do we like Shepard pie?” “That sounds delicious, Mom,” Enzo said. “I’ll help you.” He stood as well and went toward her fridge. As frightened and nervous as I was, my stomach growled with anticipation for food. “Want to go for a walk while they prepare dinner?” My mother asked. I smiled and nodded at her. Together we went outside into the cold autumn air. I took a deep breath of the brisk breeze and stared up at the sky. The sun was close to setting and an unsettled feeling fell over me. “Have you ever seen Zagreus in person?” I asked, peering at her as we walked down the narrow streets of the rogue village. “No,” she answered. “I only heard rumors of him. He was summoned long before I was born. But I heard it was a very trying time. My father remembered it as the Dark Ages. There was danger lurking in every corner.” “Grandpa James?” I asked, raising my brows. She nodded gravely. “He told me about it a couple of years before he passed away,” she explained. “I had heard about it before that, but he was the one who told me of his experience with darkness. He told me he looked darkness in its snake-like eyes, and it fled from him.” “Grampa James faced Zagreus?” I asked, amazed. She nodded her head once. “They were running from it,” my mother explained. “My father and mother. But my mother tripped and just as Zagreus was going to attack her, my mother jumped in the way. He saved her life despite risking his own.” “Why didn’t Zagreus attack them?” My mother was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think he ever knew the answer to that question. He was the one who told me that darkness can’t survive in the light and that the greatest form of light is love. I think his love for my mother was enough light to chase Zagreus away.” I thought that was beautiful and yet so terrifying. My mother stopped walking so she could face me. She took hold of my arm, stopping me as well and making me look up at her. “Now that you have your abilities back, I need you to use them to your advantage,” she told me solemnly. “Keep a shield around you and keep yourself surrounded with light. I know you haven’t practiced with your powers much, but you have the ability to summon light.” “How do I do that?” I asked. “It’s all about your brain and the level of control you have. Just imagine yourself surrounded by a ball of light; imagine that source of light and pull it toward you. Just as you would with a shield,” she explained. I nodded. “I can do that,” I said, giving her a confident smile. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I stretched out my hands so I could feel the breeze wrapping around every ounce of my body including my fingertips. I imagined the warmth of light hitting my features and forming around me like a cocoon of power and radiance. I imagined the streetlights shining down on me and hitting me with their glorious light. The light covers me and the shells around me, only to glow brighter and become more powerful. The light detaches from the streetlamps and becomes one with my body. Though my eyes were closed, I imagined myself glowing and becoming one with that light. I felt my mother taking a step away; I felt her pride and admiration as she looked at me. When I opened my eyes, I could see the excitement in her eyes. I looked down at my body and realized I was glowing. I had taken the light from the nearby streetlamp and made it my own. I was the ball of light and the streetlamp was now turned off completely. “Amazing,” my mother breathed with the fondest smile on her lips. “Now return the light to the lamp.” I nodded and stared up at the streetlight; I imagined the light draining from my body, slithering around the ground and uncovering my feet. The cold of the autumn air returned to my flesh, and I shivered at the sensation. The glowing cocoon that was wrapped around me began to dim and just as the last of the light left my body, the streetlamp began to glow again. “You did amazing, Lila Bean,” my mother said, wrapping me in her arms. “Whenever you feel frightened and the air has gone too dark, just do that. No matter where you are, you can always summon light to you and it will always scare darkness away.” I hugged her tightly, feeling my body relax. “Do you think this spell is going to work?” I asked. “Do you think it’ll keep the darkness away from the village?” “I think it’s worth a try,” she said gently. Before I could say anything more, Hazel approached us from nearby. I hadn’t even known she was there, but in her hands, she held a thick purple book that I knew was her spell book. “I think I found a spell that will work,” Hazel said, stepping toward my mother. My mother glanced at the book intently and read, “Calling the earth guardians to keep away all paranormal harm and evil.” “Earth guardians?” I asked, raising my brows. Hazel nodded and my mother had a pleased look on her face. “Yes, why didn’t I think of that,” my mother said thoughtfully. “Earth guardians are meant to keep certain areas safe if they are summoned. They are meant to protect the earth from all evil. They can stretch out for as long as our powers allow it.” “It calls for a lot of power though,” Hazel continued. “I don’t have enough to protect this entire nation. But I should have enough to protect the village; and possibly even the Calypso pack and other nearby packs.” “Do you think it will keep darkness away?” I asked, my tone becoming worried. “The guardians are made up of all five elements,” Hazel explained. “Earth, water, air, fire, and spirit. Those elements combined form a light so strong that it can ward off darkness.” She paused and glanced at my mother with a look of anticipation. “With our powers combined, I think we can do this.”