Chapter 960 Ritual Complete

• Lila’s POV
• I was completely frozen and dumbstruck over this news. I was powerful enough to allow these strange orbs of light to protect us? They can feed off my powers alone? Will that drain me? Make me weak? Will I be able to continue feeding them for long? I had just gotten my abilities back; what did she mean that I was the strongest in this group? I wasn’t stronger than my mother. I was just Lila. I wasn’t any different than a normal Volana; there had to have been a mistake. She couldn’t be serious. “So, as long as my daughter's wolf is okay, you’ll be able to protect us?” My mother asked, looking up at the guardian with hopeful eyes. “Yes, that is correct,” Aura said, still keeping her eyes on me. “It is her power that will keep my children satisfied while they are not cocooned in Mother Earth.” There was a long pause before Aura added, “Tell me, Lila. Where shall I send my children?” My eyes widened even more as I looked from Aura to my mother, and then to Hazel. “I have to choose?” I asked, my voice becoming less confident. “It is you they feed from,” Hazel said, giving me a head nod. “You must choose 4 cities or towns for them to protect.” “This was a lot of pressure; I didn’t want to make decisions like this. “Can’t we protect the entire world or nation?” I asked, sounding disappointed by this choice. “It does not work like that,” Aura said, a frown appearing on her lips. “Protecting the earth, which is what we normally do, does not protect your people. We can only protect the earth by preventing darkness from harming it any further than it already has. When darkness was conjured, it cracked the earth. I must spend time nurturing her and putting her back together. I must breathe life back into her. I can protect her from further damage, but that won’t protect your people; darkness can still get to you. I am extending my children and allowing them the freedom to protect those who reside on the earth, but they can only protect so much at once. They can each protect an area, but you can’t expect them to protect much more than the city lines. Asking one of my children to protect more than one city at a time, is asking too much.” “Butt they can protect more than one pack?” I asked for clarity. “If these packs are within the same city or town, then yes,” Aura confirmed. “So, tell me, Lila, where shall I send my children?” The orbs of light that danced around her glowed even brighter and their giggling grew louder, making Aura smile up at them. She whispered to them, and they seemed to be whispering back in a tone that I found difficult to hear. Come to think of it, I don’t think they were speaking English. “My children had told me your powers are quite delicious; they will be very happy here for as long as you need them,” Aura said, a twinkle of love in her eyes. “They’ve already fed from me?” I asked, my face warming. “They didn’t come near me though hand I didn’t feel anything.” “They don’t need to be near you to feed from you; your powers are strong enough to extend to them from a great distance,” she explained. After a moment of pause she added, “You need to not fear them. Your powers will recharge from the moonlight. My children feeding from you won’t be noticed by you. We respect you very much, Lila. We wouldn’t aim to harm you. You can trust us.” I didn’t know her, but for some reason, I did trust her. “I trust you,” I said, bowing my head to her. She smiled, which caused her to glow even brighter. “Where shall I send my children?” She asked again. I looked at my mother and we locked eyes for a moment before I looked back up at Aura. “Elysium,” I said firmly and proudly. “I want one of them to protect the town of Elysium. It is where my father’s pack is and I want them, along with all the other 5 packs in Elysium protected.” Aura nodded her head once and turned to one of the glowing orbs. She whispered something to the orb and then to my utter amazement, she kissed it. As her lips made contact, the orb, her child, grew even brighter and then it flew into the air. We all watched as it swirled around the night sky and disappeared. “You have 3 more,” Aura said, fixing her eyes on me again. I looked at Enzo and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the love and compassion in his eyes. “The Calypso pack is in the town of Rostling. It is the home of my mate's pack. There are two other packs in this town as well; I’d like them all protected.” Aura turned to another one of her orbs and whispered something to it; like before, she kissed the orb and then it flew into the sky, brighter than ever, reminding me of a star. Then, it flew off into the distance like a shooting star and disappeared before our eyes. “You have 2 more,” Aura said with a fond smile as she looked back at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “The city of Higala,” I said firmly. “That’s where my school is and there are 3 packs that reside in that city. Including Alpha Jonathan’s pack. I might not like or trust him, but I would like his pack protected along with the others and that school.” Aura turned to her second-to-last orb and whispered something to it; she kissed it gently and watched as it flew into the sky and twirled with excitement before disappearing. “You have one more; I suggest you think carefully and use my last child wisely,” Aura said, eyeing me carefully. I didn’t need to think about it; it was obvious to me as to where this last orb should go and protect. I looked at Diana who was staring back at me, unmoving. She was the main reason we were here in the first place, to protect her and her village. Her witch was the one who cast this summoning spell. I already knew what I had to do. I looked up at Aura and smiled. “Here,” I said, motioning for the village. “Protect this village.” Aura raised her brows and glanced around the small village we knelt in. “A rogue territory?” Aura asked, clearly confused by my statement. “Not just any rogue territory. This rogue territory,” I said firmly. “This is the village of my mate's mother. It’s being protected by a shield formed by Hazel. But it needs to be protected by any darkness that seeks it. With Jazzy being the one to summon this darkness, I fear this village is in grave danger. So, yes. I’d like your last child to protect this village.” Aura was quiet for a moment, but then she smiled the most radiant smile I had ever seen and spoke to her last orb. Instead of kissing the orb, the orb danced happily around her with a parade of giggles, making Aura giggle as well. As it danced, sparks of light flew from it, cascading around us like rain. Then it finally slowed its movements and rested in front of Aura; she finally kissed the orb of light and it flew into the sky, brighter and bigger than ever. Instead of twirling around the sky, or shooting off like a star, it appeared to be a firework that umbrella over us and fell around the village, lighting up the grounds and covering us in the most protective and warmest shield I had ever seen and experienced. The brightness soon dimmed, but I could still feel the protective shield at play. It was just bright enough to keep darkness away, but not bright enough to keep darkness away, but not too bright where we couldn’t see. “Wow,” I said under my breath as I stared around the nicely lit village. I looked up at Aura who was smiling down at us. “The 4 places you have chosen are being protected. Darkness won’t be able to get through them so easily. But they will not be able to ward it off forever. It must be defeated,” Aura said, glancing down at me. How did she expect me to defeat this darkness? I don’t even know who Zagreus is; she claims that this powerful creature is, but I didn’t feel powerful. I felt the opposite. “Thank you, Guardian. Your protection is appreciated,” Hazel said, bowing her head low in respect. “I leave my children to you,” Aura said, her tone continuing to be musical and firm; so much power and elegance reined from her. “But I must return to the earth and nurture it back to health.” “We understand,” Hazel said in return, keeping her head low. “We shall release you now.” On that note, Hazel stood to her feet and walked over to the table, and picked up her purple candle. “I release you back to the earth and I bid farewell to the element spirit,” she said in a powerful voice and then she blew out the candle. Aura bowed her head and then looked at me. I knelt still, frozen, and I looked at Hazel who gave me a head nod and motioned for my candle. I cleared my throat and shakily stood to my feet. “I release you back to the earth and I bid farewell to the element earth,” I said and then I blew out my candle. Then she looked at Diana who stood to her feet. “I release you back to the earth and I bid farewell to the element water,” Diana said just before blowing out her own candle. Then we looked at Enzo who stood tall and strong. “I release you back to the earth and I bid farewell to the element fire,” Enzo said fiercely, and then with a big breath of air he blew out his candle. Then we all looked at my mother who was already standing with her candle firmly in her hand. “I release you back to the earth and I bid farewell to the element of air,” my mother said, blowing out her candle. Before our eyes, the sky formed that dark circle once again and I knew it was opening to allow Aura to enter. Aura looked up at it with a fond smile before glancing down at Hazel who had a bucket of water that I had just noticed. She stood over the fire pit and watched the flames dancing before her eyes. “Thank you, elements, for your surface and your protection. Go to the children of the guardian and strengthen them. Help them and protect them just as they protect us. You are their elements, and they thrive better with you by their sides. As I put out this fire, know my appreciation and love. We are eternally grateful for your service,” Hazel spoke loudly and firmly as Aura rose to the sky and toward the opening created just for her. I couldn’t take my eyes away from her figure which seemed to be morphing into a ball of light much like her children. She grew further away with every passing moment. I heard the sizzle of the fire, bringing my attention back to Hazel who was now pouring water over the firepit. The fire thrashed and cried until it became weak and lessened. “I bid this ritual complete,” Hazel announced just as the last ember was put out completely.