Will of the Witch [Legacy, BK 2 - Completed]

Chapter 11.5

John

I felt odd, electrified in my own skin. Hurrying up the stairs of the Temple, I disappeared down a hallway that led deeper into the cave system. I didn't have a destination in mind, I only knew I wanted to be alone. I needed space. I didn't want to hurt anyone else before I could figure out what hell I'd invited into myself.

This power wasn't at all what I expected. When Poe said it would be different, I thought it would be different like daffodils to daisies, not daffodils to zombies.

The memory of the cold energy flashing through me and into the warrior, the feeling as his life drained away, stopped me in my tracks. I stumbled and stopped, leaning against the smooth carved earthen wall of the hallway, and wished I could feel its cool and steady power once more.

"John?"

Hunter's voice echoed through the hall, pulling me up straighter and forcing me back into my 'I'm okay' mask. I wasn't okay, and I knew Hunter knew that. But I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. I couldn't face that or bring it out into the open.

A hand gently touched my back and I had to fight my instinct not to flinch. I craved Hunter's arm around me. I wanted to fall into a hug so badly, but the risk of draining him like I did that warrior, of accidentally killing him, or Ez, or someone else stopped me.

The very thought of it terrified me.

I stepped away but turned to face Hunter. His expression was cautious, but his eyes were devastated. "John, where are you going?"

Tearing my eyes off him, I glanced up and down the hallway. It was the middle of the night. No one else was up. There was no hope of a distraction.

"I don't know. I just need a moment alone."

Hunter's lips fell into a frown, but his eyes warmed. "I know it's hard-"

"Have you killed someone before?" I snapped.

"No. I haven't been through half of what you have. And that's what I was trying to say. I don't know how I can help you."

"This isn't something that you can help with, Hunter. I feel like a ticking time bomb. Like I'm squeezed into this itty bitty space and I'm going to explode."

"So explode! You can't keep all this inside you. We can't help if you don't-"

"What if I kill you?!" I screamed at him. "What if I kill you like I just killed that guy back at the village? I can't control it, I've no idea what I'm doing and I can't control it." I wrapped my arms around myself, squeezing until my knuckles hurt.

Hunter stepped closer to me, but he didn't reach out and touch me. "Then we'll figure it out together-"

"No." I stepped back. Then I took another step. "No, this is got to be something I do alone."

I turned from him and started walking again. This time, I knew where I was going. And I didn't look back.

The small cave with the pool of water wasn't much different than I remembered. The water seemed like it was illuminated from the bottom, like a swimming pool back in our world. But I knew that there had to be another trick to it here. There wasn't electricity for it to work that way.

Above the pool, the cavern walls glittered as crystals in the rock faces caught the light and threw it back.

I approached the edge of the pool, looking down into the depths. I could just jump in. The thought went through me quickly, before I could stop it. I could just end everything now and not have to deal with it at all-