While witches possess the 'Velth' which connects to the performance of sorcery, humans on the other hand have the ability to possess the 'Arth'; a power that makes them prime warriors.
**Titan—Scott Buckley**
"You're an Echo Witch?"
While the obnoxiously proud human clan would never admit to it, there was no physical difference between witches and humans per say. There were genetic differences in hair color, skin color, and so on, but even that towed against blurred lines.
The only thing that differentiated the two species was that all witches possessed the Velth which was tied to sorcery and elemental control, while humans had the ability to possess Arth—a special power that allowed them to bond with beasts and become prime warriors.
It took special abilities for one to be able to discern between a person who had the Velth, and one who had the ability to possess the Arth. Even Ember's coven required a Velth Reader who used a special sorcery to weigh Velth to be able to recognize who had one.
Yet the blonde haired beautiful woman before her did so by merely looking at her. She looked to be no more than twenty-five although it was true that witches had their methods to look youthful. But if she were truly that age, then she was too young to possess such powers.
What was she?
Ember, who had always taken quite the pride in the books she read, found herself at a loss as the woman approached her.
"Interesting," she muttered, staring at Ember strangely, "what to do with her, Prince of Chaos?"
Ember stilled at the woman using Khaos' true title. Not many dared utter the full names of the seven ancient vampires. Instead they were collectively referred to by their general names.
The Blue Blooded ones.
The Ancient Vampires.
The Originals.
"Have you truly confirmed that she's without powers?" Khaos asked, his voice taking a strange tone.
"I could never get something like that wrong. Echo Witches are rare, and even rarer ones manifest."
Ember suddenly became interested in that discussion, abandoning her earlier reservations against her. "Do you mean…do you mean I may still manifest?"
The woman looked at her strangely. "Even tonight's violent events were not enough to make you manifest, I wonder what kind of tragedy it would take to force your powers out. Just imagining it is quite scary."
Ember blinked once, then twice. She always thought she knew of her condition better than anyone. Ever since she was six… or was it five, she had read up every material she could on Echo Witches which wasn't much since being one was a once in a century occurrence.
It didn't help that her mother kept her existence a secret so the shame of her daughter's existence would not spread to the other covens who would then see them as weak. For that reason, they could not even properly search for remedies to her ailment.
"Are you saying it would take a tragedy for my powers to manifest?" She asked meekly.
"Not tragedy per say but trauma." The woman said, staring at her interestingly, "how old are you?"
"Ten."
"And yet you remain unshaken by tonight's event. For a witch you're not too young, but I must admit that you've a… peculiar mind."
Was that how she saw it? Did Ember truly look unshaken? The woman had it all wrong though. No word…absolutely no word could summarize how Ember felt at tonight's events.
That very night, she lost everything she never had. Even stranger than that was losing her sister even before she could love her as a big sister should.
"Are you a witch?" Ember asked hesitantly when she noticed that Khaos stood with his eyes shut tightly like he was mulling over something serious.
"I possess the velth," the woman answered strangely, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Was there any difference?
"Do you mean to tell me that tonight was all for naught?" Khaos snapped, his furious eyes flying open and resting on them. But while Ember cowered before him, the blonde woman smiled.
"So and so," she answered vaguely, seemingly unfazed by the power of the man before.
"Tell me that you can at least take her until whenever she manifests if ever a weakling like her ever would." He growled impatiently like he had somewhere to be.
Why did he seem to be so cruelly invested in her nonexistent powers?
Without knowing it, Ember slithered behind the young woman whose body obscured her from that of Khaos' levelling glare. Not that she trusted the blonde haired golden eyed, but she looked far more reliable than him.
"I can't take her," the woman said matter-of-factly, "the place I am going to is not a place for living things. Not to talk of an echo witch." She finished mournfully, her voice dripping octaves lower.
Ember watched as the duo stared at each strangely, the exchange doused in the kind of pain she didn't remotely understand.
It was almost like they shared a common hurt, perhaps one tied to this so-called night of bloody prophecies as the woman had referred it. Were they lovers? That seemed far-fetched. Vampires and witches never mixed well like water and oil. More so for an ancient vampire like Khaos.
The pact of the three forbade it after all.
Ember looked up to the red sky illuminated by the cursed red moon.
"I shall leave her with the witches then." Khaos said with cold finalty, his eyes hardening to "should she die under their hands I will suppose that will prove your prophecy wrong. Besides, what I truly need is a human from the court of the Huntsmen."
Enabler guffawed at him, then began to back away from the two of them. How…how, just how dare he make a cruel decision for her? Who did he think he was… her father?! The absurdity rooted her in place. He was not even consulting her?
Yes, he might be her savior. Oh, and she was so very grateful to him… sort of. But that didn't give him any….
"You shall not give me away to the witches!" Ember protested in a child-like screech. After seeing what happened to her coven that night, she no longer feared the old ones. But there was no way in hell she was returning back to her pathetic life.
It had become abundantly obvious that as long as she didn't have the powers of a witch, then she had no place as one of them. Forcing it would only lead to endless hurts and destruction.
Khaos eyed her, looking blatantly annoyed. It was obvious that he was trying to help, no matter how skewed his help appeared, while Ember was choosing to act like a child.
"Can you cater for yourself?" He said cruelly, "or shall I toss you to someone who will truly bully you?"
Ember shook her head vigorously remembering the accusation she had levelled against him earlier. Calling him a bully hadn't been her best moment, but it had just happened.
Blonde-haired smiled down at her, observing her nervousness. "Do you've any suggestions then? I truly can't take you, nor can the prince of chaos. However, you must remain alive." She said, initiating a mature conversation with her that Khaos obviously had no ability of doing.
Ember swallowed. She had something in mind. A gamble that could either destroy her, or make her. But she was willing to take it.
Didn't Khaos say what he truly needed was a human from the court of the Huntsmen? Who knew, she might just be that.
Bracing herself up, she said in the most even voice she could muster—a vain attempt to imitate her mother's boldness and ruthless eloquence.
"The crown princess of the Huntsmen owes my mother a debt through the Knight of Debts. Should you bring me to her, then she may take me in. Even if it's as a servant."
Blonde-haired stared down at her. "By your mother you must refer to the High Priestess Valata Ashfall, the gods bless her soul?"
A tear threatened to roll down Ember's cheeks but she shrugged off her grief yet again. "Yes." She answered, curious to know what the woman had to say.
"How did the High Priestess of the Azure witches ever get so entangled with Crown Princess Serpentine of all people?" The woman muttered more to herself while she and Khaos exchanged knowing glances.
Ember stared at them stumped. While she had audaciously repeated her mother's earlier words in an attempt to save Freya, it was true she knew nothing of the crown princess of the Huntsmen.
With their territory at the other side of the world, it made sense. But it was clear from their reactions that it was so unexpected for the human princess to owe her mother a debt so mysterious it had to be registered with the Knight of Debts.
Ember thought it strange as well that her mother of all people knew a human crown princess set to become queen. Reason being that her mother hated humans with a silent passion that Ember's poor father felt all his life.
So much was happening that night, and she only understood a few things. But if there was one thing that she understood well, then it would be the malicious smile that tugged on Khaos' lips almost immediately.
"Fine. I shall make sure that the Knight of Debts deliver you to the Crown Princess of the Huntsmen." He said with a smirk like he possessed an intimate knowledge of the woman who Ember wanted to take refuge with—a knowledge which she obviously knew nothing of.