Chapter 6 - The Witch’s Bargain
Vespera floated over the ruined obsidian altar, her massive, ink-black tentacles undulating in the cold, deep-sea current. The stolen voices inside her throat rasped in a sickening, multi-layered harmony that made Aria cover her ears. She pointed her silver trident at Lyra’s grey, silent throat, a mocking smile twisted across her withered face.
"I am a collector of beautiful things, little songbird," Vespera hissed, her venomous sea-snakes writhing around her crown. "I do not destroy talent; I simply give it a grander purpose. Your voice now keeps the walls of my cathedral standing. It belongs to the deep. But I am not without mercy. I will offer you a bargain."
Lyra stood her ground, her silver tail swaying slowly, though the grey, stone-like rot had now reached her mid-torso. She could feel the cold stiffness invading her muscles, a terrifying reminder that her time was bleeding away. She glared at the witch, her jaw set, refusing to show fear.
"You can have your voice back right now," Vespera murmured, leaning forward so close that Lyra could smell the sulfur and rot on her breath. "But magic always demands a price in blood. If you take your voice, your sister Aria must leave hers behind in the obsidian shell. One singer for another. A fair exchange, don't you think? You get to live, you get to return to your beloved coral arches, and Orena will have its guardian back. All it costs is the voice of a sister who has nothing but mediocre songs to offer anyway."
Aria gasped, her hand instinctively flying to her own throat, her blue eyes wide with terror. She looked at Lyra, her lips trembling.
Lyra did not hesitate for a single second. She swung her arm out, pushing Aria behind her protectively, and glared at Vespera with a look of pure, burning fury. She slammed her fist against her own chest, then pointed to herself, and finally made a sharp slashing motion with her hand.
No bargain. No exchange.
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She would rather dissolve into a million pieces of faceless sea-foam than sacrifice her sister’s soul to this monster.
Vespera’s mocking smile instantly vanished, replaced by a dark, thunderous rage. "Then you have chosen the foam, foolish child!" she roared. "Look up! The blood moon rises, and your end begins now!"
