"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I couldn't help but ask, my insides twisting with unease. Audrey grimaced, her eyes darkening with fear.
"Oh, it's bad," she said shakily. "It's very, very bad."
Chapter 5
Liam
Iblinked,tryingtoclear the haze from my vision. It felt like a herd of elephants had stomped through my head, leaving nothing but pain and confusion in their wake. I looked around the dimly lit room, trying to remember where I was and why I felt this way. My gaze fell on Audrey, her blue eyes watching me carefully.
"Ugh," I groaned, bringing a hand to my forehead. "What did you do to me?" Audrey pursed her lips as she walked over, holding out another small glass filled with a foul-smelling and even fouler-tasting drink.
"This should help," she said, though her voice lacked confidence. I took it hesitantly and downed it in one gulp, fighting back the urge to gag.
"Thanks." I grimaced, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. The pain in my head lessened slightly, but it still throbbed persistently. "So, what's this about your father being the sorcerer who cursed me?" Audrey sighed and sat down next to me, her long black hair falling around her shoulders. "It seems that way, yes."
"But why does it matter?" I asked, my impatience growing. "Witches and sorcerers both do magic, right? What's the difference?" She gave me a look, half amused and half exasperated, like I had just said something cute and stupid at the same time. "There is a difference, Liam," she explained patiently. "The type of magic we wield and how we access it differs greatly between witches and sorcerers. Our powers come from different sources."
"Okay, so... what does that mean for me? For the curse?" I pressed, desperate for answers.
"Magic, Liam," Audrey began, her tone patient but firm, "is not as simple as you might think. Witches and sorcerers do both practice magic, yes, but the source of our power is different." She stood from her seat and moved to the centre of the room. Holding up her hand, she closed her eyes and concentrated. A small fireball appeared in her palm, flickering and dancing like a living thing.
"See this?" she said, opening her eyes. "This is a product of my affinity for fire. It's one of the five base elements that witches draw upon, earth, air, fire, water, and spirit." I watched, fascinated, as she tossed the fireball into the air and caught it again. The heat emanating from it was intense, yet somehow, the air around us grew colder.
"Every witch has an affinity for one particular element," Audrey continued. "And we use the earth to draw on our magic. So, as I keep this fireball burning and cast more spells, the surrounding space will get colder. I'm drawing the heat from the room into this concentrated ball, and eventually, I'll struggle to create them." With a final toss, she sent the fireball soaring upwards, only for it to puff out and vanish before our eyes.
"Interesting, right?" she asked with a smile. "But sorcerers...their magic is entirely different. Their powers come from a multidimensional source, giving them greater versatility and control."
"Multidimensional?" I repeated, trying to wrap my head around the concept. "So, what does that mean exactly?"
"Think of it as having access to more layers of reality," Audrey explained. "A sorcerer's magic can manipulate space, time, mind, matter, and soul. It gives them the ability to reach beyond the limits of our world and tap into greater power."
"Like your father?" I asked, remembering her revelation. It was still hard to comprehend that a powerful sorcerer had cursed me, and even harder to imagine how we were going to break it.
"Exactly," she confirmed. "My father's abilities far surpass my own. But understanding the difference between witch and sorcerer magic is crucial if we're going to find a way to break this curse."
"Right," I sighed, trying to take in everything she'd said.
"Alright, let me show you something different," Audrey said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. She waved her right hand in the air as if tracing an invisible pattern, and a small flame appeared. It quickly grew in size, its glow distinct and mesmerising. I watched as the flames danced, casting eerie shadows across the room.
"Is that... sorcerer magic?" I asked, unable to tear my gaze away from the hypnotic display. Audrey nodded, her eyes still focused on the flame.
"Yes. This is what my father's magic looks like." The fire seemed to respond to her words, growing more intense for a moment before she let it dissipate with a flick of her wrist.
"Can you do that because your father is a sorcerer?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. "Does that make you a half-sorcerer or something?" She smiled at my question, a hint of amusement dancing in her blue eyes.
"Not quite. Think of me more like a witch with an extra kick. I've practised a lot to be able to access even a little bit of the sorcerer side of my powers."
I found myself fascinated by this revelation, struggling to understand the complexities of the magical world. My own life had been dominated by the rigid hierarchy of werewolf packs, and yet here was Audrey, a woman who straddled two powerful worlds with grace and determination.
"Your abilities are incredible," I admitted, feeling a sense of respect and admiration for her.
"But what about the ritual you performed on me?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. "Was that witchcraft or sorcery?" Audrey hesitated for a moment before answering.
"That was a sorcerer's ritual," she confirmed. "When I reached into your energy field to locate the corruption, it was like looking through layers upon layers of intricate threads, all tangled and intertwined. A witch would only see a single layer of those threads, whereas a sorcerer can see them all, the shape, size, connections, and even where they're located." I frowned, trying to process this new information. Magic was far more complex than I had ever realised, and it seemed that witches and sorcerers were worlds apart in terms of their abilities.
"Is that why none of the witches I went to for help could do anything for me?" I asked, feeling a mixture of relief and frustration. "Because they couldn't see the entire picture?" Audrey nodded.
"Exactly. The curse on you isn't just one-dimensional; it spans across multiple dimensions, disappearing and reappearing seemingly at random. But with my sorcerer abilities, I could see where it crossed over, giving me a more complete understanding of the curse."
