The vicious have a wicked trail, just like the devil with wicked wings.

Let your faith be your guarded grace, and see how the game spins.

**

Khushi had to set herself as a crusader for putting an end to the beast that had the power to drift away the world, and snatch away innocence from everyone.

She had to undo Meredith's sins, replacing them with the deed of humanity, unleashing the powers that could mark the end of the Avizhas.

She had to avenge the death of every innocent soul, that became a victim to their dirty games that relished the shedding of blood, taking away lives.

There was so much to do, that it was undoubtedly a fearsome pilgrimage.

But she was ready to do anything that could end up bringing paradise.

The thoughts still pondering in her head, she and Arnav entered her house holding hands as they saw Adrienne and Jazz in the living room.

It was tough to witness such a quiet atmosphere at her home, which was otherwise filled with Adrienne's over the top antics, her enthusiastic voice, followed by her sister's never ending tantrums.

But for a change, maybe this was good.

Khushi thought.

She looked at Jazz who was sitting on one of the sofas, so still, so disciplined, that for a second she thought some ghost had gotten into her.

Since when did she behave so poised?

''Strange''

Khushi muttered to herself.

"Khushi, you are finally here!"

Her mom exclaimed with that same broad grin as Khushi gave her a small smile in return.

"Yeah Mom. Sorry for being a bit late."

She replied.

"Oh, not a problem at all. Go and change quickly. We will leave in some time."

She said.

Khushi simply nodded as she proceeded towards the staircase, while Adrienne kept Arnav company for the mean time.

.

.

Khushi took the stairs two at a time, knowing if she didn't hurry, they might miss the show time when suddenly she realized she had forgotten her handbag in the living room's centre table.

Letting out an angry sigh, she halted her steps on the top of the staircase and turned back to beckon Arnav to come with her bag as he stood near the table, about to leave.

He smiled as he saw her and picked up the bag and approached her when suddenly Khushi's cell phone vibrated in her jeans' pocket.

Agitated, she quickly grabbed it in her hand and unlocked it to see the screen flash,

1 new message

.

Arnav stood near her with her bag in his hand, as she quickly tapped the 'open' tab to read the message.

She didn't know why, but a very laid back fear began resurfacing in her mind at that very moment.

As the message finally opened, she narrowed her eyes, looking at her mobile screen, taken aback to see the sender's name.

'18.01 Jazz: Dis isnt Mom!! Hlp me!!'

.

.

A strange sense of feeling built up inside her torso, as she swallowed the lump in her throat, the phone instantly dropping from her hands.

Her eyes welled up, as she looked at Jazz who stared at her with a blank expression on her face in return, but her eyes reflecting so many emotions.

Her sister was reeling in fear and shock.

.

.

Without a second thought, Khushi quickly ran downstairs, skipping few stairs in between when suddenly she heard Jazz shout in pain as Adrienne grabbed her by her throat, within a blink of an eye.

.

.

"No!!!!!"

Khushi shouted at the top of her lungs as she watched her sister squirm in pain, while her mother's face reflected nothing but a demon who could go to any extent to take away the life of an innocent soul.

"You fucking bitch! You think you will text and I wouldn't come to know!!"

The woman stated as she tightened her hold on Jasmine's neck, her voice not even matching one bit of their real mother's as Khushi stared at her with wide open eyes, her pulses running rapidly while she stood shocked and helpless.

Arnav too halted in his tracks, knowing very well that one single mistake could result in Jasmine getting killed, and he couldn't afford to do that.

"Please Mom... Please... Why- Why are..yo..you...doing th..this to me?"

Jazz struggled to speak as she continued to wriggle in Adrienne's grip, while the evil woman looked at Khushi with bloodshot eyes, strangulating her little sister all the more.

"Khushi, this IS NOT your mother. She is spell-crafted. She is under a spell, Khushi."

Arnav whispered as he neared Khushi, holding her shoulder, equally shocked by the sight in front of their eyes.

"Very smart huh? So now that you know the truth, let's not make it more dramatic, shall we?"

Adrienne spoke with an evil grin as she grabbed the knife from the dining table keeping the sharp blade of it on Jasmine's sister's throat.

The evil in her eyes twinkled as she enjoyed the show, especially the shell-shocked faces of both Arnav and Khushi.

.

.

"No!!! Please!!!! PLEASE DON'T HURT HER!!!!!!!"

Khushi yelled as she watched tears streaming out of Jazz's eyes, her entire world seeming to spin around as Adrienne continued that laugh of terror.

"Doesn't suit YOU! Meredith would have enjoyed this pleasant sight, you know. Shame on you to be so naive!! You just have her face!! Sad that you don't possess her breathtakingly beautiful powers!"

She mocked Khushi deliberately to make her feel all the more miserable as the restless rage continued to envelop Khushi, her mind craving for something that could undo this disaster.

No.

Jazz can't die!

'I won't let that happen!'

The thoughts knocked her mind, while her breathing became restless, and she began sweating terribly.

"You know all you have to do is give away that bracelet! And things will be better."

The woman in the disguise of her mother warned her while Khushi looked at her, rage taking all over her body.

"No Khushi!! DO NOT trust her! She is under a spell by ALOYSIUS! It's his trick!! No matter what, DO NOT give away your heirloom!!"

Arnav warned, his voice urgent and stern while Khushi continued to control the outburst that was stuck until her throat now.

"Well in that case. This girl has to DIE!"

Adrienne said mercilessly, all her motherly traits gone, as Khushi saw the sharp end of the pointed knife come in contact with the skin of Jazz's throat, while the demon who held her laughed at her helplessness.

'This won't happen.'

A spell by an immortal can't be reversed.

Khushi knew this very well.

Then?

She lost all sense of sanity as she watched her sister fighting the pain in the hands of the woman, who had brought her in this very world in the first place.

"Khushi.. You know what you have to do!"

She heard Arnav's faint voice as her fingers clenched into fists, vengeance taking all over her body, her eyes holding back the tears that were so close to falling.

.

.

The voices once again echoing in her mind, her body shook as she watched the demon play with an innocent life, making her visualize the reality that would have taken place decades ago when Meredith and Aloysius would have shed the blood of the innocent people the same way.

The knife about to slit her sister's throat, Khushi's fists opened abruptly, her reflexes acting on their own as she jerked away her hand, the spell already playing in her mind while she grabbed another knife from the table in a fraction of second, the object already knowing its aim as she darted it straight and it stabbed the chest of the woman she had worshipped for all these years.

Her own mother, Adrienne Vermount.

.

The knife fell from her hand on the floor, making that tinkling sound as her hands released Jasmine while the woman collapsed on the floor, blood oozing out from that deep wound making a pool of blood on the floor instantaneously.

As if the adrenaline abandoned her in a jiffy, Khushi ran towards the woman, who gave her life, brought her into existence, while she held her almost lifeless body in her hands, pulling out the knife with a jerk as her vision was blurred with tears.

"Mom!! Mom!! No!! Hey..! Hey!! Listen to me... You will be all right!! MOM DO YOU HEAR ME? IT'S YOUR DAUGHTER!! ITS ME DAMN IT!!"

"It's ME, KHUSHI!! Mom.. It's ME, YOUR LITTLE GIRL!! PLEASE.. PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!!

She shouted as she continued to pat her cheek, her insides churning on finding no response from her as Jazz coughed constantly, weakened by that torture and Arnav hurried to Khushi's side, rubbing her mother's palms against his to give her some warmth.

"CALL 911! NOW!!!"

Khushi screamed, as Jazz quickly grabbed her cell phone and called for an ambulance, still unaware of what was happening, dreaded by the sight of the lifeless woman in Khushi's hands who was their mother, frightened by the scene of her own mother willing to kill her, reeling in the aftershock of watching her older sister throwing a weapon at her own mother screaming some unknown Latin verses, just to save her younger sister. To save her.

.

.

"You aren't under compulsion anymore mom! WAKE UP! PLEASE!! STAY WITH US!!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME? STAY!!!!"

Khushi begged but Adrienne refused to open her eyes, making her soul shudder as she grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her mother's wound to prevent the constant loss of blood from her body.

.

.

Khushi was dreaded even at the thought of the possibility of what would happen if Adrienne didn't open her eyes.

No!

She wouldn't let that happen.

After losing her father, she cannot afford to lose her mother too.

For the first time in her life she realized the truest implication of what was meant by, power can be quite a bane than a boon.

With her power, she did manage to save her sister, but in the process, she put her mother's life at stakes. Had she not possessed these powers at all, this tough choice would have never come to her in the first place.

And when there was no choice, everything was as good as a curse.

Khushi knew very well like everyone else did in the world of Witchcraft that an immortal's spell can never be reversed.

And so she didn't have any choice other than attacking her own mother to save her sister, because if she didn't do that, her mom under that spell would have anyway killed her sister, and by the time she would have gained the control over her own mind back, she would have killed herself anyway for her sin of killing her own daughter.

But Khushi was not going to give up.

She wouldn't let the Avizhas or Aloysius win.

She would not let her mom die!

.

.

Arnav held her by the shoulder as he consoled her that she was going to survive this under any circumstance and assured her that she wasn't a murderer, if she didn't do this then Jazz would be dead by now.

Her sobs didn't stop as she suddenly looked outside the window and her eyes narrowed and she watched a tall woman with long black hair staring at them, her demeanour so petrocious.

Her face was invisible in the dark, as she disappeared into thin air within the next second, making it impossible to trace her, when realization suddenly dawned on Khushi's head and she uttered,

"Alexandra?"

**