Between Shadows

by Joanne Durann

  They needed to be recognized as soon as they walked in, and Gage did it right away, Gage realized they had forgotten one thing. Miranda couldn’t sit down anywhere in the room, if she did the table had to recognize her power, and the problems would only begin to start. He brought the two of them in front of the Concillium group and they all gave their congratulations.

  “Now we must go outside and make the first of three announcements to the people.” Brint wanted her to understand everything that went into the process because she was so new to the world and their rules, “If anyone would like to take you any from Jared they have to do it within one hour of one of the three announcements. If they fail to do so you can bind whenever you like, it does not have to be right away, it can be in a year from now or more. At that point it is your choice, Miranda, do you understand. Did they tell you what can happen to you if Jared losses the fight?”

  Miranda answered softly, “Yes, but they also told me that anyone can call for me at anytime, and that I do not have a choice at that point. I believe binding myself to Jared is what my heart wants and to be with anyone else would be deadly to my soul.”

  Her eyes pleaded with the understanding that someone could really harm her. In that minute, the table took over again; it wanted a word with Miranda. It wrote on the board and stopped her in her tracks from moving, the whole group stopped and stared at what was written, as they watched Miranda’s eyes close and go into a sleep like state.

  “You know what they are going to try today, I can feel that, please listen to Jared and come back here. No matter what you see you must reach the room first. I want you, and only you, to beat Emina and Mical in to this room. They will try to stop you by taking Gage and Jared, you must listen to me if you want your friends to live, don’t look back just look straight ahead at me. I am the only one who will save you, I alone have the power to take them down and give back whatever was lost, remember that.

  “Yes, I will do as you say, please don’t let them die. I don’t want you to have to kill me too.” Miranda woke and smiled, “I am ready to go.”

  She turned to Jared to deflect the looks from Emina and Mical, “I know everything is right now even the table approves of our bloodlines being crossed. Let’s go fast so we can begin our new lives together.”

  The bells sound and Fortuna had the birds whistle a beautiful tune and as soon as it was time, they step out on the podium to make the declaration to the people of their world. Miranda asked Fortuna if she would make the first announcement and she agreed with pleasure.

  “I would like the declare Miranda and Jared’s intentions to bind, if anyone has a reason or a challenge...”

  “I do.” Celbris waited no time in challenging the binding, “I want her for myself, her father took my woman away from me, so I want to take his daughter from him. I have the right and I want to fight for her.”

  Celbris looked at Miranda, “You will be a slave in my house and will do anything I say or I will beat you.”

  He turned to Jared and Gage, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Did you think you were going to get away with it so quickly? As soon as you brought her here I went to the head of my people and demanded a chance to take her,” he pointed at Emina and Mical, “and they wanted me to wait and see how things would turn out. They didn’t want any new bad blood between us, but I don’t care, I want her and I’m going to have her.”

  Jared was outraged at that way he looked and spoke to Miranda, he wanted to strangle Celbris, he grabbed Miranda and held her behind his back. His body was tense, his eyes afire and his fangs were out waiting to take Celbris down.

  “I will see that you never lay a hand on her. How dare you speak to her that way! When I’m finished with you they’ll be lucky to have something to give your mother! Are you sure you want to try me? The last time I went easy on you, this time I wouldn’t be so generous!”

  Fortuna gasped the two men were ready to fight right on the podium, Miranda stepped in, she wanted to show that she was a distraction that they could use against Jared.

  “Jared please we don’t need to be so angry maybe we can just talk about it.”

  Miranda turned to Celbris she looked at him innocently, watching the tone in her voice so that it was very human and weak.

  “Can’t we talk about all of this, I know things haven’t been right, but should we try to make amends? I would rather we all became friends not enemies.”

  Celbris laughed at her, “You will soon find out that this isn’t the human world anymore little girl, there is no escape from this; and no, friends is not what I want to be. I am going to take you from them, tear you apart, take everything from your body that I want, and then make you my slave. I may even allow my friends to take part of you, because at that point I wouldn’t care what happens. You little girl, will want to be dead and I plane to only prolong your pain!”

  The look on his face was the same look of torture that she had seen the night before. She wanted to look like a shocked little human girl; she wanted him to believe she was truly afraid for her life.

  She turned to Fortuna shaking and asked, “Can he do all of that? What happens next? He if loses can he come back to ask for more shots at me?”

  Fortuna looked out into the audience of people, most of which were still in shock, no one have ever spoke to a woman that way and no one knew what to say.

  “The law states that there may only be one challenge fight, if there is anyone here today who wants to bid to challenge they must speak up now.”

  Fortuna turned to Miranda, “Only one person may challenge, if anyone else tries the challengers must fight each other first to see who can challenge for your hand. You will only have one fight, didn’t they tell you how this all works, and how you must pick?”

  Miranda pulled Fortuna aside, “Don’t worry, my dear friend, we knew something like this could and probably would happen, my father explained everything Celbris was talking about. I know what happened, Jared has been very open and honest with me, please understand I will explain myself when it is all over. I need to look scared now, could you please hug me so I am convincing, and I need to make them think I am upset. Trust me please.”

  Miranda’s eyes begged for Fortuna to understand so she went with whatever they had planned. “I am ready for whatever fate has dealt me; I think God will be on my side here.” She said it knowing how Jared and the others reacted, she knew it would make Celbris laugh, and he did.

  Gage spoke up, “Can’t you and I work this out? Celbris you took my wife and son, do you really need my daughter to? Take me if you want and leave her alone, I will step down if need be…” he thought it might change the way Emina and Mical looked at things.

  With the last statement Emina and Mical stared at each other a new plan was forming and they stared at Miranda knowing if Celbris lost what they were going to do next. They knew how to get the Concillium without getting their hands dirty and they grinned at Miranda trying to make her feel uncomfortable.

  It took a lot for Miranda to hold in her emotions, the two fools gave away their plans; she let the table in for the whole thing. She had link minds with the table in a way that no other being has be able to ever do. It was an impossibility to become so attached to it that you thought within the same mind. Although the table wanted to end the contest now, she asked for patience, she explained that they were ready for this. She also gave up the secret of her powers by sitting down at the podium as the fight for her life began.

  There was a large roar from the meeting room as the fight started; the table wanted its objection known. She picked Jared to fight and she was left knowing she had to protect him, if things went bad. The table was sworn to protect her father and her father somehow knew everything would be ok. Miranda stood up and waited for the fighting to begin, Celbris and Jared were very well matched but there was something else.

  She turned to watch Mical using his powers to help Celbris; he was speeding up Celbris’ powers and told him all of Jared’
s evil thoughts. At one point Emina spoke to Mical and gave away, what she thought was Jared’s own death. The truth was Miranda had projected it into Emina’s mind, she was tired of the cheating, she wanted to be involved.

  Celbris was very quick and got around to the back of Jared, stood on the podium and tried to grab at Miranda. Celbris threw Jared at the woods; Jared jumped at Celbris and beat him. They ran so quickly at each other, and then hit so solidly, that it sounded like a sonic boom. This was the bloodiest fight anyone had ever seen and people could tell this was about more than a mere human girl.

  Jared quickly grabbed Celbris and threw him into a row of buildings; the fight was damaging everything in sight. The whole time they fought Celbris kept talking about the things he was going to do to Miranda, and how if he got his way, he would keep Jared alive long enough to force him to watch. He was cruel, he didn’t care what he said, he wanted Jared to go crazy and lose his focus. They forced each other onto a roof top where Celbris threw Jared to the ground, jumped on him and started to rip at his skin. Jared let out a howl that shocked Miranda hard, and she jumped up off of the podium.

  That’s when everyone saw what she was truly capable of. A golden shield produced itself around Jared and forced Celbris back so hard against a tree that he howled as if he were being tortured. The tree was at least two hundred feet tall and came crashing down with such force that the ground itself shook. She came walking towards Celbris with fire in her eyes, her hair glowing electric blue and energy sparking from every part of her body. She looked down at Jared to see at he was ok as she passed, he simply smiled and said “go get him baby!”

  She turned to fly Jared’s shield gently to the place where Fortuna and her father were to shield the group of them. She then turned and walked over to the place where the fight had started.

  “Now what is it that you said you were going to do to me? Something about taking my body and doing whatever you want, and did I hear you correctly tell Jared he was going to have to watch?”

  Miranda gave him the most cruel, evil smile she had inside of her, “I think I need to speak to your mother, she may not know what a naughty boy she has raised, but first we need to settle some business, don’t you think?”

  Miranda had always been a take no prisoner’s kind of girl, her whole life people told her what they wanted her to do and they expected her to listen, now she could justify the anger inside of her and use it to help the ones she loved. She wanted to stay in control but send a message to leave her family, and her friends alone.

  She grabbed Celbris as he try to touch her again, he was doing whatever it took to make her angry, he thought if she lost focus, he could kill her too. He was really way to into himself, he had no idea what he was up against, he was powerful but she eclipsed him many times over. Unfortunately he didn’t see that if she lost control he would be the one begging for death. She almost felt sorry for him but then he ran toward Jared trying to get to him once again, and she only for a minute lost focus, and raced toward him.

  Miranda jumped onto Celbris and she was not herself, she couldn’t believe he would try again to go after Jared, and when she came back to herself she let go. There wasn’t much left, Celbris was barely breathing, she walked over to Mical and Emina and threw him at their feet.

  She came back down enough to look more like Miranda the human, “The next time you try to destroy my father, I won’t be so nice. I believe we have a meeting to go to.” As they all walked into the Concillium, Emina and Mical disappeared, they held back they needed a new plan.

  Chapter 21

  “We are going to grab her father and if she goes crazy like she almost did out there the table will kill her for us.” Mical told Emina his thoughts and he finished with, “I have a new plan. Just go back in there and wait I don’t want you to know anything get ready to take the table from them.”

  Miranda knew what the table had told her, Emina and Mical were gone, off trying a new plan. She knew that they were after her father and there wasn’t much she could do about it, she trusted the table and ran for the door.

  At this point chaos ensued, the evil ones appeared from everywhere and no one was left alone. They attacked anything that moved, and wherever a hybrid was ten or more evil beings were attacking them.

  Michael moved quickly to help his parents. Brint and his wife Emico were torn from running to help their son Jared, they were separated and attacked, so Mattis ran to help Emico.

  Everyone was being attacked as if a great war had been started, this was a last minute arrangement that Celbris had made with his friends. He wanted to be sure everyone was hurt and that everyone felt his wrath if he died. Not even Mical or Emina knew the things Celbris was capable of. He was a very terrorizing force to be reckoned with, Celbris had started a war were Emina and Mical had only wanted a seat and power, Celbris truly was the one in power today. In his death, he created a cataclysmic war that might never end.

  Mical spotted Miranda running and sent slaves for Jared in his weakened condition. He sent three of his best man to grab him and rip at his skin he thought he could get her to stop. Two of Emina’s slaves went after Fortuna, Carma and Sahen, keeping them in a power struggle to get away to help Jared. Three servants went after Gage to stop him from grabbing Emina and a struggle ensued. Gage was still too powerful for them.

  She didn’t look back; she kept running for the door because she knew the only way to help was to get inside the meeting room. She heard Gage scream as Mical grabbed him, it almost stopped her in her tracks, her head was swimming she couldn’t believe she was running away from the fight, she should be there fighting alongside her family. She wanted so badly to be there, she was completely torn in two, and she listened for the table so she would know she was doing the right thing.

  Nothing, there was silence from it and the room, could she be too late? What if Emina got there already? She pressed on, she felt so far away from it as if her world was only in her head, and she was afraid she going to wake from a bad nightmare and this would all be gone, she would be alone in her bed and her family would still be dead.

  Gage and the others screamed to her, they kept repeating the same thing over and over in between screams of terror, just keep running don’t look back. Like a good little girl she did as she was told until finally she reached the meeting room where she found herself all alone. She ran up to the table and in her mind told her father to step down as she tried to sit at the table. Just then the door closed heavily behind her and she heard the evil voice that pursued her.

  “I step down and give my daughter my seat!” Gage screamed out, so everyone could hear him. The attackers let go and Mical took Gage away to a separate place that was made for Miranda. He had successfully kidnapped Gage and if Miranda took over he did have his leverage.

  Meanwhile Fortuna, Sahen and Carma fought off the slaves sent to kill them. Sahen was covered in their blood, he had not patience for any of this he needed to get to Miranda, something wasn’t right, and he needed to get inside the meeting room with her to keep her safe. Something in his mind forced him to think of nothing else as he bolted for the Concillium room door. He was within feet of the door when it closed with a thud and locked him and the others on the outside.

  Fortuna and Carma ran after Mical who was dragging Gage behind him until Mical disappeared into the woods not far from where they were fighting.

  “Where did they go, they were her a minute ago, could he have taken her to the place set up by Celbris for her, if so we may never find him.” Carma was screaming.

  Fortuna was still searching with all of her senses for the slightest hint of Gage.

  “This is bad; I know Miranda is not going to be pleased.” Carma was terrified and it was scarring Fortuna, “You have only seen half of what she can do, I’m worried for her right now, if she can’t keep it together I don’t think Jared and I are strong enough to bring her back this time. Oh no, Jared may not be strong enough to make it through the night, look!”
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br />   Jared was alone on the ground hurting badly and barely breathing, as they ran over to him.

  Fortuna looked at Carma with great concern as they raced towards the room, “What do you mean bring her back? Are you telling me she’s not in control of her powers yet?”

  Fortuna knew how bad that could be with a normal hybrid, but Miranda was much, much more than that. She had never seen powers that strong, she also had never seen a hybrid of one race with every races power inside them.

  “It’s not her powers exactly, it’s her emotions, and they control her powers. Jared and I have been practicing going into her head and bringing her back down. Miranda has been practicing too but we never thought they would really take Gage, he’s so powerful. How did they weaken him?” Carma was truly lost at how it all happened. “How is it that Gage the most powerful Hybrid lost a fight to servants?”

  Fortuna knew that answer and she was upset, “It’s when he gave up the seat, there is a lapse in his powers for about two days, Gage knew that! I can’t believe he didn’t tell you. There’s one thing I don’t understand, where is his line?”

  Fortuna was looking around in every direction, not one member of the Forces had come to fight, “how could they not know? I’m sure her dad sent someone to get them and bring them back here in case there was a fight. Miranda told me that you knew this was going to happen, how could it be that his whole line is not here, do you know who he called to alert them?”

  “It was someone named Triu, I have never heard the name before, but Jared said he was Gage’s oldest and most trusted friend.”

  Carma was sure of the name because she asked Jared four or five times because the name was so new to her.