by brett hicks
Sally texted me and said, “Two minutes.”
I stood up and I dropped a tip on the table. I looked at the Scott and said, “The next time we meet I will kill you. I give you my word on that.”
He smirked, but his eyes were void of emotions now and he nodded. “I respect ye little lass, ye are a damn fine warrior, but I shall end ye next time. Until then, try not to let the other sects get ye too dead lass.”
I nodded and I walked past him and I did not look back. Sally was just pulling up outside, when I walked out the doors. I guess I timed my exit well enough. I honestly wanted to fight him there, but my instincts were screaming at me that he was not alone. His aged smell of death was covering up the others without a doubt. I was not going to attack an old ass vamp halfcocked and in public.
…………
Sally and I pulled up at home and I could feel forest green magic twanging in the air. I could smell other wolves, before I had my door fully open. I palmed my right dagger into my hand and I ducked, rolling bellow the blurring fist aimed at my head. I hit the ground in a roll and I heard the growls of shifted wolves.
I palmed my second dagger into my left hand and I swung my right blade, while a whipped my body to the right in a blur of speed. I heard a howl of pain as I came fully to my feet. I jumped back and a clawed hand shredded the fabric on my shirt, but barely broke the skin on my chest. I felt my veins go hot with anger and I let it burn over and I embraced the fire that now sizzled in my veins.
I slashed to my right and made one of the wolves jump out of reach, but the one in front rushed me at that moment. I did not have time to think about what I was doing, I just slid the dagger between his ribs and Felt my blade bite into the heart. I whipped the blade out and dove away from the two blurs of clawed hands swiping for my throat.
I came up into a crotch and I slashed out at the closes limb I could connect with and I heard another howl of pain. I could hear the low growls from Sally promising death to all that stood before her and challenged her. I could hear mauling and whining coming from her direction now, but I had to stay focused. I pushed out my magic and I felt the air erupt into a blazing fire directly in front of me.
I scorched some fur on one of the now retreating wolves, but three more were coming to flank me now. I could not dodge them all and I was not use to using my magic. I wanted to burn all of them, but I did not know how to control it. I remembered at the bar how it felt for my veins to freeze and I let my anger drain and become a cold calculated fury. I felt the air freeze over around me and my mind goes numb to everything around me. I was the killer now and I would not let anything stop me from surviving this night, even my lingering love for Sally’s pack. I reminded myself that they were not her pack anymore, not after what her father had done. She was also fighting to live; my feelings would only get us both killed.
I push my magic into the ground and I stab one dagger into the soil and blades of ice fly from the frozen grass now. Dozens of tiny blades pepper the furry hides of the wolves in front of me. I hear more yelping now and I push more magic out and I surround myself in razor sharp blades of ice. All the wolves momentarily paused their attack, calculating how to handle this new threat.
I hear roars rip through the crowd of wolves now and I recognize that booming power. I feel his magic approaching me now in all his apex glory. He snaps at the five wolves’ semi circling me now. I know he is telling them to charge, so I push out with my ice magic and I feel the air go even colder. I see the dozens of small daggers dig into chest, heads, necks and paws.
I become death itself for the sake of survival; I can bitch about killing pack wolves later. Two wolves barrel into me in wolf form. I jam my left hand blade into one’s skull before he can snap down on my arm. He goes limp and I lose hold of the blade, leaving it in his head. The other pins me, but I roll to the side and push up on him, before he can claim my neck. I freeze the air around us and it becomes harder and harder to breath. I kick and kick at his back leg as he wheezes and snaps for my neck. I manage to keep enough control; to keep my neck off the teeth of this six foot were wolf.
I cannot get a good angle with my right hand dagger now, but I rake it across his fore paw and he whips back in pain. I kick his damaged left hind leg and I hear the crunch of ligament and bone snapping under my assault. I raise my right hand and burry the blade into his throat, before I roll away.
I feel, as much as see, Sally’s dad charging me in a fury that would cause a lesser being to quiver. I was scared shitless sure, but I was calm as the ice that I was manipulating now. I focus my magic into my right hand and I form a seven inch dagger of ice. I roll away from his charge and his claws dig deep into my right shoulder, but I burry a blade of ice into his chest. It is not silver and it was not a killing blow, but I had hoped to discourage him.
I stand fully and I give one flick of my vision to my injury. It is deep and I feel the torn muscles in my arm slowly trying to re-knit them now. I curse to myself and I hear more howls of wolves coming to circle around the whole front of my house. I feel one particular wolf come barreling towards me, but I don’t fear him.
Dylan roars out at the half dozen wolves coming to close in on my location. He snaps at them and his alpha power radiates off of him like a tsunami. Dylan’s grey and white coat is always beautiful to behold, but I did not have time to admire the pretty wolf now.
Mr. Early rumbled lowly and snapped at the pack wolves commanding them to attack again. They do not hesitate this time, they charge Dylan and I. I form another blade in my left hand, it is easier this time and I feel like my magic is nowhere near exhausting itself.
I chuck the blade in my hand and it sinks deep into the skull of one wolf coming close to me now. I quickly form another blade and I throw it again, but this time the wolf dodges to the right and takes a bite out of my left thigh. I grit my teeth against the pain and I see Dylan swat two wolves with one huge paw and they fly backwards. He leaps into the third and I see Sally jumping into the fray now.
More wolves come in from the edge of my lawn, just how many fucking wolves did this bastard bring? I cannot just freeze everything around me this time, because my control suck and I refuse to kill my best friend. I see four wolves jump into the air and they are coming down to tear me apart. I do not blink; I will not blink at my final moments.
Chapter: 17
Sirens blared in my ears and blue lights flashed in the darkness of night, chasing the shadows from my house. Four wolves were in the air coming down on me quickly, but I charged one head on with all of my dyamphyr strength and we flew forward. I felt claws rake into each of my sides. I blocked out the pain and the blood loss. I buried the ice blade hilt deep into the jugular of the wolf I tackled.
We collapsed on the lawn close to the blue lights and gun shots could now be heard over the sounds of mauling wolves. I saw a dark figure firing two large caliber guns and moving towards me quickly. I was getting spotty and I could hear another car pull up shortly after. I heard my mother calling out to me as blackness took me.
……….
It was light out when I came to and I popped up looking around me, I was in my room. I saw a very tired Sally spooled out beside me on the large bed. I tried to get off the bed without waking her up. I walked into the bathroom and took inventory of my injuries, but I was completely healed already. That was not possible, the only way would be if I had fresh blood and I never had fresh blood.
I pulled my long tee shirt off and stripped down. I cut on the hot water and washed away the remnants of last night. I replayed the fight in my head and I remembered the control of ice that I used last night. As if on cue I felt the water begin to freeze I shivered a bit and bit back a yelp of surprise. I really had to get a handle on these damn witch powers of mine.
I toweled myself down and I threw on a pair of sweat pants and a loose fit tee shirt. I made it out of my room without waking my sleeping beast. Sally was not fun when you woke her up from a deep sleep. It was like poking a s
leeping tiger or she-wolf in this case. I walked down the stairs and I saw my mom sitting at the kitchen table talking to a young Cajun detective. I blinked a few times, like I was not sure what I was seeing.
My mom turned and smirked at me. “Oh Buffy is awake!” I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen. I went straight for my blood and had the bottle to my lips, before I remembered that I was being watched by a pair of human eyes. I nervously tried to put my blood back into the fridge, like that would magically remove the sight of me drinking it from his memory.
“You don’t have to hide your blood from me; your mom said you would need to eat when you woke up.” I looked at him and he seemed to mean what he said. I could see concern in his expression, with just a slight bit of unease and discomfort. I decided to test the waters none-the-less and drink my damn blood. I turned it up and chugged half a pint of type A blood. My mom often said I liked type A, because of my type A personality. I was never sure how much of that was an insult, but I guessed it was true really.
I licked my lips, catching the bits of blood I had missed with my tongue. I blushed when I realized that I had a man watching me this whole time. My mom had amusement twinkling in her eyes. She was never going to let me live this down!
“So how many wolves did we kill last night?” I broke the silence like a spell. Jon answered me, “Fifteen that we had bodies for last night. I think you might have killed a few more, which tried to escape, when we pulled up.”
I nodded and said, “How the hell did you know to show up?” Jon looked at me with a grim expression and said, “I didn’t know, I was just trying to make sure you returned home safely and I called your mother to help me. She rushed back to the house with me when you did not pick up your phone. We just pulled up to the war zone that was your front yard.”
I nodded and looked at my mom for a pregnant moment. “So has the pack said anything about last night?”
She sighed and said, “They are swearing vengeance for all the dead wolves you dropped last night. They are in frenzy right now, but I don’t think they want to approach this house casually either. They tested the defenses early this morning and I woke to wolves yelping in pain. I might have cursed a few things last night. I think it is safe to say that the wolves will not be our immediate problem.”
“So total casualties are nearly twenty for the pack, wow they really took a hit last night.”
She raised an eyebrow and said, “You assume I used death curses dear?”
I shrugged and said, “I know you’re a vindictive bitch, so I would assume so, yes.”
“Wow my own daughter, where did I go wrong with you?”
“Maybe by not telling me what I really was for seventeen years?”
She sighed and said, “Yes I suppose that is true, but it looks like you are not a true fire type witch after all.”
I thought back to last night, I had made flames again with my anger, but I remembered how difficult to control it was, but the ice was so natural, that I did not even have to think about molding it. I nodded and I formed a small ice dagger in my hand again and handed it to my mom.
“Yeah I just went very freaking cold and suddenly I started making these. It was like breathing to me, but I had no idea I could do it before then.”
She studied the small blade of ice and I could feel the little pulse of magic coming from the blade. It was like the object felt alive to me.
“Hum, this is interesting hun. I have not met a witch that can control a complex element like this. Most water types can control just the water it’s self like me. It is old magic to be able to control something like ice. It requires both wind and water type mixing together. To do this so naturally is very odd to say the least. It will only make your grandmother that much more restless to kill you, once she hears of this.”
I groaned in utter annoyance. “Just want I need right now, more people coming to try to kill me.”
“I don’t understand why her being able to control ice would cause the covens to want her dead? What is the big deal about her magic, versus some of the magic I know the covens can control?”
My mom gave him a tolerant look and walked over to the stove. I poured a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table across from Jon. My mom looked back at me and said, “You want a big southern breakfast little miss?”
I nodded and said, “Yep and make sure you have enough left for Sally and Dylan too. I am sure our small pack of wolves will be ravenous when they wake up. Are you eating too detective?”
He nodded and said, “Yes please, if that is not too much trouble?”
I stood up and poured him a cup of coffee too, I noticed him eyeing my coffee with a glint of lust.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was not sure that even a half-blood vampire ate solid food.” I rolled my eyes and said, “Oh I eat about as much as any shifter, because I burn through calories so fast, but I need blood to survive as well. Think of it as needing an extra vitamin to your diet if you will. The better I eat and drink, the quicker I heal. Speaking of, how the hell am I completely recovered? I should still be nursing those claw wounds.”
“Right hun, you are five days from your eighteenth birthday, so you are beginning to manifest your full powers. The magic last night was the tip of the iceberg. You will be healing much faster, from much worse. Because you are both a witch and a dyamphyr, you will have immunity to silver and cold iron. You will essentially be much more difficult to kill than a typical vampire.”
I nodded and I looked at Jon and said, “See I am a complete freak of nature.”
He looked at me with something close to compassion and maybe understanding? My mom rolled her eyes and said,” As to why the covens will want Kayla dead. I will explain to you both how the covens in this city work maybe that will help you understand.”
She cleared her throat and put a huge load of hash browns in one of her pans. “Basically this whole city has been ruled by water type witches for over three hundred years now. My mother, your grandmother came over from France in the very early days. The French covens had been divided, because we had water witches and Earth witches fighting for control of France. This caused a deep divide and my mother decided that she would avoid the old world war by traveling to the Americas.”
She flipped the eggs over and added more shredded cheese into it and then some pepper, before she continued her story.
“The old apex of the pack the Early family has run, agreed to travel in peace with the water witches of the McQueen coven. Being able to control the element that covered the ocean, insured none of the wolves would be lost to the elements. Once everyone was settled they signed a peace treaty and agreed that they would not kill one another. The three months on the high seas had been very hard on everyone and they had worked together to survive the trip.”
My mom started throwing sausage into a pan that had just heated up. I listened to the pops and sizzling sounds of the food, while I waited for my mom to continue her story.
“For the next two hundred years there was peace, but nearly one hundred years ago, when the first heirs of this new world were born, me included, the voodoo priestess Hagna put in her lot with some earth elemental witches and the new vampire king of this region. They caused devastation to the city and nearly burned it to the ground. If not for me and the other pure blood water witches, they would have destroyed the city.”
“So my grandmother what; fears anything not a water witch? Jake is a earth witch and he is of her coven.”
“He is weak as shit, cannot even keep from aging much either. He is hardly a threat to your grandmother, but you on the other hand have pure blood genetics augmented by being a dyamphyr. Most would assume that being half of two species would make you a watered down version of each, but the vampire DNA only brings out more power in your witch half hun. Your grandmother fears this, because it has never happened before me and your dad.”
“So this is just fear of the unknown? Why the hell would an immortal witch be so f
ucking scared of her own grand child? I would try to make friends with a powerful sup, not try to curse them to death at birth.”
“Well you have to understand that your grandmother is from a different era. Even I cannot get through her mid-evil hide sometimes. She is from a very dark time in our history, when witches had a lot to fear from humans and each other. Vampires have always been a major problem for our kind; they tend to enjoy draining the powerful witches. You are the only witch born that they do not have any appeal towards. I have seen how they react to your blood. They are not enticed by it, because you are too much like them.”
“So she is also afraid of me, because vampires do not want to drain me? I can do exactly nothing with that tiny advantage!”
Jon cleared his throat and said, “I would think that you could possibly ally with them, and then they would have a powerful witch, who is also off the menu to them. It could make it look like the perfect opportunity for both sides.”
I mother pointed at him with her spatula and said, “That is basically what her grandmother feared most. The wolves had adopted a wait and see approach to Kayla, but apparently that bastard has declared war on us now. He will be lucky if I don’t pull the whole Mississippi into his fucking pack and drowned them all!”
Jon looked bug eyed at my mom and she just smiled sweetly and shrugged. I saw Sally and Dylan walk in and they began to fix themselves coffee.
“So basically my dad is off his shit, because Kay is strong? I don’t buy it for a second; there is something so alien about how he is acting.”
I nodded in agreement and looked to my mom and said, “Has he ever acted this crazy before? I would never have thought him the type to send nearly twenty pack members to their deaths. He had to know that kinda death would come to the pack, if he attacked us head on.”