I saw several of our members backing off from the foul creatures. As they did I could see that the Union was pleased. They smiled in delight as they watched the soldiers of the Circle of Light retreat.
The vampires could not drink their blood and truthfully, they did not want to be anywhere near them. The werewolves backed away as well. They would die if they ate the flesh of the dead. The farther that they stepped back, the closer the mangled bodies came.
Sweet sounds of song rose from the witches. They were singing a spell to the zombies. The words were relaxing even to us.
Do not walk anymore, dear creatures.
Go find your souls, dear ones.
Rest in the heavens.
Be gone away from here!
The harmony in their chanting was powerful and one by one, the rotting corpses fell to the earth. They disappeared into the ground from which they had come. They only left the rotten stench of their bodies behind as a reminder that they were even here.
Everything was going rather well and I had been expecting more of a fight from them. Nothing like what they were doing. It was almost like they were testing our power. To see how far they were going to be able to go before actually having to join in on the fight.
The ground began to rumble beneath our feet. Shaking violently, almost knocking Silas and Maggie off their feet beside me.
“Take hold of my arms!” I called to them.
I knew that my power could keep them on their feet. Well, actually, I had planned to let them hover just an inch or so off the ground. Just to be sure.
I felt their power enter me as they grabbed onto each of my arms. Maggie was worried. She didn’t like the idea of not being able to touch Silas. Seeing him was not enough for her. She needed to be able to feel him in order to know he was safe. I found that a bit impractical at the time, but who was I to say anything to her. I feel the same way about Eric and my children.
Eric took hold of Maggie s arm, releasing her grip on me.
“Silas! Take her!” He said, shifting his weight to push her to Silas.
In a fraction of a second, I felt Maggie’s power reenter the Circle. She had become more focused being able to touch Silas. I needed that focused feeling from her. Not the erratic feelings she was giving off before.
The Union sent another wave of creatures our way. This time they were full of power. They were hungry for the kill, stronger, and more volatile than the ones before them. Every soul on our side could feel it. Every member of the Circle of Light charged forward at them. All of us joined in except for the Kings, Queens, Maggie, and Silas. This was now, a full on war.
I watched them in horror as they fought against those of their own kind. It was vampire against vampire now. Witches and werewolves were fighting against their own as well. The guilt they felt burned at my mind, but this is the way it had to be.
Maggie was pleading with Silas to stay with the high powers. She didn’t want him to join the fight.
“That is my family. How can I stand here without helping them?” Silas was saying to Maggie, trying to get her to understand why he needed to go.
“They are dying, Maggie!” Silas screamed with hurt in his voice.
“We need your power here, with us. We have to keep Luke and Jade safe!” She screamed back at him.
I turned my attention back on the fight that was happening only yards away from us. Pain filled my heart as I watched the members that had been killed falling to the ground.
They fought with vigor and killed for peace and love of life. The other side was doing the same, but their driving force was pain and the insatiable hunger for power in their Union.
As I watched our allies taking the Union members lives, I wondered whether they had actually known what the consequences of their dark allegiance were. Evil or not, I was not sure that was the only factor in their decision.
Lives were being lost on our side. Although, not as near as many as our enemies are losing. Several of the witches had been overpowered, leaving them helpless against their attackers. As the evil took their lives, I bid their souls a final farewell and prayed for their safe journey to the afterlife.
The sight of the creatures in this wave mortified me. I had remembered hearing about demons, but no words could have prepared me for this. Seeing the awful things shook my soul with disgust. Their eyes burned with the pain of their hundreds of victims. The demons walked through our members like they were only air. As they passed through them, I heard the screams coming from deep within their souls. The demons took their souls and went on to the next one, not giving them a second thought.
We couldn’t just stand here and let this happen. All of members would surely die if we did. What can we do?
The rage from seeing my friends being slaughtered in front of me pushed me to act. I felt a scream of my own building, once again, inside my chest. Ripping and tearing its way up my throat until the only thing left for me to do was let it out.
The scream came out, powered by my anger and the loss of my beloved friends. It once again deafened me. I watched as the demons gripped their heads in agony. I wanted them to feel the pain they had caused the others, to feel their hurt as they took their lives from them.
Mommy. Why are you screaming? Jade asked me.
I answered her without breaking my deathly shriek. These are bad people precious. They want to take you and your brother from us.
Telling her that wasn’t one of the smartest things I had thought I would ever do, but she deserved to know. Luke and Jade were only days old, but their minds are mature and understanding like an adult.
I felt a burning rip through my body. It felt like I was being thrown into a massive fire to burn alive.
Luke! Help me brother! I heard her yell.
Suddenly I felt the fire calmed by a coolness that seemed to balance out the heat. These were my children s powers. They held far greater power inside them than I could have ever imagined. They were definitely the greatest of powers. I could feel the good and evil within them both and I knew that they were not something to be toyed with.
I held onto Jade as Eric ran his arm through mine creating a tight bond. We each had both of our hands touching each of the babies that we were holding. I felt the need to put a stop to my scream, even though the demons were still alive.
Eric looked over at me and I had a feeling that I was about to see Jade and Luke’s powers for the first time.
The burning feeling returned and I knew that Jade was doing something. I just couldn’t tell what it was. The high powers of the Dark Union knew it too. They began walking forward, not paying much attention to their demons standing between us.
Their faces were held tight with intent of doing damage. They floated over the ground, not even disturbing a single blade of grass. Completely and utterly silent. If I had not have been watching them, I would have never known they were anywhere around. That was a scary thought, to say the least.
The remaining members of the Circle had used the opportunity that my scream had opened to kill the demons in their weakened state. I watched as they backed away after erasing the demons that were left standing. I could feel more power as each of them came closer to the Circle.
I felt the arm of another high power in our Circle intertwine with mine as Eric and I had done just a moment earlier. My skin vibrated with power as each member joined. The power was almost too much to handle, but I gritted my teeth and held my breath.
It was so intense that it hurt a little. Just enough to really be annoying, but this was something we were all going to have to deal with for the time being. We have work to do now.
The high powers of the Dark Union had almost made it close enough to us that we could hear them speaking to one another. Just a little closer and they would be right in front of us, and a fight would be unavoidable.
I was surprised to hear one of them speak directly to us when they stopped.
“We are only interested in them.” One of the cloaked figures sa
id pointing to Luke and Jade.
“They are of no interest to you,” Earth Queen said sternly.
“Oh, yes Queen. They most certainly are.” The figure said smiling.
I didn’t panic when I heard that. All I done was stand there, imagining killing them slowly. I wanted to rip all of their measly heads off for the thought of putting their filthy hands on my children.
“The children will join us or they will die. But one will happen tonight.”
Eric shifted his weight at the figure’s response. He went into full protection mode. I knew that he wasn’t going to allow very much more conversation to go on between us. Eric never was one for dragging things out. Tonight, that was an important quality.
MOMMY! Jade screamed and I knew that I wasn’t the only one that heard her. The cloaked figures took an awkward step backward. The sheer power of her call to me caused them to stumble.
“Yes little one?” I said aloud not caring who heard.
What is happening? Jade asked.
“The Dark Union wants you and your brother to join them.”
What happens if we don’t want to? She asked softly. The fear had left her voice and she was calm asking her questions.
“Did you hear what he said?” I asked her. I could not bear to repeat his threat to my children. Enough damage had already been done to their innocence. I would not allow any more.
Yes, Mommy. He said we would join them or die.
I wasn’t about to let that happen. I was prepared to die to keep my children from them.
“It is their choice.” I said to the dark figure.
“True. We cannot force them, but the consequences of them not joining us are far worse than doing so.”
I held Jade gently, burning this exact moment of my love for her deep within her mind. I want her remember that I loved her more than I loved myself and that no matter what her decision was my love would always be with her.
Well, I don’t want to join them, Daddy. I heard Luke saying to Eric.
“That's one that has made the choice. And what about you, Princess Jade?” Another one of the cloaked figures asked.
Jade was silent. I knew they could hear her when she wanted them to, but I also knew that they were not able to hear her thoughts. They didn’t possess that amount of power.
“Jade?” I called to her for her answer.
I want to go with them Mommy. She finally said.
I could feel the pain that her words had caused. My heart shattered and I felt empty. Jade had made her decision and I was powerless to stop her. She had free will and who was I to try to force her to stay?
It’s okay, Mommy. I love you.” She whispered to me. The agony of her decision crippled me in a way that I was never going to recover. Her decision made me recoil into the deepest secluded places in my mind. I didn’t want to hear anything else.
“Give her to me,” One of them said as she removed her hood. I was shocked by her appearance. How could something so evil be so beautiful? I was expecting to see what I thought wickedness would look like, but I was wrong.
Her hair was like the sun and her skin was fair. Her smile was captivating and I couldn’t help but think that I had seen her before. She was strikingly familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen her.
Tears flowed like waterfalls off my cheeks as the evil blonde-haired woman stepped closer to take Jade from me. My hold tightened on Jade, not wanting to let her go. She would live in such a vile world with them. My daughter, my sweet Princess had chosen to join darkness.
“Let her go.” Eric said as he sobbed.
However, something about his reaction to this was off. Something else was going on, but I was too crushed to want to know what it was. My life and my heart were being shattered.
My arms held Jade out to the woman against my will. She took her, cradled her softly, and began humming tenderly. My strength left my body and I hit the ground on my knees. My sobs came uncontrollably.
The woman returned to her place with the high powers of the Union with Jade. They were pleased with their half victory. I was broken, left to remain empty for all of eternity. My soul felt lost. She had chosen a life of evil, and that was the way it was going to be.
“I love you Jade. Always.” I said to her.
“Will you not join us Prince?” The dark man asked for the final time.
No. I will not.
“So be it.” Another figure said extending its hand. A bright blue ball of electricity formed in his hands and I knew that would be the blow that would take Luke’s life.
Things started happening faster than I could take in. I heard Luke scream. Now Jade!
I felt the iciness of Luke power hit me. It was much more severe this time without Jade’s power to balance it out and I let out a shriek from the pain. I was frozen. My body was frozen and I could hear the screams of the others in my Circle. His power could possibly kill us all.
Through my pain, I started to feel warmth on my freezing skin. The only thing I could think of was how Jade’s power had felt when she was in my arms. I tried hard to see the blonde woman that had been holding my precious baby girl, but all I could see was a bright golden light where I thought they were standing.
More screams filled the night around us. They were louder and more agonizing than ours had been. It sounded just like the screaming souls I heard inside some of our previous attackers.
Please don’t worry Mommy. Everything is going to be all right. Jade’s voice rumbled in my head. I promise.
What was she doing? I so mystified at that moment that I think I actually gave up. My body was trying to be strong, but my mind had faded. The air around me was cloudy and thick, making it almost impossible to inhale.
I think that my body was actually shutting down. I felt nothing but the pain of the loss of Jade to the Dark Union. All I could do was try to catch one last glimpse of her, but the inferno of golden light that encased her and the woman was impossible to see through.
The connection that I shared with Jade had vanished. I was not able to hear her thoughts, nor could I hear her sweet voice speak to me. The fiery sensation of her power was gone as well. She was lost, no longer a member of the Circle of Light and no longer in the safety of my arms.
I had to get myself together. Luke had chosen to stay with us and I knew that he was going to need all the protection he could get. I have to be able to save him from anything or anyone that was going to try to hurt him, but his power was so debilitating to me. It was still keeping me frozen in pain.
I’m sorry Mommy. I know I am hurting all of you, but I have to. There's no other way. Luke’s voice swirled inside my head.
Tears tried to build in my eyes, but the frigidness of his power kept them at bay. My little boy was fighting so hard to help us, but at what cost to him? Was his power strong enough to sustain his objective? Only time would tell.
I prayed to the highest of high powers for strength and protection for both of my children and our Circle. Nothing that I could do was going to be enough to help either of them now. Praying was the only thing I was able to do. It was all that I had left.
The screams that had been rising in the night air grew more intense by the second. Whatever was happening to them was agonizing. I was sure that they were feeling an immeasurable amount of pain because I was feeling it as well, but in a smaller degree.
“Luke, show me what is going on!” I demanded of him.
Okay Mommy, but I don’t think you are going to like what you see.”
Luke was right. I didn’t like the scene that was playing out before me. The rusty smell of blood scorched my nostrils and I wanted to vomit. I could see that several of the five dark powers had been killed. Not just killed, dismembered and set on fire.
The remaining two members had been pleading with Luke to spare their lives. I wasn’t able to hear any of the conversations that had been going on. Luke’s power had shielded me from the horror that he was causing them.
The blonde woman and one other member was all that stood. I didn’t know what Luke was planning on doing to the woman. She was holding his sister in a shielding manner, careful that nothing of harm reached her. She didn’t give me the same feeling of despair as the other members had. Something was different about her, but I wasn’t exactly sure what. I noticed that she looked at Jade with nothing but pure love in her eyes. How could evil love?
Maybe it wasn’t love for Jade. Maybe it was love for the power she would bring her. She would be protected from anyone that wanted to cause her harm as long as she kept Jade in her possession. But there was something wrong with her reactions. They were pure in nature.
The other cloaked figure removed his hood as he spoke with Luke about the power he would have if he were to join him. He was a young boy, only in his teens. He wasn’t ugly, but I could tell that he had been evil for a very long time. It had begun to leave its signs on his flesh, aging it without him being old and giving him a slightly transparent look to his eyes.
“Young Luke. You can have it all with me.” The boy said.
Luke’s voice was calm and unnaturally caring as he talked to the boy. How could I possibly have anything if I join such evil?
The boy was all out of answers. He stood there looking at us with defeat written all over his face. He had lost, but he wasn’t going to give up on turning the situation around for his benefit.
“Is no your final answer, Prince Luke?” He asked.
Luke replied with a burst of power that rattled him. Yes, that is my final answer.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of a lion roaring. Luke’s power was that great.
An explosion of power burst from the boy s body. I knew that the high powers of the Dark Union were amazingly strong, but nothing I had heard could have prepared me for this.
Sparks and high-pitched whistles shot through the air, cutting through it like razor blades.
Ignite (Circle of Light Book 2) Page 15