Rogue Witch (Daughter of Darkness Book 2)

by Val O. Morris

  Fortunately, Spratlin’s phone call to his mom was fruitful. Judith James was an Enforcer—it was like the magical police squad—and she called in the order to meet at the town square.

  Spratlin saw his mom as she jumped out of an armored truck. “Over there!”

  We ran up to her, dodging demons of all ranks along the way. We had a close call as we passed my store, but I finally got to witness the true power of Mrs. G’s magical abilities as she zapped demons left and right with her powerful Lightning Bolt.

  “All those times you needed my help…?” I didn’t understand. “You could have fixed it yourself.”

  “I liked the company,” she replied. “And besides, you never asked.”

  Come to think of it, she was right. I never once asked what type of mage she was. Of course she was a Lightning Mage like me. Why was I not surprised?

  “Mom!” Spratlin yelled as we approached the armored truck. “Is this everybody?”

  More Enforcers showed up at the cliff the night Alexa almost killed me—the night I also learned the truth about my family history. There were ten, twelve other Enforcers at most.

  “This is it. We had to divide up.” Judith looked at me when she continued, “The whole town is under attack.”

  “These things are popping up everywhere?”

  “Affirmative.” She stepped closer so that our shoulders were square with each other. “What do you know about it?”

  Spratlin stepped between us. I was relieved only because I didn’t want to have to lay Judith out flat on the ground in front of everyone just to prove a point. But I sure would’ve.

  “Mom, she knows no more than anyone else.”

  “That’s actually not true.” From behind the truck stepped Councilwoman Jax.

  Oh shit. Here we go.

  “Ms. Adams came to us, the Council.” I stared at Jax, daring her to say something stupid. “The Council wouldn’t listen. I wouldn’t listen. I’m sorry.”

  The look on Judith’s face was priceless. I wasn’t ready to kiss and make up, and I knew Jax didn’t speak for the whole Council, but I was willing to accept Jax’s apology for the good of the town.

  “So what’s the plan?” Judith asked.

  “There is no plan. All I know is that Hell Holes popping up over town went ignored, and now we’re facing the gates of Hell. You guys are the Enforcers. What do you propose?”

  “We’re here to hold them off until someone figures out what the hell is going on.”

  I felt safer already.

  Suddenly, a Fire Ball flew right through the middle of our group making impact on the side of the truck. Luckily, someone remembered to put up a protective shield. I spun around and zapped a demon as it was about to fire another shot. Spratlin, Jax, and Judith all took down more demons that were closing in on us.

  “Look around you, Judith. It’s the end of the fucking world.” I turned to Mrs. G. “Promise me you’ll be safe.”

  “I am, dear.”

  “I’ve gotta find that amulet.” I faced the demon-filled square once again. “If I have to kill every last one of them one by one, I’ll find it.”

  Staring up at the Hell Gates gave me an idea. “Come on!”

  Spratlin and I ran toward the Hell Gate closest to us. I got into position and began zapping one of the four chains that attached to the spikes. Just when I was about to make progress, I had to divert my focus to random demons that were firing on us. We wouldn’t get anywhere like this.

  “Do you see the others? See if you can get their attention.”

  Spratlin knew what I wanted, and he waved down the other two groups of our friends. “Ivy! Creep! Over here!”

  They ran over to us, and I told them to spread the word. I wanted them to concentrate their fire on the demons attacking while I gave the chains everything I had. “Keep ‘em off me!”

  The chains were mighty, and they seemed to be fused with some sort of barrier. It seemed to be impervious to lightning. “Let’s see how you like this then!” I concentrated and then coated it with flames.

  Spratlin yelled, “It’s working!”

  A few more seconds, and then the chain gave way, snapping where I was hitting it. “Yes!” I moved over to the next chain, and it was the same thing. Each one was immune to all elements but one. It was a guessing game which element to start with, but after choosing the one that the chain was weakest to, it snapped every time.

  I was down to the final chain of the first Hell Gate. It snapped but the portal was still there. I positioned myself directly underneath the portal and zapped it with my native element. Nothing. I went through each element, but I still had no effect on the portal.

  “Spratlin!” He ran over to me. “Blast it with water! I want to try something.”

  He sprayed a steady Water Beam at the portal, and I zapped it with Electric Fury. “It’s working!” Once again, it seemed to come down to combo magic and teamwork. I prayed the others were this easy.

  We all moved on to the next Hell Gate in a unified form as if we’d been practicing attack formation our whole lives. Guess all those capture the flag gaming rounds have finally paid off. My friends and I worked well together. I started on the next chain while they went back to covering me. I was about to take down the fourth chain when I felt an unwanted presence.

  Jasmine and Alexa appeared at the entrance to the square. “What the hell are they doing here?”

  “Did ya call a family reunion?” teased Spratlin.

  “Hell no! But I know where I’d like to send both of them.” Shit. I was sure they were here to cause more trouble. As if I didn’t already have enough to do. “Rotate everyone out until you find the right combo. I’ll go deal with this.”

  Jasmine and Alexa were headed toward the other side of the town square, so I ran up ahead to head them off. The way they moved, mysterious, stealthy, they were up to something. They darted down an alley between two rows of stores. I darted to the other side.

  One arm leaning against the wall and the other on my waist, I said, “Well, if it isn’t the demented duo.”

  “Get out of our way,” hissed Alexa.

  “Or what?” I crossed my arms, daring her to make a move.

  “Daddy won’t be the only one I toss off a cliff.”

  Her words stung, dredging up memories of her killing the only father I knew.

  “Alexa!” Jasmine said.

  I didn’t buy for a minute the disciplinarian mother routine. Acting on instinct, I was in my fighting stance, hand out, ready to zap Alexa into oblivion before I realized it. But as fate would have it, a nearby explosion knocked me off my guard, causing me to stumble back.

  “Give it to her,” Jasmine said.

  I didn’t have time for their games. “What is this? Third grade? You wanna pass me a note after school, I’ll be at my locker.”

  The ground rumbled and shook, and then smoke billowed up between us. The earth was separating beneath our feet! I was forced to step away from Alexa and Jasmine, the ground accentuating the division between us.

  Then, Alexa held up the amulet. “I hear you’ve been looking for this,” she said with a malicious grin.

  There was another explosion, and from out of nowhere, hundreds of winged creatures swooped down over the square. However, they weren’t alone. Atop many of the creatures was a hooded figure.

  Dark Mages.

  The ground shook again, and Alexa said, “I’ll take good care of it!” Then she and Jasmine took off down the alleyway again.

  I slapped the brick wall. “Shit!”

  There was no time for a pity party; I had to get back to my friends without being grabbed by a winged demon. I would use the time forming a plan to get the amulet from Alexa. I climbed up the grassy middle section that divided the sections of the square. From my new vantage point, I watched as more Enforcers rolled into the square.

  My elevated position also made me more vulnerable. I heard Spratlin yell from several yards away to look out right as ta
lons dug into my back. We swooped up into the air like a frantic rollercoaster. I shot a bolt of lightning over my left shoulder. Instant relief as the talons released their grip. Suddenly, I was free falling toward the ground.

  I clinched my eyes shut as if it would shield me from any pain, but there wasn’t much when I made impact. There was no way Spratlin could have reached me in time, and to my surprise, when I opened my eyes, Councilwoman Jax was helping me up. She had cushioned the blow by diving after me.

  That was two nice things she’d done for me. Shit. Guess I owed her one now. “Thanks.”

  “We’ve got more Enforcers coming in.”

  “Yeah, I saw.” I stumbled toward the direction of my friends. I turned and smiled at her, “Watch your back, Jax.”

  Spratlin and the gang were still at it—taking down as many chains and Hell Gates as possible. He said, “We can’t keep this up forever. They’re tired.”

  I nodded. “Alexa has it. She has the amulet.”

  “How do we get it?”

  “We’ll have to get her alone. It won’t be easy.”

  “I’ll help.” Jax appeared behind me.

  I couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.

  “I’m not cut out for bureaucracy. I’m a fighter. Like you.”

  “Welcome to the club. Try not to get killed,” I said as I motioned them to follow me.

  We rounded up my friends and laid out the change of plans.

  A lone Dark Mage tried to break up our party with a Fireball. We all fired a shot at him with our respective abilities. Poor thing didn’t stand a chance.

  Gaylin grabbed the mage’s robes and stomped out the fire. Then she flung it on, pulling the hood over her head.

  “What are you doing?” I yelled.

  “Making sure your plan works.”

  There was no sense in trying to stop her. She’d donned those robes before. I hoped it worked again.

  As we continued to fight Dark Mages, dodge the winged serpents, and blast little shithead demons into a gooey pulp, Gaylin made her way closer to Alexa. Both Alexa and Jasmine were fighting against the Enforcers alongside the Dark Mages.

  In a moment of pause, I reflected on the situation. There were the good guys—Enforcers and the Council—people who I didn’t get along with well on my right, and on my left, the bad guys—Alexa and Jasmine—my own flesh and blood along with mages who would stop at nothing to see each of us dead, yet would welcome me into their fold in a heartbeat. It was an odd feeling seeing the opposing forces at odds with each other—and my heart. I shook my head, snapping myself out of the wave of confusion.

  Gaylin was getting closer to her target, so I had limited time to get into position. “Come on!” I ordered those who were assigned to give me backup. We took off across the square and then doubled back behind the row of stores.

  As the Enforcers pushed through the demons and narrowed the distance between them and the Dark Mages, Gaylin slid into position. Alexa shot another round of Fireballs into the crowd of Enforcers, and Gaylin sprung into action grabbing the amulet!

  That was our cue to run. I ran counter-clockwise behind Gaylin and Alexa, and Spratlin ran the opposite direction while our other friends offered protection. In one swift motion, Gaylin tossed the amulet into the air, and I snagged it, clasping my hand around the amulet making sure to be seen with it. Then, I secretly handed it off to Spratlin as we passed each other.

  Alexa was faster than I gave her credit, and she caught up to me grabbing my arm. I held up my hands to show that I didn’t have it.

  “Where is it?” she spat, her voice ragged. She was scared, like she had just failed at the one task given to her.

  “Not here,” I teased. “But if you’re lucky, it will save us all.” I ran, glancing over my shoulder. If there was one thing I didn’t like, it was having Alexa at my back. I didn’t trust her. Or Jasmine.

  From out of nowhere, another huge metal spike shot down from the sky and slammed into the earth. It was bigger and packed more punch than the previous spikes. The shockwave from the impact obliterated one of the stores. I had a feeling this one was the mothership. Or perhaps more appropriate, fathership. Dear ol’ dad had to have the biggest and baddest one of all, to make his grand entrance.

  19

  Malek appeared, with wings spread behind him, and he descended from the portal down to the ground like he was some kind of angel. But he was no angel.

  Boy, I hated being right.

  “Take it!” Spratlin said as he held out the amulet.

  I caught the amulet in time to hear Spratlin say, “Mackenzie! Look out!” as a firm, cold grip snatched me up by the neck.

  Malek had me by the throat. “You are a traitor!” he growled.

  I struggled against his grip. He would suffocate me if I didn’t get free soon. “Hi, Dad! Nice to see you, too.”

  “Don’t patronize me, girl!” and he flung me through the air. I skidded across the concrete, leaving behind chunks of skin, I was sure. “Where is it?”

  “Where’s what? Your fatherly manners?”

  Malek didn’t like my sarcasm too much. He waved his hand upward at the ground and chunks of earth came flying at me. I threw up my arms in a cross-like position to produce a shield. The rocks and chunks of earth didn’t stand a chance.

  Jasmine yelled for Malek to back off, and then he turned his magic on her, binding her hands with magic. Alexa, being the coward she is, ran off with no attempt to help.

  Then Malek let go a shot of water at me, to which I met with a blast of cold air, freezing it on contact. The look of shock and awe stretched across his face.

  “Surprised? Seems I’ve got some powerful genes.”

  Malek spread his wings in an act of grandstanding and paced around me in a circle. “You think you’ve figured it out.” His voice was otherworldly. “You haven’t got a clue the scope of my power. ”

  “Yeah, well, I’m really not interested in your power. All it’s ever brought me was heartache.”

  Malek stopped. His wings relaxed. “I can change that.” He held out his hand.

  “Ha! You’re kidding right?” Malek didn’t move. “I don’t know who you are, or where you really came from, but I’ve got no interest in joining the likes of you.”

  “You would rather stay here, with these weak people, than learn the scope of your true power?”

  Malek didn't understand the idea of friendship, or its power. I glanced around the square at each of my friends. Then, my eyes stopped when they met Spratlin’s.

  I slipped the amulet around my neck, making sure that Malek witnessed my actions. “Yes.” The answer was simple. “Although, you’ve got it wrong. These people aren’t weak.”

  Malek’s long, boney fingers curled up into a fist as he withdrew his hand. “So be it. Force is always an option.”

  Jasmine screamed. “No!”

  I wondered how much force he had to use with her. I didn’t yet know how, but I was about to find out just what he was capable of.

  “Tell me Malek, why did you lie to me?” The nasty look Malek gave me in return said he didn’t like being accused of such things. “We’ve met Kellen. Says he didn’t kill you. One of you is lying. How could he have killed you if you’re standing, or floating, right here?”

  Malek was in my face and had me by the throat before I could blink. “You had Kellen in your presence and you didn’t kill him?” He flung me across the grassy field. “Fool!”

  Malek’s wings expanded out, and he flew into the air. Hovering near one of the Hell Gates where my friends were, he flicked his wrist, and vines shot up from the ground tethering Creep to it. As Spratlin and the others ran toward Creep, Malek forced everyone back with another shockwave.

  Malek swooped down close to Creep taunting me, begging me to come running. I knew what he was up to, but I had to time it just right.

  “Zee! Help!” Creep pleaded.

  “Let him go, Malek! This is between you and me!”

  �
�Oh, it’s about so much more than that,” Malek said as he swooped down once more to Creep.

  I lunged forward but stopped once I realized Malek was just toying with me.

  “You let Kellen get away. Now I take one of yours.”

  Creep yelled once more, “Zee, help!”

  “What’s so special about this Kellen guy anyway?”

  Malek teleported so that he was in my face once more. “He did kill me, you fool. Thousands of years ago, he took away my earthly life in exchange for that relic.” Filled with anger, he flew away so that he wouldn’t strangle me, this time for good. “I’ve been hunting it all these years. Once you came along, I knew you were strong enough to get it back and exact vengeance on the man who killed your father.”

  “I’m not your puppet, Malek. Do your own dirty work.”

  His laugh was guttural and mocking. “I even made it easy for you. Did you see his scars? That was your chance to prove yourself.”

  “Prove myself? I don’t even know you!”

  Malek then swooped up into the sky, his wings spread wide, and said, “I am Lord Malek, master of all Dark Mages and ruler of the demonic realm! And you will take your place at my side!” Then, Fireballs rained down across the town square forcing everyone to throw up magical shields and take cover the best they could.

  Creep, however, was powerless. He was still bound by earthly vines.

  “Creep! Stay strong, buddy!”

  Spratlin asked, “What the hell is he talking about?”

  I had no idea. Some demented form of father-daughter bullshit. If Malek has been dead for thousands of years… I don’t know what that made me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but Kellen must have been some form of demonic creature to still be alive.

  “You were to kill Kellen so I could have his soul, but since you didn’t, I’ll take your friend’s in exchange.”

  I started toward Creep when Malek threw a Fireball in my path forcing me to back away.

  “I do wonder… what will become of all your other friends and the town if you sacrifice yourself for this despicable human… and aren’t reborn?”