by Ben Alderson
Our entranced guide nods in agreement and moves away, leaving us alone with the elder. Before she is fully out of sight, I catch the nasty glare Mrs. Tate gives us. Jokes on her. If she knew what I achieved, she would truly have a reason to hate me even more than she already does.
“Close the door behind you. The draft is an unwanted guest.”
Chad is as frozen as winter ice, but my hand urges him to follow me. I release him only to close the door.
“Thank you for seeing us,” I tell her.
“I did not have much of a choice. I am certain members of my staff and your fellow student witches have told you just how scandalous this is, George. Never did I expect this from you of all witches. I understand you made friends within the vampiric world, but I did not think you would be foolish enough to bring one here.”
I lower my gaze to my feet, cheeks warming under Elder Jane’s calm anger. It lingers beneath her tongue as she speaks.
“Do you not have anything to say for yourself?” she interrogates me. “Or what of you, Master Danvers? I suggest one of you speak immediately. I demand an explanation.”
“This is my doing,” Chad’s voice is dark but not because of aggression. He would be a fool to share that emotion with Elder Jane. He may be fearless, but he knows this is not the time nor place for such an outburst. “I came to George with important news, and he felt that you should know about it.”
Elder Jane’s gaze flicks to me, but her body doesn’t move. “George, is what he says true?”
“It Is. I understand bringing him here is a risk, but I had to take it. I swear, I only have the good of Hillcrest on my mind.”
Elder Jane sighs and moves around her desk, taking a seat in preparation for her following question. “And what you have to say next will shock me? It will make this betrayal okay? I highly doubt it, George. Do you understand what I am dealing with at the…”
She stops and looks to the door. Raising a hand, she waves it in a circular motion three times as she whispers an incantation. Like the suction of a vacuum, I sense the sound in the room being sealed within. She’s using a silencing charm, keeping out the noise that lingers in the hallway so we’re not distracted. When she is done, she rests her aged, ring-covered fingers on her polished desk and carries on.
“Forgive me, boys, but I am dealing with humans. A group has moved into town on the trail of the missing humans. They’re investigating a mass disappearance.”
Chad clears his throat. “They are not humans.”
Elder Jane snaps her head back and blinks dramatically. “Are you suggesting I am telling lies?”
“Not at all.” I can see the panic on Chad’s face. It pinches his handsome features and creases his forehead. “All I mean is that you are being misled. They don’t want you to know what they are. They want you to believe they’re humans.”
“The humans? You’re saying they’re tricking me?”
“They are hunters, Elder Jane. Supernatural hunters” I clarify. “These are the very same beings who kidnapped Savi, my friend and Chad’s sister. They tortured her to the brink of death. I saw her with my very eyes, and she herself has confirmed that they are in fact the hunters who kidnapped her. They’ve invaded Hillcrest, Elder Jane, and they plan to do evil things.”
Elder Jane is silent for a moment as she swallows my words. I can see her neck bob as she fights to understand the reality of our situation. Her knuckles turn white as she presses down on the desk to still her obvious shaking.
“Hunters… in Hillcrest? Bold accusations, boys. Are you certain?”
Seeing her try to control what has to be panic makes my own legs shiver. Elder Jane is the leader of the witches. She is equally powerful as she is wise, but the simple word of hunters is causing her to melt in her chair until she looks small and childish.
“I swear it,” Chad says.
She stands abruptly. “Forgive me, but I want to speak with Savannah. I need to know everything she knows. Everything. Let me dig into her mind to understand what the murderers are doing here.”
I reach for my phone in my pocket. “We can bring her to you.”
“No. I must speak with her now.”
Wind rushes throughout the room as Elder Jane conjures her element. Furniture scatters to all four corners, creating a large empty space within the center of her office.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“We, Master Alcott, are going to conjure Savi here at this very moment. I will not wait to speak with her. Not with news that’s this crucial to our survival. Please, have Master Danvers move and stay out of the way until the spell is complete.”
I don’t need to reiterate Elder Jane’s words to Chad. In a blink, he is completely out of our way.
Conjuring spells are tricky but not impossible—especially not with access to Elder Jane’s power. It doesn’t take long for cream and purple pillar candles to be placed in a complete circle around the empty space in the room.
“Light them,” she tells me.
Abraxon stirs, reminding me without words that fire is no longer an element I am to fear.
I close my eyes and take a breath. As I exhale, I feel the warmth of the room increase. Opening my eyes, I see the tall flames that dance on each of the candle wicks.
“Feed your energy into the enclosed circle, and I will do the rest,” Elder Jane orders.
There is no time for questions. Elder Jane opens both arms to her side and raises her chin. Foreign words spill out of her mouth in a blend of sounds. The space within our enflamed circle spins with vicious air, turning into a vortex and blurring what lies within.
I push my energy toward it, containing the power and keeping the fire burning on the candles. Abraxon lends a hand, making it easier to contain the spell.
I want to look at Chad, but I fear if I take my concentration away for even a moment, this will fail. And I cannot let that happen.
My hair jostles in the wind. My mouth dries and my heart thumps. The spell continues until Elder Jane fists her hands, calling off the magic and stilling the room.
I squint through the calming vortex at the shape within. Savi stands in the center of our circle. She is the same Savi I’ve always known. My soul connects to hers, and I know she’s there. But something is off about her. She looks different. The shifting air that weaves with the glowing magic distorts her features at first, making it close to impossible for me to see what unnerves me about my best friend.
Slowly, she turns to face us. Her usual beautiful face is marked with features of the wolf that lies dormant. Her piercing yellow eyes meet mine, and her jaw opens, a howl piercing the otherwise silent room.
Uh oh, Abraxon chimes in. I guess the secret is out.
“No,” Elder Jane breathes, hand on her chest. “It cannot be.”
“I can explain—” I begin, but Elder Jane’s face contorts into horror, and she screams.
“HYBRID!”
Chapter Eleven
Savi
I shout for Will to stop, to think about what he’s doing. Briefly, his gaze meets mine, but it’s not long before he’s back staring at the wolves, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if the beasts will pounce at any moment.
I call off the wolves, but they do not listen. Why would they? I’m not their alpha, and Will is part of the organization that killed so many of their pack members. In their eyes, he deserves to die for what his people did. And are they wrong to feel that way? Even the humans agree an eye for an eye is acceptable.
As I wonder if Will should pay for his crimes—because I’m sure I’m not the only vampire he led the hunters to—I find myself rushing forward and standing between the wolves and their prey.
“I don’t need your protection!” Will shouts.
I roll my eyes. Men are always so sensitive about women racing to their rescue. “I think me protecting you shouldn’t be your biggest concern right now.”
“You’re right. My biggest concern is how supernaturals can turn on ea
ch other in the blink of an eye! This is why we…”
He stops, and I turn on my heels to face him fully.
“This is why you what, Will?” I say, daring him to finish that sentence.
He swallows heavily.
“Say it! Say the words!” I shout, but he simply averts his gaze, refusing to look me in the eye. “Look at me and tell me that this is why you murder supernaturals.”
Anger boils in the pit of my gut, threatening to spill over, and I let it. I don’t ignore what I am or how it makes me feel. I just… be. I let myself be who I am now. And right now, I’m one pissed off hybrid.
I begin my transition before I even realize it’s happening, but I don’t want to fully change. I want him to hear my words. He needs to know how messed up his life is, how wrong it is. Of all beings, I shouldn’t judge him. I was just as clueless only weeks ago. But I learned my lesson, and it’s time he learns his.
“Supernaturals are not the problem, Will. Your people are the problem. Sure, we need a treaty in place and a government to police our actions, but we don’t go around torturing and killing others just because we can.”
“Really, Savi? Are you sure you should be the one who talks to me about what’s right and what’s wrong? After all, we met during similar circumstances,” he counters.
“I have never let one of my victims feel even an ounce of pain. I compelled them into a happier life. They were grateful during their final moments with me. Your people never offer such reprieve.”
I’m inches from him now, jabbing my index finger against his chest so hard he winces. The moment my claws extend and I slice his skin, I realize just how out of control I can be when I’m angry.
“What are you?” Will asks.
I step back, falling into the waiting line of wolves. They nudge into me, rubbing their furry snouts against my legs. It’s a comfortable feeling that reassures me that I’m okay.
I glance down at my hands and see my claws. I’m beginning my transition, but my desire to still be able to communicate with Will must have slowed it to a near halt. I thought only the alpha had the power to do that.
I turn to face him, and his cold stare greets me. Before I can ask what the hell is going on, the sudden echoing of familiar voices is all around me. I don’t understand her words, but I know she speaks to me. I spin in circles, searching for her. She makes her presence known, yet she hides. I cannot see her, but I hear her all around me.
The wolves are staring at me curiously, watching as I turn round and round. Do they not hear her too? Are her words for my ears alone? Or is it my heightened senses in this in-between moment that allow me to hear her?
Before I can ask if Will understands her words, I am swallowed in darkness. I hear Will’s shock and the distant howling of the wolves, and somehow, I know I’m no longer with them. I know little of witch magic, but I’m sure George is the cause of this. What other witch could harness such a powerful display of magic?
I try to still my hammering heart, but the darkness is enveloping me. I try to fist my hands at my sides, but my claws scrape against my skin. My ears twitch at the slightest of sounds, and I know I’m not alone in this place. I don’t know where I am, but other souls lurk here. They surround me now as if I could bring them with me, back to the world of the living.
I see a flash of a familiar face. She smiles at me even when I’m in this form, as if I’ve never looked more beautiful to her. I gasp as she slowly approaches, but already, she’s fading away as I’m pulled free from the darkness that she’s stuck in.
“Mother?” I whisper.
And then she’s gone, and I’m standing in the crosshairs of two witches. My gaze lands on Chad, who hovers in the corner. Lines of worry crease his eyes, which grow wide as he trails my frame.
Someone shrieks, and I turn away from my brother, scanning the room until I face the noise maker. Her scream pierces my ears, and they twitch in response, blocking enough of her screech to make listening bearable.
“Hybrid!” Elder Jane shrieks.
Quickly, I transition back into my vampire form, if only to convince her that I’m no threat. I feel my elongated fangs and claws retract, and my ears shrink. My hair returns to normal, no longer coating my pale skin. The process takes seconds, but that’s all she needs.
Magic rushes all around me. I hear George shout something to Elder Jane, but even I know it’s no use. She won’t stop, and she won’t listen. Her first instinct is to kill, and I can understand that. It was once my first instinct too. But even though I can appreciate her response, I will not yield to it.
Her words echo in my mind—trapping spell. She wants to confine me here, hand me over to the council. She’s no different from the hunters who caged and tortured me. We must be better than that. We must be better than the humans who burned witches alive in the 1600s, and we must be better than the hunters who kill today.
Her magic swirls around me, clinging to my skin in a powerful attempt to harden my limbs like stone. It coats my arms and legs, and I know I must fight Elder Jane if I wish to free myself and escape the council.
Inside of me, the darkness stirs, just as it did in the forest when Will and I were nearly caught by his fellow hunters. Abraxon coils within me, aching to be released.
And I let it. I offer the control it so desperately craves.
Swirling within me, it coats every fiber of my being, strengthening my frail frame and forcing away Elder Jane’s magic. I watch her reaction as the darkness within me combats her efforts. Her shock turns to fear, and she mumbles something under her breath.
“What are you?” she whispers.
The moment she realizes she cannot cast a spell and plant me firmly in place, her feelings for me become much more sinister in nature. The soft swirling magic she sent at me turns the air into daggers. One after another, she thrusts the element at me with a mindset to kill. No longer does she want to trap me here. No, she wants to provide the council with a corpse.
It’s only a matter of time before she makes the connection that I am what I am because of George, and with my lifeless body, she’ll offer up George’s too. Probably even Chad’s. Elder Jane will kill anyone by association if that means sending a message to the other powerful witches in Hillcrest. Using black magic means signing your own death certificate.
Elder Jane sends blasts of power my way, and although each collides firmly into my torso, the pain is unusually bearable. It’s as if she barely makes a mark. Her forehead moistens as she continues her assault, and I watch as a bead of sweat dribbles into her eyes.
Is this a joke? Is she really exerting this much energy? Sure, her assault stings, but it’s hardly painful enough for me to crumple under her power. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I know we haven’t much time. We’re in an office, and I’m sure there’s more witches just beyond the closed door.
I don’t want to hurt the elder witch, but she’s offering me no other choices. I smile at the thought that she knows and there’s nothing she can do to stop me. Just as that final thought enters my mind, I release every ounce of the darkness that’s within me. It blasts from my core, slamming into everything and everyone around me. As if I’m a bystander in the midst of a war, I stand in the aftermath of my darkness. The walls crumble, furniture turns to dust, and the people I love succumb to an inevitable defeat.
Chapter Twelve
George
Pure light exploded from Savi’s chest. At first, it vibrated across her skin, like a boiling fire, but it was different, lighter. It didn’t seem hot, but it wasn’t cold either. The blast had a comfortable, familiar feeling to it. Then in a single breath, her arms flung wide, and her mouth opened. Darkness followed.
Perhaps her light snuffed out everything else and left the world in obsidian. At least, that’s what it first felt like. After that initial blast and the inevitable darkness, I fell to the floor in agony.
My vision doubles as I scan the rubble. Cold air tickles the grime and dust on my skin, eve
n kissing the bloody cuts that are scattered across my legs and hands. My jeans are in tatters, flashing the pale skin beneath.
How much time have I lost?
Lifting my neck hurts, but Chad is there, reaching out for me. His face is covered in the same pale dust that coats my hands and exposed skin. Just seeing him settles my vision enough to scan the room.
Elder Jane’s office is in rubble. The sky is open above us, and the walls are in ruin. It’s as if we were never in her office to begin with. The wind picks up as my panic increases.
“Where is Savi!” Chad cries, his voice able to slice through the strange floating detachment of my concentration.
Savi.
She was right there, with skin of glowing amber and hair of sun-spun gold.
Magic.
It oozed from every pore on her body.
“Savi!” Chad yells, yet still I am unable to focus on one thing for long. I lift my hand to my head and find out why.
An egg of a bump is sore to the touch, standing atop my skin. Mother would tell me as a child that a bump was always “better out than in.” A mundane saying for those without the healing spells within a witch’s grimoire. My bumps never lasted long, not when her cold hands would heal me.
“Look at me, George. Look at me!”
“Where?” I ask, Chad’s words sounding misplaced and out of order.
His hands hold my cheeks and stop me from looking around at the destroyed room, toppled walls, and brick covered floor. Should this make me worry? Why cannot I find my panic and urgency?
Focus, George, a darker voice tells me. Sit up and help the girl.
Had I hit my head hard enough to forget the demon that lurks within me?
Arms hoist me from the floor. Chad supports me against his own frame.
“Savi!” he shouts again.
I see two bodies, but with the amount of rubble that covers them both, I am unsure who is who. Is Savi one of them?