The Rising Fire (The Witch in the Woman Book One)

by Stacey Criswell

  Chapter 6:

  Jett looks at his watch, "Great." He mumbles, and sits on the edge of Ren?e's couch for a minute, thinking about whether or not he should even go to work today.

  It takes him twenty minutes to decide he needs to go to work. So, he grabs his keys and his phone and yells up at Ren?e, "Hey Ren?e! I have to go to work!" He hears her door open, and her running to the stairs.

  "Wait. You're going to work today?" She asks.

  "Yeah, I have to work from ten to two today, and its nine forty five. It's ten minutes from here to Skylark's mansion, and I need time to clock in, not that we get paid or anything."

  "But, you stood up to him. He told me you were next if you didn't learn to keep your mouth shut." She says.

  He shakes his head, and grabs his jacket off the back of the chair in the kitchen. "I can't just take off. It's not like that. You'll figure that out when you have to start working for him. Which is after next week right?"

  Everyone has to have a job in Skylark's mansion when they turn eighteen, and the pay is being able to live. People still have money from the way it was before, but very few people use it anymore.

  He takes a deep breath, "You should stay home for the rest of the day. It's crazy out there." Ren?e doesn't say a word, she just frowns. "I'll call you and let you know when I get home." He turns.

  "Please, don't get yourself killed." She calls behind him.

  He doesn't say anything, because he doesn't truly know what will happen today, he may not make it through the day, but he steps out in the hot summer day. Very few people are out today, most have to work. He gets in his truck, turns the ignition, and turns the radio on as far as it would go, then drives as fast as he can without breaking the speed limit. When he gets to the mansion he has to go through the annual search before he can go inside.

  He smiles at the two guards, "Hey boys, miss me?"

  The two guards glare, and pat him down until they finally decide he has nothing that could possibly hurt their beloved dictator.

  Once they let him by he makes his way to the kitchen where they made everything Skylark demands. He is a servant; he takes the trays of food to Skylark when it is done. This also means he has to look at the face of what he considers a murderer, everyday. He is just about to go into the kitchen when he hears someone calling down the hall. "You, boy! Stop!"

  He looks behind himself, but they are yelling at him. "What? I haven't done anything."

  "Your King wants a word with you." Demands the first guard.

  "Oh really, and to what do I owe this wonderful surprise?" Jett asks sarcastically.

  The second guard speaks this time, "Don't cause me any trouble. You won't like the outcome, although I may get what I've always wanted. So, go ahead. I'll kill you personally." This guard has a scar across his face.

  "No, you won't." Jett says. "Skylark wants to do that himself. If you try to, he'll kill you. Isn't that right?"

  The guards grab his arms, and almost drag him down the hallway to Skylark's throne room. They open the doors, and throw him to the ground. When Jett looks up he sees Skylark's smiling face, sitting in an oversized throne. Jett stands up slowly, half expecting to be hit back down. Skylark chuckles, "Ah, hello Jett." Jett just glares. "What no greeting?"

  Jett takes a deep breath, "Hi." He grumbles.

  "You seem upset. What's the matter?" Skylark asks.

  "Nothing, you don't really care, you just want some reason to kill someone. Don't you?" That makes Skylark smile.

  He looks to his left at a guard, "Bring her in, please." Jett starts getting nervous now he thinks of Ren?e, and wonders if Skylark got to her after he left. But, the girl that comes out isn't Ren?e, it is Chelsea. It is Ren?e's friend. She looks...broken. He tries to go get her, but is restrained by the guards. "Get off of me! What did you do to her?" He yells, glaring at Skylark.

  Skylark puts his arm around Chelsea and makes her sit on his lap. "Oh, I didn't do anything. I simply taught her a lesson. And, hopefully you will learn the same lesson. You shouldn't have yelled out like you did. Now you have to buy back my forgiveness, or a lot of people will die, all because of you." He pulls her long black hair over her shoulder, "You know what's odd?" He says. "She still smells like strawberries, my favorite." When he smiles he looks more like the devil than ever. Jett tries to pull away from the guards.

  Maybe Ren?e was right, he shouldn't have come today. "Settle down, settle down. It's all going to be okay. Here's the thing. I need your friend. What was her name?Ren?e? Yeah, that was it. I need her, because obviously her brother was the wrong one." Skylark says.

  Jett looks confused, "What do you mean the wrong one?"

  Skylark smiles, "I was looking to kill at least one of the two last siblings of Katrina, because they are very important. We don't need to go into details, but a friend of mine says the signs that the sibling is still alive are still here. Now, here's the deal. I'll give you this pretty girl," He pets Chelsea's hair. "If you bring me your little friend."

  "Katrina had no siblings everyone knows that." Jett says.

  Skylark shakes his head, "There is so much you people are misinformed of. So, is it a deal?"

  Jett's head is spinning he can't give up Ren?e for Chelsea, but he also can't let Chelsea die. "I?I can't."

  Skylark shakes his head, "Not what I wanted to hear. Maybe I could use you to get her. I kill you, dump you on her doorstep, and tell her that if she doesn't come to me this little girl is next."

  Jett stands straighter, "You'll never get her."

  Skylark claps, "I love a good show." Skylark looks at one of the guards, "Give him your sword." The guard walks to Jett, and hands him his sword.

  Jett looks up at Chelsea, "I'm so sorry."

  Guards start coming at Jett from every angle. He catches the first one with the edge of his sword in the gut. Another guard comes up from behind him and cut his arm. He lashes out with his sword, and hears it hit but isn't sure who, or where. Again someone from behind, then his left, then his right. They are everywhere; he doesn't remember this many standing around. He catches another across the stomach and he falls to the floor bleeding.

  One gets his sword around Jett's neck, and Skylark smiles, "Stop!" Everyone, including Jett, freezes. "Bring him up here." The guards tow him up to Skylark's throne. "This is your last chance to take my offer. You would still be alive, and so would this girl. You just have to bring me Ren?e. What do you say?"

  Jett spits in his face, "Go to hell."

  Skylark smiles, and wipes his face, "You are mistaking, my friend. I am hell." He looks up at the guard holding Jett and the guard slits Jett's throat.