Never, Never

by Michelle Areaux

  Wow, this was all so much to take in, but I knew that if we wanted to save Shady Oaks and ourselves, I had to place my trust and belief in Emmett.

  ****

  After school, Emmett refused to allow me to go home alone. I guess it was sweet and all, but I wished it were more because he just wanted to hang out with me.

  As we left the school, we walked down Main Street. Kids ran to the busses while others hopped in their cars.

  We walked past the Shady Oaks River and, suddenly, Emmett stopped dead in his tracks. His face turned pale and his grip on my hand tightened so much, that I thought he might break my hand and shatter my bones to pieces.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, as worry settled in me. His eyes were cast out to the water and I swear I thought he was in a trance.

  “That’s... I mean... I can’t believe…” Emmett stuttered, unable to complete a sentence.

  I shook his arm and then turned and jumped in front of him. “Emmett,” I cried. “What is it?” I asked again.

  Emmett pointed out toward the water again and this time, I saw what had caused him to become so panic stricken and still, as though Medusa herself had caused him to turn to stone. Standing on the bow of a large yacht, was a man. But not just any man. This man wore a black hat, long black trench coat, and black pants. He was the complete opposite of any sailor or captain I had ever seen. But there was no mistaking the sinister smile that crept over his lips as he locked eyes with Emmett.

  A rush of fear coursed through me and I shuddered just looking at him.

  The Captain.

  I didn’t need Emmett to say his name to know that he had arrived in our town. He looked like the epitome of evil.

  “Is that...the Captain?” I asked.

  Emmett only shook his head, yes.

  Emmett’s biggest fears had been confirmed and now I truly understood his want to send people to watch over me. Even from this far away, I could sense the tragic destruction of his presence. We were on the streets of Shady Oaks, out in the open of the public eye, with witnesses everywhere. Yet, we still felt terrified.

  “What do we do now?” I asked.

  “We fight.”

  Chapter 14

  Emmett

  As soon as I spotted the Captain on his high-class yacht, I felt like I wanted to vomit. He was taunting all of us with his wealth and arrogance. Every time he sailed into a new town; the townspeople would fall for his charm. He was toying with us all and only the supernaturals truly knew what he was capable of.

  Grabbing Willow’s hand, I pulled her off the main street so I could lift her in my arms and fly her back to her house.

  Once we were there, we rushed inside. I pulled out my phone and began a massive text.

  Me: The Captain has officially arrived. I saw him myself pulling into the harbor. We need to set our plan in motion tonight.

  Willow looked frightened and I hated to see her in this state. She shouldn’t have to worry about this. The problems I face shouldn’t affect her. But they do. And they always will not just because she made a choice to be with me, but because of her grandmother. Her grandmother who was so willing to help out lost boys like me and other Supernaturals, she caused this problem for Willow. I don’t blame her though. She was a kind woman and I see so much of her in Willow.

  “Emmett, I’m scared. What do we do now? Should I warn my parents? Should I leave Shady Oaks?” Willow threw out the questions rapidly.

  “We can’t alert other humans to the Captain. Many years ago, a group of Witches tried to tell the humans that the Captain was going to kill them. They explained his devious plans, but the humans thought the women were insane. They had them committed and then the Captain burned down half the town. With that, he burned the Witches and the Vampires and Shifters fled. That is how several of them came to be in Shady Oaks. He causes destruction everywhere he goes.”

  It destroys everything in me that Willow is frightened. What is worse, though, is the thought that I may not be able to protect her. While I will try until my last breath, I had to be realistic. I had watched over the years as the Captain took so many lives. He was like a raging tornado. He came in unannounced and left death and despair in his departure.

  As I look at Willow now, I can see something flicker in her eyes. She is such a strong girl and I hated that she is trying to be brave for me.

  “I assume you have a plan?” she asked.

  “Yes. This time, my plan will bring all of the Shady Oaks Supernaturals together. I want the Captain to know that we are tired of his antics. We want him gone and if he refuses to leave willingly, we will vanquish him for eternity,” I spoke, my voice coming out loud and thunderous.

  “What can I do?” Willow asked.

  “Nothing,” I almost snapped.

  I wanted her as far away from the Captain as possible, but something deep inside of me told me that she wouldn’t go for that answer.

  “No way. I am not letting you fight this without me. He came here because of my grandmother,” Willow added.

  “Mainly, he came here because he wants to take over the Supernaturals,” I argued.

  It was clear she wasn’t going to back down. I needed to find a way to allow her to be around when we battle the Captain, but I also had to find a way to protect her. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

  “I have an idea. We need to get the Witches to place a protection spell on you. That way, you can lure in the Captain, but he won’t be able to touch or harm you,” I said, clapping my hands.

  “How do we get them to agree to that?” she asked, uncertain.

  “Come with me,” I said, offering her my hand. “I know just the person.”

  Chapter 15

  Willow

  When Emmett told me, he wanted to have a Witch place a spell on me, I have to admit that I was a little nervous.

  But, nothing compared to how I felt when I stood outside the gates of the ice castle. I had heard rumors for years of the strange and fascinating family that seemed to rule over Shady Oaks. Some speculated they were part of the mob as they owned several high-class jewelry shops. Sophie, their daughter and only child, went to school with me and seemed nice enough. She was friends with Emmett’s group, so now it all made sense to me.

  “Is Sophie a Witch?” I asked.

  “Yes. In fact, she is now the Ice Queen. She was crowned last year. She is a very powerful Witch and will help us out. Her boyfriend, Pierce, and I have been friends for years. He gets his blood supply from the morgue. He owes me a few favors,” Emmett said, winking.

  I stood in awe of the beauty of the large home and the exquisite grounds on which it was placed.

  Without warning, the gates opened and we began to walk up the path to the house. We were instantly greeted by Sophie and Pierce.

  Sophie looked beautiful in a tight, black sweater and dark, denim jeans. Pierce wore a gray t-shirt and loose-fitting jeans.

  “Emmett, Willow, welcome,” Sophie rang out.

  “Thank you for having us,” I said, smiling at the pair.

  “Let’s go to the back garden and we can talk,” Sophie offered, leading us around her large home and to a beautiful garden filled with stone steps, flowers in every color imaginable, and a black, iron fence protecting its inhabitants.

  Once we were settled in the garden, Pierce and Sophie sat on a black bench and Emmett and I sat across from them. It was peaceful here and I could see why Sophie brought us back here.

  “We value Emmett and we also value protecting Shady Oaks from anyone or anything that threatens our home. We are aware that you know about us Supernaturals,” Pierce began, eyeing me carefully.

  Emmett sat up straighter and had a tense look on his face. “Pierce, I have already explained this all to you. There is no need to scare Willow,” he warned.

  “I’m not trying to scare her. But, she needs to understand what she has gotten herself into. Especially, for Evelyn,” Pierce finished.

  This time, it was my turn to spe
ak out. “Wait, you knew my grandmother, too?”

  Pierce and Emmett chuckled and Sophie leaned over and patted my hand. “Willow, everyone in our community knew Evelyn. She was our protector. Your grandmother had a quality about her-- almost magical and spiritual, like a guardian angel. She had an ability to ward off evil and she always helped us. That is why the Captain stayed away for so long.”

  Sophie had given me a smile, but all this did was bring up more questions. I realized in that moment; I knew very little about my grandmother.

  “Look, let’s get to the point,” Emmett stated flatly. “Pierce, when Sophie was in danger, we all came together to help you. Now, I need the same favor in return. We are going to lure in the Captain and, together, we Supernaturals are going to end him for good. But, I need Sophie to place a protection spell on Willow. I don’t want the Captain to get his hands on her,” Emmett finished, sitting back against the bench. He reached down and held my hand and I laced my fingers through his.

  Pierce and Sophie looked at one another before Sophie spoke. “Emmett, Pierce and I will forever be grateful for your help in taking down my wicked aunt. You all saved me. And, Pierce relies on you for his monthly blood supplies. I will place a spell on Sophie when the battle begins. She will be shielded inside a protective bubble that only I will be able to break. I can assure you that she will remain safe,” Sophie said with certainty.

  Something about the power behind her words made me feel safe. I hoped that her plan worked because, if not, we could all be in grave danger.

  Chapter 16

  Emmett

  To hear Sophie say she would help, was music to my ears. Before we left the Ice Castle, I gave Pierce and Sophie instructions to meet me at my house tomorrow evening. I had also sent out an alert to the rest of my friends to come as well. We needed to strategize a plan so that we could be sure when we were met by the Captain, we knew exactly what to do. We only had one chance to defeat him, and now that I had Willow in my life, I refused to lose.

  I sent a text to Caden, who is a Time Traveler. He and his girlfriend Dorry had teleported to various ages in Shady Oaks history, and I needed his skills to end my plan. Micah already knows the details and he is more than ready to help us rid the world of the plague that has come after all of us so many times.

  I called Liam because he rarely texted. I would need him to help me fight off The Captain. With his Angel strength, he would be a great tool. The Captain was a demon, and a strong one at that.

  Next, I texted Sylar and Livienne. Sylar was a Hell Hound who could bring fire to our fight.

  Zypher and Aleece came to mind next. Zypher was a Vampire and could help Pierce with draining the Captain of his blood source.

  Finally, I reached out to Dani and Ari. Dani has a powerful box filled with curses that she can unleash. I know the last time it was opened, bad things happened; but hopefully with all of us, we can control who is affected by the curses.

  With everyone on board with the battle, we meet at my house tomorrow before heading to the marina. I was tired of people thinking the Captain was this great and unique man who owned a shipping business and just so happened to live on a large yacht. It was time for him to be just a distant memory.

  Chapter 17

  Willow

  I sat at my dinner table, watching the clock slowly move back and forth.

  My parents were chatting and talking about their day, but I was lost in thought.

  “Willow, did you hear what I asked?” my mom asked.

  Shaking my head, I realized that I had been so lost, I hadn’t heard what they were saying to me.

  “What? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I admitted.

  “I was asking if you were going to the football game tonight? From what I hear, everyone in town will be at the high school tonight,” my mom said. “All of the teachers will be sitting together in the stands; do you want to go with me?” she asked.

  This gave me a great idea. If everyone was going to be at the game, that gave me an excuse to go out later. That also meant that most humans wouldn’t be out, so we could fight the Captain without anyone else getting hurt.

  Suddenly, I was more alert. “Yeah, I think Emmett and I are going to the game,” I said. “I will meet up with you all back at home. I want to stand with the students.”

  “You have been spending a lot of time with him. Is it getting serious?” my mom asked.

  I felt my face blush. This was super awkward.

  “I really like him. He is nice and caring,” I added.

  “We would really love to meet him soon. Promise you will bring him over to meet us this weekend,” dad insisted.

  I agreed and then finished my dinner.

  At six, I left promising to return home that evening after the game.

  ****

  I met Emmett around the corner from my house. It was dark out already and the air was cool. Emmett lifted me into his arms and flew us all the way to his house. I would never get tired of the feeling it gave me when we flew.

  Once back at his house, Emmett and I walked inside. We were instantly greeted by Micah and the rest of Emmett’s friends. I listened intently as Emmett went over the plans. Sophie pulled me aside as everyone began chatting and devising their plan.

  “Hey, once we reach the marina, I will cast the spell. You will see a shiny orb around you, but you won’t feel anything. No one will be able to hear you, so just remember that,” she stated.

  I nodded my head in understanding. I was nervous-- beyond any nervousness I had ever felt before.

  At seven, Emmett announced that we were leaving and together, we all made our way out the door.

  Outside, the night was silent-- almost like the calm before a storm. The streets were empty, with all of Shady Oaks attending the high school football game. I could smell the fresh air and hear the waves crashing against the boats as we made our way to the marina. A chill crept up my spine at the thought of seeing the sinister man who wanted to end all of these amazing Supernaturals.

  His over-the-top white yacht seemed to glow against the black backdrop. It was larger than any other boat at the marina. Like he was purposely trying to stand out. I detested the thought.

  As we stopped in front of his yacht, a slight menacing laughter began to sound.

  I gulped down my fear and stood up strong. Emmett and the rest of the group stood in a single line, showing their unity. I watched with a strange fascination as the Captain emerged from inside of his yacht and stepped out onto the main deck. He looked down at all of us with an evil glare.

  “This shall be fun,” he mused, making fun of our group.

  It angered me that he didn’t take any of them seriously.

  “Looks like you brought your little human, too. Without her grandmother, I am not sure how you plan to keep her alive. None of you can win against me. It is time you just take your spot on my yacht. You all know it is inevitable. I mean, many of your friends over the years have joined me,” he laughed out.

  I spotted Emmett and his body tensed under the Captain’s words. “They didn’t join you willingly. You captured them. But that all ends tonight,” Emmett yelled out. Micah stood next to him, being the protective brother, he is.

  His voice echoed around me and I shook under the weight of his words.

  In a flash of light so fast, I barely registered what was happening, the Captain jumped from the yacht and made his way toward me. His demon face emerged and all I saw was a red and black hideous figure coming straight at me. However, Sophie turned and screamed out some words I had never heard before and bright bolts of energy sparked from her fingertips. With her arms outstretched facing me, she placed the protection spell on me. I felt a shake as the Captain smacked against the exterior ring of the protection shield. His body bounced back and he almost fell, stumbling backward as he attempted to right himself.

  His red face glared at me in shock as he realized what Sophie had just done. I smiled, but then stopped. He was yelling som
ething, but I couldn’t hear any sounds. It was like I was trapped inside of a snow globe and on display. All I heard was a slight ringing noise and my own breathing. It was strange but comforting at the same time.

  Suddenly, the world outside of mine erupted in a frenzy of violence and chaos. Liam’s large, black wings extended out and he lifted up into the air with Emmett joining him. Together, they flew all around the Captain who looked up, giving Sylar and Livienne an opportunity to race toward him and with a heavy hit, they knocked him to the ground.

  The Captain fell hard and I watched a huge chunk of black pavement from the concrete marina fly up into the air. The Captain threw out a large ball of fire and it landed on Liam’s wings. He dropped to the ground and Emmett raced down to help him extinguish the flames. This was how the Captain always won I quickly realized. He used his powers from the evil within him to kill all of the other Supernaturals before. If my grandmother had a special ability to save the Supernaturals, then could I possibly have the same? That thought raced through my mind as I watched everyone take on this demonic form. Even though he was only one man, I saw how powerful he truly was. He was holding his own against very powerful and elite Supernaturals.

  Sophie ran around the group and threw her arms out. Sparks flew out of her fingers and I watched as the Captain was launched into the air and then back down onto the wooden deck of one of the boat landings. The wood splintered around him and water crashed against the boats, knocking them side-to-side. Micah rushed to him and began hitting him with so much power, but I wasn’t sure how he was still in one piece.

  Pierce and Zypher were on him in a flash as Emmett and Liam (who managed to save his wings) held him up in the air. They both bite down on the Captain, sinking their sharp fangs into his skin. They began to suck his blood, but to my surprise, they didn’t drink it. Instead, they would spit the blood out all over the water and docks. It looked like a crime scene and I guess, in a sense, it was.