by Ember Rain
She is allowing her feelings to dictate her behavior lately and with all that’s at stake we can’t have that. I return her questioning look with one of warning not missing the liquid pooling in her eyes before she looks away from me.
Good grief, she is completely losing focus of what’s more important right now. After we do the spell, I will have to talk to her privately about what role she will be playing on the team if she doesn’t get it together. She of all angels knows how dangerous distractions can be especially having lost her own mother because of the same exact reason.
Bellamy clears her throat as an invisible magical breeze blows causing her hair to flow around her face wildly. The sight brings my attention back to her and the map with the sample lying on the floor in the center of the circle. She closes her eyes and we all lock hands. The magic surges between each of our entwined fingers linking all our powers together. This is a typical way to gain initial momentum for a location spell.
Latin rolls off her tongue fluent and precise. Energy begins to build around us. The colored flames dance but don’t blow out even when the energy grows stronger and stronger and can be felt in the room, filling the space with immense power. Bellamy’s eyes roll into the back of her head as she continues to chant louder and louder, the energy of her power growing to a suffocating degree. I hold tighter to her hand, allowing her to pull from my magic to complete the spell. I don’t think she realized how much power this spell would take, but luckily, I open my own flow of magic and am close enough for her to borrow from.
She punches out the last words to the spell her body straightens, and her eyes grow big with terror before falling limp onto the carpet, her eyes fluttering closed. The energy disappears all at once from the room and the entire team looks around scatter brained. This is the strongest location spell any of us have ever been a part of and I think it has caught all of us off guard.
“Bellamy! Is she okay?” Kennedy screeches, crawling over to the witch’s side pressing two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse.
“It’s faint, but she’s alive.” She exclaims, relief blanketing the room.
“Leah, heal her.” I order urgently. Leah is on her knees beside Bellamy in the blink of an eye. She holds her hands above her forehead. Bright light expelling from her palms and pushing into the witch until her chest slowly rises and heavily falls several times before evening out. Her eyes flutter open and Adam helps her to sit back up looking as dazed as the rest of us. He’s keeping his arms tightly around her to hold her upright, nonetheless.
“What happened?” I question. I have never seen a witch pass out after a location spell.
“The princess must have a block on the location spell, but I broke through it with your help.” She looks at me with exhaustion clear in her limp form lying back into Adam’s embrace. I get the feeling he cares for her in more than an employer kind of way, but that is not my business to worry about.
“Storm, look at the map.” She urges her voice cracking from all the yelling she had to do to complete the spell.
I crawl to the center noticing each of the colored flames had blown out when the spell had broken before moving my eyes down at the map. I clench my fists as I stare at the red circle around the princess’s location. I wonder if this is trap or game the demon is playing with us and drop the map back down so the entire team can look.
No way, it must be wrong. I think shocked.
A collective gasp comes from each of the team as they stare down at our own territory being the marked location on the map in front of us. I pick it up and study it more closely to be sure I didn’t miss anything. There’s no doubt, its our territory that is clearly marked on the map in my hands.
“Why is she at our boundary?” Leah asks alarmed. Panic comes out in her tone.
“Beats me, but I think it’s time we find out.” I say starting towards the foyer of the giant house. She has not fully ascended yet, this could be our best shot if we are forced to dispatch her.” I say climbing to my feet and snatching up my bow and arrows from where they lean against the wall behind me. One by one each of us straps on our weapons and jackets heading towards the foyer.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us Bellamy, it means a lot. We owe you a favor but must be going now.” I dart my eyes down to the powerful witch who appears to be at her most vulnerable state.
“You’re very welcome, but if you need anything more, I will have to call for another witch. Keep me posted on your progress if you could please.” She replies standing and hugging each of us goodbye with Adam staying near in case she loses her balance.
“You have done more than we could have ever hoped for us here tonight, don’t worry about it. Get rest and I’ll have someone look in on you when we figure all of this out.” I promise her before kissing her gently on her forehead before moving swiftly to her front doors.
It’s still dark outside and we are about two hours from sunrise as we take to the sky in formation. I am at the front moving at a speed much faster than my brother and the others. I need to get to the house and see what the demon is up to.
I fly with purpose and determination, not slowing once to look around at how far behind me the team is. I am sure I have at least a five-minute lead on all of them, including Logan who can usually keep pace with me.
Minutes later, I enter the surrounding area of our boundary, flying the entire perimeter.
Where is she? I ask myself not finding her on my first check.
Alarms go off inside my head. Could she have crossed our wards? Although doubtful, who knows what she’s capable of. I decide to check it out anyhow and cross the wards making my way down to the ground.
I sense her presence growing stronger the closer I get to the ground. Looking up, I see a figure in the doorway of our house as I land a few feet from the porch.
“Amariana?” I call to the figure.
The girl takes a few more hesitant steps in my direction. I don’t sense the typical trepidation I usually feel around demons as she takes a cautious step my way her sparkling green eyes never leaving mine. I move towards her slowly in case this is all a trick or something. Underneath the scent of sulfur and death is something different. The closer she gets the stronger I can pinpoint an underlying sweet scent of roses just as they bloom in the early spring. I stop a few feet away afraid the intoxicating scent is luring me closer into a trap. I don’t know what to say and for several seconds neither does she. Finally, she opens her mouth and the most melodic sounding voice escapes her lips, that for some reason I can’t stop staring at. I search for any magic that isn’t familiar on and around me and am getting nothing. Why am I so drawn to this demon girl? I wonder silently.
“I am Amariana.” She says with a slight bow in my direction. And she speaks, that’s a good thing. Another strange thought crossing my mind.
I am mesmerized by her long silky dark hair, genuine voice that is soft and shy and then there is the matter of her strange eyes and the gentle soul she’s radiating into the air around us. Her energy seems to wrap around me and draw me in like getting a hug from an old friend.
“Why are you here?” I ask figuring I had better say something soon. The team will be landing at any moment and the more information I can gather before they do, the better.
“I need help.” She says averting her eyes to the ground. I can’t sense a hint of a lie in her request but can’t believe the words that have left her mouth.
I am shocked by her admission and try to make sense of her and why she looks like a demon and yet not at all like a demon. How could this be the daughter of Diablo and Lilith? She’s intriguing and I feel myself needing to know more about what kind of help she wants from the EA team.
“You do realize that no demon has ever crossed our wards and stayed in this realm by doing so, do you not?” I ask trying to see how she will react.
She says nothing before raising her head and looking me in my eyes. “I have never committed a crime against any of th
e angel laws no matter the consequence and need protection. There is no one else who can keep me alive.” She answers. What’s stranger is that she is telling the truth. She has spoken not one lie since coming face to face with me.
“My team is not far behind me so don’t go trying anything.” I order so that I can stop them from doing anything before we find out what and whom she is running from and why.
“I’m not here to cause any trouble, please believe me.” She pleads raising both of her hands in the air. “Please don’t ban me back to that horrible place, I will leave if you want me to but please, please don’t make me go back there.” She pleads with fear evident in the look in her eyes and in her voice as it trembles at the mere idea of being sent back to her parents. I can tell there is something pure about her and if the team agrees we can try to help her depending on what she wants help with of course.
I move to step closer when a beam of white light blinds my vision for a moment. I cover my eyes with my arm until the light moves past my vision. I lift my head in time to see the girl in front of me launched straight back through the air, a look of terror paints her beautiful face as she hits the siding with a sickening crack. I whip around looking for the source of the power ball and find Leah with her palms raised in Amariana’s direction preparing another surge of white light to launch her way.
“Leah, stop!” I scream hoping she hears me before hitting the girl with another one of her lethal balls of white light.
She drops her hands to her side looking at me with a mix of anger and confusion.
“You don’t understand,” I chide turning around to find Amariana gone. “Where did she go?” I shout turning back to Leah and spinning around in a circle frustrated.
I turn my attention back to Leah, but she stands unmoving or speaking. Her eyes look scared and I realize she can’t move. I wave my hand in front of her face, no reaction. She’s frozen in place, the Powerball she had been creating fizzles out between her hands leaving a poof of dust that falls to the ground like white sand.
What? How did she freeze her? I wonder as each of my teammate’s lands in front of me one by one.
“What’s wrong with her?” Kennedy asks rushing to Leah’s side.
“I-I don’t know.” I mutter just as Leah gasps and claws at her throat bending over and heaving in breaths as fast as she can.
“Are you alright?” I ask coldly still looking around for the princess. I know she’s gone, though. I can no longer sense her presence or smell her scent.
“Yeah, I am now but why did you stop me? I had her and could have gotten rid of her.” She spits angrily.
I look at her feeling anger burning my insides. “Because, as usual you are acting out before being given the orders to. She was no threat to you, I’m quite sure that was immensely clear when you landed.” I explain briefly to avoid a fight in front of the others.
“What does that mean? That bitch just froze me, and you did nothing to stop her!” She shouts in anger.
Here we go with the dramatics. I don’t know what Leah was thinking, but now the princess is gone and from the sound of things she could be in real danger outside of the protection of our wards. Dammit Leah, always throwing gasoline on a fire, I think pissed off.
“I had no idea she could do that. However, you attacked her first.” I counter.
“No reason to?” She scoffs clearly offended. “Who are you, and what have you done with Storm? The leader I once knew that would never let harm come to me or any of his teammates.” She yells back with tears falling down her cheeks.
“Are you hurt?” I question.
She looks away knowing she isn’t.
“Leah, you and I are done. I love you, but not in the way you want me to or need me to. I’m sorry to have to do this now, but it’s the truth and about time you knew it. To hell with taking a break, it’s time to straight up walk away from this unhealthy ass relationship for good.” I respond harshly. I don’t mean to be so public or cruel with my words and a part of me feels guilty for it, but it had to be done. Her behavior is getting increasingly erratic and that will not be tolerated.
Her eyes grow wide with shock.
“Wow, I don’t even know what to say to you right now.” She replies shakily. She’s clearly stunned by my outburst. She opens her mouth to say something but thinks the better of it and closes it again beginning to walk past me towards the house. I reach out and grab her arm and pull her close enough to hear my words clearly.
“You and I may be over, but you need to make a choice of whether you are able to continue on this team under my leadership regardless of our breakup or not. After your recent behavior I am starting to think it might be wise for you to sit this mission out. It doesn’t seem the best idea after what you just did to Amariana. Not for you or any of the rest of us.” I reply in a hushed voice to avoid the team from hearing any more of our conversation than they already had. Most of them are already headed into the house, ignoring the scene between Leah and me.
They usually disperse when any kind of conflict starts about our relationship. If it doesn’t have anything to do with work, then they don’t care to hear it. Wise of them if you ask me.
“I AM FINE.” She says between clenched teeth ripping her arm free of my grasp and walking away.
I let her go to give her time to go in and calm down.
Now I must figure out why Amariana came to us for help, if we can even find her again now. I stare into the skies asking Deus for his help in silent prayer hearing Leah shut the door hard behind me.
That girl is gonna be the loss of my sanity, I swear.
Finding the princess again won’t be easy, and even harder now after Leah’s wonderful way of saying hello, I resolve angrily shaking my head and walking towards the house to regroup the team.
Chapter Three
Amariana
As soon as I am far enough from the boundary, I release the hold on the angel girl.
I was wrong about them; They only want me dead just like my parents do. I tell myself as I fly blindly in an unknown direction far away from the angel property.
A brute force slams into the front of me in the sky and I tumble backwards seeming to land in the arms of someone’s hold. The grip is too tight to wiggle out of as I struggle to get free of whoever is holding me in place.
My father’s guards, they’ve found me. I feel a pinch in my neck and my vision fades into complete darkness.
****
My eyelids are heavy when I try to open them. The scent of sulfur invades my senses and I realize with sadness that I am back home and not in my room either. I’m in the dungeons, I am quick to realize as I move my hand and press it to the hard concrete of the concrete floor. I peel my eyelids open one by one and catch the guards watching me stirring.
With a look of loathing, Gunner picks up the phone and rings my father’s room.
“Sir, she is awake now. Yep, will do.” He says before hanging up the line.
Neither of them speaks to me but take places on either side of my cell that is constructed with layers of spells to keep me from being able to use any magic inside the walls around me.
Fucking great, I think looking around at the familiar dungeon cells on either side of mine. I wonder why no one occupies any of them as I look as far down as I can see and not another prisoner in sight.
Minutes later, my father appears in front of my cell. His face is twisted in an angry snarl. He’s furious, that’s obvious.
I will surely be put to death for treason now, I think having lost all hope at living a real life somewhere.
“Took a little trip, did you?” He asks in his condescending tone while pinning me with his black eyes.
I pull myself up to a sitting position against the back wall of the cell. My body is weak from the spell on my cell keeping me hardly mobile.
“Hello Father.” I respond curtly not bothering to answer his stupid question.
“What did you think you were doing going to the ea
rth angel’s property?” he demands anger creasing his brow.
I look away not answering him.
“Fucking say something!” He barks angrily.
“What do you want me to say father? That I couldn’t stand being here and not fitting in, or that I have grown to hate the things you and mother due to humans and angels? Oh, I got one. How about I didn’t feel like sticking around to be killed by my own father?” I spit the words out without a care in the world.
His mouth hangs agape at my words. I have never admitted some of the things I just did to him before and it’s obvious in his expression that my mother hasn’t shared this information.
I wonder which part he looks more shocked about, the fact that I hate my life here or that I knew he planned to kill me.
“Are you really that shocked?” I ask irritated.
His eyes narrow on me, “watch how you speak to me young lady.” He warns in his dominantly arrogant tone.
“I don’t care anymore. You just want me out of the way because I am a disgrace to our family and cannot be an heir to your throne.” I growl throwing the truth in his face.
“How could you possibly know anything about my plans for you Amariana?” He questions with narrowed eyes. He’s getting too close to the truth of who warned me of his plans, and I won’t let my mother take the fall for trying to help me.
“Just tell me my punishment and leave me be.” I reply, refusing to answer his question. I can tell I am angering him further but have lost all care about his feelings or anyone else’s at this point.
“I should have you put to death for going against your king, but because you are my only child and next in line for the throne, your mother has convinced me to allow you to complete your ascension and see if you change your mind with your new powers.” He explains curtly. I don’t know whether to believe anything he says. He is the evilest demon in the underworld.
