by Sammy King
Ada fingered the amulet that was clasped around her neck. Although she knew that it was a powerful piece of jewellery, she didn’t know how to use it. Merza had only given it to her a few months earlier for her twenty first birthday and she was still teaching Ada how to access all of her powers. The thought of not having her Mother to teach her, especially in a time of war was like a punch to Ada’s stomach. She felt tears slip from her eyes.
“I don’t know how to use it. Mother hadn’t showed me it all yet” Ada said her voice hitching in a sob.
Kade spun on his heel and began to rifle through the books that surrounded the walls of his office, before he found the book he was looking for with a shout of discovery. He dusted off the cover and handed it to Ada.
“This was one of your Mother’s journals, from when I first met her, when she had just taken on the amulet.” Kade said as Ada fingered through the book, glancing at her Mother’s beautifully scripted words.
Kade’s eyes continued to well up as he lingered on the words, the script of her Mother’s hand. Ada’s mind was reeling, her emotions were overwhelming. She had managed to block out the feelings that she was picking up from other people, but her own emotions were threatening to swallow her.
Ada slowly shuffled over to her Mother’s chair by the big bay window and although there was no light coming in through it she sat and began to read her Mother’s words. Her journal described her emotions upon receiving the amulet from her own Mother, Ada’s grandmother, Ath Dara. Merza had written about her fears and tribulations about receiving all of her powers.
Ada was amazed at how similar her Mother’s feelings about becoming an inducted Queen Witch were to Ada’s. She had been scared by the power and ferocity that she held within her, she was scared about doing damage with her magic. All these feelings Ada too had felt and still did feel. But at least Merza had Ath Dara to learn from and no war, she thought.
Ada was not only Motherless but about to enter a war against an Angel she had only heard tales about, using magic she had never practiced using. She had never felt so unequipped. As Ada read through Merza’s journal something in her Mother’s writing that was underlined caught her eye.
‘The amulet contains the power of all the ancestors, all the Witch women through to Kaia the Nephilim we all descended from, should he ever get free again, this will kill him.’
Ada read the words in her Mother’s hand again, while she fingered the amulet. Her Mother had told her not to use the amulet carelessly and to never use it to perform silly parlour tricks to keep the human’s entertained and now Ada understood. But it was the final sentence. Ada continued to study the words. She questioned if Merza was talking about Abaddon. She had to have been. Why was she so concerned about him? Ada could feel a headache starting to form in her temples.
Ada continued to read about the amulet and its power. The amulet held the magical properties of all of her ancestors, twelve generations, Ada being the thirteenth. Thirteen was a magical and very powerful number for Witches. And the amulet now contained thirteen generations of power which meant it was by far the most powerful piece of magic on earth
Chapter Five
“Don’t leave me out in shame, cause the crimson tears falling and my shirt is blood stained. And the devil’s forever in my veins” Yelawolf
A sound in the doorway jolted Ada from her thoughts. She looked up to see a spectacular man standing in the doorway speaking with her Father and looking her way. Kade frowned as he followed the man’s line of sight, but something in the way this mystery man looked at her stirred in Ada’s stomach.
He looked familiar but Ada couldn’t put her finger on where she knew him. But to say he was handsome would be an understatement. He had dark wavy hair that hung about his shoulders, with streaks of blonde that ran through the length. His eyes were a glowing blue, it doesn’t sound quite believable but his eyes seemed to literally glow they were dark like an ocean but so bright. His complexion was pale, but not that of a Vampire. Ada sent her feelers out to try to ascertain what kind of Paranatural he was. She knew he didn’t have the same marks as her Father, around him was a deep blue aura, one that she had never experienced before.
Each Paranatural had their own distinct aura; Demons were red, Vampires a dark green unless they were angry or feeding then it was red, Witches a white, Fairies pink and Warlocks blue. But this man’s aura was a deeper blue than she had seen before. She couldn’t be sure that he was a Warlock. If he were a Warlock, he would have to be an ancient with the aura to be so dark and pure; however, Ada thought she knew all the ancient Warlocks. His presence and aura confused her. She found herself wanting to know more about him, not just in the physical sense. She was shocked at the pull he seemed to have on her, she had never experienced such a pull before. This alone sent alarm bells off inside her.
Ada touched on her amulet again as she stood and put her Mother’s journal on the seat behind her and she made her way to the doorway where Kade and the mystery man stood huddled talking. Ada could sense distrust in her Father, but she couldn’t stop herself from going to him and introducing herself. The whole saying of curiosity killed the cat floated briefly through her mind, before she quickly shook it away. The mystery man’s smile grew as she approached. The man reached out his hand and took hers in his own. Ada noted that his hand was huge, it enveloped her whole hand and it was warm to her touch. She felt a feeling wash over that caused her head to spin slightly, Ada couldn’t tell whether it was lust or if he had done it.
“Hello, Ada my name is Dane. I’m a Warlock working with the Aje Authority and I’m investigating the disappearance of your Mother” Dane spoke with an accent that Ada didn’t recognise.
She smiled at Dane and opened the channel with her Father.
‘Can he be trusted?’ she asked into his mind.
Kade instantly reached up and touched Ada on her back lightly, flooding her body with a calm, that took away any anxiety she held. She nodded in response to her Father’s trust, although there was something hidden in there that said he wasn’t being completely honest in his trust for Dane.
“It’s nice to meet you Dane” she replied as he let go of her hand.
He looked between Kade and Ada with a slight frown on his face and she wasn’t sure whether he had known what just transpired between the two of them. Ada shook off the feelings of doubt, her feelings were frayed and she thought her mistrust in everyone was causing her to look at Demons behind every rock so to speak.
“Have you had any luck in finding where Abaddon might have my Mother and how we can get her back?” Ada asked.
Dane nodded and took Ada’s hand again. Once again her body stirred and the feeling went to her groin causing it to twinge with excitement. Ada frowned at her body for its carnal instinct. It was something she hadn’t experienced before and she scolded herself for allowing it to happen now, especially with her Mother missing and war looming. Not to mention she still had Travis pining for her and she didn’t know how to fix that problem. She wondered how it was possible to go from having a somewhat normal life to having such a complicated life in only a matter of days.
“As you said we know that Abaddon has her, we believe he is holding her in an underground location. We have some Witches who are trying to reach Merza, to ascertain whether she is being hurt, but at the moment they haven’t had a lot of luck. So we are hoping that you might be able to assist, being that you are a direct descendant.” He said.
Ada nodded and fingered the amulet. She remembered the words that were written in her Mother’s journal. She held more power around her neck than all the Witches combined could gather. If she had any hope of getting her Mother back, Ada would have to be the one to do this.
“I will go to the coven” she said.
‘Are you sure you can do this?’ Kade sent the message to her.
Ada reached for his hand and sent her own feelings of assurance. She didn’t know if she could do it, but she knew she had no choice. Her Mother
needed her to be strong; her Mother needed her to lock into the power that she had been blessed with. Her Mother needed her to be the future Queen she was.
The Paranatural and human investigators had scoured Merza’s diaries and books searching for any key that they could find to help her. Dane had excused himself to go and speak with Karla, while Kade went to lie down and Ada sat in her Mother’s chair fingering her amulet and staring out the window. She doubted that her power could be controlled well enough to assist her Mother, but she had no choice; it was either go to Abaddon to surrender herself to him or fight.
Movement beside her drew Ada’s attention from her thoughts. Dane stood in front of the big window. In the breaking morning light Dane’s face was even more beautiful, his complexion was perfect; the blonde streaks in his hair seemed to glow as if it was made of silk. She had known many Warlocks through her life, but none as beautiful as Dane. Ada shook her head scorning herself for the feelings that stirred in her nether regions.
“You don’t have to push those feelings away, it’s quite normal to be attracted” Dane spoke, without looking at her.
If he had of turned he would have seen Ada’s face blushed a bright red, she hadn’t realised that she had lost control of her barrier. Either that or Dane was a lot stronger than she first thought. Ada sent her feelers through her body readjusting her barriers to protect herself.
“You don’t need to do that either Ada. In fact it is better that you don’t with me. I can help you control your powers; I can teach you how to defeat Abaddon. I am an ancient and very strong. But in order to help you I need to have an open passage with you” Dane spoke as he slowly turned to look at her.
Ada was shocked at the ease in which he could read her, it made her feel uncomfortable. She had never met someone, other than her Father that could read not only her emotions but to break through her barriers so easily.
“You’re not Nephilim. My Father is the only one left” Ada said.
Dane smiled and held his hand out to Ada. She couldn’t seem to control herself, although she wanted to get up and walk away, she wanted to lock herself away, but instead Ada put her hand in Dane’s and stood with him. The gnawing in the pit of her stomach smoothed with his touch. Ada frowned as she recognised the false calm that was washing through her. Dane was sending her the feelings, but she couldn’t protect herself from him.
“Come on, it’s about to get light, let’s go get some breakfast and then we will start the training” Dane said with a bright smile, leading her from the little office she had sat in all night.
The gnawing that continued and seemed to grow in the pit of her stomach warned her to stop, to dig her heels into the floor and not let him guide her through the door, but she just seemed to have lost all sense of will power. As they reached the front door, Kade came down the stairs behind her.
‘Trust nobody’ he spoke into Ada’s mind.
Ada felt Dane’s hand tighten on her hand and when she looked at his face she noticed the frown that creased his brow. She wondered before shaking the thought out of her mind that he had perhaps heard her Father. That was ridiculous she thought, she could understand how he could tap into her feelings, it was a skill she had, but how could he hear her Father’s communication with her; that was only available to Nephilim and their children. Ada turned to her Father and let go of Dane’s hand. She went to where Kade stood on the step and encircled his waist with her arms, placing her head on his chest.
‘I’m scared, I can’t protect myself from him, he seems to be able to break through my barriers’ she spoke into her Father’s mind.
She felt the instant calm wash over her as Kade touched her hair and she knew that he was filling her with the strength she needed. When Ada looked up into Kade’s face she noticed his eyes glow red when he looked over her shoulder towards Dane. Ada frowned. Kade’s feelings were scrambled from her and she couldn’t understand what he was feeling, but she understood one thing, he didn’t trust Dane. She didn’t trust him either, yet something in her pulled her towards him, it was like something clicked inside her that prevented her from running from him.
‘Send Frankie, he will keep me safe’ she spoke into Kade’s mind which snapped him from the glare that he held towards Dane.
He looked down at Ada and smiled, but she could see that his canines were already elongated. His anger was overwhelming him.
‘What is it?’ she asked watching his face.
‘That man, I can’t put my finger on it, but something about him isn’t right’ Kade said, stepping around Ada and walking towards Dane.
“How long did you say you had been a part of the Aje Authority?” Kade asked.
“Only a few months” Dane spoke patiently.
Ada could sense Kade’s anger, it filled the room in a dense heavy fog, but Dane seemed to be oblivious to it. She stood watching her Father’s aura get darker around him swirling out to every corner until the room in which they stood flashed a deep crimson.
“Kade please, I am on your side” Dane spoke “I will look after Ada; I will allow no harm come to her. You can check with Karla, she has a full background check on me.”
Kade nodded and looked out the window beside the door, his aura suddenly disappeared and he retreated from the front door. Ada looked out the window and could see that daylight was emerging and although Kade was Nephilim he still was a Vampire and like all Vampires he was allergic to the sunlight.
‘Go Dad, I will come back tonight’ Ada spoke into his mind, sending her own feelings of confidence to him to try and ease his fears.
She knew that she didn’t fool her Father, he would sense her unease. But at that moment Ada had no choice, it was either sit around and read Merza’s journals in hope that she might discover some gem to give her the answers she sought to questions she didn’t know to ask or trust Dane to teach her the magic she held inside her. He was a Warlock, he had his own magic. He said he was ancient. He would be able to help her. Ada made the decision that she needed to take the risk and trust in the amulet and the power it held.
Kade turned to Ada and smiled a weak smile at her. He nodded before heading towards the stairs. Ada watched him ascend the stairs to his darkened room before turning back to Dane. She felt shaken by what had occurred, she didn’t know what to think, was her Father just shaken by Merza’s disappearance? Was his mistrust valid or was he just being paranoid because of the disarray that the Aje Authority was in? Ada frowned and fingered her amulet, she didn’t have time to go through everything and she didn’t have time to mull over all the thoughts in her mind.
Chapter Six
“It’s in the eyes I can tell you, will always be danger.” Mumford and Sons.
Ada knew she had to learn to let her instincts rule and right now they said to go with Dane and allow him to teach her to control her power. Ada shook her head in an action of clearing her mind as she walked towards the door that Dane had opened for her.
“You ok?” he asked.
Ada smiled and nodded walking past Dane and touching his shoulder lightly. As they got to her car, she noticed movement in the crop of trees at the base of Kade’s property. Ada paused and squinted her eyes at the trees.
“What is it?” Dane asked.
“I’m not sure, I thought I saw movement” she said rubbing her hand over her face. “It was probably nothing, I’m just seeing shadows”
Dane frowned still peering into the crop of woods. She sent her feelers out to see if she could sense another presence. Ada felt a slight presence but couldn’t tell whether that was residual, there were so many people at her Father’s property she couldn’t be certain. Swinging open the door of her car, Ada climbed into the driver’s seat and waited for Dane to jump into the passenger seat before bringing the engine alive with a rev. As they passed through the crop of tree’s Ada felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, she had to stop herself from slamming on the brakes to go in search of the presence.
It wasn’t Abaddon, th
e presence wasn’t strong enough for him and besides it would be ridiculous for him to attack while most of the Aje Authority was at Kade’s home. She was lost in thought as she pulled her car onto the dirt road that stopped at the foot of Kade’s property. Suddenly movement leapt in front of her car and Ada slammed her foot onto the break with a scream. She felt Dane’s hand reach out to hold her into the seat.
“What the fuck was that?” Dane shouted, swinging the door open and flinging his seat belt off before leaping from the car.
Ada sat shaking, feeling her heart race, her fingers clutching the amulet around her neck. She quickly strengthened her barriers around her. With trembling hands, she opened her door and gingerly stepped out of the car. She could see Dane standing at the front of the car.
“Ada, what happened?” she heard Frankie’s voice call.
Ada turned to see the Shapeshifter in horse form galloping towards her car down the driveway. Ada stood at her door, too afraid to step forward to see what it was that she might have hit, she didn’t even know if she hit whatever it was that was in front of her, it happened so fast. Tears began to fall down her cheeks when she felt the warm and familiar arms of Frankie wrap around her shoulders pulling her into his chest.
“I don’t know what it was Frankie, just movement right in front of the car” she spoke her voice quivering with the tears that now flowed.
“What is it Dane?” Frankie asked looking over Ada’s shoulder.
“A male, appears human, I felt his presence lurking in the crop of tree’s when we left, but then he just suddenly leapt in front of the car.” Dane replied.
“Is he dead?” Ada asked shaking off the tears.
“No, just curled up in a little ball of snivelling tears” Dane said with disdain in his voice that sent a shiver through Ada.
She walked to the front of the car and saw the familiar figure curled up into a foetal position of Travis. Ada let out a breath and knelt beside him, pulling him into an embrace. She looked up at Dane and saw his eyes glow red briefly. Ada blinked not sure whether what she just witnessed was real. When she looked at him again, his eyes were the same bright blue they had always been.
