A Blaze of Magic: Chosen Saga Book Two

by J. L. Clayton

  Asher: Kitten, is that you?

  Ah, we have a connection: Yes, who were you expecting? I mean, is this line opened to anyone. I joked.

  Asher: Stop joking. Something’s off, you don’t feel right. You feel different, wrong somehow.

  I say: Yeah, I’m off. Hello, I’m talking to a Vamp in my head, but I am okay.

  Asher: Are you sure?

  I rolled my eyes: Asher stop, I am fine and I need your help. If you are what you say you are and your one of the good guys, then you should be willing to help me.

  Asher: I am rounding up the troops as we speak, soon Kitten, help will be there.

  “But I don’t have time to wait, I need out now. Tell me where to shut down the tripwires to the cells?”

  Asher: Did you find a way out?

  I thought: Yes.

  I could see Asher’s puzzlement.

  Oh the big bad Vamp wanted to be my hero, how sweet. Not.

  Asher: How?

  I sighed: Let’s just say I had some help, and now I can walk through walls.

  I grinned.

  Asher: You are so remarkable, did you know that?

  I said: Asher I don’t have time for you to suck up, and not in the literal sense either. Are you going to help or not?

  Asher: Yes, alright. There is a door on the far end of the prison room. Do you see it?

  I looked around then I spotted a silver door: Yes, a silver one right?

  Asher: Yes. Good. Now go through that door and you will find a room to your right. Once in the room you will see a panel with monitors and security switches. Look for the one that is labeled prison room, and then just simply flick it off.

  That’s it?

  I saw Asher smile in my head.

  Asher: Yes, that is it. What were you expecting, a dangerous mission?

  Well yeah. Besides, that’s usually how it is in the movies.

  Asher: Perhaps, but this Kitten is not a movie.

  Okay, well I am going to sign out and will talk to you later.

  Asher: But you might need my help.

  No Asher. If it’s as simple as you say, then I won’t need your help at all.

  Asher: This is beginning to get on my nerves.

  Why? Oh I know, because you’re the Vampire and I’m the food?

  Asher: Kitten?

  Goodbye Asher.

  With that I put my shield back in place, I put my hand on the doorknob intending on turning it to open the door. What, I wasn’t expecting was for my hand to go right through it. When my hand went through, I lost my footing falling to the floor. Now my body was half in the prison-room and the other half outside of it. I screamed and pulled myself the rest of the way through. It was as if someone poured a bucket of ice on me. I slowly stood up.

  Answer me this, why is it that I fell through the door, and yet I’m not falling through the floor?

  As soon as I thought it my whole body started to sink into the floor. I scrambled for a holed, but the more I struggled the more my body slipped down, down, down. The cold was almost too much to handle.

  I started to scream in panic. I closed my eyes and prayed no one could hear me. I looked around; my body was now shoulder deep into the floor. How do I stop myself from sinking the rest of the way through the floor? I had an awful feeling that if I didn’t pull myself up I would keep on falling down, and no telling then where I would end up. I closed my eyes and pictured a firm ground. Once I had that I slowly put my hands down and pulled myself up. Mercifully, it worked. I shook my head and cleared all thoughts of me slipping through the floor. It was a wonder that I didn’t fall through the floor fast instead of sinking slowly down like quicksand. I guess maybe somewhere in my subconscious; it prevented me from doing so. I looked around, but there was no one in sight.

  Was everyone on a coffee break? Or maybe a blood brake?

  I saw the security-panel Asher told me about. Sure enough, there it was, labeled and all! There were several other switches. One of the switches was labeled cage doors. There was about twenty cage switches in all. I was hoping that when I throw them no alarms would go off. And still this felt too easy, too simple. Sure, I almost went through the floor, but other than that this whole mission, if that’s what you call it, was too uncomplicated. Something seemed off. I just knew any second someone was going to jump out and say, “Ah-ha, got you.”

  Yet, I still had to do it; I had to flip the switches, the twenty for the cages and the one that shuts down the power on the lasers. With shaky hands I touched the cage switches, and of course my hands went right through. “Crap,” I gasped yanking my hands back. Okay, you can do this, I told myself. It’s just like standing, remember. As I thought this, my feet started to slowly, dreadfully, once again sink into the floor. I groaned and stopped myself from sinking any farther. Once I had that under control, I pulled my feet back out of the floor. Ugh this incorporeal stuff sucks! All this concentration was giving me a headache and I was growing weak. I threw my entire will and strength into turning those switches off. With my eyes closed I heard clicking and knew my mission was complete. I let out the breath I had been holding. I pictured my body back in the cell, somehow I knew with picturing it I would be pulled back into myself. With a gasp I set up, swallowing air.

  “Well done.” Sybilla said.

  I finally saw her; she was pale and shimmering. She had black eyes and white hair with a flowing red gown. Sybilla wasn’t ugly, but she also wasn’t pretty. She was nothing and everything! She smiled at me, and then I noticed at least thirty supernaturals crowding around me. All touching and grabbing, some beautiful, some frighteningly looking. One burly man smiled at me. He had green teeth a crooked nose and floppy ears. He was also breathing heavily and licking his lips.

  I jumped up and said, “Stop, if you all want out then we have to work together. Okay?” I glared pointedly at him.

  The burly man looked disappointed, but he agreed with the rest of them. Now, how was I going to get everyone out? Gash, there were more than thirty supernatural beings. How could one hide that many and not be detected? Well I guess it was time to ask Asher.

  I grudgingly let down my walls and saw Asher smirk in my head.

  Asher: I knew you would need me.

  Yeah, yeah cut the crap. I need help.

  Asher: Well Kitten, you’re in luck my team and I are charging the building as we speak.

  Is that why there were no security guards around, because you and your team are keeping them preoccupied?

  Everyone stayed quiet while I paced the room, and talked to Asher in my head. It was funny; all eyes were on me as I had a conversation with a Vamp in my head.

  Asher: What? There was no one in there?

  Nope, no one was in the room. It did seem a little too easy.

  Asher: Kitten you might need to hide until I can get to you. Something doesn’t sound right. Someone should have been there. There should have been guards posted on the outside of the doors and the inside of the security room.

  I asked: Yeah, I kind of thought it was too easy. What do you think could be going on that would have the guards AWOL?

  Asher: I don’t know Kitten, but we are about to find out. My team and I have already penetrated the outer security walls.

  I asked: Okay, so where do you want me to hide everyone in the mean time?

  Asher didn’t really say where, more like he showed me. Images flashed in my mind. A layout of the whole fortress, I knew right where to stash everyone.

  I asked: Wow, how did you do that?

  I saw him grin, it looked kind of smug.

  Asher: It’s just one of my many talents!

  I said: You’re a cocky prick, you know that, right?

  Asher: Why Kitten, I didn’t know you could talk like that. It makes me feel all warm inside.

  Shut up, Asher. I am signing off now bye.

  Asher: Wait.

  I asked impatiently: What, we don’t have time for this?

  Asher: You will be there too, right K
itten? You will hide with the rest of them?

  Sorry Asher, but I’m not going to hide. However, I do think it is a good idea to hide everyone else and I am going to do it right after I stop talking to you.

  Asher: Kitten, I don’t like that you will not hide as well.

  Sorry, but I can’t, it’s just not in me.

  Asher: I should have known. You do not seem the type to just sit back and wait. No, you are the hands on kind of girl.

  I smiled and rolled my eyes: Okay Asher. Just get everyone out safe.

  Asher: You and the rest Kitten, will be safe! You have my word–

  With that I put my walls back up. Now it was just me in my head.

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Busting out

  The gang and I started off on our journey creeping down a dark corridor. I was thankful that I knew right where to stash everyone for the time being. Slowly we moved forward. The lights flickered. I stopped. The lights flickered again.

  Oh crap, I thought, this cannot be good.

  Standing there with thirty or more supernaturals at my back, I was starting to lose all my nerve and bravado. I knew with a sickly sweet taste on my tongue and a horrifying twist in my gut that I needed to hurry up and get everyone to a safe location. I had an awful felling that my dream guy had arrived, and he was looking for me. I shook my head as the lights flickered their final flick, plunging us into darkness. I heard several gasps, two or three oh no’s and someone started to cry.

  I felt bad, but what could I do? It’s not like I could call on the Electricity-God for help. Or could I, huh?

  “Now, what?” I heard someone ask, even though I couldn’t see him, I knew who it was.

  “Look Thorn, it’s not my fault that the lights went out. I’m the one trying to get us out of here, you know!”

  “Sorry.” He relented.

  “It’s fine, but I think I might know how to get light.”

  “How?” Someone asked.

  Yeah, I’ve decided this whole not being able to see thing sucks.

  “Well, I should be able to do it without help; however, I haven’t had much practice. So the only way to bring out one of my powers is to make me mad.” Or turn me on, but I was not going to let them know that little info. “Any volunteers?”

  “I’ll do it.” Thorn said, “Are you ready?”

  I was like, “Yeah, what are you going to do?”

  If I could see, I would guess he was smiling. “This.”

  Thorn pulled his fist back; well I’m assuming it was his fist.

  Hello, temporarily blind here.

  Thorn punched me in the mouth sending my head flying back and blood running down my chin. That didn’t make me mad, that just hurt like hell. I was glaring for all the good it did me. However, what he said next ticked me off. Yeah, I was furious.

  Thorn said, “You scrawny bitch, I have wanted to do that from the moment I saw you. Go on, cry you skinny little brat. You know you want to.”

  “Thorn,” Reese roared.

  I felt my body turning a hot-hot red! My blood was boiling. I tried to keep the flames down to a minimum. Focusing only on my hands, but I was too mad. The next thing I saw was fire licking along my body.

  Whoosh, burn baby burn. I was hot, and not in the, dang girl you look fine, kind of hot.

  My whole entire body went up and flames and the dark corridor lit up around me. Everyone jumped back. I started to reach for Thorn. I wanted to hurt him, my hands were outstretched ready and to throttle him; however, he jumped behind Reese.

  “Sorry,” Thorn said, “But you did say make you mad. So I did my part.”

  As soon as he said that the flames started to die down, my anger was fading and along with it was our light. Perfect.

  “We need to move now and fast. I don’t know how long I can keep the anger in me.”

  I gazed at everyone, they all looked hopeless and without their powers, they just looked down right pathetic. If Ziggy and the other Pixies had their magic, we wouldn’t have to hurry. I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting anyone, but because no one has any magic due to the power shield, I’m forced to have someone make me mad just so I will go up in flames.

  Yippy skippy. I wondered then: Why when I shut down the power to the laser’s the shield didn’t fall as well and with the lights out you would think the shields would be down too.

  I guess it works on a different power source: Magic. I shrugged and moved on. No one said a word as they hurried behind me, the closer we came to our destination the fainter the flames were. By the time we made it, I was all but put out.

  That was a problem. Yeah I might be flame resistant from my own flames, but what I was wearing, not so much.

  Reese, the prince and gentleman, took off his shirt and handed it to me. That was nice of him. I only lost a little of my clothing, but it was enough. He stepped in front of me while I slipped it on.

  Embarrassed and thanking God it was dark in here I said, “Thank you.”

  I could just make out a smile on his face. “It was my pleasure. There is no need for a young lady to go undressed when there are plenty of clothes to go around.” He winked.

  I choked, “Yeah, thanks.”

  “So what’s going on?” Thorn asked.

  Everyone else stayed quiet, it was strange not even Ziggy opened his mouth.

  “Well, all of you will hide in here and wait. There are people coming to help as we speak.”

  Someone tapped me on the shoulder; I spun around to see Asher and ten other Vamps standing behind him. All of the Vamps were dressed in military fatigue. Asher smiled and looked down at my bare legs, and shook his head.

  “Why Kitten, what did I miss?”

  I dropped my head. “You wouldn’t happen to have something for my legs?”

  Besides, I thought, only having a shirt on sucks and was a little chilly. Asher chuckled, a deep sound that washed over my body sending shivers up and down my spine. His laugh spoke of bad things he wanted to do to me. I hated it with a passion; I didn’t want anything intimate with Asher. Never, ever again.

  “Hang on,” Asher held up one hand. He turned and huddled together with his Vamp team.

  A little bit later, Asher took a small petite Vamp girl over to the side. Finally, Asher came back with her sweat pants. My mouth dropped, I looked at the girl and noticed she was now in her underwear. She smiled a fang smile and shrugged. I swallowed.

  “Here you go Kitten.”

  “No, that’s okay she needs them.” I pointed to the Vamp girl in question.

  “Look Kitten, it is ether this, or you run around flashing us your privates. That’s fine with me if you want to show off that cute little—”

  I grabbed them out of his hands. “Fine, thank you.” I said embarrassed.

  One by one they said thank you to me and were quickly extracted. The only ones left were me, Asher, Ziggy, Thorn and Reese. When I told Asher that I had to find the machine, I didn’t expect that I would have volunteers to help me. However, I was wrong.

  “I think we need to split up,” I suggested.

  “Good idea. Thorn, you Reese and Ziggy can go together. I will go with Kitten.”

  “No,” I said. “How about Thorn and Reese go together, me and Ziggy together and you by yourself.”

  “Kitten, we do not have time for this. Do it my way, or I will throw you over my shoulder kicking and screaming out of here.” Asher grinned back.

  I wanted to rant and rave, but I relented. I go, “Fine,” I looked over at Thorn and Reese. “Be careful, okay?”

  “Are ye sure about this? We can all go together if that will make ye happy.” Reese studied me.

  “No, I’m not sure, but we do need to split up. It’ll be okay.”

  “Ok,” Reese shrugged.

  Thorn and Reese turned and left me with Ziggy and Asher.

  “Ziggy, you be careful too, okay?”

  “Ok Sweet Cheeks. I am the definition of careful,” Ziggy grinned showing his shar
p teeth and he was off.

  “So, Kitten, were you just so happy to see me that you got undressed; or was there another reason?” Asher chuckled. “Honestly Kitten, if I knew you were planning on getting naked I would have come sooner.”

  I ignored him and glared.

  Tell me, why did I have to be stuck with the stinking Vampire leech?

  “Shut up. I didn’t take my clothes off for you; they sorta burned off my body.” I said in a rush.

  Asher asked, “They sorta burned off your body? How can clothes sorta burn off your body?”

  I shook my head, “Look, since you’re probably not going to let this go I’ll tell you. I have the ability to call on the five elements. So I called fire.” I rolled my eyes. “I was planning on only setting my hands on fire, but I’m not too good at this whole magical stuff. Anyway, I set my whole self on fire instead. I suck, I know this, I try to light one finger but, whoosh, my whole body goes up in flames.”

  Asher stopped walking and looked at me seriously. “You need someone to train you, help you control your powers. Kitten, you could have set this whole place on fire, what were you thinking?”

  “No duh Sherlock, you don’t have to tell me something I already know. I wasn’t thinking, it was dark and I was scared. So yeah, it was stupid and I wasn’t thinking. I try to do something right and I end up doing it all wrong, so I don’t need your superiority attitude.”

  Ugh. I cannot believe I am having this conversation with a Vampire of all people. Shocked, Asher grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms. A tiny spark zinged through my body making me want more, in retrospect, I knew it wasn’t me that really wanted it. It was the blood bond talking. I pushed him away.

  “Come on, Asher; let’s find the machine so we can get out of here.”

  Asher didn’t say another word as he followed after me. He was so quiet I almost forgot he was behind me. Well, that is if you could forget a blood sucking leech, whose whole being calls to me. Then yeah, I didn’t even notice him. We turned a corner and I stopped dead.