9
Zarin
We are going to die. Wrapping Cosima in my arms I turn my back to the ground, maybe I will break her fall. Out of the corner of my eye, I see John standing at the edge waving his hands his concentration pointed. A strong pull wraps around us, and our free fall to our death is halted. John motions his hands like a rope, and we are lifted back on the mountain.
I land with a strong thud. Her soft body squirms in my arms, and she lifts her head. “Thank you.”
Cosima gets to her feet and extends her hand for me. I grabbed it and got up.
John walked back in the house. A second later he walked out the house with his mother’s body in his arms.
“I couldn’t kill Olga and save you guys at the same time,” said John. He looked down at his mother. “Your fight is now my fight. I will help you destroy Nora and then I will destroy the Xenar Coven.”
We reach city and we are not far from the academy. John and Claire had transported us back to the city and I am grateful. I rub my arms around me as I shake my head. A part of me is glad Luc, decided to disobey and go look for Chaniya, even though I know he didn’t find her.
“Chaniya finds trouble everywhere she goes.” I stared at Cosima.
Her small hand in my mine turns clammy. If her back gets any straighter then her spine would snap in two. The thin set of her lush lips shows her annoyance.
“Cut her a break. It’s not like she has a whole lot of options out here alone,” said Cosima
“Chaniya is a problem. One that will not go away if we ignore it.” I’m not sure why she is taking up for her sister. Chaniya doesn’t seem to consider how her actions affect others. We are now her enemies. I wasn’t surprised to see her, but I was disappointed.
The birds up above in the trees suddenly take flight. My eyes narrow as something in the air shifts. By this time there should be some people out, yet the street is empty. This is the perfect opportunity for an ambush.
Maximus grunted. “She hasn’t been gone from the academy for twenty-four hours and she’s joined the Xenar Coven.”
Claire grunted. “Olga will join the demons to save her own hide since John almost killed her.”
Cade is silent. His eyes darting to the upcoming alley and back at Maximus. “I don’t think we’re alone.”
Maximus swiftly grabbed Claire around the waist and pushed her behind his back. “Stand behind me.”
Two girls stepped out from the alley. One of them has arms that turn into steel spikes as weapons. She runs toward us. I transform quickly and rush forward. The girl swings the steel spike and I dodge right, and swipe at her raking my claws across her face. When she falls to the ground, I bent down to rip her head off, but she jabbed her steel spike into my gut. Pain ripped through my stomach as I backed up and tore it in two.
The other girl whistled, and the demons emerged from the shadows. We are outnumbered so this won’t be good. Grunting I rip the steel spike from my stomach. Cosima rushed to my side with a tattered cloth in her hand. Squinting, I noticed the fabric was a part of her shirt.
Wincing, I allowed her to fasten a makeshift bandage around my waste. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I stifle a groan of pain as Nora stepped out the shadows behind a tall demon whose horns protrude from his hair.
Cosima screams and sends several arrows in the air sailing toward Nora. “You will die for killing my father.”
The arrows missed Nora as she ducked and ran toward us. John waved his hands and sent the demons flying into the brick building. Claire was fighting one of the mutagens. Cosima was fighting with Nora. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luc. He is sneaking up on the demon leader, who is battling John. Luc stabbed the demon in the back, but the demon grabbed Luc by the throat and tossed him against the wall. His body thumped against the wall like a rag doll and slumped to the ground.
Rushing toward the demon I slammed him against the wall. My claws swiping venously until, he dug his fingers into my wound in my stomach, and I sank down to my knees.
Maximus gripped the demon and bit him on his neck. I sank further to the ground as my skin chilled. My blood spills and it feels as if my intestines lie on the ground. The concrete is cold against my head as I see Cosima jab her knife into Nora’s throat, and she fell to the ground.
My lips curve, she has gathered the strength to kill Nora, and avenge her father’s death. It’s weird how I have craved death for so long and now a giggle escaped me. Life is not without a sense of irony it seems. I can’t ignore the sense of loss that swept over me.
Luc staggered to his feet rubbing his head. “You’re bleeding everywhere. We need to get you medical care. Now.”
The vein pulsed in my head. “Take care of Cosima.”
The pain in my stomach has gone numb. I can’t feel my blood gush from my body, but I am sure it is still flowing freely. Floaters appear before my eyes and my vision blurs. The darkness closes around me and I surrendered to it.
I woke to the bright florescent lights above me. I am back at the academy. Sitting up, I see the intravenous line and the needle in my wrist. This is not my room, however and I am wondering whose room I am in. The scent of eucalyptus and tea filled my nostrils.
There’s a piece of peppermint candy and a cup of water on the nightstand next to the bed. My mouth waters as I pop the peppermint in my mouth. The door opens and Luc strolls inside.
He pulled up a chair next to the bed. “Nice of you not to die on us.”
Ignoring the pain in my stomach and the dryness of my mouth I asked him the only question that matters to me. “How is Cosima? Is she hurt?”
Luc rolled his eyes. “You almost died and you ask me of her welfare?”
A low growl passed my lips as I wait.
“Cosima is fine. We had to sedate her when she saw you were unconscious on the concrete.”
Frowning, I looked at Luc. “When was the last time you checked on her?” Now that Nora has been destroyed, she and I can go bury her father.
Luc glanced at his watch. “Five minutes ago, but we have a bigger problem.”
Some of the tightness eased from my chest. She’s alright. I had dreaded having this conversation with Luc. “We know that Chaniya has joined the Xenar Coven.”
Luc’s eyes turn so dark they are unreadable. “Nick Emerson gave up his accomplice, Calvin Banks, who knocked out Chaniya. He had ties to the Xenar Coven.”
“What do you mean had ties? Did you kill him?”
Luc’s lips turned down. “I had planned on it but someone else got to him first. We think it was Olga.”
Why would Xenar Coven want to hurt Chaniya? Olga and Nora are not that different. They both seemed to focus on destroying the Arko sisters.
10
Chaniya
We got back from the battle between the academy and us. Olga had decreed that we retreat after she almost had her head severed from her body. The comforts of this huge traditional mansion surrounded by the majestic gates couldn’t instill a sense of security. Each room was plush with upgraded carpets; crushed velvet curtains over the windows and expensive oriental rugs. There was no comfort that was spared. On the long walls there was mounted a seventy-five-inch television, an intercom system, and an upgraded security system with surveillance.
I can’t stop shaking. Every time I think of Olga, I thirst to slit her throat. Xenar Coven wasn’t so bad, when I thought they were just minding their own business. Finding out Olga was working with Nora was worse than seeing Cosima pushed from the mountain. Olga had put me in a battle not just against the academy but against my own sister.
In the blink of an eye, she had killed Cosima. My fingers reached up to circle my neck to grab my platinum diamond heart shaped locket, that father had given me, and my fingers clutched nothing.
A sharp pain sliced across my chest. I jumped to my feet and raced to the door. Megan and Darlene stood in the doorway. Megan had her right hand raised poised to knock.
“Where are you going?” aske
d Megan.
“I have something I need to do.” I brushed past them both and traversed down the hallway.
“You lied. You never mentioned that you had a sister who was part of the academy,” spat Darlene. Her eyes turned dark blue, as cold as the sea, as she waved her hands and my throat closed like a rope was wrapped around my neck as I floated up the wall toward the ceiling.
“We need to talk to her and find out what all she knows before we kill her,” said Megan. She leaned against the wall smirking. Pulling out a cigarette she lit it with a green lighter and took a deep drag before blowing out the smoke.
My air was cut off. Darlene tightened her fingers and small fissure, like cuts, sliced along both sides of my throat. A few minutes later my top and pants fell from my body in tatters. The lining from my pink lace panties disintegrated, and I was naked.
Megan was whirling her hands like a Wu Tang warrior undressing me for her kinky pleasures. “You should’ve bought me that drink. If you had allowed me to kiss you, then I might have spared your life but you’re just a prude,” said Megan.
Rage made my muscles tremor as images of father and Cosima filtered through my mind like a homemade movie. Reaching deep inside, I channeled the black magic that called to me. Knowing that Nora could reach my mind through this dark magic didn’t keep me from allowing the magic to envelope my body.
A bone-chilling scream broke from my lips, as I channeled the Alora, the goddess of the Earth’s power as my fingers extended breaking the ground below me. I sent the wood, dirt, and hard compact mud toward Darlene.
A thick long piece of wood caught Darlene in the head and she sank down to the floor. The nail at the end of it had caught Darlene square in the forehead.
The invisible rope that had choked me was now gone. My body dropped to my feet, and I stalked toward Megan.
“You killed her.” Megan had ducked behind the room door, even as the walls around her caved in around her.
Waving my hand, I allowed the dark magic to surge through my muscles. I reached Megan in a flash grabbing her by the throat, my lips touching her ear. “You asked me not to deny my urges. To give into the real me.”
I squeezed my hands around her throat. Her heart beat forceful against my fingers, as I tightened my hold on her. Megan’s face lost its color as her nails dug into my arms drawing blood as she tried to pry my hands from her throat.
Warm blood flowed down my arm as she continued to struggle.
I lessened my grip on her throat. The gurgling sounds she made as she choked were music to my ears. “You have five minutes to tell me everything. Talk.”
Meagan gasped for air. “Olga and Nora had an agreement. Nora agreed to destroy the academy all except Liam, and Olga agreed to give Nora the DNA of a mutagens.”
Nora had managed to find out that Earth had other beings with powers, and she wanted to get her hands on more power. The high priestess was proving to be cunning and resourceful. I underestimated her once and I lost everything. That is a mistake that I won’t make again.
I shook my head. “Whose DNA did Olga give Nora?”
“Those freaks don’t trust us, let alone give us their DNA. Olga used her own blood to give Nora.”
Olga double-crossed Nora. She didn’t remind me of a simpleton but that was just insane.
“When does Nora plan to retaliate against Olga?”
“Nora was pleased. Olga’s blood has been tainted with the mutagens blood, so Olga didn’t betray her. Let me go. I can be of use to you.”
My eyes narrowed on her face. “Can you bring Cosima back from the dead?”
Megan stiffened in my arms. “They say black magic can bring back the dead.”
“No, it can’t. You are of no use to me.” After a few minutes, she went limp in my hands, and I cracked her neck, and tossed her body to the side.
I stalked down the hall. Olga would die now. Reaching the last bedroom upstairs I opened the door. The light was dim, and I pressed the light switch on the wall, but nothing happened. Olga was hidden inside here, and now she would die.
“Do you think you can kill me little girl? You will die just like I killed your sister,” said Olga.
In the blink of an eye, Olga lunged at me, light from a nearby window glinting off the silver blade. Waving my hands, I moved her sword, yanking it out of her hand sending it into her heart.
I watched as she fell to her bedroom floor with a sickening thud. Blood poured from her mouth and gushed from the hole in her chest. After spitting on her I walked out of there, but a vision of Nora appeared in my mind. My legs were still like a statue as I heard her laughter.
“You have lost everything. Do us both a favor and kill yourself,” said Nora.
“I am coming for you, Nora.”
11
Cosima
The pounding in my head made the room spin. I squinted against the bright light. I’m not in my room, but I am in a room at the academy. Today was a new day, as the morning sun crept through the window. Last night’s events made me cringe. Zarin had laid on the concrete bleeding out, dying. A sense of helplessness had come over me, and I had ruthlessly killed Nora. I had been beside myself at seeing the life in him drain from his body.
There had been too many emotions that had overcome me that night. The emotional upheaval of my sister’s betrayal, Zarin dying before my eyes, and lastly to my own narrowly escaped death. Stumbling out of the bed, I walked to the door. Flinging the bedroom door open, I walked down the hallway to my sister’s room.
The students leveled blank stares and loud whispers all around me as I walked down the hall in the bloody tee shirt and pants that I wore last night. My hands shook as I opened her door. Tears sprung to my eyes as I approached her bed.
Light gleamed off something shiny on her desk. My legs headed to the desk without further thought. The heart shaped necklace Chaniya always wears sat on the desk. She rarely took it off. Placing the necklace around my neck I sank to the floor. Now that Nora was dead, it was time to bury dad.
Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to grieve for all that I had lost. I flinched when tender fingers caressed my cheek.
“I thought you were dead,” said Chaniya.
Wiping my tears away. I reached up to unclasp the necklace at my collarbone. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Chaniya shook her head. “Don’t take it off. Keep it safe for me.” She turned and walked toward the bedroom door.
The phone on the desk rang and Chaniya stopped just short of opening her door.
I grabbed the phone on the fourth ring. “Hello.”
“Your intel must be wrong. Nora can’t be on her way here with the demons. I killed her.”
Glancing at my sister, I saw her shaking her head. The dark circles underneath her eyes were apparent against her smooth skin. Her clothes were wrinkled and frumpy.
Frowning, I stared at the ceiling. Nora must have delved in black magic or something. It wasn’t natural for her to still be alive. “I will come to you.”
“What? You are here? Outside the door?” I hung up the phone.
Chaniya looked at the door. “Nora is alive. I killed Olga and now I’m going to kill Nora.”
“You need to leave. The academy doesn’t trust you. Go now, out the window.”
She glanced at the door. “You cannot let me go. It will only cause them to turn their back on you, and you will not have anyone.”
Strong pounding at the door made Chaniya step back. After a glance, she moved to the window and thrust it up. When she climbed out and shut the window behind her, I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
I rushed over to the door and thrust it opened.
“I was in the bathroom.” I wiped my sweaty hands on the back of my pants.
Liam strolled into the room. “Where is she?”
He strolled into her room followed by over ten guards flanking him. His eyes were so dark they appeared black. When his eyes, looked at the window I suppressed a tremor that raced up my s
pine. “I am the only person here.”
He turned to his guards. “She left out the window.”
The guards raced out the room barking orders. Their boots sounded like a stampeded
Liam turned to me. “We trusted your sister and it was a mistake. Your betrayal shows us we should have never trusted you either.”
He tried to grab me, but I stepped back and waved my hands focusing on the desk. A second later, I swung hard hitting Liam in the face. He went down for a second, and I ran out the bedroom door.
I ran outside. The students at the academy had surrounded Chaniya but she wasn’t paying them any attention. Her gaze was facing away from the retaining wall. Why hadn’t she fled?
I went to stand next to her. “What are you waiting for? Do you need me to create a portal?”
Nora came into view with the demons at her side. She launched something like a missile toward the academy. Nora had a mini rocket launcher in her hand. She fired the rocket. Zarina, Maxmus and Cade ran outside the side doors of the academy. Chaniya waved her hands, and she created a forcefield over the students and the academy, but she was left vulnerable.
Luc ran out the building and stood in front of Chaniya.
Nora lifted the rocket launcher and aimed to launch another directly at Chaniya and Luc. The demon, at her back had a rocket launcher and pointed it at the academy. Once he gave Nora a smirk, they both launched the rockets.
No. This will not happen. I fell to my knees and channeled my link to Valcrum. Raising my hands, I focused on the rockets. My mind slid into their technology simultaneously rewriting them and forcing them to deactivate. The rockets fell on the ground like loose junk.
I fell to my knees as blood shot from both of my eyes and blood pooled into my mouth.
“Let me go, Luc. She’s dying,” screamed Chaniya.
My body shuddered as goosebumps broke out on my damp skin. I’m so cold. Darkness closed in as my faint heartbeat slowed to five beats a minute. I guess this is how death felt, but at least I went on my own terms, saving those that I love.
Unwanted Witch Page 6
