The Pact Between Angels and Witches

by Kiesha Thomas

  The streets were chaotic. We watched as a group of four men threw a rock into the glass window of a shop. After a second one, a guy pulled up a flatbed truck while the other men tossed everything they could carry in the truck and driving off.

  It warmed my heart to see the men fighting each other to the death in the street. Everything changed now that the peace treaty was broken. There was no law anymore. Who needs rules anyway?

  I pushed the vampires out of my way. A group of four vampires ran toward me with cold eyes. A smile lifted my lips as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I jumped high above the first one landing behind his back. I wrapped my hands around his wrist until I cracked his neck. When I let him slither to the ground, I waved the others toward me.

  Jada ran past me. She jumped high in the air and, raising her katanas high, she sliced off his head. The vampire’s body fell to the ground. Looking around I saw Celeste along the wall fighting two vampires at once. She was holding her own but there were more coming. She was too far from me to make it to her in time. A group of three werewolves were bounding her way.

  It seemed like forever since I tried to use the powers that Victoria had given to me. Channeling all my energy, I sent an orb at the werewolves. The ball hit two of them and the third dashed to side to avoid being hit.

  Celeste jabbed her sword into the vampire’s throat, and he slid to his knees. She turned seeing the werewolf heading straight for her. Her whole body went rigid. Her eyes met mine, and what I saw there tore at something deep in my chest. Celeste was prepared to die.

  Something broke inside me. I ran at full speed. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Paris run toward Celeste. Jada screamed Warren’s name. I was not sure why because he had disappeared. It was like he had vanished into thin air the entire time.

  Paris touched the fallen vampire, and immediately changed into one of them. She flew to the werewolf and swiped at its face with her long claws. The werewolf’s head whipped back from the force of her blows. Its blood traveled down its cheek. It turned swiftly and hit Paris with a blow to the head. She flew into the wall, sliding to the ground unconscious.

  It rushed toward Paris’s unconscious body, but I stepped in front grabbing the werewolf by the shoulders and thrusting him into the wall. Holding its head, I bashed his face into the brick. He elbowed me in the stomach. Jada tossed her katana at its chest. The weapon lodged in its chest, but the werewolf howled and slowly pulled it out.

  Jada backed up at the sight. She transformed into a giant wombat. She bared her sharp teeth and swung her claws at the werewolf. She missed but wasn’t quick enough to sidestep the large claws that dug into her back as she retreated from the werewolf.

  Her voice was weaker than it was a before, as she screamed Warren’s name.

  I grabbed its claws and tried to force it back, but it anticipated my move; turned and took a bite out of my shoulder. It’s razor sharp teeth easily cut into my flesh, I groaned through the pain. It took most of my strength to hold its large jaw open and pulled my shoulder out of its mouth. He knocked me to the ground. I was left with another surge of pain, as hot wet blood seeped through my clothes, as it clawed into my back.

  Warren appeared out of nowhere. He shapeshifted into a werewolf and swiped both hands at the werewolf’s chest. When the other werewolf went down on his knees, Warren severed its head with his sharp claws.

  I helped Celeste to her feet. Her hands trembled but she nodded to me swiftly and then to Warren. We rushed inside the XJT Motorcycle club doors. Nicolo was going to die and hand his army over to me. There were several beer bottles on the bar top and the condensation suggested they hadn’t been there long.

  “Come out, Nicolo. I need to talk to you.” I leaned against the bar and waited. The reception area was big with several massive tables to accommodate large parties.

  “You killed my men. It’s too late to talk,” said Nicolo. He strolled out from the back room. He paused, looking behind him before coming to stand a foot away from me.

  My eyes narrowed on him, the bastard thought he was calling the shots. “I thought you were dead. Why are you here?

  His cheeks turned red, but he shrugged. “Everything happened so fast, so I came here to regroup and survive.”

  A bedroom door closed. I stared passed him and I saw her. Bethanny. She came out wearing a tight short red dress. Her hair was tangled on the top of her head. The fancy clothes she wore looked expensive but were wrinkled. Her mascara was smeared and there were black tear stained paths down her cheek. The room reeked of hot sweaty sex.

  “You are sleeping with her? She almost got Kyra killed.” My voice was louder than I intended it to be. My nails dug into my palms to keep from reaching for him. My mind was already made up. I was going to kill him.

  “Who I date is none of your business,” said Nicolo. His body stilled when Bethanny came to his side and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “If you are still loyal to me, you will turn over control of the werewolves and come back with me. Bethanny dies, but you can decide whether you are going to kill her or if I will do the honors. Either way, she dies.”

  I didn’t wait for him to answer. I already knew he didn’t want to kill her but that was not his decision.

  I stepped back and channeled my energy. A green orb formed, and I hurled it at Bethanny. Nicolo stepped in front of the orb knocking Bethanny to the floor. He didn’t move and there was blood gushing from his head and nose. Bethanny ran toward the door.

  I ran fast. I hopped over several tables and I was gaining some momentum on her, but she was fast. Before she could reach the door, the door flew opened and Derrick walked in. Bethanny flew past him, out the door.

  “What the heck is going on?” asked Derrick. He turned to me and I rushed up to him wrapping my hands around his neck. His lips formed a hard line as he balled his fist hitting me in the stomach. I grunted as the air was knocked out of me. Before I could get up, he was on me.

  He thrust me against the wall. Closing my eyes, I summoned my strength and sent an orb at his chest. He screamed and backed away from me. The intensity of the orb had burned a hole through his sweater, and he was bleeding. He turned on his heel and ran toward the window. He jumped through it and kept running.

  I turned to see the werewolves inside the clubhouse with us. They had formed a circle around Nicolo. Nicolo stood up and was changing. He was more than a vampire. He was different, which gave him the courage he had now. His body grew, his clothing split at the seams and hair grew all over his body. He was a werewolf and vampire, all in one. He was a massive abomination. It was magnificent.

  The huge tan werewolf with the silver hair tipped his head back and howled his displeasure.

  Strolling back to Jada, Celeste, and Warren, I smiled.

  “Surrender to me or die.” I looked around trying to see who would pledge their allegiance to me. It seemed everyone of them had chosen to die. Fine by me. I loved bending weaker species to my will

  “Kill them all.” I rushed toward them and stopped when I was close, to shoot an orb at them. The orb hit three of them and they instantly fell to the floor.

  I rushed into battle. I loved killing.

  10

  Cade

  Today had drained me and I didn’t know what to do about it. When Arianna walked out the door, and I was left with Liam, I stood there. There was a dull aching pain inside me, with a heaviness that lingered in the center of my chest.

  Her place is here with us. It just feels right for her to be here with me.

  I rushed to the door. I couldn’t let her leave without doing anything, it just wasn’t right.

  “Let her go. She has to want to be here,” said Liam. He sat down in his chair and poured himself another glass of blood.

  He didn’t look like his normal self. His face was pale, and he looked exhausted. His clothes showed that he had been fighting but I couldn’t see the extent of his injuries. I had never seen him show weakness, and I doubted that he would
let me see that now.

  “If Letoya doesn’t want to be here. Are you going to leave her alone?”

  Liam placed his glass down on his desk. “Letoya is different and you know it.”

  I rolled my eyes. My mouth opened then I closed it. This was a conversation I wasn’t going to win. My energy was fading fast, so I decided to say nothing. Sometimes saying nothing spoke louder than words.

  I missed him more than I can say, but his nonchalant attitude rubbed me the wrong way. It’s times like this, I wondered if he cared about any of us.

  I left his office, closing the door loudly behind me. I ran down the hall. It bothered me, more than I cared to admit, that Arianna didn’t feel safe at the academy. I knew that I had failed her, but she should give me a chance to make it right. I should be allowed to make it right.

  I reached her bedroom door in no time. Without knocking, I walked inside. The room was still dark except for a small light illuminated by a candle next to the bed. Arianna sat on her bed massaging her temples.

  “I could’ve been naked. Didn’t your father ever teach you to knock?”

  This was the first time I had been in a girl’s room. I didn’t want anyone to think less of her, so I would make the conversation quick. Girls were cutthroat and it didn’t matter whether it was the truth or a lie, once words were spoken that was it. Letoya found that out the hard way.

  Walking toward the bed, I stopped and decided it was inappropriate to sit on her bed. Scooting the chair out at the desk, I sank down in it. “I can’t let you leave. Not like this. You would be killed out there alone.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You don’t get to let me do anything.”

  She jumped to her feet and started pacing. After a few minutes, she walked over to the mini refrigerator and pulled out a plastic bottle of water. She chugged the water down in a few gulps.

  Turning on the light, I waited until my eyes adjusted to the bright florescent illumination before speaking,

  I forgot how feisty she was and I almost smiled. Her spunk was something that I liked. There was a lot about her that I liked.

  Shaking my head, I forced myself back to the present. “You came here to train and learn your powers. Do you like almost being killed? The next time might be the final curtain.”

  Color flooded her face. Her cheeks were red, as she turned to face me. “You sound just like Liam. He thinks he calls the shots.”

  I folded my hands in my lap. I did sound like him, but I also knew I was right. “How do you plan to defend yourself? I thought you wanted to rescue your niece and nephew, but I guess I was wrong.”

  I stood to my feet. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. She must want to live. These were the times that Valcrum needed us to be strong, so we can see his will done.

  If she has a death wish what can I do to stop her? The stabbing pain in my chest suggested I would do everything I could to save her, whether she wanted to live or not.

  “I didn’t think you’d train me and let me go.” She walked to the trashcan and tossed the water bottle in it.

  “You may not have noticed, but we are at war. Everyone here at the academy will be undergoing training. We need all the able warriors we can get, to fight. Valcrum needs us more than ever.”

  She snorted. “I noticed but this is not my war.”

  “What? You came to the academy to give your life to Valcrum’s mission, and now you’re saying it’s not your war. Whose war is it?”

  Her words sent a jolt of hot anger through me, but I tried to tamper it down. I tried to tell myself that she’s young and naive but that didn’t stop me from wanting to argue some sense into her.

  “Valcrum will come and take care of the demons, He cast them down here so I’m sure he has a plan to take care of them.”

  I ran my hands through my hair. “We are the solution. Look around you. What do you plan to do about your niece and nephew? I guess you stopped caring about them as well.”

  Her mouth opened in surprise. Then her mouth shut, and her lips thinned, I knew she was gearing up to argue with me. Opening the door, I walked out and headed down the hall. If she wanted to give me a piece of her mind, she’ll be very disappointed.

  Her footsteps were loud as she followed behind me at a surprisingly fast pace, as she whirled me around to face her. “Don’t you dare walk away from me.”

  Her nails dug into my shoulder as she held me. Her sweet minty breath flowed over my lips and I closed my eyes. There was something about this girl.

  I have been feeling it all along and I didn’t like it. The chemistry between us was electrifying. I can still remember how soft her lips were, when I lay on the ground dying.

  “If you want to be trained, you will stay here and fight, like Valcrum wanted you to do. If you turned your back on Valcrum’s gift, don’t be surprised if he takes it from you.”

  I removed her hands from me. Her nails felt like they were drawing blood, but I didn’t mind. Staring deep into her eyes, I could see her chest rising and falling with her unsteady breaths. “The choice is yours. We all make choices, just make sure you can live with the ones you make.”

  It was morning. I’m usually an early riser, but today, I was so angry when the alarm clock beeped in my ear that I grabbed it and tossed it at the wall, shattering it into tiny pieces. I would’ve smiled, if Liam hadn’t come into my room and scolded me like a five-year-old.

  “Do you have a death wish or are you just stupid?” asked Liam. He stood over me and ripped the covers off me. He balled them up in his hands and tossed them to the floor.

  Thrusting my legs over the bed, I glared at him. “I haven’t been able to sleep, since you went missing. I need to rest.” I stood up and gathered my covers off the floor and tossed them in the hamper. Rolling my eyes, I made a mental note to change my duvet.

  Liam snorted. “Claire called and said the meeting with the witches is in a few hours, so you need to be up so that you can go.”

  “I was only going to the meeting because you were not here, but now that you are, you can go. It’s your place to go, not mine.”

  I stood in the middle of my room. If he spoke to Claire, she had briefed him already. He must enjoy tormenting me. I just needed to sleep. My body hasn’t been the same since the vamp virus, and I still don’t feel like myself.

  “I am impressed with how you took control of the situation while I was gone. There was never a moment when I doubted that you could do it.”

  I shook my head. “I thought you were dead. How could you go off like that, and not say anything to me? You didn’t leave me clues or anything.” My voice cracked and I turned my back on him to gain my composure.

  “I could not risk anyone knowing anything about her. That would put her in danger and I knew we had a traitor among us.” He walked towards me. “I am not the type of man that speaks of love and passion and matters of the heart. I am not sure I still have a heart, but never doubt for a second, you are my son.”

  His arms wrapped around me. Closing my eyes, tears traveled down my cheeks. Losing Leonardo and then almost losing him had proved to be too much. There was only so much I could take. “I love you, dad.”

  He stiffened. “I love you more than life itself, and when I am gone, I know you will continue to make me proud.”

  After a minute he walked to the door. The light flooded into the room, and I squinted as I saw moisture on his cheek. I have never seen him cry.

  I took the quickest shower in life, the donned my clothes and rushed out my room. Walking down the hall, I checked in with Roger. It had been almost a week and we still did not have a precise location on Alexa, Gayle and Erica. With each passing day, I dreaded seeing Claire, and not being able to give her the answers I knew she wanted. It was only a matter of time before she would run off on a solo mission, intent on saving her sister.

  Opening the door to the office, I saw Roger. He was behind the massive computer analyzing a bunch of data. He was a genius and he lov
ed data. He was like a robot and I was astonished every time I saw him. He hardly slept and lived ninety percent of his life on a computer shifting and correlating data.

  “What do you have for me? Please tell me you found her?” I sat down in the chair and watched the numbers and video footage fly across the screen.

  “I am not sure yet. I know that Ivy left with her. She’s the best tracker we have here. We needed her to find Alexa,” said Roger.

  I rubbed my forehead. “Where do you think they went?”

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  The building shook. The computers slid off the desk and crashed to the floor. The windows shattered and the ceiling had a long crack in it. The impact had sent me across the room crashing into a bookcase where all the books, fell on me.

  I lifted my head. “Roger are you alright?” Jumping to my feet, I rushed to help him.

  We are under attack. It was either Trevor and his crew, the Fairway Coven witches and warlocks that still lived, or Nathaniel.

  He wiped the blood from the side of his face. He looked at his computer and the two shattered computer screens on the floors. “Someone will pay for this.”

  Opening his door, I ran through the hallway. The students were heading toward the exit doors getting ready to defend the school. Rushing through the crowd, I ran to Liam’s office. Opening the door, I saw him, Maximus, Claire and Arianna.

  “We are under attack.”

  Liam nodded. “It is Nathaniel and Trevor, and his demons, out there fighting each other. Nathaniel has a group with him. I assume they are mutagens.”

  Rushing to the door, I took the side exit to the outside. Busting through the doors, I saw Nathaniel and Trevor fighting. Trevor looked to be losing the fight. Turning my head, I spotted some first-year students, Heather and Denise, fighting two demons. One demon had Heather by the hair, lifting her off the ground. She struggled in his grasp, but she couldn’t get free.