The Pact Between Angels and Witches

by Kiesha Thomas

  “I wanted to sneak around the back, to see if he was making out back there.”

  Bobby opened the door and moved Claire through it. I followed behind them. I was glad that I didn’t know where Zarin was, and I hoped I could lose Jake before Zarin saw me with him. Zarin didn’t like other guys flirting with me. He was the jealous type and I didn’t mind. I didn’t want other guys flirting with me either.

  The place was smokey. Everywhere I looked two out of three guys were smoking cigars. The rest were smoking cigarettes. There was a bartender running around the bar placing several glasses on top of napkins. There were wooden stools lined up around the bar and every one of them was filled. Down the other end, I saw his back. He didn’t need to turn for me to know it was him. I would know that chiseled back anywhere. What I didn’t know was the woman’s name, with the dark purple hair, leaning over him. Her black bunny fingernails roamed over his butt, and she squeezed it.

  Something inside of me broke. I smiled at Jake. “I’ll be back, I need to freshen up a bit.” I walked past the men at the bar. When I got to Zarin, I kept walking past him, swaying my hips more than before. I reached the bathroom and walked inside.

  After the door closed. I paced.

  That low down dirty, rotten scoundrel. I was in the alley, smelling all kinds of urine, and he was in here making out with that Barbie reject.

  Stomping to the sink, I turned the water on. Leaning over the water I cupped the cold liquid and splashed my face. I was here for one reason only, to rescue two women. Zarin, the mangy werewolf, can stay here and have his fun. He was so torn up over my leaving, he didn’t waste a second before he fell in the hands of that tattooed hussy.

  The bathroom door shut. I turned and saw her. She glanced at me then walked in the first stall. The door slammed behind her and a second later she was using the toilet.

  Turning back around I primped in the mirror. I was shocked but Zarin was his own werewolf, and maybe she was his mate. My stomach formed a hard knot at the thought, I almost doubled over to my knees.

  I can’t be mad if he bonded with her. I needed to find Gail and Alexa and get out of here. I can cry later.

  Shutting off the water, I rushed toward the door, the smell of feces getting thicker as I passed the first restroom stall. The bathroom door swung open and Zarin walked inside.

  A door opened behind me. “You couldn’t wait until I got out of the bathroom to take me to bed. You have earned yourself a treat, just wait until I get my hands on you.”

  I scrunched up my nose. “I hope you wash your hands and your butt first. You smell worse than cow dung.” I heard her gasp, but I walked past Zarin out the door.

  Claire was just outside the door. She grabbed me and we rushed up the stairs. I hoped she had found out where the girls were because I was ready to go. Reaching the third bedroom, she opened the door. Closing the door behind me, I quickly locked it. The last thing we needed was to be stuck in a room with a bunch of rowdy guys.

  There was a girl that looked like Claire and another girl that was there with long brunette hair. Both looked like they were not harmed which was good.

  “Alexa are you guys alright?” asked Claire.

  I stood next to the door. “I hate to break up a family reunion, but we need to get out of here.” Walking toward the window, I looked down. It was too high to go out that way. We were on the second floor, but there wasn’t anything down there that would break our fall.

  Claire rushed over to the girls. “Let’s get out of here. We don’t have much time,” said Claire.

  “You go on, but I can’t leave Rachel. I promised her I wouldn’t leave without her,” said Gail.

  Alexa looked at her. “Where is Rachel?”

  How do you make a promise to someone when you are a hostage too? This is a mess.

  “She’s probably in Stans room. He has been keeping the other guys from touching her, but he wants her for himself,” said Gail.

  Claire ran her hands through her hair. “Where is Stan’s room?”

  “His room is three more doors down from our room on the left,” said Gail.

  I shook my head. “Let’s go to Stan’s room and find her. We don’t have much time and our escape window is passing us by.” I opened the door and walked right into Zarin.

  “Get out of my way.” I pushed at his chest and walked past him, but he yanked me back.

  Claire, Alexa and Gail rushed down to the third bedroom and disappeared inside.

  “We need to talk,” said Zarin.

  “Go back down there and make out with your girlfriend. I don’t have anything to say to you.” I snatched my arm away from him. I ran toward the room, but he caught me by the waist and turned me to face him.

  “I turned her down.”

  “Yeah right. I guess that is why her hands were on your butt.” I turned and walked in the bedroom. Claire, Alexa and Gail had a smaller female with them.

  “Let’s go.” I walked to the door, but Zarin ran inside and locked it.

  “Plan b,” said Zarin. He pushed us away from the door and ran to the closet. He swung several hangers around.

  “What is he doing in the closet?” asked Alexa.

  Wham. Wham. The door shook. Someone was trying to kick the door in. There were several shouts outside the door. It sounded like there was a whole gang out there.

  Zarin pressed something and another door opened in the closet. “Let’s go.”

  He stepped back pushed Alexa, Rachel and Gail through the door. Claire looked at us then rushed through the door. The wood started splintering around the bedroom door. The bedroom door flew open. Jake and Bobby rushed inside.

  “That’s my girl. Go back downstairs to Felicia,” said Jake. He kicked the door closed behind him and smiled at Bobby. I glared at Zarin out the corner of my eye. He had not transformed. Bobby’s beady eyes darted back and forth, and I stepped away from Zarin.

  Jake ran to Zarin and swung at him. Zarin ducked it and landed two punches, one to the gut and the other punch landed on Jake’s head. He fell to the floor. He was knocked out cold. Bobby reached inside his jacket pocket, but Zarin and I darted inside the closet, and into the secret passage.

  The end of the passage led us to the dark alley where I was supposed to meet Zarin. Claire and the others were waiting for us.

  “I’m glad you guys made it,” said Claire. She looked toward the door we ran out of.

  “We need to go. Bobby is coming.”

  Zarin glared at me. “When we get back, you can tell me how you know Bobby.”

  Bobby ran out the door. He lifted the gun and pointed it at Zarin. Zarin pushed me behind him. Claire snapped her fingers and we disappeared as the gun went off.

  We appeared back within the walls of the academy in a bedroom. I looked over at the others. Claire was hugging Alexa and Gail was holding Rachel’s hand. Turning back, I looked at Zarin. He was still lying on the ground.

  “Zarin, are you alright?” Running over to him I dropped to my knees. My heart was racing, and my hands started to sweat. I rolled him over. My hands snaked underneath his shirt searching for his wound.

  “Zarin, where are you hurt?” Frowning I yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground. His chest was smooth and free from any bullet wounds. I tried to roll him over on to his back, but he wouldn’t move.

  He opened his eyes, and grabbed my hand placing it over his heart. “There’s been a hole here since you left, and I haven’t been able to fill it.”

  21

  Chaniya

  We were transported back to the academy. Zane had screamed the entire time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have a voice. His men looked scared to death that he might slit their throats. I couldn’t trust him not to give himself up, but there was only so much I could do without jeopardizing the alliance with him and his father. Grabbing Ivy’s arm, I rushed toward Liam’s office. Pounding on the door, I waited, and when Cade opened the door, I walked inside with Ivy.

>   “What happened to her? Where is Zane?” asked Cade.

  I rolled my eyes. “That is a long story. Nathaniel has poisoned Ivy. He said she has seventy-two hours, or she dies. He wanted Zane or, rather, Zane’s blood.”

  He narrowed his eyes at Ivy. “She needs medical attention now.”

  He opened the door and ran down the hall. We followed him down the hall and into a room. Before I could shut the door, Zane rushed inside followed by his army.

  He was in love with this girl. A blind man could see that. I wonder why Ivy didn’t see it. She will soon enough.

  I glanced down at her. She was still awake, but she was moaning and whimpering. Every few minutes she was clutching her stomach. It was safe to say that she was in extreme pain.

  Zane turned and looked at his men. “Don’t crowd me. You can go relax and eat something.”

  The men looked at one another. One warlock stepped forward. “We don’t trust you not to turn yourself over to Nathaniel.”

  Zane’s face turned red. “You don’t trust me. I am the prince, and you do what I tell you to do, whether you trust me or not.”

  The warlock shook his head. “We cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself for this girl. She isn’t even your wife.”

  Zane pointed to his men, and then glared at me. “If she dies, I will never forgive you. I had the power to save her. You have corrupted my men; you voodoo wielding freak.”

  Cade lifted Ivy on the bed. After putting on some latex gloves, he took off her shirt. “Zane calm down or get out. Your fury isn’t helping her right now.”

  I rushed to the bathroom and grabbed some towels. I wet one washcloth with cold water and rushed to Cade’s side. “Here you can place the cold rag on her head.”

  Cade took the rag and placed it on her forehead. He pulled a gown over her head and rolled up her clothes keeping her wound visible. The poison had turned the wound several shades of color. Cade frowned.

  “How is this guy coming up with all these different kinds of poison?”

  Things didn’t look good for Ivy.

  “What can I do?”

  “Go get Claire Sands. If you can’t find her, ask Maximus. He always knows where she is. She is an excellent healer,” said Cade.

  I walked toward the door but stopped.

  Zane turned to his men. “You can’t be in here when she does not have clothes on. Get out. Stand guard at this door and protect her with your lives.”

  I opened the door and the men shuffled out the room. Closing the door behind me, I went to search for Claire. There was grumbling in the hallway, and I couldn’t blame them. Zane had fallen apart in the blink of an eye. He was acting like a mad man.

  I ran down the hallway looking for Claire. Rounding the corner, I ran into a group of men. They turned to look at me, and then at their watch.

  “Do you know where I can find Maximus?” I looked at the men.

  The men laughed. “I don’t know why I get surprised every time this happens,” he grumbled.

  The tallest man turned toward me, “I’m Maximus.”

  “Great. Take me to Claire, please.”

  An hour later, following Maximus around the school, I stopped speed walking behind him. He had been barking orders to his men since I found him in the hall. I don’t know what Claire is to him, but he is livid. It is never a good thing to upset a werewolf, and an alpha werewolf at that.

  “Look, I’m going back to the room, it is evident that Claire isn’t here.”

  “I will find her. I won’t rest until I know she is back here safely behind these walls.” He stood there with his fist balled at his side.

  His men rushed in through the door. All of them hung back, and one-man stepped forward.

  One man stepped up. “She was seen leaving from here going to the gardens, from there she disappeared. It was around the same time Cosima, left to meet Zarin to find Alexa,” said Orion.

  “Thanks, Orion. I know it was hard for you to leave Akio’s side, but she is mending well,” said Maximus.

  Maximus turned to me. “I will take you back to Cade.”

  When we reached the bedroom, where Cade was, Zane’s men were all standing guard, and there were three times as many as when I had left.

  I frowned. “What happened? Why have you tripled your numbers?”

  The warlock standing guard directly in front of the door shook his head. “It didn’t go well. Ivy was dying, so Zane, he made the decision to save her. We couldn’t talk him out of it,” he said.

  Maximus looked at me. “Zane is here. This is worse than I thought.” He rubbed his hand down his face and crossed his arms.

  Lifting my hands to the ceiling, I rolled my eyes. “I guess you forgot about him having a breakdown at the thought of her dying. Why would you think he would change his mind about saving her?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t say any more than I already have. I have already said too much.”

  Pushing him aside, I opened the door. The rooms light was turned down and the small bedside lamps were on.

  Cade pointed a finger at Zane. “Just tell me what you did. I know whatever you did had deeper consequences than you’re letting on. What did you sacrifice to save her?”

  Zane was sitting in a chair next to her bed. “I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let her die.”

  Cade ran his hands over his face. “Your life had better not be in danger now that you’ve done this. Your father is on his way. Whatever you did upset him enough that he left his bed at this hour.”

  Zane shrugged and placed a kiss on Ivy’s hand. “Stop yelling. You’ll wake her up.”

  Cade stalked to Zane. “I could kill you now and she would never know. You’re being reckless.”

  “I would die a thousand deaths to prevent her from ever dying once.”

  Maximus grabbed Cade’s arm. “Now you see, how I feel when you’re being reckless over Arianna.”

  “Don’t start with me Maximus. This isn’t about me. I am trying, but he is just doing whatever he wants to do.”

  Ivy’s eyes fluttered open. “Cade?”

  Cade jerked free from Maximus. He glared at Zane then rushed to her bedside. “How are you feeling?”

  She licked her lips. “Don’t kill Zane. I need him.”

  Zane smiled. His pearly white teeth shining in the dark as he moved from his chair to sit on the bed.

  “I am here, Ivy.”

  She turned her head to face him. “You will promise me.”

  Zane stiffened. “I will promise you anything that is within my power, my love.”

  She turned up her nose. “Stop calling me that.”

  “I promise not to call you my love, Caro.” He leaned over and ran his fingers down her cheek, and then he bent and placed a kiss along her jawline.

  Her eyes closed, and she sighed. When she opened her eyes again, she licked her lips.

  “Promise me that you’ll never give yourself up for me.” Ivy looked deep into Zane’s eyes.

  “No.” His lips thinned. He shook his head.

  Ivy’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened and then closed. She squeezed his hand. “Promise me that if, if I should die, that you won’t do something stupid, and you will still help the academy. They need you, just as much as I do.”

  Zane shook his head. “Nothing will happen to you.”

  Her smile was weak. “I want you to always tell me the truth, no matter how painful it might be.”

  “Caro, there will always be honesty between us, have no fear.”

  “Promise me. I can’t keep my eyes open much longer. I’m so tired, and I don’t think I am going to make it.”

  “I promise you; you will make it. I promise on my life. Rest easy Caro, I am here.”

  Ivy closed her eyes. The cover was rising and falling with her breathing. Zane sat next to her holding her hand. The bedroom door burst open, and Zane’s men rushed inside.

  “Sir, your father is...” Zane’s men formed a circle all of them trying to
speak at once.

  Please don’t let his father be here now.

  “I know he is on his way,” said Zane.

  “Move. I don’t need any announcement. Zane Monteiro, I forbid you to risk losing your life, let alone the title of prince, for a woman who is already dying,” bellowed Gregory Monteiro.

  King Gregory Monteiro of Starkum unclasped the chinchilla fur that was wrapped around him and tossed it to one of the warlocks. The king’s men were frowning.

  “How could you let this happen, Cade? I should cut off your head.”

  “I tried to stop him. He isn’t exactly the easiest man to reason with. I still don’t know what he’s done. He won’t tell me,” said Cade.

  “Zane must now fight in a tournament called the Thousands of Deaths, most contestants die, but they fight for a chance to take the crown of prince. I will not allow this to happen. I will take his place if I have too,” said Gregory.

  Ivy opened her eyes. “No, Zane, I will not allow you to fight to the death.”

  “There is nothing I want more,” said Zane.

  Ivy licked her lips. “I will promise you. You once asked me to promise two things to you, at a later day you would reveal them but to promise you now.”

  Zane shook his head. “That was then Ivy, things have changed.”

  “I thought you wanted to date me.” Ivy tilted her face up and frowned. She glanced at Cade then back at Zane.

  He frowned. “No, I don’t want to date you.”

  Her face flooded with color. “Are your feelings given so freely?” asked Ivy. “You can’t go through with this. You and your father mean so much to each other. Please Zane, I beg of you don’t do this. I would do anything for you if you don’t do this.”

  Gregory stepped forward. “Would you die, so that my son won’t have to?”

  “Father stay out of this!” Zane turned and glared at his father.

  Ivy was shaking her head. “I would. He has saved my life and the lives of the people here that I hold dear, without so much as a thank you. I can’t do any less for him than he has already done for me.”

  Gregory sighed. “So, it is done. Notify them that I will be competing next year in the tournament. Nick go now,” said Gregory.