Wanted Witch (Daughter of Darkness Book 1)

by Val O. Morris

  Spratlin said, "We go on foot from here."

  My stomach flip flopped. I didn't know what would be waiting for us at the meadow. I didn't think Alexa had it in her, but something had changed her. Made her deranged. I concentrated on my breathing, careful not to let adrenaline take over. My magic warmed my hand as it flowed through me to the surface.

  Spratlin stopped. As I stepped up next to him, I saw the light from a burning fire flickering through the trees. "She's here." I pulled out my phone to call Mrs. G. I hoped she had found something we could use. There was no answer. "Damn."

  "We can't wait forever," he said softly. I nodded in agreement.

  He turned to address the group. Spratlin had only been a part of our little group for a few months, but my friends had come to trust him like I did. So, when he gave orders for them to surround the fire circle, the place where Alexa would perform the ritual, they did it, no questions asked.

  "I'd like to do this as cleanly as possible," I said. There was no question I would sacrifice myself to save Emma, or any of my friends, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

  Spratlin and I made our way through the grass. We hunched down near the opening of the fire circle. I had no idea what we were about to walk into. Positioning myself to get a clearer look, I could make out four black robed figures all with their hoods covering their faces, and Alexa in the center walking around. Before I could even wonder where Emma was, Alexa walked over to the edge of the circle. She reached behind a tree and took the hand of the little girl.

  I wanted to run, bust right into their little spell party and grab her, but I knew that wouldn't end well. This was real life, not a video game. And I was a novice witch, not a leveled-up, all-powerful mage. I watched as Alexa led Emma to a stone altar surrounded by fire. Emma was in some kind of trance. She laid down upon it as the fires below grew.

  Alexa then walked over to the podium and picked up a book. A dark magic book, no doubt. Alexa held up her hand and then waved it over Emma. She began to speak in a foreign tongue.

  I whispered to Spratlin who was right behind me, "We can't let this go on much longer." I stood and took a step toward the fire circle. "Alexa, stop!"

  She turned to me and an evil smile formed on her face. "Ahh, the guest of honor has arrived."

  Then the ground rumbled once again. Something grabbed my ankle. I head-stomped a Dark Mage zombie as it tried to use my leg to pull itself up out of the ground. Small patches of dirt flew up from the earth all around us. A sea of hooded magical zombies surrounded us. We were massively outnumbered.

  Alexa laughed. "I'll be right here while you play with my pets." Alexa took great joy in mocking me. "Aren't they wonderful? They have only one thing on their minds."

  Yeah, flesh. Our flesh. I took a step back and bumped into Spratlin. We pressed our backs into each other and surveyed the situation. The zombies were gaining on us.

  "Go get Emma!" Spratlin said as he took the first shot. He fired an Aqua Ball and took one out. It would take a lot more than that to rid these baddies.

  I sent an Electro Bolt toward another zombie and watched its head explode on contact. "No! I'm not leaving you here alone!"

  With every shot we made, more zombies were gaining ground on us. We needed something bigger and more powerful to take out more at a time. "Can you produce a pool of water?"

  "Liquid? Yeah!" he yelled as he shot another zombie. Then, he pushed both hands in front of him and water burst from his palms soaking the zombies in front of him. "There's your wet zombie."

  "Look out!" I quickly stepped up beside him and shot Electric Fury from my fingers electrocuting several zombies at once. It was sorta like what the Emperor did to Luke.

  "Hell yeah! And I thought crossing the streams was bad!"

  "Do it again, only this time, spray the water up over the crowd."

  Careful to wait until the water left his hands, I infused it with electricity. The electrified water fell onto a group of zombies electrocuting them all at once. "Woo-hoo! Take that!"

  We continued to combine our powers to take out big groups of zombies at once, but they were still coming. I saw Jeremy out of the corner of my eye fighting and barely keeping them off. I yelled as loud as I could hoping my friends could all hear me. "Combine your elements!" A few seconds later, I heard several of them yell out that it worked. "Keep doing it and make your way to us!"

  If it worked well when two powers were combined, imagine how many zombies we could take out if we all worked together.

  While zapping zombies, I still had one eye on Alexa and Emma. Alexa was still reading from the dark magic book, and the flames around the altar would flare up on occasion. I wondered if she was controlling it, or if was result of the ritual. Any sudden move by her, and I was ready to pounce.

  But for now, the zombies required my attention. Gaylin was the first to make it to us followed by Jason and then Jeremy. "If we combine our magic, we should be able to take out many more at a time," I said.

  Creep and Ivy were still stuck behind a wall of zombies. "Spratlin!" He turned to see what I was pointing to. "Let's take 'em out!" We combined our water and lightning once more and zombies flew up into the air clearing the way.

  "Glad you could finally join us," Jeremy teased.

  "Everyone with complimentary or similar elements pair up, and let's show these bastards who's boss!" I ordered.

  Fire users teamed up to create even more powerful fire magic, and others whose elements complimented another's, like mine and Spratlin's, also joined up. I was the only lightning mage among us- something I recently learned was not quite as common as the other elements.

  Creep and Ivy were a perfect match, right down to their energy blasts. "This is just like in squad play!" He was clearly having too much fun.

  We were making decent headway on the zombie horde when from behind me, I heard an unfamiliar voice. "We'll take things from here, kids."

  I turned around and a team of Enforcers, led by Mrs. James, swarmed us. Who the hell was she calling kid? "We're making it just fine, thanks to our teamwork." If there was one thing I didn't want was the coven sticking their nose where it didn't belong and getting someone killed. Besides, that was my fight with Alexa.

  I had temporarily forgotten about her, and a loud boom, followed by a menacing cackling, erupted behind us. I spun around to see Alexa running through the zombies carrying Emma in her arms. She was running toward the cliff!

  20

  I darted after them.

  Spratlin yelled after me, "Wait!"

  But it was too late. I had a head start on him. Once Alexa reached the edge, she threw up a fire shield behind me that wrapped around to the edge of the cliff blocking Spratlin or anyone else from helping me.

  "Now I have you all to myself." Then she flicked her wrist and another wave of zombies rose from the ground behind us. "That should keep your friends from interfering."

  Her back was to the cliff's edge. I paced in front of her like a panther waiting to pounce. "Let us walk out of here with Emma unharmed. I don't want to hurt you, Alexa." Did I really think I could beat her, a well-trained mage? No, but she didn't need to know that. I didn't know what rank she held, but I assumed it was at least Disciple.

  She laughed. I didn't realize what I said was so amusing. "You think you have it made. With your little game store and all your friends. A handsome boyfriend to train you in the ways of magic and... other things. Oh, and not to mention your little Death Cheater ability."

  "The hell is this all about, Alexa?"

  "He always loved you more." Now it was her turn to pace. "Daddy's little girl. His favorite."

  "Alexandria Adams, you're nothing but a jealous spoiled brat!" Oh yeah, guess I forgot to mention that this bitch and I were sisters. And we never did get along. She thought our father loved me more, which was ridiculous. He loved us both.

  "Don't you ever call me that!" She shot a Fireball at me, but I was quick with my block, and her fireball dissipated into n
othing.

  Guessing by the look she gave me, she didn't expect me to be so powerful. She also didn't like being called by her full name. "Like I said, I won't hurt you if you let us leave with Emma."

  "Ah, but see, I can't do that."

  "Why not?" I demanded.

  Her voice was matter of fact. "I need you to complete the ritual."

  "And why do you think I'd do that?" She looked surprised that I knew what she was talking about. "Yeah, that's right. I know about your little spell party."

  "You may think you have that part figured out, but trust me... you don't have a clue."

  "Fill me in. You'd love to rub it in my face, so go ahead!"

  "Alright. With pleasure." I thought I saw a hint of fire in her eyes. "After Father died, and she sent you away-."

  "Yeah, I know all about that part." Alexa told our mother that it was me who was the cause of his death. She couldn't handle it, so she sent me away to live with a distant cousin.

  It was a horrible experience that day. So much crying and screaming. Not only did I lose my father in a tragic accident, but I had to live with the knowledge that my own mother thought I did it. That's why I hate Alexa. She was the one who lied and turned my mother against me.

  "Mother was distraught. Even after you left, the sting was still present. She returned to her studying--dark magic. I think she hoped to find a way to bring him back."

  Geez. Now I see where Alexa got her delusions from.

  "When Ravencrest found out, they kicked her out, shunned her. But they might as well have killed her because she was dead to them." She sliced her hand across her throat to signify death.

  Alexa continued, "She turned to Blackwood, since they believed in studying all forms of magic. But just wait, it gets better. Many years later, she discovered a way to bring someone back from the dead. But she wasn't gonna let someone else get all the glory."

  I felt the bile form in my throat. "This is sick."

  "She helped Blackwood cover up her death by telling you and everyone else she died in a car wreck. No body, remember?"

  The rage inside of me grew to the point that it was taking all my strength to hold myself back. I wanted to fling Alexa right off that cliff.

  She continued, "I'm sure she'd love to see you follow in her footsteps. She has you to thank for becoming Dark Archmage."

  "Why me?"

  "You pushed her over the edge." She bobbed her head side to side. "So to speak."

  "You demented bitch." My knuckles were white my fists were clinched so tight.

  Alexa took a few steps and then circled back again. She was pacing in front of me like a lion about to pounce on its prey. She was taunting me. "Death Cheater blood isn't the noble ability Ravencrest will have you believe it is."

  My eyes narrowed as I continued to watch her stalk me.

  "You don't really think they've been courting you to do good bidding, do you?"

  As much as I would have liked to have told her to fuck off, I was curious what she meant, and considering how ignorant I still was to all things magical and my natural dislike for Ravencrest, I didn't interrupt.

  "The ability only manifests itself every few generations, and even then, it takes a deceitful person to produce offspring with such an ability. Don't believe for a second yours is a holy one. You join them, and you're likely to wind up in a body bag like they should have done to her."

  "Don't talk about her like that!"

  "Her lies created you."

  "You're full of shit, Alexa!"

  "Have you ever stopped to think that what you're doing is a form of necromancy?"

  I hadn't, but she had a point. I was somehow bringing myself back to life after every sacrifice. I could tell she saw it in my eyes.

  "Oh, yeah. She was studying dark magic long before father died. Once you were out of the picture, it made it a whole lot easier for us to practice together."

  "He wasn't magic, was he?"

  "Nope. Got all my best qualities from Mom."

  My heart raced. She was making another point--that she also hated me because I was special. I couldn't hide my anger when I spoke. "Did you know I had the ability?"

  "Tsk, tsk. Mackenzie Adams, Lightning Mage and Death Cheater. Still so much you don't know. It's a shame Ma Jasmine sent you away before you turned magic."

  "You have no right to call her that!" That was my special name for her.

  "Oh yeah, little miss perfect. Mommy and Daddy's favorite little sweetheart. Death Cheating is a dark magic ability handed down from Mother's deceit."

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Mackenzie!" I glanced over my shoulder to find Spratlin trying to break through the shield spell Alexa had cast around us.

  "Tell your boyfriend there's no use. His good looks won't even break that magic spell." She lifted her head and arms upward. The wind began to swirl within the force field. Then a gust of wind blew Spratlin back away from the fire shield.

  I held up my arm to block the debris swirling around in the wind. "Spratlin!"

  "I'm okay!"

  I turned back to Alexa. Only a fool would keep their back to her for more than a second. "What deceit?"

  "Mother kept a big secret from you. She had an affair with another man. Shocked? There's much you don't know about Ma Jasmine's dirty secrets."

  "You disgust me."

  "I can see it in your eyes, Mackenzie. You're already part way there." She offered her hand to me. "Join me. The three of us can rule Blackwood together."

  "Join you? I'd rather kill you."

  "Come on, let's see what you've got." She gestured me to come and get her. "I dare ya."

  From behind me, I heard Spratlin's voice. "Mackenzie, don't!"

  "Listen to your boyfriend, Mackenzie. What do you want more?" She nodded toward Emma. "To save her?" Then she snapped her head back to me. Fire blazed in her eyes. "Or to kill me?"

  I wanted to grab Alexa and rip her to shreds, but that would have to wait. Spratlin was scared that my next sacrifice would be my last, but I knew what he meant. Exacting revenge on Alexa wouldn't help Emma.

  She was losing her patience. Her voice was frantic and high-pitched like a stereotypical cackling witch. "Do you want to see the girl die?"

  The wind howled and swirled Emma's limp body up into the air and out over the ocean below. One foul move and Alexa would let her plummet to her death.

  "No!" I reached out and was about to run to Emma, but a sharp pain in my head brought me to my knees. My vision blurred, but I could still make out Emma floating over the cliffside. Then I remembered the recurring dream. I was standing on the same cliff with the ocean crashing below. Only, it wasn't a dream. We'd been here before. I knew that day Spratlin brought me here that this place felt familiar. I looked up at Alexa who was staring at me with the most evil grin I'd ever seen.

  "Deja Vue, dear sister?"

  In a flash, blocked memories all came flooding back.

  I witnessed my sister push our father off the cliff.

  Horrified doesn't even begin to describe.

  "Nooooo!" I cupped my face in my hands. How could she have done that? What could possibly push her to such a heinous act? Jealousy? What a petty reason.

  "Guess those buried memories are swimming back. So to speak," she taunted.

  Still on my knees, I wiped the tears from my eyes. I raised my head to glare at Alexa. "You knew. You've known all along I had this ability inside me."

  "Mother and I always suspected, but you were a late bloomer." Her matter-of-fact tone was ice cold.

  I stumbled to my feet. "That's why you pushed him over the cliff? To see if I could save him? To see if my ability would manifest? What were you thinking?"

  Anger coursed through me. I gathered enough of it to help me yell, "You killed our father!"

  "Oh, now now."

  "I remember it like it was yesterday. You pushed him off this very cliff."

  "Turns out he wasn't a good swimmer."


  "You crazy bitch!" I flung a powerful Electro Ball at her, but she dodged it effortlessly.

  "Watch it, Mackenzie." Emma bobbled in the air. "You wouldn't want me to drop her, too, now would you?"

  "Fuck you!"

  "There's that anger. Let it boil to the surface. Let it consume you."

  Rage and electricity coursed through me. I wanted to rip her fucking head off. "Why would you kill your own father?"

  "Because he loved you more!" Her voice was crazed and evil.

  I spat at her feet and said, "You pathetic bitch!"

  Alexa grinned at me with fire in her eyes. "You want to know what Mother's true deceit was? I was his daughter, not you!" Then she withdrew the spell, and Emma fell.

  I didn't know what she meant by that, but I wasn't about to let her kill someone in front of me twice. I dug into the dirt as hard as I could and sprinted toward Emma. Just like when I saved the little boy from the demon in the caves, I spread my arms in front of me like Superwoman and I dove off the cliff after her.

  As I did, I heard Alexa call out, "You're the dirty secret!"

  I caught Emma just in time to wrap her in my arms and flip over so that I fell back first into the water. The impact would kill me; I accepted that. But I prayed I could protect Emma.

  When we hit the water, I felt my body jolt and go limp.

  21

  I immediately woke, flailing my arms around in the water and gasping for air. Emma was fighting to stay above water, but she was alive! My body hurt like a thousand pounds had fallen on me, but I was able to swim to her.

  Holding on to her with all my might, we swam to shore. Once on the sand, I started checking her over for cuts or broken bones. "Are you alright?"

  She nodded. She was shivering. The water wasn't that cold, so I knew it was also from fright. I flung my leather jacket around her and pulled her close. It was soaking wet but better than nothing.

  A few minutes later, I heard Spratlin yelling my name. There was a sandy path leading from the top of the cliff to where we were.