[S.C. Bloodlines, CH 16]

[Amelya]

(Sapphire Sanctuary, Sapphire’s Room)

Gruff barking or whining caused Amelya to roll over. Taking a yawning stretch, while rubbing sleep away from her eyes. Crusty tear residue also flaked away as she sat up. Watching Nela the vary large grey wolf female, scratching at the floor and flailing.

It made sense, regular dogs had dreams. Why wouldn’t werewolf’s. Then she felt the shuffle next to her and her heart jumped. Looking over at the lump she pulled the covers away.

Disheartening it was to see the young hunter boy Newt blissfully snoring softly. Drool leaking from his open mouth onto his arm. “Yuck” She mouthed to herself the realization of the night before smacking her like a run away train.

Cleo was gone. Taken by the originals immortal father. Slumping back into the bed she grabbed the nearest pillow, gripping it close to her chest. At the same time the door slowly creaked open. A low growl rising in the pit of the wolf, yet she was still in deep snoreland.

“Nela it’s just me” Jayden’s low voice called as his familiar face slipped around the wooden doorframe.

With a grunt and yawn Nela stretched out, still very much in her wolf form. Peculiar , since she could have shifted back at any moment. Yet she would then be laying naked on the floor, which caused Amelya to giggle a bit thinking about having to deal with seeing the curvy woman’s body again.

“Everyone out here is ready to head towards the Ruby sanctuary.” Jayden rubbed his neck looking at the slumbering boy. “Might want to wake him up”

“I’ll wake him up when I’m ready” Amelya snapped back, unsure herself why it came out so harshly. Of course her outburst caused the boy to turn, opening his eyes at her and letting out a yawn. “Sorry Newt I didn’t mean to wake you” She rubbed his cheek of droll with her hand like a loving mother.

“They are so cute when there that age” Nixole’s voice was low and giddy.

“So you can just take control whenever?” Amelya ignoring the questioned “what I do” look on Jayden’s face and spoke to herself.

“I am strong enough to do that yes. But it’s not necessary unless your life is in danger.” Nixole said quickly. “I’m sorry for acting like a mom”

“Are you ok?” Newt was giving Amelya the same dumbfounded face as Jayden.

“I’m fine. Just missing Cleo” Amelya yawned honestly, shaking away the fact that Nixole could do whatever at any time.

“We’re gonna get her back” Jayden stood at the edge of the bed as Nela shifted back. Covering her private areas with her hands. “Couldn’t you have done that somewhere else “ He huffed angrily, motioning for Newt to avert his eyes.

“Just cuz you don’t like big boobies in the morning don’t spoil it for everyone else” Nela shot back, grabbing her clothes off the floor, shooting Amelya a wink.

Which of course caused her cheeks to flush as she averted the boys eyes. Watching Jayden’s eye roll but still seeing her change out of the corner of her eyes. “Who didn’t like boobies in the morning” she giggled to herself.

Not even an hour had passed before they set out. Nearly thirty vampires of newly turned origins and the handful of their group. Newt was at the front of the group, brandishing his friends bow and his own knife on his hip. Like a young warrior. Amelya smiled behind him as Sapphire’s gaze fell on her.

“Can we talk about whatever that was yesterday?” Sapphire inquired, while Sampson nodded back to her. Tapping his cane against a rock to get Monticello to pay attention as well.

“Which part?” Amelya asked, faking a sense of obliviousness.

“You downed nearly a hundred hunters in a second…” Sapphire’s eyes pleaded for the truth, as Amelya met her gaze. She sighed.

“Can I tell them?” She questioned into her mind.

“My daughters won’t harm you” Nixole’s voice penetrated the depths of her unease.

“What about how that boys dad can pull flame pistols out his ass like an anime character?” Monticello’s voice called out from a few steps behind them.

“All will be explained!” Amelya’s eyes rolled back as the words left her mouth. After a second a smile passed over her face as she gazed at Sapphire. “How are you my lovely daughter?”

Nixole’s voice sounded weak but Sapphire gasped as she gave Amelya a huge hug. It had been so long since she’d seen or even heard from her mother. Long before Onyx was locked away.

“I’m doing well” She started unsure of what was to come.

“Don’t lie daughter. I see your house is in shambles. It will recover” The words came out flat but she could tell they were concerned.

“So you are the witch that created us all?” Monticello questioned, quickly catching up to the group.

Newt had been holding Amelya’s hand prior to the take over but now had let it slip away. Cautiously moving toward the southern wolf girl Nela.

“I accidentally created all of us…. Just trying to save those I held dear. It’s a curse more then a gift” Her voice was soft again as if lost in thought.

“I’m happy to have this gift” Jayden mumbles to himself.

“I already explained it to Amelya. I created the vampires, then the wolves to help protect them. Then one of my daughters fell in love with a human man and gifted him and his companions the five cursed weapons. Creating a whole new type of human infused with some of our powers.” Her words seemed to draw them in more. “There were two separate wars of the shadow clans before Onyx decided he was to be supreme leader. The wolves wanted freedom, then the humans wanted to wipe us out. Hunters and Wolves hardly made it out of Onyx’s regime.”

“My father is one of the cursed hunters. It’s a tattoo passed down in my family to the first born son in the death of his father….” Newt added in, laying on the back of Nela’s large grey wolf. “ Something I only recently learned… since I’m the youngest of five….”

“That sounds cool” Sampson said out loud, his cane digging into the soft dirt every few steps.

“It’s an abomination….” Nixole’s hissed, her words caught the young boy off guard and he cringed at her tone.

Causing Nela to whine a bit, letting him know she’d protect him.

“My child who did that was cast away from the rest. She brought shame on us all. Giving humans the power to kill us all”

“It gave them a leg up in the supernatural world” Sampson said simply, looking back at the witch who had hold of Amelya’s body. “Love makes you do things out of your own best interest. Much like you with Onyx.”

“He didn’t used to be power hungry. Once he was a man who’s smile brightened even the darkest storms” She said sadly.

“Maybe it was immortality that did it” Jayden added in.

“Your plan will work. But we need all the children who sided together awake and ready to fight” Nixole spoke up again and Sapphires eyes caught a glimpse of doubt.

“What happened to the banished daughter?” Amelya spoke to the witch inside herself.

“She gave up her immortality to save her human. From there I believe she died”

Nixcole gave up her hold on their body and Amelya fell onto her knees into the mud. All around their little convoy the trees hung over granting them cover.

“My witch friend is only a mile or so out now. We should reach her hut by nightfall” Monticello grimacing looked at the shoulder with a look of deep regret.

It wasn’t a hut, it was a huge mansion that hadn’t quite weathered the test of time. Vines had grown up and around the place. Windows had been lost to the winds, it was a desolate place.

“Are you sure a witch lives here?” Newt questioned as the long line of vampires stopped at the large hanging steel gates.

One of them hardly hanging on to it’s rusted hinges. Monticello slowly weaved to the front of the group, stopping just before the gate.

“Elmara! It is your long time friend. Please grant us sanctuary on your forgotten lands” As he spoke the wind started to pick up.

Casting all the girls hair into the air, causing shivers across Newts body. Even thought the wolf’s warm fur was so close to him.

“You bring with you an army? Yet you ask for sanctuary?” A voice tested by time itself called as a small woman of a dark complexion appeared out of the element.

Standing in the middle of the garden behind the gate. A white head scarf covered her silver hair. Her white eyes fixed on Amelya as she reached the gates.

“Powerful people you bring with you my old friend. I give you and only you the invitation to join me in the garden” The frail old woman waved her hand as a wooden rocking chair appeared behind her.

Monticello sighed and stepped onto her property, quickly bowing as she struggled onto the chair. Everyone else just watched.

“It’s been far to long” She waved her hand again and another chair, a table and a tea pot appeared. “Come, have some tea with an old friend. Tell me what became of your arm and how you ended up way out here.”

At the gates Sapphire was instructing everyone to set up camp. Tents had started to go up as the sun started to set. Amelya hadn’t left the gates edge watching the two people, trying to make out their words.

“The boys held up pretty well” Nela’s voice sounded from behind her yet she didn’t turn. “Sampson is helping him secure a tent.”

“Thank you” She said absentmindedly, still focused on the conversation Monticello was engaged in.

“If your going to stand that close you might as well join us!” Elmara’s voice startled them both. Yet she was Looking straight at them with glassy white eyes.

“She’s blind” Nela whispered catching up to Amelya as they entered the garden.

Neither of them uttered a word as they crossed the garden. Two seats appearing with a tea cup for each of them.

“I’m blind not deaf girly” The old witch chuckled a bit to herself. “You seem to be possessed?” The woman looked right at Amelya as if she could see her.

“I…” She stumbled with her words and Monticello reached a hand out to her.

“The immortal mothers soul resides in you. Must have been put there when yur was newly birthed. Strange that is.” She cocked her head to the side. “One of the most powerful of my kind to ever walk this earth. Some said she was marked by a voodoo priest at a young age.”

The old witch shuffled in her chair as Monticello cleared his throat. Yet the old woman didn’t advert her gaze, a knowing smile forming.

“I don’t trust many vamps. Wolves have been long gone from my area for a long time. But I warn ye about that witch. She’s more powerful then you can comprehend.”

“I still need a bewitching.” Monticello said in a low voice, trying not to make the old woman upset by his intentions.

“That will come at a cost. Why didn’t ye ask the other witch to do it for yeah? Especially after that power move?” The old woman cocked her head to the side looking from Monticello to Amelya.

“I didn’t want to chance it” He grumbled.

“I figured as much. Your payment then?” She asked.

“I don’t have anything? What do you have in mind?” Monticello scratched the back of his neck knowing the price she’d asked last time.

He’d given her two bags of vampire blood. He never asked what it was for, just accepted it. Bleed himself into a blood bag and gave it to her.

“I have a niece…. She’s nearly fourteen. I’d like y’all to take her with you. She’s just starting to gain her power.” Monticello looked at each of the girls with a terrified look.

“She’s human. Are yah mad?”

“Yah got that hunter boy over der. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be safe?” The woman looked back at Amelya.

“I’ll protect your niece with my life” Nela spoke up before anyone else could. “I’ll even grant you a blood oath.”

“You are a very honest person. I can see that just by looking at you dear. No need for that. I take your word” The woman smiled, her whole mouth filled with golden teeth. “Put your arm out Monti. I will grant you a golden gift, that will morph with your mind. Use it to protect those around you and anyone else who needs your gifts.”

Air once again returned to the garden, sweeping around them with the force of a forming tornado. Closing them off from the outside world, blinding them. Amelya felt a brittle hand reaching out to her in the swirling darkness.

“Your birth was the beginning, broken apart by distance. Seeking themselves and the world. One in day the other of the night. Together they can bring about a new end.” The woman’s words sounded just beside her ear. As if she was floating next to her.

Then it all came to a crashing halt. The table fell, crashing down onto the ground. Then cups flew after with crashes as each was stopped suddenly from falling.

On the floor where the cups had crashed a young woman lay sleeping. Black hair of a ravens feather reached out in all directions. Her young figure sunk into the mud, Nela moved to her side. Scooping her up in a flash.

“There’s something…” Amelya was cut short by a terrible tremor that ripped across her body. Causing her to wail into the night.