[S.C. Bloodlines, CH 18]

Trapped

[Amelya’s point of view]

Night had come and gone. Morning dew hung on the grass as she started awake. Remembering everything that had happened the night before. Looking up at the coming light, snoring made her turn.

Even in human form the woman was cuddled up into a ball. It was chuckle worthy that the black cat vessel was rolled up at her feet. The young witch was already up, looking in her direction.

“Where am I?” The girl looked frightened.

Taking a look around Amelya realized they were still in the garden. Two vampires stood at the gates , all eyes watching them. With a head nod one of them took off. Probably going to get Sapphire or Sampson. Yet even from here she could make out Jayden sleeping against the closest tent.

A smile crossed her face knowing that his pair wouldn’t be far. Wondering if she should give him the news once she got to him. Or just leave him to find out for himself.

“Your Aunt brought you to us. Told us to keep you safe.” Amelya smiled at the girl and pointed to Nela. “She’s a werewolf and your sworn protection.”

“A werewolf? Like Jacob?” They both laughed causing Nela to wake, rolling over, looking in their direction.

“Yeah. But twice as sexy” She added in yawning, stretching, and shaking her butt. “I’m not sure what all you’ve been introduced to in this world yet. But we are currently running from an immortal vampire who is trying for the second time to destroy humanity”

“Guess you’re all, ok?” Sapphire called out from the gates. “We still can’t come in”

Jayden was quickly up and at her side once she spoke. Wiping off the grass that had stuck to him in the night.

“I’m sorry about your aunt…” Amelya turned to the girl.

“How could she be dead if her spell is still intact?” Nela questioned, helping the girl to her feet. “What’s your name by the way?”

“Raven” She struggled to walk like a newborn foal for a second.

“Any idea how to get out of there?” Sapphire questioned as Jayden and her watched them walk to the gates.

“Not a clue!” Nela shouted back.

Of course the black cat was quietly walking behind Nela. She gave it a glance then looked back up to Amelya.

“Should I ask where the kitty came from?” Nela questioned.

“You want to know?” Amelya put her hand on the invisible barrier between them and the rest of the group. “Her Aunt trapped our mother in the cat.”

“Our mother?” Sapphire questioned pointing from herself to Amelya.

“Yep. That’s how I can bring you back…..” Amelya didn’t look up from the cats green eyes.

“How is that possible?” Nela questioned.

“I was part of the youngest daughters…. Twins…. We were sacrificed to bring them back after the fire….” Again she didn’t waver from staring at the cat.

“I’m sorry sister…. You must not have been old enough to get a mineral name….” Sapphire gazed at Amelya with a grin. “That just means I had a sister with me the whole time..”

“Wait! Your a twin too?” Jayden nearly pushed Sapphire away, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Definitely…. Her Aunt explained that the witches have our other sister. But she didn’t tell me where exactly they are.” Amelya looked up at Sapphire and realized the huge smile that was directed at her.

“She’s probably my pair…” Jayden sighed.

“So sister? How are we going to get you out of there?” Sapphire asked as Sampson started to hobble their way.

“Guess who finially found us?”

Everyone around looked to each other for an answer. Yet nobody spoke a word. Sampson just pointed across the row of tents scattered around, to a pair of people followed by a small group. Maybe ten or fifteen people.

“Gabe!” Amelya shouted out, waving.

Forgetting quickly that she was stuck behind the witches spell. Which when she stepped forward knocked her back onto her butt.

If Cleo had been there she’d probably been laughing her butt off. As Amelya thought about it her heart dropped for a second. She was still missing.

Gabe and Lexi quickly rushed to Jayden’s side. Followed by a few vampires she’d recognized from the Emerald Sanctuary and a few she hadn’t. Lexi stopped the moment her eyes fell on Sapphire.

“She’s one of them…” Lexi stuttered, griping Gabe’s hand as Newt stepped out of a close by tent.

Causing Gabe’s attention to move toward the human boy. As their eyes locked Newt looked quickly to Amelya. Who stood up and smacked the invisible wall with her hand. Grabbing her brother’s attention.

“Don’t even think about it!” Her eyes starting to swirl to black.

“Gabe’s fine. Right babe?” Lexi pulled his hand hard, letting him lean closer to her.

“I’m good” He let a faint smile cross his lips.

“Yes I’m one of the sire line heads” Sapphire waved to them. “But you already met one of my siblings” She chuckled a bit and looked toward Amelya.

“That can’t be true…. Your Gabe’s sister…” Lexi looked from Sapphire to Amelya, then to nearly every else.

“It’s true…” Amelya answered.

“So who are they?” Nela questioned looking past the group to find another larger group standing at the tree line.

Amelya gasped looking at the group of men pouring out of the woods. Ahead of them three smallish, very familiar, ugly crying faces. Her friends were tossed ahead, at the mercy of these people.

“Onyx was right! You all did lead us straight into your little camp. Prepare to die!” A man stepped out of the woods with a huge grin on his face and another man who stood a bit taller behind him. “We found your friends, figured they’d want in on your new life”

“We’ll the little life you have left!” One of the other guys shouted out.

“Gabe! Please help!” Sam cried out and it broke Amelya’s heart to watch the man kick her into the dirt.

Wet tears causing the ground to mud up. Covering the left side of her face as she was pushed further. All of them sobbing.

“Come save your old friends!” The vampire kicked her again in the ribs, she folded over into a ball the pain excruciating.

Before anyone else could move Jayden was off. The vampire closest to him caught by his throat in the air.

“I’ll end him! Let them go!” Jayden demanded.

Sapphire was motioning for the men to get ready. Quickly they fell into a line behind Jayden’s advice. The two men in charge howled with laughter as Nela punched the barrier.

“You bastard! I thought you were dead!”

[Cleo’s point of view]

“You could stop all this….. Just raise your family and enjoy your new life together….” Cleo watched as Onyx shook his head a bit. “Just leave the humans alone, take an island and just enjoy life?”

Willow did worry about what the poor girl said and started off to the west. Without turning or saying anything.

“I truely don’t believe that’s possible child….” He started off after her leaving Cleo in the sand. “Once you pick a future you need to see it through”

Wishing she could communicate with Amelya, or just hold her for a few moments. Anything to break the cycle of grief flashing through her. She was done feeling like this…. It had been years since the last time it had crept up on her like this.

“You coming?” Onyx called back without turning, knowing the girl wouldn’t dare stay back alone.

They walked for four hours. The sun beating down on them, sweat pouring off of the witch. Neither of the vampires bothered by it’s effects.

“Thankfully burning up in sunlight was a myth” Onyx chuckled to himself.

“Or that sparkling crap” Cleo added in, as they rounded a huge sand dune a chuckle cracking through the mask.

At the top a long fall entered into a stone ruin of some kind. The sight of it caused the witch to throw her hands up, thanking the spirits it wasn’t a farther journey.

Once down into the first room big red stones decorated the walls and floors. Huge murals depicting a red haired man stood across the walls.

“It’s not a sanctuary?” Cleo asked, waiting to hear footsteps or someone headed in their direction.

“Garnet was a strange case…. He was always good when needed in times of war. But he refused to create a legacy” Onyx continued into another room ahead of them.

“So he isn’t a sire head?” Cleo couldn’t help but look at the huge paintings of battles won all across the centuries.

Each of them showing him ready and smiling for a fight. All he was about was taking power.

“He could be, but he never did.”

The second room was twice the size of the first room. Treasure littered the room, gold and precious metals, giant gem stones. It looked like a pharaoh had died and left his treasures to join him in the afterlife.

As they approached the coffin Onyx gave it a push. Throwing the stone slab almost completely across the room. It cashed onto the floor and broke into large pieces.

Inside a man lay, reddish brown hair flowing down the sides of his face. Across his chin a scruffy beard and mustache of red hair. His skin looked dark, sucked to the bones like a mummy.

“Give him the blood!” Onyx commanded and Cleo froze up.

It hadn’t even crossed her mind. She’d swallowed it earlier. Onyx was gonna fly off the handle for sure.

“I accidentally swallowed it…” She said shyly looking at her feet.

“Go get more!” Onyx’s voice was an echo as the witch pulled them into a smoky funnel of blackness.

(Amelya)

Nela was pointing to the second man that exited the woods as a plume of black smoke erupted from the sky. Billowing down to the ground at the center of the camp.

Her heart jumped as Cleo and Willow stepped out of it. A smile on her face as Cleo’s eyes met hers. The witch on the other hand scanned the crowd of Sapphire’s subjects, watching the girl intently for a second.

“What’s going on here?” Willows femine voice rang out across the camp.

Catching everyone of guard. Onyx’s men stopped, quickly bowing to her. Yet she still continued to scan faces until her eyes met Amelya’s.

“We are hunting them down as Onyx asked” The first man stood upright, looking at the witch.

“I am here for Amelya.” Willows words caused Sapphires men to take a step forward. “I do not wish to fight. Onyx needs Garnet awakened.”

“I refuse!” Amelya shouted and Cleo took a step towards the wall of men of Sapphire’s house.

“You look trapped young one?” A sly grin crossed the woman’s full lips. “I can also allow your friends to go free? Up to you?”

Cleo turned and saw the human girls she’d seen at the mall and later in Amelya’s room cowering for their lives. Jayden was only a few steps away from her holding a vampire of house black by his throat. Lexi and Gabe seemed to be completely fixed on her.

“We are trapped…” Nela sighed falling to the ground.

The cat quickly began licking her arm as if to offer some sort of support. Raven was quick to raise her hands ready to defend if her powers allowed.

“I will bring Garnet back… If you allow my friends and i freedom” Amelya called out across the camp.

Sapphire noddded quickly and the men parted ways. Giving them a clear path to the garden gates. Jayden dropped the young vampire and stood at the center of the opening.

“Cleo needs to be part of the deal!” Jayden looked back at Amelya with anger in his eyes.

“Don’t let the boy talk for you. He will get you all executed” The man leading the Onyx house men yelled out.

“Cleo may go. I’ll tell Onyx there wasn’t another way.” Willow shrugged at them, looking back at the small army coming from the woods. “Jeb go back to the sanctuary with your flee bags. Leave the humans.”

“That’s bullshit!” The guy to his right howled, his eyes turning a gold color.

“You dare question me? I am the closest one to Lord Onyx.” Willows eyes honed in on the wolf, a shard of ice crystallizing in her palm.

“Where is our lord?” He questioned, looking down at Sally and Madness huddled together on the ground.

The wolf was quick, but the witch was quicker. As he leaped forward Sally pushed Madness away. A swift claw mark stretched across her back. Screaming out in agony and dispare the ice flew across pinning the wolf leader to a nearby tree. His eyes red with fury, the ice shard hit him between his shoulder and arm.

Nela whined as Amelya reached a hand forward shattering the witches invisible barrier. Willow turned as the wall shattered, looking down at Cleo and over to Amelya.

“We can heal her!” Cleo was quick to step between her lover and the witch as Amelya fazed across the camp. Eyes blacker then a clear night sky.

Maddness was holding Sally who must have passed out from the pain as Nela kneeled beside them. Looking at the wound.

“I need to bite her !” Nela looked back at Amelya, waiting for confirmation. “If not she’ll be part of his pack…”

“Do it” Cleo spoke first, wrapping Amelya in her arms. “Please give them your blood. So we can be safe for a little while longer”.

Tears started to run down Amelya’s cheeks, her eyes slowly turning back to normal color. Cleo quickly kissed her lips as Amelya held out her arm to the witch.

Nela nipped Sally on her neck quickly. Watching as the wound on her back started to heal. Maddness was looking at the southern girl with a horrified expression.

“She’ll be ok now. I’m Nela” Maddness let a smile break through her running eyeliner lines.

“I’m Maddness” She replied. “Thank you”

At that the men from house Onyx pulled the wolf from the tree and retreated into the woods. Leaving the witch alone with the rest of them.

“I’m sorry about your friend” Willow spoke sincerely lifting her hand as a small cut formed on Amelya’s wrist. “I didn’t want anyone to come to harm.”

“Then why are you with Onyx?” Cleo was quick to ask as blood pooled in the air.

“You’ll be surprised to see where loyalties lie. I had no choice but to help him. He’s not all bad either” Willow looked at Cleo who grimaced. “Maybe once there was a huge line that wasn’t crossed between those who you’d call good or evil. But that line has long passed”

“He’s a monster!” Amelya said pulling her wrist away and licking it. Once a puddle was floating in the witches palm.

“That is but one opinion of him”

“I bid you farewell” A plume of black smoke rose from around the witch, then she was gone.

“What the hell are you into!” Sam yelled out, looking across the camp at what had transpired.

Nela was helping Sally and Madness to their feet at her right. Sampson was first to move after the witch had departed. Looking from the human girls to the rest of them in attendance.

“Let’s all pack into Sapphires tent. We need to get on the same page” Sampson shouted out to everyone, but only started to pick a handful of people out of the crowd.

Amelya and Cleo were first to enter. Monticello held the cat followed by Raven, Jayden and the humans. Nela was still supporting Sally with Madness at her side. Lexi and Gabe were next. Sampson pushed into the tent last, his cane wildly waving as he rushed to the head of them.

“Onyx will have Garnet at his disposal in a couple of hours. I’m sure those beasts went back to our sanctuary.” He looked at Nela as he spoke. “No offense to the two wolves in attendance.”

“None taken.” Nela added in. “That was my old pack….”

“I figured as much” Monticello said dropping the cat next to Sampson’s feet.

“Onyx hates humans for killing his family…. I tried to get him to see that revenge wasn’t the answer…” Cleo was cuddled up with Amelya in the corner.

“Onyx can’t be saved. Our mother new that” Sapphire looked right at Amelya. “You might have doomed us all by letting that witch lock her away”

“Your mother would have taken my body as a vessel if my Aunt hadn’t locked her in the cat.” Raven shrugged a bit. “I’m sure if we go meet the witches, they will give her a vessel”

“I’ve only ever heard of witches in the deep south ” Nela added in.

“There are to many sides to this game” Jayden started toward the tents exit. “We should split up. Having us all together in one place makes us vulnerable. If not for the witch we’d all be in chains or worse”.

As he went to leave the tent Gabe grabbed his arm. Lexi gave him a quick glance before he pulled away.

“Jayden’s right.” Monticello spoke next, looking straight at Sampson. “I’ll take the boy, the witch, and the wolves and head south with what’s left of the emerald sanctuary. You all head to the Ruby sanctuary.”

“He’s not right.” Sampson said leaning against his cane. “If we split up we lose numbers. He’s just trying to get to the witches and his pair. The boys blinded.”

“Let him go then.” Nela smiled as she started towards Sampson. “Witches are very crafty and easily scared. If to many people come they will be ready for a fight.”

“What about all the humans?” Newt must has snuck into the tent somehow.

“My friends won’t leave my side. I can’t have them hurt.” Amelya pulled Cleo by the arm towards Newt at the door.

“Is that wise?” Sampson questioned. “There are many young vamps out there. You yourself are one?”

“Let alone a young wolf…” Nela looked over at Sally.

“We need the rest of our family who sided against Onyx” Amelya sighed. “They won’t leave my side. My other friends will see to that.”

“We aren’t done…” Monticello tried to stop the group as they slipped out of the tent.

“Let them go. I think we all need a rest.” Sampson stepped up to his old friend. “Tell Jayden he’s going alone to warn the witches.”

“You think that’s a good idea?” Monticello looked up at him a worried expression clear as day on his face.

“Jayden is quick to action but hopefully this will give him some calm” Sampson watched as everyone else poured out of the tent.

Sapphire was watching them both from the middle of the room once everyone else left. Sampson was the first to bow and leave, Monticello followed suit.