A Witch's Love (20 page)

Ava awoke to the sound of her sisters’ voices. She felt their presence and tried to force her eyes to open. “Ava, can you hear me? It’s Ella.”

“We are all here, Ava,” Cara said.

As she woke, relief washed over her. Her sisters were safe. She embraced them hard before scanning the cell. They were surrounded by metal walls and bars.

She had hoped he would be placed in the same cell, but that had been a pipe dream. Her heart sank as she realized he wasn’t there.

“Ava?”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to suppress her panic. He had to still be alive and in this hole somewhere. She had to get to him, and fast, but how?

“The spell,” she whispered. She had to evoke her sisters’ powers.

“Spell? Ava, what are you talking about?” Ella asked, helping Ava stand.

Reaching into her pockets, she frantically searched for the small piece of paper. She wanted to scream in frustration as she realized all her pockets were empty. “They must have taken it.”

“Took what, Ava? What is going on?” Thea shook her arm.

Ava turned to them. “This is what I am talking about,” she said, willing a water sphere into her hand. “We are the prophesied sisters, destined to kill the king of the demons, the sister’s able to harness the four elements.”

Her sisters gasped. “So it is true. We are witches,” Ella said.

“Yes, it’s true. I had a spell that would evoke your powers, but they must have taken it.”

Ava moved over to one of the beds. Sitting, she lowered her head into her hands. “Now Lucas is going to die and there is nothing I can do,” she said, not wanting to believe her words.

Cara moved to her side. “Don’t give up, Ava, we are together again. We will figure this out.”

Ava’s temper began to rise. “Yeah, how? Do you know how many demons are in this place? All we have to defend ourselves is my power,” Ava said, reaching for the sheath hidden in her sock. “I don’t even have my dagger—”

Startled, she moved her hand over the wooden handle of her dagger, drawing it free from the sheath. “But that’s not possible. Flynn disarmed me—”

As she fully removed her dagger from its sheath, a small piece of paper fell onto the floor, catching her eye. She bent and grasped the paper, knowing it contained the spell. She hugged the item to her breast saying a silent prayer. There was still hope for them and Lucas.

“You’ve seen Flynn?” Ella laid a hand on Ava’s shoulder.

Ava nodded. “He was the one who led us to the hive. I thought he had betrayed us, but he must have slipped me the spell and my dagger.”

She watched as her sister’s lips turned slightly up in a smile. She was going to ask her about it, but then thought better of it. “I’m not even sure what he is, or what his involvement is with the demons,” Ava said, standing.

“He is a demon.”

Ava shook her head. “No, Ella, I have seen plenty of demons and he definitely doesn’t look like any of them.”

“He, he has a human side,” Ella said.

“Well, that would explain why Lucas was unable to sense what kind of immortal he was,” Ava said, as she opened the piece of paper.

“We have to hurry Lucas. Life might depend on it. We have to say the spell together, one time for each sister.”

Ella moved to Ava side and took hold of her hand. “I’m ready,” Ella said, as Thea and Cara moved from the bed and joined them.

“Does it hurt?” Cara asked.

Ava smiled. “It is the most exhilarating feeling.”

“Repeat after me,” Ava said,
as the sisters began to join hands.
“I call upon Mother Earth.”

Ava
repeated the words with her sisters, vaguely hearing their voice echoing around her.
“To evoke my newfound power,”
Ava announced.

Electricity coursed through her veins as she took a deep breath then repeated the words. She couldn’t help but wonder if her sisters felt the same.

Ava continued on, hoping her voice would ring clear in their ears.
“Come to me, I call you near. Water, Fire, Earth, and Air.”

The pulsing in her veins intensified as she repeated the last words. “
Come to me, my power to bear.
”

As they chanted the spell over and over, the ground began to shake and the candles sitting on the table blazed high in the air. A wind surrounded them as water began to fall from the ceiling. “Keep chanting,” Ava yelled.

She held onto her sisters’ hands tight as they finished chanting. Soon the ground began to calm and the wind ceased blowing around them. They stopped chanting and looked at each other.

Ava’s hands still tingled. She felt renewed and strong.

Cara’s laughter snapped her from her thoughts. “What the hell was that?”

“We have to practice, to see what powers you each have,” Ava said, moving toward the candle. “It’s going to take a while to get used to your powers but you can at least learn the basics. Now all of you concentrate on the flame and try to channel the energy.” Ava held the candle at arm’s length.

She watched as Ella shook her head. “Ava, what are you talking about? How are we supposed to channel that flame?”

Without warning, the flame left the candle Ava held in her hand. She gasped as she realized the flame now resided on the tips of Ella’s fingers. The flame didn’t seem to burn her sister.

Ava laughed. “Ella, you harness fire. Now throw it.”

Ella faced the wall and tossed a fireball at the metal surface.

Bam!
Ava felt her heartbeat accelerate. The explosion was more powerful than she’d anticipated.

Ava approached Thea. “Now, Thea, concentrate on the ground or the air around you.”

“I don’t know how.” Thea shook her head.

Ava moved behind her, placing her hands on her sister’s shoulder. “Close your eyes and call for the elements around you.”

Seconds later, the ground began to quake.

“Whoa!” Thea’s eyes grew large as Cara and Ella moved to the bed for balance. As Thea relaxed, the quaking stopped.

“Does that mean I will be able to harness air?” Cara moved to Ava’s side.

“Yes. Concentrate and call for it,” Ava instructed.

Cara held out her hand. “Wind!” The tunnels began to echo as wind barreled straight for them. Ava’s hair flew around her, hitting her in the face but she didn’t care. This was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She and her sisters were very powerful. Those demons wouldn’t stand a chance. No wonder the king had wanted them.

Ava continued to work with Cara, showing her how to control her power when suddenly she heard footsteps.

She moved to the bars of the cell and listened carefully. The footfalls were heavy and many. Her stomach clenched and her body flashed hot, then cold. A sweat broke out on her brow as her breath came in heavy spurts. The demons were coming for them. They must have attracted too much attention by evoking their powers.

“Incoming! Form a line and follow my lead. We are more powerful together,” Ava shouted, taking hold of Ella’s hand.

As they stood waiting for the coming battle, she felt a smile stretch across her face. She had her sisters’ backs and they weren’t weak any more. A group of demons rounded the bend. Ava turned to her sisters. “Let’s show them why they should be afraid.”

Chapter 18

“Join hands!” Ava directed as the six demons tried to unlock the cell door. As they entered the cell, Ava tapped into her powers like never before. She concentrated on forming a water sphere before her, growing the ball as large as she could.

“Hurry, get them out of there,” the guard shouted as they entered the cell. Ava could feel her sisters’ powers moving through her and used every ounce of the energy to send the sphere soaring through the air.

The minions scattered as the sphere hovered over them before slamming into three of them with such force it broke them into pieces.

Her victory was short-lived, as the rest of the demons made a power play for her sisters.

“Come here, you little bitch,” one of them said, seconds before grabbing Cara.

She screamed as he threw her over his back. Ava was about to toss her dagger at the demon, but hesitated as his pants suddenly lit on fire. She looked to Ella, who still stood with her hand outstretched toward them.

Panicking, the demon tossed Cara to the ground, then shouted for help as he tried to put out the fire out.

Ava formed another sphere, but without her sister’s power the sphere was weak. She took aim at the minion lunging for Thea. The force threw him against the wall, black blood dripped from his chest, but he was still reaching for her.

“Wind!” Cara called from her position on the ground.

The tunnel rushed with the force of the wind as the cell became engulfed with flames.

“Watch out,” Ava shouted as the flames grew large.

Her sisters moved to her side as the bed caught fire. The last remaining minions made a move for them.

Ava held out her hands, throwing up her water shield. The minions slammed into the wall of water, which tossed them back into the flames rushing around the room. As they caught fire, Ava’s chest erupted with fear. They had to get out of there.

“Join hands,” she yelled, “We have to go. Now.”

“How? We’ll burn if we try. The flames are everywhere,” Ella said, fear lacing her tone.

“Can you contain the flames, Ella?” Ava tightened her hold on Ella’s hand.

“I don’t know how, I might make it worse.”

The flames moved closer. Ava could feel the heat on her face.

They were running out of time.

“I’m going to try to contain us in water,” Ava said as she concentrated on the power blooming in her chest.

“You’re gonna what!” Thea’s eyes widened as her bottom lip fell to the floor.

“Trust me,” Ava said, feeling more powerful by the second. She closed her eyes, concentrating on forming a water shield, then expanding it to fit around them. When she opened her eyes, water rushed around them, enveloping them in a large sphere.

“Okay, let’s move,” Ava said, taking a step forward. The water sizzled as it met the flames but did the job of protecting them.

“We have to find Lucas,” Ava said, as they exited through the cell door.

“I think I know where he is.” Thea tilted her chin down a long corridor.

“Where?” Ava looked down the long tunnel. No demons seemed to be afoot.

“When the demons first brought us here, they placed us in a different area to interrogate us. Our best bet would be to look there first,” Thea said as they moved past the last of the flames.

“Do you know how to get there?” Ava let the water shield fall away.

Thea nodded. “Yes.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get Lucas, and get the hell out of here.” Ava prayed they could find Lucas and leave the hive without being noticed by any more demons.

Lucas tried to breathe through the pain as the whip cracked over his back, again and again.

“Scream for me, lycan,” the demon chortled as he brought the whip back once more.

Lucas braced for the next lash, his thoughts traveling to Ava. He’d cursed himself for letting Flynn take her, but he knew it would only be a matter of time until he broke through these chains suspending his arms from the ceiling. He had just started loosening a link when the demons appeared and started in on the whipping.

He hoped Ava had been placed with her sisters. He had no doubt they would protect each other. Any demon that touched Ava would endure a special kind of death at his hand.

Then he would make Flynn pay for his betrayal. Lucas hadn’t trusted him, but when they’d met in the bar, he swore he had a feeling he was on their side. The whip cracked through the air, striking his skin. A growl escaped him as the burn overtook him. He tried to take another deep breath, when he smelled it.

Smoke wafted through the tunnel, making the air thick and hazy as a gray cloud descended upon them. His rage turned to panic for Ava. Somewhere in the sewer, a fire had started and the flames could be spreading throughout the tunnels. He struggled against the chains, wanting nothing more than to break free and find Ava. If she was in a cell, she could be trapped. The demons dropped their whips and ran into the cloud of smoke. He started to work once more on the link, using his strength to yank on the chain. He was just about to release the beast, when he heard it.

They were not screams of a victim, but roars of a female warrior. A sound he was familiar with. He made the same sound right before he made a kill. The smoke was becoming thicker by the minute but he tried to see through the haze. Movement on the other side of the haze began to part the smoke. He strained to see who was making their way toward him.

Could it be?

Was this his Ava?

The familiar golden blond hair was his first sign. She moved with confidence with her sisters at her side. She was not just a witch anymore. She was a warrior of the underworld. The smoke curled around them as they moved. He would have sworn he was dreaming if it was not for the searing pain in his back, which was all too real.

“Lucas! Oh my god, you’re bleeding. Are you all right?” Ava rushed to his side.

“I’ll heal, Ava. Now, you’ve got to get out of here, there is a fire in the sewer,” he said as the sisters began to unhook the chains.

“We started the fire, Lucas. More specifically, Ella did. That’s how we escaped. My sisters have their powers now,” Ava explained, helping him support his weight.

“We have to leave,” he repeated as he looked from one end of the sewer to the other.

“We don’t know the way.” Cara took hold of Thea’s hand as she scanned the tunnel.

Ella stepped forward, facing Ava. “Flynn knows. We have to find him. He can help—”

“No way. He betrayed us once, I will not be a fool again,” Lucas said, interrupting Ella.

Ava faced him. “No, Lucas, he didn’t betray us. He placed me in the same cell as my sisters. He also gave me back my dagger, and the spell to evoke their powers. Without his help, we would be trapped.”

Lucas wanted to believe what Ava said. Flynn might be their only way out of the hive. “We’ll look for him, but if he even looks the wrong way at any of you, I won’t hesitate to kill him,” he said, taking the lead through the tunnel.

Ava looked to her sisters, then back to Lucas. “And there is one more thing you should know, Lucas.” Ava waited for Lucas to turn and look at her. “He’s a demon.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the sisters. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was sure the spell they had cast had damaged their minds.

“You can’t be serious. You want to ask a demon for help?”

“It’s the only way, Lucas.”

“No! No way. I not asking a demon—”

“He’s not like the others.” Ella approached him. “I’m sure of it. I can go and ask him for his help.”

Ava grabbed Ella’s shoulder. “We are stronger together, Ella. We aren’t splitting up.”

“But—”

“Enough! Ava is right. We stick together. Ella, do you know where Flynn might be?” Lucas asked.

She nodded, then stepped forward to take the lead.

“Whoa.” Lucas moved her aside. “You may have powers now, but they are way unpredictable. I will lead, in case we run into any trouble. Just tell me which way.” Ella faced him, giving him a glare that burned. “Fine, but I’m doing the talking when we find him. He is used to me.”

“Fine!”

Ava moved between them. “Okay, are you two done here? We really need to get moving.”

Ella smiled, then motioned to Lucas. “Age before beauty.”

Flynn lay on his bed, surrounded by Ella’s scent. A unusual hollow feeling had settled in his chest. The ache seemed to consume him as his thoughts drifted to Ella. He knew what he had done would cost him his life, but he didn’t care.

Ella had her whole immortal life ahead of her. She didn’t deserve to die in this dank hole. She was a truly good woman, deserving of a good life. He, on the other hand, deserved his fate and would meet it happily. Now that he knew what a life with Ella was like, he couldn’t go back. He was ready to die.

Glancing at his graying skin, he knew the spell was wearing off. His true colors were showing, and no matter what he did, nothing would change the fact that he was a monster. He hoped they were able to evoke their powers quickly and that Ava was able to remember the path out. Demons were everywhere in the hive, but the Lycan would be a perfect distraction for them. The sisters should have no problem escaping. Unless—

“Shit,” Flynn said, leaping up from the bed.

Flashes of Ava and Lucas, together in the park, before they made their way into the hive appeared to him. They cared for each other. There was no way Ava would leave Lucas down here, even if it meant putting her sisters in harm’s way. In fact, she might even think they could fight their way out, but they would be wrong.

The hive contained too many demons. All the king would have to do is summon them for service, which he would no doubt do once he was faced with the ultimate power. Throwing on his leather trench coat, he strode for the door, then reached for the handle and throwing the door open with ease. Shocked, he found the sisters standing before him.

Ella stepped over the threshold. “Hello, Flynn, may we come in?”

Walking into Flynn’s room was like walking into another cell for Ava. The room was dark and small, reminding her of her former confines. The only upside to this room seemed to be the smell. Fresh mint laced the air. Unlike the rest of the sewer which reminded her of a musky wet dog. She stayed close to Lucas, trying to calm him with her touch. She didn’t trust Flynn and she didn’t want to draw any more attention to their location. A fight between these two males would definitely cause a commotion.

As she took Lucas’s hand, the silence became deafening. Flynn stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes locked on them.

Ava watched as Ella approached him. “We have to know, Flynn. Whose side you are on?”

His focus drifted to the wall. ”You shouldn’t be here, any of you.”

“You didn’t seem surprised to find me at your door. I know you helped Ava. All I’m asking is that you finish the job.”

Flynn turned back to them. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I should call for the swarm right now and have them lock you all back up.”

Ava could see the challenge in Ella’s eyes. She definitely wasn’t giving up that easily.

“Then why don’t you? Call them right now. Or better yet, why don’t I just go tell them where we are currently staying,” Ella said as she marched toward the door.

Ava could feel Lucas move by her side. She stayed him with her hand, wanting to see what happened next.

Ella touched the door handle, just as Flynn appeared at her side. He gave her a dark look. “Fine! I will blink you to the surface but that is where my help stops. We have to hurry. If you want to leave here undetected, there are spies everywhere.”

Flynn moved across the room and opened a chest of drawers. Lucas shoved Ava behind him as he sank down into a fighting stance.

Flynn stilled his movements. “It’s just a shirt. I thought you might want to change out of the bloody rags you are currently wearing.”

As Flynn tossed Lucas a black T-shirt, Ava helped him remove his old rags without opening injuring his healing wounds.

While she worked, Lucas never took his gaze from Flynn. He was always prepared to fight for her and now her sisters. As the thought sank in, a sense of pride washed over her. She was so blessed to have Lucas in her life.

Ella had a strange look on her face. “You can’t leave us on the surface. You have to come with us.”

A resounding “What?” echoed in the room. “Ella, you can’t be serious. He’s a demon. I get you are grateful for his help. We all are, but you don’t know what you are saying,” Ava said, moving to her side.

“No, it’s you who don’t understand. He’s different.” Ella took hold of Ava’s arms “He is as much a victim here as we are. They have tortured him, killed his human mother in front of him, and made him a slave to their ways. He deserves a second chance.”

Ava took a step back, shocked at Ella’s words when a thought hit her. She turned to Flynn. “When you talked of revenge in the tunnel, who were you getting revenge on?”

Flynn turned from her, answering her question in silence.

“Oh my god,” Ava whispered. He had planted the spell and her dagger on her, so they would be able to escape. He did so in hopes of getting revenge on the demons, not them.