Tales of Aradia The Last Witch Volume 5 (16 page)

In that split second, Melina
opened her eyes and knew what she had to do.

"Stop the car!" She
shrieked.

Roy's truck screeched to a
stop on the side of the road. "Jesus!" he cried, "what the hell
is..."

"Turn it around Roy," Melina
commanded, "we are going back to town and we are going to find
Aradia!"

"You're insane you know that
don't you?" Roy hissed.

"Well do you have any better
ideas?" Melina snapped under her breath.,

Roy didn't
retort.

Roy had used his great sense
of smell to sniff out the vampire territory in the city of Salem.
Melina figured that if Roy could do that there was a chance he
would be able to find Aradia. Not a really big chance but a chance
nonetheless

"The fact is Roy," Melina
explained, "Aradia would not be anywhere else except with her
vampire boyfriend. Where else can you find vampires except in
vampire territory?"

The explanation still didn't
stop Roy from criticizing her. "For Christ's sake Melina, you heard
only a few hours ago why werewolves hate vampires and now you are
having me patrol a vampires only part of town."

Melina stared at the ground.
"If Aradia was doing her usual thing there would be no vampires or
werewolves only parts of town at all. Ever since she stopped doing
her promoting tolerance thing the situation with the hiddens has
gotten worse."

"You have no idea," a voice
said from out of nowhere.

Roy stiffened and thrust
Melina behind him. Like a shadow overtaking a field, a small group
of vampires appeared around the couple.

"Lovely," Roy
muttered.

The vampires, four in total,
stood silently and glared at Roy and Melina. For a few tense
moments, nobody moved and nobody said anything. They all just
glared at each other lethally.

Until finally the one
standing in front of them demanded, "what the hell you doing on our
turf?"

Roy didn't say anything so
Melina did instead. "We're looking for my sister."

"Well foster sister that
is," Melina corrected herself almost instantly

The vampires didn't say
anything so Melina stepped in front of Roy and continued, "her name
is Aradia Preston. She is the last witch and we really need to see
her."

"And that means what to us?"
The leader asked.

Melina took a deep breath.
"Look, we really need to talk to her. It's super
important."

"Like I said that means what
to us?"

"Look we don't want any
trouble," Roy stated.

This time another vampire
spoke, "then you shouldn't have entered vampire
territory."

The circle began to draw
closer.

"We are just trying to find
our friend," Melina cried out, "we didn't mean any
harm."

"Yeah well sucks for you,"
the leading vampire said.

There was yet another
tension filled moment until one vampire dive bombed towards
Melina.

Roy quickly punched him
back. He then ripped off his shirt and began to shift into his wolf
form.

"Run Melina!" he snarled as
he lunged forward. Melina hesitated and then obeyed. A couple of
the vampires tried to race after her but Roy slammed them both into
a nearby building. Melina ran ahead and hoped to God that Roy would
be okay.

"Help! Please somebody
help!" Melina screamed as she pounded on every door she came upon.
She didn't know who would answer or if they could even help but she
didn't care. She had to do something to help Roy. Just then she
heard a huge howl of pain, Melina squeaked in fear. She then turned
one of the door knobs frantically but to no avail. She then looked
around, hoping for another solution. Suddenly, a biker drove by and
stopped in front of a night club across the street. Melina stared
at the biker with an idea forming in her mind. She looked down and
noticed at her feet lay a big brick. She quietly picked up the
brick and dashed across the street. Waiting just the right moment
for the biker to take off his helmet was when Melina
pounced.

The biker fell onto the
ground and so did the brick. Melina then jumped on the
bike.

Good thing I used to date a
bike mechanic back in Brooklyn
, Melina
thought to herself as she revved up the engine.

One of the vampires had
seized Roy from behind and locked his arms around his shoulders.
The leader then began to punch Roy hard in his wolf face while the
others all jeered. Suddenly, a loud roar could be heard from the
other side of the alley. Melina revved up the bike and plowed
straight through the vampires who leaped to get out of the way. She
then stopped in front of the vampire who held her boyfriend
hostage. She stared at him for a while before whipping out a small
spray bottle.

"What's that?" the vampire
sneered, "holy water?"

"No," Melina replied before
spraying it right into the vampire's face.

He shrieked and jumped back;
clutching his face and howling in pain.

"Body splash," she stated as
a matter of fact.

Roy chortled in a wounded
voice as he slowly shifted back into his human form. As soon as he
did he climbed onto the bike and grabbed hold of Melina's waist.
She then revved up the bike and sped them out of there.

It took them about an hour
to get out of vampire territory (according to Roy's wounded but
still working nose) and soon as they did they tried to find a place
where Roy could heal. Although Roy's werewolf ability could heal
him quickly he still needed a safe place to do it. Melina was
thankful to the economy being bad because that meant a bunch of
abandoned restaurants and stores. Melina parked the bike, took the
keys, and slowly helped her wounded boyfriend into a nearby
deserted restaurant.

The place had French phrases
written all over it and was filled with dust and cobwebs.
Nevertheless, Melina helped Roy to a chair.

"You okay baby?" Melina
asked him.

He just feebly nodded.
Melina stared at all his scratches and wounds. Most of them were
healing up quickly, but there was still blood all over
him.

She didn't want to leave him
but she knew she had to. She had to get him water and a clean
shirt. She kissed him on the forehead and quickly dashed
away.

She was back in forty
minutes, clutching a green shirt, a towel, and a bowl of
water.

"Where did you get all
that?" Roy couldn't help but ask.

Melina wanted to lie but she
couldn't. "I picked the lock to the back of a dry cleaning
store."

"Don't worry," she quickly
assured him, "I didn't take any money or anything besides a bowl of
water and a towel."

"Besides," she added, "I
found the shirt in the discard pile. I am guessing someone brought
it but didn't want to pick it up so we are all good."

Roy chuckled. "That's my
girl."

Melina also laughed as she
dipped the cloth into the water and wrung it. She started to dab it
onto Roy's forehead in an effort to wipe away the blood.

Roy couldn't help but stare
at her in complete mesmerization. "You are so beautiful you know
that don't you?"

Melina chuckled. "Flattery
will get you nowhere but don't stop trying."

Roy chuckled silently.
Melina then reached for the shirt and pulled it over Roy's head. As
soon as she did, Roy seized Melina by the arms and stood up. Their
gazes locked in almost dreamily like state. Slowly, Roy began to
lower his lips to hers. Melina closed her eyes in eager
anticipation.

Suddenly, a huge flash of
light like those from a car's headlights interrupted their romantic
moment. Roy and Melina both turned away and looked towards
it.

"Who is it?" Melina asked
quietly,

Roy just shrugged. Once
again he placed Melina behind him as they both edged towards where
the boards were nailed in front of the window. As soon as they
reached it, Melina stood besides Roy and peeked through the cracks
in the board.

It was a black Ford Mustang
with New York plates on it. Melina tried not to laugh when she saw
that the license plate read SXYBTCH. For a few minutes the car just
sat there, until a black bike drove up right next to it.

I recognize that
bike,
Melina realized.

The car door opened and out
stepped a petite blonde with cherub like face. Her curly hair,
small pink lips, round face, dimples, and slender body made her
look like a teenage Shirley Temple.

"Whose she?" Roy asked and
Melina was tempted to step on his foot.

She was distracted though by
the biker once he took off his helmet. Another wave of familiarity
ran through her as soon as she saw his blonde hair.
I know him from somewhere.

Unfortunately, the couple
were too far away for Melina and Roy to hear them
speaking.

"What do you suppose this is
all about?" Roy inquired. Now it was Melina's turn to
shrug.

After a while, the biker
reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a thick envelope.
Melina's widened as soon as she saw the female open it.

"Look at all that money!"
She hissed. Roy just nodded.

The female counted the money
and then smiled. After exchanging a few words, she got back in the
car and drove away. Strangely, the biker didn't move from his
spot.

"What's he waiting for?"
Melina asked rhetorically.

An awkward moment passed
before another car drove up right beside Saul. The window opened
and out popped a long thin arm with a silver watch around it's
wrist.

Quick as a flash, the biker
handed the guy another package. He then put his helmet back on and
sped away. The car then sped away as well in the opposite
direction.

"What do you suppose that
was all about?" Roy asked as he turned away from the
window.

Melina shrugged although she
recognized the signs of the deals exchanged. It was obviously a pay
off and a drug deal.
But why? Why would
there be drug deals going down here in Salem?

"Morgan!" The Sovereign
shouted, "Progress report!"

A huge puff of black smoke
appeared before revealing Morgan in her usual garb. She appeared
cross legged on the floor where she clutched the crystal orb on the
tip of its staff.

"Saul makes progress with
the witch. He has already succeeded in isolating her from her
friends and family."

"Having her boyfriend break
her heart was a stroke of genius," The Sovereign admitted, "Making
her more vulnerable and more easy to manipulate."

"The sales of the drug are
escalating and more riots are breaking out amongst the hidden
people."

The Sovereign made an arch
with his fingers. "What of the leaders who oppose me?"

Morgan smiled underneath her
hood. "All those who oppose you are very quickly making their way
towards death's door."

"The other leaders I was
able to negotiate with," The Sovereign chuckled to himself, "they
were more than willing to swear fealty to me."

"Not that you gave them much
of a choice," Morgan admitted, "Using their people to make them
swear allegiance to you."

The Sovereign shrugged. "I
can't help it if the youth of the nation share my
beliefs."

"The beliefs in conquering
all the other hidden nations and making the humans our slaves you
mean?" Morgam inquired.

The Sovereign just remarked,
"its amazing how much resentment the hiddens can harbor for the
humans but I can hardly blame them. After all being forced to hide
in the shadows like rats does make one a little testy."

"That's a bit of an
understatement," Morgan muttered.

The Sovereign nodded. He
then got up from his throne and began to walk towards Morgan. "I
must admit its been tiresome but my plan has been quite successful.
Using the witches's treason as a way to win loyalty from the other
hiddens was a stroke of genius. I was able to gain allies from
several nations all over the world. I then helped them seize power
and they in turn swore loyalty to me."

"Exposing the witches's
treason and eliminating them as a way to protect the hiddens sure
made you seem the valiant savior," Morgan pointed out.

The Sovereign shrugged.
"True but that was the whole point. Portraying myself as a savior
to win over followers. It's easier to unite people using hatred
rather than reason and besides the other hiddens have long resented
the witches for having such a close relationship with
humans."

"Using their hatred was the
obvious choice," he went on, "and I being the one to expose them as
traitors showed how reliable I can be as a savior."