All out

RYLEE

She heard hushes, whispers and bickers all in an unconscious attempt to hide their fear. She wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans and walked into the poorly lit living room. The whispers muffled out and she could feel the questioning eyes on her. She stopped in her spot, feeling out of place before continuing towards the quivering brunette biting on her knuckles. She was spaced out on the arms chair murmuring to herself. She was the most distraught not even noticing the figure standing beside her.

“Zoey, how is she?”

The familiar voice drew her back to reality and she leapt out of her seat. “What happened to her?”

Zoey’s cold fingers grasped at her elbows. She glanced at her blistered knuckles before looking at her pale, sore eyes. Her heart ached and she flashed a smile, twitched and continued the smile motioning her to seat. “Zoe.”

But Zoey stood in place, tightening her grip. “Nobody is talking to me. I need to know—Rylee what happened?”

*

AIDEN

He stormed into a local convenience store in Brooklyn, he looked around before moving towards the back.

“Where are you, Aiden? Up to some mischief. You left me to do all the work.”

He ignored the voice in his ears and continued his hunt through the freezer. It’s not here! He walked towards the wall and punched it, deepening the bruise on his knuckles.

This was the tenth state he had rampaged trying to find it but every time it was a dead end.

He walked up to the Cashier showing him the item written on the piece of wrinkled paper. The Cashier after insulting his taste explained that they stopped shipping to the states. There were produced by a Japanese company and his best bet of finding it was at Japan. He didn’t wait for the old man to finish before he walked out of the store.

“Where are you?!” The female voice in his ears hesitated before continuing. “Don’t forget that we are to see your father by five. If you’re going to disappear, tell me first, so I can plan what to say ahead."

He looked back at the store. Japan? Is this another wide goose chase. He sighed and teleported.

*

RYLEE

She hurried through the forest anticipating the worse. She halted, tears gathering around her eyes and her heart ached in fear and frustration. She sniffed, trying to steady her breathe.

Think! Where could they be?

She scanned the empty forest, olive vines married into thick trees. She closed her eyes.

Calm down. Feel the magic.

Her head turned slightly to the right before turning back towards the left. Her eyes shut open, there was a great surge of magic there. She sprinted towards that direction but she noticed clothes buried amidst piles of ashes in different locations.

She could see a body on the ground afar off, a little hope sparked and she ran towards the body. She saw the familiar face. “Tristen,” her voice quavered.

She placed her fingers on his dirt covered neck and relief washed over her as she could feel his pulse. Her hope was dwindled when she remembered Kendra. She sprang up looking around. There was a dull light coming from behind a group of trees.

An unconscious Kendra was kneeling down stuck in Reina’s trance, while Reina had her hands at the sides of Kendra’s head and her eyeball had moved into her head.

She ran towards them but couldn’t move closer because of the magical barrier. She tried different spells all in an attempt to make through but she couldn’t.

 Feeders always had a barrier around whenever they fed. It was a self-defense mechanism because they were vulnerable during and immediately after they had fed. The enchantment was impossible to break because it absorbs magic and gets stronger with each strike.

Reina let go of her grip and her eyes followed the body to the floor. Her laughter echoed around the forest, “Oops! Now where’s Tris—” A swarm of lightning came towards her but she absorbed it into her palm. 

Rylee paused and swallowed. She reminded herself that Reina was frail at this state and this was her chance. She conjures a sturdy vine clothes with spike like thorns from the ground and it crushes her into a tree. Instantly more vines spring out and traps her. She tightens her hold and the vines crushes her as the thorns pierces her skin. Rylee watches the colour slightly drain from her face before her facial expression turned dark.

Reina smirked. “This was fun!” The vines began to shrink and darken before finally withering off with the tree. Her skin began to heal itself. “Kid, did you really think you could stop me? I’ve fed on more powerful witches.”

Rylee did a protective spell around her and her friends and watched in fear as Reina walked towards her stopping outside the barrier.

“I’ll be on my way because I don’t want to be greedy. But know this, if not that I’ve had enough to feed, nothing not even this barrier can stop me.” She took a step closer, not diminishing the smirk on her face. “You’ll be joining your friends soon enough.”

“I’d like to play again but not to be greedy I’d have to go,” she said disappearing into the forest.

                                                                                -----

Tears slipped downed Zoey's face. “Tell me please. They won’t let me in and it’s been hours. I’m worried. I want to know. Please, you always support the truth, so don’t lie to me.”

Rylee couldn’t hold back her tears and her voice gave in. “I got there late. She—she was not breathing.” 

Zoey’s hand fell to her side. Her head was ringing, her legs lost strength and it began to stagger backwards.

Rylee held on to her. “Zoey, Zoey. Can you hear me? It’s going to be okay. This isn’t the first time somebody will cross back from the other side. The healers will take care of everything.”

*

AIDEN

He arrives in Tokyo and the sun had already set. The cool evening wind beat against his skin. He goes from store to store trying to find item but couldn’t find it.

“The meeting got cancelled. Your dad didn’t come, his preoccupied but do you know who I saw, Reina. We talked and I found out about Kendra. I’m guessing that’s where you are. You should have told me at least. I can trace you down but I don’t want to watch you run into her arms . . .”

He clenched his fist and is forced to leave another store in disappointment.

The girls voice returns in his ears. “Are you planning revenge? Do you want to kill Reina? but she’s so nice.”

Various thoughts raced through his head. He brings out the paper and stared at the words. “Extinct magical artefacts were easier to find and Nat isn’t helping matters.”

He contemplates blocking their connection but decides otherwise. He pulls out his phone and searches for the company and gets their location.

I’ll have to go to the source. And he teleports.

The voice returned, “Did you go there and they attacked you in a fit of rage. Your father set Reina free from the ancient prison and all this was his plan. It has nothing to do with you, don’t blame yourself. Reina said that her only target was Tristen, but she said something quite interesting.”

He shape-shifted into a man into one of the store owners he had met earlier and broke into the company.

“She had Tristen locked in the trance and Kristen swapped places with him. She was slightly worried but I convinced her otherwise. I’ve seen her do that before and I’ve meaning to ask, you taught her our restricted coven spells, didn’t you?”

Her words stung at him like bees and he proceeded with his plan and disabled the cameras.

Her voiced returned, she was chewing on what sounded like nuts and the sounds irked him. “Feeders can’t stop once they start feeding, there are locked in their trance. Your girl basically sacrificed herself for the other dude.”

He hated that she kept picking at his wound. He pinches his nose bridge and continues with his search. He had gone through half of their stocks but was yet to find it.

“Swap places? She must have morphed the teleportation spell plus transfiguration enchantment, that requires a lot of black magic. And I’m the evil one. She completely ignored all her Coven rules. What a shame to lose 'this generations greatest witch' .”

He finds only one box at the corner stacked above other flavours. Finally feeling a sense of relief, a grin appeared on the pale aged face.

“Aren’t you annoyed? Say something back. How broken are you?” the voice said without a hint of sarcasm but instead worry.

With the box in hand, he finally blocks the connection with the voice, enjoying the silence and teleports back home. 

                                                                                    -------------

The news like all rumours had spread through the covens. Kendra's sacrifice cost her everything. Although she had barely escaped with her life but she had lost her powers. The healers had said it was impossible to restore the powers that Feeders steal. One of this generations greatest witch and the last survivors of her Coven had been reduced to a mere human.

Kendra had locked herself in her room refusing to eat or see anyone. Aiden teleports into the somewhat familiar room. He glanced at the half packed travelling bag and the scattered clothes on the bed.

“Why are you here?”

He glanced towards the direction of the voice. She knelt down in her closet sorting through a pile of clothes on the floor.

How could she always tell?

She stands up with a pile of clothes and glares at him. Her eyes were heavy and tired. She looked different and he realized he had never seen her defeated and broken. “You look like shit.”

“Really, I didn’t notice”—she dropped the clothes on the bed— “Get out. I don’t want to see anyone.”

“Where are you going?” He said looking around the room.

“I really don’t want to talk.”

“Luckily, I’m not here to talk. I brought ice cream.”

“I don’t care, get—Ice-cream?” She said peaking at him with interest or should I say what was behind him.

“Yummy Town’s Double Orange Frost chocolate.”

“You didn’t?”

He passed the nylon bag to her. “I did.”