Lady Dimitrescu and Hekate's Follower

Chapter 31: The Storm

When the women came running towards them, their once peaceful sleeping figures now wide awake, and full of panic. Daniela, Alex, Cassandra, Luca, Bela and Donna's faces were fearful, as they entered the lounge. Even though they were scared, the matriarchs could see anger and determination in their eyes. Karl soon followed, anger written on his face.
"Girls? Luca? What happened? Who screamed?" Alcina asked, kneeling down and inspecting all of them for any injuries. Luckily nobody was hurt. As Alcina is rushing to Karl, to inspect him for injuries too, Melania kneeled down to the younglings.
"She's here, mothers. Karl's lycans are busy keeping her occupied." Bela said as Donna clinged to her side.
"They won't last long." Karl panted. He was running, coming from the horse stables, his massive hammer at his side. Alcina and Melania looked at each other, and they knew. Mother Miranda had finally arrived. They were shaking badly, anger running in their veins like blood. They were trying to control themselves.
"Girls, Luca. I want all of you to hide. Go to our chambers and stay there. Go. Now!" Alcina ordered, pushing them to the door.
"Mother no!" Daniela cried.
"Alcina we can help!" Donna said softly.
"My ladies, please let us assist!" Luca tried pushing back.
"Do not make us leave you!" Cassandra growled.
"Listen to your mother!" Melania barked an order.
"Melania, they can help..." Karl muttered, already giving up on getting the matriarchs to listen. The group were arguing with the matriarchs when they suddenly heard an explosion, coming from the courtyard, Stefan running towards them with a cut on his head.
"Karl! She's inside! We need to leave!" he yelled, looking at the nine of them.
"Girls, for fuck's sake, please stay together! Head out from the main hall." Melania said, turning to Alcina.
"My love, Karl's right. We'll need their help. Karl, come with us. Stefan, run and make sure the maidens stay safe. We need to get Miranda to stay outside this castle." Melania said, taking Alcina's hand.
"You're right my love. We'll need everyone to help." Alcina said, as they all started making their way. Alcina and Melania hugged their daughters, before splitting up. As Karl, Alcina and Melania made their way to the courtyard, Karl noticed that the matriarchs struggled to stay in their human forms, their anger getting the better of them.
"Alcina, Melania. Stay calm. We'll kill this bitch."
"Damn right, I'll rip her apart." Melania growled.
"My love, we should have run. Fled with the girls." Alcina said, scared for the lives of her children. She was clenching her fists so hard she drew blood.
"Maybe yes. But I am not prepared to let her get away with anything." she muttered. They got to the courtyard, the pitch black night, making it hard to see. They were standing just inside the wine room, behind the doors that lead outside, listening carefully. Suddenly, coming out of the darkness, a spider-like arm, hitting Alcina backwards with force, knocking her unconscious. Mother Miranda came walking up the stairs, an almost bored expression on her face.
"You're right. You should've run." she mumbled.
"Aidiastiko kommati skala!! Tha plirosete! Karl, help Alcina! Get to the girls, now!" Melania screamed, the manticore's voice speaking with her own. Miranda just laughed as she watched Karl use the metal door to carry Alcina, using his metal bending ability. They quickly head out, leaving Miranda and Melania, alone.
"I should've ripped your throat out that day in the courtyard." Melania and the manticore growled.
"Yes. You should have." Miranda laughed, before hitting Melania back through the wall of the wine room, making her fall into the foyer. Melania was struggling desperately not to transform inside the castle, but it was quickly becoming an impossible task.
"You, along with my false son and daughter as well as your disgusting excuses for daughters will pay with your lives today, draga mea. Nobody defies my word." she said, as she hit Melania again, cutting her cheek deeply. Melania couldn't keep it up, giant paws started to replace her hands and wings started sprouting from her back. They were at the entrance of the castle, the giant entrance doors now behind Miranda. She extended her wings and lunged forward at Melania, instead, she was met with the manticore's strong jaws. Her giant paw wrapped around Miranda's body, and she threw her through the entrance doors, breaking them off the hinges. Miranda fell outside, a hard thump could be heard as her head made contact with the ground. The manticore slowly squeezed through the hole where the entrance doors were, walking down the steps. She looked down at Miranda's small figure, slowly getting up.
"How dare you defy me?!" Miranda screamed, as spider-like limbs grew from her body. Melania smiled as Alcina suddenly came from behind and cut off Miranda's wings using her claws, black feathers flying everywhere. She howled in pain, and as she turned around, she saw her daughter transforming.
"You ugly beast!" she screamed at Alcina and stabbed both the dragon and the manticore with one of the spider legs. The dragon got stabbed through her back leg, and the manticore through her left shoulder. They both scream in pain, as Miranda laughed. Hearing Alcina scream in pain made Melania do something she never thought she would do.
"Miranda! Don't hurt her, please! Leave her be!" the manticore begged. Miranda's ice blue eyes pierced her soul, before filling with true amusement. As she watched, a giant piece of metal hit Miranda and pinned her to the ground, blood started to run from her mouth. The manticore immediately ran to the dragon, making sure she was alright.
"Heisenberg! How dare you defy your mother?!" Miranda screeched, forcing the giant piece of metal off her body. Two beasts and a man stood stoic, facing a witch, their wounds already healed.
"You, you disgusting hag, are not my mother. Ever since you started abusing my sister, someone who fuckin' loved you, I've been wanting to crush you. You are a waste of oxygen and I've never hated anyone, as much as I hate you." he snarled, poison laced in his words.
"You don't deserve to live. You're a cruel, sadistic, horrible human being." Alcina growled, the dragon baring her teeth. Suddenly giant roots burst from the ground, grabbing at them, like hands. They ran in different directions, dodging the root hands as they went. They run towards Miranda, ready to attack. The manticore managed to reach her, and ripped off one of her limbs, making her scream in pain. Miranda launched forwarded but stopped dead in her tracks, coming face to face with Donna.
"Hide your ugly face, traitor!" Miranda screamed and tried to attack, but suddenly stopped again, her facial expression changed from anger to sadness. Donna was making her hallucinate, making her see her deceased daughter, Eva.
"Eva, draga mea. How I've missed you." Miranda spoke softly, reaching out to the hallucination. Alcina took the opportunity and walked behind Miranda, before stabbing her with her claws, through her torso, black blood spilled everywhere. Screaming in pain, Miranda slowly turned around and lunged at the dragon, jumping on the dragon's back and coming face to face with Alcina's body. She immediately froze, paralyzed with fear. The roots kept Karl and the manticore away.
"You are weak and pathetic. Of all of my false children, I favored you the least. You are utterly useless to me and I will enjoy watching the life leave your eyes." she spoke deadly calm. She reached out and snapped Alcina's arm with a loud snap. She cried in pain, and using her other arm, pushed Miranda off, making her fall to the ground. Alcina's fear completely disappeared, and was replaced by absolute hatred for this woman.
"You wretched hag! You will pay for killing Cassandra!" the dragon roared, shattering some windows with the loud sound. A massive root wrapped around Alcina, tightening quickly. The manticore got wrapped up in the roots too, as she screamed at Karl to go and save Alcina. Karl got snatched up too, his hammer falling from his grip. Donna stared in fear, not being able to do much.