Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 61

Kelly's POV

"Y-You are magically bound?" Kelly's accusation earned her a comprehensive eye from Thomas.

"D-Don't s-say anything."

Hanna, Helga, and her looked at each other and couldn't believe what they heard. Is that why Thomas hasn't been able to escape this place?

"T-Thomas." Kelly's voice betrayed the pity she felt for the old archaeologist.

He was renowned and well respected among her people, but he was reduced to this by the witches.

"D-Don't look at me with pity, Kelly. This place....it changed me." Thomas looked down, and a single tear fell down his left eye. "I-I missed my family.... I—I."

Kelly's ears perk up. Will he be able to escape if he knows that Rylie's with them now?

"Hey. Thomas." Kelly whispered because she could feel several eyes on them. "R-Rylie's been with us. To clean your name, she tried to also search for werewolves to prove that we were real. Do you want to see her too?"

Thomas looked at her, and she could see that his eyes light up a little. "What does she look like now? Is she beautiful? How tall is she? Did she really try to clear my name?"

Kelly can hear the excitement in his voice. She smiled. If she could encourage him to escape, they absolutely can. She knew that as an archaeologist, Thomas must have put maps around the place when he escaped a couple of times. They could use that to their advantage and use his knowledge too.

"Yes. She's gorgeous, and she has the same green eyes as yours."

Thomas's eyes teared up. "I never got to see her grow. She must have thought I am dead by now."

Although Kelly wants to assure him that what he is saying isn't true. She doesn't want to tell a lie. She sighed. Hanna gave him a pitying glance too. And Helga's head was bowed.

She knows how hard it was to not have a father around and learned before that Rylie missed her dad too.

"I-I'm sorry, but yes, she thought you were dead, and she wants to continue your legacy," Kelly said. "S-So now, are you going to help us escape? Rylie could be in danger too. She's a werewolf now."

With what she said, Thomas's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean she's a werewolf?"

"W-Well. She got to a temple and accidentally recited a spell ritual written on the walls."

"Oh, God!" Thomas put a hand to his face and wept.

"It's not so bad becoming a werewolf." Helga butted in, and Kelly glared at her.

"D-Don't say that."

She knew that Thomas wouldn't want his daughter to be a werewolf. They are a blood bank for the witch's power, and they don't even hold a candle to a single witch in a fight. It takes two werewolves to beat one witch alone. And it takes four werewolves to subdue a mighty witch. They survived this long because the witches before didn't form a coven, and they are many in relation to the witches' population. Plus, they can use magic, too, albeit in a limited form.

"You don't know what they are doing here! T-They----"His voice broke, and no words were coming out of his mouth. He gagged and choked while he held his throat.

Kelly washed her hands to her face. She shook her head helplessly. Will they still be able to get out of this place? Thomas couldn't even talk about it.

"I'm sorry." Thomas's voice sounded defeated. He hangs his head low. "I-I can't tell you what they are doing. They bind me with magic, and all I could help you with is to give you this."

He looked around him first, and Kelly followed where he was looking. Then it occurred to her that he must be making sure that no one saw him. Thomas then handed her his notebook he kept hidden on his sides.

Kelly quickly took it and hid it inside her pocket. Thank God that the witches gave them clothes, or else she wouldn't know where to hide the small notebook.

"What's this?"

"It's a compilation of all the exit routes I tried before and the location of their sigils, wards, and magical barriers. Plus, the studies I had done with werewolves and how you could enhance your magic abilities."

Kelly's face brightened up. Hanna and Helga also had a hopeful look on their faces.

She looked at Thomas's face and smiled gratefully at him. But then her smile froze on her face when she saw how sad he was. His face was pale, and he had a crestfallen look on his eyes.

"I-If I don't make it out of here alive. Please tell my daughter that I loved her and that I didn't stop thinking about them."

He grasped her hands, and Kelly could feel how cold his hands were.

"P-Please..."

Kelly nodded her head. "Y-Yes. I will. Don't worry, we will get out of here alive. I promise you that."

"T-Thank you. Thank you."

He bowed his head several times, and Kelly gritted his teeth. The witches totally break his spirit. He was a man who constantly smiled, but now he didn't even have hope.

Just before she could open her mouth. A loud clang echoed from the bars where they were holed up. Kelly squinted her eyes to see if the witches had returned with the two kids, but they didn't. Instead, she saw them put a large tray of food in the entrance and shoved it their way.

Her eyebrows furrowed when children and women around them started running to get to where the food was. Someone shoved a bread onto her mouth and gulped without water, then another and another. They are just shoving the food in their mouth and don't care if they push someone out of their way.

"T-They don't give you food around here. I suggest you take for yourselves right now before it becomes empty." Thomas looked up.

"B-But how about you?" Kelly asks him.

"T-They give me food. I am chained to this wall and can't go there physically to fight for it."

"Take some food." She looked at the two women, and Hanna handed her Mace, who was sleeping soundly. It's ok if she doesn't get to eat any food as a part of the border patrol. She's used to not eating for one meal.

Hanna walked towards the tray and took some food, but someone snatched it away. Kelly's head starts to get hot. But she gritted her teeth. She needs to be patient; she can't possibly fight all the women here.

"H-Here. I am going to hold her. Go and get something for all of you and the child." Thomas reached out his two hands at her.

She sighed and looked at Thomas's face. It's been a long time since she talked with him and saw him. She didn't know if she should trust him, but him giving her the notes made her trust him a little bit.

"Alright." She handed Mace to her and walked towards the tray.

Helga and Hanna couldn't get some food, and when she went there, all the women and children looked at her.

She was tall for a woman, and she had muscles too. Kelly knew they would be intimated and when they did. They were frozen and looked at her with fear. She leaned in to take four pieces of bread, four apples, and four water bottles out of the tray. Then she beckoned for Hanna and Helga to follow her back to the corner where Thomas is.