Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch. 49 - A Witch's Last Breath

Author's Note: Deep breaths. I love you guys. Also, this is my first time writing a book from start to finish. So thank you for getting this far with me. There is one more chapter and then an epilogue. <3

Silas held my hand tightly in his as he continued his speech. I squeezed hard, nails biting into his flesh as I attempted to ask what the fuck he was doing. All he did in response was gently rub a calloused thumb over the top of my hand attempting to voice reassurance. It was as if he was trying to say, "trust me". The motion did not accomplish that in the slightest. It only managed to make me even more terrified. I looked over as Marrisa Neil and her husband Tom joined us on stage. Had she known? She caught my eye and gave me a sad smile confirming my thought. She had warned me that she would alys be on the side of the werewolves, but this? Fucking traitor. I really thought I could trust her. I'd even told her about Daniel. Double fucking agent. I quickly turned my head back over to the three nukes blinking rapidly. They had to be joking.

"We will conquer or we will die is our sacred mantra. So today I give our enemy one final choice. Surrender or die. Every leader of a former country that now has joined the Alliance I know you're listening, watching. Unconditional surrender is the only thing we will accept. If not we will bomb your three strongholds with all of your people inside. That includes the front on the in Ontario, the front in eastern Africa, and the one in Ukraine.You know my phone number." he said as he took a phone out of pocket and held it up to the cameras.

"Call it." he said with a voice so full of power my knees almost buckled. He was a fool. I should have let Matteo and Naomi live. They had tried to warn me. But I hadn't listened to them. I'd blown them up.

A beat passed. Then two. Then three. Then four. And I thought my heart might explode on the fifth as his phone rang.

He clicked the key to accept the call and put the phone to his ear. I was close enough I could hear the man on the other side of the phone's voice. It was unnerving. The entire audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Silas' face didn't reveal anything, but I head what the Alliance's answer was.

No. The Alliance would not surrender. The man on the phone thought that Silas was bluffing. A stoic look of resignation fell across Silas' face as he hung up. That was the end of any negotiations.

"Let it be known that we the New Roman Empire offered the world peace, and our offer was declined. The Alliance has forced my hand."

He let go of my hand and motioned to Marissa brought him the briefcase. He placed it on the podium and opened it displaying three red buttons.

"CHARLOTTE." I screamed into the void, praying for any instruction. Anything. She didn't respond. I tried again, and nothing. Do not interfere she had said. It had been a direct order from the top. But I had to try. I mean it could be a bluff, but it sure as hell didn't look like one.

"Silas. Don't do this." I said with a shaky whisper of a voice. He just ignored me and inserted a key into the device that was enclosed in the briefcase.

"Marissa?" he said to behind his shoulder.

"Yes, Alpha." she answered, stepping closer to us.

"Hold her." he commanded.

My breathing was quick and shallow as I struggled in her hold, flailing. She clasped her hand around my mouth and partially blocked my eyesight. I elbowed her in the ribs, but that only made her grip tighter. Through her fingers I saw him insert another two keys and twist them making the red buttons glow. Oh my god. He was going to do actually do it. Orders be damned. I was stopping this if that was even a possibility. My heart was pounding so hard and I knew what I had to do next.

"BRUIR." I yelled and my hands caught flame burning Marissa who dropped me screaming in agony. Everyone on the stage gasped before all hell broke loose. Multiple wolves started to attack me and I had to fight my way to Silas, it was like a light had had turned on, and my magic was ablaze. I charred wolf after wolf that got in my way. My protection spell around myself was holding, too as gunfire rained down upon me. I pushed passed them all fighting my way to Silas.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

OH. MY. GOD.

I could feel my power building and building right as Silas pushed one of the red buttons engaging one of the missiles. As soon I saw it launch my power shot out of me on instict holding the nuclear missile steady a few hundred feet off the air. I groaned loudly as the missile fought against me trying to fly away to wherever its' target was. Suddenly, I felt the force of one than two more missiles hit me as they tried to get away.. I jolted foward almost off the stage as they pulled me with them until I steadied myself. I felt like my body was going to be ripped in two. I could see all of the veins in my arms light up a terrifying red as power shot through me. Grunting, I held the missiles in place as tears fell down my face. What do I do? The missiles slipped another hundered feet in the air. I couldn't do this. Fuck. It felt like I was going to die if I had to do this by myself for another minute.

"CHARLOTTE!!!" I screamed this time out loud. It was a guttaral scream, I barely recognized it as mine.

I looked at Silas as he walked over to me. He was a fucking madman, and he was livid. He had cleared the podium, and it was just him and me now. He looked half awestruck and half menacing as he carefully crept towards me.

"Now, who would this Charlotte be, Jo?" Silas asked. I sobbed as relief washed over me as I felt the pressure change, and the smell of rosemary hit my nose.

"I'm her sister, you fucking shithead." the unmistakable sound of my sister's voice rang out from behind him. She had a cruel smile plastered on her face.

The surprise on Silas' face was satisfying as her looked back as Charlotte snapped her fingers and his body exploded all over the stage just like i had done with Matteo and Naomi. The crowd of soldiers roared in anger and confusion as she rushed to my side but all of the drowned out. Seconds later, Ana appeared out of thin air beside me, and I felt the weight of the missiles lessen dramatically. The battalians that had been in the in front of the stage were scrambling to get out of the open plain, retreating. To where? Who fucking knew? I had bigger things to think about.

Suddenly, a squadron of witches appeared in front of the podium. A few of them I recognized while others were unfamiliar. They immediately started working together raising their arms to the sky and started chanting a spell in unicent. A fluorescent dome encircled the span of the entire military base. I heard the blast from seven jets as they jutted into the sky attempting to get away, but all exploded upon impact as they hit the forcefield the witches had raised overhead.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked Charlotte, panicked.

"I want you to get out of here." she responded frantically.

"Ana, get Jo out of here!" she said to her coven leader.

"She's proved she can hold the missiles by herself." Ana said calculatingly.

"Not an option." Charlotte said to Ana with conviction.

"Why not?" the witch asked.

A look was exchanged between them. Ana froze, understanding something I didn't. She nodded her head noticeably saddened.

Ana asked, "You're sure you can hold it?"

"For just long enough."

My eyes widened as it dawned on me what the witches were doing. The were going to let the three nuclear missiles go off inside the dome with everyone inside. They weren't going to let anyone out. There would be no escape. That had been their solution.

"There has to be something we can do." I exclaimed in horror looking at both of the witches.

"There's not. The world is fucking lucky we could even get here in time. Ana, get Jo out of here!" Charlotte snipped.

"What are you doing?" I screamed at my sister.

"Giving my daughter a chance." she said as she looked up at the sky determined.

And with that bony, strong fingers grabbed my hips, and pulled me to with them as the hell in front of us disappeared.