In the pitch of night: When He Finds You

Chapter 35

When Maxius and his group were about a mile away from their cemetery they stopped. It was pitch black outside. The moon wasn't even out.  He didn't want to get too close to the cemetery just in case this was the right one. They would be able to scent them. Thankfully they were downwind from the cemetery. He really hoped this was the right one.
"Tryx, Thyme and Tatum. Are you guys ready?" Maxius asked.
They all made a show of checking all their weapons. Which they all had little weapons. They had little knives in holsters on their thighs. Thyme had her hair pulled up in a high ponytail. And Tatum and Tryx had their hair slicked back from their faces. The didn't want to obstruct their view in a fight.
"Yes the Maxius we are the ready." They all said in unison.
"Now remember don't engage. No matter what you see. You see anything or anyone you come right back and let us know. The vampires can all get there in seconds. The shifters and witches will be right behind us vampires."
"Yes the sir. We the understand." Tryx said. The other two nodded. Then they all three saluted and took off towards the cemetery.
"Cazmir, call the other group where we will all know at the same time which cemetery we need to be at."
"On it." Was Cazmir's quick reply.
Then they were all standing and waiting. Then waiting shouldn't take long. All three of them were fast so they shouldn't have to wait more than five minutes. The waiting ended up feeling like years. He hated not being able to do anything. He wanted to be able to kick their asses and he wanted to do it now. When they weren't back in the five minutes allotted to them he started to get worried. They should have been back by now.
"The other group said they are clear." Cazmir said. "They are on their way here."
"Let's move. Let's move now. They probably have Tryx, Thyme and Tatum."
Then they were taking off the vampires all up and disappearing. The shifters and witches all took off running. The shifters after they shifted to their wolf forms.
When Maxius reappeared he was in the middle of the cemetery and what he saw made him see red. They had Thalia and Psyche strung up on poles. With their hands tied behind their backs. They looked like the witches that got burned at the stakes oh so long ago. They both had blood dripping from their gagged mouths and black eyes. It looked like someone had been using them as punching bags. There were even bruises up and down their arms like they had been manhandled. Which he knew they would have, they both were fighters. They wouldn't have given up trying to get away.
Then he saw the imps. They had them locked up in cages. The first cage he saw had Thyme in it. One of Thyme's little wings was at a bad angle. It must be broken. She was still standing though. She had both of her hands wrapped around the bars of the cage pulling and pushing trying to get out. The next cage had Tryx in it. He didn't look so hurt. He had some abrasions and that was it. He was trying to get out of his cage too. The third cage had Tatum. He wasn't moving. He was curled up on the bottom of the cage. Using his keen eyesight he looked at Tatum's little chest. And thank the goddess it was moving up and down. He was still breathing. He needed to get to him quickly though. His breathes were faint. Then he saw all the others getting ready for a fight. There had to be at least twenty of them. The total assessment only took seconds. 
"Hey the you. Yeah the you. The big the ugly the one. Let me the fuck out of here. You are going to the pay." Thyme started yelling. When no one answered her she just kept up the threats.
Then Maxius was spotted. There was a group of others headed right for him. Fuck he thought.
"Wait." a voice boomed from a distance.
Then there he was. It was Ezekiel. He had long black hair down around his shoulders. His green eyes were so bright you could see them at this distance. He was built like a truck. Big and heavy. He was tall. Not as tall as Maxius but still tall. He also had a jagged scar running from the corner of his right eye to his chin. No wonder Thyme was calling him big and ugly.
Maxius dropped down in a fighting stance and brought his arms up. He wasn't going to let these fuckers catch him off guard.
Then the big booming voice came again. "I am the mighty Ezekiel." he said. "I have taken what you seek. However what you don't understand is she was never yours. She was supposed to be mine. You have ruined her for me though." Then Ezekiel was walking up to Thalia. He ran his hand down her arm in a slow caress. "Do you see how she quakes from me? This is your fault." Then he punched her in the mouth.
Maxius let out a menacing growl. "You will pay. I swear on everything you are going to pay."
Then Maxius and all the vampires with him were surrounded. There were just too many of them to fight right now. So he held himself back from lashing out. The rest of them would be here soon enough. Hopefully they would be smart and be stealthy when they came in.
"You are outnumbered. There is nothing you can do to me. You can restrain him now. And if he doesn't comply then lovely Thalia will pay." Ezekiel said.
"How about you come restrain me yourself?" Maxius said. "And how did you get so many followers?" he added trying to stall them the others should be here any minute and he couldn't be restrained when they got here. He needed to be able to fight.
"Now is not the time for questions. Restrain them. Restrain them all."
When he heard a low whistle all hell broke loose. He rammed the back of his head into the man's face behind him. Then he spun around and kicked him in the stomach. The man went down.
Then there were wolves everywhere. They were taking people down left and right. They were not giving Ezekiel men time to shift. Then their witches started to chant. Everyone close to them froze. Well everyone but the people with Maxius. Then Maxius was running for Ezekiel. He was trying to cut down Thalia. He was really going to try and take her? He thought. What the hell he was going to try and run. Then Maxius was disappearing. When he reappeared he was in front of Thalia. Ezekiel was still behind her. Trying to undo her ropes.
Maxius reached around the pole and grabbed a hold of Ezekiel's arms and pulled smashing his face into the pole. Then he came around the pole and punched him three times in quick succession. Finally Ezekeil started to fight back. Maxius ended up getting kicked in the ribs multiple times. Then they were both going hit for hit. Punch and punch. Kick and kick. When Ezekiel started to back away Maxius was on him. Throwing hit after hit. Then Maxius grabbed out his length of chain and swung it out where it would wrap around Ezekiel's neck. When it did he yanked him to his knees.
"I want you to beg. I want to hear you beg." Maxius yanked the chain harder. "Beg mother fucker. I bet my imps and the girls begged. Well maybe not the girls. Or the imps. They aren't weak like you." he yanked the chain even tighter. Now Ezekiel was starting to turn red. "I said fucking beg." Then he watched as Ezekiel tried to tug the chain from his neck.
"I-I-I." Maxius loosened his hold just enough where he could talk. "I know something you don't." Ezekiel coughed. "If you kill me you will never know."
"I don't care about what you have to say. All I want is for you to pay for what you have taken from me."
Then Maxius was tightening the length of chain tighter around his neck. He started to turn bright red. But strangling him was too good of a death for him. He needed a painful demise. Not something quick and easy. He needed a pair of enchanted handcuffs. He bet that was what Ezekiel was using on Thalia and Psyche. Maybe he could get them free and use his own against him. So he yanked the chain even harder until he passed out. Then he went for Thalia and Psyche.
"I am here Thalia. I am here." Maxius said walking up to her. Then he smoothed her tangled hair out of her face and pulled the gag out of her mouth.
"Thank the goddess." Thalia mumbled through swollen lips. "I didn't think you were going to find us in time."
He didn't think he was going to find them in time either. He did though and that was all that mattered. He made it and they were going to be safe. Going around to the back where her arms were behind her back around the pole he tried to see if he could get the handcuffs off of her. He had no luck though.
"Give me a second I need to help Psyche and maybe she can help me get the cuffs off."
"Hurry up please. I need to get down."
He hurried over to Psyche and pulled out her gag. Then she said a little chant and her cuffs fell away. Thank fuck he thought. Once she was down she headed over to Thalia and did the same chant and her cuffs fell away too. When the cuffs were gone she fell in a heap. Thalia was worse for wear then Psyche was. Like she took all the punishments. Which she probably did.
While Maxius was tending to Thalia Psyche went over and put a pair of the cuffs on Ezekiel. He still wasn't coming around yet. However it was better to be safe than sorry. There was no way they wanted him getting away. He wanted answers from Ezekiel. Like what he knew that no one else did.