The Banished Hybrid book 1: Hybrid's Revenge (14+) (Draft 1)

Chapter 9 part 2

"More time?" I asked with worry. "Mommy? What do you mean?"

"Leo tortured me with Wolfsbane," Mommy explained, the pain affecting her. "It's toxic to werecreatures, especially werewolves and even kill them." She looked at Jasmine who whimpered. "I tried to heal myself with my magic but apparently it weakens a werewitch's magic." 

"So what," I asked, confused. "You can't heal yourself?" A note of disappointment sounded in my voice. "I won't have my Mommy anymore?" I whimpered at the thought. 

"The magic I use to keep the poison at bay is only temporary, my love," Mommy said, sounding sad and tired. "Once the poison reaches my heart, I will no longer be with you." 

"Nooooo!" Jasmine howled with grief and she began to cry. "Mommy no go! Mommy stay with Jazy and Emi!" She gave Mommy another squeezing hug. 

A devastated expression crossed my face. "No!" I said, taking Mommy's hand and holding it. "You're not leaving us, Mommy! I won't let you! We need you!" A crack of pain came into my voice. I couldn't lose Mommy! Not after all of the trouble we went through to get to her! I won't lose Mommy! I won't! I won't! I won't! 

"I'm sorry my love," Mommy said apologetically. "But there's no stopping the poison inside me. The damage is already done. You and Jasmine must go back to Alice and her family before Leo knows you're here."

"I don't understand, Mommy," my voice breaking with sadness. "Why is it bad if Leo finds out? Why can't you come home with us?"

"Leo still wants to kill you," Mommy said gravely. "Even after all these years, he wants the blood of the hybrid who killed his human daughters. The royal bloodline won't be pure again as long as magical blood is in it. I couldn't let him kill you. So I traded myself so you could live."

Tears watering in my eyes, I gave Mommy a hug and held onto her tightly. I didn't want Father to kill Mommy! I won't let him! I'll kill him before he destroys Mommy! My Mommy! The Mommy who loved and cared for me! The Mommy who let me live even though I had done an unthinkable crime in killing my sisters!

"No!" I cried tearily. "No! No! No! You're not dying! Tell me you're not dying!" I closed my eyes, not wanting to let Mommy go.

Jasmine whimpered beside us and clung onto me, trying to get to Mommy. "Mommy no go!" She said, "Mommy no leave Emi and Jazy!"

"I know," Mommy replied. "I love my girls so much." She nuzzled Jasmine before nuzzling me. "That's why I did this. To save you," she said in my ear. "I'm sorry for the harsh things I said to you before you came here. I didn't mean them, okay? I hope you can forgive me."

I opened my eyes and lifted my head to look at Mommy. "Of course I do!" I breathed. "It was the Wolfsbane, not you, right?" I asked hopefully.

Mommy nodded her head and slowly blinked her eyes once. There was a dull look in her eyes that I hadn't noticed before. "Oh!" She sighed as she leaned back and fainted. Her eyes closed and I felt more of her weight against me.

"Mommy?!" I asked, alarmed as I strained to keep her from falling.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Jasmine chanted anxiously as she let go and swayed from side to side. "What wrong with Mommy, Emi?" She asked. "What wrong?"

"Come on Mommy," I said, trying not to be anxious. "Let's get out of here. Let's bring you home."

If Mommy ever makes it home, I thought with fear. I shook my head, clearing my head stubbornly. "No!" I said aloud, startling Jasmine. "Mommy will make it! Mommy will come home!"

"Mommy come home with Jazy and Emi?" Jasmine asked hopefully.

"Yes, Jazy," I told her, hoping that she couldn't hear the fear in my voice. "Mommy's coming home with us."

Jasmine smiled, excitement in her eyes. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy come home! Mommy come home!"

I couldn't help but smile. But the thought of Mommy dying nagged at the back of my mind. If Mommy died, then my mission to bring her home will fail and all Jasmine and I have been through would've been for nothing! I would fail Jasmine and wouldn't be her sister anymore.

I couldn't fail! I couldn't fail the sister who depended on me! No matter how many times her wolf loses control and wants to kill me! Jasmine's my sister and I'll give her anything she wants! Mommy's coming home! I'll make sure of that!

"Jazy, help me carry Mommy," I told Jasmine as I hoisted Mommy to where I could carry her. Jasmine whimpered and all she did was hug Mommy, adding more weight that was already from Mommy.

"Hey Jazy, why don't you help Lily find the way out, okay?" I said a few seconds later.

Jasmine whimpered again as she let go. "Jazy help Emi! Jazy help Emi!" She complained.

"You are helping me," I told Jasmine. "You're telling me where to go so we can get out of here. We're going to need Lily's help though." I turned to Lily, hoping that she'll help us.

"Um, sure, Emily," Lily said, a little weary. "I'll help."

"Lily gonna help Jazy and Emi get outta here?" Jasmine asked Lily expectedly as she went over to Lily and grabbed her hand.

Lily looked uncomfortable but she still replied, "Yes Jazy. I'm going to help you get out of here." Jasmine smiled with excitement and almost reached forward to hug Lily but held back. Something stopped her from doing so.

Lily smiled back before turning away and mumbled to herself, "I can't believe I'm doing this! Mother's going to kill me!"

Before I could counter her, however, Lily turned back to us and smiled, "Follow me!" She said with delight.

Lily led us back down the hallway with Jasmine holding her hand. I half carried and half dragged Mommy as I followed Lily and Jasmine. Jasmine looked so pleased to be in the lead. At least she seemed to trust Lily to get us out of here.

Every once in a while, Jasmine turned back to me and said, "Come Emi! Come! Follow Jazy! Follow Jazy!"

"You know that I'm leading the way, right?" Lily pointed out. "You're just following me."

Jasmine pouted. "Jazy lead! Jazy lead!" She argued. "Jazy lead Emi and Mommy!"

I shook my head when Lily turned to look at me. "Just go with it," I mumbled loud enough for her to hear. Lily shrugged and went back to concentrating on the way out, leading us through different hallways.

After a while, I was beginning to think that we were never going to get out when I saw the gate. Which was a good thing because I was getting tired of dragging Mommy. My heart leapt with excitement as I knew that we were going to get out of here! Bring Mommy home without killing anyone! We were home free!

We were just about to go through the gate when a figure stood in our way, blocking our exit. My heart fell when I realized who was blocking our escape.

"Hey! Move!" Jasmine protested to the princess who was grinning with wicked pleasure at us. "Move! Move! Move!"

The princess remained silent, extending the wicked feeling her smile brought. "Well, well," she said slyly. She turned her gaze directly on me. "Look who we have here. The servant who said she's a servant is escaping with our prisoner!"

This marks the end of Chapter 9 Part 2.
Chapter 9 will continue in part 3.
As always, thanks for reading!
J. D. Driscoll