The Blood-Book III

Chapter 17: Snakes Part II

Ethan's face dropped before I charged towards the witches. I had to stop them. I had to help.

I couldn't let all of this be for nothing.

We couldn't let her bring her father or Hagan out.

I prayed that our loved ones on the other side were helping–that my father was there, watching and helping.

My father.

I so badly wanted to tell him that I forgave him and my mother for doing what they did–for hiding me.

Ethan was behind me, yelling after me but I didn't listen, I dodged a stream of purple hazy smoke, then jumped up over the witches heads–twisting around to avoid magic being thrown at me.

It was like hitting a trampoline. I hit what looked like nothing, but it smacked my body hard and sent me flying back through the air. Dominic zipped forward and lunged up–catching me while Bernard used the distraction as an opportunity to break the witches line as a series of blue smoke that looked like waves of water running as horses charged towards them. It knocked them down like dominoes and encompassed them in a cloud, long enough for Bernard to crack his neck and walk forward.

Dominic landed and put me down then pulled me behind another boulder. "I warned Hadrian, I wasn't the best baby sitter."

"No, but I think you've done a good job Dom," I replied back with a sad smile before I hugged him. He quickly hugged me back then smiled down at me, his eyes holding a pain that he seemed to always carry with him. "He would be very proud of you."

"Charlotte!"

"Ethan?!"

Ethan pulled me to him right as Dominic zipped forward and sent his hand through a warriors neck, ripping out his vertebrae before he turned back at us. "We need to go."

"Where's Wynona?!"

Dominic pointed to a set of trees behind the rock. "She'll be safe, they don't know she's there. We need to go now, though!"

"Where's Andrea?!"

Dominic snarled and looked at another warrior, his eyes dialing while he tugged at his hair. "Everything I told you before, forget it. Get your men and get their asses here!"

The warrior stopped and shook his head, like he was waking up for he first time. Jaxon marched over and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Go. Now!"

Andrea dodged a stream of pink dust before she made it to us behind the boulder. She looked at me for a long moment before she gently hugged me, her skin slightly shaking. "You have a lot to tell me."

I sucked in a sharp breath and shook my head. "I didn't know."

"Alex will come for her," Jaxon said.

Dominic snarled. "Well, probably time my maker and I talked about it. He will not touch her."

"Her father–" Andrea murmured. "He–"

"Was my best friend," Dominic said.

I bent around the boulder right as two more cracks sounded. Caleb and Daphne had 'poofed' in. Caleb shook his head like he was getting over a dizziness before he marched forward, matching crackling around him while Bernard fought with a few more witches still protecting Aurelia, who had her hands to the sky while the stones glowed more.

"The rogues?!" Ethan yelled.

"I assume coming now! Where is Hayden?!" Jaxon yelled back over the commotion of magic crashing into magic.

"Jaxon and I will go to the border and hold the line! You three help Bernard and wait for Levi!" Andrea called out.

"Evan should be here soon with my men, I'll send them there!" Ethan replied as more sounds like fireworks boomed around us.