Sweeter Tease (Sequel To Sweet Tease)

Chapter Three

{Octavia's Point of View}

I lead Anastasia to the not-so-secret cave I had our own witch partner, Zia,  crystallize Janessa in.  She wasn't always the best to go to when we needed something, but she worked well enough with our healer to keep us healthy and help Joseph when he didn't know what was going on with our health.  I sighed softly, leading Ana up the stairs that had been sculpted into the stone wall of the hidden cave.  I turned to her when we got to the corner just before the entrance.

{Zia - Voodoo Witch}

"This cave, if you remember, is part of our history.  The one that wasn't supposed to exist?"

I nodded when her eyes widened, and before she could say anything, I continued.

"It took me a while to convince Zia to allow me access to this place.  She was very keen on not sharing its location, even with having threatened her life."

I held my hand up when Ana opened her mouth to argue with me about threatening her life.

"I know.  It wasn't the smartest move on my end, and I do regret it.  The fact of the matter is that we made a deal and now Janessa is held here.  Now, you can't tell anyone of the location.  That's part of the deal.  But, you're my Beta, and my replacement if something happens to me."

I stared at her for a long while, my eyes darting over her face and taking in every twitch that she made.  Before long, she nodded.

"Of course.  If anything happens to you, I'll protect it with my life."

I smiled softly and took her hand, leading her around the dark corner to where a menacing woman stood.  She had long blond hair, pale whitish-green eyes, and was dressed like a mix between a vampire pirate and a spy warrior.  Her face was blank as she stared our way.  Her hand moved to the hilt of her sword, and her face broke into a snarl.

"Alpha.  And an Unknown.  Step away from her and you'll keep your life."

I smiled warmly at Xandria.  I had made a wonderful choice in picking her to watch over the cave.  I held my hand up, even though she wasn't able to see it.

{Xandria - werewolf guardian}

"Peace, Xandria. This is my Beta. She will be the one taking over if anything happens to me. Catalog her scent. She is allowed here as often as I am."

I watched as Xandria stiffened, and her face went blanker, and her blind eyes closed. She sniffed deeply and when she had finished, her nose twitched and she shook her head with a snuff.

"Cataloged, Alpha. She is allowed the same freedoms as you are. Please, be welcome."

I dipped my head as Xandria stepped aside and let us through the cave entrance.  We rounded a few more corners in the dark of the cave before a beautiful blue light started to leak through the darkness.  I felt Ana's hand tighten around mine, and I squeezed back in comfort.  I let out a deep breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding as I came to a stop at the last corner before the cave opened up.  I turned to stare at Ana, my golden eyes meeting her chocolate ones.

"This magic has never been tried before.  I will answer what I can about it, but know that I'm not versed in the magics."

I watched as she puffed her cheeks and nodded.

"Okay.  I'll try to understand without asking too many questions."

I smiled warmly and turned back around, dragging my best friend to a huge open cavern.  The cavern held three massive trees that had light blue crystals hidden between the bark in the trunk.  There were trails and walkways dotting the entire cavern, leading to all of the trees and to a lake that cut the trees off from the front of the cavern where we were.

Light blue crystals dotted the walls and floated in the air, as if held in place by magic.  In the middle of the three trees was the largest of the three.  While there was the blue crystals in the trunk of the tree, it also held a huge crystal.  I tugged Anastasia closer to the large tree, stopping when we were standing in front of it.  I let go of her hand and placed both of my hands on the crystal.

"Is that...?"

I nodded, not looking back at her.

"Yes.  Zia was able to preserve Janessa's body.  She said that while the dagger used to remove our daughter killed a lot of her tissues, she was able to save what she could.  There will still be damage, but she was able to stop the progression.  She said the scar will always be there from the dagger, but that after I find Ichure that she should be able to get everything to work like normal."

Janessa was held in a large coffin type crystal, almost like a stasis.  The jagged wound in her belly had been properly sewn shut, and we had done what we could to remove what dead tissues would not affect her if and when we got her back to life.  Her eyes were shut, and her hair was spread around her, with her hands out, as if she were showing that she was not armed.  She was completely naked, but that didn't bother me, since only my parents, Ana, and myself knew where this cavern was.  I had thought about taking Winifred here, but I didn't think that would be good for her.

I turned to look at Ana with tears in my eyes, my hands still on the crystal.

"Zia tells me that there is a way to bring her back, but she doesn't know how to perform the ritual.  She has told me that the only one who would be capable of such magics would be Ichure.  Ichure may not even know, but I'm willing to risk hunting her down if there is a way to bring her back."

I stared at Ana as her face crossed from intrigued, to confusion, understanding, to anger.  I watched her lips curl in a snarl.

"Goddess, you're such a fucking idiot.  I understand where you're coming from, but you're willing to throw your life away for some stupid witch who may not even exist, just so you can bring your mate back!  What happens if you fail, Octavia!?  You leave your wife and daughter without a spouse because of your actions!  Have you even thought about them at all?  How this all affects them?"

I snarled deeply before I could catch it, my fangs bared as anger rolled through my body, Ana flinching away from me in my anger.  I hissed through my fangs and took a deep breath before I responded, my voice cold and hard.

"My concern is only for them!  If I can bring Janessa back, I will.  If there is no way to bring her back and we're chasing fantasies, then yes, I'll give up hope."

Ana brought her hand to her face and sighed hard, rubbing her face of her frustration.

"I don't agree with this at all, as your Beta and your friend."

"I'm not asking you to agree.  I'm asking you to watch over my family if something happens to me."  

I stared at her, moving to drop to my knees in front of her, grabbing her hands and placing my forehead on her hands, as a beggar would for some coin.  

"Ana, I know you don't agree with this.  I understand.  But I'm begging you as your friend, not your Alpha.  Watch over Winifred and Josephine if I'm unable to return with Guinevere and Janessa?"

I felt Ana stiffen for a moment before she sighed hard and slumped herself, having never had me beg her for anything in our lives before.  

"Fine.  Now get up, you're an embarrassing giant."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and started crying my thanks into her waist.