The Witching Hour

Chapter 13 - Ninjas

The mind link went silent. All thoughts subsided as the Pentacle focused on whatever had made the sound. The crunching stopped only for a second before it went silent again. In an attempt to hide, Aura used the wind to push her into tree, but its branches began to coil around her. She whimpered in pain as they dug into her.

I'm stuck in a tree. Ivy I could use you right now, Aura called out. Ivy tried to connect with the tree, but it refused to let her. The strength in which it pushed her out surprised the earth witch.

Aura, I can't connect to the tree, Ivy instructed. Don't move. It could be reacting to your squirming. She took a step forward in Aura's direction, but an unseen force pushed the earth witch onto her back.

Marina wasn't as lucky. Her foe flung her against a tree and pinned her down using its mental powers. It boxed her in and stopped her from reaching out with her empath skills. She couldn't even feel the other figures attacking her friends. She was the most alone she had felt in a long time.

He..l...p, Marina got out before her connection was severed completely by her attacker.

Ella's eyes grew to saucers as realization hit her. These silent creatures acted like ninjas, likely tracking them from the road. She took a deep breath and called upon her power. Fire engulfed her hands and lit up her corner of the forest. Ella couldn't identify the other creatures that were there. There wasn't one single scent but a mix of them. She sensed vampires, fairies, succubi and possibly a stray witch – all of which could easily be falsified with the right concoction. As she took a step, streams of water hit her from all directions, extinguishing her fire.

We need to fight and get out of here, Ella thought urgently. Meet back at the car.

Their minds went dark in concentration. Clashes resounded in the forest as each witch battled their foe. Marina stared into the darkness and took a deep breath. Whatever had created the box had to be close by. Anger flooded through the empath. Red filled her vision. She zeroed in on the creature and squeezed. Without a solid source of water, she couldn't launch a good attack.

Then there it was. A small enough source of water. She pulled it out, and as she did, coughing filled the darkness. The grip on Marina's mental prison released, and desperation overwhelmed her. The thoughts of the other witches chirped in the back of her mind without distracting her from the task at hand.

The source of the desperation didn't belong toher. It came from the creature as the life drained out of it. The empathrealized what she had done and bolted for the car. In a weak moment, she lookedback. The figure's chest moved just ever so slightly. Sighing in relief of notkilling it, she sprinted for the car.

Aura took Ivy's advice and stilled. Whoever controlled the tree took that as a win and eased up the pressure. Aura took advantage of this brief lessening and shot straight up into the sky, out of the reach of the trees. As she floated there, she realized she wasn't actively tapping into the air to keep her afloat. She naturally levitated. Aura didn't let the confusion distract her. She went straight for the car, hovering above to watch for an attack.

Meanwhile, Ivy screamed in frustration at being stuck on the ground. Whenever she tried to get up, the mysterious figure whizzed by and pushed her back onto the ground. About to get up again, Ivy felt her vines weave around her. She breathed a sigh of relief and knew exactly what to do. She crouched and started to get up. As she stood, the figure tried to whizz by, but the vines ensnared it.

As the vines wound around it and pulled it to the ground, another force flung her away. The second villain chopped at the vines to free the comrade. Ivy's body smacked against the tree with the thud. Vision growing hazy, she struggled to get up. She didn't take a second look at the villains and used the opportunity to run for the car. Ivy yelped, tripping over her feet as she felt the second force successfully hacked through her vines. Their pain reverberated through her – fiercely. She pushed it to the side as she focused on getting to the car.