Argent Eye IV

35

Wherever we were, I was the only one to land in a massive puddle. It splashed up my leg, and reached right up to my ankles- even with my combat boots on, the water leaked through the top where the laces went, soaking my socks.

"Ew." I said, stepping out of the puddle.

"Unlucky." Tina chuckled, before we all congregated.

I didn't know where we were, but it was wet- I could see we were huddled down a dark, cobbled alley between two tall buildings, with the stench of two commercial-sized, overflowing dustbins to keep us company. Luckily it had stopped raining, but there was something else in the air- and no, I wasn't talking about the smell of bin juice. It was more like a strange, tingling sensation against my skin that sent shivers up my spine. It made me feel a little nervous and on-edge. It also caused the darkness in the pit of my stomach to stir- I could feel it there, more prevalent than before, and I wondered what could be making it so restless.

"Okay, everyone." Stark began, keeping his voice low. "The target is supposed to be heading home, just round the corner of this building. We take her by surprise. Everything else is just a case of stopping her in her tracks. If we can knock her out, then the witches have said they might be able to perform a ritual to keep her from using dark magic again."

"So we should try and knock her out before killing her?" The blonde girl, Phoebe, asked.

"Yes." Stark said. "Are we ready?"

Everyone nodded, before we ran down the alley and out into the main street.

It was oddly quiet- I didn't see anyone walking about.

Except one woman.

Elizabeth was walking ahead of us, wearing a long, black duffle coat, and she had her hands shoved in her pockets. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun.

Then, as if sensing that we were here, she stopped walking.

"If you were trying to be discrete, you've failed." She called, her voice loud in the quiet street, before she turned to face us.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Obviously not a green skinned woman with a big nose and pointy hat, but also not someone as beautiful as the woman in front of us. I wondered if her looks were totally natural, or if she was using some form of magic to make her look that way. Her hair was super dark, but her eyes were a bright, ocean blue, ringed with a thick set of dark lashes.

"Let's go." Stark said, being the first to snap into action. I realised then that I hadn't actually seen him use his powers before, as the air was filled with a loud, metallic creaking sound. Stark had stepped forward, and with one hand outstretched, he'd practically ripped a lamp post from the ground and sent it hurtling towards Elizabeth. The ease at which he did it made me want to practice using the metal element more- it made me realise how weak my metallic powers were in comparison.

But Elizabeth had her own tricks up her sleeve- one of her hands became shrouded in a dark mist, and with one flick of her wrist, the lamp post change course and landed with a crash behind her.

I realised then just why the darkness in my own body had become restless- the dark magic Elizabeth was using was literally using darkness.

Both Phoebe and George- the fire Argents- ran forward together. They both wielded the orange flames in their hands, before projecting the fire at the same time to create one, large stream directed at Elizabeth. I could see, however, that Elizabeth was blocking the incoming flames with a dark shield. I decided then to assist the Argents, charging my own body with both the fire and ice together. I threw the blue, icy flames so that they twisted around Phoebe and George's fiery plume, strengthening it in more ways than one.