Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Sage

Acouple of days have passed since we discussed Nellie potentially being a spy for Venom. Since then, we held meetings in private, excluding her, her boyfriend Jimmy, and the quiet Randi from the discussions.

It hurt leaving Jimmy out, but everyone was concerned he would tell Nellie things, and that’s the price you pay for dating a blabber mouth, I guess. As far as Randi goes, I didn’t know her as well as Jimmy, and after the suspicions with Nellie, I was keeping my eye on her too.

Since we only had two days before we infiltrated one of the VRC locations, I’d woken before the sun set so I could practice.

Currently, all three of the ex-Venom members along with a few other humans and wolven were standing on the sidelines watching Marcus whip my ass.

“Come on, Marcus,” Nellie cheered, and fiery anger flooded me.

I whipped my head toward her, taking my attention off Marcus for a mere second and a fist landed on my face.

Pain radiated through my teeth as blood filled my mouth, forcing a vexed scream from me.“Fuck!”

“You shouldn’t have looked away,” Marcus teased.

“I would have never been off my game like this.” I spit out the metallic wetness, then looked back at Nellie. “Don’t you have some place else to fucking be?”

“Sage!” Marcus reprimanded, dropping his defensive stance.

I ignored him, locking my heated gaze on Nellie until Jimmy stepped in front of her, blocking my view.

“Let’s go eat breakfast. I’ll make those pancakes you loved so much.”

He took Nellie’s hand, pulling her toward his cabin.

“Are you okay?” Randi asked in a sweet voice. “Do you need a bottle of water or something?”

I shook my head because all I wanted was for her to stop staring at me like I was about to spontaneously combust.

“She actually does need some water.” Marcus’s tone was calm and collected, but I had a feeling once we were alone, it wasn’t going to be. “Could you grab a couple room temperature ones from my cabin, please?”

“Sure. I’ll be right back.”

Randi walked away and Marcus’s gaze went to everyone else. “Could you guys give us a minute?”

“We need to do a perimeter run,” Drag said, nodding his head toward the woods, and Heston followed him.

“It’s about time for Scarlet’s next feeding,” April said, admiring the little one in her arms before her eyes went to me with kindness. “Good luck, Sage.”

Once Zeke and April left, and no one else was around, Marcus didn’t hesitate to tear into me. “What the hell is your problem?”

Thoughts of failing this mission swarmed through my mind. “I’m too damn weak for this. I’m going to get myself or someone else killed!”

“Hey, hey! That’s enough of that shit,” Marcus snapped, his brows tightening, his finger pointed at me. “I don’t ever want to hear you say anything like that again.”

“It’s true, Marcus!” I dropped my chin to my chest and rubbed my hand across the back of my neck, attempting to relieve the tension.

“Look at me.”

Marcus had taught me almost everything I knew about fighting, and the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint him.

“Look at me, Sagelynn!”

Even though I was unready for the lecture I was about to receive, I pushed back my anger and forced my gaze upwards.

“Have you forgotten who you are?” he asked, his question confusing the shit out of me.

“Umm. I’m—”

“You don’t need to tell me because I already know who you are. You’re a trained killer and a strong woman, not just intellectually, but physically. The only reason your body isn’t acting like it right now is because you’re malnourished. You went through some traumatic shit, Sage. And now that your soul has had some time to heal, your body needs to catch up. The only thing stopping you from being who you are is your fear. You’re giving it power to control you. Once you decide to dominate that fear, the easier this will get. And the more you stand there sulking and complaining, the longer it’s going to take. Now stop whining and get your damn fists back up!”

None of the training Marcus gave me compared to the value I gained from his lectures. He had many great attributes, but his words of encouragement along with his motivation to do better . . . to be better, were always my favorite.

Marcus raised his fists, going back into a fighting stance, and after a few shocked blinks from me, I realized he was right. I mirrored his posture because regardless of how much I loved him, I was ready to kick his ass.

After training, my nervousness continued to consume me. A thousand scenarios of what could go wrong during our rescue mission occupied the space where my brain once was, the agonizing thoughts buzzing through my head faster than lightning.

Attempting to calm myself and to tackle my fear, like Marcus said, I slipped away undetected to go for a walk.

Even though the sun had barely begun setting, the canopy of pine and oak made my surroundings dimmer, so my eyes were on the hard, cold ground below my feet as I stumbled through the brush of the forest.

At the edge of the treeline, I emerged into a field and my gaze went to the sky lit up with orange and pink hues before they went wide in surprise, my feet coming to a sudden stop.

Not paying attention to my surroundings had never been a weakness of mine. Today, I failed to spot the three women in front of me until it was too late.

The light still clinging to the horizon lit their faces, revealing them a mere four feet away. Not comprehending how the magical wards worked, I held my breath, worried they would . . . see me? Smell me? Sense me?

The woman on the left was eager as a small child, squealing with excitement. Her bare feet slammed against the grass and her white sundress flowed behind her like a symphony of fabric as she chased a butterfly with nothing less than pure joy.

The temperature had to be only around fifty degrees when I left the camp, but with the sun setting it had dropped even lower. I wondered how she wasn’t freezing since I wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather jacket, yet my cheeks and hands were ice cold.

The woman on the right wore a black leather, strapless jumpsuit with what I thought was a scarf around her neck but it turned out to be a large ball python. Her expression was joyous as she peered down, affectionately stroking its body.

The one in the middle was the tallest of them, with wavy copper hair, and when she locked her attention on me, her cheeks tightening with a smile, I realized I had wandered outside the wards.

My hand instinctively went to the dagger Peach had given to me, which was fastened to my thigh, flipping open the leather strap that secured it.

“Don’t,” she warned. “We’re faster and stronger than any weapon.”

Suspicious of the fact that three women were wandering in the middle of the woods, I didn’t heed her advice. Instead, I yanked my dagger from its sheath.

Before I had a chance to decide if I needed to use it, an unseen force slammed into my body, knocking me onto my back and expelling the air from my lungs, causing me to gasp.

Now pissed off, I sprang to my feet with efficiency and raised my dagger again, ready to plunge it into the woman in the middle.

She flicked two fingers in my direction and another invisible wall hit me, shoving me backwards as if I was light as a feather.

The back of my skull bounced off the cold, hard ground, sending sharp pains through my head.

My body alerted me to stop, but I ignored it, instead scrambling to my feet slower than before, my sore, overworked muscles also screaming for me to retreat.

When I raised my dagger this time—because apparently getting knocked on my ass twice wasn’t enough to stop me—instead of being thrown backwards by some mysterious power, my entire body locked in limbo.

She had frozen me in place like a heroic and possibly idiotic statue.

While I could still breathe and move my eyes, my body was completely unresponsive. Every muscle I had appeared to be no longer owned by me and I finally panicked.

“What the fuck!” At least my vocal cords still worked, even if it didn’t matter since scolding them to death wasn’t a power I possessed.

My mind reeled with possibilities of what the hell was going on. Was I dreaming? Perhaps sleepwalking? Or were these actual witches?

The woman in the middle gave me an empathetic smile, her fair skin seemingly unfazed by the frigid weather. “You shouldn’t be outside of the wards. Anyone could see you.”

“My butterfly is gone. It’s gone!” the butterfly-chaser belted out.

“It’s okay, Cece. We’ll find you another.” The one in the middle appeared to be the leader when she stepped forward and raised her freckled hand, grazing the back of her finger down my cheek. “You are exquisite, my silver.”

“Beautiful silver, beautiful silver,” the one I now knew as Cece chanted. She looked similar to the copper-haired one touching me, except she had fewer curls and more freckles sprayed across her pink cheeks.

“Yes, sister. The silver is beautiful.” The leader laid her hand flat on my cheek and tilted her head in an admiring manner.

The third woman had umber-colored skin with a radiant golden undertone. Her eye and lip makeup were dark, giving her a beautiful yet mysterious look. “Shayla, can you step aside? Archibald wants to meet her.”

“Be my guest, Delaney.” Shayla dropped her hand, taking a few steps back, and the third woman replaced her.

Delaney held her hand out and the snake slithered out from under her black hair, crawled down her arm, and wrapped himself around her wrist. She raised her arm so he was eye level with me, and I held my breath as he flicked his tongue on my cheek. I may not be afraid of snakes, but I sure as hell didn’t want one kissing me.

“Archie likes her, Archie likes her,” Cece chanted excitedly, then pulled her dress up and spun in circles.

Delaney lowered the snake, turning her attention to Shayla. “The wolves are on their way. Time is up.”

“I know, sister. We shall not fret, the alpha is with them.”

A twig cracked a split second before a gray wolf prowled in from the right side of me, and after spending months seeing them, I immediately recognized the wolf to be Kimber. Heston, a lighter gray wolf, circled in from the left. Both of them issued low warning growls that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Drag had been the biggest of ?the wolven I had seen so far, and I was grateful when he darted right up between me and the trio without hesitation. He shifted back into a human and my gaze accidentally landed on his naked backside before I let out a regretful sigh.

“Release her.” His commanding tone surprised me, but didn’t faze the women.

“What is the point of us cloaking your camp if you can’t keep your people inside of it?” Shayla flicked two fingers toward me again and the death grip on my muscles lifted, leaving me feeling like jelly had replaced the stone. “Sorry we had to use magic on you, silver. But your fast-acting demeanor could have injured one of my sisters.”

I pulled my arms into myself, rubbing the numbness away. “What the hell is going on?”

Drag snapped his fingers at me, his eyes relaying a warning, as did his reprimanding. “You be quiet. Your ass shouldn’t have even been outside the wards.”

Every interaction I had with Drag assured me he was a gentle and caring man, so his unusual abrasiveness caused my mouth to fall open.

“Shocked silver. Shocked silver.” Cece laughed, then smiled innocently at me.

Drag ignored us both, turning his attention back to Shayla. “What are you doing here?”

“You missed the Winter Solstice festival without a call, Dragos Oliver Montoya. And when you didn’t show up for our quarterly meeting, my sisters and I became worried. When I spell-checked you, I observed a bright light surrounding your presence. Not being able to contain our excitement, we came to see the star with haste.” Shayla’s eyes drifted to me and the sparkle shining in them was almost unreal. “She is the silver who will end the war. The prophecy we have been waiting for.”

“The silver prophecy departs for odyssey, but destiny will veer if the course is not clear,” Cece sang.

“You need not worry, sister. Destiny is on course and shall stay that way if everyone involved fulfills their responsibilities.” Shayla stepped in close to me again. “Please sheath your dagger.”

I looked at Drag for confirmation. He nodded, so I slid my blade back in its holster.

Shayla took my right hand in hers and I felt a small electrical spark. “Your light shines bright, my silver. Do not let the blood of your blood dull your blaze. You must fulfill the prophecy.”

I blinked repeatedly, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. “I’m sorry, but I’m not involved in any prophecy.”

“Is your name Sagelynn Juniper Argent?”

Knowing only a couple people knew my middle name, I glanced around before I hesitantly answered. “I am.”

“Then you are an Argentum, are you not?”

The word she spoke was one I’d never heard before. “Argentum?”

“Your surname means silver in Latin. Do not confuse it with Argentium silver, which is the material used to make your dagger and other weapons around the camp.”

“I know what Argentium silver is, but you have the wrong person. My last name is Argent. Like you said.”

Shayla grinned proudly. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

I waited for more information to come but she mindfully said nothing, and the other women she was with were also silent.

Ravage appeared astonishingly fast, causing me to suck in a hard breath.

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in years.” Smoke from a bit of sun hitting his face steamed into the air before he took a few steps back, going under the canopy of the trees. His expression as it healed told me this conversation was about to get interesting. “Argentum was the original surname for your family before they shortened it in the eighteenth century. The same year they renamed the VEM society to Venom.”

I was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about when Lyric and Erik came sprinting up, gasping for air. Drag held up his hand, letting them know I was safe and they halted whatever plan they had to save me.

“You are the one, the silver. The witch to end the war,” Shayla said, bringing my attention back to her. “It will take you many, many moons to finish the battle of fang and foe, but with help from your coven, you will prevail. I have envisioned it.”

Shayla’s words left me bewildered. I blinked a few times, my gaze lingering over the freckles near her right temple, if connected, they’d form a star. She had big, almond-shaped eyes which were neither blue nor green, but somehow a perfect blend of each.

She was mystical. Unlike me.

Considering I had no magical powers, her accusations of me being a witch had to be false. I tapped my finger on my thigh as I waited for more information, and once I realized she wasn’t going to give me any, I glanced at Ravage for clarification.

“She’s telling you she’s a seer and has the capability of predicting the future. They’re witches.”

Although I had already realized what they were, the words being spoken aloud sent shock flooding through me. Despite my knowledge of vampires and werewolves, the idea of witches existing seemed unbelievable, and I found it even harder to accept that I might be one of them.

Shayla released my hand and took a step back. “I speak the truth of prophecies long forgotten. You are the silver to end the war.”

The trio raised their hands in a V shape, palms toward the sky, closed their eyes, and spoke in unison.

“Fangs and silver destined to unite.

Foe becomes friend under lover’s light.

A new creature has formed, strong and mystique.

No spelled silver shall make it weak.

A family unfolds as the blood moon cries.

With fangs bared, together they rise.

Death will come when swords clash.

The fires burn bright, leaving nothing but ash.

When silver strikes, the snake will fall.

Only a new era of union will bring peace to all.”

Their eyes popped open, the last of the sunset glittering across their faces.

I shook my head, bringing myself out of my unrelenting daze. “But I’m not a witch, nor am I in a coven.”

“Your genesis bloodline has birthed witches for centuries. The magic in your body is so strong, you formed a coven at age nine, which is extremely rare for such a youngling.” Shayla’s gaze drifted to Lyric and Erik before it came back to me. “The siblings were your first two members and have lovingly stayed by your side through all weather. You three live by Blood of the Coven. It has come out of your mouth for many moons.”

“Many moons, many moons,” Cece repeated.

“I must have heard it somewhere,” I mumbled hesitantly, not sure if I believed my own words.

“No, my darling, the magic is in your blood. The ancestors spoke to you. They knew that you would need an alliance to succeed, otherwise you wouldn’t fulfill the prophecy. Your ancestors are always forthcoming when you call upon them. They have helped you on numerous occasions when invoked.”

Her words only caused more confusion for me. “I don’t understand what you mean. I don’t even know how to call them.”

“Give me your hand and I’ll bestow an example.”

I reluctantly placed my hand out in front of me, palm side down. Shayla flipped it over, placing her index finger in the middle of my palm before drawing slow circles, her eyelids drifting close.

“You and my fanged friend went into battle at your apartment. On your third encounter with him, you fought valiantly, but he hesitated, almost costing him his life, which would have ended the prophecy. The silver hit the ground and you unknowingly called upon your ancestors while seeking it. The moonlight glistened upon the silver, unveiling it, but not before your ancestors made sure your cat paused the battle long enough for you both to cool off. You know the rest.”

Shock hit me when Shayla explained something no one but myself would’ve known. The night I fought Luka in my apartment, the moonlight had revealed my stake to me, and I’d never told anyone because it seemed coincidental.

“Your senses tell you things often, yet you ignore them because you haven’t tapped into your true power. After you dismissed your instincts, someone took you hostage and tortured you. Thankfully, my fanged friends saved you.”

My heart beat uncontrollably when I realized I had thought Mannie was creepy both times I met him. I should have listened to my gut feeling.

Shayla’s eyelids popped open and I sucked in a gasp when I spotted a nictitating membrane covering her cornea. She blinked and the third eyelid swept back into the corner, revealing her catlike pupils. Two blinks later, her eyes were back to normal.

“Those aren’t the only incidents. I can continue if you would like.”

My words had disappeared, running off to hide from the fading sunset like I wanted to. The abundance of emotions swirling in me only twenty minutes ago was nothing compared to what I was currently feeling.

My thoughts went into four different directions before coming together and forming one ridiculous image: the long pointy nose, big black hat, cauldron-stirring witches I had seen in cartoons.

But these witches weren’t like that. They were beautiful, mystical, eloquent, and completely unfazed by the cold air that slapped my cheeks.

I wasn’t beautiful, mystical, or eloquent, and I was pretty damn sure I was only minutes away from freezing to death.

How can I be a witch?

“The silver is tongueless!” Cece shouted with a concerned look. “Tell her more. Tell her more.”

Shayla tilted her head, her tender expression easing my anxiety. “Would you like me to explain the role your bloodline has to play?”

I noticed the witches spoke in a specific manner, which I found pleasing to the ear. Me, not so much. “Um, sure.”

“There are others living here who also need to hear this, Dragos. It’s a long story, may we have a sit?”

“Come on up to the camp,” Drag said, nodding his head toward the trees.

In an instant, he shifted back into his wolf form and stood next to me, the top of his head lining up with my shoulders. His sky-blue eyes stared into mine like he was telling me something.

“Does he want me to pet him or what?” I asked, and Ravage barked out a laugh.

“He’s telling you to follow him. Without a mate, he has no Luna, so the Alpha wolf has to lead the way.”

I sucked in a hard breath at a secret I didn’t know. “Drag’s an alpha?”

Ravage smiled, showing me his fangs. “Indeed, he is. A damn good one, too.”

After thinking about it, it made total sense. Drag’s sister needed him to decide about the baby when we were there. He’d also organized the food runs, handed out orders, and fulfilled both of the camp’s needs.

How did I miss the signs?

Being heartbroken had made me oblivious to the world around me.

Drag turned away and everyone followed, except for Ravage who stayed behind me like he was my protector.

Lyric fell into step next to me and offered solace by holding my hand. Erik approached me from the other side and briefly rubbed my shoulder.

As we walked in silence, I remained unsure about my true identity as a witch, but I knew without a doubt that Shayla was right about one thing.

I had a coven who loved me.