Chapter 17 #3
Completely unfazed by his lack of clothing, Jace strode up to the group, his eyes sharp and his voice steady. “I got some sort of sensation about a half hour ago,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“I’m catching up as well, mate,” Viktor replied dryly, his tone laced with irritation. “Apparently, our dear lady here has been trying to resolve a threat to her coven without our help.”
Jace’s expression darkened, a low growl escaping him again. “Why?” He fixed Sorcia with a pointed glare. “I thought we were a team, Sorcia.”
“We are,” she replied evenly, her voice calm but firm.
She turned to face the three men, momentarily taken aback by their identical stances—arms crossed, shoulders tense, their protective fury palpable.
Her gaze slid past Jace without lingering too low, resolutely avoiding the more.
..exposed aspects of his form. She heard a soft gasp from Althea behind her and suppressed a smile.
This wasn’t the time for humor. Besides, Jace’s devotion to his mate, Annika, was well-known, and their bond was unshakeable.
Sorcia was more surprised that Annika wasn’t at his side, given their usual inseparability.
“I’ll catch you up quickly,” she began, addressing all three.
“Two weeks ago, we felt a tremor in what witches call the sphaera. It’s an energy field, like an invisible atmosphere that we can sense.
It helps us detect when magic is being used nearby or when danger is close.
” She raised a hand as Jace opened his mouth, stopping him before he could interrupt.
“I don’t have time to answer questions right now, so let me finish.
The important part is that a demon named Hazelton Birchsmire has been trying to capture me. ”
Jace frowned. “Demons can’t do much more than make humans moody, can they?”
Sorcia nodded. “Ordinarily, yes. Demons feed off anger and spread it among humans, but humans recover once the demon moves on. However, they have another ability that makes them dangerous to witches. They can absorb our power. If they manage to capture a witch, they can use whatever magic that witch has learned, turning it against us—or anyone else.”
Marcus’s fists clenched at this revelation, his simmering anger at Hazelton intensifying.
“Our only defense,” Sorcia continued, “is to avoid being alone. In pairs or groups, we can overwhelm a demon. Alone, we’re vulnerable.”
“Why would Birchsmire want to steal your power?” Viktor asked, his tone sharp.
Sorcia sighed, frustration creeping into her voice.
“Maybe because I’m the most powerful witch in this region.
Demons crave power, and centuries ago, they were one of the greatest threats to witches.
They hunted us, captured us, and used our magic to wreak havoc.
So, we fought back. Covens banded together to take them down. ”
Jace tilted his head, his dark eyes narrowing. “And after that? What happened to the demons?”
“We imprisoned them,” Sorcia said grimly. “It wasn’t easy. We used some of the most powerful binding spells ever created, locking them away in a prison realm completely cut off from the sphaera. In there, they couldn’t access magic, and we thought the threat was contained.”
Jace frowned. “Then how the hell is Birchsmire out here causing trouble?”
Sorcia blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
“Apparently, at least one of them must have escaped,” she admitted, her voice heavy with unease.
“There were rumors that the hunt didn’t get every single demon but some of our leaders at the time assured everyone that all had been captured.
Over time, demons just…faded into legend.
The only reason we even remember their danger is because the older witches passed down their stories. ”
The weight of her words settled over them, the tension palpable. The morning mist was beginning to dissolve, and sunlight started to bath the street in gold, but it did nothing to lift the heavy mood.
Finally, Sorcia broke the silence, her voice steady but tinged with dread. “If Birchsmire is one of the demons that escaped imprisonment, then maybe…he’s working to release the others. But to do that, he’d need power. More power than Bethany has. He’d need someone like me.”
Jace’s brows furrowed, his jaw tightening. “You think he’s trying to break the seals on the prison realm?”
Sorcia hesitated, then shook her head slowly as understanding began to crystallize.
“No, I think Birchsmire has a more immediate plan. He’s using Bethany as bait—to capture me.
” Her green eyes locked with Marcus’s, the realization sparking an intensity in her gaze.
“If he’s trying to release the other demons, he needs someone far stronger than Bethany to shatter those bonds. That’s why I think he’s coming for me.”
Marcus’s jaw clenched, the muscles rippling as his simmering fury turned to a controlled determination. His hands curled into fists at his sides as he stepped closer to her, his blue eyes blazing with an unspoken vow. “Then we don’t give him the chance, Sorcia. He’s not getting anywhere near you.”
There was a long silence. Sorcia suddenly felt a soothing warmth along her right arm. She glanced to her side and found Althea standing next to her, glowing faintly, radiating an almost tangible warmth and light.
“I will not let that bastard take you, Priestess!” Althea hissed, her voice fierce and unwavering.
Sorcia felt her heart ache for the young witch.
Althea’s potential was immense—she would become truly powerful in the years to come.
Sorcia placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice soft but firm.
“But I’m not going to let that demon hurt Bethany either. We’ll get her back.”
“We’re going to find him,” Marcus announced, his voice steady and filled with determination.
“We’ll figure out where he’s keeping Bethany and put an end to this.
” He turned to Althea, his expression softening slightly.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. Can you walk us through what happened again?
With a bit more detail though. Why was Bethany alone? ”
Althea’s glow dimmed, but her resolve didn’t waver.
“I couldn’t fly,” she admitted, her voice laced with confusion.
“I only vaguely remember the trees, or…branches.” She paused, thinking hard.
“No, it was definitely a vine like I’d originally thought,” she paused, concentrating again.
“We were hunting through our grid area, following the tremors in the sphaera. We knew we were close. We even sent a signal to the coven.”
Sorcia frowned. “I don’t think the signal reached us. If it had, the entire coven would be here by now.”
Althea nodded. “You’re right, Priestess. Something blocked it. Bethany and I saw the signal get caught in the branches of the trees above us. It…got tangled.” Her brow furrowed, her confusion deepening. “That’s never happened before.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Marcus interjected, his tone sharp. “Trees can’t interfere with magic. They don’t have that kind of power.”
“Keep going, Althea,” Sorcia urged gently. “What happened next? Why did Bethany end up alone?”
“She didn’t mean to be alone,” Althea said, her hands clenching at her sides.
“We both took off, flying toward the source of the tremors. But the trees…they were in my way. Every time I tried to take flight, some sort of vine…or something blocked me. It was as if the trees themselves were trying to stop me.”
Her voice grew quieter as she looked back at Sorcia.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, Priestess.
The branches moved, almost intentionally, forcing me to stay on the ground.
I decided to run, thinking I could take flight once I got past them.
But by the time I came around the corner…
” Her voice broke slightly. “That’s when I found you all here. And Bethany was gone.”
Marcus’s frustration boiled over. “It still doesn’t make any sense. Trees don’t have the ability to interfere with magic!” he snapped. “How the hell could they stop you from flying?”
“It’s the elves,” Sorcia said flatly, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. She turned to look up into Marcus’s eyes, her green gaze steady and fierce. “Remember when I mentioned the glowing eyes earlier?”
The word hung in the air, weighted with ominous meaning.
“Elves,” Marcus repeated, his tone laced with realization and simmering frustration.
His jaw tightened, and his hands curled into fists at his sides.
“That explains a hell of a lot. The interference, the manipulation of the trees, the signals being blocked—it all fits. Damn it, Sorcia, how deep does this rabbit hole go?”
Sorcia pressed her lips together, her mind working through the possibilities.
“Elves are forest creatures,” she began, her voice carefully controlled.
“Their power is connected to nature, and if they’ve allied themselves with Hazelton, they’d have the ability to manipulate the environment to their advantage. ”
Jace’s growl rumbled low in his throat. “Have you ever heard of elves aligning with demons?” he asked out, his voice sharp. “They’re territorial, sure, and self-serving, but this? It doesn’t add up. What’s Hazelton offering them?”
Sorcia shook her head, her brow furrowed in thought. “I don’t know. Money? Protection? Maybe he’s promising them something they think they can’t achieve on their own. Their forests are dying, Jace. They’re desperate.”
Several more witches flew into the area, landing lightly but staying back as they tried to understand what was happening. They formed small groups, whispering, trying to understand and be patient.
Viktor, who had been silent until now, folded his arms over his chest, his dark eyes thoughtful. “Desperation makes people do dangerous things. If the elves see Hazelton as a means to save their forests, they might be willing to overlook what he’s truly capable of.”
“Or they don’t care,” Marcus interjected coldly. His blue eyes burned with restrained anger. “They could be so focused on their own survival that they’re willing to let the rest of us burn. Damn it!”
Sorcia placed a hand on his arm, her touch grounding him. “We need to stay focused,” she said softly but firmly. “If Hazelton’s using the elves, we need to figure out how deep their involvement runs. Are they just helping him hide? Or are they fully aligned with his plans to break the seals?”
Marcus exhaled sharply, some of his anger ebbing away as he met her eyes. “We can’t waste time, Sorcia. If Hazelton has Bethany and the elves are backing him, then we’re not just dealing with a demon and his tricks. We’re dealing with an organized force.”
Sorcia nodded, her determination solidifying. “Then we need to act fast. Althea, send word to the council. Have them gather every scrap of knowledge we have on elven magic and demon alliances. If the elves are manipulating the sphaera, we need to find a way to counteract it.”
Althea nodded, her earlier shame replaced with purpose. “Yes, Priestess,” she said, her voice steady.
Marcus’s gaze lingered on Sorcia as she began issuing commands, his anger now tempered by a fierce protectiveness. He knew the stakes, and he wouldn’t let Hazelton—or anyone else—take her from him. Not now. Not ever.
Jace leaned to Marcus while Sorcia continued to issue instructions via the sphaera to her other witches.
“My pack has run into elves a few times. They’re forest creatures, and we prefer our pack runs to be in the woods.
I’ll give them this much—trees do smell a hell of a lot better than humans.
” His smirk faded quickly as he added, “But they’re tricky bastards.
And if elves are involved, this just got a whole lot worse. ”
Sorcia turned back to the men and nodded, her mind racing. “If Hazelton’s recruited elves, it explains how he’s manipulating the trees to interfere with our magic. They’re aiding him.”
It was Viktor who asked, “Still, it doesn’t fully explain why the elves would align with the demons. Demons are notoriously self-absorbed.”
Sorcia sighed, rubbing her forehead. “More importantly, we’re not enemies with the elves. They’re a sweet, kind, and gentle group. Annoying, yeah. But not cruel. They live in the woods. They help the trees grow and the trees help them survive. It’s the perfect combination.”
The silence that followed Sorcia’s declaration hung heavily in the air, tension radiating from the group. Finally, Jace broke it, his deep voice steady and resolute. “I’ll get my pack to sniff out the elves. We’ll talk to them and get some information.”
“That would be great, Jace,” Sorcia replied, her gratitude evident in her tone. “Thank you.”
Jace nodded, his dark eyes fierce with determination. Without another word, he shifted into his wolf form. The enormous wolf loped away, his movements growing faster and more fluid with each stride until he disappeared into the distance.
Viktor spoke next, his voice smooth but edged with steely resolve.
“I’ll get my clan to start searching as well.
We’ll spread the word that one of your coven has been captured.
While Jace handles the elves, my vampires will locate potential hiding places.
After searching for that ass who was changing humans into vampires several months ago, we’re very well acquainted with the hiding places in the city.
If Hazelton’s smart, he’ll be well hidden—but we’re smarter. I’ll be in touch.”
Before Sorcia could respond, Viktor was gone, vanishing in the blink of an eye with his characteristic vampire speed.
For a brief moment, Sorcia allowed herself a small distraction.
In the back of her mind, she wondered who would be faster: herself flying, Viktor running, or Jace in his wolf form.
It was an intriguing thought, one she mentally filed away to discuss with her friends once Bethany was safe and Hazelton Birchsmire was captured and punished for his actions.
Her focus returned, sharp and unyielding. The stakes were too high to linger on idle curiosities. Sorcia turned to Marcus, her resolve unwavering. “We have a lot of work to do,” she said.
He nodded, his expression mirroring her determination. “Then let’s not waste another second.”