Ten
A/N: For some of you this chapter has been long awaited. Sorry it has taken me forever, but I am back in the grove now. I've also been searching for a beta reader, but haven't found one, so you all will just have to make due with my horrible editing.
Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: Wasn't me…
Tori looked at me harshly then slammed her fists against the bar in rage. Sparks flew from her hands as she said, "Derek bit her! He became enraged and he changed and didn't know who he was and what he was doing and bit her! He changed her right in front of my eyes Chloe! And all I could think about, when it happened was how bad this was going to hurt you because they bonded in such a way that you will never, ever know! She is one of them – a werewolf by demand, not made! A werewolf because your wolf boy bit her –" Tori inhaled, "– Derek forced Mara to fight with us against the Edison Group last time! Derek made her a warrior like he is trying to turn you into! And then he dumped her the instant he couldn't stand her!"
"Oh..." I uttered.
Tori threw her hands up, "Oh... she says oh..."
I heard Derek bang through the door, followed by a shouting Mara belle. Tori and I ran to the entrance of the kitchen and eavesdropped on them.
"You need to leave," Derek grunted as he whipped around to face her.
"No," she said innocently.
"Fine," I heard Derek say before I felt him shift into werewolf form.
"What do they think they are thinking?" I pushed my way off the wall I was leaning against while making my way for the living room.
Derek circled the room as well as Mara belle. His teeth were barred in a growl and I could feel him egging her on. Derek leaped forward at her and they joined, tearing at each other's fur.
To me, it looked like Mara belle had the upper hand, or Derek let her do it on purpose - not wanting to hurt her.
Mara belle pounced up, landing in front of me and she shifted to stare me in the eye. She stared at me with evil, but before she could act any longer on that hate, Derek seized her by the tail and pulled her to finish the fight.
At the same time, Tori reached out and grabbed me.
"Okay, we need to get out of here!" Tori exclaimed, pulling my sleeve to the sliding door.
"We can't just leave them here! In my house!" I said, as I tried to fight my way back inside.
"Oh yes we can!" She yelled and yanked me outside on the porch. "They need to fight this on their own without us being in there."
"Tori! I haven't even paid for the house yet and it's already being destroyed!"
"For Christ's sake Chloe, listen to you!"
I stared at her long and hard, "Fine," I said blowing it off as nothing. "I have stuff I need to do anyway."
"What stuff?" Tori asked, lifting her eyebrow.
"Nothing that concerns you." With that, I left her standing on my porch.
I decided not to go back into the house and grab my set of keys for the car. Instead, I ran out behind the house into the woods, going north heading straight for the Painted Cave.
The Night Elven was on my to do list of, 'things that will kill me.'
The leaves crunched into tiny pieces under my heavy footfalls. Sticks broke from the rugged pressure on them - and some actually flung up to hit me in the face and tried to fight back. Tree branches stuck out scraping me while I hastily tried batting them away from my face, only to find that it wasn't working.
Scratches on my face, neck and arms showed me it was no use.
Derek can fight however much he wants with Mara belle, I thought. She isn't anything to me, and he isn't either. My feelings for him ended a long time ago - about the time I left to start my own life without him. I've made it long enough to know I can make it with nothing more but a lift of a finger from him.
From the house to the painted cave, sixteen miles stretched out in front of me. Cramps in my sides started to pain me from the run I've done already. But I kept my legs going - pushing the pressure into my chest, pumping my arms as hard as I could manage. Birds flew into the sky fluttering as if nothing in world was wrong - besides a woman racing through their home.
Okay. I'm lying to myself. Of course, he is everything to me! I love Derek and I thought he loved me the same. But Mara belle showing up goes to prove both of us had a life before, and him coming back wont fuse us back together as we think.
And what about this thing about hearing him in my head? He must have that same connection with Mara belle as me. Tori said he bit her and he changed her into one of him - made not born. But if he bit me as well, doesn't that make me a werewolf too? No, it couldn't only for the fact Derek said it couldn't.
Crap, maybe he's already been listening to my thoughts.
I must save Ethan. He is my main goal. I hoped this Night Elven will perhaps help me in finding my son, but if not - I sure better get my butt on the right track. I don't think I could trust Derek and his hot head with a pack of mere children to find him. Killing the Edison group will take more than werewolves will. Especially children who haven't ever gone up against something as bad as the Edison Group. Wouldn't know what their weapons or what they use to torture - if they even do that anymore. They might have devices now that they would only have to press a button and turn your brains into mush.
My nose turned up into the air and took a deep whiff. Salt water. The ocean was up ahead. Once I broke the dense forest and came to an abrupt halt on the cliffs edge on-looking the ocean, my heart raced at the thought of actually going down in that cave. I took a step closer looking down the jagged rocks and decided that maybe this wasn't the best decision I've made. But if I was correct, there's a small boat dock down in a tiny RV site off a little harbor that I could use to get into the cave.
Walking to that would be to tiring. I would have to make my way deeper into the forest and around the dips and hidden holes.
Off to my right though, as if someone knew I was coming to the exact spot, there was a thick bamboo rope tide on a branch of an older red wood tree. Stepping up to it, I grabbed and yanked as hard as possible.
I think it will hold me.
Too afraid to run into the water from such a high cliff I decided to take my chance and walk down the side of the mountain. I forced the rope tightly behind my back after I tore pieces of my shirt to cover my hands and leaned over the edge. I closed my eyes at the height. It was a long fall if I didn't make it down right. After I had already started over the edge, the thought of how long this rope went down popped up. Opening my eyes, I looked out to the cave.
"I have to do this." I said firmly.
I released the line inch by inch, looking down to look for good places to place my feet. The wind whipped my hair into my eyes and they started to water.
About a quarter ways down, I spotted a rowboat hooked up to a metal pole in a boat deck. I glanced a little farther out, pushing my legs out straight; I tired to see if maybe there could be people out there that could maybe bring the boat to where I needed it.
But it was deserted.
The rubber from the bottom of my shoes became difficult to place onto the rocks jutting out of the mountain cliff. They kept slipping off the grunge from the salt water in the air.
Hesitantly, I kicked each shoe off.
I watched them fall silently down to the water and it scared me.
That's what I would be like for me if I fell. Completely quiet - unless I screamed.
Half way down, I reached a small platform I could rest on. The water wasn't that far, I could probably make it if I jumped from here. My chances of hitting rocks under the surface were fifty-fifty.
Hitting the cold water, my chest heaved in air and water filled my mouth. I shook my head, spitting the water out and I clamped my mouth shut, while swimming to the top. Because the water was so cold, I was in panic and my body was in shock. I tried to keep from hyperventilating but the coldness wouldn't let me.
Panting after breaking the surface, I turned to take direction off toward the rowboat.
Leaving Tori back there with Derek might not have been a good idea either. Even though Tori can take care of herself with the power she has, that doesn't mean she can take down so many werewolves. I can't believe I brought her into this.
Hoisting myself up onto the deck, I looked into the sky lying on my back, getting the air back into me. I thought about Ethan. Where he was. Who had him locked up. If he was hungry, or thirsty. If they were hurting him…
When I caught my breath, jumped into the boat and untied it I searched it for anything useful besides the paddles. In the front was an old flour bag filled with scuba diving gear. I searched through the bag and discovered an under water flashlight, a mask and a breathing tube hooked to an oxygen tank. Basic needs. If I needed them, they will come in handy.
I seated myself on the bench in the back and took the paddles. I inhaled one final breath and took off, pumping my arms as fast as they would go.
If I would have only told Derek about his dad coming to see me, maybe I wouldn't be doing this. Well, maybe I would cause that was what Derek wanted me to do. That was what our plan was based on. Other than Tori using her magic and Derek controlling his pack.
Things between Derek and I were so jumbled. I couldn't stay mad at him for very long when he showed me that sweet part of him, but then when he showed that other side, I wanted to hit him. If I can't decide what do to about him, we will always be in a heap of anger.
Reaching the entrance of the cave, the hairs on my body rose. I could feel the spirits down inside it. I could see faint markings along the bottom of the cave walls from the Indians who painted here many years ago. The death here was beckoning me.
When the water stopped at a dead end, I figured I had to dive under.
Leaning over the side, the water was black and I knew I would need the flashlight.
Sunlight just barley entered the cave but just enough to allow me to see what I was doing.
After I jumped into the water, I braced myself for the cold. But to my relief it was mild compared to the fresh water I landed into earlier. Or maybe it was because my body temperature dropped from the fresh water I entered earlier.
Limestone stalactites pierced down deep into the cave, some hitting the stalagmites forming columns, making me swim farther and a little harder. The underwater passage I was led into became smaller and smaller as I swam on. Memories of the Lyle House entered my brain. The time when Derek saved me after Tori tied me up and left me. Kind of like what I just did to her, but without tying her up.
I closed my eyes, pushing those memories out of my head. This was not the time to be thinking about Derek.
Farther down into my dive I noticed light shining down onto what looked like a small set of stairs, rising onto a raised area that I assumed was the surface of the water, but I could be wrong from the depth of what I saw. Seeing the end of the water made me pick up my pace though.
I arrived into a small circular room lit by a stream of sunshine from about twenty feet above me. The air smelt stagnant and made me rub my nose from the harsh burning sensation.
I left my gear in a small hole off to the left - except my flashlight. I think I might need that.
I carefully inched my way down the small rock passage and I noticed the silence of everything.
The silence of the spirits.
Should I be doing this?
I came a long way to just turn around now.
But what if nothing is there?
I stopped moving and argued with myself.
Seeing as I'd already came this far, I had to continue.
Once I walked what felt like a mile, I veered sharply to the right. I tried to stop but my body told me - no something else told me - to take the path I would have missed if it weren't for that pull.
"Come to thy child…"
I gasped and flung myself to the wall.
I closed my eyes and turned to my hearing. The flashlight only showed a little part of the path in both directions but nothing was there.
"Child, I will not hurt thee…come."
Yup. Freaking out didn't nearly cover it.
"A-are you t-the Night Elven?" I said faintly.
"Yes, thy child."
"And, you're a spirit?"
"Yes and no, but please child, do not fear," she said. "Thou has come to thy seeking help, have thee not?"
"Y-yes," came out with a chatter of my teeth.
"Follow the light and thee will find thy."
Her voice didn't make a sound again and I took deep breaths to calm my fears. I turned off the flashlight, and a tiny glow off to my left beckoned me to follow.
I looked behind me to confirm that this was what I wanted to do; I swiveled back around and made my way forward to what possibly could be my death.
Great.
Just Great.
The faint glow I saw grew into a full size round room with stone tables aligning the walls. In the center of the room was a faint purple glow. I started to reach out to it, but the form shifted into a spirit.
The Night Elven.
"What does thou call thyself?"
"C-Chloe," I stuttered, bringing my fists to my heart and backing up.
"Chloe, daughter of Eve. Why have thou come seeking thy help?"
She was beautiful. She had dark purple robes that swept the floor she was hovering on top of. She was in battle gear. Purple breastplates that wound around to her back, cutting shy of her belly button with a matching skirt that had slits up the sides for easy movement, made her look ancient. Gold metal trim outlined the suit from the pointed shoulder armor down to the delicate flat shoes that tied up behind her knee.
Black hair roamed down to her knees in two messy braids, showing her elongated spiked ears. Her eyes were white orbs glowing from her spirit form. Her voice reverberated on the walls, echoing her power. She held a rod of the purest glowing silver and she held it in front of her.
"My son was taken, kidnapped." I said, my voice becoming a little stronger.
"And what does thou think I can do?"
"It isn't what you can do more than I can, but if you can teach me." I told her.
"Teach thee what. I do not give my knowledge out without a cause."
"I need to raise your army to help get my son back. I am in a war and need all the help I can get."
"Thy child, doest thou know what thee asks for?"
"Yes, I do." I nodded - at least I thought I did.
"Thou thyself art a fool."
"Fool I may be ma'am, but he is my son and I love him dearly." I whispered.
"Mainim, thou shall call thy."
"Mainim…" I breathed. When I said it, a great gust of wind soared around the room. "I come asking if you will grant me your army of warriors."
"But thy child," she spoke indifferently, "thy warriors have long been dead."
"Yes, I do understand that they are dead," I said. "But I am a Necromancer and I can bring them back."
A/N: Well?
Preview for next chapter:
"Lead us, child." Mainim spoke.