Brooklyn's eyes lit up white in rage. He didn't think it was one of his brothers or Cordeila's cousins from the way she was acting. With the softest snap of her fingers Cordeila used some sort of magic spell to get them dressed and cleaned up. Not so much as a pine needle stuck to them or Cordeila's clothing. Thank god for small things. Getting caught with their pants down would have been humiliating and terrifying depending on who walked up on them.
Cordeila quietly rolled up onto her knees and Brooklyn crouched beside her. He wasn't sure where the sound was coming from now either. Looking to Cordeila she shook her head slowly. She must still be able to sense something magically because it looked like she couldn't hear it or them either.
"Did whomever move on or are they hunting us" Brooklyn whispered as softly as he could to get.
In response Cordeila made a number two gesture with her hand, then shrugged her shoulders. Brooklyn figured that. He wanted to pick her up and fly off. But given that she was still on her knees and not standing up and running made him wonder if it was human hunters or something else in the woods. Cordeila was quickly and quietly texting away on her phone before handing it off to him. It was to Patrick.
Still waiting for Goliath and Elisa. Text them and tell them to wait. Either hunters or Orfeo in woods. Likely Orfeo. Will lure south east to where cliffs/rocks start and dead end. Brooklyn will meet up with you in air on way. Don't let him or Johnathan rush right in, just in case Goliath and Elisa are already here and being hunted. I sense someone else as well and can't tell who.
She waited till Brooklyn read through before slowly standing.
"No fucking way am I letting you do that" Brooklyn hissed at her.
"This is what we do, and furthermore we need to find out why they are here... I can't have them hanging around the woods where my family has a home. And your family is there too. With a bunch of bambinos around. You up" Cordeila gestured.
Brooklyn grabbed her by the waist and held her still for a second. He did not like this at fucking all. The idea of his... whatever they are... getting separated from him with who the hell knows what in the woods. Further away they could hear the sounds of a gargoyole screech and roars and growls.
"That's not Goliath" Brooklen said still holding onto Cordeila.
"And what if Angela or Katsumi came looking for us with one of my younglings, worrying that we are out here so long. You up there NOW!" She hissed at him. "Damit, you'll be able to see me now go!"
With that she shoved Brooklyn off and started running. Deliberately knocking over some branches and crunching into things. With a snarl he climbed the tree and flew off after her. With the racket she was making it wouldn't be hard to follow her. She was heading in the direction of the fighting they had heard. And he suspected it was not Angela or Katsumi that was in the woods with them.
Cordeila was pretty dam sure it wasn't human hunters in the woods. And she was pissed. She had no idea how they had followed her clan here, or if it was a random coincidence. But she speculated that was not a coincidence. Up ahead she could hear more growling and roaring. Someone bit off a wee bit more than they could chew. There was not much of a clearing but save an emptier spot in the trees. She could see three large males, defiantly not human hunters and they were baiting and fighting with a female gargoyle. Her eyes glowing red in anger and hate. And the female was not winning at the moment. With a growl Cordeila was going to draw up a fire ball, but thinking better on that snapped her fingers and made a large rock fly forward and bash the wolf like male in the back of the head. It hit with a sickening slurping sound and she knew while it might have cracked his skull that it would be unlikely to kill him. With an inhuman jump she knocked the second one away from the gargoyle as she shoved the first one away from her self.
"Time to go" Cordeila told her quickly. Getting a better look at the female up close told her exactly who this was. As if she couldn't tell just based on scent alone.
"I am not going anywhere with you human!" Demona snarled at her.
Cordeila knew everything about the Manhatten clan from talking to Puck. Demona and her hatred of humans was no exception. Dropping her human guise Cora rolled her shoulders and let her eyes go black and her appearance shift. It was enough to make even Demona recoil in horror. And Cordeila smiled at that.
"Good thing I'm not human then" She snapped before grabbing a wounded Demona and dragging her behind her. Demona scrambling and growling the whole time.
It wasn't a far run to the dead end that Cordeila had instructed the others to meet her at. She even slowed down a little to make sure the Orfeo didn't loose them.
"What are you doing go faster!" Demona snarled now on her feet just behind Cordeila.
"Limp. Or squeal in pain. They need to think that they have us cornered. They get real stupid if they think their prey is vulnerable" Cordeila instructed. Looking over her shoulder and then up at the sky ahead of them.
They scrambled into the rocky outcropping. They could hear the ocean not that far away and the waves crashing. But the rocks formed a high U shaped wall between them and the water. For all appearances Cordeila and Demona were trapped. Cordeila pushed Demona behind her. Rolling her eyes at Demonas snarl. The three Orfeo had caught up to them. And slowed down and fanned out in the end of the dead end. Blocking the most obvious way out. Cordeila could pick out two vampiric looking males but the third looked very wolfpine in appearance. A less common type of witch, especially for an Orfeo. But very likely the most dangerous of the group as it took a lot of damage to even slow one down, much less kill one. Cordeila broke into a wide grin. These three had done exactly as she had wanted. And she sensed not just Brooklyn flying above them. But likely Patrick and at least one of the boys as well. The subtle shimmer against some trees told her Johnathan had come too. Like a Harker would ever miss a chance to go hunting.
"So. You three dumbasses are here for a nice walk? Just a little bored and thought you'd go for a run?" Cora taunted.
This made them stop dead in their tracks. They were use to fighting back, running, screaming from prey. Not a witch taunting them giddily. They looked back and forth at each other.
"Oh right, yes. We are suppose to be running and scared?" Cora said brightly looking over her shoulder at Demona. "We are so scared and injured right? Well then... I think we might just need to do something scary... boo!" Cora said slyly. Demona looked disgusted with her.
"Is this one crazy?" One of the vampiric males asked. They looked older than Cora and Patrick. Old enough to know better. Turning to look at one of the others and half backing away. They were starting to sense something wasn't right here.
"No no no. You guys gotta stay, its gonna be great" Cora said smiling.
Pushing up the sleeves of her sweater and drawing up flames that dripped down off her hands like liquid fire. At the same time Cora could see several gargoyle like shapes land in the trees behind the Orfeo. Smirking Cora rolled her head and shoulders. Using her powers to make the three stand transfixed in front of her. The inky black eyes were creepy. But under her human disguise she was beyond alluring and beautiful. Her skin was luminescent and her hair shined in reflection of the firelight she held.
The three stood dumbfounded. Not moving a inch. Not even when the near invisible Harker walked up beside one, pulling a sword and gutted him. Colin and Gio took the other two wrenching and tearing at them. Cora dropping the fire to jump up and grab the wolfpine's head and twisting it off its shoulders. Blood and gore splattering everyone of them. Cora cringed when she heard gasps from both behind her and in front. Not just Brooklyn had caught up with her clan apparently.
"What the hell are you?" Demona snarled at them. Causing the Macnamara's to look up at her.
"The ones that just saved your ass, again" Cora replied with another roll of her eyes.
With a crunch beside her Patrick dropped down out of the trees, Goliath holding Elisa just after. Brooklyn landed beside Cora and between her and Demona.
"Can you ever be polite Cora?" Patrick asked not amused.
Standing up straight till he towered over the smaller females. His ginger hair and wings stood out even in the darkness. Not as blood red as Demonas. But more burnt orange.
"Am I ever?" Cora replied snidely before adding "Got a wallet and a phone on this one. The wolf is.. eww is he naked?"
Colin eyed Demona before him and Gio started piling the body parts in the center of the dead end space.
"You just killed all three of them like it was nothing!" Elisa snapped at them. Getting the group to turn and look at her.
"Will you shut your miserable human up and tell me where our daughter is and if she is safe?" Demona growled.
The Macnamara clan looked back and forth at each other. Apparently they could pick up on things magically that even gargoyles could not.
"That is Goliath's mate, and yes she is partly human. How does that give you any right to speak to her like that?" Patrick snapped.
"I am human" Elisa stated indignantly. The Macnamaras again looking at each other and Cora shaking her head no to Patrick vicariously.
"Don't you dare Patrick" Cora snarled.
"It's kinda a mute point now Cora" Patrick snapped back at her.
"Elisa, you are part Fae, just like Cora is a witch and part fae and part gargoyle. Each one of us can pick up on that instantly. We just assumed that you weren't out of the closet so to speak. And you" Patrick said turning to Demona. "You are Demona correct?"
Elisa and Goliath looked at each other. Not believing what they were told.
"I am only here to make sure my daughter is safe. There have been hunters all over new york and then the whole clan disappeared." Demona hissed. Not answering his question.
"Angela is fine Demona. This is another Clan of... loosely called witches. A hereditary mix of Gargoyle, fae and human bloodlines. They offered for the clan to stay with them until Puck can safely ward the castle for us all. They have been dealing with the hunters and these things that were chasing you" Goliath said looking down at the pile of parts in disgust.
"That's impossible. The three races can't intermix like that!" Demona shouted. Looking as equally disgusted as Goliath. But at apparently the thought of the three races mixing. Not the pile of gore and limbs. That was cool with her apparently.
"I assure you, my cousins and I are proof its possible" Patrick answered dryly.
Every Macnamara but Cora shifting to their human form and back. The family resemblance was visible then without all the fangs, claws and wings.
"Was it necessarily to gut and dismember all of them?" Goliath asked. Clearly put off.
"They would have gladly, raped, murdered, fed on us and tried to raise younglings off any females they could get a hold of. Not in that exact order. They weren't out for a quick run for shits and giggles" Cora answered.
Her face darkening and the inky black of her eyes seeping back in as she looked at the pile. Handing the phone and wallet to Patrick before lighting up her arms again and incinerating the gore. Everyone jumping back as it burned hot and threw off ugly sparks.
"I am more worried about how they go to this part of the woods. None of us has ever lead a hunter home. I suspect that they were following you Demona" Cora said snarlingly.
Patrick had typed something into the phone before tossing it into the fire as well.
"I am not so stupid as to lead a hunter to my daughter witch" Demona growled at her.
"Apparently not" Brooklyn snapped gruffly.
Cora taking note that Demona and Brooklyn looked like they disliked each other even more than Demona disliked the rest of them.
"You didn't happen to get shot the other night when I saved your hide the first time did you?" Cora demanded.
"What would that matter?" Demona snarled.
"They sometimes use trackers, its very likely that's what happened and why they are just merrily following you along." Cora answered shrugging.
It dawned on Brooklyn that's what Cora must have been doing in the bathroom the other night and why she was so shaky. She dug a tracker out on her own and must have crushed it so it couldn't be used. Her tolerance of pain was much higher than her tolerance of others stupidity and bullshit apparently.
"I can remove it, but from what Puck says about her I don't think we should bring her home to the rest of our clans" Cora told Patrick.
"Is she a danger?" Patrick asked Goliath.
"Yes, and I suggest we just leave the tracker in and let the hunters take her" Brooklyn interjected.
His comment drawing anger from Goliath and Demona. Agreement from Elisa. While the Macnamara and Harker younglings snorted in amusement.
"Cora..." Patrick said rubbing his eyes with his claws. "Offer to see if there is a tracker and take it out. Colin, take your cousins and the Manhatten clan back home inside the ward."
"I want to see my daughter!" Demona snarled viciously at him.
"That is not up to you, it is up to Goliath and Angela herself is it not?" Patrick growled back. Looking to Goliath for his approval.
"Angela knows how to get a hold of her mother if she desires. I will let her know you are concerned when we get back" Goliath stated coolly.
The younglings turned and went to leave, Johnathan whispering something that made the three break out in laughter. Brooklyn stood still yet.
"And how is Cora going to get back on her own?" He questioned Goliath. Who gave him an odd questioning look.
"I have legs, they aren't broken" Cora laughed.
"Cora and I will be along after we ascertain that... Demona does not have a tracker on her" Patrick answered,
"Demona will just as likely try and kill you as let you help her" Brooklyn grunted.
After this evening with Cora... they hadn't had so much as a chance to talk to each other yet. But his instincts were now screaming at him not to let Cora alone and in danger. Shaking his head as he now noticed he was calling her by her family name instead of her whole name in his own head too.
"We are leaving, that's an order" Goliath growled at him. Taking off with Elisa in his arms after the younglings. Brooklyn followed but not before giving Demona a deathly look.
The three still in the dead end watched the others fly off by the dieing glow of the burnt up pile.
"I can check or you can get chased around by hunters till your dead. Totally up to you" Cora said turning to Demona.
"Just hurry up and be done with it" She snapped.
Cora brought up a different looking glow of firey magic. And hovering it over Demona it flared out brighter. Frowning she changed the shape of her hand and twisting it. With a snap of her fingers Cora tore the tracker out of Demona's skin. Burning it to nothing. Without so much as a thank you Demona growled at them, spread her wings and flew off. Leaving Cora and Patrick just standing there watching.
"I will be so happy when we get the entire Manhatten clan back to their own castle and we can have some peace and fucking quiet again." Cora said. Her tone annoyed and tired sounding.
"I don't think all of them are quite so bad as that one" Patrick told her. Running a claw through his short hair.
"Hey your the one that's holding out for a female gargoyle. Do you seriously want a mate like that, to..." Cora snarled before getting cut off off by Patrick.
"Shut up Cora" Patrick snapped at her.
"Why? You have been on my case for years. You have pushed every sort of male at me. No matter how much you know dam well its not our custom to interfere in our younglings romantic lives. But the instant I say something to you then its taboo. That's ridiculous Patrick" Cora replied. Her voice however calmer and quieter than his.
"I just haven't found anyone I like. You however keep avoiding males on principal. We both have a duty and responsibility to our clan." Patrick gritted out.
"Clans Patrick. Remember that. You technically can't order or force me to do anything. And I am getting really sick of you not listening to anything I have to say. Either I am your second and we work together to raise whats left of our clans or I'm not. And you can pick Colin or Gio. Not Antoini. He doesn't want it." Cora told him coolly.
"Are you fucking kidding me Cora? In all seriousness what is your problem. You loved the younglings when they were little. But you have turned more males down that I can remember. Why can't you just pick one?" Patrick asked aghast.
"Because I don't want to go through the terror of raising more to adulthood. And waiting every day till my mate or children are stolen or killed. And beyond that I am more than just a fucking broodmare you dick" Cora growled at him.
Turning Cora started walking in the direction of the ward and home.
"I never said you were a broodmare Cora" Patrick called before turning to walk and catch up with her.
She snorted at his opinion of how he was acting.
"You don't think there is any part of me that just want to see you and the boys all happy? You don't think I want to find my own someone?" He asked.
"The boys will do just fine on their own. You however need to widen your search criteria. Perfect in every way gargoyle is not going to be easy to find" Cora said with a huff.
"I know. I had even thought of after the clan gathering taking you and the boys to meet some other clans. Witch and Gargoyle alike." Patrick stated as he caught up to Cora. His eyes gazing off into the distance.
Cora said nothing about how the boys were going to be busy with their own new mates after the clan gathering. If they even chose to stay here with them and not join their mates clan. Usually females never leave their home clan. And males marry into the females clans. Unless the females clan of witches is very large and the males smaller. Then they might pick the smaller clan and grow their family there. They walked instead of flew back to the ward and home. As they passed the ward it shimmered and both Cora and Patrick waved a hand over it. Strengthening and changing the spell so that nothing could pass through. Years of co parenting their younglings and working together had some use and familiarity.
Walking closer to the house they could see Brooklyn waiting outside for them in the distance.
"So how was your evening with the red one" Patrick asked. Trying to keep his tone even and light.
"Absolutely nothing Patrick" Cora answered rolling her eyes at him.
Technically plenty had happened. But Cora had not specified a whole lot of what nothing. Owen came out of the house then and Cora walked straight to him.
"Are you ready to go?" She asked.
"Ready to go where?" Brooklyn interrupted them.
"Cora and I are going to go put a rather... extensive and strong ward on the castle. Better that the rest of the clan and the Xanatoses stay here until we are done and have everything set up. Cora had some more ideas that she wanted to work out. And frankly something of her magic comes across explosively" Owen answered in his stoney voice.
"Oh come on, Puck thinks my magic is hilarious" Cora laughed and took hold of his arm.
Owen smirked and spinning in place with Cora vanished with a very Puck like pop. Leaving Patrick and Brooklyn outside. Goliath watching from the porch with Xanatos. Patrick once again rubbing his eyes.
"I hope those two don't blow up to much" Patrick said.
"Is that possibility?" Xanatos asked dryly.
"The Fae trickster and the succubus witch with a major attitude problem? That sounds like a night on the town for them" Patrick replied.