A/N: I'm sorry I haven't posted any chapters recently, but I've been working on my other fanfics. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be up by Christmas, but obviously that didn't work out. But hopefully the length of this chapter will make it right. Anyway, please read and enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Six

Morgan

Time had escaped me. I had no idea whether it was day, night, or how many days had passed since I've been here. Ciaran hasn't come in again, for that I was glad. But I also hadn't gotten any witch messages from Hunter. I was worried, what if my message had been blocked somehow or someone was preventing Hunter from coming.

There was on unwelcome distraction from those thoughts. The darkness. It was always there, binding my wrists and ankles together. I couldn't ignore it, the chill seeped into my skin, leaving me cold and afraid. Despite the chill, I could feel the darkness burning away my flesh. I was scared to know what I would find if I ever got out of here.

That was when I realized that if I was going to get out of here, I was going to have to act now. I couldn't wait for someone to come and rescue me, if anybody was going to come at all. I had to find a way to break the darkness' hold on me. But it was unlike anything I had encountered before and I didn't know what to do. I just had to trust that my magick could get me out of here.

I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing. I could feel my magick, it was there, but there was something in my way. I couldn't access my magick without encountering it. It was like hitting a solid wall every time I tried. I let out a cry of frustration, causing the darkness to swell and pulse around my arms and legs. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes, but I refused to cry.

Then, my hands started to heat up. Slowly first, and it felt like they were on fire, no it felt like I was holding fire within my hands. I was scared, I didn't know what was happening. I thought maybe it was the darkness increasing its' power over me. The heat continued to intensify until it was gone. It just disappeared, the fire, the darkness, all of it was just gone.

Slowly, I brought my hands in front of me and was surprised to see they were relatively unmarked. There were just two red welts on my wrists where the darkness had been, nothing too serious. What was the most unnerving was that my hands were glowing a faint orange. Taking a deep breath, I lowered my hands down to my ankles. I hesitated at first and then placed my hands on the billowing mass of darkness.

First, nothing happened and then there was sizzling noise. A bright, fire-like light engulfed my hands. The darkness dissolved away until it was gone for good. I was free. I sat there, wondering what had just happened. Had I done that? But my power had been blocked, how could I have used it unless... No, I couldn't think of that possibility right now. In that moment, I realized I could feel my power again, it wasn't blocked anymore.

I bolted for the door and jiggled the door handle. It was locked and I didn't have an athame to draw an unlocking rune. That quickly, my moment of triumph had been extinguished. There was only one thing left I could think of and if it didn't work there would be no other way out. I put my hand on the door knob, closing my eyes and focusing my energy on the lock. I began murmuring a simple spell.

"Door unlock

Release me from this prison block."

The door popped open in my hands and I opened my eyes. I pulled open the door all the way. The hallway was long and dark, lit by torches on the wall spaced at even intervals. It was empty as far as I could see, so I took a step out of the room, then another one, keeping them quiet just in case. I was only a few feet away from the door when I started to hear footsteps coming down the hall towards me. There was a low croaking sound that made my heart start beating fast. I've never heard that sound before and that scared me the most, not knowing what was coming for me.

The footsteps were getting loud and closer and I still had no way to defend myself besides my magick. I started to see the outline of a figure, it was about the size of tall man. It was moving at a steady pace, so it hadn't seen me yet. Out of habit, I started murmuring my family's power chant. I wasn't sure if it was going to work against this enemy, but I could feel my power growing in strength. Finally, the figure stepped under one of the torch lights and I let out a gasp in surprise, losing my concentration, at the sight before me.

The creature was, to put it simply, half-man and half bird. He had red, human-like eyes that were suddenly locked on me. There was a tense moment of silence, neither one of us moving. Then he expanded his giant, black wings, opened his beak and let out another loud croaking screech, this one more terrifying than the first. I reacted almost immediately, throwing my arm out, blue witch fire shooting from my fingertips. The power chant falling easily off my lips again.

The blue witch fire hit the creature in the midsection, but he merely brushed it off. He started walking towards me, his wings fluttering behind him. I kept hitting him with witch fire, but it had little effect on him. He was still advancing. I paused for only a second and then continued chanting, only faster and stronger this time. A giant ball of white energy began to form between my hands. I had never felt any powerful than I did in that moment holding the pulsing energy in my hands. I held it a moment longer and then hurled it as hard as I could at the creature.

It hit the creature square in the chest, pitching him backward until he hit the ground. I didn't stick around to see what happened next, I leaped over the creature and bolted down the hallway. I didn't stop until I reached a fork in the hallway. The hall straight ahead was identical to the one I just came from, but the one to my right was significantly brighter. It opened up into a wide space of a room.

I was about to round the corner, when I heard voices coming from inside the room. One sounded like a girl around my age, I didn't recognize it though, but the other one, I did recognize. It was the woman who had showed up at my house and overpowered me. My blood went cold with fear. It didn't know what to do or where to go.

"Oh, please, join us, little witch." came Neferet's voice from inside the room. I froze, she knew I was here. "Your father is out preparing the ritual, but he'll be back soon."

I hesitated and then turned the corner into the room. It was bigger than I had originally assumed with a a long, mahogany table in the center. Neferet was standing facing a girl with long black hair and blue tattoos on her face and hands. She was the same girl I had seen in the vision.

"What am I going to do with you two now?" Neferet said, tapping her chin with her finger and pacing back and forth between them.

"What ritual? What are you going to do?" I asked Neferet, stepping farther into the room. "And how do we-" I gestured to myself and the other girl. "-fit into it?"

"Haha, all in good time, Morgan dear, all in good time," Neferet replied, stopping between us. "Now," she snapped her finger at her obedient companion, darkness. The darkness slithered up in the air next to her. "Do this for me and you shall receive your payment later. Bind these two up harder and take them back to their cells."

Determined not to go back to that cell, I thought, Fire, and immediately began to feel Fire's radiating heat surrounding me. I also felt the presence of another element, one I didn't know. I looked to the other girl, Zoey I remembered Neferet calling her, wondering if she was responsible. Zoey turned to look at me as well with the same determined expression.

The darkness slinked closer. Fire, stop it in it's tracks, I told the element and Fire exploded into being , blocking the darkness' descent on us. Can you send your element out too? The more, the better. I sent the message to Zoey, hoping she received it. Zoey looked at me confirming that she did and I nodded at her encouragingly. A moment later, another element, my instinct told me it was spirit though I heard little about it, joined fire.

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway on the other side of the room. Then Ciaran stepped through the doorway. "I leave for only a few hours and you let them both escape," he said to Neferet, taking in the scene inside the room.

"I have things well in hand, you can go back to your cauldron now," Neferet told him. She was staring Zoey and I down, and I saw the darkness starting to creep over the flames.

"We can't keep this up forever," Zoey whispered to me, keeping her eyes on Neferet.

"I know," I whispered back, agreeing.

"Apparently our definitions of handling it differ," Ciaran was saying. He started murmuring something, something I couldn't hear. Then my body went numb as I lost control and I dropped to my knees. It was a binding spell. I glanced at Zoey, she had fallen as well.

The flames died out and I didn't sense the other element, spirit, either. As Zoey and I mentally struggled on our hands and knees, Neferet and Ciaran moved closer to us. "And you prove yourself useful once again." Neferet replied. "Darkness, take them away."

We couldn't even scream as the darkness wrapped around us once again.

The Warehouse

Rephaim grunted as the raven mocker dumped him onto the floor in front of where Kalona was sitting. His body still ached from the change, but he didn't let it show. Kalona barely even glanced at his son as he stroked Mary K's hair. The younger girl had her eyes squeezed shut and Rephaim's heart went out to her. Out of the corner of his eye, Rephaim saw Stevie Rae start to move to him, but Bree stopped her with a hand on her arm, for that Rephaim was glad. He didn't want Stevie Rae getting in trouble with Kalona or Selene.

Kalona watched as Selene eyed him as she paced the length and width of the room. He knew Selene mistrusted him, the feeling was mutual. "It's so nice when everyone is on their best behavior," Kalona said aloud. His words were met with a few discreet glares. He moved his hand down to the back of Mary K's neck. "What do you think everybody should get as a reward?" He turned his charming smile on her.

Mary K. shrank into herself, hugging her legs tighter to her chest. She knew not answering him was out of the question. Alisa was stabbed just standing there; she didn't do anything. "You could let us go," Mary K. managed to muster, her voice shaking. She turned her face into her shoulder.

"Well, that's just not possible," Selene spoke before Kalona could respond. She sighed, "I'm going to check in with the others. I trust you can handle things in here?" Kalona gave her a flirty smile and a tilt of his head. With a disgusted look, Selene walked out of the room, sliding her gun into the waistband of her jeans. Kalona nodded his head once more at two raven mockers and the two creatures moved to stand in the entrance to the room.

"It's okay, try not to be scared," Jack whispered to Mary K. He tried to put his arm around her shoulders, but she jerked at his touch. He dropped his arm, not a bit offended; he was virtually a stranger to her. "They won't pick on you if you're not that scared."

"I know, it's just that..." she whispered back. She looked around the room at her friends and fellow hostages. Mary K. stared longer at the raven mockers and bloodthirsty red fledgelings. "We're all going to die, aren't we?" she whimpered.

"Shhh, no," Jack told her. He caught Damien's eye across the room, then nodded at Mary K. Help her, he mouthed. Damien nodded, seeing the upset girl. Jack saw Damien concentrate, and then, Mary K. visibly relaxed slightly as air enveloped her in its' soft caresses. "Everything's going to be okay," Jack said, smiling a bit.

X

"I know you want to go to him right now," Bree was whispering to Stevie Rae, trying to reassure her. "I just think that's not a good idea right now." She glanced briefly at Kalona and then returned her gaze back to Stevie Rae.

"I know," Stevie Rae sighed, tracing her finger around the sole of her worn cowboy boot. "It's just that—I know what he through alone and what it does to him. I can tell he's hurting, but he doesn't want me to know. Except I do. I..." She drifted off, unable to finish. Stevie Rae looked up at Rephaim, who was watching her. Their eyes met and Stevie Rae's heart ached to be near him, for him to hold her close and tell her everything's going to be okay.

Bree found Robbie sitting across the room from her. She tried to catch his eye, but he was whispering something to the blonde girl sitting next to him. Bree couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Robbie was her boyfriend and he was forced to sit with some strange girl and comfort her.

Stevie Rae caught Bree's gaze at Erin and Robbie. She was throwing herself all over him. "Hey, Erin is a big flirt," Stevie Rae said to Bree. "She'll flirt with the next hot guy that walks by. And he looks really uncomfortable." She tried to reassure her.

Bree turned to look at Stevie Rae, with a half-smile, "Thanks."

X

"How is she doing?" Shaunee asked Darius, in a whisper. She was leaning with her back against the wall and Alisa's head in her lap. She stroked the younger girl's dark hair, trying to keep her calm. Alisa was just barely conscious, drifting in and out.

Darius sat next to Alisa, keeping an eye on her wound and pulse. "She's doing as well as can be expected under these conditions," Darius explained. He rested his forearms on his knees.

"So, do we just wait and see if they let us go?" Shaunee said bitterly, with a toss of her head toward Kalona.

Darius nodded once. "Just wait and hope infection doesn't set in," he added.

"That would be bad," Shaunee murmured. And then, before she could talk herself out of it or Selene comes back, she called on her element, the powerful fire. Fire, go to Alisa and burn away any chances of infection. Help keep her strong, like you do to me. Fire went willingly to the young injured witch, keeping her strong until help could come.

X

Aphrodite blew out a long breath and slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor next to Sky. Sky watched her and discreetly pulled out her athame from her leather jacket. She snuck a glance at Hunter, who was sitting in the opposite corner diagonal to her. He was watching, but she couldn't tell if the look he was giving her was one of approval or disapproval, maybe it was a little of both. Either way, she was doing this.

Whispering a silence spell, Sky started to draw a circle around her and Aphrodite, when Kalona wasn't looking. When she finished half the circle, Sky handed the dagger to Aphrodite, who had been looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Can you finish the circle on your side?" Sky asked her. She slid the athame behind herself when Kalona glanced their way.

"And what is drawing a damn circle on the floor going to do to help us?" Aphrodite asked back, when Kalona had turned away.

"Just do it, and I'll explain after," Sky whispered hastily. Aphrodite rolled her eyes, but took the athame anyway. She finished the circle and handed it back to Sky, raising her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"It's a protection circle," Sky explained in a whisper. She drew protection sigils around the front edge of the circle. She also kept glancing up to make sure no raven mockers or red fledgelings were watching, she didn't trust Aphrodite would tell her when someone was coming. "It's not much, but it's all I can do right now." Sky sat back when she was finished, sliding her athame back into her jacket. "As long as we stay in the circle, we'll be relatively safe."

Aphrodite and Sky sat back and looked out at the rest of the room. Aphrodite sighed, "Relatively safe is all we can ask for right now."

X

Erin sat next to Robbie in their corner of the room, her arm looped through his and her head resting on his shoulder. Robbie thought she was a nice girl, a little too forward and he would really like to have his arm back. When she lifted her head, he subtly pulled his arm free. He tried to catch Bree's gaze from where she sat across the room to express his apologies for this girl's behavior, but she wouldn't look at him. Robbie sighed.

Erin mistook that for frustration for their overall situation. "I know, I hope we can get out of here soon," Erin said. "When we do, maybe-"

Suddenly, they felt another presence kneel down next to them. "I'm sorry, princess, that's not going to happen." It was Dallas, the red vampyre with the lightning bolt marks.

"Go away, Dallas, nobody wants you over here," Erin retorted, barely sparing him a glance.

Dallas laughed, "You'll want it sooner or later," Erin gave him a disgusted look; Dallas winked at her. He turned to Robbie. "Keep her warm for me." he smirked.

Robbie was only able to glare at him, before he was interrupted.

"Dallas!" Kalona exclaimed, not moving from his seat. "No fraternizing with the hostages. That's my job."

Dallas winked again and then he stood up, walking away. Erin shuddered, and slipped her arm through Robbie's again and laid her head down on his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," Robbie said, to Erin, unsure of what else to say, but wanted to assure her somehow. Robbie swallowed hard, wishing he believed his own words.

X

Hunter shifted the way he was sitting, stretching his legs out in front of him. He leaned his head back against the wall, thinking. He could draw a protection circle around himself and Damien, like Sky did, but unlike Sky, he was sitting in the front of the room, completely visible to Kalona. Kalona would catch him before he could take his athame out of his pocket. Hunter sighed quietly, crossed his ankles and stuffed his hands inside his pockets of his leather jacket.

"Thank you," Hunter whispered to Damien. When the other guy turned to look at him, Hunter continued, "For what you did for Mary K. She's gone through so much in the past few months, she shouldn't even be in this position. But you put yourself at risk and if Selene had been here, she probably would have killed you. I'd be more careful from now on."

"It was nothing, I don't like to see others upset," Damien nodded. "But you're right. We need to be more careful with our magick, especially your cousin over there. I"m not so sure that anyone saw her." He still sat cross-legged, and he leaned forward on his arms.

"Yeah, that's Sky," Hunter agreed. "She's too stubborn for her own good. When someone is in trouble she doesn't hesitate to help regardless of what happens to herself." He started to say something else, but stopped when Selene breezed back into the room. "Oh, boy." Hunter muttered.

"I thought I told you to watch them?" Selene asked Kalona. It sounded like she was in an even worse mood than when she left.

"I did watch them," Kalona replied, his mood going down at her utter lack of faith in him. "They're sitting in their corners like good kids." He smiled at each hostage.

"Then why is this room pulsing with magick?" Selene demanded, standing in the middle of the room and looking at all the hostages. "I'll tell you why, it's because everybody has forgotten who is in charge here. So let me remind you all." She pulled out her gun. "Who should I shoot first? Air? Fire?" Selene pointed the gun first at Damien and then Shaunee. Then she turned abruptly and strode over to Sky. "Or Miss thinks she can pull a fast one on me." She dismantled the protection circle around Sky and Aphrodite and then fixed the gun on Sky.

A minute passed. Then, Kalona blew out a long, drawn out sigh. "Enough with the drama already," he dramatized. "If you're going to shoot her, just shoot her already." He waved his hand in the air dismissively.

Selene snapped her head around to glare at him, the gun still trained on Sky. "At least I'm doing something," she threw at him. "As opposed to you, sitting on your ass."

Kalona cocked his head, his amber eyes narrowing. "You want me to do something?" he questioned.

Selene quirked an eyebrow.

"Fine." Kalona stated. Before anyone could blink, he grabbed Mary K. by her hair, stood up, and walked to the center of the room. Mary K. whimpered, but she mostly stayed quiet. Kalona turned them in a slow circle, showing everybody, his hand still in her hair at the back of her neck. "Since you all seem so deliberate to breaking the rules, let's put a twist on it," Kalona announced. "If anyone steps out of line or misbehaves, this pretty young lady gets a demerit. Careful, if she gets ten-" He smiled at Mary K. "-We lose a friend."

"Give me the demerits instead!" Hunter volunteered, jumping from the floor.

"No," Kalona said simply. "I've made my decision, no volunteers." He jerked Mary K's head to make her look at him. "And I'm sorry, my dear, you already have three demerits. Not a good start." Kalona tisked.

Selene lowered her weapon and walked over to Kalona and Mary K. "Excellent idea, Kalona, that should keep them in line." Selene smiled cruelly. "But first, Dallas would you please search Miss Sky and confiscate any suspicious items she may be withholding."

"With pleasure," Dallas obeyed, his voice sickeningly sweet. He strolled over to Sky and knelt down before her. He grinned at her. "Hey there, princess, you want to give me what you have there?" He wasn't dumb; he knew she was hiding something behind her back. He held his hand out.

Sky kept her gaze level with his, not back down. If there was ever a time to do something, it was now. Her eyes flicked to Hunter still standing across the room. Hunter looked at her and his own eyes widened. Sky turned her attention back to Dallas, smiling slyly. "You want it?"

Everything after that happened in a flash.

"Sky, no!" Hunter exclaimed, running toward her. Nicole, the dark-haired red fledgeling grabbed him, holding him in place. He struggled against her.

Sky had whipped her athame out and pointed it at Dallas' neck. "Enough with these games," Sky addressed Kalona and Selene, but her gaze stayed locked on Dallas. He still had that stupid smirk on his face, like Sky didn't have a dagger to his throat. "Tell us what you want and let us go. Or I'll kill him right now."

"Unfortunately, I could care less if you killed him," Selene said, crossing her arms. "By all means, kill him. It will be one less bloodsucker in the world."

"Sky, don't," Hunter told his cousin while struggling against Nicole. Sky had touched the athame to Dallas' neck, she hadn't drawn blood, yet.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Dallas finally spoke. His chin was raised from the blade almost pressing into his throat. "I could kill you before you even get this dagger all the way in."

"I think I'll take my chances," Sky seethed.

Then, another voice joined the fray. "He's right," Stevie Rae said, standing up. "His powers are really dangerous, lethal even." Another red fledgeling grabbed her before she could move.

"Alright, no more heroics," Kalona replied, discouraging anybody else from standing up. "What are you going to do, witch?"

There was a tense silence, where the only sounds were Mary K's quiet sobs of terror. Sky connected with Hunter one more time. Hunter tried to beg her with his eyes to hand the athame over. Sky spoke, "Hunter, get everybody out."

"Nooo!" Hunter yelled, lunging again. Nicole didn't let him go.

Just as Sky thrust the dagger forward, Dallas grabbed her wrist and sent an electric shock through her. Sky fell to the floor, dropping the dagger and grunting in pain. Hunter struggled more furiously to get to her, but Nicole twisted his arm behind his back and he gritted his teeth in pain.

Kalona sighed, feigning sympathy. "What a shame, but at least we were all entertained for a little while," Kalona said. He nodded toward Dallas. "Dallas, take her out so that she can recuperate in private." Kalona smiled sardonically.

"You bastard," Hunter spat. He stopped struggling and stood still, glaring at Kalona. "You don't care about any of us. We're all just pawns in your game."

In a flash, Kalona grabbed Hunter by the neck and pinned him against the wall. Hunter gasped, trying to get more air to his lungs. "You're right I don't care if you leave this place in a body bag or with a few less body parts." Kalona hissed. "So, I would curb your outbursts before I decide to kill every last soul in this room." His fingers pressed deeper into Hunter's neck.

Selene walked over to the pair. "That's enough," she snapped, speaking to Kalona. "Have you forgotten the plan? He stays alive."

Kalona didn't move for a moment and everybody was holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen. Finally, Kalona let go and Hunter collapsed to the floor, gasping. "Nicole, search him for anything suspicious." Kalona ordered, turning around and walking away.

Nicole searched Hunter almost too happily, until she came across his athame. She pulled it out, and Selene snatched it from her before she could keep it for herself. Selene also picked up Sky's fallen athame.

"Now, everybody sit down and behave, before I really begin to lose my temper," Selene ordered.

Kalona was back over with Mary K, who was still frozen in place, his hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head to look her in the eyes. "Sorry, darling," he mocked consoled her. "You are up to six demerits now. I'd hope that your fellow hostages will behave to save your life if I were you." He smiled at her, then pushed her back down to her spot next to Jack.

Cal

"C'mon vamp, get up," Cal said, knocking on the tent where Stark had been sleeping. "The moon is shining, let's go!" When there was no answer, Cal unzipped the flap of the tent and stuck his head in. The red vampyre was just reaching for his bow and arrows and glowered at Cal.

"I'm coming," Stark growled at him. "I was already up." He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep without Zoey right next to him. It was an agonizing wait for the sun to go down.

Stark slung his arrows over his shoulder, and, holding on to his bow, shoved past Cal into the night air. He held his hands out. "What, no breakfast?" Stark asked, sarcastically.

Cal was finishing up getting his things together. "You've got the bow. Why don't you go find a deer to nibble on or do you prefer to drink from the vein?" Cal shot back, just as snarkily.

"Why are you offering?" Stark asked him. "Though it's tempting to see you dead, blood from an asshole doesn't sound that appealing. So, I'll pass for now."

"Let's just get going, alright?" Cal said when everything was packed. He shouldered his pack and looked to Stark.

"Fine by me," Stark replied gruffly. He turned and started walking through the woods. He called over his shoulder, "Keep up and stay out of my way!"

They trekked through the woods once again, staying mostly silent. They listened to their footsteps crunching on the leaves and stayed alert to their surroundings. Stark knew he was going the right way; he could feel it deep in his soul. He was getting closer to Zoey. Cal's mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about Morgan and her possible reaction to seeing him again. He steeled himself for her overreacting in a bad way, but he couldn't help to wonder if she could be...happy to see him again.

Suddenly, there was a break in the trees a few yards away. Stark and Cal both stopped where they were, for different reasons. Stark turned in a slow circle, a distressed look on his face. "Something's happened," he announced. "I can barely feel her."

Cal held up his hand, as if for silence. "Shhh," Cal said, taking a couple steps forward carefully. "There's magick around here." He continued past Stark, walking into the clearing. After awhile, Cal spread his arms out wide in frustration. "This is impossible," he stated. "There's so much magick here, I can feel it, but yet...nothing." Cal turned on Stark. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

Stark shot him a glare. "Of coarse I'm sure," Stark said, stepping into the clearing. "The bond's never steered me wrong before. It's just—I—something's happened to her. I know it."

"Must be hard," Cal replied, turning his back on Stark. "I would feel sorry for you if I thought anything you've said was the truth. I'm starting to think you made all this warrior bond stuff up. And you're really just leading me into a trap."

That was it. Stark was tired of Cal and his comments. Slowly, Stark pulled out an arrow and knocked it to his bow. He didn't need any help, he could find Zoey by himself. Stark raised the bow. "Just one shot," he muttered to himself.

Cal was still chattering, his back turned, as Stark readied his aim. Then, suddenly, Cal's foot came down on a part of the ground that echoed an empty, hollow, clanging sound. Stark lowered the bow, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. Cal repeated his action in the same spot, each step getting louder and louder. He picked up his head and met Stark's gaze.

"There's something down there," Cal said what they were both thinking.

They both snapped into action. Cal sidestepped the area, and, together, they moved loose grass, dirt, and other foliage. Stark and Cal stepped back after they cleared everything, and had revealed something that wasn't part of nature.

A steel door.


A/N: Well, what do you think? Please let me know in a review. :)