CHAPTER 16

John groaned when he seen the girls carted in, snarling when Amaranta wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning against him comfortably.

Jaden was being dragged by her hair, her hands bloody from first the walls now from dragging her nails across the marble floor though her wounds had healed. She screamed when she was tossed across the floor, rolling rather hard into a pillar.

John strained against the chains that held him when he heard a sickening crunch, probably Jaden's ribs breaking. "You fucking traitor!" He yelled at Mark, the veins in his neck bulging with anger.

Mark's green eyes narrowed wickedly as he watched Jaden try to move only to collapse, her body not healing itself yet. "I was never on your side John." He said conversationally.

Batista felt Isis tense in his arms and squeezed her almost reassuringly, meeting her gaze with his own, shaking his head slightly.

Isis frowned, finally finding her voice. "What do you mean Mark?"

Mark tured to face her, a slow smile spreading across his face. "My dear… this entire time, from the moment we left that hellhole town you lived in, I have merely been keeping tabs on you for Amaranta." He tapped his forehead. "You're not the only one who got in here."

This time Isis did manage to break free from Batista, tossing herself onto the man who had smashed her heart. "You son of a bitch!" She roared, her fingers grabbing onto his long hair before she began bashing his head against the floor.

"Now this won't do." Amaranta said coldly, stalking over to them and yanking Isis back. "Don't bother fighting me child, you're no match for me."

Isis glared up at the taller woman, baring her fangs. "Is this what it's all about? That I killed your friends?"

"I'm immortal, revenge is a hobby I've perfected to an art form." Amaranta replied flatly. "Gabriel and Damia were my only links to that past, to my mortality and you, you decided you were going to destroy them." Hate clouded her eyes. "I was away on business when I heard about it and cast out my web, locating Mark. He was already half crazy when I found him. Being turned didn't alter him, he's always been one to dart across that fine line, or didn't you know?"

"If I had I would've killed him on the spot!" Isis spat, watching with sick pleasure as Mark got to his feet, feeling the back of his mushy head. "I sincerely hope that don't heal."

"You're a bitch." He snarled, looking pleadingly at Amaranta. "I've had to deal with this for three years, please, let me kill her."

"Not just yet love." She replied, walking over to slap John's chest. "How about him first?"

Isis found herself back in Batista's hold, struggling in his iron grip to free herself. "This is all a revenge kick against me?" She shouted, trying to distract Amaranta.

"Yes dear and wait your turn."

[Patience young one.]

Isis frowned wondering who the hell that was, then she felt a rumbling from behind her, almost like silent laughter. "Oh!" Her eyes grew wide.

Jaden slowly pulled herself up, looking over to find John shaking with fury, so angry he was unable to speak. Her gaze moved over Mark, then to Isis. Quietly, she got to her feet, watching Amaranta carefully.

Isis met Jaden's gaze and she nodded, watching as Jaden took to the air. She felt Batista's arms relax about her and knew it was now or never. She broke free of him and rushed Mark, physically lifting him and ramming him into the nearest wall.

Mark's eyes were wide with disbelief then pain, never imaginging just how strong she truly was. He didn't waste time though and was soon exchanging blows with her.

Amaranta frowned, realizing this all needed to be wrapped up quickly. Baring her fangs she smiled wickedly at John. "First you, then your little girlfriend." She whispered, her head descending towards his throat.

John could actually feel her teeth against his skin for a brief second, then suddenly Amaranta was jerk up into the air.

"That is MY man bitch!"

Amaranta started screaming, her hands clawing at her hair, struggling to free herself.

"Nobody touches John but me, got that?" Jaden demanded, straining under the weight of another person.

"How dare you!" Amaranta shouted, her purple eyes landing on Batista. "Help me you moron!"

Batista nodded, quickly walking over to grab her about the waist, muscles rippling under his shirt. He glanced up at Jaden before pulling.

Jaden was almost pulled right out of the air but hung on, tugging even harder. She heard Amaranta's cries of pain as she was jerked in two different directions. The next thing Jaden knew she was flying head over heels, unable to control herself as she landed back first, upside down against a wall. "Fuck me that hurts…" She moaned as she slowly slid to the floor, landing on her neck, her legs still in the air though she was slowly bending into a messed up U.

Then she realized what she was holding.

John had watched in amazement as Jaden and Batista had literally ripped Amaranta apart, each winding up with half of her. He would've been lying to himself if he didn't admit he was a tad nervous when Batista tossed down his half of Amaranta and walked over to him.

Batista didn't say a word, just unchained John.

Mark was having a hard time keeping out of Isis' grasp. He had a quick glimpse of her powers and didn't want to feel the full extent of them. When he heard Amaranta screaming only to suddenly be silenced save for a gurgle, he looked over at her.

That was all the opening Isis needed to plunge her fist straight through his chest. Her small hand wrapped around his heart, squeezing for just a moment before ripping it out. She smiled grimly when he turned questioning eyes down onto her. "You broke my heart Mark… Now I'm gonna break yours." She said softly, a couple blood tears rolling down her face just as she crushed his still beating heart in her fist, ignoring the blood that spurted everywhere.

Mark just stared down at her, his eyes never leaving hers even as he started turning into nothing but a hollow shell until finally nothing but his eyes retained their color.

"Goodbye." She whispered bitterly, pursing her lips and blowing at the husk and turning her back, not bothering to watch it break into tiny, weightless pieces.

Jaden stared into Amaranta's still blinking eyes, pushing the upper torso away and scooting back, only for it to bounce off the wall and land in her lap. "John!" She cried, shoving it away again, eyes widening in horror as Amaranta slowly started dragging herself towards her lower half.

John rushed over to her, grabbing Jaden under her arms and pulling her away, his own eyes wide as he watched on.

Amaranta slowly looked up, her eyes already filmed over when a pair of shoes appeared before her. "You… betrayed… me…" She whispered, seeing it was Batista.

He stared down at her, almost sadly and shook his head. "No Amaranta, you betrayed yourself. Everything you taught me was a lie, too bad I only discovered that too late."

Amaranta was pulling her body up, clutching his pants, the blood that had been gushing out the wound where her body had given at now nothing more than a slow stream, her skin already shrunken to her bones. "I gave you life…"

"I give you death." Batista whispered, gently prying her off him, her now brittle fingers snapping.

Jaden and John watched as Amaranta became a living mummy, until finally no more than a pile of ancient ashes and bloodied clothing.

"Is she all right?" John asked softly, watching as Isis wandered around aimlessly.

Jaden shrugged, snuggling back against him, comfortable in her position on his lap. "I don't know, probably not. Mark was her… he was with her all the time… none of us ever knew." She shook her head, closing her eyes against the pain. "All this time he just… lied to her."

John kissed the top of Jaden's head, wrapping his arms around her, his own eyes still fastened on Isis.

"May I walk with you?"

Isis didn't look up as Batista fell into place besides her.

"I wish I could've told you sooner."

She shrugged.

"Isis," Batista gently grabbed her arms, forcing her to stop. "I'm apologizing to you, for the part I played in this."

"You opened your mind to me, I seen you had no choice." Isis said, her voice a dull monotone, though for a moment she couldn't keep the pain from flickering across her face. "I should've known better… He was… too perfect for me…" She pulled away from him, a sob escaping her.

Batista didn't say anything, knowing only time could heal this and time was all any immortal truly had. He just took her hand in his and walked with her, squeezing to let her know she wasn't alone.

"Should we follow them?" John asked, gently shaking Jaden.

Jaden opened her eyes to see Batista and Isis disappearing out of the park and sighed deeply, shaking her head. "No… Let them go. Something tells me he'll take care of her." She hopped down from the rock they had been perched on, taking his hand when he slid down besides her. "Not like we're not never going to see Isis again."

John nodded, smiling down at her. "So superwoman, what now?"

She laughed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. "It's spider woman and I don't know, maybe go find us a secluded place to lounge about it."

John chuckled, picking her up so she was facing him, grinning when she wrapped her legs around his waist and kept on walking. "You know beautiful, I think that sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long time."

Jaden could only laugh as he spun her around, tossing her head back to watch the night sky.

They both froze when they seen something dark fly over them, too fast for either to make out.

[You young'uns take care…] Came Isis' voice, a gentle whisper in their heads.

"You too girl," Jaden whispered, resting her head on John's, her eyes never leaving the sky. "You too…"

TBC…