Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 14: The Taking and Saving

The witch spread her arms to the side and snapped her fingers as she recited a different spell, and quickly, the lines of white pebbles that joined the points of the Wiccan star together caught ablaze, travelling from point to point until the entire star was ablaze. The Starnik, their children and mates were sat and forced to stay at gun point. It was only a matter of time before the new serum these, admittedly, clever people created changed Scott again into a wolf. Now he sat with them, powerless and unable to do anything. Chance and Jack were careful not to let any of the liquid splattered on them get into their mouths, for they new it was a slow acting, but always lethal poison to anyone but the Starnik. They were going to be sure to wash thoroughly if they could get out of this mess. "The witch is strong." Charlie took a moment to say and turning to Craig who stood just behind her. "Where did you say you found her?"

"That's not for you to know." He answered. "Are you ready?"

"Just tell me when. With my own plus the wolf's power, added to the strength of the pentagram, I have more then enough power."

He nodded and turned to walk to the Starnik sat in a line and unable to do anything. Dakota dared looked up for a moment, locking gazes with Stephanie who felt helpless, but mainly because she was. She couldn't stop them by herself, they were too many. Five of them stood behind the wolves, plus Craig who was a person you didn't want to mess with, and then the witch who now had incredible power. In the blink of an eye, Dakota was suddenly seething and groaning in pain as the man stood behind him hit him in the jaw with the butt of his gun. He groaned and seethed loudly as Chance cooed him softly from where she was. It was under pain of beating should they move or even look up without Craig's say so, and Dakota felt the full force of it. Chance didn't move, and as much as she wanted to even Dakota stopped her, even Rosie who sat the other side of him. He moved his jaw around, he flicked his top left canine with his tongue and quickly spat, not just a little blood, but also that tooth. Great, what wolf doesn't have a full set of teeth? Now he had a gap in his mouth.

"If we're going to die then why don't you just do it already?" Scott growled and, like his step-son, daring to look up and therefore feeing the price to pay. He was going to be giving a second blow when Craig raised his hand to stop him.

"And let you miss out on seeing an old high school friend?" He questioned. "Not how rude would that make you? Besides, I'm sure he'd like the honour of killing you." He looked to four of his men. "Patrol the perimeter; we can't let anything disturb us." Those three men then turned He Turned back to Charlie and nodded a single time, which she responded with her own before looking down to the ground at a picture of the one she needed to bring back before her and repeating one of her own spells.

"One way was torn, come our friend and be reborn, take this chance to live and sore, from death to life so none shall mourn. A gap I make, to bring you home, back to this world that was yours to roam."

The bridge to the plane continued to move back, the operator just doing his job and not expecting a young girl to suddenly leap out of the plane and nearly fall off the edge before running again. He stopped, the air hosts and hostesses ran to the door she just jumped out of and began calling her back. Aria didn't stop, she couldn't stop. She had to move and hurry. She ran along the tunnel, eager to get outside and…wait, how on earth was she going to get to them in time? She didn't know where they were, they could be on the opposite side of the country for all she knew. Then another new problem came closer as she ran, the doors to the tunnel and back into the terminal was locked, a key of some kind was needed to unlock it. She hit it, she shouted for someone to unlock it, but nobody heard. She smacked it one last time and stopped, breathing quickly and pushing against it to think of another way. She looked at her hands, what use were they to her if she couldn't get outside. Wait, her hands! She stepped away, getting a good distance from the door and focusing with all her might.

Outside the terminal, Tony and Skye sat around, waiting just in case anything should happen with the plane and Aria needed to get off. They were only being cautious and worried for her; they didn't want to leave her here in this foreign place to her on her own. They were about to get up and leave when suddenly, people started screaming at the same time they both heard an almighty loud bang. A man and woman ran passed them, and it got their attention. "What is going on?" Skye wondered.

"I don't know, come on." He grabbed her hand and together they laid down a well paced jog towards where the banging was coming from. They had to fight a wall of people wanting to watch as well. But watch what? What was happening? They battled the crowd, fighting to get to the front as the bangs continued. When they did, there was a large space between them and one of the terminal doors, the same door they watched Aria walk through. Dents poked out of the door as if some super human had been battering it. Then suddenly another appeared at the same time something on the other side hit it. Some members of the crowd screamed, others flinched and stepped back. Then it seemed to stop, they couldn't see through the glass from the angle they were at. So what on earth?

But then, it banged a final time and the door burst from its huge steel hinges, flying a couple of metres and crashing at the feet of the crowd who quickly scrambled to get away. It slid a little across the room before stopping at Tony and Skye's feet, and when they looked up Aria was stepping out of the now ruined terminal doorway, her eyes glowing green as she stood. Even the two thought she looked frightening by the way she looked. But there was going to have to be a time later on for talking about this. "Tony!" She called out and walking quickly towards them. The crowd backed away, but Tony and Skye stayed put.

"Aria, what did you do?" Skye asked rather shocked and…well, it was a little too much.

"There's no time." She answered as she stood in front of them. "I need that rock." She pointed down to his pocket.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"There's no time, just give it to me!" She repeated frantically and desperately wanting the rock. Tony wasn't sure what to think; he just did as he was asked and took the stone out of his pocket and handed it to Aria. "How does it work?"

"Aria, tell us what's…"

"Tell me!" She practically screamed at him. Man, she really was like Myka in a way; it must be in Scott's genetics that make them both that way.

Back in the clearing, all was silent other then Charlie's repeated spell. Nothing seemed to be happening, nothing had changed and nothing was showing that it was even working. They expected lights, sounds and high winds or something, but no, nothing. She had been doing this for the last five minutes, building the energy of the spell via repeating it over and over again. But finally, it had to give at some point. The what was once a small fire going over the lines, suddenly became a higher fire as tall as a human's waist and the wind rapidly picked up. Before Charlie, a dark grew and thickened, like a thick, choking black smoke that started off the size of a marble and grew quickly into the size of a human in but ten seconds. Charlie's work was done; she jumped to her feet and stepped backwards and away from it, careful not to tread on the fires. For once, the Starnik were able to list their heads to see this. They failed, when they thought Sam was finally gone for good, he was making a return.

Out in the forest, the guards were alerted when a sudden flash of white and green as well as the quieter sound of a snap of lightening. The two men that were in that area raised their guns in the direction, looked at each other and then moved in to investigate. They weaved in-between the hedges and trees, stepping over logs and branches to find what created that…whatever it was. They searched the place they ere sure it came from, but found nothing. "Split up, maybe it moved." So one went left and one went right, stepping onto and over another log in the process. Little did that person know, this log was the hiding place of a certain young girl. She peeked through a small gap in the log, watching and making sure that man had gone far enough away before slithering out without making a noise. She accomplished that and crept behind it and beside a bush; she was more or less hidden here.

She looked around it, back to the man who just passed her and suddenly found herself staring at his weapon tight in his clutches. This was so real, this was dangerous, she could die right here and now. These people, from Shadow's vision they were the Ditori, they were serious, if they wanted something then they were going to work hard to get it. So was she going to get to her family without being caught by them? She looked over the hedge and through the tree's she could see the lights of several fires, and the wind seemingly louder over there. But how could it be if it wasn't here…?

"Get up!" Some said right behind her. She froze; her heart started beating quickly as she slowly looked around to come face to face with the barrel of a gun. "I said get up."

"Please don't hurt me." She whined innocently and holding her hands up but staying in her crouched position. "I'm just a girl." The guard looked down to her, he wasn't fooled and he wasn't going to be.

"Seth, get over here, I've found the intruder!" She looked behind him, and a moment later that second man came marching towards them both.

"A girl?" He scoffed. "That's who it was?"

"Please, I don't mean you nay harm." She pleaded once again.

"Come on man, just let her go." This "Seth" man said and seeing her as no threat.

"Craig wanted us to catch all trespassers, including little girls."

"Seriously, what's one little girl going to do?"

"This." Aria answered as her eyes flashed and the first man who caught her soared back and away from her. He screamed as he flew with the speed of a bullet train and into the tree behind him. She next turned to the second man who began to fumble with his gun. Her eyes flashed a second time, but this time the man went straight up into the air, crashing through the branches of the trees and continuing to go higher. So high in fact his screams couldn't be heard. She looked up through that gap he made, waiting and waiting when suddenly he crashed back through, still screaming and crashing into the dirt with an almighty, bone crushing crash. He quickly fell silent, and Aria covered her ears. She didn't want that to happen, she wanted her to be like the first man and go backwards. She could se that man still breathing, so he'd be fine, but this man, her stomach twisted as she began to side step towards him. She placed two fingers on the side of his neck, not only did she feel each bone in it like it was dust, but also that he had no pulse.

She covered her mouth as her stomach began to do somersaults at the horrid realisation that she had just taken a life. She turned away and leaned against a tree, breathing heavily and gagging. She just killed, she had just killed someone. She was sick with herself, she wanted to be sick but couldn't. She hated herself, but still, she had to go on. She had to finish this and save her family.

The black smoke sparked once red, then quickly it did it again ad again until the entire smoke was spewing out red sparks like a firework. "He's here." Charlie couldn't believe it, or how strong the Wiccan wolf was to be able to do this. She had actually resurrected the dead! Suddenly, a man appeared standing in the smoke, his body sweaty, his clothes burned, scorched and ripped, his eyes bloodshot and filled with insanity. Scott gasped at the sight of Sam as he began to appear through the smoke. Craig moved the witch to the side.

"Sir, have no fear, you're going to be ok."

"The flames." Sam breathed deeply. "The heat, the flames, the burning, the thirst. Get me out of here!"

"It's only a few minutes away." Charlie said into Craig's ear. "He's coming through." Sam looked to his right, grinning at the sight of the Starnik once again forcibly bowing before him. He didn't know what was happening, but he couldn't wait to get out of hell.

Aria gathered her strength and courage; she stood tall and readied herself for the next task, getting closer. She crouched and stealthily made her way towards the flames, the wind around her increasing with each step she took. Why was it stronger here and not back there? The last line of hedges was in sight, she had made it. Or so she thought, so she suddenly felt breathless as a set of arms wrapped around her and picked her up. She kicked and elbowed at the man standing holding her, but he was tough. Second man approached from the front and towards her.

"A kid?" She scoffed. "What's a pretty little girl like you doing out here?" The man before her asked.

"Get away from me!" She screamed.

"Oh, feisty." The man holding her chuckled. "Tell Craig there's an intruder, I've got her." The man turned to walk through the bushes, Aria couldn't let her cover be blown. Her eyes flashed again, she might as well add more to her blood soaked hands. The man was thrown by an invisible force to the right and into a tree, slamming his head in the process and being knocked out cold. The second man freaked and threw her to the side. She fell, but before she could pick herself up he was already running through that hedge and calling out loud.

"Intruder!"

Craig, Sam, Stephanie and the Starnik watched then man run into the clearing. "Sir, we have an intruder!" He yelled over the winds and flames.

"Find her, do not let her in!" Suddenly, the atmosphere changed, the feeling they were being watched loomed over them all. The wind suddenly, died down and turned into silence, Charlie's spell nearly complete. The smoke around Sam quickly drifted away and leaving his body behind, the spell mere seconds away from completion. But in that moment of silence, everything went wrong. From the top point of the star, the flame suddenly went out, it travelled along the lines to each point, extinguishing the fires and therefore breaking the strength of the spell. Sam faded away with the smoke, leaving nothing left behind and only the small fires on each point of the pentagram. Craig took his pistol in hand, as did the two remaining guards standing around. "Split them up!" He bellowed. The guards and Stephanie split the Starnik up, spreading them around the more darkened clearing. If they were together then they could think of a plan and work together, not while they were apart.

They all looked around, including the wolves who were eager to know who was doing this, whether they were a friend or foe. They were just as fearful. Jack watched his mate carefully, wanting her and his unborn pups to be safe. Yet he was the other side of the clearing from her, so he couldn't protect her. But then, they were a stifled cry. Craig spun around, everyone faced the place it came from as they witnessed a young girl walking towards them, crying and her arms locked downwards. "Please, I'm lost." She cried. Craig lowered his pistol.

"Don't give into it boss." That man who held her warned. "She killed the others."

"Aria?" Scott gasped as soon as he saw her.

"Don't say anything." She whispered into all their minds as she walked further into the clearing. Too late.

"You know her?" Craig questioned with a smile while looking down at him. Busted. He re-aimed his weapon towards her, no longer fooled by her if the Starnik knew her.

"Stay right there!" He ordered. She stopped, standing beside Myka, but she continued her act. "Start the spell again." He whispered to Charlie beside him. He then moved, while keeping Aria in his sights, towards the guard beside him. "We can't have any more disruptions. Kill them now." The guard understood and with him the second guard followed him, Stephanie was handed a pistol and pretty much dragged before Dakota and had it aimed directly at him. She didn't know what to do, she was terrified.

Craig stood behind the Starnik; the two guards stood either side of Aria and Myka. Charlie didn't say anything, she watched in disbelief at what was happening. Who were these people, why was she doing this for murderers? "I said say the damn spell!" Craig bellowed, she had no choice and began by lighting the fires.

"Wait!" Aria screamed and holding her hands out to stop him. "Can't we have a last request?" Craig wondered, was she up to something? Abut how could she? She was powerless and just a stupid little girl for getting mixed up in this.

"Sure, I don't see why not." He placed his gun back in the holster strapped to his leg and began walking around and behind her. He was relaxed, what could she possibly do?

"You know…" She looked down to Myka. "I know we've always had our differences…" Myka didn't show any sign of hate towards her, they were going to die, so what was the point? "But I always thought you were pretty good in the papa shuffle." She winked down at her, causing Myka to tilt her head. Aria motioned with her eyes to the guard beside her, and soon she caught the idea she was thinking.

"Oh yeah, the papa shuffle." Myka nodded slowly, grinning at the thought. "So how did it go again?" They stepped a little closer together, standing side my side and causing everyone to watch in bafflement.

"Ready? Two to the left." Myka followed Aria's actions and they both side stepped to the left.

"Two to the right…" They both added as they did just that. "Now freak with it." They swayed and waving their hips and bodies in a circular motion as they turned around to make a circle. Then they repeated it. "Two to the left. Ah, ah. Two to the right. Ah, ah…" What were they doing? What was this? As amusing as it may have been for the Ditori to watch, the rest of the family didn't understand. What was this? "Now freak with it. Oh, oh. Now freak with it. Oh, oh." Craig wanted to laugh as he stood behind Aria, this was her last request. "And DUCK!" Myka fell to the floor. She was certain this wasn't how it went. But nether the less, she did it right as Aria threw out her hands to the sides; sending two blasts of telekinetic energy towards the men either side of her and back away with the force of a truck. She was fully aware of the third man behind her and reached her hand out to one of the flames and swiping it from it towards him. It was like she physically scooped it up and threw it at him for a ball of fire sprung out of it and collided with his face. He fell and clutched his face and screaming in pain. Myka looked up to her sister as she looked back down to her, then to her family all scattered around before her. "And that ladies and gentlemen, is the papa shuffle." She then took a bow to complete it. Scott was about ready to launch himself at her, but quickly another set of arms grabbed her around her neck and the cold steel of Craig's gun was pushed into her waist. His own face was burned severely, his left side taking more of the force and heat, his left eyes was clouded grey already and his skin weeping blood. His hair smoking ever so slightly.

"Why you little…" He seethed and snarled into her ear. "I'm going make you pay for that."

"I'm a daughter of the Starnik." She growled back. "I don't pay for anything!" He jumped up into the air, using her telekinetic gift and Myka's training to pick herself up and fly into the air. Myka watched in amazement, she was doing it, she was picking herself up. She had taught her! She flipped over him, loosening his grip on her in the process. Sure, she may have done it for once, but her landing wasn't so great. She landed feet first and then onto her back from the lack of balance she had. But Craig wasn't finished for he started to turn for her. But instead of coming face to face with her, he came face to face with Scott's bow and already strung arrow which laid by her side. The others started to creep forward, wanting to act and do something. Aria had a wild looked in her eye, one of panic and desperation.

"You don't have the guts girl." Craig spat.

"Aria, don't do it." Scott said softly. "Put the bow down honey."

"Come on sis." Myka added. Aria looked down to her; did she really just call her that? "Just put it down, it doesn't have to be this way for you." Her focus was changed, perfect. With all the speed he could muster, Craig unsheathed a knife from his waist, Dakota and Lupa saw this and began their sprint to stop him. It was like everything went in slow motion, it all happened so fast. Aria turned to face him, but in that time the knife began slipping out his fingers. Brother and sister threw themselves into the air at him, but sadly the knife had already become airborne by the time Dakota wrapped his jaws around his throat and Lupa knocked him down. The knife had a set course, and Aria wasn't quick enough. It impacted, driving itself into her chest and knocking her backwards, the arrow shooting off into the sky. She landed hard as everything seemed to return to a normal pace, Craig screamed and tried his hardest to fight off the two wolves while the others ran around to Aria, she wasn't moving.

Myka placed her paws over the wounds, but her paws didn't light up like they should do. Scott ran to her face and began trying to nudge her awake. Her eyes, they had no light in them.

"Aria, honey, please wake up." He cried as he nudged and stroke her face. Rosie added to the healing power over her chest with Myka, but still nothing happened. "Aria, Aria please don't do this."

"Come on sis, wake up!" Myka added with the cries. Chance's theory she developed was her only chance.

"Scott, get up." She pretty much ordered.

"Chance, please, if you can help her…"

"Just get up." She dashed over to the nearest fire and took a stick in her mouth. "Stand back." Reluctant, everyone stepped away from her body, her eyes still refusing to light as they stared up into the sky, most likely where she was right now. Chance jerked her head and tossed the stick onto her body.

"No, what are you doing?!" Myka screamed as Jack held her back.

"Just watch." She answered. As quick as a flash, the fire set alight on her as if her entire body was drenched in fuel. Her entire body set alight and was consumed in green flame. Everyone took another step away from the searing heat. This wasn't normal, this was something else? This lasted for a few moments, and soon the flame started to die down as if she was a fire. As it began to extinguish itself, her body was revealed still in tact and un-scorched. She was perfectly fine. Aria groaned and gentle opened her eyes, she was alive! Scott scrambled back towards her, as did Myka on the other side and the other gathered around her.

"Aria, are you ok?"

"Dad?" She croaked. "What happened?" He looked up to Chance.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know."

"She can only self heal around a fire." Chance answered. "Back when it first happened, the fire was still going. All the other times when she hurt herself and it didn't heal, there wasn't a fire. It had to be it." Scott carefully looked through her shirt, seeing no scar or a wound to show nothing ever happened. Well, apart from the fact most of her clothing was a little burnt and scorched in most areas.

"You came back." Myka muttered down to her and Aria looked up to her. "Why?"

"Because we're children of the Starnik." She answered. "In this family, we do anything for each other. I wasn't going to leave you all now." She smiled as Myka smiled in return.

"Aria?" Scott whispered. "I'm sorry for lying to you; I was only trying to keep you safe."

"You're my dad." She replied. "I don't care anymore." She then pulled him down to her and wrapped her arms around his body. He could only laugh in happiness, she was ok.

Myka felt a tap on her shoulder, and she look around to see Charlie stood shyly behind her. "I didn't know who these people were." She said. "They said they wanted my help in getting someone back from the dead. I didn't know the Starnik were going to be a part of it." Myka smiled again.

"It's ok, I understand."

"Take what's yours, and keep it forever more." Myka felt a very familiar rush of energy rush into her, it made her eyes flutter at the sensation. "I'm sorry for my involvement."

Aria finally had the strength to sit up after Scott was able to get off her, she had some minor stinging in her chest, but it was bearable.

"So the papa shuffle?" Rosie questioned. "Is that something you just came up with or have you two been practising?" The sisters shared a look, it only made them laugh. It was over, it was all finally over. After nearly eight years of fighting, it was finally over.

Ta da! One chapter left guys then it's all over. Thanks for sticking around. So it seems it's all going to be a happily ever after again. Sam's gone, the last of the Ditori are dead. Everything is just perfect. Until next time. ;)

The FalconWolf