The Hunter Games

Part 9

Xxx

The moment Billie was released from the stake, she ran to Charlie to check on him. She took him in her arms and was relieved to see he was alright. Finally mastering his Firestarter powers to save them had left him completely worn out, but he would recover after some much deserved rest. Billie wiped away a tear as she realized she could not be prouder of both her children. She had been able to see everything from her stake, including the fight between Lexie and Makayla. She looked up at the balcony to check on Lexie, but saw she had disappeared.

"No." Billie whispered.

Billie placed Charlie on the floor and walked over to Anne Maria, who was talking to her Chosen friends. Their spell had taken out all of the hunters, meaning the immediate threat was over, so where had Lexie gone?

"Anne Maria." Billie said. "Have you seen Lexie?"

"Sorry, no." Anne Maria replied. "She up was up on the balcony, right?"

"We have to find her." Billie said concerned. "Something doesn't feel right."

"We'll look for her." Anne Maria said.

While Anne Maria and her friends spread out, Billie turned and headed to the balcony. She had a bad feeling about this. The hunters were taken out, but there were still questions left unanswered. The hunters had help locating the witches and entering Magic School, someone was pulling their strings behind the scenes. If whoever was behind it all was here, they could have taken Lexie. She needed answers and there was only one person who had them.

As she reached the person she was looking her, Billie saw Izzy and Margot standing over her. Makayla was lying on the floor, bleeding heavily and with one of her legs twisted and broken. However, even after being shot with her own bullets and being flung off the balcony, she was still alive. If anything, Makayla was tough.

"Makayla." Billie said. "You don't look so good."

"You survived." Makayla said bitterly. "I hoped I would have at least taken you with me."

"I don't have time for our usual banter." Billie replied. "Who were you working with? Are they here?"

"I'm not telling you anything." Makayla said.

"We have a Whitelighter on stand-by, we can heal you." Billie replied. "Don't let your resentment of me be the end."

"My resentment is all I have left." Makayla said weakly but determined. "I won't let you take it from you like you did everything else."

Makayla coughed up some blood and became limp, her eyes turning glassy as her life faded away. Despite everything that had happened, Billie felt pity for the huntress, as she had become a victim of her own hatred. However, she would never forgive her for trying to hurt her children.

"We need to find Lexie." Billie said as she turned to Izzy and Margot.

"Miss Jenkins!" a voice called out.

Billie turned around and saw Maddison Montana running in their direction. She was up on the balcony during the fight, so perhaps she had seen what had happened.

"Maddison, did you see what happened to Lexie?" Billie asked.

"I did." Maddison replied. "There was a woman in red. She did something to Lexie and took her away through that door."

"I'm going after them." Billie said.

"We're going with you." Izzy replied. "You might need the backup."

"Izzy is right." Margot added. "Lexie is our friend."

"Alright." Billie said. "I'll levitate us up there. Maddison, you gather the others and tell them where we're going."

"Got it." Maddison replied.

Billie levitated up to the balcony and telekinetically carried Izzy and Margot with her. The three witches made their way through the door and entered another prison cell, though this one was quite a bit larger and more luxurious that the one Billie had been in. She noticed a crystal ball and a set of tarot cards, which seemed to confirm her theory a witch was behind all of this.

"Who was being kept here?" Izzy asked. "And why was she working with the hunters?"

"Maybe she was being forced?" Margot asked.

"If she was being forced, she wouldn't have taken Lexie once the hunters were defeated." Billie said. "She was working with the hunters willingly. The real question is why."

"Over there, another door." Izzy said.

Billie followed the young witch to a crooked bookcase, behind which was a secret doorway. Billie flung the bookcase out of the way and walked through. She ended up in what appeared to be a medical lab. She saw equipment for blood testing, along with a glass refrigerator filled with blood samples. Billie remembered waking up in her cell and realized that some of her blood had been taken. One of the doors was open and a tray of samples appeared to be missing.

"Why would the hunters collect blood samples?" Izzy asked.

"The hunters wouldn't, but a witch might." Billie replied. "I've seen cases where witches use blood in dark magic, as blood holds a lot of magical power."

"Could this be why the hunters were targeting specific witch families?" Margot asked. "For something in their blood?"

"That seems very likely." Billie said. "All of the witches that were targeted came from powerful families."

"I guess that explains why I wasn't a target." Izzy remarked. "Being adopted and all."

"We'll have answers once we find this witch." Billie said. "Over there, an emergency exit."

Billie took the lead and flung the door open, revealing a staircase to the roof. As they entered the roof, Billie scanned it for signs of life. Despite it still being dark outside, she could make out a figure on the edge of the roof. As she got closer, she saw the witch in red standing there, holding an unconscious Lexie dangerously close to the edge. In her other hand, she was holding a medical case.

"Billie Jenkins, we meet at last." The red witch said in an Eastern European accent.

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Billie asked. "Let my daughter go and we'll talk."

"You don't know me." The red witch replied. "My name is Sonya Barinov."

"Wait, I have heard of you, I think." Billie noted as she remembered old case files. "The Barinov family was a noble family from Europe that mysteriously disappeared. There was talk of witchcraft and mysterious sightings of a woman in red. However, that was centuries ago."

"I expected the director of MIND to do her homework, but nonetheless I am impressed." Sonya said.

"Wait, centuries ago?" Izzy asked. "Then how are you still alive?"

"I was born with a curse." Sonya replied. "Or at least that is what my family believed. That is why I was locked away and hidden. Their secret shame for birthing a child with magic."

"What was your curse?" Margot asked.

"I can drain the life force of anyone close to me." Sonya said. "It kept me young and powerful all these centuries. My family believed me to be a vampire of sorts, but only later I learned about my true heritage as a witch. After I killed my family for locking me away all those years."

"Sucking out life-force and obsessed with blood?" Izzy remarked. "Sounds like a vampire to me."

"So you were born to mortals." Billie said. "Is that why you decided to target magical families? Because they had what you didn't?"

"My reasons are not so simple." Sonya replied. "After I discovered I was a witch, I researched everything I could. I wanted to know everything about my origins, all the way back to the original witch and the nexus."

"What?" Izzy called out surprised. "How do you know that?"

"I see you know our origin as well." Sonya replied. "Even though your blood is tainted."

"Enough history lessons." Billie snapped. "I want my daughter, she has nothing to do with this."

"You're right, I have no interest in her." Sonya replied. "I already have your blood and that of your son. She is just my means of escaping safely."

"I'm not going to let you just walk away." Billie said determined. "You turned on your own kind and nearly got a lot of good witches killed."

"You are not my kind." Sonya said harshly. "With this blood, I will be able to draw upon the true power of witches. I can bring back the magic of old and start a new pure race of witches, just as powerful as the original witch. I will create my own family."

"You're insane." Izzy replied. "Just because we have different backgrounds doesn't make us any less as witches."

"Your blood is tainted, warlock child." Sonya said. "Just like your friend here, an unholy cross between witches and those invading wizards. You lesser witches have polluted your blood. I couldn't even find pure blood samples of all nine families, so I had to settle for one with Whitelighter blood. At least those genes are not dominant."

"Well, too bad for you that your experiment ends here." Billie said.

"Make a move against me and your daughter falls." Sonya warned her.

"You're outnumbered, Sonya." Billie replied. "Now, Margot."

Margot nodded and her eyes glowed for a moment, causing the air above them to rumble. A bolt of lightning struck the roof right in front of Sonya, causing her to lose balance. Billie used the distraction to call Lexie to her with telekinesis, while Lizzy struck the medical case with a light dart, spilling the blood samples all over the rooftop. Sonya screamed and held out her hands, bathing Billie and the others in a red glow. Immediately, Billie felt powerless as her life force was drained away, causing her to fall to her knees as she started to lose consciousness.

Just as Sonya appeared to overpower them, a great horned owl flew up from behind Sonya and struck her in the back of the head. The red witch stopped draining as she fought off the winged creature, allowing Billie to fling her off the roof with a telekinetic blast. She ran to the edge of the roof and looked down, seeing Sonya's lifeless body on the ground, a pool of blood forming around her. Now it was really over. As she turned to the others, Billie saw Anne Maria walking toward them as the owl landed on her arm.

"Thanks for the assist." Billie said.

"Happy to help." Anne Maria replied. "I'm just glad you guys went to the roof, where my powers would actually be useful."

"You never stopped being useful, Anne Maria." Billie said. "Your friends are safe because of you. I'm glad to have such a worthy successor."

"Thanks, Billie." Anne Maria replied with a smile.

"What are we going to do about the hunters?" Izzy asked.

"Don't worry, I work for the government, remember?" Billie replied. "I'll call in some favors and make sure they'll face justice for their actions."

"Uh, guys, we have a problem." Margot noted from the edge of the roof.

Billie ran over and looked down. The spot where Sonya had landed was empty and she was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't even a pool of blood anymore, as if her body had somehow reabsorbed it. Billie realized that her life draining and longevity probably came with the power of regeneration as well, meaning she was still out there. However, that was a problem for another time, as she needed to get her children home. They had been through enough for one night.

Xxx

The following morning, Lexie woke up in her own bed. The last thing she remembered was the woman in red standing over her. After that, it was just some vague flashes of a rooftop. She quickly got dressed and ran downstairs, where she found her mom and little brother sitting on the couch. Relieved, she threw herself at them and hugged them both.

"It's okay, sweetie." Billie said. "Everyone is safe."

"What happened?" Lexie asked. "Who was that mysterious woman?"

Her mom and brother proceeded to fill her in on everything that happened. The hunters had been taken into custody by MIND agents and Kyle had made sure all the witches got home healed and safe. Lexie was shocked to hear about Sonya and her strange plans. The fact that she had escaped was worrisome, but at least she had failed to get the blood she wanted. Lexie was also horrified to learn that Makayla was dead. She had flung her off that balcony without even thinking.

"Lexie, listen to me." Her mom said as she took her hand. "What happened to Makayla was not your fault. You acted to save everyone, not to hurt her. She survived the fall, but chose to go out on her own terms instead of being healed."

"I understand." Lexie replied. "She had the opportunity to change, but she didn't."

"She was nothing like dad." Charlie noted.

"Exactly, speaking of which." Billie said. "I still owe you guys a huge apologize for keeping all that stuff about your dad a secret."

"It's okay, mom." Charlie replied. "We understand why you did it."

"And dad is a part of our family, not theirs." Lexie added as she revealed the necklace with the ring. "Though I'd still like to learn more about him."

"Well, you can ask me anything you want." Billie said. "But first, I want you to know how proud I am of both of you. You were so brave and saved a lot of witches."

"And I finally mastered my fire powers." Charlie said proudly.

"Well, almost." Billie remarked. "You set the trashcan on fire an hour ago, remember?"

"Yeah sorry, I stubbed my toe." Charlie admitted with a blush.

"So does that mean you're keeping your powers?" Lexie asked. "No more binding potion?"

"No, being a Firestarter is a part of who I am, so I shouldn't hide it." Charlie said.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Lexie went to the door. When she opened it, she saw Izzy, Liam and Margot standing in front of her. Relieved to see them all, she hugged them and invited them inside. Her mom offered them drinks and then excused herself, stating that they needed time to catch up and that she had some things to wrap up at the office.

"I'm glad you came." Lexie said. "How are you all doing after everything?"

"Well, still a little tired, but otherwise fine." Liam replied. "I just talked to Harry and all of our classmates are home as well."

"My dads were a little angry about me running off again, but they were happy to hear Dawn and Delaney are safe." Izzy added.

"Our parents were upset that we left without saying anything as well." Margot added. "But my mom figured that Liam must have replicated that premonition for a reason. She said that it means we were meant to help."

"We couldn't have done it without you." Lexie replied. "We make a good team, just like old times."

Lexie and her friends continued exchanging their stories. As they talked, Lexie noticed some obvious chemistry between Charlie and Margot. While he had always had a crush on her, the redhead seemed to finally be returning the feeling, as she was obviously flirting. It was a little strange to see, considering Lexie still thought of Charlie as a little kid, but he was growing up. On the other side of the couch, Liam smiled as he looked at his phone.

"Is that Payton?" Lexie asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah." Liam replied a little embarrassed. "I'm still not sure what I did wrong last time, but I decided to ask her out again, and she said yes. She invited me to her cousin's Halloween party."

"Just don't screw up again." Lexie noted.

"You're still not going to tell me what I did wrong, are you?" Liam asked.

Lexie smiled as she shook her head. Liam groaned and kept bugging her for more information, while Izzy joined in on teasing him. They then decided to watch a movie and Lexie couldn't help but notice Charlie and Margot sitting awfully close together. She needed to keep an eye on that, she was his big sister after all. However, for now she was just happy to have normal afternoon with friends.

Xxx

At the MIND headquarters, Billie left the elevator and entered her office. She was relieved that her conversation with her children went well and that they had forgiven her. She was actually happy they knew the truth about their dad, as it meant she could tell them all about Jake. She had pushed those memories away because they were too painful, but now she felt as if she could finally relive them. They had so many beautiful memories together that she could not wait to share. However, she first had some business to take care off, as there was something weighing on her mind. She pressed the buzzer on her desk.

"Evelyn, could you come in here?" Billie asked.

A moment later, the door opened and her assistant Evelyn walked in. "You wanted to see me?" the brunette asked.

"I want a progress report." Billie said. "Have our agents been able to locate Sonya Barinov?"

"I'm afraid not." Evelyn replied. "The trail went cold somewhere in Europe. We think she has gone into hiding. Based on what we know so far, it could be years or even decades before she decides to surface again."

"I fear the same." Billie admitted. "She planned this for a long time, so she'll need time to regroup."

"We'll keep her on the most wanted list for sure." Evelyn said. "Did you need anything else?"

"How are the Chosen?" Billie asked.

"Safe back in Houston." Evelyn replied. "As you instructed, we assigned them a handler. We'll keep an eye on them and they can reach out in case they need it."

"Good. Make sure Kyle is informed." Billie said. "I also have a new assignment, something that has been bugging me ever since my run-in with Makayla."

"Anything you need, boss." Evelyn replied.

"I need to know if my children are really safe." Billie said in a serious tone. "That's why I need you to find or whether or not their grandfather is still alive."

Xxx

The End