Sheila's house, Woodhaven.
"What?!" Sarai gawked.
"No, no. You can't do that." Mei Li sprung up to her feets.
"Of course I can do it. Armadi witch, you are going to help a vampire who has a curse running through his veins without looking into the consequences. Helping that vampire will only bring your doom, nothing more, nothing less."
"This is not only about helping the Vampire anymore. Our lives are in danger too." Mei Li protested.
"That's because you helped the vampire. If you had minded your businesses, you wouldn't be in this mess."
Mei Li flinched. Sarai shut her eyes. Melissa's shoulder dropped and her displeased look turned to Sarai who looked down.
Just then, a witch entered the living room.
Sheila's eyes glinted as she turned to the witch, "Miranda."
"We are ready, Sheila." The lady, Miranda, announced.
"Okay." Sheila responded with a smile. Then she turned to the trio. "We are going to do the ritual to destroy all the Registros and now it's time. You need to go now, I can't help you."
With that, Sheila stood up and gazed at the trio, expectantly.
Melissa gazed at Sheila with dropped jaw, she never expected Sheila to be this hard. And it could only mean one thing; that impending danger is real.
So real that it got all the Aryan witches at alert, almost killing Melissa and her friends when they first stepped their feets into the street.
So, Melissa didn't have a choice but to keep quiet and wait for the others so they can leave.
But the same couldn't be said for Sarai and Mei Li. They have seen the danger out there, waiting for them. They have experienced how much powerless and vulnerable they are going to be if the don't get that Registro.
It means that they will be fighting almost-invincible Akotal without any leverage to hold on to.
It means the place will their burial place. Except if they are going to give up Christa, something which Kylian will definitely not allow not to talk of the fact that they would be giving Akotal what he needed to become trully invincible.
So without the Registro, they are out of options.
"Sheila, please. If we don't get the Registro, we are going to lose our lives." Sarai stood to her feets and pleaded at the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry, I can't risk it. If we don't destroy it now, we will be giving a chance to evil to thrive." Sheila muttered. "Now you need to leave."
Melissa stood to her feets. She took another last glance at Sheila.
"I'm sorry, Melissa." Sheila muttered.
Melissa turned away and headed for the door. Sarai, seeing that there's no point begging, gave Mei Li a glance and began heading for the door.
Mei Li followed as well.
They all got outside.
Heald's face brightened when he saw them. "Here they come, probably now champions."
"Get in the car and let's go." Melissa muttered.
"What do you mean?" Heald asked.
But Melissa didn't reply as she got into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition.
Heald's confused gaze turned to Sarai and Mei Li for salvation but they didn't even look at him as they all got into the car.
Heald, having no other choice, got into the car too and Melissa smashed the throttle and the car shot off.
"Did you get the Registro?" Heald asked as the car drove out of the street.
No reply.
Sarai had her hands on her head as she ruminates on what to do next.
Mei Li held her sword like she's gonna crush it with the way she clutched it.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Heald shrieked.
"We didn't get the Registro, okay?" Melissa shrieked back.
"What?!" Heald's face turned ugly. He turned to look at Mei Li for affirmation.
Mei Li sighed and began. "Sheila said they are gonna destroy it to avert an impending evil."
"What? And you all got into the car telling me to get into the car too."
"You heard us right? There's a prophecy saying an evil is about to rise and it'll be through magic. So they need to burn those books." Sarai said.
"At our expense? We only need one. Sarai's family Registro and that's all. The rest can be burned."
"No. I don't think so. If we take one of it now. We'll only be risking the future, because the longer those books continue to exist, the more chance that impending evil has." Melissa muttered. "We can't allow that."
"Well, I don't care about any lame prophecy. We need to turned back now. I'm not leaving without the Registro." Heald sounded.
"Can you stand a chance in a fight against a witch as powerful as Sheila or her entire coven?" Melissa snapped.
"If we don't get this fucking Registro, Akotal will take Kylian's mate and he will kill us afterwards and you are here, still scared of those damn witches?" Heald snapped.
"You saw what they did to us earlier. We don't stand a chance. We'll die trying to get the Registro." Sarai finally intercepted.
"Well, I don't mind trying and of you don't wish to accompany, I will do it alone," Heald said.
Before they knew what Heald was doing, Heald shattered the glass window and flew out of the window, definitely heading back to Woodhaven.
********
Christa and Hector paced around Benzo's unconscious body. Their minds rummaged for what could possibly be happening to Benzo.
Hector stopped and moved closer to Benzo. He squatted before him and his face was held in a deep frown as he gazed at the yet-to-heal round hole on Benzo's belly, caused by the iron rod that pierced him.
Benzo had ripped off the bandage, exposing it again, and It's disgusting.
Hector sighed.
"His head is spinning?" Christa stepped closer and towered above Hector's rear. "Was there any huge explosion at the castle?"
"Tsk! You want to use normal human terms to attend to a supernatural being? How humanly of you. I thought you have adapted," Hector said, uninterestedly.
"There are some things that are natural. Normal is different from natural. Normal applies only to humans but natural applies to both. I think the spinning head is natural and thus, is related to both supernatural beings and humans."
Hector nodded with a dropped jaw and dilated eyes. "O. K."
"So what could cause a spinning head? Explosion? Loud noise? Sonic wave-"
"Wait!" Hector suddenly stopped Christa. His eyes narrowed as he muttered. "Sonic wave. Sonic wave."
"What's with it?" Christa asked.
"When Akotal roared, I felt my head spinning. I felt my entire system falling apart. I thought to myself this is the end." Hector's fists were clenched beside him.
"What's that?"
"Fear. Terror. I was so terrified that I stopped healing." Hector's eyes grew wide with seconds as it slowly became revealed to him. "Even now, I still fight hard against the fear I felt back there, it's overwhelming. It can't seem to go away but I was able to keep it in check with your company."
"Now see the way he reacted earlier. He was scared. Even scared of his own flames." Christa said, gazing at Hector's eyes directly. "You are able to fight the fear with my company, but he's unconscious and alone. Weak and vulnerable."
Hector's eyes flashed open as a pang of realization hit him. "That is what is happening to him. Fear."
"Yes. He heard Akotal's roar where he was and it's messing with his head." Christa nodded firmly.
A groan erupted and they turned to Benzo again.
He's awake.
Christa and Hector exchanged glances.
"And now we are stuck with the fear-stricken fire mutant. How are we gonna stop him." Hector's eyes flashed with fear at the mere thought of Benzo's flames burning him again.
"No, we won't stop him. We will stop the fear in him."
**********
Kylian took a deep breath as he stood by the door.
Knock! Knock!! Knock!!!
"Yes?" A voice boomed from the inside. "Whoever it is should wait, I'll be right there."
Kylian waited patiently.
The pattering sound of feets emanated towards the door and soon, the knob twisted and the door opened and Mac's face was revealed, bare chested.
His eyes widened when he saw Kylian. He turned back and was about to close the door.
Kylian quickly held up his hands. "Please, wait."
"What do you want?" Mac snapped.
"I really need your help." Kylian said, his weak eyes gazing at Mac.
"Humph! I have heard that before and it ended with my alpha losing his life." Mac glared.
"And now, the person responsible for your alphas death is out there, about to achieve what he wants."
"I already left Bren and the pack alone." Mac blinked with sadness in his voice.
"I'm not talking about Bren."
"Then who?"
"Akotal, he's still out there. We stopped him and were able to kill at first but he's back to life. And now, we only have till sundown before he comes to take her again."
"You mean the descendant who now turns out to be your mate?" Mac asked with sarcasm.
Kylian sighed. "Whether she is my mate or not, if Akotal gets her and does the sacrifice all we supernaturals in New York are done for because Akotal is a madman. And he won't stop until he has killed everyone that's been a blocking stone for him since, including you."
Mac gritted his dentition as he ruminated on what Kylian just said. After a while of thinking, he asked. "So now what?"
"We have something that might stop him. So grab your shirt, we have got a Primordial to kill."
*********
Woodhaven.
The witches gathered at the call of Sheila. They were all in the backyard of Sheila's house.
They all formed a circle and in their middle was a large pile of old books with leather covers.
The witches paved the way and Sheila walked through to the middle of them all.
She stood before the books and stared at it for a while before turning to look at the witches.
"We are gathered here today, to avert evil. As the servants of nature, we witches are obliged to stop any person who might want to use magic in an evil way. It's our duty to make magic a power that saves lives, not take it." Sheila's eyes burn with intensity as she addresses the witches.
"These books belong to many witch families across most regions in New York and even those in the Appalachian mountains. It wasn't created in a day. It's the product of constant practice and accountings of our ancestors over centuries. It contains many spells that can save our lives, make us able to protect ourselves but it also contains some that the enemy can use to their advantage. And now, we are here to burn it all."
"Generations to come will learn of this sacrifice we are about to make." Sheila nodded with assurance. "Let's begin."
With no further ado, the witches interlocked their hands and closed their eyes.
Sheila lifted her hands, skywards as they all began to chant loudly.
However, a loud screeching of tires emanated from the street end.
But the witches weren't even paying attention.
The screeches increased and increased each passing second. It was like it's doubling. And then, came the revving of cars, not one, because the noise they made was loud and disorganized.
One of the witches, a man, couldn't help it and he opened his eyes. He peeped over the barricade that surrounded the backyard, and he could see a bit of the streets. He saw nothing. Even though he was slightly curious, he closed his eyes back and focussed on what they are doing, spell casting
However, the screeching and noises at the end of the street became too much.
The man opened his eyes and moved away from the group. He strode to the barricades and he had a better look this time. When he gazed at the place the screeching was coming from, his eyes widened.
Behold, it's cars. Several of it, all swerving into the street one after the other, at high speed.
The man's brows furrowed in confusion.
He thought in his mind. 'What are these cars doing here?'
The cars drove at high speed through the one way road that ran through the street.
He was wondering what the car's were doing when all of a sudden, one of the cars swerved into a building and crashed into it.
Boom!!!
The car exploded in flames along with the house.
His eyes widened. His eyes flashed between the several other cars that zoomed into the street.
Another car crashed into another building and the explosion made Sheila and the other witches stop the spell they were casting.
"What's going on?" Sheila asked when he saw the man. "What are you doing? You should be here with us."
The man hadn't even replied when a car swerved and headed straight at Sheila's house.
His eyes went wide as he turned and took to his heels. "Run!!!"
The witches had no time to think when the car collided with the house and shattered through the front door.
Sheila and the witches could hear the crashing sounds as the car thrashed through the insides of the house, but it only lasted for a few seconds before the explosion happened.
Bang!!!
Flames bursted and everywhere shook hard.
The witches were flung away by the shockwave, including the man who was running for his life.
After a few minutes, the explosion had stopped.
But Sheila's house was nothing but a house of flames
At the backyard, bodies laid all around, unconscious, wounded or dead.
Sheila grunted as she sat upright. Blood dripped down her head and her vision was blurry.
She slowly got to her feets. Her eyes widened when she saw her house in flames. She casted a spell and with a swipe of her hand the flames all died out.
But the house was half-burnt.
Shock and disbelief flashed across her eyes as she gazed at her coven members all scattered around her.
Tears ran down her eyes as she could sense several of them were dead.
Just then, she heard a grunt and lifted her head. Her eyes gleamed with a mole of joy in the midst of the sadness that clouded her existence. "Miranda."
Miranda's head was bloody all over and her face was smeared with dust but she'll be fine.
Sheila's face was graced with a smile as she gazed at Miranda. But the smile disappeared when she saw a person standing behind Miranda.
Before she knew what's happening, a hand grabbed Miranda's neck and the claws on the fingers held her throat, ready to rip it apart.
Sheila's eyes widened when she saw the face of the person. "You!"
"Yes. It's me." Heald grinned as he clenched his fist on Miranda's neck the more. Just a simple pull and he would tear her throat apart. His red ringed green eyes glinted with murderous intent as he threatened. "Make a simple sound or take a step and sweet young Miranda will be gone."
***********