Chapter 248 - His Mate or His Girlfriend
She was attractive, and looked no older than 30, which Melanie knew was an illusion. Sybl had taken great care to appear as youthful as ever thanks to all the potions and magic she used on herself.
"So you finally found the courage to face me Sybl," Melanie said in a steely voice, looking Sybl straight in the eye.
“Who?” Brad asked, disbelief written across his face. He looked between Melanie and the dark witch. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. Melanie might have tan skin like her father, but if she dyed her hair red, she'd look exactly like the lady in front of them.
“Melanie,” Sybl said in a sickly sweet voice. “Dear child, is that any way to greet your mother?”
“Mother?!” Brad exclaimed, completely aghast. His face went as white as a sheet and he suddenly felt off-kilter in the wake of this new knowledge. But in retrospect, he should have put two and two together. Of course Sybl was Melanie's mother, considering that the Earth Witch gene was inherited. Who else could Melanie had inherited it from within her coven if not Sybl? He could kick himself for not stopping to actually THINK.
Melanie shot Brad an apologetic glance. This was now how she’d wanted him to find out the truth.
Sybl laughed again, her face contorting into an evil smirk.
“I see you’ve been keeping secrets from your little boyfriend.”
Melanie gave a start. How did Sybl know…?
“You can’t hide anything from me. I’ve had my eyes on you dear. It doesn’t take much to spot the signs of a secret tryst between two lovers,” Sybl snickered. She looked over at Brad. “You got a little sloppy with your make-believe prom night.”
Melanie’s stomach sank. They’d been seen out in public. Sybl probably had someone constantly tracking her for all she knew. There was no way to write off dinner and dancing as a professional meeting. But she’d been so careful, portalling to Brad's house straight from her room and he’d made sure no one was around his house.
“And let’s not forget all those times you spent at your pack’s alpha mansion,” Sybl chuckled. “Or the times you trained with this boy on his pack lands.” Sybl smiled as Melanie felt the pit of her stomach drop. How did Sybl know all of this? “How is Selene? Did you enjoy your reunion with your half-sister and nephew?” Sybl’s voice had become ominous, threatening.
Melanie moved forward, instinctively making to lunge at Sybl for daring to threaten Selene’s son. But Brad held out an arm, stopping her, then the outraged gamma lifted a finger accusingly.
“You’re trying to fight your own daughter?!” he asked incredulously, his voice filled with equal parts of rage and disgust.
Sybl tutted. “I’m not trying to fight her, I’m trying to convince her to join me. To do what she was meant to do all long. To fulfill her destiny!”
“So I was only conceived to help you in your fight?” Melanie asked resignedly and shook her head.
“No child no….” crooned Sybl. “You were conceived to be my perfect heir. To take over when I am gone. This-“ she threw her arms up, motioning around her. “-I’m building all this for you. Don’t you see?” Sybl asked with inquiring eyes. “You are my legacy. My work will live on….in you.”
“I want no part of this!” Melanie roared, lifting her hands and shooting streams of fire towards Sybl.
Sybl threw up her own palms, a rush of water met Melanie’s fire.
“You will feel differently soon!” Sybl cackled. “Everything I’ve done…I’ve done for you! Who do you think put Jenny in charge of your care when you were a baby?”
Melanie faltered momentarily, her fire dyed out and she became drenched in water.
“Jenny was your spy all along,” Melanie muttered in surprise, soaking wet from the water Sybl threw her way.
“She was my obedient slave,” Sybl corrected, twirling her hands so that a strong breeze flew around Melanie, drying her hair. “I merely asked her to take up your charge. She didn’t know you were my daughter, else she would have told me when you were taken away. I was angry at her for not conveying that to me. No matter, my allies helped me locate you. And dear Jenny...oh she begged and begged for a second chance to help me. See-“ Sybl explained, a sinister smile on her face as the winds around Melanie and Brad sped up. “-she was devoted to me. So I promoted her to work in the coven headquarters.”
“Was devoted to you?” Melanie queried in confusion. Had Jenny changed sides? Then why had it looked like she’d been fighting Ricky in the cave?
Sybl shrugged.
“I think Antonio just killed her back in the cave.”
Melanie gasped. How was Sybl able to know what was going on? Extending a finger, Sybl allowed a tiny bluebird to come rest on it.
“Every Earth Witch has her own special gift, Melanie,” Sybl said off-handedly.
Melanie’s eyes widened in surprise. Bluebirds…
“These beauties are my eyes and ears. I trained them to act as my spies, and they’re loyal.”
Sybl’s eyes glowed momentarily blue, as did the bird's eyes. Melanie watched as flows of energy moved from the tiny bird and into Sybl. It was some type of transfer of power...of...Melanie's eyes widened in realization. It was a transfer of information taking place telepathically. Then the bird flew away, off to gather more intel.
“You can communicate with animals?” Melanie queried, trying to buy time and figure out how this gift of Sybl’s worked.
“I can communicate with a specific breed of birds and if I train them accordingly, they act as my spies,” Sybl corrected.
Melanie couldn’t help but think back to all those times as a little girl she’d seen a bluebird perched nearby as she worked in the garden. She faintly recalled spotting a bird in the dark that night when Sybl had sent rogues to attack her pack. The night she’d thought she’d heard her mother calling her.
“No wonder,” scoffed Brad. “Birds are airborne. I was looking for intruders on my land, not in the skies.”
Sybl tilted her head, looking at Brad with a twisted grin.
“Of course my birds couldn’t stay too long on your lands….there is a deep magic embedded within the Crimson Pheonix Pack lands which repelled my birds. Magic granted by the moon goddess herself. However, it was easy for them to roam around the Silver Creek Pack, and it helped that Alistair was my ally before the new alpha took over. They already knew the land and could hide easily.” Sybl tutted. “Such a shame the poison I gave him never killed off Alpha Xavier like it was supposed too. Then my birds might have been more well-aquainted with your lands too.”
“You were the dark witch helping Alistair!” Brad exclaimed with contempt. Hearing that name sent Brad into the past. Anger coursed through his veins as he recalled that Alistair had been responsible for his father's death. The poison Sybl referred too had been given to Dylan by mistake and he'd very nearly died.
Sybl shrugged.
“We had a deal…he agreed that if I helped him with Xavier-“ Sybl stopped short, looking towards Melanie. “Enough talk,” Sybl said brusquely. “Now child, come join me. Let us summon Asmodeus together.”
Melanie shook her head, the wind raging around her and whipping her dark hair around her face.
“I will never join you!” Melanie spat, taking a few steps back.
Brad positioned himself protectively infront of Melanie.
“Then I’ll just have to make you,” Sybl responded stonily.
The wind ceased and all was still as Melanie tensed for Sybl’s attack. But instead it was Brad who fell to the floor in pain clutching his head. His head wad pounding as Sybl’s dark magic invaded his brain. And then suddenly, his eyes became black. He stood up, looking blankly at Sybl. Sybl gave a sinister laugh.
“Brad?” Melanie asked softly, inching closer towards him.
Brad gave no response, merely looking at Sybl without blinking.
“I knew having a sample of his hair would come in handy one day,” Sybl said with a smirk. “One of my rogues managed to get it after that fight in your High School. He’s now under my spell. He will obey my every command until the spell breaks. Come here boy,” Sybl commanded.
Brad robotically walked towards Sybl, still unblinking.
“Now, what shall I make you do?” Sybl asked in a sing song voice. “Should I make you turn and attack your own brothers fighting my rogues? Or-“ Sybl hummed, her eyes settling on Melanie. “-should I make your girlfriend watch while you go jump to your death?”