Chapter 30: Inferno

The meeting that Kashina held had just concluded, and all the witches had left. Kashina was alone in the coven, preparing some potions when Zayn zapped in.

“Kashina, my father is unwell.” Kashina observed Zayn’s body language and saw that it was a matter of urgency. Quickly, she walked over to him and held his wrist, and they both vanished from the coven.

****

With Ericka’s spirit lifted and her energy back up, she walked up the stairs, humming the melodies Sage had played with the flute. She got to her room, pushed the door open, and walked to her closet to pick out nightwear, ready to freshen up for the night. However, she paused, realizing that she had stepped into her room without unlocking the door with a key, which was unusual as she always closed her door, even if she was stepping somewhere within her house. She turned to observe her room, hoping no one had tried to come in.

Ericka noticed that the duvet on her bed was not as properly straightened out as she had left it. She was sure now that someone had not only come into her room but had also explored it.

The bed was the least of Ericka’s concerns right now. She walked over to a bowl that was across her bed on a table with ancient designs. The bowl contained black liquid content, but when Ericka stirred the bowl, the substance in it seemed to be more liquid. This was not how she had left it. Her spell had been tampered with. Ericka stood and stared at the bowl in horror.

If the spell she had set up to work independently of her while she was at the coven was ruined, then Sage's hybrid energy must have been exposed. Ericka tried not to panic yet; she couldn't feel Sage's hybrid energy, so she thought it was still sealed, somehow.

Ericka heard the doorbell ring, followed by an excited scream from her daughter.

“Oh my gosh, she’s here already!” Clara said excitedly.

‘Oh no,’ Ericka exclaimed before dashing out of her room. She could sense the energy at her front door, and it was one she would not have at her house.

“Who are you?” Jane questioned with a perplexed look as she answered the door.

Ericka paused on the stairs and looked at the entrance. She could see a pale-looking figure with a sinister smile plastered on their face.

“Jane, move away!” Ericka screamed, however, Jane stood still, not understanding why her mother would be screaming at her to move.

Seeing that Jane wasn’t moving, Ericka used her telekinesis ability to pull Jane inside and push the vampire at the door back out, creating distance between them.

With all the noise coming from downstairs, Sage left her room and came down to witness the commotion.

Ericka sighted Sage at the stairs and held her hands. “Sage, I need you to run as far as you can away from here, run away with the twins and don’t return.” Sage didn’t understand what Ericka was saying.

“What’s happening?” Sage asked for clarification, but just as Ericka was about to explain, the pale-looking lady approached the door again.

“Ericka stared in shock as she recognized the pale figure as the woman from school who Clark had warned her about.

“That’s not how to treat a visitor now, is it?” Venzy cracked her neck. An unexpected invisible force had hit her out of the house, but it didn’t cause any serious damage except for a few broken bones that were now going back to their original positions. Venzy should have expected it; the guardian of the hybrid was a witch, so it wouldn’t be easy to just come in and pick up who she wanted.

“And don’t tell the girl to run,” Venzy added, having a serious expression on her face. “I’m here because of her.” Venzy quickly charged at Ericka, who was standing protectively in front of Sage. She stuck her 5 long fingers into Ericka’s stomach.

It was unexpected for Ericka, and Ericka was also drained from her journey to the twin mountains. She was not as active as she should be in front of a potential threat.

Venzy pushed Ericka back, and Sage caught her. Venzy planned on dealing with any obstruction before taking Sage away. She walked down the stairs, leaving Sage and Ericka, and went towards Jane, who was down on the floor. Venzy lowered herself to Jane's level and smiled friendly at her.

Jane’s heart was pounding roughly in her chest, but she felt like her heart was in her mouth after witnessing the horrific thing the pale lady had done to her mother.

Venzy used the tip of her index fingers to tear open Jane’s abdomen. Clara, who was inches away, was screaming loudly as she watched.

Sage didn’t know who this stranger was, but she now knew Clark was telling her the truth about this lady. Sage left Ericka's side and dashed at the lady.

She groaned as she hit the lady away from Jane.

Venzy wasn’t expecting so much power from Sage, and she started reconsidering her choice. It was better she put Sage down now before handling the family.

“Oh my, you would be a pain in my ass if I don’t take care of you now,” Venzy said.

The lady was about to come at Sage but was stopped by an invisible barrier separating her from everybody else. Ericka had gotten up, clutching her stomach tightly; she had deep holes in her abdomen but had used her magic to stop blood loss.

“Sage, run away with the twins, promise to protect them. Go,” Ericka screamed.

“I can’t leave you here.”

“Don’t worry, I'll be fine, just get out of here and promise to protect your cousins.” Sage now understood Ericka; with everything that was happening, this lady was out to kill them.

Sage couldn't help but wonder if this was the person responsible for the deaths around town and in school. “Clark!” Sage’s mind quickly went back to her best friend. ‘Did this lady hurt him?’

“Sage! Go,” Ericka yelled, bringing Sage out of her thoughts.

“I promise to take care of them,” Sage said as she lifted Jane up carefully. Sage held Clara's hand and in a zap, she was out of the house through the back door. Ericka held up the shield until she could not feel Sage's presence anymore.

Venzy charged at the already weakened Ericka and stabbed her again with her nails, this time twisting her hands inside of Ericka's stomach. Ericka mouthed a few words before she slumped. The room caught fire, quickly consuming everything it touched, including Ericka's body.

Venzy, realizing it wasn’t just a normal fire, quickly ran out of the house and watched it burn, angered that she had the hybrid at her fingertips but had escaped. She wasn’t at a loss though; how far could the hybrid run, holding onto two dazed children? She would go as fast as she could and comb the forest from here, but she would need assistance from other vampires.

She also had to be fast; she didn’t want to be in the forest when those demons started coming out.