Chapter 156
Drakoen's vanguard arrived at Vaugnhnorths and in front of it all, was none other than Mercedes.
" Mercedes..."Alexa whispered, her voice cracking.
Alexa couldn't believe her eyes. Without thinking, she tried to reach out to her, but Isadora pulled her back and shook her head. Alexa came back to her senses and composed herself. It was Mercedes, alright. There was no mistaking it. She stood tall and steady, without a falter. There was something different about her. Her eyes were dark and cold as she stared at the students, Isadora and Alexa. Her cold gaze sent a shiver down everyone's spine. Mercedes was standing in front of them, but she was not the Mercedes they knew.
" Can you see that?" Isadora asked Alexa without removing her gaze from Mercedes.
" Her eyes are completely lifeless. You can't see any warmth in them. Right now, that's not Mercedes. I am afraid that she is one with the enemies," she continued as her gaze swept through the army of cloaked mages behind her.
Alexa was quiet. Even though she kind of expected something like this to have been the case, she couldn't digest it now that Mercedes was right in front of her eyes. Looking into her eyes she could see nothing but emptiness. No sign of her at all. The spark that once lit up in her eyes was no longer there. There was just an unsettling blankness in them.
Alexa gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She was suddenly boiling with anger. She was angry at herself for not being able to protect Mercedes, and she was angry at Drakoen for defiling and corrupting her into something she couldn't recognize anymore. It broke Alex's heart into a million pieces. All she wanted to do was lunge at her and pull her into a warm embrace, hoping that it would somehow reach her and snap her out of Drakoen's spell, but even she knew that was impossible. It wouldn't be simple to get through to her and the situation wasn't exactly the best for her to do anything.
The dark army and Mercedes were the only ones there and Drakoen was not there. Did he send Mercedes with his army to do his dirty work?
Before anyone could say anything, Mercedes started talking, her voice cutting through the tense and cold air of the night.
" If any of you value your life, you better surrender."
No one dared to move or say anything. The students were confused since they didn't know what was going on. To them, one of theirs had defected and was now with the enemy army. They didn't know the truth.
" I am afraid that is not going to be possible, Mercedes. None of us here came with the intention of surrendering. We came here to fight and defend our academy and the realms from your...master," Isadora finally replied firmly as the headmistress of Vaugnhnorths. Alexa couldn't say anything. She thought she was composed and could face Mercedes in an attempt to save her, but she was no longer sure about it. She could barely breathe while thinking about Mercedes. She was still bewildered by Drakoen's power. Mercedes was not an ordinary werewolf, not to mention that she was the last white wolf possessing the power of a thousand witches. How was he able to bend her will to his for such a long time? She snapped out of her thoughts when Mercedes started moving forward.
Everyone became tense.
" That doesn't matter. Vaugnhnorths will fall. Whether you fight or not, it doesn't matter," Mercedes said, her voice ringing clear yet soulless.
She kept walking forward, her movements mechanical. Everyone was on guard, ready to defend the moment she attacked. Alexa came forward and stood in front of the students. She wanted to protect them from Mercedes. If she attacked, they wouldn't even stand the chance to defend themselves against her. Only she could stop her from hurting her.
" Mercedes, stop it. Don't do this. This is not you. Drakoen is making you act and talk that way. Snap out of it, okay?"
Alexa knew that her words wouldn't get through her, but it was the only thing she could say at the moment.
" Surrender," Mercedes said, her voice flat but commanding.
" Resistance is futile."
" We won't surrender to our death. We will fight to the death," Alexa replied in resistance and determination gleaming in her eyes. She stood her ground, not letting herself be shaken by Mercedes' threat. But she had a feeling. The only way she would be able to get through to Mercedes would be to allow her to get closer to her. She would have to make a bet and put her life on the line for it. If her plan worked, then her sacrifice would be worth it, but if not, then it would be worth the try.
Mercedes lunged forward to attack Alexa with her clawed hand. She swiped her hand inches away from Alexa's face before Alexa dodged her attack and moved back, putting some distance between them.
Mercedes wanted to try again, but Alexa took out her whip and swiped at her, making her dodge and move back as well.
Alexa sensed Isadora trying to come to her rescue, but she stopped her.
" No. Stay back. Don't come any closer!"
Mercedes was too savage and would hurt anyone without control. Only she could confront her at that moment. They both couldn't fight Mercedes because the girls would be left without any command.
Both of them clashed again, and it was thunderous because of Alexa's whip, which Mercedes managed to dodge with precision. The impact of their clash left the earth shaken like an earthquake. Isadora had to strengthen the barrier around the girls to protect them from the force of the fight.
Even though she wanted to help Alexa, she couldn't leave the girls defenseless. She was the only one who could guide them through the fight while Alexa was still occupied. Even so, she was so afraid that Mercedes would hurt Alexa. Her attacks were controlled but sharp. She clearly aimed to kill Alexa as an enemy before her. The thirst for blood was visible in her eyes and her vicious attacks. Alexa could only defend herself from her attacks, but she could barely keep up with her speed and strength. Alexa slashed the whip in her direction, hoping to land an attack that would slow her down. Mercedes caught the whip in her hand and took the blow of the thunder strike. Its force zapped through her body, making her heart pound painfully. Alexa thought she got her but she was wrong. She quickly regained her composure. With Alexa's whip still in her hand, she used it to pull Alexa to her and managed to land a punch on her stomach.
Mercedes's punch was strong, and it sent Alexa flying, and she crashed on the ground. She spit a mouth full of blood.
There was no time to waste. While Alexa was busy stalling Mercedes, Isadora had to play her part as well. The dark army was right in front of them, posing as much a threat as Mercedes. They couldn't let them go into Vaughnorths. Chaos broke out between the dark army and the witches of Vaughnorths. As they were taught, they paired up in teams and attacked in coordination.
" Hold fast! Remember your training. Stand together!" Isadora yelled, her voice ringing like a bell through the chaos.
Drakoen was nearby, watching and the battlefield erupted into a fury of spells and magic. He hid in and kept watching from the sideline. He wanted to observe Mercedes's behavior and, so far, she was still performing well. No signs of regaining control over her body. He was preserving his strength so he would be able to maintain his control over his puppet. She was his hope to be victorious, and he planned to use her to his advantage.