Of Wolves and Dragons: Artifacts-Book Two

Chapter Twenty

-Victoria's POV-

As our car stops at the gates of the school, the other two cars that are behind us with the rest of the girls and guys stop as well. 

I look in confusion at Isaac who is driving. “Why aren’t the gates opening?” 

“I don’t know. Stay here.” He says and gets out of the car with Luke following him. 

In my hands, wrapped in a towel is the white Chrystal. I hold it like a baby as if it was precious.  

Parker and Able also head out and they all start inspecting the gate.  

“Hey, it’s probably the whole lockdown thing.” Zach says coming up to them. “Remember when we called him a few hours ago. He said that the school was on lockdown. That most students have left and that those that didn’t have a family to go to, stayed behind but they were on lockdown. No one can get in or out.” 

“Then how are we supposed to get in?” Marina shouts from her car. 

“Here, let me call my aunt.” Zach says. 

We wait and wait but nothing. “She’s not picking up.” He sighs. “Let me open them.” 

“You can?” Luke asks him. 

He nods. “Yea. Since we are students with a simple spell, we can come in.” 

He walks over to the gate and he chants a spell. The gates open immediately. They come back to get in the car and drive in but Zach stands in front of the gates. 

“What’s wrong?” I shout at him. 

He slowly turns back to look at us with a somber expression. “The barriers are down.” 

(Oh no.) 

I get out of the car along with everyone else. Marina takes her phone and starts calling the headmaster but he doesn’t pick up. Isaac goes back into the car with his phone, probably calling our pack and Luke does the same. 

We are about to start walking in but Zach stops us. “There’s a great amount of magic coming from there.” He doesn’t point but gives a pointed look to the field that is on the right side of the school. 

(“He is right, I can feel it.”) Archion says. 

“What do you think it is?” I whisper. 

“I think... maybe it feels like a cloaking spell.” He says but doesn't sound too sure. 

I stand there trying to think.  "Maybe they are trying to ambush us."

Zach nods. "It's a possibility."

“Did you figure out how to use the crystal?” I ask him. 

“I have an idea after reading some of your grandma's books but I’m not sure it will work.” He says. 

(We don’t have a choice now. It will have to.) 

“What do we do then?” Holly asks. 

“I am walking over there. You guys follow but stay at a distance in case I have to use my powers.” I tell them. 

They all nod. Even Luke and Isaac nod. They trust me unlike the first time we went into battle and they thought I couldn’t handle it. 

We all start getting ready since we don't know what is waiting for us.

Nolan gives his car keys to Marina. “Go to my pack, Luke already called them and their warriors are on their way. You will be safe there.” 

She kisses him with a tight hug. “Be careful.” She says cupping his face. She gives him one more kiss and then leaves. 

I go over to Isaac and Luke and hug them. "Don't do anything stupid ok?" I say to both of them.

"We won't if you don't." Luke says.

I giggle. "Fine."

I stand back and look at them. "I love you both. Be careful."

Isaac pulls me to him and kisses me and once he is done, Luke does the same.

I turn around and give the crystal to Zach. Then I start walking towards the field but he holds me back. “Wait. There is something I’ve been working on.” 

I squint my eyes at him. “Another secret from my family book.” 

He gives me a guilty smile. “Yea, sorry.” 

I laugh. “Don’t worry. I can’t use any of those books and my grandmother's line of witches died with me... well her cause I was never one. 

He smiles and takes out a little box. He opens it and inside there are small pearls.  

He looks at me again with an awkward look. “I also took those pearls from your grandma's house... sorry.” 

I roll my eyes giggling. “What are they for.” 

“Everyone take one, as long as we are in close proximity, we can talk to each other.” 

I look at him surprised and impressed. 

“Well, you know. Just in case you need us to run out of your way... I don’t want to die burned to death... or eaten by your dragon. 

Archion growls in my head. (“I would never stoop so low as to eat a filthy human! And I am not YOUR dragon!”) 

I giggle. “Well, now I think he wants to burn you to a crisp.” 

Zach looks at me with concern. We all reach to the box and take a pearl. 

I stare at mine. “Tell you what, after all this is over and if we survive. I will lend you my grandma's grimoire so you can study it properly. 

He looks at me with wide eyes. “Really?” 

I smile. “Yea.” 

I put the pearl in my pocket and test it. “Hello?” 

“Hello.” 

“Yea.” 

“What.” 

Everyone talks at the same time. 

Isaac sighs. “Ok, everyone talks only if there is something important to say.” 

We nod. 

We start to walk into the field and as I get closer, even I can start to feel the magic. 

(“Stop here.”) Archion says and I do what he says.

I take a deep breath. “If this cloaking spell is not lowered down, then I will incinerate everything that is in front of me!” I shout to what looks like emptiness. 

I wait a few seconds but see no change.  

“Fine then.” I take a deep breath and am about to reign dragon fire on whoever or whatever is in there but at that moment the cloak falters and then it comes down revealing Endora with an army of witches behind her and a crystal orb on her hand. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You would kill them too.” She says. She tilts her hand and points to the side. 

Some of the witches have a few of the teachers including Mrs. Adams and the headmaster in bad shape and tied up. 

Now I’m angry right out the bat. “Let them go!” I use a low menacing tone.

“You do not make demands to me little girl!” She shouts in a commanding tone but it does nothing. I don’t fear her and maybe I should but when I am angry, all reason goes out the window. 

(“Victoria, that orb is where all the magic is coming from.”) Archion says. 

(Holly: “Who is that?”) She says in my head. 

(Luke: “That sounded like Archion.) 

(Archion: “Yes, it was I.”) 

(Parker: “We can hear that lizard too?”) 

(Archion: He growls. “Pray that Victoria doesn’t let me out because I am coming for you first little dog.”) 

(Parker: “Holly crap! I was just joking, calm your tail down.) 

(SHHHH!) I shush them all. I can’t concentrate with all of them talking. 

I look at the orb. (If that’s what she needs to do that spell, then that’s our target. But how can we get it?)

(“Isaac, we need that orb.”) I say to him in my head. 

He looks at it. (Isaac: “Okay, everyone focus on the teachers and only them so that they think that they are our goal. Holly, Abel, you have that Vamp speed, your target is that orb but makes sure to hide your intention. Vic, keep talking to her to give time for Luke's pack to get here since they live closer than mine. They’ll be here any minute, the moment we hear the first howl from his pack, we do this. That’s when they’ll be distracted.”) 

(He’s a natural-born leader, if it weren't for the situation we are in, he would be turning me on right now.) 

I focus back on Endora. “You want me? Well, this time, it won’t be that easy. I am prepared for you now.” 

She scoffs. “And yet, I have the upper hand. You wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to your teachers, right.” 

("Take a jab at her ego.") Archion says.

I smirk. “The great Endora. The stories about you are just that, stories. Ha! I don’t even think you are that Endora. Mother of witches. Daughter of Lilith.” 

Her face churns into anger but I continue. “Look at what you are resorting to. You are nothing to admire or to fear. You are weak.” I spit out with disdain in my tone.

"You dare, speak to me like that!" She shouts. “I will show you who I truly am!” 

She suddenly stops along with all of us hearing the howl that comes from the forest. 

Endora and all the witches look towards the forest and with speed that I never knew Holly and Abel possessed, they take run towards her. Holly reaches for the orb but Endora retracts her hand just in time however she doesn’t see Able who nocks the orb to the ground and it shatters into pieces. Holly and Abel quickly get behind me again. 

( I knew they were fast but I didn't think they would be that fast.)

“NO!” Endora screams. 

She looks at me like she wants to rip me apart but I give her a smirk. 

“You are being more trouble than your worth.” I hear her say between clenched teeth. She looks at the witches. “We’ll just have to take her with us.” 

I shake my head slowly. “Not happening.” 

The wolves descend towards the witches from behind, flanking them. 

Endora lifts both her arms in the air. “Begin!” She shouts to the witches. They all meet the wolves head-on and start fighting. 

Parker, Nolan, and Zach run towards the witches that are holding the teachers hostage and start fighting them off. Isaac shifts into his wolf and stands in defense next to me with Luke who is still in his human form. 

Endora is accompanied by a group of witches that don’t leave her side. While Endora starts to chant, the witches start to walk in my direction but Luke and Isaac hold them off while I focus on Endora. 

Like always, I can’t use my powers at full strength because a lot of our people will get hurt. 

I lift my hand to the front and let fire spew from them towards Endora. Endora stops chanting and holds her hand up blocking it with shield magic. But then she does something that surprises me. She walks forward still chanting the same spell and still blocking my fire with another spell. Witches can only do one spell at a time. 

(“I told you who she is, you shouldn't be surprised. She’s not at her full power yet but I’m sure she is strong enough to take us head-on.”) Archion says as a matter-of-factly. (“Never underestimate her.”) 

I use wind power to fan my fire making it stronger but Endora doesn't even sweat. She continues chanting and pushing me back. 

I can see her hands start to glow the more she chants. I look to each of my sides where Isaac and Luke are fighting at. If I use more power, I will hurt them too. 

(“Isaac, Luke, can you lure them away from me. I need to use more power and-) I start to say in my mind but stop when I see that Endora finished her spell. 

With one hand shielding from my fire, she lifts the other and throws a lightning blue energy sphere at me. I stop my powers so I can shield myself knowing that I am going to take the spell head-on. But, from nowhere both Isaac and Luke get in front of me. The spell hits them and I see in horror as they both fall to the ground. I run to them and see that they are lifeless. Eyes open, pale and lifeless. 

"Damn!" Endora says seeing that she didn't kill me.

Something rises inside of me. Pain, my heart shatters at that moment. I kneel next to them, Luke's hands cold and his face is pale. Isaacs wolf with opened eyes, unmoving and not breathing.

(My mates... my loves are dead.) 

Tears streak down my face and my shattering scream pierce through everyone in the field being carried by my magic through the wind. Everyone, even the enemy stops motionless hearing my despair. I take another breath and give another scream, the earth beneath all of us shakes and starts to c***k under our feet as anger rises inside me. 

My hands shake, my head hurts. Darkness comes over me. I stand up and look to the field where everyone watches me, even Endora who looks bored. Not even caring.

“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU ALL.” I have lost all sense. At this point... I don’t care who dies anymore.