RETURN OF THE HYBRID (Book III)

Chapter 16

Cassandra crawled further into the war zone not knowing where she was going. Unlike Gaia she was not facing any problems walking among the kings men after casting a spell that turned her into a boy and a handsome one in that case although the spell was fading the soldiers were actually congratulating her for putting his life on the line for the kingdom and king Rhode himself. She found her way on the same route Gaia had been. There were men on their horses along the road. She could feel the spell fading and she had to recast it. But to do that she needed to get of her horse.

"Good day soldier" one of the men said to her.

"Good day, all hail king Rhode" She said hiding her face.

"I need a favor soldier, a dozen of our men went back to kill a witch a few minutes ago if you meet them kindly tell them to join us" he said.

Cassandra's heart skipped a beat. Two words in the statement were standing out. Kill and witch. She really hoped none of her girls was stupid enough to ignore her directive of staying back in the castle and letting her handle the search. It was a sign of love which she appreciated but what was love if caused her pain? She cherished having the girls around her knowing they were going to carry over her work and protect the people against bad super natural beings like Ariella and her brother Zeli.

"Can you describe the witch?"

"Yes, she said she is one of the Oracles girls we are also looking for the oracle herself. She lied about the prince being a savior and now the royals want him dead..."

"Wait what royals want him dead. I lost my unit some few days back I did not get the word" Cassandra pretended.

The description of the witch was no longer important. She already knew it was one of her girls and her best guess was Gaia. She was the one having problems with following the rules.

“The queen and her sister Ariella, he is presumed dead but the soldiers are instructed to kill him in case he is not"

"Thank you soldier I will notify your men" she said riding away.

A few strides away the spell faded completely and she was back to her usual female form. She realized maybe to penetrate the unit send to kill the said witch she needed to blend in so when she got in the woods she recast the spell and turned into a man again. She could hear voices in the woods. Cassandra crept slowly until she got to an opening. Bodies were lying sprawled in the ground. Some with no heads, hearts ripped out of their rib cages, others with no spines.

"I told you he is not dead" Ariella said.

"Is this his doing?" Queen Aliya asked surprised.

Cassandra figured it was Ariella and Aliya. And lying dead was the unit that she was sent to fetch. There was no sign of Gaia or any of her girls. And Leon was alive. She had a lot to celebrate but not just yet.

"You haven't seen much of him, this is his calm version. Your dear prince is a beast" she said moving closer to where Cassandra was hiding.

She froze.

"Beasts were killed and went extinct a long time ago" General Gilbert said.

"He is a special one, I created him I know" Ariella said.

Aliya got mad.

"All you and you are pretending to help us? Seize her!" She ordered.

"You didn't just say that" Ariella said smiling.

"She did" Osteen said gladly.

It was the moment the queen’s generals had been waiting for. To buy herself more time Ariella looking for a distraction exposed Cassandra. She carried and dropped her right in the middle of the queen’s soldiers and her slowing them down.

"Who are you?" Ariella asked grabbing her neck.

"One of my soldiers" Aliyah said confidently.

Ariella looked at her straight in the eyes. Poor Cassandra did not know she was tapping into her brain. It was how she did it.

"Not what you think" Ariella said casting a spell.

Cassandra appeared right in front of them. They were surprised and confused. She just stood there not knowing what to do. Magic was not that wildly accepted in Clivestone kingdom as king Rhode thought. And she was also perplexed to finally meet Ariella, phoebe's daughter and Zeli's sister.

"The oracle?" Aliya asked.

"She is a witch and she is helping your prince" Ariella said.

"You are lying" Aliya’s said.

"Tell her you are not looking for him to tell him about the five kings and bringing back the wizard Allen who almost ended the world"

Cassandra was perplexed how she came to know about all that by just looking at her in the eyes. And she hated her for lying to get herself out of trouble. No one wanted to bring back Allen. They wanted the sword of life and death.

"Is it true?" Aliya asked.

"Let's kill them both, one created the beast prince and the other is helping him. If you ask me your majesty they are both guilty" general Osteen offered his unsolicited advice.

"Not my sister we kill her"

Cassandra spoke up.

"Without giving me a chance to defend myself, this here is an intruder. She is not your sister" Cassandra said buying herself more time to come up with an escape plan.

"As queen I sentence you to death for disrespecting my family" Aliya ordered.

It was not her. They did not see what Ariella's ginger was doing. She was smart. If Leon had not met Cassandra yet then he had no idea why he was in 1823 and there was no way he could leave without fulfilling his destiny. She had him right where she wanted.

However it was too early to celebrate her win. A cloud of moisture covered the entire area.

"Who is that?" Osteen asked.

"Not me" Cassandra said raising her hands.

She did not want to risk using her magic despite risking death. All she was hoping for was a savior to show up and if the cloud was not Ariella's doing it was the savior she was inaudibly praying for.

"Not me either" Ariella said looking around.

It was strange even to her.

"Kill them both and get me out of here" Aliya ordered.

"You are joking right?" Ariella asked as they got totally covered by the mist.

She was mocking her. They couldn't see anything then she realized something was amiss.

"Hold the witch it's him" Ariella shouted.

"Who" Aliya asked in a panicking tone.

"Adonis!" Cassandras voice could be heard further in the woods.

Before Ariella cleared the mist she was gone. They all looked at her confused.

"Where did she go?" Aliya asked.

"Thanks to you now he knows how to get out of here, come on let's go make you king" Ariella said marching forward.

"What?"

"Stop right there!" Osteen ordered.

All the spears and swords, arrows and clubs with other blunt objects that could take a century to cut a blade of grass were pointed at Ariella. She had it coming the entire trip, death. She was now a threat to the queen, the entire kingdom. Funny how things changed so fast. Perhaps it was time she showed them what she was capable of.

"You are not going anywhere you created him, who knows maybe you are his mother" Aliya said.

"I've been sterile since I was conceived now get out of my way before I make all you regret stepping foot on the same earth with me" she hissed.

Instead of retreating more of them surrounded her.

"Am trying to help you here. Leon will kill all of you gladly now that he knows you wanted him dead your best choice is to line with me or against me sounds better because I'll kill you before he does"

"Neither, and don't think for a second I believe that you are my sister" Aliya finally broke the pot that was carrying the big secret.

The men turned around to look at their queen then her sister. For sure there was some resemblance.

"She is not my sister kill her, let it be known she died from an attack by Baxter’s men, we escaped narrowly" Aliya said.

Ariella started laughing. She was giving it a thought while standing there. Making her plans, Zeli couldn't possess Aliya unless summoned by something or someone and she was his only link to 1823. Kill Aliya kill Zeli’s presence no tabs on her. Then she could easily kill King Rhode and drain him of his blood so that Leon couldn't get the final piece to unlock the sword of life and death. It was a perfect plan. After that she was going back to her desired timeline. Back to sky view and green view, to old fort and owl city where she could replenish her magic.

"It's been long since I used the earth element of magic" she said her iris glowing red.

"Kill her!" Aliya shouted.

The ground under their feet started shaking and they were unstable, floating on it like ice bergs on water. It was like a short magnitude earth tremor around them.

"You move you die early, any final words?"

"Send and arrow through her throat!" Osteen shouted.

"I'm trying!" Gilbert said with his bow.

Honestly he was trying but chances were, the arrow could have hit someone undesirable or hit Ariella but not the throat. He released it anyway and it came as a surprise to him, he had never missed that bad. Ariella stopped the arrow midair. Time metaphorically stopped and she just like changed the direction of the arrow increased its magnitude and when everything went back to normal...he had it through his heart. The great Gilbert killed himself. Then like a magnet she took away all their weapons, swords and spears with blunt objects, even axes made of wood.

"Am sorry" Aliya said.

"I wanted to make this a queendom with you the queen but I guess I have to do it on my own, no one crosses Ariella" she said her hands spread out.

She then closed her eyes and started chanting, a strong wind made a circle around them, then the earth cracked as the swirling wind pushed them inside the c***k one after the other. Their screams and pleads were all in vein, when it was done she sealed the c***k. They were safe from Leon. And that's how it became Clivestone queendom 1823.

*******

"How does it feel to move like that?" Cassandra asked Leon when they stopped in the woods.

They had been moving in super speed for a distance and Leon realized she was new at it perhaps she needed rest and besides it was overwhelming.

"Great, it just feels free what were you planning to do?" Leon asked picking up the pace on foot.

"I guess cast an invisibility spell" She said following him.

"You realize Ariella was there, there is no spell she doesn't know"

Cassandra stopped. She realized something. The same doubt that killed Aliya and twenty of the best soldiers in the kingdom.

"We should get moving they might be following us"

"You didn't think to tell me she is your mother?"

It sounded funny to him. He smiled and wished it was true.

"Not funny Adonis or Leon whatever"

"My mother died along time... She just died"

"I meant she created you"

"Yes to be her weapon but here I am she wants to kill me. Mother's don't kill their own children...speaking of which don't kill Gaia. She followed you"

Cassandra flinched and continued following him.

"I knew it! She the rebellious one"

"She loves you too" Leon.

They got to the cave where Johannes was waiting. Gaia was lying on a skin, a sleeping beauty with her head supported by a piece of cloth. The cave was warm and comfy.

"Why is it that every time you and Gaia are together she must be passed out?” Cassandra asked rushing to check her pulse.

"We've only met twice"

"And in both occasions she was fainted"

"I guess she likes it that way, Cassandra meet my first sire in 1823 his name is Johannes but I call him mike"

She looked at Johannes.

"So you can turn people into beasts??"

"Yes but not monsters don't ask that anyway you must have something for me for you to come all this way. What is it?"

"It's all in my head"

"Good"

Leon moved in super speed and grabbed her head with both hands. Cassandra froze looking at him in the eyes.

"Don't do it" she warned.

"Kiss me"

"Sorry but that's the only way to make what am going to do next less painful" he said their lips meeting.

Then she felt his claws enter the back of her head. Right then Gaia woke up.

"I knew it!"

"Not what you think, come on let's take a walk he is tapping into her memories"

"Why can't she just tell him?"

"It will take time and we don't have time, let's do some scouting shall we?"