Seventy one

SOFIANE

When your mate is in danger, there is a part of you that knows. A crucial part of yourself that senses their discomfort. It happened while I was scavenging my fridge for a beer. That feeling made the hairs on my back tingle. Someone was afraid. Candice was afraid and if there was something that could make that witch send out a wavelength. It had to be death. I scurried over to the living room, a mess of ruffled clothes and scattered beer cans to find my phone. I needed to call David. Hitting the buttons that popped up furiously, I managed to find his contact but the damn thing always went to voicemail. Upon remembering that David had visited his family Manor nights before, I tried the landline and prayed he was available. Someone did answer me but it was not David.

"Hello," the feminine voice greeted. "This is Arielle. What is your business with the Blossoms?"

"Arielle, is David around? I need you to give him the phone. It's urgent." I knew Arielle. I had visited the Blossom Manor enough to know the guardian of that house of secrets.

The line went silent for a minute before Arielle's bubbly-than-life voice returned with a declaration. "David isn't home. He went on a date. Who is this?"

"A date?" I repeated, puzzled to expiration. "With who?"

"I asked who this is?" Arielle asserted. Her voice sounded stiffer.

"Sofiane," I curtly replied. "You might not remember me but I am very close to David and right now, I need your help. Tell me where David is and who he might be with?"

Arielle's throat went taut. Her breathing came in sunken. "You are... Wait– Is David in danger?"

"I think his sister might," I answered, combing my fingers through my wet hair. I didn't have time for this. The feeling was getting worse. Whatever it was Candice was afraid of, her apprehension had meta morphed into a state of hopelessness. I felt my heart lurch against my ribcage like it wanted to tear away from my arteries.

"Candice..." Arielle mused. "I don't know where David went. He wouldn't give me any information. All I am sure of is that his date was a Beta from the Crow pack. What was that fucker's name again?" Arielle paused, clicking her fingers as she scoured her memory to remember something. The clicking stopped and Arielle spoke again. "Oh, Satake. Satake Crow."

"That fucker," I growled under my breath. "Thank you, Arielle." I managed to say before ending the line. Seconds later, I was digging the dirty laundry on my living room sofa. I found a rumpled striped vintage and some presentable jeans. I wiggled into them and staggered outside.

My head was riddled with a hundred questions as I started my bike. Why was David on a date with Satake Crow, a de facto brother of Jason and Devin? Why didn't he tell me and most importantly, on the night of the Crow pack's ritual? My mind constructed a theory and bile hit my tongue just imagining it. I ignited the engine of my motorcycle before speeding off into the open road. I had one place in my mind. Enemy territory.

***

Let's just say what I expected when I brazenly stepped into the territory of my sworn enemy's pack was not what I was dealt with. As I walked into the open clearing in the middle of the forest. The ear was tangy. It stunk of sweat, sex, and fluid. Scattered around the Earth were members who just partook in the ritual. Usually, the ritual lived on to daybreak with the massive orgies and drunken werewolves but Jason's people had collapsed. Every single one of them. That was not normal. I strolled the abundance of bodies with caution as I walked toward to the platform erected six feet over the ground. That way, I could get a better view of the pack grounds. Immediately I made it to the rickety platform, I noticed someone behind the platform. I jumped off the platform and raced to the lifeless body and surprisingly enough, it was Jason. He was naked and judging by the black char on different sections of his body, I could tell he had been attacked. My middle and index finger pressed against his neck lightly as I checked for a pulse. I heaved a sigh of relief knowing he was alive but as I shook him to rouse him, I realized that he was not waking up.

"Godamnit," I swore under my breath. This was magic. Powerful stuff. I threw my gaze around. There were two other bodies to my left. A male and a female but it definitely was not Candice's host.

"Sofiane?" I heard a familiar voice call unto me. I turned behind me and I was surprised to see David. He looked like shit when worse than me. As he tried to saunter over, he slumped to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I asked, running over to his side. "What happened?"

"Yasmin Maplewood attacked me." David managed to say. "She was after Satake."

"It will be alright," I told David.

"I don't think so Sofiane. I think she also did this. Who did she take?"

I looked around again, searching for her. My mind once again came to an impossible conclusion. Was that why Candice made it known to me that she was in danger? My gaze drifted back at Jason. "Can you still do magic?"

David nodded. "I think I can work up a spell or two."

"Good," I guided him over to Jason's side. "I believe he is under a sleep spell. Wake him so we can know what in the moon goddess' name transpired here?"

David placed a palm over Jason's bare body and muttered. "Trýpima velónas xýpna ton ippóti."

The air around us seemed to vibrate as he did so. David continued to repeat the spell. His head blotted out the spangle of stars behind him; the ends of his short hair lifting with the wind, his warm blue eyes larger than life dilated. The salt in them vanished and his pupils turned sterling white. I felt the rush of old and massive magic that spread across the field engulf me. It felt like liquid fire pumping in my veins. Banners of light streamed from David's hands and clothed Jason's naked body. The vibration suddenly stopped and David collapsed to the ground as Jason roused gasping for air.