Ember
I phased close to my childhood home in Tallahassee. It has been so long since I have been here. Memories of escaping fell over me like a plague as I approached. I knew War would soon be alerted to my presence, sensing I was back here. I phased out with only one thing in mind. Saving Ivy. Damien phased my mates and Jax here, behind me, pulling me back. They could cross into the territory now, it seemed.
“What the hell, Ember? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”, Damien said, annoyed. Before I could reply, the strange pit in my stomach that something was wrong tingled inside of me, and I pushed Jordan down to the ground just in time as a bullet echoed in the air, striking me in the shoulder. It would have gone through Jordan’s heart had I not pushed him down first.
“Trap”, I grunted as I fell, with Seth catching me. They worked fast. Gunshots started going off as different men started approaching us from all directions. The pain was terrible, but I was certain the bullet tore through clean, so I would be okay. My body started heating up as I watched Jordan, Carter, Jax, and Damien take out the shooters. Seth tore at his shirt, making a cloth to try to stop the bleeding. I closed my eyes. I refused to be useless like this, and I felt my power inside me come to life as my blood seemed to buzz inside me. When I opened my eyes, my wound was closed. Seth looked at me, almost in shock. I was thankful for my god blood as it seemed like healing myself was on my list of powers now.
“Go help the others”, I said to him, before hopping up. I screamed at a few oncoming men and they each exploded. More and more men seemed to keep coming as Seth joined the fight. The sound of guns, body parts being ripped, and the smell of blood engulfed my nose and ears as the numbers seemed to fall down until the last of the men were killed.
“Ruby is trying to kill us”, Jordan said in a shocked tone, drenched in the blood of those whose hearts he ripped out. I was surrounded by my mates as they all checked to make sure I was okay after being shot. All were shocked to see that I was fully healed. Barely a scratch. We would have plenty of time to talk about it later. For now, I needed to get to Ivy. Jax was already walking to the house. Ruby was holding Ivy by the throat with one hand, with a gun to her head in the other hand. She looked like shit. Her hair was wild. Her white t-shirt was stained with blood and Franklin laid down on the floor, with his head decapitated.
“You… You should not be here”, she said, looking at us all. She was shaking and looked almost deranged.
“Ruby. Put the gun down, Ruby”, Jax said to her, as we all approached her slowly.
“Ember”, Ivy said, with tears in her eyes. Her face was bruised, but that was the only damage we could see on her.
“You’re okay, Ivy. It’s okay”, I said to her.
“You!”, Ruby exclaimed, now pointing the gun at me. My mates shielded me instantly, and Ruby pointed the gun back to Ivy. We could have all rushed her at the same time, but not fast enough for Ivy’s dead body to drop to the ground if we were not quick enough.
“Why must you always ruin everything, human? Our lives were perfect before you. All of this war, because of you. EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF YOU!”, she screamed out, as tears rolled down her face. I pushed in between my mates to face her.
“Did you kill dad?” Seth asked her, as his eyes trailed the blood that led up to Franklin, pooling around her feet.
“No. He…. He did. He did. He wants her. He did”, Ruby said in a panic as she took a glance at Franklin’s body. It would seem the loss of Franklin drove her to insanity.
“Why Ivy? What did Ivy do to you?” I asked Ruby.
“It is not me that wants her. He wanted her. Wanted Ivy so that you, human, would follow to rescue Ivy”, Ruby said, as her eyes widened with a look of clarity as she looked at my mates.
” I’m so sorry”, she cried to them. “I love you so much”, she said before, turning to me.
“YOU NEED TO RUN”, she shouted to me, letting Ivy go and pushing her towards us. Jax caught Ivy and as soon as she let Ivy go, she exploded all over us. As if holding Ivy was the only thing keeping her from dying.
‘Wow. That was anticlimactic”, the deep voice of one I knew very well said from behind us. We all turned around just in time to see War in his true form, stick his hand in Damien and wrapped it around his heart. That motion in itself made us all freeze, as one wrong move would tear Damien’s heart out.
“War”, I seethed.
“Welcome back, little flame”, he said.
“Let him go”, I demanded, as Damien growled in pain. We all felt his pain and anger through the mate bond. Jordan, Carter, and Seth were all growling too.,
“Why should I? He is the one who stole you from me. It’s only fair I crush his heart in front of you.” he said, smiling at me.
“You killed Rosalee”, I said to him.
“Ah yes, but this kill would hurt you so much deeper, wouldn’t it!”, he exclaimed.
“What do you want?” I asked him.
“You obviously. You are going to come willingly, or your mate here will suffer the price of that”, he casually said. Jordan, Carter, Jax, and Seth all made moves to get ready to attack.
“Ah ah ah”, War said, twisting his arm around feeling around Damien’s heart. Damien growled in pain, unable to move, causing the others to stop moving.
” One wrong move, and I tear his heart out right now. Growls filled the room, and I tried my best to calculate every move I could make in this moment, but then Iris’s words filled my mind.
“Not the right time”. Knowing what to do, I linked Damien as War taunted my mates.
” Ruby was so easy to manipulate. I took over her mind many days ago, and what fun it has been controlling her emotions”, he said to them.
“When I agree to his proposal, I need you to get everyone out of here”, I linked to Damien, who growled loudly at my statement.
“Over my dead body”, his voice in my mind said.
“I have a plan, Damien. I need you to trust me. Please.” I pleaded. He remained silent for a moment.
“You better be right behind us”, he said to me.
“I will. I love you”, I told him.
“I love you too”, he replied.
“I will go with you, only if you release his heart and let him and everyone else here leave alive and well, “I said, making sure I was stating clearly what I wanted. There would be no loopholes. War looked at Damien but spoke to me.
“As you wish”, he said, releasing Damien’s heart. Damien then grabbed everyone and phased them out of the building. He could not come back as I knew he would be weak if he tried. He held out his hand for me to take and I did. He pulled me close, so that I was looking at him in his smoky eye sockets.
“Try anything, or if your mates come here to rescue you, I will make you watch as I devour them alive. Understand”, he said to me, and I nodded. I linked my mates to his warning as they demanded I phase to be with them this instant. I would play War games. For now. I had a plan. I just hoped this would work, or not only would I cost the lives of my mates, but I would die quickly as well.