The Luna Sage

Chapter Sixteen: The Call

It had been two days since I'd learnt Arborus had bought the Witches from the Grounds.
I'd come to call the oldest Gwen, even if she was lost to me currently, and the smaller one Aria.
Amelia and Helena helped me perform a Mother's Call, it was a ritual Witches performed to protect their children.
It honoured the child by giving them  their Mother's Name, something I was never given, and ensuring their essence was guarded with love and magic until they were found by the Callers. 
I prayed Gwen and Aria wouldn't be alone for long.
Since that day, I'd felt an unfamiliar presence following me.
My heart ached knowing Gwen had found me, her Witch soul seeking out safety, I couldn't tell if she was dead or if her Soul-Self had detached to protect itself from whatever was happening to her body, seeking out another Witch for help, but I spoke to her often.
Promising I'd find her.
I'd seen what had befallen Gwen until she went silent, the nightmares I'd been having were Visions, but their brutality at the hands of Arborus had confused me.
It fuelled my desire to end his life.
Adam wouldn't allow for an emotion-driven response, so I had to calm myself enough that we could form a plan.
Honestly, it was pretty simple.
Amelia would summon Arborus for a formal police interview, since his name was apart of the client list Langston had got a hold of, with two officers, one being Decker, a Wolf from Moree.
While Arborus was out of his estate, Helena and I with a team of five Wolves would get in and get out with the small Witch.
I could teleport us in and out without worry, but Amelia couldn't be certain of the security measures or how many guards he had on grounds.
It didn't matter though, we had the Queens permission to destroy the place.
Which I intended to do once the girls were safe.
Bev would be leading the Warriors Valik, Thomes, Pam and Heath.
It was unusual having three Betas in one team, but Adam refused to allow me to go alone.
He would be with Amelia, as our bond would ensure we could keep in communication if something went wrong.
We stood in the empty lounge room just before 9pm.
Amelia wore a simple black dress, Adam stood beside her in a black suit.
I giggled.
"You look like you're attending a funeral." I joked, though looking across at the Wolves joining me, we looked ready to cause the funeral.
All of us, even Helena, were dressed in black long sleeves, cargo pants and thick steel-toed boots.
The Wolves holstered blades, guns and grenades.
Helena and I wiggled our fingers at each other.
I'd been given a hand gun and a knife, Helena refused any weapons.
Adam hadn't questioned it, simply putting the additional weapons into my small backpack that hugged me.
It, and mine and Helen pockets, were filled with my own arsenal.
Smoke, flash and fire potions.
As well as every Wolf carried an additional teleporter potion incase we got split up.
I opened Amelia and Adam's portal first, calling into the evidence room of the Police Station.
Langston and Decker stood waiting, nodding at Amelia as she stepped through.
Adam gave me a quick, but passionate, kiss before he stepped through behind her.
We shared a look and a nod before I sealed the portal and turned to the Bev.
She was checking over her red medic bag, since we weren't sure what condition the Witches would be in, she'd prepared a decent enough kit we could handle anything short of brain surgery, even then, I'm sure I saw a drill in the bag.
We waited for half an hour, until Adam sent me a mind-link that Arborus was at the station.
I nodded at the group and prepared the portal.

Arborus estate was large.
Six floors, hundreds of rooms and top of the line security, that meant nothing when I disabled the power before we teleported into the ground floor.
Heath and Valik moved quickly ahead of us into the darkness.
I could smell humans guards, some dogs and some staff members who were asleep.
"Val, Heath," Bev hissed. "Clear out the guards, Thomes and Pam get rid of the staff."
"Don't kill them!" I interjected quickly, seeing the look of hatred on their faces.
The Wolves regarded me for a moment.
Bev touched my arm.
"Luna, I know you want to have faith." She squeezed my arm, but I understood what she was saying.
I sighed and nodded.
"Fine." I turned to the Wolves. "I can keep our mind-links open, just don't fight the connection." They nodded and closed their eyes with me for a moment.
I touched Pam and Thomes, connecting us into a link that stayed steady.
We'll find the Witches. Bev nodded and we split up.
Helena, Bev and I headed for the room Amelia had called The Dungeon.
Past the lavish kitchen and hidden in the floor of the patio overlooking the garden, was a stone slab.
I used magic to move it, finding a metal staircase lead down into a dimly lit hallway.
I swallowed hard as Bev went through first, calling for me to follow when it was clear.
It was cold and damp, the stone that lined the right hallway was old and chipped.
It opened out to a round room that had chains hanging from the ceiling.
Two doors were on either side of the chains.
Bev took one while I took the other.
The smell inside the room hit me first, almost making me throw up as it stung my eyes and lungs with a putrid smell.
The room inside was tiny, only a bucket in the corner and a stained mattress to the side.
There was an odd lump on the mattress.
Hearing me enter and then gag, the lump moved and a new smell overtook the rancid odor.
I ran forward.
"Aria!" I breathed, wrapping the tiny girl in my arms.
She screamed, trying to fight me off but she was so weak, she barely moved as she rolled and moaned against me.
"It's okay, I'm Miranda." I whispered to her, pulling her into my arms and standing.
She seemed to recognise my name and relaxed, crying against my chest.
I hugged her close.
"You're safe, little one." I promised as walked her out of the room, Helena sighed seeing the small girl in my arms.
She stepped forward and took her from me, gesturing with her head to the room Bev was in.
My brows narrowed as I handed Aria across and went to find Bev.
The other room was cleaner, more like a medical room with a sheet blocking half the room.
I could hear a heartbeat monitor and the sound of another machine.
Bev stood at the curtain, her eyes widen in horror.
I stepped beside and almost lost complete control.
It was Gwen.
She was on a medical bed, her heart monitor showing she was still alive, but the amount of plastic lines that came out of her, hooking into a wall of bags behind her bed that were filled with varying amounts of her blood, told me it was the worse of the two fates.
I fell beside her, grabbing her cold hand that was fitted with two lines.
Bev moved, overcoming her shock and started to assess Gwen.
Update now. I growled through the mind-link.
Guards cleared. Heath replied
Staff neutralised. Pam huffed.
Good, set the timers. Get down here. I turned to see Bev reading over a chart, her eyes narrow and her mouth set in an angry grit.
"What?" I demanded, resisting the urge to start pulling all of the lines out of the young girl between us.
She was so pale, her skin and hair were dull and she was hollowing in the cheeks and collarbones.
I saw they had a basic nutrient bag attached to her, with a saline beside it.
"They put her in a coma." Bev growled. "I don't know if I can pull her out of it without damaging her brain." Bev looked at Gwen with a mix of sadness and anger.
"That's why I couldn't feel you." I muttered, reaching up to stroke her shallow cheek. The essence of Gwen pulsed beside me, giving me a jolt and I gasped.
Bev looked at me, putting down the chart and grabbed my hand.
"Luna?" Her voice was wary, but I wasn't looking at her.
I was looking at the essence I'd mistaken for Gwen.
"You're..." I couldn't bring the words to form.
But the essence formed into a thick black shadow, Bev's eyes widened and she stepped back.
"What the fuck?" She gaped.
I smiled.
"So, you're who's been following me?" I couldn't stop the hand that went to my hip, I turned slight to face the Spectre.
They were beings of death.
Humans called them Grim Reapers.
I could see why, their shadowy figure did resemble a man in a cloak, though he had no face or scythe.
Just a smokey figure who said nothing.
The Spectre moved, almost like it was giving me a shy shrug.
I looked down at Gwen.
"You're harbouring her soul, aren't you?" I asked, my thumb rubbing against Gwen's boney knuckle.
The Spectre shifted, moving closer and a smokey tendril hovered across our hands.
"If I can do it, you can bring her back?" I looked at the Spectre now, knowing what I had to do.
It moved again, it tendril passing through mine and Gwen's hands, sending a warm shiver through me.
I could feel Gwen's soul, though alone and a bit scared, she was safe and close.
I could bring her home.
I looked at Bev.
"Unhook her." I left the room to find the others with Helena and Aria.
Pam was stroking the small girls cheek, giving her a soft smile.
Aria gave a small smile back that warmed my heart to see.
I mind-linked with Adam, feeling him in the observation room while Arborus was being interrogated.
I have found the girls. But one is in need of a special material. I wasn't even sure if we had any, but I knew if anyone would know, it was Adam.
Witches Metal. He guessed, surprising me. Already acquired some, just ask Al. He cut the mind-link, something taking his attention but I smiled, pushing my love and thanks through our bond.
"Luna?" Heath's voice trembled as he looked behind me, I turned seeing the Spectre had a few friends.
I narrowed my eyes.
"There's more?" I followed them back down the tiny hallway, Valik and Heath following and into the house.
From there, they went out into the garden and led me, Heath caught up to me as I half jogged after the shadows.
"Luna, are they?"
"Death Spectres." I answered his question, seeing him swallow hard. I squeezed his wrist quickly.
"They're here to help." I promised and watched as the shadows slipped into a green house shed.
Valik kicked the door in for me, I used a Mage Light to illuminate the room, three pairs of hollow eyes caught the light.
Four more woman in the same state as Gwen, but strung up like meat.
I could see their weak essences and almost fainted.
They weren't Witches.
They were....
"Valik, Heath, help me!" I shouted, grabbing the first girl's bound wrists and untying them.
"But they're humans." Valik argued.
I spun on him, anger almost making me strike him for the disrespect, but the glint in his eyes told me he didn't know.
"I'll educate you later." I said too harshly, turning back to unbind the girls.
The girl in front of me had winter snow hair and fair skin, when her eyes opened for a moment, I saw the glisten of icy blue eyes.
I pulled her to lean against me, wrapping her arm over my shoulders and putting my arm around her waist to support her.
I got her a foot before she collapsed against me and moaned.
"Please, just let us go." She sounded so broken, it tore my heart.
I squeezed her hand, pushing magic into her small void.
"I'm a Witch," I whispered, feeling her draw on my magic. "You're free, Winter."
It took longer than I'd have liked to get back to the house, the unexpected girls conditions were severe and they were weak.
Even being partly carried by me, Winter begged us to stop twice.
I settled for carrying her on my back.
Heath had the red head and the blonde over a shoulder each, while Valik had the brunette.
We jogged to meet the other in the Dungeon.
Bev carried Gwen and Thomes was looking at his watch.
"I know, I know." I said to both of them when they gave me a look.
I handed Winter to Pam and opened a portal, hearing the alarms on all our watches go off.
"Okay kids, field trips over!" I yelled, shoving them all into the portal and throwing myself behind them, sealing the doorway as explosives started to level the house.