A/N Thanks for your patience I hope you enjoy!!
****
Valerie POV
The gaping hole in my ankle bled onto the linoleum floor as I stepped out into the hall. My hands were at my sides and my hair dangled in front of my face. I was half naked and there were about a dozen male guards with tranqulizers surronding me. I could taste a sarcastic remark forming in my mouth but I swallowed it back down. "Get on your knees!" One of them shouted at me, as they all lifted their tranquilizers into the air. I wiped the blood off from my mouth and smiled. I raised my hands, sending all the guards to simultaneously fly backwards into the wall. The guns fell out of their hands and onto the floor. I grabbed one and started to run. I could feel my power pulse through my veins. I struggled to hold onto the gun as my hands started to shake, but I kept going. They had gone too far. Aaron and the Lawless can mess with me all they want, but if you mess with my friends then things will get deadly.
"Chase!" I screamed, waving the gun around as I ran back and forth. Where were they keeping him? I heard a slight click from behind me, like the loading of a barrel of a gun. I dove onto the floor just as a shot fired in my direction. I rolled onto my back then sprang upwards back onto my feet trying to ignore the shock of pain traveling through my body. My hand trembled on the trigger of the gun as I turned to face who shot at me.
"Don't make me do this, Val." Eric threatened, as he circled around me. It was like a different person was standing before me. I no longer saw the same person I had grown up with, the person who I used to cheer on at all the hockey games, and who would help me recover from hangovers after all of his crazy parties. He had changed, just like I had. Except he had become a monster.
"You had no problem stabbing a knife into my side." I spat back at him. I could feel the tremor in my voice as I spoke. How had I not noticed the emptiness in his eyes? How could I let myself be so blind? "Where's Chase, Eric?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low so that we didn't attract any more attention. After what had happened with Logan I promised myself I'd never let anyone take advantage of me ever again. I had a hard time trusting people after the Spring Fling, but I had never doubted Eric. And that's what hurt the most.
"You're injured." He inspected, eyeing the blood that dripped from my ankle and the wound on my cheek. He almost sounded like he cared.
"Where's Chase?" I repeated, not trying to think about the fact that I was about to shoot my best friend. "Where is he?" I screamed, holding up the gun. How could he do this to me? To all of us? I didn't love Eric the way he wanted me to, but I had always loved him.
"You won't do it." He shook his head, lowering his gun and setting it onto the floor.
"Pick up the goddamn gun." I muttered. "Pick it up!" I screamed. I wanted him to fight me. I wanted to have a reason to shoot him. But with the gun on the floor, and him standing there completely defenseless I couldn't do it. Eric held his hands up into the air as surrendor. "You're a coward." I gritted between my teeth, tossing my own gun to the side. "You're a goddamn coward!" I yelled at him, my face burning red.
"Am I?" He mocked me, a smirk forming on his lips. "Your the one who couldn't pull the trigger."
"That's because I don't need a gun." I replied smoothly, before sending him flying up into the celiing. I held him up there with my mind, and watched him struggle pathetically against my invisible force. "I'm not going to ask you again, where is Chase?" I held out my hand in order to keep him up in the air, not breaking eye contact with him.
"Good luck trying to find him." He chuckled darkly. I redirected him into the wall, banging his head against a metal door. "Pathetic." He teased me, as I released my hold causing him to plunge onto the floor with a snap.
"What's the matter, Eric? Did you forget what I'm calpable of?" He rolled onto his side in pain, clasping his ribs as he howled. I stood over him as he cried in pain and I knew that I could kill him. It wouldn't even be hard, I could even look away so that I didn't have to watch. But that would be too easy. He didn't deserve to die. I wanted him to feel the pain I felt. And when he'd eventually heal, he'd have no one. The physical pain he was in now will never compare to the pain he'll be in when he realizes he's all alone. "I hope it was worth it." I said, standing over him.
"I didn't want it to be this way." He whispered, a trickle of blood flowing from his lips. "I just wanted you to look at me the same way you looked at Chase." He croaked in pain.
"I loved you Eric. Maybe not the way you wanted, but I loved you."
"Why was I never good enough for you?"
"You were." I sighed slowly. "It just wasn't good enough for you."
He scoffed, rolling his eyes, coughing out more blood. "You didn't care about me. You left me here. You and Quinn both abandoned me. I don't need friends."
"Then I hope it was worth it." I muttered before walking away.
"You won't find him!" He shouted after me, unable to get up from the floor as I turned my back on him.
A stubby acne covered boy stumbled into the hall. He was wearing a torn-up suit coated in blood and sweat glistened from his eyebrow. He panted heavily, waving a gun in his hands as he came towards me. I raised my hands, prepared to throw his body into the wall.
"Don't." He placed his hand on my shoulder. I dropped my hands slowly at my sides almost afraid to turn around. "He's with me."
I could feel water building up behind my eyes. "I'm scared to turn around." I admitted, his warm hand still pressed against my shoulder. "I'm afraid it won't really be you."
"There's only one way to find out." I could practically envision him smiling. I whipped my head around to face him.
I could barely control myself when I saw him. I practically thew myself on top of him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, as I tightly squeezed my arms around his neck. "I thought I would never see you again." I cried, burying my face into his chest before slowly lifting my head to look him in the eyes. "You left and you didn't say goodbye." I sobbed, holding him tighter. "You didn't say goodbye." I repeated. "I don't want to let go." I whispered softly. "You might leave again."
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Greg smiled at me, rubbing his hands through my hair reassuringly. "I'm right where I want to be." He said, kissing my lightly on the forehead.
I pulled away from him, wiping the tears from my eyes to compose myself. "I have to find Chase."
The chubby boy's eyes widened at me, but held the gun at his side to show that he was not a threat. I scanned him carefully, eyeing the CIA badge pinned to his bloody shirt. "That's Jimmy." Greg explained.
"Is he one of them?" I eyed his warily.
"Don't worry, Jim's cool. He's the one who helped me escape."
"Do you know where they're keeping him?" I turned to Jimmy.
He nodded. "They're keeping him in a special containment unit. It's right down the hall, but it requires an authorization code to get in."
"Don't you know the code?"
"I'm just a analist." He shrugged.
"Take me there." I demanded, he opened his mouth to argue with me but decided not to and showed me the way. I grabbed Greg by the hand, dragging him with me. "You shouldn't have come here. It's dangerous." I scolded him.
"I heard that they had brought you guys in, there's no way I was going to leave you behind."
"I'm sorry about Emily."
"Me too." He smiled softly at me.
"So this is it, huh?" I sighed. "Just like Bayside." I laughed. "Except it's just us."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." A smile spread across his lips. My eyes widened.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He just chuckled under his breath, breaking away from my grip on him. "This is it." We reached a closed off corridor with a keypad attached to the wall.
"Stand back." I told him, lifted my hands.
Greg lightly pushed my hands down. "I think I should take this one." He suggested, and I stepped out of the way.
"You better hold onto something." I warned Jimmy, who grabbed the fire-extinguisher on the wall for support. Greg narrowed his eyes, bending his knees as he held out his hands. A wave of wind rippled through his palms, shattering the glass door as it made contact and causing my hair to blow into my face.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that." Jimmy looked a bit shaken up. Greg patted him on the back.
"Wait until you see her in action." He whispered in his ear, making my blush.
"Chase?" I shouted, running down the hall. "Chase?" I screamed, pacing back and forth.
"In here!" I heard his muffled voice call from behind one of the doors.
I let ouf a sigh of relief, as warmth filled my heart. He was okay. My ankle started to glow. "I'm going to get you out of there." I told him, rubbing my hands against the metal door. I took a couple steps away from the door and held out both my hands. "You better moved. " I warned Jimmy who was standing too close to the door. I took a deep breath, focusing my mind on the hinges that held the door in place. I underestimated myself and ended up yanking the door of it's hinges causing it to collapse over. I jumped out of the way as the door fell over and started to laugh. I expected to see Chase limp out from the room, and I pictured myself jumping into his warm embrace with our lips intertwined. The anticipation was practically killing me. Maybe Chase was hurt more than I thought. Maybe he was barely hanging on. My breath caught in my throat as two shadows emerged from the door way. And when the smoke finally cleared, I saw who Chase had his arm draped around. Greg grabbed Chase and helped him settle onto the ground as I ran towards Layla.
"Is it really you?" I cried, pulling away to get a good look at her.
"Oh god, I've missed you so much." She started to laugh as we both hugged again.
"A little help here?" Chase whined from the floor. I jumped on top of him, practically crushing him and planting my lips down onto his. "Not exactly the help I was looking for, but I'm not complaining." He smiled at me, kissing me back.
"I'm going to need your help with this." I told Greg, as I knelt besides Chase. I hovered my hands over his chest, breathing deeply and slowly. Greg intertwined his hands with mine, holding them in place above his injuries. He smiled as our ankles started to glow in unison. Layla and Jim stood over us in awe. Chase's body contracted, and his eyes rolled back into his head. His entire body emitted a soft glow, which lasted for a couple seconds before receeding back into our palms. Chase's eyes fluttered open. I sighed in relief, caressing my fingers along his cheek.
"Um...guys I think we've got some company." Layla said nervously, when the alarm sounded.
"Do you know how to get out of here?" I turned to Jim.
Greg pulled Chase up from the floor and tossed him a gun. "None for me?" Layla pouted.
"I've only got this." He shrugged, pulling out a knife. Layla held out her hands eagerly and he threw it over to her.
Chase stepped into place besides me as a dozen armed guards came towards us from both ends, completely surronding us. "The exit is straight ahead, but they're blocking it!" Jim shouted to us nervously, as the guards started closing in.
"You lead the way, we'll take care of the rest." Greg assured him, lowering his stance with his arms extended. He shot me a grin and winked.
"You ready?" Chase asked.
"Lower your weapons and put your hands in the air!" One of the guards shouted.
"Are you?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow at him.
"Everybody get down!" Greg screamed. We all hit the floor, with no objections. He hurled two powerful winds in both directions, sweeping the guards off their feet. Jim started to run, leaping over their temporarily paralyzed bodies and towards the exit.
"Behind you!" Chase shouted, as a shot rang through the air. I whipped my head around, holding my hands out. I froze the bullet in mid-air, and then sent it hurling back from where it came from. Chase aimed his gun in the air, shooting one just before they wrapped their arms around me. I threw one into the air as they hurled themselves towards him. "That was close." He chuckled under his breath, re-loading the gun as we followed after Jim.
One of them grabbed Layla by the hair. I raised my hands to throw him out of the way, but she twisted around with a kick to his face then plunged her knife into his shoulder before yanking it forcefully as he fell over. She looked up at me and smiled. "Where'd you learn to do that?" I laughed, as we both sprinted behind Jim. Greg was the last to follow. His powerful winds sent vibrations down the hall, causing the florescent lights on the ceiling to shatter.
"Who do you think taught Chase?" Layla shot back at me.
Chase rolled his eyes at her just as we reached the exit. "This will take us into the back of the building. I have a car waiting for us there, but we have to be fast." Jim informed us.
"Where's Quinn?" Chase asked, his heart pulsing in his chest as he heaved in and out heavily.
I paused in my tracks and turned to Greg. "We can't leave without her."
"We don't have much time!" Jimmy told us impatiently as he held the door open.
"I'll go get her." I decided, Greg pushed me backwards.
"No, I will." He told me. "Chase, make sure she gets into the car. If I'm not there in ten minutes then leave without me."
"I'm not letting you do this!" I objected. "I just got you back I'm not letting you leave me again." I refused. Chase grabbed me by the arm, tugging me with him.
"I'm not the one who has a missing amulet." Greg smiled at me softly. I could feel my heart almost shatter in my chest. "I'll bring her back, Val." He promised me, running in the opposite direction.
"Let's go!" Layla yelled at me.
"He'll be okay." Chase whispered in my ear, pushing me with him.
I was the greatest danger to us all. Nate had my amulet, and everything needed to power it. The only question was....why hadn't he used it already?
*****
Katy POV
I jolted forward as a bucket of water was poured over my hell. "What in the-" I muttered, gasping for breath as the water trickled down my chin. I brushed back my soaked hair, only to come face to face with an old friend.
Derek's lips slowly spread apart into a smile. "Miss me?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
I was at a loss for words. Derek and I had never been close, but to see him here after a year apart made my ankle glow and my insides warm up. I threw my arms around him. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now." I ranted on, practically choking him. "Wait a second, where's Grace?" I pulled away from him to get a good look at my surrondings. We were seating in the back seat of a beat up mini-van. Derek had patched me up with some band-aids, but my body felt like it was on fire.
"She isn't here." He mumbled under his breath, reaching over the front seat to grab me a water bottle. I took it and greedily gulped it down.
"How long have I been out?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. I kicked off the flannel blanket that he had wrapped around me and sat up so that the water dripped off my clothes and onto the floor. My head throbbed in pain, I downed more water in attempt to dull it.
"About a day." He shrugged it off like no big deal, shaking out his shaggy hair with his fingertips.
"How'd you find me?" I narrowed my eyes.
He let out a laugh. "You did a pretty horrible job at covering your tracks. Didn't Nate teach you anything?"
"He's been...busy lately." I sighed, leaning against the window.
"What happened?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he propped his feet up against the seatt.
"It's a long story." I shook my head.
"And I've got nothing but time." He leaned back waiting for me to continue.
I rolled my eyes. "I don't really know, he sort of just snapped. We went back to my old highschool and then he tried to kill me."
Derek's eyes widened. "Hold on a second," He cut me off. "There had to be something that made him go crazy, normal people don't just kill their girlfriends."
"I never said I was finished." I shot him a glare. He pretended to zip lock his lips before I continued. "My friend Jonny let me stay with him while Nate was gone."
"And Jonny is....?" Derek asked curiously, a smile growing on his lips.
"A friend." I replied smoothly.
"Sure..." He chuckled.
"Do you want to hear the rest or not?" I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Sorry." He mumbled.
"Nate had tried to keep in touch with me, most of the time it was just him threatening to kill Jonny, the usual. It had been awhile since I heard of any animal attacks, so the carnival sounded like a good idea. And you know the rest."
"You never explained why he wants to kill you. I don't care if he's Lawless or not, I've seen the way he looks at you and if that's not love then I don't know what is."
"I'm not really sure." I sighed. "Talia, this girl from his pack, said they've been using this sort of mind control on him. They've been manipulating him so that he will go against us, but..." My voice trailed off.
"But?" He leaned forward.
"It's just that it doesn't seem like being brainwashed bothers him. I think he enjoys it."
"He is a Lawless."
"That's why I think that maybe he just misses his old life. Maybe the mind control isn't forcing him to do anything, he wants to do it."
"I think you've got it all wrong." Derek shook his head at me.
"You've got a better explanation?" I laughed.
"I think that Nate is being manipulated in some way," He started slowly, his eyes staring directly into mine. "but when he saw you hanging around this....friend of yours." He smiled before adding, "Or, boyfriend." under his breath. "He got jealous. And suddenly, he didn't need the mind control anymore. Instead he started to use it as an excuse for his behavior. The death threats were just his twisted way of saying he missed you. And at the carnival, he wasn't really going to hurt you. He just wanted you to feel the same heartache he had. I think," He sat upright as if he had just figured out all of the world's secrets. "that Nate is so madly in love with you but knows you don't want him back after the things he did under the mind control. He knows that the only way he can get you back is by force. He's just so desperate to have you back that he'd do anything. Even if that meant turning back to his old ways."
I sat there for a moment, at a loss for words. Everything Derek said just made sense. Nate had never been good with sharing his feelings, he had been taught his entire life to bottle them up. "So basically I'm a complete bitch."
Derek and I both started to laugh. "I wouldn't call you that." He smiled. "It sounds like you really care about this...friend of yours." He winked at the word "friend". "But...."
"But?" I asked, leaning in closer.
"If you really cared about Jonny, then that raises the question: why didn't you get him the hell out of town?"
"I-I-I-just couldn't!" I stuttered. "How could I ask him to leave behind his friends and family for me?"
"I think that you were just afraid Nate wouldn't be able to find you if you left, that you secretly enjoyed getting those death threats from him because it meant that he still cared enough to contact you. And that as much as you care about this friend of yours, he will never truly understand you like Nate does. Because even though you might never admit it, you two are exactly the same. But instead of sending him threats, you started dating another boy."
"Now you're being ridiculous!" I laughed, even though my heart was pounding in my chest.
"You're just mad, because I'm right!" He teased.
"Fine." I threw my hands up into the air. "Let's pretend you're right. If your this love expert that you claim to be then what happened to Grace?" Derek fell silent. And I feared the worst. "She isn't dead, is she?" I whispered, trying not to look him in the eye.
"Awhile back, me and Grace went searching for you and the others. Nate and two others from his pack surronded us at this highschool. We barely made it out of there alive. Nate might have not killed Grace but he did bite her, and that's almost worse." I reached out my hand for his, since there was nothing that I could say to make him feel better. "I hoped that the bite wouldn't effect her. She seemed to be getting better, but the full moon changed her."
"She's Lawless?" He just nodded in response.
"I kept telling myself that I had to kill her when she changed, that she wasn't just a danger to herself but to all of us. But I couldn't. I couldn't do it, because even though her eyes turned black she's still the same girl that found me a year ago when I was a complete douchebag. The same girl that taught me how to control my powers and use them for good. I couldn't kill her." His eyes started to water. "Because I love her."
"Derek-" I sat up, holding out my hands.
He pushed away from me. "I don't want your pity."
"It's okay to not be the tough guy all the time." I reminded him.
"I was supposed to protect her! But I didn't....I failed."
"You didn't fail." I argued.
He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I know I don't have a lot of experience with Protectors, but I'm pretty sure their not supposed to let their Enchantress get turned into a wolf."
"What happened to Grace isn't your fault!"
"Then whose fault is it?" He screamed at me, causing me to fall backwards into my seat. "I was the only person she's ever trusted, and I couldn't even save her. Grace never liked to burden me with her past, but I knew enough about it to know that she's the strongest person I've ever met. But when her eyes started to change color, I saw her give up."
"Maybe we can reverse it." I suggested softly.
"Reverse it?" He laughed in my face. "Do you know what kind of power that would require?"
"What about an amulet?" I whispered.
"A what?" He asked, sitting upright.
"Nate had told me something about an amulet a long time ago. He told me it was just a myth, but I think otherwise."
"Even if it does exist where the hell do we find it?" He narrowed his eyes at me.
And I smiled. "I might have been busy with Jonny, but I pay attention to the news. Do you have a phone?" I asked, and he reached over to grab his backpack from the front seat. I took the Iphone from his hands. "Awhile back ago a girl was attacked by a wolf at Bayside."
"Bayside?" Derek scooted towards me, so that he could see the screen. "Isn't that the place where we blew up that school?"
I nodded. "This girl was all over the news, it was the biggest thing Bayside had seen since Spring Fling. Look what she was wearing." I handed him the phone, pausing the video at the exact moment they showed her being carried out of the woods. "Her necklace-" I pointed at the amulet that dangled from her neck. "it has the same E that's carved into our ankles."
"So your saying that this random girl has one of the most powerful weapons in her possesion?" Derek looked up at me all wide-eyed.
"Like I said, this was awhile ago. I doubt were the only ones that noticed it."
"Then we better get going." Derek jumped into the front seat, revving the engine.
"Are you sure about this? We have no idea about what might be waiting for us when we get there."
"There's only one way to find out." He winked at me, as the van came to life. "Are you up for Bayside Round two?" He asked, a grin plastered across his face.
I reached over to put my hand on the sterring wheel. "But this time... we're going to be prepared."
****
Quinn POV
"Get up." Aaron growled, kicking me in the rib. I yelped in pain, rolling over onto my stomach.
"You kick like a girl." I muttered, wiping the blood from my lip as I stared up at him. I clasped my hand over abdomen where he I had been punctured by the syringe.
"I'll make you scream like one." He threatened, just as the doors slid open.
"The-they escaped." Eric ran into the room, panting heavily. His face was badly bruised and he limped as he walked.
I forced a smile, trying to ignore how much it hurt. "It's over, Aaron. You lost."
"One of them stayed behind." Eric announced, struggling to catch his breath. "The others left without him." He swallowed before continuing, "He's coming for her." And gestured towards me.
"Then we better give him what he wants." Aaron sighed, bending over to grab me by the arm. He yanked me up off the floor and threw me onto the chair that Valerie had been chained to.
"What happened to your face?" I scowled at Eric, who just glared at me in return. "What's the matter?" I teased him. "Karma can be a bitch." I smirked.
Eric grabbed a knife off the floor and came towards me. "I'd watch what you say around me." He threatened, pressing the blade against my neck.
"Or what?" I narrowed my eyes. "You'll stab my bestfriend?" And I laughed. "Oh wait, you've already done that."
"I've always hated your high-pitched voice." Eric admitted.
"I've always hated your blonde flippy hair." I shot back. "You're just jealous, because Valerie likes me better." I chuckled.
"That's not true." Eric shook his head at me. "I was the first person she told about her powers. And where did she go when she finally came home? My house."
"So you do care." I whispered softly. "Then why did you do this to her? To us?"
"Stop trying to make me the bad guy. You're just as bad as me." Eric rolled his eyes at me.
"I never turned my best friend into the CIA."
"But you did date an agent." Eric retaliated. Aaron stifled a laugh in the background.
"How about you put down that knife and fight me like a man?" I glanced between him and the blade that scratched against my skin. Eric dropped the knife and I stood up from the chair. "That's better." I cracked my knuckles dramatically, before delivering a roundhouse kick into his chin. Eric slammed onto his back. Whoever said that cheerleading isn't a sport? Eric swung out his legs, tripping me so that he was able to swing a right hook at me. I stumbled backwards, seeing spots.
"That felt good." He smirked.
"This will feel even better." I told him, elbowing him in the nose and kneeing him in the crotch. Eric collapsed onto his knees in pain. "You want a turn?" I turned to Aaron.
"That won't be necessary." He shook his head, pulling a gun from his back pocket.
It felt like the calm before the storm, with the soft rustling of wind until all the sudden the storm hit. The door flew off it's hinges and the gun was tossed out of Aaron's hand. I slipped onto the floor, my hair blowing in front of my eyes. The wind threw Aaron against the wall knocking him unconsious. Eric struggled for the gun, crawling on the floor pathetically as he fought against the strong current. "You guys should really get your air conditioning checked." Greg suggested sarcastically, his hands proudly on his hips as the wind ripped through the room. "It's pretty chilly in here."
"Greg!" I screamed, waving my hands as the wind blew hair into my face. He ran towards me, pausing the wind that shot through his palms. "You came back." I smiled as he swooped me onto my feet.
"Let's get you out of here." He said, taking me by the hand.
"Take one more step and I'll shoot." Eric shouted, his hands trembling as he struggled to keep his grip on the gun.
"I don't have time for this." Greg shook his head. With ease, he sent the gun flying from Eric's hands. It fell directly in between us. We both dived for it, but I grabbed it first.
"How does it feel?" I gritted between my teeth, my finger on the trigger. "Give me one reason not to shoot you." Eric just stood there, his face flat almost like he wanted to die. "You know what? You're not worth it." I spat at him, throwing the gun into the wall. "Let's go." I nodded towards Greg.
"I would of shot him." Greg muttered under his breath, leaping through the hole in the wall where the door used to be. I shook my head at him, and glanced over my shoulder. Eric was just standing there, staring at me until he finally crashed onto his knees and broke down crying.
"Where's Valerie?" I asked, as we tripped over unconcious guards that littered the hallways.
"They're waiting for us in the back, but we have to go fast we don't have much time."
I nodded and pushed my legs to run faster. "Hello? Is anybody there? Hello?" Someone screamed from behind one of the cell doors we passed. I stopped in my tracks, but Greg kept going. They pounded their fists against the door, stretching out their voice as they continued to scream.
"We don't have time." Greg shook his head at me anxiously.
"Katy? Is that you?" They shouted. Greg's eyes widened and he ran towards the door.
"What do you know about her?" He yelled so that he could be heard through the metal frame.
"Oh, thank god." They sighed in relief from the other side. "I'm her boyfriend."
Greg and I both laughed at that. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" Greg chuckled.
"I can help! I know what the Lawless are planning!" He bargained.
I rasied my eyebrow at that. "If your in there, then where's Katy?" I yelled.
"I don't know." He said quietly. "They must have gotten to her first."
"We have to get him out of there." I turned towards Greg.
"He's just dead weight." He whined.
"Well he doesn't deserve to rot in a cell." I retaliated, giving him the best puppy dog face I could manage.
"Fine." Greg rolled his eyes. He pushed me out of the way as he raised up his hands. "I suggest you move away from the door!" He shouted to the boy on the other side, just as he shot out a wave of wind which ripped the door off its hinges.
When the smoke cleared he stepped through the hole in the wall, scratching his head curiously with his eyes all wide. "Holy shit." He started to laugh, admiring the dented door that was now on the floor.
"Okay loverboy, let's get out of here."
We both followed behind Greg who led us towards the exit. "What's your name?" I asked. He looked just a shitty as I did. He had bruises all over his face and neck, and a claw mark along his forearm.
"Jonny." He smiled back at me. "And boy, does it feel good to be out of that cell." He laughed.
"I'm Quinn." I could practically envision Greg rolling his eyes at us.
"Are you dating two...." Jonny's voice trailed off as he looked between me and Greg who was just a couple feet in front of us.
I shook my head, my cheeks flaming red. "Oh no! Me and Greg? Ew, no. We're not together." I ranted nervously. "My friend Valerie is an Enchantress. He's just part of the rescue squad." I explained. Jonny nodded.
"Are you just going to completely ignore the fact that we went to the Spring Fling together?" Greg asked, pausing just as we reached the exit.
"Wait a second, you're Greg? Katy wouldn't shut up about you. Sorry, she didn't say anything about you." He apologized to me.
"I wasn't exactly her biggest fan." I shrugged it off.
"Why did you two get separated?" Greg asked, his voice low. Katy was the one who brought him to Bayside in the first place. They bonded automatically, and he had a sort of brotherly protectiveness over her.
"They grabbed me at a carnival we were at, I thought they took her too. I could've sworn that I saw someone dragging her off into a van. But there was so much going on with Nate there and everything."
"Nate was there?" I shrieked. So he was never at the lacross party. Our plan was a failure before it even started. "What if he got to her first?" I turned to Greg, who's jaw hardened.
"You said you know what the Lawless are up to?" He asked Jonny who shifted uncomfortably.
"Shouldn't we be getting into our escape vehicle by now?" He asked hopefully.
Greg gripped him tightly by his shirt, lifting him up off the ground. "You're going to tell me everything you now and you're going to do it now." He gritted between his teeth.
"Um, Greg." I tugged on his shirt. "I don't think that this is a good time for an interrogation." I said nervously, my attention focused on the herd of guards heading towards us from the opposite end of the hall. Shots rang through the air. I ducked, and shoved open the exit door running out into an alley way. Jonny followed behind me and Greg shot out winds which sent the bullets hurdling back at them. Greg drapped his arm over my shoulder as a protective shield and shoved Jonny to make him run faster. A black van's tires screeched as it hurdled down the alley way, swerving slightly as it trudged through a puddle of water. The side doors slammed open.
"Get in bitches." Layla smiled at us, shuffling us into the van as the guards entered the alley.
Valerie threw her hands around me. And Chase spun the sterring wheel around, barely scraping by the brick wall as bullets hit the side of the van. A stubby acne covered boy was sitting in the backseat. He was nervously mumbling things to himself, but I didn't bother to ask. Chase drove us out of the alley way at about 80 mph, not pausing to think twice as he rammed through the chain-link fence which took us onto the highway. I could hear sirens blaring behind us, but all the agents were driving in the same black van as us so we blended right in. Chase weaved in and out of traffic, and Greg sent large powerful winds causing them to lose sight of us as we turned down another exit. "We're in the clear." Chase announced after not seeing another black van for a couple miles. We all took a collective sigh of relief.
I leaned my head against the cool window, watching the cars driving past us and trying not to think about Eric and how I had almost killed him just minutes ago.
****
Valerie POV
I nustled my head into Greg's neck as he ran his fingers through my hair. "We did it." I murmered, smiling softly."Thank you." I looked up at him, caressing his cheek softly with my hand. "For saving Quinn." I clarified.
"She didn't need much saving when I got to her, she was busy beating the shit out of Eric." We all laughed, and Quinn blushed slightly. She clasped her abdomen in pain, and I could see blood soaking through her shirt but she was smiling as if nothing was wrong. I sat up. "What happened?" I reached my hand out, but she shrank away from me.
"It's nothing. Just a scratch." She shrugged it off like it was no big deal.
"Are you sure?" I asked, and she nodded so I let it go.
"And who are you?" Layla asked turning to our lastest member who had so far been silent the entire ride.
"That's Jonny." Greg informed us, before Jonny could even open his mouth. "He's friends with Katy."
My eyes widened. "You are?" I turned towards him. "Where is she? Is she okay? What happened?" I ambushed him with questions.
"Tone it down a bit, Val. The poor guy just escaped a government facility." Chase lectured me.
"I'm fine." Jonny spoke for the first time. "And I'm actually Katy's boyfriend." We all started to laugh. "Why is that so funny to you guys?" He narrowed his eyes in frusteration.
"Katy and Nate are practically soulmates." I said, as I nuzzled against Greg's chest.
"And have you seen his abs?" Layla added.
Jonny rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who has been taking care of her ever since Nate went crazy."
"He said he knows what the Lawless are planning." Greg chimed in.
Jonny held up his hands innocently as we all inched towards him. "I don't know exactly, but I think I've got a pretty good idea."
"Are we just supposed to take your word for it?' Chase scoffed.
"I don't care whether you choose to believe me or not, all I know is that the night they captured me someone else took Katy. Maybe it was Nate, maybe it was someone else, either way I'm going to find her." He spoke from the heart, each word dripping with sincerity.
"You barely know her." Greg muttered in disgust.
"I might not be an expert on whatever the hell you guys are, but I know one thing for sure. It's that when Katy was with me she wasn't an Enchantress, she was herself. So maybe our time together was short, but at least none of it involved werewolves or magical powers." Jonny spat back at him.
"You think we asked for this?' Greg asked, raising his voice. "Katy and you may have shared a connection, but me and her share a bond." He rolled up his pants to show his scar.
"Will you stop it?" I begged. "We're all stuck in here together until we decide what our next move is. There's no point in wasting our energy fighting."
"I just want to sleep." Quinn moaned.
"Why do I have to drive?" Chase complained.
"Will someone please turn up the air conditioner?" Layla fanned herself dramatically.
"Stop complaining!" I shouted, shutting all of them up. "We've got bigger things to deal with besides the air conditioning not working."
"Val's right, we need a plan." Greg agreed. "But can it involve us dumping his ass on the side of the road?" He gestured towards Jonny.
"What we need to do is find the others. It should be easier now that we have Greg, but there's three of us left." I reminded them. "Grace and Derek are problably together, but if what Jonny said is true then Katy could be anywhere."
"I know how to find her." Greg spoke up. "But it's not going to be fun."
"Whatever it takes." I nodded.
"Do any of you have a knife? Or something sharp?" He asked around. Layla tossed him her knife. "Give me your ankle." He held out his hand.
"Why not you?" I shot back, my eyes widening.
"Don't worry, I have to do it too." He assured me, still holding out his hand.
"What are you going to do?" Chase asked, looking at us through the rear-view mirror.
"I'm tapping into the bond between all of us. We can sense the others when one of us is in pain. If we can do that, we can find Katy." Greg explained, staring straight into my eyes.
"Tell me when it's over." Quinn covered her hands over her eyes, turning away from us.
"How do you know it's going to work?" I asked. "I mean, if it was as easy as stabbing a knife into our ankle then why didn't we do this a year ago?" I laughed nervously, the blade shining from the light seeping in through the window.
"What is the one thing that always happens where we're either in danger, hurt, or using our powers?" Greg asked, his voice low.
"Our ankles glow." I murmered. "Still," I objected. "I've been stabbed in the ankle one too many times already and nothing seemed to happen then."
"That's why I'm going to do it too. If we both tap into our our power's core, that means the connection will be stronger and we might be able to sense where the others are."
"I think I'm going to be sick." Jonny gagged.
"Okay." I sighed, licking my lips and nodding at him. "Let's do this." Chase turned up the volume on the radio so that he didn't have to hear what was going on. Layla climbed into the backseat and pulled my hair out of my face. She ran her fingers down my spine soothingly. I squeezed my eyes shut. "Just do it already!" I begged with anticipation. The knife plunge into my skin. I lurched forward, but Layla held me back as I let out a blood curdling scream.
"Quick, now mine." Greg handed me the knife.
"Can't I have a break?" I gasped for breath, tears rolling down my face as my blood dripped onto the seats.
"You have to do it now." He demanded. I gripped the knife tightly between my fingertips. "Or else it isn't going to work!"
"Stop yelling at me!" I cried, stabbing the knife into his ankle.
"Holy-" He clasped his ankle in pain, ripping the knife out of his skin. He grabbed onto the handle bar attached to the door just as our ankles started to glow.
My body started convulse. "What's happening?" Layla shrieked, as I went limp. Greg slumped over in his seat, his head hitting the window as his body rolled off the seat and his eyes fluttered close. "Pull over!" Layla screamed, shaking me as my eyes shut.
****
I woke up in a field, surronding by daisies. The dew coated grass tickled my toes and a warm summer breeze blew through my hair. I sat up, trying to take in my surrondings. I was no longer in the backseat of a van. I was in the field where this all started, just outside of Bayside. I no longer felt any pain pulsing from my ankle, instead of being covered in my own blood I was wearing a white dress that was so sheer that you could see the sun shining through it. I stood up slowly, spinning around in circles trying to figure out if I was dreaming or not. "Valerie?" Greg called out, his voice echoed causing a flock of birds to fly out from behind the trees. He was at the other end of the field, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. I started to run towards him, my blonde hair blowing behind me when another voice echoed through the open landscape.
"Where am I?" Katy's soft voice called out, as she appeared among the daisies. She rose slowly from the ground her white halter tress fluttering in the breeze. Flowers fell from her curly hair as she turned around to face me. Her technicolor eyes widened. She gathered the fabric of her dress and broke into a run. I sprinted forward, meeting her half-way. We jumped into eachother's arms, squeezing eachother tightly as we fell over into the grass squealing with delight.
"What the hell is going on?" Derek appeared, wearing a white vest and jeans. He stood over me and Katy, who I refused to let go of as we rolled through the flowers. Greg walked towards us, his hands in his pockets. "What did you guys do?" Derek asked, looking between me and Greg.
"Why do you always assume we're the cause of everything?" I argued, as Katy and I helped eachother onto our feet. Greg wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest into a warm embrace.
"Because all the sudden our ankles started to glow and we passed out. All we did was eat turkey sandwiches, so what did you do?" Derek scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.
"You two found eachother?" I asked, breathing out a sigh of relief. So Nate hadn't gotten to her.
"Where's Grace?" Greg asked and we all scanned the field. She wasn't there.
"Nate bit her." Derek explained. "I thought she would be able to stay intact with her Enchantress side, but I guess not." He bit his lip, and I could tell he was trying to hold back tears.
"So if Grace isn't here then what does that mean?" I asked, trying to make sense of it.
"She's Lawless." Greg finished for me.
"That doesn't make any sense." I shook my head, refusing to believe it. "How did this happen?" I turned to Derek.
"It doesn't matter now." He muttered dryly. "Grace isn't one of us anymore, so move on."
"How can you say that?" I gasped in disbelief. "We can't just forget about her."
"Listen," Derek walked towards me. "I spent a year on the road with Grace. I know her better than any of you. Do you think I'll be able to forget all that time we spent together? So don't tell me what I'm supposed to be doing. I was the only one with her when she was changing, not you, not any of you!' He shouted. "I can't forget about Grace, because I love her. Sure, you have a bond with her, we all do. But you didn't know her like I did. But she's gone. And there's nothing any of us can do about it. So MOVE ON!"
We all fell silent. "Why are we here?" Katy whispered softly, filling the silence.
"Greg and I tapped in our powers, and I guess that brought us here." I replied, trying not to look Derek in the eyes.
"But this is just a illusion." Greg added.
"It feels real." Katy sighed.
"I wish it was." I smiled at her, squeezing her hand.
"We need to find you guys. They have Valerie's amulet and it won't be long until they start using it." Greg started.The background seemed to be fading, the grass turned from green to a dull grey and the petals on the daisies flittered to the ground. We were running out of time.
"We're heading towards Bayside, we were hoping you'd be there."
"Were not to far out." Greg nodded. "We'll meet there."
"What's happening?" Katy asked, as the background faded. All that surronded us was white emptiness. Even Katy started to fade, almost like she was just a projection.
"Go to the school." Greg told them, he voice wavered almost like a bad signal between radio towers. "We'll meet you there."
Katy faded to white. "Take care of her." I told Derek, my voice slowly receeding.
He nodded as he too turned to white.
Then I woke up.
****