Magic Vs Science

Twelve

It has been two weeks now since Nikki, Ellie Ben and Kade came into my care. Ben, Kade and Ellie had one soul left inside them, making them Beasts. Nikki on the other hand, she still has yet to have the souls removed from her. Ursis and I were very tired from pulling so many souls out of these children.

It was still very early morning when Nikki opened my bedroom door. "Are you awake?" She whispered.

I lightly chuckled. "Of course I am. If one of my children are awake, I am awake." I rolled over and sat up on the edge of my bed. "Is there something that you need?" I smiled at her as she came running to my arms.

"Not really." She mumbled while snuggling into my chest. I could still hear all the souls inside her, but there was one that was particularly loud. "I know you can hear it. Will you take it out? My head hurts from that one always screaming."

I lightly put my hand on her chest and closed me eyes so I could concentrate on that one soul. It was a rather difficult task because the moment I reached it, some of the other desperate souls started clinging to that one. I placed my arm in front of Nikki's mouth. "I'm sorry baby, this is going to hurt. Please, bite me if it gets too much to handle. There are some souls that have attached themselves to the one I am reaching for. I'll have no choice but to pull them out with it."

The moment I started pulling those souls out, Nikki gasped in pain then bit down hard on my arm. I could feel her teeth ripping through my flesh. My eyes watered from hurting her, but I had no choice. I pulled a little harder to try and get it over and done with to ease her pain. Nikki's muffled screams and the smell of my blood had everyone rushing into my room. Ursis had to hold everyone back in his Beast form because they wanted me to stop. "Stay back!" I heard Ursis yell at everyone.

Tears streamed down my face and with one final pull, hundreds of souls were released from Nikki's body. When she went limp in my arms, I pulled her to my chest as tight as I could without hurting her. "I'm so sorry baby. I didn't want to hurt you, but I had no choice. They wouldn't let go. I'm so, so sorry, Nikki." I cried as I cradled her in my arms.

"It's okay Mama." Nikki said as she reached up and brushed my tears away with her small hands. "Is your arm okay?"

I smiled softly even though my tears still hadn't stopped and I wiped my blood from her lips and chin. "I'll take any form of pain to protect you. All of you."

Nikki was taken by Ursis back to her room to rest while I tended to the paperwork in my office. Ben and Kade were upset that I had hurt Nikki, but they understood. Especially Ellie. The souls inside Ellie were always screaming so loudly that she couldn't take it. Her body was giving out from the stress of them trying to force their way out. She's doing great now, though.

Around noon, I headed over to the government office for an appointment. I was worried that I wasn't approved to become my children's legal guardian. I walked in the front door and headed straight to the receptionist. "Hello. I am Ixora, I have an appointment today."

"Yes yes. Go sit and you'll be called in." She snipped at me. I felt Onyx surge forward, but I held him back and nodded to the woman with a polite smile, even though I too wanted to bite her head off.

"Stupid woman." Onyx growled.

"Onyx! I'm a woman too!" I yelled at him.

"Yeah, but you aren't anything like her. I know you inside and out. You wouldn't be that rude to anyone." He huffed.

"Ixora? Please come with me." A young man said, standing at a door just beside the front desk. I stood and walked to him, following him to wherever he was taking me. "Please wait here." I sat down on a chair inside an office. I guessed this is where I was meeting with someone.

It was about ten minutes later that an older gentleman walked into the room and sat behind the desk I was facing. "Ixora, I presume?"

"Yes, and you are, Sir?" I smiled politely at him. He didn't smile back though, which I didn't really care. I was taught to respect my elders.

"Mr. Richard. Let's get right down to it." He paused and pulled out the documents that Ursis and I signed. "I have good news, and bad news for you. I'll start with the bad news." He paused and folded his hands on his desk. "These children, went missing when they were babies. They have families, however, their actual parents, are deceased. Their relatives can't take them in nor do they want to."

I blinked a couple times. "I apologize, but was that the bad news or the good news?"

"That was the bad news. The good news is that since there is someone willing to take them in, I've given them my approval." I felt my heart start to break. Was this him telling me that I couldn't have them? Was he telling me that there is someone else who wants them that can override me? "You look upset. Why?"

"I guess I've built a bond with them this passed two weeks. I guess to know that they have to go to someone else, it hurts."

He furrowed his brow. "And who said they were going somewhere else? I sure didn't." He grinned at my confused face. "I am giving you my approval for you and your husband, to become the legal guardians and parents of, Benjamin, Kadence, Elaina, and Nicole."

My heart skipped a few beats when he finished his sentence. He stood, walked around his desk and held out his hand for me to shake, but instead, I hugged him. "Thank you so much! I can't wait to tell them. They will be so happy."

Mr. Richard chuckled. "Then you best get going. They are required to go to school as well. Abuse or neglect will get them taken from you. Take good care of them." He walked me to the front door. "Have a wonderful day."

I smiled all the way home. I was just so happy that they were fully mine. At this point, nothing could ruin my very happy mood. "Witches! I smell them, Ixora!" Onyx growled, standing on edge. Except that.

"God damn it! Why can't I get a break from all these damn wars! I just found out that I get to keep my children and this has to ruin my happy mood!" I growled. people were looking at me funny, but I really didn't care. "Come out, come out Witches! I can smell your horrible stink!" I yelled.

Mothers took their children away to their homes, people scattered as three women floated down to the middle of the street. They smelled horrible, but they looked like beautiful young ladies. Mind you, I don't think they were that young. Their eyes said they were a lot older and wiser. "Hello there, Queen Ixora. What a lovely day today isn't it?" The one in the middle said. Her eyes were yellow and her hair was black. Such an odd match.

I growled at them, trying not to gag or throw up from their stench. "What do you want, Witch." I demanded, as Onyx surged forward, making my eyes change color.

"That's rude, you know. I thought you would know that it hurts the feelings, seeing as you are a victim of bullying." I growled at her as she put her hands on her hips. "Besides, who says we are here to fight you? I sure didn't say that. My sisters didn't say anything. You are the only one who is prepared to fight. I can tell by how close you are to shifting to your wolf."

How did she know all this? Have they been watching me my whole life? I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you want?"

"To give you a warning." Her tone wasn't sitting well with me. She made it out to seem that I was stupid. I raise my eyebrow at her to continue. "Helena knows that you have her baby sisters witch powers. She will hunt you down and kill you without a second thought. She knows you are stronger than her and she doesn't like it. We warn you not to get close to anyone. Those children have a seed planted into them. One of the souls in the youngest child is relaying messages to her. You best send them away before you get killed."

I growled. "My children aren't going anywhere. They are mine and I will take care of them. I'll protect them. Even if I have to make them normal humans by removing the Beast souls inside them."

"Allow us to help you than." She said. I furrowed my brow. She can't be serious. Does she really think that I will allow them to come into my home? Near my children? "I know what you are thinking. No, we do not want to hurt them. Our sisters have had enough with Helena's tyranny. We want her gone off her throne. I personally have had enough abuse from her for the rest of my life. I want to live in peace."

"What has she done to you all?" I blurted without thinking.

She looked sad and angry at the same time. It was an odd sight to see. "We are not allowed to use our powers without her permission. The women are not allowed to find their mates and if they just so happen to do so, their mate is killed in front of them over a period of ten days. The witch who has to watch their mate slowly die, goes insane to the point that there is no return for her, then she too is killed months after being locked away. If we are to become with child, that child will not live passed its first hour. The mother will be forced to kill her own child as punishment for becoming pregnant." She paused to wrap her arms around herself like she was cold. "Too many have had to do this. Including myself."

I stood there in shock. There were no lies in her eyes. Even her sisters that I was watching, showed that she was telling the truth. After a few moments of staring at her, I walked up to her and pulled her in to my arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed into my shoulder. "Help me with my children, and I will help you in return. I warn you though, there are some Beasts in my household that do not like witches at all. Use your magic to defend yourself, but don't kill them. They are just afraid because of their past."

I had brought the three witches home with me. The moment I walked in the door, my Beasts were growling or hissing at them. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking so boldly, but why in the Heavens have you brought three witches home with you? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

I gently placed my hand of the maids head and smiled softly. "No. We have made a deal. They will help with the corrupt souls inside my children, and in return, I will help them remove Helena and her tyranny from the throne. No need to fret. I have requested that they do not harm my Beasts, and in return, I request that none of you harm these women. They have been though enough already. Helena and those who stand by her side, are the ones that are our enemies."

I had to say the same thing at least five more times before we got to Nikki's room. Inside her room, the witches, whose names I had yet to learn, removed soul after soul. Nikki had been put to sleep so that she would not feel any pain. "Queen Ixora," The yellow eyed woman called me. I looked at her and she held up a soul to me. "This is the soul that is corrupt."

I took the soul and closed my eyes, seeing what it was. It was a black cat with a symbol drawn on its forehead. I took a deep breath and cleansed the poor cat before setting it free. "Wake her up, then we will move on to Ellie. Hopefully, she doesn't have a corrupt soul inside her."