Magic Vs Science

Six

I made sure Viki was chained up tightly before hiding in the shadows of the house. There was still a good twenty minutes left before the one hour deadline. I took this time to relax and rest my tired mind. Having Onyx was great. I could sleep, while he watched over everything. Coming back to consciousness, I noticed that Viki was trembling. "What is the matter with you?"

"I'm cold.. I'll be fine." I looked at her lips, they were in fact turning blue.

I huffed. "You do anything, and I'll kill you. Clear?" She nodded. I walked over and laid down beside her. Instantly, she curled into my warm fur. She really was cold.

"Thank you." She muttered before she fell asleep.

Knowing that her father was late, I decided that I was going to be nice. I did give him a very difficult task after all. This would take more than an hour to complete. I yawned and put my head down on my paws.

I didn't realize how tired I was, because the next thing I remember, was waking up to the door slamming open. I watched as a man dragged in four sedated people. "Please, forgive me for being late, Miss. Nightshade." He lowered his head to me. It seemed like he was favoring one leg.

"Chain them up. I don't want them having any weapons or any pins in their hair. Escape will not be an option for them."

"Yes, Miss. Nightshade." He did as I instructed. After he was done, I had him dispose of Zack's body and build a fire in the fireplace. "Is there anything else you would like?"

"Yes. Sit, have a moment to rest that leg. I gave you a difficult task to complete in one hour. I have punished you for it already."

"Permission to speak freely?" I gave him a nod to continue. "I notice that Viki has been sleeping right next to you. She's a very deep sleeper so, she won't wake up any time soon. Do you perhaps have a kind heart, Miss. Nightshade?"

"No. I still need her alive. No use in letting her die if I can still use her." That wasn't totally a lie. I do in fact have a kind heart, just not at this moment. Plus, as long as my hostages were alive, the more I could control their loved ones.

"W-where am I?" I looked over and watched as Adonis's wife started to wake up from the sedation. I remained still as she looked around at everyone. When she eyes landed on me, I saw the anger rise inside them. "Beast." She spit, venomously.

"Try Savior." I replied calmly, even though my own anger was rising. I had to keep calm. I couldn't kill her yet. I watched as her anger faded and was replaced with fear. I mentally smiled. "You." I paused and looked at Viki's father. "Remove your daughter from me. I warn you now, attempting to escape with her will be futile. I'll tear her to shreds before you can make it to the door."

"I can't believe this. Why are you doing this s**t for her, Jerry?" So that's what his name is. I never even thought to have him inform me. Than again, I don't really care.

Jerry didn't say a word to her as he carefully removed Viki from me. I stood and shook out my fur before changing back to my human form. "Jerry, your shirt and the rubber band on your wrist. I want them." I held out my had as I stood naked in front of everyone.

"Yes, Miss. Nightshade." He handed me the rubber band first and I tied my hair in a loose bun at the base of my neck.

I turned my back to Adonis's wife to take Jerry's shirt when I heard her gasp. "Something wrong?" I asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Those scars. I know them. I know who you are. I'm the one who gave them to you!" Yes. They were back to being scars now that I had let Onyx use his magic to heal them.

I slipped the shirt on and looked at her with my eyebrow c****d. "What's your name?"

She blinked at me. "Why should I tell you my name?" I rolled my eyes and extended my claws, hovering over the youngest child's eyes. I watched as she tensed up. "You'll hurt my children to get what you want. That's low. Just like the mongrel you are."

I pushed pressure on his eyes, causing a small amount of blood to trickle from the wounds I started. "A crippled child is very difficult to raise. You have to learn what they need, help them every second of the day. You wouldn't be able to keep up with his needs and the baby's need. You'll go insane. Is a crippled child really worth it for a simple name?"

"It's Cora." She muttered.

I looked over at Jerry, he nodded. She was telling the truth. Good. I hated liars. "There, that wasn't so hard now was it?" Cora glared and me and I smiled. "Where is her phone, Jerry?"

In the bag right there, Miss. Nightshade." He pointed to a backpack by the door.

I opened the bag and took out two phones. One didn't have a password on it, so I looked through it. Turned out that it was the eldest sons phone. I looked at Cora and held up her phone. "16 23 31."

After unlocking the phone, I dialed Adonis's personal cellphone number. He picked up after the first ring. "Cora. Where are you? I came to see you, but you weren't in your office."

"Hello Adonis. I have your wife and children."

"Miss. Nightshade." He sounded so pissed off, I couldn't help but giggle. "What do you want from me, Miss. Nightshade?"

"I want you to surrender and finally put a stop to this ridiculous war you and your brother started many years ago."

"I will not surrender. What he did can't be undone. I will never loose to him. Even if I have to kill every one of you Beasts."

"I have already had Ursis surrender to me. I am leader now. I will put a stop to this stupid war. Even if it kills me in the end. I am, after all, The Savior."

"That's not possible! Cora made sure the Savior died when she was a child!"

"Yes. The scars on my back are proof that she attempted to kill me. However, I still live and I have my Beast. Surrender to me, or your eldest son dies.

"Damn it, Adonis! Surrender! I've already lost enough children! I can't lose anymore! I WILL NOT lose anymore!" Cora yelled when I wrapped my fingers around her son's throat.

I heard Adonis mutter, but I couldn't quite make it out. After a moment, he sighed. "Alright, I will battle with you. If you win, I will surrender to you. If I win, I get to kill you and Ursis."

"Deal." I growled, letting the boy go. "Tomorrow at 3pm. The clearing. No guns or knives. I'm sure you know I intend to have a fair fight."

"I dislike cheaters." Adonis spat.

"We agree on one thing at least. Do you have a Beast?"

"Yes. My Mother wished that Ursis and I had a Beast to protect ourselves. I suppose you want to fight with Beasts?"

"Yes. That is a far fight. Beasts have their own weapons they were born with. A 100 percent fair fight."

"Fine. Tomorrow at 3pm in the clearing." He hung up the phone and I smiled.

"He won't keep his word. He cheats when he knows that he is going to lose." Cora said.

"I figured as much, but it doesn't matter. I will win either way. Sadly, this thirst for blood doesn't let me lose." I looked over at Jerry. "Go get food for everyone. Make sure their is enough for Cora to have seconds if she wants. She is growing a child after all."

Cora looked shocked. "Wait, why are you feeding us? We are your hostages. Don't you want us weak? It's easier to control hostages when they are weak with hunger."

"I know, however, I'm not like that. My heart may be cold right now, but it wasn't always cold. I have a rather big heart." I slipped of the shirt and let my hair down. Jerry left quickly after putting his shirt on. I started with Viki. After she was unchained, I moved on to each of the children, then moved to Cora. I knelt down in front of her. "If you promise not to run away, I promise not to hurt you or your children."

She nodded. "I promise. I feel like I can trust you for some reason. Oddly, my Beast is calm when we are around you."

"Always trust your Beast. They know what is safe and what is not." I unchained Cora and gently placed my hand on her stomach. "Kin." I heard a voice in the back of my head. I furrowed my brow at it.

I must have worried Cora because she asked; "Is something wrong?"

"No. Not really. I just heard a voice say 'kin' when I touched your belly." I shook my head and walked over to the fire to toss in another log.

"It is kind of weird." Cora laughed. I raised my eyebrow at her. "Sometimes my Beast will say a single word. It's odd, but it is important. When I attacked you in the jungle, my Beast said no. That was the first time he ever spoke to me."

"Odd. Beasts don't normally talk to us. They are incapable of speaking our language."

"May I ask what you named your Beast, or was that just me?"

"No, I named mine. I named him Onyx. What about you?"

"Bagheera. I love the Jungle Book when I was a child."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Out of all colors and shades, black is my favorite. I couldn't name him black, so I named him Onyx. Basically, another word black." I smiled.

We talked for a while about our Beasts when Jerry came back with food, and a lot of it. "I didn't know what everyone would eat. So, I just got a bunch of stuff. I apologize for taking so long, Miss. Nightshade."

"It's fine. I never actually told you what to get other than food. Sit and eat, both of you." They ate while I woke the children. Viki was the hardest to wake, but I eventually got her to wake up.

After dinner was finished, everyone had bunkered down for the night with full bellies. I had already told them all that they would be stay here with me, but they wouldn't be chained again as long as they didn't try to run away. So, with everyone snoring away, I too fell asleep.