Ash And Ember The Wolf / Witch Hybrid

Chapter 8

The council members and Angel stood and started walking to Marlin and Ember. As soon as the group was together, they all walked out of the dining hall and headed to Vladimir's study. Ember struggled to keep pace with the group because of her long legs and it was rather frustrating for her. Halfway to Vladimir's study, she had stopped and realized that she had left her clothes in the dining hall. The group stopped and looked at her, wondering if she had sensed danger or something.

"I'm sorry, but I forgot my clothes in the dining hall, and I need to go get them for Ash." Ember said apologetically.

"Oh. I can help with that, just tell me when you want to shift." Angel smiled knowingly at Ember.

"How?" Sharra asked, eyeing her suspiciously again.

"I've had to summon clothing on so many shifters now that I have lost count. It's sadly normal for shifters in the protected lands to shred their clothes when they shift in a hurry," Angel answered.

"OK, let's try it." Ember said and started shifting back into their human form.

As Ash came forward, she noticed that a really cute sundress had appeared on her along with a pair of sandals. It seemed a little odd to be wearing a sundress at night, but the deep purple color was beautiful and looked good on her. She went and gave Angel a hug.

"Thank you. This dress is beautiful." Ash said, smiling. "Is there any way that you can teach me that spell? It would make things so much easier than stashing clothing everywhere."

The entire group chuckled at this but realized that Ash was right. That would be a handy spell to know. They continued walking for a few more minutes before they had finally reached their destination. Vladimir's study was a nice room, there was a lit fireplace in the corner and a few couches and coffee tables spread throughout. But the most remarkable thing was that there was the floor to ceiling bookshelves built into every wall and they were all almost full. Ash never knew that he had thousands of books here. No wonder he always seemed to know so much, she thought to herself as she looked around in awe of his collection.

"Ash, I need you to see this." Vladimir softly said, pulling Ash out of her thoughts.

"You have an impressive book collection in here," Ash complimented.

"Thank you. I've been collecting books for the last four hundred years and I tend to copy the ones that I borrow. But I need everyone to see this." Vladimir beckoned everyone to gather around the coffee table by the fireplace.

He waved his hand and two couches, and a recliner appeared for everyone to be able to sit comfortably. Vladimir and Tonia sat on the couch that was already there while Marlin and Sharra sat on one of the others and Ash and John took the last one, leaving the recliner for Angel. There was only one book on the coffee table, and it looked old.

"This is the book that Angel sent with the prophecy in it." Vladimir stated as he stood up and walked over to the fireplace. He pushed a panel on the front of it and a small door just above the mantle lifted open. There was a small compartment only big enough for one book to fit in it.

"And this is a book that my mother gave me four hundred years ago." He pulled the book out and pressed the panel again, closing the secret compartment. He gently held the book up and blew the dust off of it. When he finished, he walked back over to the group and gently set his book on the table. To everyone's amazement, the books were identical.

"I'm happy to see that your family has kept this safe for all these generations." Angel smiled appreciatively at him.

"Yes, but I only got it because I'm an only child. My family has placed an enchantment on it so that if it ever fell into the hands of a dark witch or warlock, they wouldn't be able to read it. Also, you can't destroy it." Vladimir said with sadness in his voice. Tonia gently grabbed his hand and gave him a bright smile.

"So, this is how you knew about the prophecy? And why would you want to destroy this book?" Marlin was shocked. How many other books did he have hidden in here? He thought to himself.

"Yes. And it's frustrating owning a book that you can't read. I always thought that it was a sick joke that my mother played on me until I found Tonia and had a change of heart. But that is also why I have been collecting books for all these years. At first I was trying to break the protection spell on it, but then I realized the true power in knowledge." Vladimir stated proudly, he was one of very few that had come back from using dark magic.

"Well, it's also nice to know that you followed in your great-grandfather's footsteps," Angel chuckled.

"Wait, are you an immortal also?" Ash was astonished. She only knew of two immortal witches, and they were Marlin and Sharra. Even though witches and wizards could live up to 900 years old, they weren't truly immortal.

"Unfortunately, no. I'm cursed to live a normal human life span and then I'm reborn shortly after I die. I have been around for a few millennia though," Angel said drearily. Ash could finally see just how tired Angel was at that moment but was curious as to whom she pissed off.

"Well little one, I think it's time that we finally find out what the fates have in store for you." Sharra said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Ash looked at Sharra and gave her a reassuring smile. Everyone already knew that this prophecy was going to be far from her living a life full of butterflies and rainbows. They also knew that the longer they put this off, the less time they had to prepare her for what was coming. So, with a heavy sigh, Vladimir handed Ash his copy of the book.

"Just open the book and it will show you what you need to know." Vladimir was still holding out some sort of twisted hope that she wasn't the one.

Ash took the book and looked at it, not really wanting to know about this prophecy anymore. But she knew that she had to, Angel had mentioned the fate of the future. Ash took a deep breath and opened the front cover of the book. In a bold ornate script was written 'For those who seek the truth in this book, may the fates blessings be upon you.'

"Well, that's not ominous at all." Ash said sarcastically, and then suddenly the pages started turning quickly on their own. Ash jumped so hard that she almost dropped the book. Once the pages stopped flipping, she set the book down on the coffee table and stood to walk around the room.

"Are you ok, my dear?" Marlin asked as he walked towards her.

"No, I was expecting a regular old book. Not a demon possessed one. That book is not cool with its creepy ways and ominous writings." Ash was freaking out.

"It's ok, my dear. It's just a magical book." Marlin said, wrapping her in a warm hug. "But you do need to read what it says. I wish that you didn't, but it's your destiny."

"What if I just choose to ignore it? Would that be so bad? I just want a normal life." Ash started crying into Marlin's chest.

"I know, and I wish that whatever this burden is didn't have to land on your shoulders. But I also know that you are strong enough to overcome whatever the fates have thrown at you. You have already proven that over the course of your life. So now I ask, would you rather be blindsided by what is coming or be prepared and knock it back to wherever it came from." Marlin held her close so that way she would not be able to see the tears in his eyes. He didn't want her to see how much this was breaking his heart.

"You're right. I can’t run from this. I've faced everything else head on, so I will do the same with this." Ash squared her shoulders and pulled away from their hug. "Now let's get back to the creepy book."

Marlin chuckled; he was proud of her but also very worried at the same time. For the first time, he truly admired her strength. He only hoped that he could be just as strong. As they returned to the couches, John offered Ash a sympathetic smile. She returned the smile and sat back down beside him. Marlin sat down beside Sharra and pulled her head to his chest. It was painfully obvious that she was crying. She wound up curling up on his lap and continued to cry into his chest as he rubbed small circles on her back trying to soothe her without crying himself. There were no words spoken between anyone, but everyone knew that they were all afraid of what was about to happen.

Ash looked at the book and began to read aloud. "On a harvest moon a hybrid child of two wolves and a warlock will be born. By her sixteenth birthday, a wolf will awaken, and before her twenty first birthday their magic will come forth. The wolf will be of fire and light. Able to command all magical beings. And the witch will be of air, water, earth and darkness, but evil will not live in her heart. If a warlock can taint the witch's heart, then the world will fall into the very darkness that she controls. If the wolf remains strong and pure of heart, then she will slay the warlock and the balance will be maintained."

"That's it?!" Ash exclaimed. Why did she get so worked up over this?

"I'm afraid that it sounds simpler than it will be. You see Ash, you are the darkness and warlocks are still looking for you. And one is getting closer." Angel said quietly. "A few days after you left the protected lands, he came looking for you. I was able to send him on a wild goose chase, but he has probably figured it out by now. That's why it took me so long to get here. I had to make sure that I covered my tracks."

"Why didn't you say something about that when you got here?" Marlin roared, causing Sharra to jump and start hiccupping uncontrollably. " I'm sorry my love." He softly said to her.

"I really didn't want to see your dungeon today. And that's exactly where you would have thrown me for saying that there was a treat to Ash." Angel snapped at him.

"Everyone, please calm down." John spoke loudly. He was at his wits' end with Marlin and Angel. "I don't know what happened in the past, but for heaven's sake. Let. It. Go. Right now, our focus should be on helping Ash and dealing with the traitorous wench in the dungeon. And we still need to appoint a new council member."

John had stayed quite for longer than he should have, but he honestly didn't want to snap at anyone. That was until these two kept bickering. He had tried to be patient with them, but he could not. Everyone looked at John in shock. He was never really the type to raise his voice.

"I'm sorry John. You are right, there are far more important things going on right now." Marlin hung his head in shame.

"What traitorous wench?" Angel asked softly. She had no idea that they had other problems hanging around them.

"She's the dark witch that placed a fated bond curse on me. She was just using me and her daughter to gain more power." John finally let the tears flow from his eyes.

"What do you mean 'her' daughter? Melony is your daughter too, isn't she?" Tonia asked softly, her heart hurt for him.

"No. I never told anyone about this, but I have never been able to father children. I wanted a family so badly that I ignored the fact that she was unfaithful and tried my best to raise Melony the right way. But I failed at that also." John was sobbing at this point and Ash got up and shifted into her wolf form to comfort him. Ember just laid her head on his lap and let him cry on her.

"Ember, I know that today has been a whirlwind for you. But I need to ask one more favor of you tonight," Marlin said.

"OK. But let's give John a few more minutes to get this out of his system." Ember quietly said, not wanting to move just yet.

"I hate to pry at a sore subject, but I need to know. What did he mean by failing to raise his daughter right?" Angel leaned over and quietly asked Tonia.

"Melony was a sweet and kind little girl, but when she came into her abilities she started to change. She gradually became meaner and became the biggest bully in the school. She also stayed so busy that she had less and less time for John," Tonia whispered grimly.

"Was she spending an unusual amount of time with her mother over the years?" Angel asked, deep in thought.

"I suppose she was." Tonia thought back over the years. "Yes, she was. Why?"

Angel looked past everything around her, searching the depths of her mind. Something about this seemed familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. As if Vladimir was thinking the same thing, he shot to his feet and ran over to the different tables and some bookcases, grabbing several books and bringing them back to where everyone was sitting.

"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Tonia was worried about Vladimir's erratic behavior.

"I'm an i***t. I should have seen the signs years ago. She's been cursed herself." He said as he opened yet another secret compartment and pulled out three old, dark-looking books.

As Vladimir returned, everyone was staring at him, trying to figure out what was going on.

"That treacherous witch is a dark witch, she used dark magic on both Melony and John to keep them under her thumb." He quickly explained as he handed a book to Angel and another to Sharra. "I bet one of these books will have the cures she used in it while these others might be able to help us find a counter spell for it."

John and Tonia each grabbed a book and started combining through the pages while the others were reading the books that Vladimir had handed them. Marlin just looked at Ember. He really didn't want to ask this of her, but he had no choice. Marlin gently moved Sharra off of his lap and kissed her cheek before he stood and walked towards Ember.

" I need your help finding the clearing in the forest that she is hiding her sanctum in," Marlin said.

"This wouldn't happen to be a clearing where everything seems muted and quiet, as if there was darkness lurking in the trees would it?" Ember asked curiously.

"Yes, do you know where it is?" Marlin was confused by her reaction.

"It's the clearing that Ash was in last night that she summoned the hate storm." Ember answered as a shiver ran down her back.

"Does Ash enjoy going to that place?" Angel asked suddenly.

"I don't like what you are implying, Angel." Ember growled and started to stand.

"I'm not trying to say that she is evil, but you have to remember that she can control the darkness. Just as you can control the light. You two are like a Yin-Yang, keeping each other perfectly balanced." Angel said, her hands raised, and her head bowed in submission.

"So, I'm guessing that darkness is not evil?" Ember asked.

"No, just like light is not necessarily good. Those are just labels that people put on them. Evil things can happen in the light of day, just as good things can happen in the dark of night. Each element is actually neutral, it's how you use them that makes them good or evil." Angel explained. It made her sad to know that this simple fact wasn't being taught.

"Then yes, Ash is drawn to that place. She thinks that it is peaceful, and I find it unnerving. Is that why the prophecy says that evil doesn't live in her heart even though she controls darkness?" Ember was still trying to decipher everything that she had heard.

"Yes, but we must be careful about that. Evil can always snake its way into the purest of souls." Angel warned.

"Marlin, is there any way that we could wait for tomorrow to go there? If we do find this sanctum, then we will need to know how to get into it. We also need to know what we are looking for and how to destroy it." Ember was hoping that he would agree.

"You are right. It also wouldn't hurt to call it a night. We tend to miss important things when we are tired." Marlin said, looking at how weary the group was, realizing that it was almost 1 A.M. "We can start the search again tomorrow."

Everyone looked at him and agreed. It would be better to start looking for answers in the morning. They all put down their books and started leaving to go to their rooms as Vladimir returned his secret books to their hiding places. It had been a long day for all of them and Ember couldn't wait to finally get some rest. As soon as Ember entered her room and closed the door, she allowed Ash to take control.

"I'm almost afraid to try to go to bed." Ash jokingly told Ember.

"Well, then it's your turn to keep watch. I'm beyond exhausted and have to rest." Ember yawned.

"Good night, Ember." Ash said as Ember put up a block in their mind. She then laid down on her bed, and as soon as Ash’s head hit the pillow she was asleep.