Between Ties

New Man In Charge

Maverick's Point Of View

The forest in the nighttime was quiet and calm as a blazing fire light up the area we had called ours. Trees had grown from Kenzo's hands to create an enclosed circle with a path that lead to a lake for Tusco to use.

I was out of breath as I stomped fiercely towards the practice grounds, my body feeling as if nature had poured liquid lava into my shape to fill it up from my toes to the brim of my head. I was still pissed off that Nixon had decided to turn Rhyett into Sleeping Beauty and although there was nothing I could do about it,

Doesn't make it f*****g right.

He trailed behind me trying to catch up as I had stepped foot into our space and lit all of the enclosed tree's on fire in one slight twist of my neck, the circle of trees blazed at the entrance of me as I sore Kenzo's eyes turn into pure horror as he clutched the grimoire tightly in his arms afraid that I might catch flames.

"Maverick's here." Tusco smirked and then they both turned around almost as quickly as I had set the fire while a mysterious women with dreadlocks stared at me as if she was impressed.

Who the f**k is she.

"Kill it! now!" Kenzo screamed in rage as I refused to listen to him. I shook my head.

"Then kill him!" I said referring to our beloved black magic brother who didn't give a s**t about anyone but himself.

"What did you do!?" Kenzo questioned him and then turned back to face me "the fire Maverick!" He was stern and then I rolled my eyes as I had calmed the flames before killing it softly, leaving the trees in a state of hurt and almost destruction, that I was sure Kenzo would fix.

"All I did was cast a sleeping spell on his little redhead female friend who I might add is not Beth." He was being cocky as Tus pinched his brows together because he thought that Beth was the only female I had really spent time with. Kenzo then glanced at me with hard eyes because he knew exactly who Nixon was referring to,

The girl from Chang's, that's how he had known her.

"Don't tell me it was the full moons sleep?" The woman had spoken up as she had asked Nixon curiously,

"Yeah" he shrugged "it won't hurt her."

And then she looked at him as if he was stupid "Protégé, that is a werewolf spell. If the girl is human the effects won't last."

Protégé?

"Well," he shrugged "sounds like a Maverick problem." he spat and then I felt the lava pass it's brim of me, overflowing into the energy around me as I charged for him while he had quickly held his hand out in front of me to force a gust of wind to push me back like I was being blowed like a dust by his force, causing me to think quickly as I allowed a ball of fire to emit from my hand, slicing through the air that was untouched by him as we both felt roots pull us into the bed of the ground.

The roots and leaves twisted around our feet and bodies, stabilizing us to its soil and dirt layer.

"Cut it out!" Kenzo screamed and at this point he was raging.

It was seldom to see Kenzo rage but when it had happened it was scary.

"What the f**k is going on!? Firstly where the f**k is the redhead human!?" He glared at us and then twisted to see the woman "and you need to start talking too, who the f**k are you!?"

Everyone was silent.

"Speak!!" He yelled referring to all of us using almost all of the air in his lungs.

Shit.

"She's in the car!" I spoke calmly still entangled in his mess of roots and vines.

"Maverick I know you're the youngest, but how can you be so stupid! You kidnapped her!"

"What the f**k was I suppose to do Kenz!? Leave her in her apartment untended!? If it wasn't for Nixon we wouldn't even be in this mess, now please let me the f**k out of this hold so I can get her home before she wakes up, or I will burn this f*****g forest to the ground." I said seriously,

"She is safe we will attend to her, but not until I figure out what the f**k is going on!" He turned to face Nixon, while Tusco stood on the sideline just observing the action.

"I have no hope for you. I've had enough of your bullshit over these last twelve years. All you do is cause havoc and pain towards the humans and I'm done looking for a redeemable quality in you. I don't think you have any. You're out of the coven, we're done with you." He was sad to say those words I could tell, but he still kept a strong face as he did. He was a leader and he knew how to be one.

This was the right choice to make. Nixon was trouble and he even pulled Tusco into his bullshit black magic.

"No" Tusco objected.

Is he f*****g playing.

My eyes big, how can he protect him, how can he-

That's right. It's his daddy issues talking.

"If you kick him out he won't help us bring our father back from the dead."

"This bullshit again!?" I was done with these clowns. I just wanted to get Rhy home before she woke up. I thought Kenzo would understand that because his main goal is to protect the coven and to protect our secret,

But I understood that he just wanted to figure out one problem at a time and she wasn't on the top of his priorities right now, although she was on mine.

"What are you talking about Tusco?" He had a blank look on his face as his eyes darted between the three of us as the woman with the dreads stood calmly, without intervening.

She had a calm darkness to her that couldn't figure out.

"Tell him." Tusco said sheepishly as he looked over at Nixion and then Nix spoke "Thanks to my lovely black magic witch and lover, Aleta. We had found a location spell strong enough to break the barrier of our fathers hiding spell, and it turns out he is dead." He nodded, as his...I suppose, girlfriend, smiled.

"I stole the grimoire from you." Kenzo had admitted to him and then continued "I saw a resurrection spell and took a picture of it." He swallowed "I showed it to Nixion and Aleta."

"The resurrection spell in your grimoire is for plants and animals, not humans nor witches." She spoke, "but I have ties to powerful Salem black magic witches and they know a spell to bring him back, but it will possible require the magic of all four of the mysterious elemental witches, his children."

"What? This is-" Kenz tried catch his breath "wait- this can't-"

"You used black magic to find our father?" He was now looking at Tus, "you murdered, that's not you Tusco. What is happening to you brother!?" He spoke with eyes of a mother who had found out that their son was growing up and choosing a life she never wanted for him,

But in someways I felt protective over Tusco's feelings as if he was my kid too, although he was older, but I loved him with every fiber in me even if he f***s up. He's my brother and no one is going to make him feel like s**t,

besides me.

"Don't do that! He was vulnerable and he wants to know our father and I might not agree with his actions but Tusco's the only one amongst the four of us that never got a chance to know his true parents. His birth mother rejected him and he wanted to know his father. I understand why he turned to black magic for answers. I don't condemn it but I understand it. So lay the f**k off."

"We going to do this or nah?"

I heard Nixon ask pulling us from our thoughts as I protested.

"I love you Tus, but this is a bad idea. He didn't want to be found when he did that hiding spell and honestly, I f*****g couldn't give two shits about the guy." I shook my head and then calmly asked Tusco's to unbind me from his hold as I felt my body being released from the grip of nature and so was Nixon's.

I stretched, trying to have my body feel like itself again.

I created a ball of fire in the palm of my hand to create light as I glanced at Tusco who knew I was indirectly telling him I was going to leave so that I could take care of Rhyett and then he nodded. "Take her home safely."

"What" I heard a delicate voice exhale a breath of air "is- Maverick?" We had all turned to see her as she stared at us with eyes of a scared innocent creature. Her hair was a mess and her mind was even messier, she couldn't breathe as I killed the ball of fire in my palm, by clutching my open hand into a fist as her wide big blue eyes refused to blink.

Her body stood froze as if Tusco had frozen her in a block of ice. She was scared, vulnerable and questioning her sanity. Her skin was pale and I had never seen her in this state. A state of complete detachment, detachment of reality and herself.

Shit!

Rhyett.

Rhyett's Point of View

My eyes adjusted as it had emerged from its blurry state. It was cold and the sound of the wind whipping the leaves had caught my ears.

I sat upright as I breathed heavy and felt a sudden ringing in my ears as my head had began to throb as if my heart was in my skull. I could feel the beating of a headache from my possible hangover pulsating as I scrunched up my eyes almost shutting it and lifted my hand to my head, as if I could calm the storm. I felt my strands between my fingers and then my eyes had shot open.

Where am I!?

I began to panic as I had realized that I wasn't in my apartment nor was I at Beth's.

I was in a car.

I tried to open the backseat door but it was locked. "Help!!" I began to bang on the window and then paused to catch my breath as I was trying to convince myself to think logically for a second as I leaned forward into the drivers side to look for anything I could use to break out of here.

How did I-

A wave of memories had hit me, like a bat hitting a baseball for a home run.

Maverick,

I was with Maverick, this is-

This is Nixion Van Halen's car. Why am I still in here, why am I in a forest in the middle of nowhere and where is Maverick!?

I couldn't see a single thing I could use to breakout of this car so I dug into my handbag for my cellphone.

Dead.

Of course! This is the part in the horror movie where I die. So f*****g predictable.

Come out Mr Killer!

Okay no I please don't.

I took a hair tie out of my bag and then tired my hair up in a knot above my head.

I then pressed my back on the backseat laying flat down and then placed my feet against the window of the door.

I breathed in and then slammed my sneakers against the window trying to kick it out.

A loud thud from my force was the sound I was focused on, hoping that it was the sound to save me.

No luck.

Okay, When I was kind of crazy and a rebel I use to know this trick to break out of my mom's car when she would go to the mall and lock me inside as one of her punishments due to something stupid I had done, like wearing lipstick to school or when I would cut my school uniform and make the hem of my skirt a little shorter.

Don't you judge me. All the cool girls were doing it and I wanted to fit in. You get that right?

okay I need a pin, something small and flat and a page.

I pulled a pin out of my bag and then leaned forward as I tried to look for something in Nixon's car.

I opened the glove compartment and found a first aid kit, a stethoscope, a thermometer, a syringe, a knife type thingy and a reflex hammer.

What the actual hell!?

I'm I a hostage, am I going to be experimented on, was one of them some type of psycho murderous doctor.

Maybe this has something to do with the doctor that Maverick was talking to at Chang's.

I need to get the hell out of here.

I grabbed the knife thing and the reflex hammer.

Why the hell didn't I check the glove compartment first,

Shit. I decided to bang repeatedly on the window with the reflex hammer and then it began to crack.

I will live to see another day.

I then laid back down and then got my feet in position to kick the window again and then I did. I forced my sneakers against the crack, the weak spot of the window and then the glass shattered into pieces that broke off.

I then kicked the rest out but still there were jagged edges but I had to get out even if it meant I would cut myself.

I lifted my body and tried to gently climb out through the window but instead I stumbled out almost falling as I had cut my arm, I felt a sting as it began to burn but that didn't matter right now.

I glanced around and saw nothing but trees and knew that I would be lost if I had chosen to walk in any direction.

I heard voices, many voices and from the distance saw a light emitting, giving off a feeling of hope,

A fire?

What if it's them and they want to kill me.

No if they wanted to kill me they would have done it already and I don't know why but I trust Maverick, although this situation is making me question my judgment.

I'm going to die. I thought shaking my head as my feet lead me towards the fire.

I'm stupid. I'm walking right towards the trap but at least I have this knife,

And maybe it's just a family camping out and they can take me home. I'll approach the scenes, spy and if I see anything dangerous, I'll run,

As far as I f*****g can.

I gripped the knife in my hand tightly as I was ready to stab someone.

I breathed watching the light become bigger and bigger as I had gotten closer. I heard voices, it was becoming clearer as I stepped carefully and slowly trying not to alarm anyone or make it known that I was there.

That voice, the deep, rough alluring one. I pressed my brows together curiously as I leaned.

Maverick.

I peeked through the branches of the tree almost burnt out tree that I was standing by and saw four boys and a girl.

Maverick, Nixon, the doctor from Chang's and someone I've never seen before, along with a mysterious woman.

A ball of fire rested in the palm of Maverick's hand as my eyes doubled in size,

why isn't the fire hurting him? How did he- what did he-

Am I hallucinating, did they drug me. I must be drugged how the hell is he holding a ball of fire in the palm of his hand!?

"Take her home safely." The doctor said.

Her? Me?

I can't stay quiet, what the hell is going on!?

I jumped out of the bush as if my soul and body had pushed me and then said "what" I couldn't breathe "is- Maverick?" They had all turned to now face me every eye on me as I stood there like a dear caught in headlights.

I had to run.

"Rhyett!" Maverick yelled as he noticed me taking a few steps back before he had killed the ball of fire in his hand.

I heard Nixon's voice speak a language I had never heard in my life as he stared at me and then I had suddenly felt a wash of calmness rinse over me.

"Don't run. Stand still." Nixon had said and I swear in that moment I could only hear his voice. I couldn't hear the wind nor anyone else. It's like my ears had only wanted to hear him or as if it only could,

and f**k that I wanted to run I had to run but,

I couldn't. It felt like I wasn't in control of my own body anymore. I stood still even though every part of me was trying not to. I felt like Ella in Ella Enchanted. Forced to do something I didn't want to.

I was scared and didn't understand what was happening. "Please!" I felt my throat swell as if I wanted to cry. I didn't like this, I didn't like whatever this was. It had triggered me back to a memory I had lived once in California.

"What did you do to her!?" Maverick yelled stepping fiercely up to him as the fire ball reappeared in his hand. I saw anger in him, but not his usual kind, this was the kind I was scared of.

"Calm down brother bear. I'm doing this to protect the coven. Do you want her on the loose, running her mouth around New York about magic." He held his hand up in front of Maverick before Maverick had attacked him.

"Kenzo!!" Maverick yelled and then glared at the doctor "Do something! He's testing the f**k out of me!"

"He's right Maverick. We can't have her remembering this. We need to figure something out before we let her go."

"Aleta and I know a spell that will take her memory away." Nixon smirked.

Spell!?

They're going to do something to me, I don't want them doing anything. This was already enough.

"I won't tell anyone. You can trust me. Just let me go." I said trying to plead with them as I was still stuck to my spot like I was standing in hardened concrete.

"No! No more black magic! I know what black magic does to humans when it's used on them too much!!" Maverick yelled. "We can trust her!"

"No Maverick. You can trust her. We don't know her." Nixon shrugged.

"I give you my word that she will keep her mouth shut and if I'm wrong I'll let you kill her."

"What!!?" I screamed. "Are you joking!?"

"Shut up Rhyett. Stay the f**k out of this." He said to me sternly and then Nixon smiled "Yes Rhyett, don't say a word." He spoke to me and then I wanted to protest but my lips refused to move and my voice refused to work,

But it didn't stop the tears from gliding down my cheeks.

"That's enough Nixon!" The doctor said "We have Maverick's word. Let the human go!"

"Fine." He rolled his eyes as if playtime was over and then spoke a few words that I couldn't make out as I felt a release shift over me but I stayed standing still, this time it was choice.

We were all silent.

"I want to go home." I swallowed breaking the silence not knowing how to fathom all of this and then Maverick's eyes turned softer from its harshness.

"I'll take you home." He said to me kindly and then I nodded softly refusing to make eye contact, I couldn't look at him right now and in the pit of my stomach I still felt invaded and controlled and manipulated by Nixon and all of this,

I felt used, like I was a pawn.

"You're getting good at the craft." The woman had told Nixon who was my once one of favorite guitarist who I had once owned posters of. He had now fall from the pedestal I had held him so highly on, falling into the position of my enemy.

She kissed him on his cheek and then I saw Maverick walk towards me giving me a look of hardness but in some form protection like nothing was going to hurt me now.

"We need to talk about resurrecting our father it's what I want it's what Tus wants, this conversation isn't over brother and by the look of it I think I know exactly what button to push to make you reconsider your choice." He said as he was talking to Maverick who didn't acknowledge him once as he was only seeing me and then Nixon turned to face the doctor "you don't get to decide if I belong in the coven or not. My magic is far more advanced than yours will ever be. From now on, I call the shots Kenzo. And if you have a problem with that consider the life of your wife and your kid if you choose to work against me. I'm done playing b***h boy,

I'm done playing nice. I'm in charge now. All of you will do as I say. I'm the one to answer to."