My Secret I Never Knew

Embrace 3

Nikki’s POV

Once we made it to the field we saw the battle, I was concerned about Candice but Neesh was right we had to help and she’d be ok. I ran off towards an older woman being stalked by a bear and wolf, I opened my mind to Midnight and StarBella so they could see what I saw. Assholes, who attacks before noon and prey on children and elders. I jumped n the air making swords of energy in each hand, I jumped on the bear’s back sending the swords into its neck. I looked over to see that Midnight and Starbella had the wolf decapitated and missing a leg. I told Starbella to get the woman to the safe house before climbing on to Midnight’s back and going deeper into the fight, slicing into flesh as I rode. I saw Eric running a group of kids to another safe house near the entrance of the woods, there were two wolves following behind him, we took off in the direction of them. The wolves were closing in, but so was I, then I heard Eli above me and Eric turned just as one of the wolves got close and sent fire through its chest. I jumped off of Midnight once I was close enough flipping onto the second wolf and stabbing it in the head with an energy sword, it collapsed and I climbed off.

“Well that was….., impressive.”

“Thanks, I’ve been working with your brother on making weapons with energy.”

“Wait when the hell have you guys been doing that? Does Holly know?”

“While you were out doing the extra training with warriors we would meet up and train, Holly wasn’t there. Are you jealous.” I asked with a grin before my vision and hearing sliced quickly to Starbella’s before returning to normal.

“What happened ?”

“Starbella showed me these two witches and I guess a werewolf, the said Gemini wants the the Guardian Princess dead. I think they’re going to kill Candice. We have to find her, Starbella says she’s not in the safe house in that area.”

“Nikki, no wait.” It was too late. I was running towards the direction she ran earlier, throwing energy balls along the way. I sent Midnight to another safe house just in case, but there was only one close to where we emerged from earlier and Starbella already saw no sign of her there. I finally found her in the woods near the pond we had explored earlier.

“What the hell, Candice, why didn’t you go to the safe house? There are people trying to kill you.”

“I got lost, there were so many people and animals running around and blood everywhere and I forgot how to unlock the damn door to get in and I ran back here trying to get back into the cave but couldn’t figure out how.” She cried, I grabbed her hand, hugged her and told her let’s go. I needed to get her safe, and we began to run towards the closet safe house. “Nikki, danger, Nikki go left.” I heard an unfamiliar but friendly voice whisper in my head, I stopped and turned left to head towards the safe house that Mrs. Lee created. I pulled Candice trying to make her run faster. “Nikki, too many, too many Nikki they are coming from everywhere. You have to hide, you have to hide Nikki until Eric comes. Eric is coming, Nikki.” The voice whispered again.

“Do you hear that, do you hear someone talking?.” I asked Candice, confused.

“No, the only thing I hear is the fight and that damn bird swanking.” Candice replied, I looked up seeing Eli circling over us. Could I have heard him, is that even possible? I didn’t have time to think about that, I turned to Candice and grabbed both her hands.

“Candice, we have to hide. There are too many enemies around and they are gaining on us quickly. We have to bend the wind and light so they can’t see or smell us and we need to do it quickly.”

“I… I can’t, I’m not as strong as you, you just do it,”

“I’m not strong enough to hide both of us, I’ve been using so much of my magic. I need your help please Candice I know that you can do this. Just take a deep breath and focus.”

She nodded and we held hands focusing as we chanted the spell over in our heads and visualized what we wanted the elements around us to do. This was a very difficult spell, and honestly we hadn’t trained on it very much but we needed it right now and it seemed to be working. I looked around and saw wolves and bears running around us, passing us unable to see or smell us. They were getting frustrated, then I saw the two hooded figures again.

“FIND THE DAMN GUARDIAN PRINCESS, I WANT HER DEAD.” Both the figures said in unison. I looked at Candice who had eyes wide and panic seeping onto her face, I wanted to tell her she would be ok and to calm down but I had to concentrate on the spell. Suddenly, everyone stopped around us and I felt myself carrying the spell alone. I looked at Candice and she was silently crying, I squeezed her hands and my eyes pleading for her to focus back on the spell. It was weakening and they were starting to sense us.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as tears streamed down her face, I couldn’t hold on any longer. I sent an image to Eli that I prayed he received as I noticed him swooping down attacking whoever he could, but it wasn’t enough.

My breath became shaky as I felt my magic fading.

“There you are.” I heard the hooded figures say in unison, I looked towards them and saw two black balls flying towards us. Without thinking I pushed Candice out the way, and watched the figures teleport away.

I looked down and saw a hole where my stomach should be, I looked to Candice and smiled at the fact she was ok, I fell to my knees and before my head could hit the ground I was in Eric’s arms.

“Watch out for her, and don’t be an asshole.”

“Nikki, why the hell do you have to save everybody? Damn, I told you to wait for me.” Eric said as tears poured from his eyes, I used what little energy I had to pull his head to mine. I kissed him until I faded into darkness.

Candice POV

She pushed me, she pushed me to save me and it was my fault. I looked up, tears flooding my eyes as I watched her look at me and she smiled. She had a giant hole in her body and she was smiling. She fell to her knees and I stood to run to her but Eric made it first, supporting her so her head didn’t hit the ground. The fighting all around us had stopped, leaving just those that belonged here on the grounds.

Watch out for her, and don’t be an asshole.” I heard her say lowly, smiling as she looked at Eric.

“Nikki, why the hell do you have to save everybody? Damn, I told you to wait for me.” Eric said as tears poured from his eyes, she then pulled him towards her and kissed him until her hand became limp and fell to her side.

Eric cried with his lips still pressed against hers, I walked over but as I got close I saw fire spreading over Eric’s body.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“Eric, please calm down.”

He looked up at me, his eyes furious burning red. More scary than the day in the conference room. I took a step back, and turned my head towards the sound of people running towards us. I saw Holly, Anthony, Neesh, Mack and the Lee’s emerge from the trees and they stopped in their tracks looking at Nikki and Eric.

“Is she, is she alive?” Holly's voice shook as she asked, tears flowing. I turned to look back at Eric, his eyes never left me. His arm was covering her stomach, he moved it so the others could see the hole. I heard crying but Eric never took his eyes off me and I was too afraid to look away from him.

“This is YOUR fault.” He said with venom in his words

“I’m, I, I’m sorry. I never wanted her to hurt Eric, you have to know that.”

“She didn’t even know that Candice, because you DID hurt her. Daily, emotionally, mentally. You went out of your way to hurt her and for what Candice Huh?”

He screamed at me, and the fire on his skin started blazing hotter and wider. Anthony tried to calm him, he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder like before but pulled away in pain after a few seconds.

“What, how, Anthony I thought his fire couldn’t hurt you. I thought it was a twin thing, Anthony, that's a third degree burn.” Holly said looking at Anthony’s hand, that scared me even more. Anthony just looked shocked and confused, I felt Eric burning hotter and hotter. I watched as he rocked Nikki back and forth in his arms crying.

“She never deserved the way you treated her, she still tried to be there for you no matter how much of a selfish b***h you were. Nikki doesn’t deserve this you do, they wanted to kill the Guardian Princess, they wanted to kill you and she pushed you out of harm's way. She should be here, she should be here. She NEEDS to be here.” He said his voice cracking, his body shaking.

“ERIC STOP.” Anthony yelled but Eric didn’t seem to hear him, he just kept burning and saying Nikki should be here as he burned their bodies. Anthony was calling out to his brother trying to reach him, but Mack and Mr.Lee were holding him back.

I watched in horror as Eric screamed, not from pain but heartbreak, Eli flew into the fire landing by Eric’s side rubbing his head on Eric’s arm. Suddenly they were engulfed in the fire, I couldn’t see any of them anymore, only the fire. I felt the warmth from it on my skin. Anthony was now on the ground, his head buried in Holly’s chest as he and everyone else cried watching them burn. I fell to my knees crying, this was my fault, all my fault.

“Well this is wonderful.” I turned to see Angel walking up smiling with a man in a dark suit walking beside her.

“It is just simply beautiful” he said smiling and putting her hand into his.

“You sick son of b***h, that’s my brother dying in there.” Anthony shouted and tried lunging at the man, who suddenly grew wings and flew up into the air making Anthony stumble to the ground.

“Calm down young one, I see my sweet Angel has really been tight lipped with you all.” The man started floating back down, his wings disappeared once his feet were stable on the ground.

“Who are you, can you help his brother please.” Holly asked, walking over and helping Anthony up.

“I’m sorry, I am Ariel and I am Angel’s partner. I can’t help the young man because he doesn’t need help. He’s made of fire, it’s in his blood. He can’t be hurt by it, not really. He’s injured and his power is basically trying to heal him. Once healed his fire will die down.” Ariel said.

“He’s not hurt, Nikki is, well Nikki is dead.” I said lowly, Ariel looked at me then to Angel. He walked to her, kissed her passionately then responded, “A Brokenheart is an injury that needs to be healed just like any other injury.”

The fire started to simmer down and we all watched as it slowly died, leaving a charred ground and Nikki naked Eric’s arms, his clothes were burned off as well. I looked closer at Nikki and saw she was breathing, Eli then flew off into the sky and Eric sprouted wings then flew off behind him while carrying Nikki.

“Holly we have to go.” Anthony said suddenly

“What, go where, how the hell is Eric flying and where is he taking Nikki.” Holly responded

“Home, come on I’ll get the car so we can meet them there.” He said

"We can just run back to the packhouse." Holly said

“No, Holly, he's taking her to our birth home. Crystal Heart, to our father for answers.” Anthony said.

“So you can’t fly too.” Neesh asked, walking over to Anthony.

“Not until he embraces his full powers, like his brother and you did.” Angel said to Neesh smiling.

“Perfect that we came on a day that two Guardians came into full power, wouldn’t you say darling.” Ariel said to Angel, smiling at her.

“We need to discuss some things with everyone, come come.” Angel said and we all walked to the packhouse conference room, while Holly and Anthony headed to Crystal Heart.

Once we were in the conference room we all took seats and waited for Alpha John. Once he arrived he took his seat.

“Zack is in the Alpha wing of the hospital, his mother is with him as well as our Betas. The gammas are assessing our borders and grounds, trying to piece together what happened. Neesh it is my understanding that you healed my son then transported him and two children into a safe house. I am grateful young lady and proud to have you in this pack.” Alpha John said before looking to Angel. “Now Angel I understand this is your partner and he had news for us, I think we need to hear it.”

“Yes Alpha. It seems that the Scourge is really quite powerful, they pick a target and they destroy it. This Gemini is the leader and uses very dark magic to accomplish whatever goals are set.” Aries stated he walked over to me and looked me in the eyes. “Do you know what I am? Do you know what Angel is?” He asked me, I assumed Angel was a witch but now I’m not so confident. I looked at her and shook my head before looking back at him.

“Well, I am half Angel and half demon. I’m really quite remarkable but not as remarkable as my dear sweet Angel, who is indeed a full Angel. A GUARDIAN Angel to be more accurate and well she doesn’t particularly care for you,which you are aware of. However, I don’t feel you know why. So, ask me three questions and I will answer them with honesty.” He said to me, I looked at him and Angel. Then I looked around the room, everyone was watching me.

“I, how is she an Angel if she’s not in heaven?”

“Interesting, that’s your first question. Very well. She’s an Angel born on earth, very rare and very powerful. All the benefits of being an Angel of heaven but none of the complications or pesky rules.” He replied and I stared at him, I didn’t understand, I also didn’t intend for that to be my first question. I was just thinking out loud, my mistake.

“What does that mean, how is an Angel born on earth?” Neesh asked

“No, no, this is not your turn. She asked I answered honestly. That was the deal, no one said anything about details should be included.” Ariel said with a shrug. This is bull.

“Why does Angel hate me?”

“She doesn’t, she just doesn’t like the dark mark on your soul.” My eyes widened

“What dark, no wait. My question is why can’t anyone remove this magical block on me?”

“Oh that’s simple, someone can. She just won’t be able to for a while. I personally don’t think she should at all.” He said with a grin

“I don’t understand who is the person, and why can’t she remove it now?” I asked, standing in my chair.

“Sorry you’re all out of questions.” He said as he walked back to sit next to Angel.

“Sweetheart, play nicely, we’re here to help. No matter how unbearable SOME of them might be.” Angel said to him while rubbing his arm.

“I just find it pretty interesting that not one of her questions involved knowing about her young friend that saved her from death. Even demons have more compassion than that.” He said with an eye roll, how could I have not thought about her. I thought to myself.

“You didn’t think about her because you’re very selfish, and you're jealous of her. I will never understand jealousy, you have so much more than her yet you’re the one that’s jealous. Even after she offers you unconditional love and loyalty.”

“What are you talking about, Angel dear, we need your partner here to be a little less vague.” Mrs. Lee said

“Fine, but I’ll be a little clearer. This one here has a pure heart with a dark stain on her soul. That’s how the one referred to as Gemini tracked her, I don’t know what caused the stain but I do know her magical block could’ve been removed when she was a child. The one called Nikki, was the key to removing the block. Since the block wasn’t removed, it seems that Candice can have spells cast on her, harmful ones, without even knowing. She is important to the Guardians but unfortunately I am unable to see why. Oh, and I can sense the guilt which Candice is full of.” Ariel said, before exiting the conference room.

Angel stood, “I apologize, his good and bad sides are always fighting within him. Before I leave I want to say that I do not hate you Candice but I do not respect you. I see the emotions you have for Nicole and well they aren’t justified, your soul can be cleaned if you work towards it and right a wrong. Neesh, you have come into your full power and I suggest training with your mother as well as Nina from Crystal Heart. Alpha John, there are three guardians that are a part of your pack and one of them is your daughter. Train harder, but be willing to allow them to come and go as needed.”

With that Angel left as well. There was a discussion of the next steps but I zoned out, thinking about everything that happened. Soon alpha John ended the meeting and I was left with my thoughts.