So we let her go?
Malaki asked watching Nicholae drive away from their temporary hideout.

No Mal, we kill her. We can't have her wheeling out of here a free woman. She'll make a run for it and we'll never catch her again.

'We're not letting her go.' Osei said to them.
Not after the confessions, she'd made. Osei needed answers.

She's in the bloody car with Nicholae and he's dropping her back off at the home. Or am I missing something?

Osei shoved his hands in his pocket and watched the pink and orange sky.
'Well then listen to the plan.'

             *************************

Danielle, Semi, Clarissa and Fauna stayed outside with the other wolves worried to death when the phone call came in. Semi hastily answered.
'Osei? Tell me everything is alright.'

'Yes. And I'm going to send you my location so please send volunteers over. We're having ourselves a little demon hunt and an old fashion torturing session.'

Semi jotted down the address and rallied some of them up.
'Count me in Semi. I can't believe he left me out of the excitement so far.' Cayden said, immediately jumping in. This automatically meant Liza and Lupé were on board as well.
Every one of the pack members was willing to fight alongside their Alpha. But she could choose a few according to Osei's instructions.

With Fauna and Clarissa's help, she sent them to Osei's location with a transportation spell enacted on a large scale.

'This is something serious isn't it?'
Semi took Danielle's hand.
'Osei will be fine. He's in better shape than he was months ago.'

Danielle bit her lips.

'No, he's not. He's been pretending for your sake. You can ask Jeffery. The wound opens every other week now and I don't even know when those are.'

Semi tightened her hold for support.
'But why would he lie to me?'

'Because he loves you too much. Neither of you sees the depth of his love for you. He'd rather die than break your heart.'
Danielle confessed although her piece heart chipped away when she did.
'We have to do more to help him.'

Semi's head and heart hurt when she uttered the words she knew were true, 'This is all he wants us to do. We should trust him'

Fauna shook her head.
'What? we're making a mistake here. They're going up against witches without magic.'

But Semi repeated a variation of her mantra.
'We should trust them.'
And she would pray for the cosmos to keep all of them safe. She wasn't ready to lose anyone.

Osei and the others were all in position. Now all they needed was for Nicholae to survive.

           *****************************

Nicholae slammed the door of his car carelessly announcing his arrival. He was already walking into trap, there was no need to be quiet about it.

'My Lord.' Lily mock curtsied from the front door.

'I'm here now what?' Nicholae stepped forward and was halted.

'Drop your guns and kick them away.' Edgar ordered from beside her.

Nicholae obeyed.
'I'm here so what now?'

The aroma sweet and thick aroma of the elfin oak surrounded them. It was everywhere impairing his ability to definitely lock in on the smell of his targets.

The light of the porch reflected on the bloody silver stake in Lily's hand.

'Oh, calm down.' She laughed lifting the stake for his inspection.
'They are still breathing for now. Can't you hear them?'

'Stake him.' The demons wearing Harris skin urged.
So this was where he'd come after he left the home.

'Of course. First take off the ring. I know what it does.'
Now he was starting to really feel naked.

'Well,you have me so let them go.'

'You see it's not that simple. The persecution won't die with you alone.'
His chest painfully constricted and his legs seemed to have been slammed by a speeding truck.

'You didn't bring little Fauna along? I was hoping to have a little fun with that murdering bitch.'
Nicholae struggled to inhale over the pain in his chest. It felt as though she'd punctured it.
'She has no part in this. She know nothing.' He managed to choke out.

'Please. She knows more than you even. How do you think all these people are dying. First Tiana, Ginger and the others. It started with you two.'

Lily drove the stake down into his left shoulder blade.
'Lily, I said I'd do this.'
Edgar pulled her back with an invisible force.
'You're not getting marked.'

'Edgar, I told you this isn't your fight.' The demons rushed over to him.

'Why does it have to be her?'

'The Mistress chose her.' they yelled.

'Well, And So have I.'
He pulled out his sheathed stake.
'We don't have the time to be torturing the bastard. We're getting out of here.'

'The Mistress wants him to suffer first.' The demons protested.
They determinedly made their way to him.

'I know what the Mistress wants.' He exploded.
'Our 'back up' was supposed to be here hours ago. And we're still waiting.'
He roughly shoved away the demons.
'You think I don't know a set up when I see it. She wants to dump as much as she can on Lily and that's not happening under my watch.'

He had seen this happen once before and history was repeating itself again. Lili was not meant to survive after tonight and the demons were here to make sure of it.

'That's nonsense Edgar.' Yet her voice trembled and the uncertainty flooded her eyes when she looked at the demons for an answer.

'It's a sacrifice for the cause, Lily. Their deaths will need to be neatly pinned on one person to throw suspicions off the mistress. And who better than you to take the fall. After everything she's done for you she's giving you a chance to be a martyr.'

Nicholae observed the drama playing out before him.
'Take care of the Lord. And I'll kill the kid and the woman.'

'I said no one is touching the boy dammit. Nobody is dying except him...' he pointed to Nicholae. 'And his ex. Lily you're not dying. If you want someone to bite it so bad why don't you sacrifice yourself.'

'The mistress warned that you might get in the way.' The demons did a 360 and stabbed Edgar in the heart.

'You fool, you weren't supposed to survive tonight either.' they laughed.

An ear-splitting scream ripped through the night and the smell of blood mingled with the fragrance of the night. Lily flew into the demons and stabbed them repetitively with her stake.
They simply flung her aside like a bug.

'The Mistress ordered me to get rid of any obstacles that would stop you.' They sounded calm and rational. 'Obstacle.' They pointed at Edgar.

'Don't let your foolish emotions impede your mission, kill him.' They said stalking towards the house.

************************

'Don't cry, don't scream. It'll only worry Papa okay. He's here and he'll get us out of this.' Valentina tried to go to him. Everything in her being nagged her but the chains held her back.
It was Rex who could comfort Niko and for now, that would have to suffice.
And they were doing so well until the demons threw open the door to their holding room.
The blood on his hands turned her blood cold.

Possessed Harris tried to open the cage but Rex was there biting and clawing at them.
'Ah!' They shrieked in pain. And looked upon Rex like he was a new threat.

'Leave him alone.' Niko cried.

They ripped the chains from the wall and then wrapped it severally around Rex's neck.
The dog would surely have made Osei proud. He fought with every breath and didn't whimper even when his legs began to twitch.

'No.' Niko yelled.

'Go back to hell.' It was Fauna standing at the entrance.
She started the exorcism chant. Then she ran when the demon dropped Rex in pursuit of her.

Strength was something Valentina needed to pull off the spell she needed to break free of her chains. But those chains were bound her magic.
Her mind frantically searched for ways the could be released.

'Niko. Baby, I need you to repeat these words.'
She was going out here on a wild limb hoping that the magical properties in the vampire blood would be enough to cast this basic spell.

The spell fell flat.
'Louder Niko. And stronger.'

'It's not working.' He cried shaking at the bars.

'Baby, calm down. Breathe with me.' Niko wasn't looking at her, his eyes were trained on Rex's limp body.

'Niko, look at me. We need to help them. I need you to concentrate.' She raised her voice and that got his attention. Her chest heaved from the simple effort.
Whatever they'd dosed her with was still affecting her. Not to mention she was losing blood.

'I need you to say it like you mean it: Abra...'
He squeezed his face and focused on the lock and repeated making his small voice as strong as he could.

'Lyeema...'
They heard items breaking from on top of them. Fauna couldn't be doing so well holding her own against such a monster.

Nicholae rushed and tackled the demon.
He dropped Fauna whom he was holding and concentrated his fury on Nicholae's back with pounding fists.
Nicholae drove the four demons into a large elfin oak tree with enough force to shake a number of leaves and white blooms to the ground.

He then seized the moment to bloody his fists with demon blood.
Fist connected with flesh, adrenaline pumped into his body and the smell of the foul stench of demon blood made Nicholae feel giddy.
He laced all his fury and frustration in every punch.

'No.' Lily removed Nicholae off the demon with a gust of wind.

'He's mine.'

She conjured blue fire in her palm which reflected in her wild eyes.
Nicholae moves out of the line of fire, the madness in her eyes would not be underestimated.

He caught Fauna's attention.
He jerked his head to the house, thankfully she understood and snuck past Lily who was otherwise occupied.

A part of him couldn't help but feel sympathy for her loss. The way she wept at Edgar's side.

Nicholae bided his time until he was able to sneak around the two.

The audible click was the victorious sound.
Fauna rushed and opened the cage.
'We need to get you out of here.'

She removed Valentina's chains next.
Valentina held the table for support of her weak
'I don't know what they gave me.' Valentina explained her condition. The dizziness gripped her and didn't let her go.

'Valentina. Niko.'
Nicholae carried his son in a tight hug. He gathered Valentina too.
'Oh God, I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you two.'
He inspected them both.
Then his nostrils flared at the sight of her bleeding side and pasty skin.
'I'll be okay.'
Protests and objections wrote their story all over his face but he held his tongue.
'We need to leave. I didn't park the car too far from here.'

'We can't leave Rex.' Niko cried.

'Niko this is not the time.' Nicholae said.

But his son wiggled down and fought till he was put on the ground.
He gathered Rex in his arms.
'I'm not leaving him here. What if he wakes up.'
Valentina closed her eyes and exhaled holding back her tears. She didn't think Rex would make it.

Nicholae transferred Valentina to Fauna's arm. And carried Rex.
'I want your hands on my belt at all times. Don't let go until we reach the car.'

They found Lily at the door covered in black blood and waiting on them.
The smell of ammonia and burning flesh clung to her skin.

'None of you are leaving.'
She placed her hand on the door flame and summoned blue flames that happily licked the wooden frame. Soon the whole house would be engulfed and so would they.

'You don't have to die like this. I'll let you walk away from this alive.' her wide eyes gleamed maniacally and her disheveled hair adding to the look of insanity.

'I'll let you all live happily ever after. But bring Edgar back.'

'It's not possible.' Nicholae told her.

But she laughed mirthlessly.
'Do you not see her here?' She gestured to Valentina.
'Don't play coy. I'm not kidding!' She screamed messing her hair up. 'Now!'

'We...'
She slammed Nicholae against the fireplace mantel. Her tantrum increased and so did the flames. They seemed to mirror her mood.
The house's atmosphere heated up as the fire progressed.

'Okay.' Fauna yelled. 'Fine. I'll do it.'

Lily smiled.
'I knew you were the brain behind this.'
She stepped aside to let only Fanuna and Valentina pass.
'The two of you stay here. As insurance.'

Fauna set Valentina beside her. They exchanged brief looks.

Lily carefully lifted Edgar upon her lap.
'Do it.'
Fauna muttered a spell, to their surprise, Edgar's fingers twitched.

'Eddie?' Lily laughed happily. She shook him when he failed to move again.
'He's not opening his eyes. Why isn't he opening his eyes' She screamed at Fauna who now stood towering over her.

'That's because he's dead.'
Fauna replied and then kicked her in the head rendering her unconscious.

                
                 ************************

Osei finally got the phone call he's been waiting for but had come too late.
The old hag screamed from the burning room which had spontaneously combusted.

Osei did not move in pursuit of the dark figure which disappeared into the night.

Those present watched the flames engulf the woman Osei had know for a few hours but would hate all his life.
When his wolves were certain there was no threat to them, He turned his fury back to Semi.

'You strictly went against my wishes.'
She folded her arms over her bulging belly.

'Let's talk more when we get home.' She poked him in the chest and turned away.

'How is she turning this on me?' He asked exasperatedly.

Oooh. You're in trouble.
Loki laughed.

'Shut up.'
And suddenly he wasn't so keen on returning to the den.