Three days later, a group of knights gathered in secret within an abandoned old house, nestled in a secluded part of the werewolf clan's territory.
Their conversation centered around a mysterious person they planned to kidnap. The captain, a towering figure with a muscular frame, spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
"The mortal girl resides at the beta residence," he announced, his tone matter-of-fact. "Fortunately, Beta Edward is often at the Alpha's mansion."
A hint of a plan formed in his voice, and the knights leaned in, intrigued.
A young knight at the back of the group posed a question, "And what's the bad news, Captain?"
The others turned to him, their faces disapproving. The young knight felt a surge of embarrassment and quickly fell silent, his eyes dropping to the floor.
The captain continued, unfazed. "The bad news is that the girl is always accompanied by the beta's sister, a werewitch."
The group's expressions turned grim at the mention of the werewitch. One of the knights asked, "Is she that dangerous?"
One of the group members, a knight, asked, "Is she that dangerous?" He asked, curious since he doesn't know much about the werewitches in general.
The captain nodded seriously. "She could be. As her mentors are the white witch named Cassandra, and sometimes, the wizard Romulus," his tone conveying a sense of caution.
He added, his voice laced with a hint of wariness, "Let's not forget, hybrids can inherit powers from both parents, making them unpredictable and potentially more threatening."
The captain's words revealed a sense of trepidation, born from experience, and served as a warning to his team.
Then, the captain ordered two of his most trusted men to scout the area for any werewolves nearby.
The rest of the group remained in the secluded location in case a fight broke out. A few minutes later, the two scouts returned and informed the captain that the area was clear.
At the Beta residence, Clover and Maribelle strolled through the garden, the warm evening air and the sound of chirping crickets created a sense of tranquility.
But their peaceful evening was shattered when six men suddenly emerged from the hedge that surrounded the garden.
Maribelle's eyes narrowed as she recognized the men as vampires, and her instincts told her that they were sent by the Duke. Without hesitation, Maribelle mindlinked her brother, alerting him to the danger.
"Brother, we have a problem," she thought, her mental voice urgent.
The leader of the vampires, a tall and menacing figure noticed the witch's eyes clouding, he knew she was mindlinking
the guards and he sneered at Maribelle.
"Witch, you're clever, but you're no match for us," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Hand over the girl, and we might spare your life."
Maribelle's response was immediate and fierce. "Never," she spat, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'm not parting with my friend. If you want her, you'll have to get through me first."
With a swift motion, she pushed Clover behind her and assumed a defensive stance, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as she prepared to cast a spell.
The vampires hissed, baring their fangs, and began to circle around Maribelle and Clover. Maribelle stood her ground, her eyes never leaving the vampires as she waited for them to make their move.
Meanwhile, Clover was frozen in fear, her heart racing with dread as she pictured a gore that was to paste the beautiful garden.
The vampire leader sneered, "Oh, I see. You aren't afraid to meet your maker, just for a mere human."
Maribelle retorted angrily, "Just like you. You aren't afraid to meet your maker because of your cursed duke."
The vampire leader's expression turned ugly, and he snapped, "Fine, I tried to be nice. Seize the girl!" He pointed a sword at Clover, and the other vampires closed in with alarming speed.
Maribelle cast a protective shield around them, giving them time to come up with an escape strategy. But everything was going south, and fast. If they didn't make a plan now, they were doomed.
As the girls were still contemplating what to do, the snarling of werewolves was heard, and their hearts eased a bit.
The vampires, however, took a fight stance, readying themselves for the impending battle. When the werewolves arrived, they immediately drove the vampire to one side and they formed a protective circle around Maribelle and Clover.
"Maribelle, take Clover to the safe house," her brother instructed, his voice firm and commanding.
"But, brother, I can fight," Maribelle stubbornly said to her brother.
"No! Not today, right now we need you to protect Clover," he said issuing a command.
Without hesitation, Maribelle took Clover's hand, and together they fled from the scene. As they made their way to the safe house, they expected to find a secure and protected environment.
However, when they entered the passage to the safe room, they were met with a gruesome sight: everywhere was blood and dead bodies, and the door to the safe room was wide open.
Just as they were about to turn back, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Sandra, her body bloodied and bruised, but she was alive.
She had managed to hide in the shadows due to the amulet she was given by her mother as a wedding gift. As a witch, Sandra's mother had passed down the amulet, which possessed powerful magic, to her daughter.
"The safe room is compromised," Sandra said, staggering and struggling to stay upright. "Please, go to the Elemental Kingdom. My brother is an advisor to the Elven King, and he will protect you."
"But, mother, how come uncle became the advisor of an Elven King? Aren't elves and sorcerer's enemies?" Said Maribelle, confused by what her mother told her.
"There's no time to explain. I'll tell you when everything settled down," she said, removing a beautiful yet simple necklace from her neck.
She paused, wincing in pain, before continuing. "Here, take this amulet," she said, holding out the small, delicate pendant.
"It has both invincibility and teleportation spells, but it can only be used for teleportation outside this kingdom."
Maribelle's eyes widened as she took the amulet, feeling its weight and power in her hand. She looked at Clover, who was watching her with a mixture of fear and trust.
Without hesitation, Maribelle put the amulet around Clover's neck, making sure it was secure.
"But what about you, mother?" Maribelle asked, concern etched on her face.
Sandra, still sitting on the floor, waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me, as long as you can take Clover to safety, that's all that matters," she said, her voice weak but resolute.
"I'm the elder of this house, and your father entrusted me to take care of it, and leaving your brother with the chaos still brewing outside is cowardice. Go now child, before the vampires call for backup."
Maribelle and Clover exchanged a worried glance, but they knew they had to trust Sandra's judgment. They both gave her a quick hug before fleeing the scene, leaving Sandra to rest and recover.
As they fled into the forest, the snarls and screams of the vampires and werewolves grew fainter, but Clover's mind was still reeling from the horror she had witnessed.
She had never seen a battle between the two supernatural creatures before, not even in the movies back in the mortal realm.
Those on-screen fights had seemed tame compared to the brutal reality she had just witnessed. The memory of the brutality she had just witnessed moments ago lingered, leaving Clover shaken.
The image of jaws snapping and fangs piercing flesh was etched in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of fear that had settled in her stomach.
And the thought of leaving others behind to fight for their lives was unbearable. She felt a pang of guilt and worry for those who were still fighting, and she wondered if they would be okay.
As they ran, the trees seemed to blur together, and Clover's breath came in ragged gasps. She was tired and scared, but she knew she had to keep going.
Maribelle, sensing her distress, took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We're almost there, Clover," she said, her voice soft and encouraging. "Just a little farther."
Suddenly, Maribelle stopped and looked around, her ears perked up. "Do you hear that?" she whispered. Clover listened, and soon she heard the sound of horses' hooves pounding the earth.
"It's the duke's men," Maribelle said, her voice low and urgent. "We have to hide, now."
Maribelle quickly scanned their surroundings, her eyes locking onto a nearby thicket. "In there, Clover," she said, pulling her towards the thicket.
"We have to be quiet and stay hidden." Clover nodded, her heart racing with fear, as they both dove into the thicket, holding their breath and hoping that the duke's men would pass them by.
As they hid, Clover couldn't help but think about their options. They could either go to the Royal Castle, which was likely to be heavily guarded by the duke's men on the outside, or the Elemental Kingdom, which was a riskier because they don't know them well, but potentially safer option.
She looked at Maribelle, who was watching her with a determined expression. "Which way do we go?" Clover whispered, her voice barely audible.
Maribelle hesitated for a moment before responding. "We'll go to the Elemental Kingdom," she said, her voice firm. "It's our best chance at safety, and my uncle will be able to protect us."
Clover nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She trusted Maribelle's judgment, and she knew that they would do everything in their power to stay safe.
They held their breath as the horses drew closer, the sound of armor clanking and men shouting filling the air. Clover's heart was racing, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She was trapped, and she didn't know what was going to happen next.
Maribelle's grip on her hand was the only thing that kept her grounded, and she held onto it for dear life. As the horses passed by, Maribelle peeked around the tree, her eyes scanning the area.
"It's clear," she said, and she pulled Clover out from behind the tree. "We have to keep moving, we can't let them catch up with us."
Clover nodded, still feeling dazed and scared. She followed Maribelle, her heart heavy with worry and fear. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew she had to keep going, no matter what. The royal castle was their only hope or the element kingdom, and she had to reach one of them before it was too late.
As they emerged from the forest, Maribelle and Clover were met with a daunting sight: the duke's knights were already waiting for them in the clearing, and they had brought reinforcements.
The captain of the knights sneered at Maribelle, "Surrender the girl, young witch, and we'll spare your life."
Maribelle's response was defiant, "Once again, never!"
The captain's smile grew wider as if he knew what she was going to say, "Then, I hope you don't mind following your father to the grave. Take them!"
Maribelle's eyes flashed with anger and fear as the knights charged towards them. She raised her hands, unleashing a blast of magic that sent the knights stumbling back.
However, there were too many of them, and soon they were closing in on Maribelle and Clover.
Just as all hope seemed lost, a blinding white light enveloped them. Maribelle's eyes widened in horror as she stared at Clover.
The knights, who had been closing in mere moments before, were now frozen in place, like statues. The air was thick and cold, as if winter had descended upon them.
Time itself seemed to have stopped, with everything around them suspended in a state of eerie stillness.
Clover's transformation left Maribelle mesmerized. Her bright green eyes had turned a deep, silver grey. Her rich, chestnut brown hair was now a platinum blonde, cascading down her back in waves like a majestic, mysterious river. Beautiful, huge white wings now adorned her back.
Maribelle's mind reeled as she realized that the entity before her was Clover's nephilim, Brianna. Brianna's voice strained as she spoke, "Mari, I can't hold them much longer. Activate the amulet for teleportation."
Without hesitation, Maribelle activated the amulet, and a dome of amethyst magic formed around them before vanishing, whisking them away to safety.