章 11: Chapter X — Morning Star

Jayden Blake was running on caffeine.

The haunting dream had kept him up all night. It had woken him hours before the crack of dawn and so he directed his energy to work knowing that it was pointless to even attempt to go back to sleep. He made preparations for the trip to D.C. and hours later, his Beta and Gamma, and Gamma-female had walked in on him pouring over documents. The latter two had left to prepare for the journey, leaving Jayden and Dylan to work in comfortable silence.

Not long after, the two of them had both heard two pairs of light footsteps walk pass in the hallways — Cassandra and the vampire they supposed, were making their way to the kitchen to join Rosalieé.

When asked by his Beta if he would see them off, Jayden shook his head, knowing if he did, he would have left with them too. Even now, he wanted to ignore the paper work and forget holding out till his parents came back for them to help look after the pack in his place.

He was certain the progress in the dream had to do with her appearance in his life. However, it left him confused and lost as many things were still left unexplained. The biggest one of all, was the meaning behind the dream — like it was trying to tell him something, beyond what he was seeing.

The exchange with his parents was brief. By late afternoon, he had been patiently awaiting their arrival from the airport. He had welcomed them back from their long trip and gave them a hurried explanation — while leaving majority of the details out — of his last minute arranged trip to D.C. and high-tailed out of there before his mother had the chance to drill him further.

"Luke, status report. Where are you?" Jayden demanded through the mind-link once he entered the heart of D.C. and could sense his Gamma through it.

"The Tempest. Raze Tower, Downtown."

The response from his Gamma came immediately.

"What the hell are you doing there? Heck, how did she even get in?" Dylan asked, voicing what all three of them were thinking. The Tempest was one of the most exclusive nightclubs in Washington D.C. It was frequented by the affluent, rich and elite of D.C.'s young population. They would know, they had frequented it enough in their younger, wilder days.

"I'm not sure but either the Veil is definitely at work here — the bouncers didn't even react when we passed — or the bouncers recognise her. And considering what I have seen throughout the day, I wouldn't even be surprised if it was the latter too."

The two other wolves in the car briefly wondered what their friend meant by that as they received images of his current location.

.......

Having long since adjusted to the neon strobe lights flashing all around in random patterns and pounding music — none of which were doing anything to help his sensitive hearing feel better, Lucas watched the black witch as she seem to send a message to the vampire who returned a nod. Both of them split off in different directions.

Rosalieé tugged his hand and together, they followed Cassandra as she ascended the stairs to the balcony platform on the level above. From her position, it gave a bird's eye view of the entire nightclub.

Lucas's eyes were on Cassandra, as she walked to the end. Her gloved hand trailed along the railings of the balcony, her sharp gaze trained on the mass of bodies below.

When she halted in her tracks abruptly and jolted, eyes going wide, and an inexplicable expression crossed her features, Lucas's brows furrowed and he followed her line of sight that led to the center of the dance floor on the level directly below. It was only for a split second, when the white spotlight passed over and it was as if time had stopped.

Tall and dark, the figure that stood in it oozed sex appeal. The impeccable suit that was seemingly tailored to perfection gave off an air of sophistication. The smirk he wore was arrogant, cold and deadly. Devilish delight danced in those steel grey eyes, as he exuded an oppressive and menacing aura.

Something about the man's diabolic presence unnerved Lucas to the very core, as an inexplicable fear gripped Lucas and he found himself paralysed, a chill running down his back. His wolf was beyond agitated as well, and had stirred restlessly, forcing him to fight the sudden extremely strong desire to shift that took over him.

He felt Rosalieé freeze as well, going rigid. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by a squeeze of his hand as she too caught sight of the man whom was without a doubt, looking directly up at Cassandra as if he had sensed her.

He was surrounded by seven others that very obviously were closing in on him, while all around them, the crowd danced around them in a drunken haze, completely oblivious. The Veil worked its magic.

And in a blink of an eye, by the time the lights completely passed over, he was gone and so were six others that were closing in on him. It was as if they had never been there. It made Lucas question if he was seeing things. However, he knew he wasn't due to the fact that the inexplicable fear that gripped him only a second ago was still very prominently there. It struck a cord in him as well; it was the same feelings he encountered earlier in the day. But he didn't have long to ponder on it.

The moment they had disappeared, Cassandra was moving again. Lucas felt himself gap as he watched her leap over the side of the balcony railings and land on the dance floor below. By this point, Lucas was sure the Veil was at work here too — though he did not know what the mortals saw.

Lucas felt Rosalieé pull him along, causing him to snap out of his thoughts. He shook himself.

Hurriedly descending the stairs they had came from, they saw her expertly weaving through the thick mass of bodies that were grinding against each other on the dance floor.

It was not until the they neared the back of the nightclub, where the crowd thinned slightly, did the two of them see the man ahead slip through an emergency exit door with Cassandra following close behind.

Just as Lucas and Rosalieé were about to follow her in, the former saw two figures pushing their way towards them out of the corner of his right eye.

"She's in pursuit. They're heading to the upper floors of the building."

That was all Lucas said that got a nod from his Alpha and Beta before they went through the door that a certain black witch disappeared mere moments before.

........

They burst through the exit, all five pouring onto the roof of the building. They brought up their arms to their face to shield against the strong night wind that blew and whistled. Their clothes whipped against it. They were a good thirteen stories high.

Cassandra had located her target in the roaring wind immediately when she arrived ahead of those behind her.

The exit burst open once again, causing the rest who were taking in the sight before them to turn and catch sight of Claudius's arrival. Cassandra remained undistracted, her attention never once leaving her target whose back was towards them.

When the target turned to face his pursuers, Jayden, Dylan, Lucas and Rosalieé all jerked back. The man before them had the appearance of a normal human but his eyes were pitch black and his irises were glowing a demonic red. There were multiple crack lines around his eyes. He opened his mouth and bared his teeth at them, flashing a set of extremely sharp and pointed teeth that should not belong to any normal human.

Unfazed, Cassandra's eyes started to glow red and a dark, ominous aura emitted but unlike her usual spell casting, it was not just magic. Instead, when she spoke, it was in an ancient language filled with malevolence, raw power and authority. It caused the hair on everyone's arms to stand and a chill to go through them.

The man twitched before convulsing and spasming violently. A shrill, ear-piercing screech was let out as the demon was forced out of its host's body. The human crumbled to the ground motionlesss, now simply an empty vessel that dissolved gradually — its soul consumed by the demon that was now hovering high above them.

The moment it was separated completely, the demon flaps its bat-like wings and turns to escape. Closing the distance in seconds, Cassandra leaped off the ledge, and was airborne.

She twisted in the air and using the building's edge, she launched herself at the demon. Her hands reached to her belt. She chanted, eyes glowing red as magic coursed through her and steel blades flew from under her billowing cloak, and embedded themselves in the demon. Its skin where the blades had cut oozed a liquid-smoke like substance. Another ear-piercing screech was let out before a hissing sound was heard. Eyes still glowing, she chanted again and the same ancient power and magic mixed together thrummed through the air.

A crackle followed by a bolt of lightning flashed from the sky where a red magic circle appeared, striking the demon. It evaporated, leaving barely a trace.

And she was free-falling now. Twisting in the air once more, Cassandra's eyes glowed red as she chanted a new spell. Before she could complete casting the teleportation spell, a presence materialised in a poof next to her. She grinned as she felt his arms slide around her waist.

And in a blink of an eye, they disappeared and there was nothing where they had been.

........

Throughout it all, the werewolves had felt multiple shock waves ripple through them and they nearly tripped in surprise as they witnessed Cassandra throw herself off the building after the demon.

Jayden had to hold himself back from jumping after her.

The group except Claudius had dashed to the edge of the railing, leaning over it, unable to do anything but watch the scene below play out before them. The latter had simply strolled over with an air of nonchalance about him.

When it was over, there was dead silence, only broken by the complain that came from Claudius.

"You have got to be kidding me." He collapsed to the ground, sitting in a position with his legs stretched out before him and hands behind his back.

"EXPLAIN!"

With that, Claudius's sulking was interrupted and his eyes lazily slid over to the Alpha who had an outburst the moment he had recovered and digested what had just occured.

"He was there...in the nightclub." Lucas muttered more to himself than for anyone.

Rosalieé herself was also reeling from the shock. Her eyes still the size of saucers, the greatest disbelief was from when she had witnessed the red magic circle that cast the lightning bolt to evaporate the demon. It was unlike any other magic circle she had ever seen in her life — and it wasn't just about the unique color, she had heard the incantation and saw the intricate design and writings of the circle when it activated and glowed red against the night sky. It wasn't just a witch's magic; it was infused with something much ancient and darker and of a very different nature and her gut told her she knew what it was.

"Okay. Start talking. We have been in the dark long enough. You know something, bloodsucker and so do you Rosalieé. And I think it's about damn time you shared with us. Starting with who the hell she is and who the hell was that." Dylan demanded as his frustration kicked in.

"I would recommend not calling the guy whom you are demanding answers from unpleasant names, mutt." Claudius drawled, not answering any of Dylan's questions.

A loud growl ripped from Jayden's throat and he lunged at Claudius.

"Stop!" Rosalieé yelled, throwing up a force-field in between them.

At her shout, Jayden stopped abruptly using his Alpha reflexes, narrowly avoiding hitting the pulsing white light barrier. A surge of tranquil calmness flooded him, making his wolf retreat and his head snapped to Rosalieé.

Claudius himself had reacted immediately when he sensed the Alpha's incoming attack, having already conjured up a ball of fire and put a good twenty feet of distance using his vampire speed before Rosalieé's forcefield was even thrown up. His head turned to the white witch as well. He knew she was the one influencing him to calm down. However, that did not mean he appreciated it; evident in the displeased look he had directed at her.

Dylan who had moved as well, ready to barrel into his Alpha to stop him from attacking the vampire, visibly relaxed.

Everything had occured in slow motion for Lucas who stared in wide-eyed panic as the scene unfolded before him. As her mate, he was the only one who remained unaffected by the spell she cast that manipulated the emotions of those in the vicinity. The feeling of eminent danger he sensed his mate was in overruled and took precedence over all else. His wolf was still unnerved and tense, for mere seconds ago the brewing chaos had been centred around Rosalieé whom had stepped in to interfere. He, himself, was ready to jump into the fray.

Deeming it safe to do so, Rosalieé took a quivering breath and lowered her shaking hands, allowing the force-field to slowly dissipate. She slid her hand into Lucas's and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

They looked at her patiently and expectantly as she met each of their eyes. When her eyes met with Claudius's, she saw the indifference in them that said 'I don't owe them anything, much less any explanation of a sort. You're on your own.' and she knew she wasn't getting any help from him. Fine by her, she thought and with an exhale, she began.

"At a young age, Hi-High Priestess Cassandra was considered as a child prodigy. When she was eight, she was casting advance, complex spells that most grown witches took majority of their lives to learn. By the time she reached the ripe age of thirteen, she had attained the title of Priestess, and at eighteen, High Priestess — the- the youngest to ever do so. Hence, it is speculated that she's set to surpass all her family's predecessors and ascend as the most powerful black witch and Grand High Priestess known in our history."

"Grand High Priestess..."

"Which House is she from?"

Rosalieé hesitated in answering Dylan's question, while Lucas murmured to himself, face set in a frown as he attempted to figure out where he had came across the term before, and his head snapped up when he did.

"The House of di Nox."

Two answers overlapped and echoed each other.

Dylan looked at Lucas quizzically, almost as if asking 'How the hell did you know?'.

Lucas grinned sheepishly, shrugging as he answered the unspoken question, "Rose lent me her history books when I asked for them. All Grand High Priestesses in their history — regardless of black or white — hails from one family. The House of di Nox."

Rosalieé nodded to her mate's statements when he looked to her for confirmation. A look of understanding flashed across Dylan's face. Jayden who had been silently calming down made a mental note to borrow the said book and possibly consider looking into the pack house library if he had the chance.

"She's a Salem Witch." Lucas concluded. He further recalls the history book on witches that Rosalieé had shared with him.

"Salem Witch? As in The Salem Witch Trials?"

Dylan's question elicited a snort from Claudius to which, the former ignored. Rosalieé, on the other hand, had stiffened at the mention of the term but explained anyways.

"She isn't just any Salem Witch from the dark ages. The true meaning behind that term's been diluted over the centuries. The Salem Witch was not to refer to the thirteen families that survived those dark times but instead, a sole bloodline of witches. And, the Salem Witch Trials of the late fifteenth century true purpose was to hunt and eradicate a single bloodline of witches — The House of di Nox."

"Why would humans try to hunt down a single bloodline of witches?"

Rosalieé turned to Lucas who posed the question. She went completely still now, hesitant and conflicted with regards to answering that while the latter was just discovering how little he knew about his mate and her people.

After a while, they watched as she spoke slowly.

"...What I am about to reveal is not known to many even among the witch's community, even less outside of it. Especially after the Salem Witch Trials. It's been erased from our history books for a reason. It's a secret many of my coven sisters and I will take to our graves. For me to tell you, you must be prepared to do the same. Do you swear never to repeat it?"

The grave tone and emerald gaze that bore into each of them — grim and solemn, spoke volumes for the werewolves of the weight of the secret the white witch before them was about to reveal. This wasn't the Gamma Female and pack witch of the Lilium Pack — no, the woman that stood before them was a White Witch of the Covens whom was ready to trust them with her people's most well-guarded secret and pay the price for it, should her actions end up threatening her people's peace and existence in any way or form; even if it takes all means necessary to protect her sisters and people.

"Yes, we- I give you my word — that what you tell us from here on out regarding your people and your secrets will not be disclosed by those of my pack members present, including myself — I swear it on the honour and existence of Lilium Pack as Alpha."

Unflinchingly, Jayden met the witch's gaze head on as he spoke the vow with conviction. The other two wolves nodded.

A brief silence followed as she assessed each werewolf again. Her eyes flitted briefly to Claudius. She was certain he knew — one of the very few outside the witch's community that did.

"Mortals had always feared us witches whom lived among them and when they uncovered a sliver of the truth, they had no qualms about turning and using it against us. It had gotten around — there was an idea — a conspiracy, some might even call it — that the origin of our magic be it black or white, stems from a vessel. They were only half right, of course. The vessel, in actual fact, was the House of di Nox which were known as The Salem Witches — the first witch family of us all. Hence, it was war between us and them, as we fought to protect our most sacred bloodline. The Head of the Houses for the families with long lines of witches — especially the ones who survived The Salem Witch Trials and were later mistakenly confused as The Salem Witches — train their hardest and dedicate their lives to safeguarding the vessel of our powers, including the House of di Nox themselves whom leads and represents us all. Because if the House of di Nox falls, the Covens, the entire witch's community falls. Cassandra is the direct descendant of The House of di Nox — the most ancient and powerful bloodline of witches in existence. The bloodline that is the source of power for all witches."

The last sentence came out in a low voice and there were sharp inhales and eyes that were wide as saucers meeting each other but Rosalieé was far from done.

"Because of this, she was forced to grow up and mature faster than everyone; even her training had started far earlier than everyone else. She also saw and perceived much more than others her age. I never knew High Priestess Cassandra personally. Hence, I do not know much nor the full story other than that they grew up together, just like Claudius and her did." She gestured to the said vampire who had lost interest and walked away at the start of her explanation, gazing out at the city below. He was on the other end but still visible, and the three werewolves knew he was still listening in with his vampire hearing.

Rosalieé continued.

"I have only heard stories. Even as a child, she was cold, aloof, beautiful and above all, dangerously powerful. She was distant, unapproachable — someone you would admire from afar but can never get close to unless she allowed you to and only a select few was. Claudius over there being one of them, though he was mostly by default as Tess likes to tell me."

"Hey! Not true!" Claudius's indignant reply came before he mulled over it slightly and amended. "Okay, maybe at first."

By default? They briefly wondered what she had meant by that, but decided against asking and interrupting.

Rosalieé rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Despite so, many still attempted to court her. She had always paid them no mind. She knew that while they fancied her, they also feared her, whether they showed it or not. That was until, he came into her life. Like a hurricane, he overturned all that she knew. Their meeting caused such a stir in the supernatural community. Everyone was so certain a full-scale war between the supernatural species and their kind would have broken out that day. However, surprising everyone, for the first time ever, the seven year-old ice-cold princess (or so she was known as) was intrigued — intrigued by the arrogant and cocky eleven year-old boy who upon their first meeting, had declared to everyone she was his. I do not know what she saw or what he said or did, but High Priestess Cassandra never turned him away."

"Who is he?"

Another snort and Dylan resisted the urge to punch the vampire. Rosalieé took a shaky breath.

"He is notorious, even among his brothers, in both the Underworld and the world above. He listens to none, and could be controlled by none. He wreaked havoc and brought chaos wherever he went. He is untameable and feared by all for his malevolence and ruthlessness. But with High Priestess Cassandra, he was different. No one knew how she did it, but over the years, she brought out the one thing no one thought he had in him — that no one thought he was capable of. And though it is not seen, it is widely known — he loves her. More than anyone else in the world. He is her King just as much as she is his Queen and god help anyone who dared to disrespect the Queen. They were each other's weaknesses just as much as they were each other's strengths. I meant it when I said you were lucky to be alive after what you did, Jayden. When it comes to her, the sin he embodies, does not exist. It is said that a King only ever bows down to his Queen — he would do anything for her. The day he declared her his, was the day the number of pursuers went down to zero. There's not a soul or creature out there that would dare cross either of them unless they were seeking death."

A beat of silence as the gears in their heads turned, as they worked to piece it together.

"So this is the epitome of ignorant bliss, huh? Seriously, lord help you wolves. How slow are you? It's a wonder how your species have managed to survive this long. Does everything need to be spelt out for you? Do the math. Sin. Demons. Brothers. Underworld."

"That was-"

Claudius smirked.

"His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Hell, Lucifer."