Chapter 54

A/n: Finally the year's fixed. I sat on it to make sure it's plausable, since Kaiden's book starts Sept 2024.

Kaizen

"I'm Lt. Daniel." Said the man shaking my hand. His wince meant I was too rough, so I eased up. He was the oldest at 52 It was weird he looked so *old* yet he was half my age.

"Sorry. I'm Kaizen, the Charred One, the Horned Wolf. I will protect you lot so long as you don't break the rules."

"I still don't know if we can reach those terms. But for now, I'll handle mine." He said firmly.

"I need to get back to my wife." Said one of his subordinates.

"As I said, you all belong to Misfit. That part I can't undo. Even if I wiped your memories with magic, you were still engaging in Hunter activities. Believe or not-" I was cut off.

"Our rights for protection went away the moment we agreed to try this *stupid* shit." Said the subordinate that wanted to go home the most.

"Everybody got in the van on their own; don't bitch now." Said one of his peers; he scoffed. His attitude was making me wonder should I make an example of him.

"Make your peace with them, since now you are all specters. As I told my mate, what closure would they have to see you or get calls, knowing that they cannot be with you again, and that you would put them in your situation should they be too loud, or worse, try to find this place. Do you want that for your loved ones?" I asked.

"In the morning, I'm leaving." He said angrily.

"I'm not." Said Lt. Daniel. "Jake We literally talked about the possibility of being prisoners. *You bragged about how you'd be fine with that* This is that time."

"If you didn't want the risk, you shouldn't have agreed." Said another. "You could have stayed home like Barny."

"Fuck Barney." Growled Jake. "Fuck you too Tony."

"Fuck you!" They were about to fight, but Lt. Daniel stopped them.

"Cut it out! We All Fucked Up ok?!" Daniel snarled. "You see what this one can do. This den is Different it isn't finding strays off the side of the road. All kinds of monsters are here." He grunted. "I think until we figure something out, we should collect ourselves and get information."

"You only say that-" I cut off Jake. Mortal or not he was starting to really piss me off with his disrespect of not only me, but his Alpha.

"Listen you little shit." I growled. A hand on my shoulder stopped me. It was Gettriel.

"I will say kinder words than he." He said firmly. "To leave this place is to leave the protection we can provide. You are our priority, but what we protect under our feet holds What do humans call it? V.I.P.? Whatever. We can only provide your protection inside the city."

"I already hexed them in their sleep for their safety." Said Chelsea. "They should taste like literal shit if attacked. A loud alarm will sound, dye the skin of the attacker purple too, but the tradeoff is that they Won't be Able to Leave." She glared at Jake, the defiant one. "If they steal a car, it will stop working about two feet outside the city outside the protection It's been a while since I had intact *living* mortals." She giggled like a witch. I could hear it was all bluff, but they wouldn't know that.

Their terrified faces let her continue. She did mark them like that, but she wouldn't experiment on them.

"Weapons, even knives won't work either. So, you really are trapped here. You'd think being in a holy zone would- shit- Sorry." She looked at Tamriel, and his glare told me she knew.

I pried. I pried her mind so hard I felt bad, but I wanted to know what the fuck they were doing here

"Don't-" Tamriel was cut off.

With a flash of light her throat was slashed, and they were gone with two mighty flaps.

"What's, or rather Who's the Lord of Contradiction?" I asked calmly, knowing that they heard me, putting pressure on her throat It was a deep clean cut. The only thing that stopped her from being beheaded was a broken protection spell that faded with her life force.

"None of your fucking concern." Growled Gettriel outside. He yelled this loud enough that even the humans heard. "How did a *mortal* find that out Tamriel?"

"That *Mortal* Was the Barrier Maiden!" He screamed likely at the top of his lungs. He sounded frantic. "Prepare for battle!" He sported his silver armor, while I held onto the dying witch.

Chelsea collapsed on the ground holding her throat. I could only bet it was Gettriel who tried to kill her. He holds no connections or attachments to any here

I held her neck still, wondering what I should do. If I used my fire, I'd cook her My lightning would stop her heart. I don't know magic well enough not to boil her from the inside out..

"My Mate!" Screamed bob, kneeling as I held her in my arms.

The pressure was stopping the blood, but I had no healing powers She sizzled. Their blades were blessed silver, and honestly, I was surprised she was still alive.

"If I save her-" I was stopped by Bob's wolfish whine. He pleaded to his Alpha, not caring for himself.

"Turn us both! I don't care! We came here to escape this fate!" He said and she reached for him.

She went limp before she could touch him, and I turned her too. I felt a little tired from it I turned him too as I felt dizzy.

This time was different.

The lights flickered, and I saw blood drip from meI felt my nose, rubbing the wetness with my hand. Blood Bob and Chelsea were passed out together, but there was no reason why I should have felt sick.

I coughed.

The ground beneath my feet shook.

"What's happening?" Asked one of the humans.

"Shut your cell, lay on the ground, and pretend to be dead" I said before seeing the room become dark. The lights didn't go out The light was stolen.

In its place was a deep purple beam that flickered from out the dungeon area, and through the door. It was melted instantly, but with it followed a great gust of wind.

I could only assume That was the Lord of Contradiction Despite an ominous name, it smelled like a male light creature.

----Willow----

There was the sound of an explosion, and we all ran outside.

A purple beam of light streaked across the sky, but it was intercepted by one gold light, one silver light, and one dim silver light.

The purple one knocked the others out the sky, and Jerold Shifted. He growled, which woke up his mate, Noah.

"What do you mean a New Old One?!" He yelled.

Jerold made rumbles, but I could understand the individual syllables, just not the language. "Ek Rah te raakru unt ti." I could feel his words in my chest. Each word could be felt with the rich bass it held.

"He said He has no doubt, that this monster is new." Said Noah. He reached for his gun, but Jerold held out his hand to stop him. He pulled a small tree out our neighbor's yard across the street

"Meihth Nah Te Noah." He said stomping away two steps before being severed in half. A beam of purple light shook the ground as it landed.

I screamed! So did Noah.

"What have we here?" Asked an older man with his head tilted to the side. In one hand was a metal torch topped with purple flame, while the other held clawed gauntlets. He was in leather and steel armor. Looking . Young in the face but old because of his hair

His skin reminded me of vitiligo, since his dark skin was equally blotched with pale tones my shade His hair was also patched like this, being grayish white, but now that I noticed there were thick black streaks within it. Like thick salt and pepper locks. But only some of it was dreaded

He was not tall enough to tower over the other supernaturals, but he wasn't average human height either, being 6'4. One eye was blue, the other was red and the one on his forehead was purple irised, making a total of 3. Not 2.

He had 7 fingers on each hand, having 4 arms... and his teeth as he smiled were like a shark's at the base, but the tips were flat

He was shot at by Noah, but with a flick of one of his wrists, Noah was also cut in half.

"What year is it mortal?" He asked impatiently, and I blurted it without thinking.

"2180." I said as all 3 of his eyes glared at me. I felt frozen in place until he turned away. I felt like I could move, but if I did, I'd get hurt. What was this feeling? Everything went black.

My eyes opened, and I knew I was not home anymore This place was dark old Terror filled my heart, and the heat made me understand where I was. In front of me as I stood was a whole that seemed to have no end, yet, out of it flew an endless wall of pinkish white scales.