Chapter 80- Into The Thorns

Ruby had been ordered to watch the witches and find out what they had been planning. She took pleasure in watching the darkest part of Jeanette’s soul attack Crystal. The woman had always been ruled by the darkness, but the last of the light she had held within her had vanished. All that was left was a ruthless, revengeful ghost.
Her mother’s eyes were solid black, her hands squeezing the life out of her youngest sister. Ruby felt nothing for Crystal. The part of her that was human had been stripped from her. All she felt was pleasure from the suffering, and chaos.
Jeanette’s head tilted in her direction and her black orbs drilled into hers.
“Bring it on mother,” she whispered.
She had killed her once. The next time she would not return. She would send her soul to the pits of hell to be tortured for all eternity.
The witches were clueless and clutching at straws. There wasn’t anything to report, only that they were losing faith and their numbers were dwindling each day.
It wouldn’t be long before they were all affected from the virus and the demons that hid in the shadows would come out to play.
All they had to do was wait. The human world would be overrun by the shadows and demon’s that their naive mind refused to believe in.
However, Ruby was impatient. She wanted something to kill, torture and play with. Then she spotted a black-haired boy. One she had seen a few times. He was the young man that had betrayed Crystal and would make a nice toy. Rubbing her hands together in glee, with a wicked smile she had mastered, she followed him into the woods and when they were far enough away from the coven, she used her power of fire to scorch the boy.
Of course, he would heal and then the torture would begin again.
She lifted his blackened and burnt body from the ground and smiled with glee. He would pass some time on.

***
Ruby carried him to a basement of a house where the owners had died from the virus. His feet dragged along the steps. She sat him in a sitting position and tied him to the wall with sliver chains. They would keep him weak and allow her more fun.
She stared at him for a moment and smiled as she watched his body begin to heal. Within an hour all that was left of the blaze she had cast upon his was his scorched clothes and soot covered face.
When his eyes flickered open, she grinned with excitement.
“Were gonna have so much fun!” she exclaimed in a cheery voice. When he didn’t respond nor show any fear, her excitement turned to anger. She slapped him hard across the face and his head rolled to the side. Still, she got nothing from the boy.
She wanted him to scream. Beg her for mercy. Instead, it was like he had given up.

***
“When the time comes, you must make sure that things are put right,” Perl whispered to Mary.
“I am afraid I am not the right person for the job,”
“Mary, you are the only other that knows what will happen if our bloodline continues to live,”
“Even so, Levi wouldn’t allow me to….”
“He’s your son. He loves you, I can see that,”
“But does he love Crystal more? I am afraid he would kill me in the process,” Mary confessed.
“Don’t be a fool, Mary. We both know you’re not a witch and cannot die,” Perl snapped. She had figured out what Mary was and knew her darkest secret.
“How do you know?”
“I am a seer. You cannot lie to me,” Mary sighed.
“Then you know that if I do an act of evil then I will be sucked into hell,”
“That Mary is a sacrifice you will have to make for the greater good.” Perl was giving up her own life and it was pretty much guaranteed that she would go to hell. After all, many of her actions had not been the greatest. Yet she was willing to suffer to keep her people safe. If she could have turned back the clock, knowing what she knew now. She would have joined Crystal in standing up to their mother. Now all she could do was make up for her past deeds by sacrificing herself.
If The Lady of The Forest rose, they would all die anyway eventually.
“You ask me to suffer at the hands of the devil?” Mary asked with a sorrowful face.
“You can do the right thing, or you can watch the people you love die. The choice is yours.” Perl walked away. The woman was selfish and was only thinking about herself. There was too much at stake, her heart ached as guilt crippled her body. She had played a part in it all.
Perl stopped at the front door and looked out of the pane of glass. The ghosts still stood waiting. She had to leave the Manor. The sooner she searched for Ruby’s son the better.
However, Ruby was smart and had hidden him well. The protection spell she had cast was proving too difficult for her to break.
Time was running out. She needed to hand the baby over. Wait for the virus to stop then kill the child. All before the child reached the Lady of The Forest. She just prayed her plan would work. Otherwise, she would be the one to blame for the mother of hell rising.
Crystal would never help her. So, it was a job she would have to do alone. Mary would pull through. She knew the woman wouldn’t be able to watch more die if there was a chance she could help. But she had spent too much time on earth and the emotions of humans had seeped into her being.
Those very emotions could be the key to destroying them all. She needed to remember where she came from. Who she was? It was the only way they would succeed in their plan.
Seth couldn’t know. If he found out he wouldn’t allow Mary to commit the act, then all would be lost. He loved his wife and wouldn’t allow her to suffer at the hands of the Devil himself.
She stepped out onto the drive and felt the tension from the ghosts. They wanted revenge. Closing her eyes, she took another step. Anger surged through her, like a volcano it threatened to explode.
Turning around she stepped inside. The ghosts were playing with her. They were implanting emotions. It wouldn’t be long before they were able to put thoughts in her mind and make her hallucinate. They were growing strong quickly.
An idea came to her. One that could weaken the ghosts, but she needed help, and lots of it.
***
Crystal reached the tree that held the vortex. Peter her friend sat beside the tree with a glum expression.
“What’s wrong Peter?” she asked as she watched the colours swirl within the bark.
“He will come for you,” the giant answered, and Crystal scowled at him.
“Who will come for her?” Levi asked in a tone that even made Crystal recoil back.
“The demon. A deal is a deal. Even with her mother dead, the deal still stands,”
“If it stops the virus then I will do what needs to be done,”
“You have a wire lose. The demon will do nothing but use you,” Levi snapped.
“What choice do I have,” she whispered, as a knot formed in her gut. Day by day a new problem rose. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of destruction.
“We will get through this,” Levi brushed her hair from her face and whispered.
Crystal nodded. If she spoke, she knew her lack of faith would show. Instead, she let Levi wrap his arms around her and she rested her head against his chest listing to the beat of his heart.
After a few moments she pulled away and walked to the tree. Placing her hand where the runes where she traced the markings. Her finger tingled, which then spread up her arms and through the rest of her body.
Whipping her hand back she looked at the tree in confusion. It felt like the tree was trying to communicate with her. It was a strange feeling like she was connected to the earth.
“Come on,” let’s get back. Levi tugged on her arm.
“Peter, have you seen anyone from Athens?” Crystal asked. She was yet to see the creatures from that world.
“They are in hiding. A storm is coming we can feel it,”
“Thank you, Peter,” she said as she walked away. The Giant was strange and talked in riddles. But something in his words gave her a sense of doom. How much worse could things get? She thought as they made their way back through the Wicked Forest.