Page 31 of Sorcia's Heart
“I did,” Sorcia whispered, her eyes narrowing as she tried to pinpoint the source of the tremors.
“It’s a demon, isn’t it?”Viktor asked, his tone grim.
“Yep.”Her voice was taut with both certainty and tension.
“You should have told me sooner.”He looked at her, his expression softening for a moment.“You helped us when we needed you, Sorcia.Now it’s our turn to repay the favor.”
“Thank you, Viktor,” she replied, her voice barely audible, the weight of the moment pressing down on her.Together, they turned their focus back to the streets below, their senses heightened, every shadow a potential threat.
“There!”Viktor said in hushed tones, pointing toward a narrow side street.Sorcia’s heart sank when she saw a familiar figure.
“Bethany,” she whispered, panic lacing her words.Her friend was walking directly toward the building Viktor had identified.And she was alone.
“She’s heading right for it,” Viktor growled, his body tensing like a coiled spring.
Without another word, he leapt from the rooftop, landing gracefully on the cement sidewalk below.Sorcia followed, her landing far less elegant but equally determined.They sprinted toward the building, Viktor’s vampiric speed allowing him to pull ahead.
But even at his speed, they weren’t fast enough.
A chilling laugh rang out, freezing Sorcia in her tracks.The sound sent a shiver down her spine as her eyes locked onto Hazelton Birchsmire, a demon she’d seen pictures of a long time ago.
Hazelton stood in the center of the street, his hand wrapped around Bethany’s throat.His eyes gleamed with malevolence as his laughter echoed around them.
“No!”Sorcia cried out, her voice breaking as she ran toward them.
Hazelton smirked, his grip tightening on Bethany.“Too late,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.And then he was gone!
Sorcia froze, her scream still echoing in her ears as the blinding flash of Hazelton's disappearance burned itself into her mind.Bethany was gone.Gone!Her mind reeled, cycling through every possibility, every spell she could cast, but there was nothing to trace them.Nothing to bring her friend back.
Her breath came in shallow gasps, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt around her.“No!”she screamed again, her voice raw with anguish and frustration.Her legs buckled beneath her, and she dropped to her knees on the cold pavement, staring at the spot where Hazelton had vanished with Bethany.
The squeal of tires snapped her out of her daze as Marcus’ SUV came to a screeching halt.The door slammed open, and he was out in an instant, not even bothering to cut the engine.His long strides ate up the distance between them, and before Sorcia could stand, his arms were around her, pulling her against his chest.
“What happened?”he demanded, his voice tight with urgency.His hand ran up and down her back, but his eyes locked on Viktor, who stood rigid, his expression a mix of fury and frustration.
Viktor’s jaw clenched, his fangs peeking out as his rage boiled just beneath the surface.“Hazelton Birchsmire,” he said, spitting the name like venom.“The demon.He took Bethany.”His voice dropped lower, colder.“He’s targeting younger witches now.Sorcia’s council members.”
Sorcia suddenly pulled herself away from Marcus, her eyes wild as they darted to the shadows near a dark alleyway.“Marcus!”she gasped, grabbing his arm and spinning him toward the street.“Do you see it?”
“What?”he asked, his voice sharp as he scanned the area.His muscles tensed, his hand already moving toward the spell pouch on his belt.
“Glowing eyes,” she whispered, her voice trembling with both fear and fury.She pointed toward the alley, where two neon orbs pulsed faintly, then blinked out of existence.
“Elves,” Sorcia breathed, the word filled with disbelief and disgust.Her voice rose as she turned to Viktor and Marcus, panic tightening her chest.“That demon bastard has recruited elves?!”
Marcus swore under his breath, his jaw tightening as his hands fisted at his sides.“This just got worse,” he muttered.“Elves are slippery, and if Hazelton has them working for him—”
“They’ll make him damn near impossible to track,” Viktor finished, his voice cold and lethal.His silver eyes scanned the same alleyway.
Sorcia’s legs trembled as she fought to remain standing, her fists shaking with both rage and helplessness.“Bethany,” she whispered, her throat tight.“We have to find her.We have to get her back before…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
“We will,” Marcus said, his voice steady and resolute.He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.“We will get her back, Sorcia.I promise you that.”
Viktor nodded, his voice a low growl.“She helped me when I needed it.I owe her.I owe all of you.I won’t stop until Hazelton pays for this.”Bottom of Form
Althea burst from the shadows, her boots slapping against the pavement as she skidded to a stop, gasping for air.“Where’s Bethany?”she demanded, her wide eyes darting around frantically, searching for her partner.
Marcus’s fury erupted like a volcano.“Why weren’t you with her?”he roared, his voice a sharp blade slicing through the thick tension in the air.
