Vanessa

It takes all of five seconds for complete chaos to rein throughout the settlement. People start pushing shoving aside to save their own hides. I get the unfortunate view of seeing two Bobbies tear into the male witch who had accompanied me to the ocean. One bites into the neck while the chews off his lips in a morbid reenactment of a kiss.

I glance around and look for Kore and I see her assisting the children into a high up hideaway that most Bobbies would have trouble gaining access. Suddenly I get a face full of sand, and I turn fast enough to see the Bobby jumping onto of me. I attempt to conjure, but some reason I am unable to even feel a flicker of my magic dance in my fingertips. Sometimes not right. I bring my legs up and manage to put the Bobby in a chokehold, following the technique had shown me I break its neck.

I pop up, and the sudden feeling of my magic is once again flooding my senses and nearly throws me back on the ground. Glancing around, I carefully engulf each and every Bobby with flames. A couple they to crawl towards the unluckily still near to them, but plants start to grow from nowhere and encircles each Bobby and starts to crush them.

I look up and see Kore panting with pitch-black eyes with the telling pale pupil of a witch. I gape at her show of power but suddenly under Nate's raving of her abilities. Nessa, he would whisper you gotta see this for yourself. I mean, your black flames are still my fav, but that takes a heard second.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Kore's rings out across the clearing, and my heart sinks at the apparent decrease of the number of people. She has tears running down her face, and if I thought comforting her would ease her pain, my arms would be open to her in a heartbeat beat.

My mother had that look upon her face the first time we moved without our coven. She had told me there had been disagreements, and we were simply going out separate ways. Knowing what I do, I can't help but wonder if there was more to the story. Those answers though, will forever be lost to me.

I feel eyes on me and turn to see Keira lurking in the shadows. Her hair has come completely undone, and her clothes have tears everywhere. She limps over to Kore, and they have a heated private conversation. Both of them go in separate directions, though, and have guarded expressions upon their faces.

I look at the mess littered all over the place and start to help the others to set the camp back up. The sun has set by the time we've finished, and I glance around but don't spot Kore anywhere and decide to go look for her. Losing one's people is always hard, and perhaps she would like an ear that knows what she's going through. I hear her before I see her.

"I can't believe you've done this," she tells someone, causing me to pause in place. We're a little ways away from the camp, and I know nobody is probably aware of where we've gone. Besides that, the ocean is roaring something fierce, making it hard to hear anything other than Kore's angry tone.

"You say that, but you have done this purely for your own gain." Kore once sounds out, and she must be talking to someone, but I just can't make them out as I try to inch closer to the argument going on.

Suddenly, something hits the back of my head, and I fall to my hands and knees. I try to get up, but somebody keeps knocking me down and kicking my stomach. I spread out a short burst of fire around my body. I hear a grunt and twist around to look at my attacker. I am greeted with the black uniform of the NTSCU before I feel a pinch at my neck, and I fall into darkness.

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I come to in what appears to be complete darkness with my hands tied up with what feels to be rope, and my feet just graze the ground. I try pulling at the ropes, but all my efforts are futile, and I am no closer to escaping.

I hear the clank of a door shutting and immediately still in my actions. Something is pulled off my face, and I'm greeted by the face of the man from that night when we almost fell to our death. Marcus, if my memory is correct. He couldn't have been chasing us this entire time, right?

"I'm truly sorry for all this. You know if you and that boy had simply come quietly, I could've made sure your deaths would be quick and painless as possible, but now…" he trails off and shakes his head before walking away. "You should know even if you escape he's going to killed the minute he waits into that camp."

His words spur me into action, and I work to pull against the rope, but nothing I do can even make the knots holding me up. Another person comes inside the room, and I look over to see another NTSCU uniform and try in vain to lurch away as they unhook my hands from whatever has been holding me up. I fall in an ungraceful pile on the floor. The person grabs at my hair but gives an annoyed grunt when he can't grip the space between my braids. Oh, so sorry I can't make you dragging me out of here easier.

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They grab me by my hands and jerk my shoulders up as they drag me out of the room. I kick and try to do anything I can to slow our pace, but when nothing works, I go slack. Funny enough, that makes them pause before they continue walking once more.

The floor starts to tilt on its side, and I'm afraid for a second that I'm being thrown against a wall. The person dragging mutters out a curse in a high pitched voice, before hurrying down the hallway until we come out into the open. I twist my head around and attempt to catch any details that will help me escape.

All I can see is wooden floorboards, more steal doors, and a metal railing, though I can't see where it leads. Knowing it's my best bet, I throw my weight down and roll away from my captor, running towards the railings.

I drive for over the bars and would've made it if not for the arm that grips me around the waist. I squirm around in the hold, fighting to get to my only exit.

"Now come on, you really don't want to do that," it sounds like the man from before, and that just makes me wiggle around even more. A hand comes up and grasps my head forcing it downwards. "Look, trust me, you don't want to become the next meal to what's lurking in those waters."

I gaze down and am gifted with the view of the ocean and see that it's rocking whatever I'm on. A boat. A voice that sounds like Nate whispers in my mind. I slump against the metal bars and try to adjust to find some way to survive this, but all I can focus on is the numbness spreading from my chest.

I rest my head again the railing and close my eyes. I'm about to turn around when something slashes across my back. I arch away as another blow comes down. I twist away as I try to avoid any future hits, but it's futile, as two pairs of hands grip me, keeping me in place. A scream tips through my throat as several hits connect one after the other.

"Oh, how the might have fallen. Come on, Marcus, one hit, and I promise you'll want to continue." A man is right behind me, and just the sound of his voice makes the blood in my veins freeze.

"I'm good. I'm not into this sick torture as you're aware, Adam."

"Oh yes, how could I forget? Pure Marcus is too good to partake in this with us. My apologies," Adam taunts. Marcus walks away, and I keep myself from flinching as I can hear picking up several items that give a metallic clang as he drops them. "You always forget these aren't people. Just beasts and monsters wearing human flesh."

His heavy boots thump with each step as he walks back in my direction. A hand grips the tail end of my braids and yanks my head again. I'm met with steel grey eyes that lack even a hint of emotion. The hands on my shoulder release their hold, and I'm at the sole mercy of a man that thinks of less than human, yippee. I'm thrown to the floor and release a groan as my wounds hit the wood before I stop on my stomach.

Well, this where we part ways, Marcus states, and I catch a glimpse of him stepping into one of the many boats littering the side of the ship. I'm kicked onto my back, and a boot comes slamming onto my chest, and I bite into my lip to keep the screams in because no matter what, I don't want this asshole to hear more of my pain.

"Oh come on, scream, you know you want to," Adam taunts me, "not like it matters nobody's coming to save you, not even your little pet hybrid." A sweat breaks out across my body, having nothing to do with the beating my body is taking. No, anybody but Nate, he has to be talking about somebody else, he has to be.

"Yeah, if he came after you, he's either dead or will be soon." With that last word, Marcus lowers his boat and rides away.

"That guy, Adam mutters, "says that, but I planned all this. I mean, you know how frustrating it was getting all the pieces in place. Following your steps all this time. But I suppose it'll be worth it." He starts running a blade down my cheek, and lucky enough, I feel no blood to had to my injuries, not that they matter.

"You planned this," I ask my voice is raspy and barely above a whisper, but with Adam's head right by my face, I know he'll have no problem hearing.

"Well, who else would be smart enough?"

"Of course not, you're such a strong man." I bring up my eyes and glare at the man. I'm still immobile but with one more attempt at gathering my magic, and I feel as a snap happens around me, blowing Adam back into a wall. He weaves out a breath as the air is knocked out of his lungs.

He rolls back onto his feet and has a snarl on his face as he walks my way. I jerk my head up, and he's jolted into the air, a surprised yell spilling of his arms. The pair that had kept me down rush out me, but with a squeeze of my fist, they're dropped frozen still, and the only thing that gives away any sign of life is their still blinking eyes.

"You bitch, I suggest stopping with this little show of magic. Cause if you don't, when I come back down, things will be ten times worse," Adam bellows down to me. With rage making my blood boil, I manage to burn the rope around my wrist. Slowly I lower my hand and cause my torturer to come back onto the ground

No, I don't think you will; instead, I think you're going to sit there as I slowly do as I please to you. Because I am a beast, after all, I wouldn't want to prove you wrong. I limp over to him and rest my hand to his cheek in a mockery of affection, watching as black flames spurted from my palm and leeched onto his face.

He screamed while attempting to jump over from my touch, but it's fruitless as I refuse to let him go. I slip my hand away from his face and admire my handy work. His face is a charred mess that has burns in some places that have trickled down to his muscles, and there are even spots where I can spot his jaws and teeth. He has tears streaking down his face, and I know I should feel something at the sight before me, but everything is just numb.

Perhaps things would have been different if I hadn't met that day. I wouldn't be here on a one-way trip on the ocean and Nate...Who knows what they have planned for Nate. Would they shot him in the head and leave him to rot like some kind of animal. Would it be worse? Maybe they'll torture him and tear into his body as if he's some mindless beast that can't feel anything past hunger. Either way, I know he has a whole family that is missing him, that loves him, and the NTSCU will rue the day they touched a hair on his head.

I trail my fingers along the edges of the boat and watch as my flames lick their way up the walls and eventually eat through all metal and beams. I stand the middle of it all, just watching it all come down. Creepy laughter draws me back to Adam.

"Don't think for a second that you're getting out of this alive," he tells me, and for the first time since waking up, I am able to conjure up a bit of emotion.

Who eve said I planned on it dear, I snark back and watch with pleasure as fear finally floods his features. I finally let am able to move his body again and dodge when he runs my way, watching as a pile of burning wood comes pouring through the collapsed ceiling. I turn away and am surprised when a hand pushes through the burning pile. His flesh has melted on the right side of his face going lovely with the burns on the left side of his jaw. He glances at a spot to my left, and for the first time, I notice the reflective glass seating high up on the wall. He wails these ugly, spiteful screams while holding his face all the while he's backing up.

I tilt my head to the side and watch as he falls overboard and can't help but think of how anticlimatic that was. I walk to the railings and close my eyes before leaning, turning to lean my back on the railings, making sure to keep my grip tight so as not to end like Adam. I listen to the crackle of my flames and the flames of the last two NTSCU who were apart of my suffering these last couple of hours. If I try hard enough, it's as if I can hear Nate's voice calling my name in the wind. Just before I'm swallowed by an abyss of darkness, I think, Strange, I always thought death would more hurt.