Battle of the Elements
Chapter 18 Bridgette

I stared at the piece of paper in my hand, the note that came from the labs. I couldn’t stop the tears now.

Dear Bridgette,

I need to tell you something before I give you the bad news. You were my best pupil and ally. You have come so far from that drunk, desperate girl I met in a bar late at night. You are true to the name Phoenix and by far, one of my best friends.

Now, for the bad news. The lab rats have succeeded. I hurt one of them today – probably long before you receive this letter. As a result, I will be trapped in this cage for another year. Please, don’t lose hope for me. I want you to continue our plan Bridgette, I will join you soon.

Tell Melanie I said goodbye, she was one of my favourite apprentices and will become stronger than any of us one day. She has great potential.

And Jake, tell him that, I know he hates my guts for what I am, but I will always think of him as that ratbag kid who sparked my interest for the werewolf kind.

Kind regard, the best teacher ever, Shane.

I clutched my heart as I sobbed. How could they do this to him? How could they hurt someone like him, his mocking laugh, his pale-blue eyes, and his shaggy black hair that would almost touch his eyebrows? He wouldn’t be out for another year.

Alex

Indi said she wanted to see me in the throne room. She said she wanted to introduce herself to my friends and family, so she threw a party.

I walked into the throne room. The whole room was well-lit and smelled of flowers. Vines were strung up on the walls and roses were scattered around the room.

Dane and Harrison were talking amongst themselves with glasses of wine in their hands. I spotted Indi – who was standing with my father – and walked towards her. She wore a magnificent, white and red dress and had the same necklace she had been wearing when we first met. Her hair was tied into a bun and she had a golden tiara on her head. Her eyes met me and she smiled sweetly and took my hand. In one swift movement, she kissed my cheek softly and that was when I felt the most love for this woman than I had felt for anyone in a long time. She was the one.

The sounds of talking stopped suddenly and were replaced by small whispers and gasps of awe. I turned to see what the commotion was about and saw her.

Titania was standing in the entrance, her hair was draped over her shoulder. She wore a white chain around her head with a pearl coloured stone resting between her eyebrows. She was wearing a dress I had never seen before, a white, flowing, silk dress that went far below her feet, making it trail her as she walked. I could see her cheeks turning red at the silent crowd.

Harrison stepped out of the crowd and took her hand, kissed it and mumbled something I couldn’t hear. Titania smiled and seemed to relax a little as Harrison led her to the dance floor.

Soft music started playing as the danced slowly and gracefully around the room. People started to join them. And soon the room was filled with laughter and music.

Even my father was smiling. Indi took my hand and pulled me to the dance floor. We dance the night away in a flurry of love and laughter.

That’s when it happened, two of the party guests pulled swords out of nowhere and stabbed their partners.

Two men in suits, holding swords that were now dripping in innocent blood. Their suits were splattered with blood as they cut through two people at a time.

I saw Dane reach for the ornamental swords on the wall, Harrison leading Titania away from the murderous men. Indi screamed and took my hand and I led her away from the trouble, but she didn’t budge.

The men came towards us. I tried to move but Indi wouldn’t move. The men were coming closer, soon they were in arm’s length. I saw a flash of white in the corner of my eye, Titania shoved me out of the way as the men reached for Indi. They pinned her to the wall and that’s when it all went wrong.

Indi transformed into something. Her veins began to budge and turn red until there seemed to be tiny, red vines running and winding around every inch of her body. Her teeth began to grow and sharpen and soon, they were giant fangs – not like the ones in the stories, giant – her skin was paler than the moon itself and her eyes turned a bright, deep shade of ruby-red. One word entered my head – Vampire.

The two men pinned her to the wall. She screamed and thrashed but they didn’t let her go. She looked at Titania, and then something happened that would change everything…