The Pact between Angels & Witches E-Book

Kiesha Thomas

• Herausgeber: Kiesha Thomas
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

A shared enemy. An unlikely alliance, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Cade Cohen mysteriously survives the vampire virus, but no without consequences. The shape shifting demons have succeeded in their plan, and thousand year war treaty has been broken. Chaos ensues everywhere. Cade faces the most difficult test yet, as he must form an unlikely alliance in order to fight the Demon Angel Offspring (DAO) or the planet will be destroyed.

Leseprobe

THE PACT BETWEEN ANGELS AND WITCHES

KIESHA THOMAS

THE PACT BETWEEN ANGELS AND WITCHES

Copyright © 2020 by Kiesha Thomas.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For information contact

http://www.kieshathomas.com

Contents

1. Cade

2. Trevor

3. Arianna

4. Cade

5. Arianna

6. Trevor

7. Cade

8. Arianna

9. Trevor

10. Cade

11. Cosima Arko

12. Trevor

13. Arianna

14. Cade

15. Trevor

16. Chaniya Arko

17. Arianna

18. Cade

19. Trevor

20. Cosima

21. Chaniya

22. Arianna

23. Cade

24. Trevor

25. Arianna

Epilogue

Let’s Connect

Also by KIESHA THOMAS

About the Author

Acknowledgments

1

Cade

My eyes opened slowly, and my vision was blurred. The vein in my temple throbbed like a drummer pounding on his snare drum. Goosebumps appeared on my arms as I looked around. I wasn’t in Atlanta anymore. I was at Jekyll Island. The hot sand bunched between my toes as I stood up. Looking down at my feet, I noticed my shoes weren’t the only thing I was missing. I was also naked.

Shaking my head, I stood to my feet. Inhaling deep, I jumped from the rocks into the water. The icy water made me feel alive. Salty water poured in my mouth as I gasped and swam back underneath the water, searching for answers for how I got here.

The waves crashed against the rocks. Squinting against the bright rays of the sun, I saw seagulls flying in the sky. There wasn’t anyone around. I hadn’t been here in forever. Letoya and I loved to come here when Liam took us.

That was when we were a family. If anyone said to me that there would come a day that I wouldn’t be able to speak to my sister I would have laughed.

I surfaced and swam back toward the shore. I swam faster until the water became shallow and I walked the rest of the way. Falling to my knees underneath the tree I bent my head, praying for strength. Ever since I was infected with the vampire virus and almost died, everything had changed. My body wasn’t the same. I was losing time, going to bed in my room and waking up in another city naked. It was getting harder and harder to hide the fact that something was happening to me.

I am going back to the academy. My father will know what to do. We are very close, but his secrets shattered the honesty between us, and now he’s gone.

Jumping to my feet, I ran down the shore. In the distance was a blue and yellow beach house. It looked festive against the drab and deserted beach. Everything had gone downhill after the United States lost its democracy. Myron Grand, the man who experimented with genes to make a superhuman, was dead and his son, Derrick, was in hiding. Derrick, like a snake in the grass, was waiting for the perfect time to strike and take over the planet.

Jimmy Ballard was worse than Myron and Derrick Grand, because before you could blink, Jimmy seized the opportunity to take over like he had always wanted. Every day he was running the country further and further into the ground. His focus was keeping himself rich and powerful.

Running up the stairs to the house, I wiped my feet on the welcome mat and twisted the doorknob. The door creaked open. The house was cramped and colorful. It smelled of moldy old gym socks, and damp wet rags. The walls were painted a bright yellow and the wicker furniture made the space appear larger than it was. Walking toward the table, I spotted a photo. My hands shook as I brought it to my face.

Why is this picture here? I almost forgot that it even existed. It is the photo taken the second time Liam brought Letoya and I here. We are playing in the ocean.

Three hours later, I made it back to the academy. I strolled down the hall, and into the five rooms I had set up to treat the students. Walking over to the bed, I setup the intravenous drip.

Claire had dark circles underneath her eyes. Her pale skin seemed to sparkle underneath the lights. She really was striking. It wasn’t hard to see why Maximus lost his head over her.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I cracked it to loosen the tension that had my muscles tight. “Claire is everything ready?”

“Yes. We need to get this over and done,” said Claire. She pulled on the blue latex gloves and motioned for me to open the door and allow the students that were lined up to start the vampire cure.

The vampire virus wasn’t going to take us down.

A few minutes later, Maximus walked in with a group of six men. His eyes lit when he saw Claire standing over a student as she administered a cure for the virus. Whatever was going on with Maximus and Claire it was painfully obvious that she wasn’t falling for Maximus’s charms.

The stern expression that lived on his face was replaced with a look of hunger and fascination. Maximus wasn’t giving up on Claire. Women threw themselves at Maximus, not the other way around. It was odd watching him chase Claire like a lovesick dog. My lips twitched but I glanced away before I smiled.

“We’ve been patrolling, and we haven’t seen any signs of Liam,” said Maximus.

More and more I had the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad had happened to him. It caused saliva to pool in my mouth. No matter how your parents prepared you for the future without them, it still paralyzes you.

I paced back and forth as I massaged my temples. “Have you seen any sign of the demons?” Things weren’t looking good for the academy. We almost got our butts handed to us out there battling Trevor and his demons. We had lost over half of our students between the battles and those who ran away.

Studying Claire through my thick eyelashes I frowned. The witches wanted to remain in hiding and not take sides, but that wasn’t an option any longer. Trevor broke the thousand-year treaty and now chaos had broken out everywhere. A shiver ran down my spine. Things weren’t looking good.

Valcrum forgive us for we have sinned.

Maximus walked over to the window. “Trevor and his men are laying low, but I imagine that they are waiting for the perfect time to strike.”

If I was Trevor and I knew that my enemy was weak, I would strike soon. Looking at Claire, I realized that she could help orchestrate a meeting between us, and the witches. Every covenant was different, and some witches hated vampires.

An alliance between the mutagens and the witches allowed us to right the wrong that Trevor and his shape shifting demons caused when they broke the peace treaty.

“Claire, I need you to setup a meeting between your covenant and us. This meeting should happen in the next two days.”

She stiffened. “That’s a real short notice, but I will see what I can do. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

“Even if we managed to form alliances with the witches and the mutagens, we would still be at a disadvantage against the DAOs running rampant in the city,” said Maximus.

“What is a DAO?” asked Claire as she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

Maximus handed her a tissue. “DAOs are demon and angel offspring. They are very powerful beings with varying magical powers.”

I shook my head. “Trevor’s plan, all along, was to create DAOs and rule earth. The guy seems to think he’s more powerful than Valcrum.”

“Cade, one way or another we can get through this,” said Claire.

Nodding my head, I left the room. The crowd in the hall had almost dwindled as Maximus and Claire worked through the students getting the cure. After I reached Liam’s office, I checked the security cameras. I watched the footage repeatedly, noticing how the demons fought and seeing some vulnerabilities in their fighting stances.

Jones and I had found some of the students who had run away. It wouldn’t be long before the search teams brought them back safely behind these walls. I will protect them. I will protect us all.

Punching the button on the desk, I summoned the guys I had appointed over the search and rescue of the missing students. Five minutes later, the doors opened, and they gathered inside. Walking from behind the desk, I handed each one a small pocket notebook with the details on their individual targets.

“In your hands you have the information needed to recover the student assigned to you. I’m sure I don’t have to stress how important it is to bring every student back under our protection.”

Don looked at me. “What if the student doesn’t want to return? Do you want me to use force?”

My nose turned down as I allowed my eyes to pass over every man gathered before me. “You don’t have permission to force the student, but you need to be diligent with explaining the consequences of their actions.”

After glancing at the tiny green bracelets that looked more like a surfer’s bracelet than a tracker, I dismissed them. I wasn’t leaving anything up to chance. When Trevor and his demons showed their ugly faces, they would forfeit their lives.

When their footsteps faded down the halls and I could no longer see them on the security cameras, I looked around Liam’s office once more. Liam hadn’t left anything out of place. Everything looked just as it should, which was what worried me. Why would he leave without telling me? We needed him more than ever and he was gone. He vanished without a trace.

Clenching my jaw, I stalked to the door and locked up. If he didn’t turn up in two days’ time, I would continue to assume authority and get the pact signed between the mutagens and the witches. Failure was not an option.

I headed down the dark hallways oblivious to my destination, but somehow my feet led me to Arianna’s room. Her room was neat and very different from the room where Kyra stayed. I never thought a female could be so nasty and lazy with their hygiene. Running my hands over the large maple desk I opened the drawers. A tight knot formed in my stomach when I found the drawer empty.

Her mother wasn’t much help either. She made no pretense of caring for either of her daughters. When I had informed her that Arianna was missing, she shrugged and said she hadn’t spoken to her. It was evident to me, that when she stopped getting Arianna’s paycheck, she had washed her hands of her.

It didn’t make sense that Arianna had watched over me and now she was gone. The window had been shattered. There were so many rogue vampires and werewolves rising to take a stand.

Myron and Derrick had managed to screw up so much with their crazy plan of creating super soldiers. The city didn’t have any alliances but that would all change soon. People had a way of getting over their differences when survival was at stake. The bedroom door behind me creaked open. I caught a whiff of a strawberry citrusy smell.

Great. It was Ivy.

“I guess that means you still don’t have any clues on what happened to Arianna?” asked Ivy. She stood beside me staring deep into my eyes. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach.

“Not yet, but I will.” I walked out of Arianna’s room. It wasn’t lost to me that she was my responsibility. I had not prepared her for the battles she fought in. She didn’t know how to fight or use her powers, yet she had fought bravely against the demons. Time wasn’t on our side but that’s alright. We will be prepared when the time comes.

“She’s alive. I can feel it. I’m a good tracker and I want to track her.”

“Ivy you are one of the best trackers at the school, but I can’t allow you to go off alone looking for her.”

“Look around Cade, half of the students are gone, and the others are dead. If I want to go searching for her, it’s my life to do with what I please.”

“Wrong. Your life belongs to Valcrum. We are at war. I am doing all I can to bring her back safely. You’re going to have to trust that I know what’s best right now.”

“You’re demanding that I sit here and do nothing while my friend could be in danger. I don’t like it.” She brushed passed me and slammed out the door. I left Arianna’s room.

It didn’t take me long to reach my room, which seemed colder than normal. It was like staring at the white walls for the first time. Glancing around, I looked at the box on my desk. I missed Letoya. She was always quiet and pensive. Our relationship had always been solid. Why didn’t she tell me she was in love with Maximus? Letoya was coming back here where she belonged. The best place for family is with family.

Liam is all I have left. If something happens to him, I’m not sure I’ll recover. I’m someone who doesn’t likes changes, and I’ve been through a boat load of changes recently. I must believe that Liam is alive. I need him. The academy needs him.

Today hadn’t been a bad day, it was progress. The recovery team had retrieved most of the students and they were safely protected from the vampire virus.

It was two o’clock in the morning, and my eyes felt scratchy. I had laid in my bed awake, until I had fallen into a deep slumber from exhaustion. My body wasn’t a hundred percent, but in time I knew I would gain back the strength that I’d lost.

I walked down the halls like a robot not connecting, seeing or interacting with anyone around me. Opening Liam’s office door, I finally allowed the salty tears to travel down my cheeks. There was nobody here to witness my weakness. My pain was crippling. Pulling out the chair from under the desk, I collapsed in it. It felt weird sitting behind Liam’s desk waiting for Claire and the others to come. My stomach was in knots despite having ate two apples. Running my hands along the edge of the desk, I touched the long horizontal scar that marred my right side.

I could remember the time when I was five years old and learning how to fight with my sharpened claws. Liam had shown me how to swipe and protect myself. He told me to practice, and I practiced on his desk, scarring it.

The door opened, and Maximus and Orion walked inside.

I stood and gestured for them to take the seats next to the desk. “Claire should be here any moment,” they said.

Maximus walked toward the window and looked out. “She should’ve been back by now. I don’t like this.”

Maximus had been acting different since he met Claire. He had been attracted to Arianna, but he never acted crazy over her like he does Claire.

Orion glanced at me then back to Maximus. “She is very powerful, so I’m sure she’s alright.”

Maximus balled his hands at his side. “She never should have gone by herself.”

“What is going on between you to? You’ve been different ever since she saved your life.”

Orion shook his head. “Max, your face lights up like fireworks when she’s in the room.”

Maximus snatched another chair and placed it closer to him before he sat down. “Shut up Orion.”

“Maximus, you would fall in love in the middle of a damn war.”

I smiled. It wasn’t often that I got to see Maximus feel uncomfortable and I enjoyed it. He’s always so calm and collected so seeing him worried over a female was nice.

Shaking my head, the smile fell from my face as I pressed play allowing the last footage of the cameras to play.

Pointing to the screen, I leaned back in my chair. “Look at how the demons fight. These shape shifting demons are different than the demons that occasionally get cast down here.”

“Trevor and his crew were staying in Jonesboro, but when we got there they had already moved,” said Maximus.

“Why would Valcrum cast them here on earth with so much power?” asked Orion.

“Trevor isn’t like the other demons. He has dark powers that he is able to summon when he needs to.” Orion ran a hand through his hair. “Valcrum didn’t give him access to the dark powers so whatever powers he has, he got them while he was in Xundar.”

Maximus rubbed his chest. “I noticed when he unleashed that ball of energy into my chest, that he has some type of black venom- like stuff running through his veins. His most lethal power is that of manipulation. He convinced people to join him.”

My lips thinned. “Anyone that can convince someone to rise up and fight Valcrum, can never be underestimated.”

“Also, Derrick will have to be dealt with as soon as the coward come out of hiding.”

The door swung open and Claire ran inside. Her long blonde hair flowed about her shoulders and her green eyes were wide. She ran to the desk.

“She’s gone. I can’t believe it. She’s gone,” said Claire. She tossed off her jacket and slumped in the chair. Her face had lost its color.

“Who’s gone? Start from the beginning.” My voice was much sharper than I intended it to be. My nerves were getting the better of me. Whatever was going on had shaken Claire to her core.

Frowning, I glanced at Maximus. I didn’t know much about Claire, but it didn’t take much to see that something was very wrong. Her chest heaved and tears ran down her cheeks.

“They have taken Alexa.”

Maximus cursed. He stood up suddenly, knocking his chair to the ground. “Alexa is Claire’s baby sister.”

2

Trevor

I opened my eyes. I’m either dead and Valcrum has decided that he will allow me to die or this was torture. I was back in Xundar. The water parted and Victoria surfaced, swimming toward me. It’s funny how every time I lose my life, or something bad happens, I end up right back here. How did Victoria bring me back to Xundar?

She had the power all along to bring me back here and she didn’t tell me.

Every time I think I couldn’t hate her more than I do, she shows me that I can.

Victoria stood over me, her eyes narrowed. “You almost got yourself killed.”

“I had it under control.” I stood up and wiped the mud off, but she shoved me back down.

“You went to earth to destroy the angels and all you’ve managed to do is get Kyra pregnant.”

My eyes narrowed on her. Victoria was more powerful than I could’ve imagined, and she was just as crazy. “You acted like a spiteful child and withheld your power from me.”

She shrugged. “You cheated on me and almost got yourself killed.”

I turned away from her. She could keep me here, in Xundar. Victoria had proven she could make my life worse than I could have ever imagined. “I had it under control. You are not afraid of death so stop your nagging.”

She waved her hands. A green ball of light came over me and I was hurled into space. When I opened my eyes, I was in Captona. My heart thudded in my chest. Victoria hated Lily and now that I had Kyra, Lily had no one.

I looked at Victoria. “What are we doing here?”

She smiled. “Oh, you don’t want to see your precious Lily. You claimed to have loved her, remember?”

A knot formed in my throat. I thought that I loved Lily. It was not until I fell in love with Kyra, that I realized what I felt for Lily didn’t compare.

“Lily deserves to know that you don’t care about her. You were not on earth for a day, before you ran out and got another woman in your life.”

My cheeks became heated. Victoria was a selfish jerk who just wanted her way. It was not like she cared about anybody but herself. When I told her that she and I were a lot alike, I really meant it.

“Trevor, I thought you were dead,” said Lily. She ran to me and threw her arms around my neck.

I stiffened in her embrace. She looked more beautiful than the last time I saw her, yet the only thing I felt for her was guilt. When she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine, my stomach churned. Pulling away from her, I stepped back.

“Lily, I cannot stay here in Xundar.” I moved away from her. This was a conversation I never thought I would have, and now, I dreaded it.

From of the corner of my eye, I saw Victoria leaning against the tree enjoying my discomfort. I should not be surprised; she brought me here. “I was told Valcrum had killed you and I wanted to make him pay. You deserved better Lily. A man better than me.”

She reached for me, but her hand dropped to her side when she saw me flinch from her touch. “You said you loved me, and now, you hold yourself back from me. What aren’t you telling me?”

Victoria laughed. “It’s about time you got a clue about the kind of guy Trevor really is.”

Lily narrowed her eyes at her. A scream tore from her throat as she rushed toward Victoria.

Grabbing Lily by the waist, I set her away from Victoria before she got herself killed. “Stop, before you are killed.”

She pushed me off her. “Why did you show up here, with her? She tried to kill you.”

“Victoria helped me go against Valcrum. We are bound together.”

Lily narrowed her eyes at Victoria. “Valcrum is a forgiving being. If he forgave you we could live here, in Captona.”

There was a time I never thought I would hear Lily say those words. The words did not bring me satisfaction now. Things were different. I was different. “I have no intentions of asking Valcrum to forgive me. I refuse to live under his rule like a critter, when I can be a king.”

Lily wiped her tears. “Are you willing to lose me? I love living here in Xundar.”

“Trevor has a girlfriend, and a baby, on planet earth. He doesn’t love you. He never did,” said Victoria.

I shoved Victoria. “Shut up.”

“Just tell her the truth. You love Kyra. You weren’t on earth twenty-four hours before you started sleeping with her.”

Lily’s hand flew to her mouth and the color fled her face. Her blue eyes became glossy with tears, as she turned from me. A ragged scream tore from her throat and she tried to run away.

“It is not true, Lily.” I held fast to her arm, but I was not sure why. This conversation was torture. The horror that washed over her face was like a machete to the gut.

“All of it is true, so stop lying to her. I could bring her to Kyra. I wonder how Kyra would feel about Lily.”

Lily slapped me. “I should’ve never trusted you. Take me to her. I want to warn her about him, like I wish someone would have warned me,” said Lily.

“I never meant to hurt you. I do have a girlfriend on earth, but this is not about her. It is about me. Your place is here, in Xundar, and my place is on earth.”

Lily snatched away from me, pacing back and forth. “You are now dead to me. I will never shed another tear for you. My place was on earth, but you killed me, now that I am here in Xundar, you have abandoned me.

My cheek felt hot, but I knew I deserved that slap. Lily’s eyes looked like she wanted to gut me. I never meant to cause her pain, and if Victoria would have shut up, Lily would never have known about Kyra. Why did Victoria have to destroy Lily?

Victoria shrugged. “It might be interesting to see who would win the fight. My money is on Lily. I hate Kyra.”

I stalked away from Lily. She hated me and there was nothing I could do about it. This was not the time to go back. I’m going forward toward my future. My future is with Kyra and my kids.

Victoria looked happy. I longed to kill her, but if I do, I die as well. This was the first problem that I had to solve. My plan failed because I relied on Victoria’s help. She was the reason that I am in this position right now.

“You got what you wanted. We need to go, before Valcrum kills us both.”

I thought I would never be happy to be on earth, but I cannot deny the surge of excitement flowing through me. I needed to see Kyra and make sure she was alright. I am a father now, and I wanted to see my daughter and my son. Twins. Kyra had given me a son. She had given me something I never thought that I would have. Looking at Victoria, I frowned.

“Why are you still here?” Balling my fist, I walked through the streets of Jonesboro.

She shot an amber orb at the vampire running toward her. The vampire turned to ash in place. “I’m not done with you Trevor. Finish your plan. Have the DAOs rule earth when you have a big enough army, then, we will take the battle to Valcrum.”

“Victoria, leave me. The sight of you makes my blood hot.” Stepping over the dead bodies, I walked forward looking through the night trying to find my house.

“You can plan to get rid of me all you want. There is no escaping the arrangement that we made. I doubt you want to die now that you have two ugly brats on this crappy planet.”

There was mass looting going on. The vampires were fighting each other in the street. I smiled. The peace treaty was broken and now everything was in chaos. It would be easy for me to assume power and rule these people here. They will bow before me or die.

Ignoring Victoria, I rushed inside the house. My heart leapt out of my chest when I saw Kyra lying on the couch. She was not moving and there was a bright red aura around her.

Victoria pushed me out the way and shot a bright golden orb at Kyra.

“No!” I tried to move but I was frozen in place levitating off the ground. Victoria had me immobile. I couldn’t summon any powers. I was as helpless as a human.

Victoria rolled her eyes. “She must die. You are too weak and distracted around her. It’s for the best.”

The golden orb evaporated, and the roof lifted off the house. A bright light flashed at Victoria and she was swept back up to the sky.

As soon as Victoria was gone, I fell to the ground. Scrambling to my feet, I rushed over to her. “Kyra, say something.”

Her eyes opened. “Who was that chick? This is the second time she’s tried to kill me. She sat up and held my son tight to her breast. He didn’t stop feeding off her.

“Victoria. I’m going to take care of her.” I got up and walked to the pink crib in the corner. I leaned over and almost fell to my knees.

“Where is our daughter?”

Kyra stumbled to her feet. “She was in the crib. She can’t be gone.”

My eyes closed. Victoria had taken our daughter.

What the hell am I going to do?

3

Arianna

This was a fate worse than death. He was crazy. Why would he save me from death so that he could torture, rape me, and then kill me? It makes more sense to just let me die in the first place. I need to think but hanging upside down with my hands and legs bound behind me didn’t inspire motivation.

I’m in a cave. It looked like I was deep in a cave high in the mountains. This was the perfect place for someone to be killed. There was no chance of anyone coming and saving me. It was too late to regret running off alone, but I did. It looked like for the second time; I was going to die. Shaking my head, I refused to accept my death. There must be something I could do. If not for me, what about for my niece and nephew. I must get through this.

“Why didn’t you just let me die? Why go through all this trouble just to kill me anyway?” I resisted the urge to swing about trying to loosen the hold of the ropes against my arms.

He sat near the blazing fire sharpening a large machete. “A quick death is too good for you.”

I forced my eyes away from the machete. Looking at it shine in the light as he sharpened it, made my body tremble. My heart raced in my chest and I forced my mind to think of a solution.

“I don’t understand your part in all of this. Did you knowingly become one of Derrick’s pawns or had your father forced you?”

He laid the machete down and pulled out a serrated blade from his pocket. “You still don’t get it. You’re about to die and you have no clue what’s been going on right underneath your nose.”

Stalking over to me, he grasped my shirt in both of his hands and tore the fabric from my body. I wiggled and tried to put some distance between us, but it was no use. He took the blade and made a deep cut on my right side. The blood poured out and I screamed in pain.

“I’m going to enjoy this, but you won’t.” He placed the blade against my skin and made another deep cut. Wiping the blade on a piece of my shirt he leaned against the wall.

“Derrick was supposed to make super soldiers for my father and me. He lost sight of what he was supposed to be doing when he focused on killing the vampires.”

I opened my eyes. The pain was unbearable. I’m no expert with torture but torturing people is usually for gaining information, or so I thought. Deep down in the depths of my soul, I knew he tortured me because he wanted to. He liked the pain that darkened my eyes and the screams that tore from my lips.

“Why did you need super soldiers? We aren’t at war or anything. There was no threat.”