Wildfire Gospel (Habitat) (23 page)

“Is that your scary way of saying I love you?”

Zulu never got the chance to respond. The building we sat on vibrated. He turned around to look over the edge with me.

“Oh shit.” I leaned in closer.

Down below in the middle of the road Witches stomped toward MFE. Lots of Witches. I didn’t see any men, just woman of different skin colors, sizes, and height. A rough breeze passed through them and lifted their hair, telling me Air Witches walked in the crowd. Sticks, rocks, and leaves rode the wind above their heads.
Earth Witches.
A few on the sides carried small plastic jugs of water, a signature weapon for a Water Witch. They couldn’t make their own elements, but Witches could manipulate them if they were near them. They marched forward with angry faces. Fire flickered on the edge of the group.

Fire Witches must be around in the crowd somewhere.

“How many do you think are coming our way?” I tried to count them.

“It looks like close to sixty or so and they’re not coming our way, they’re heading toward the Rebels.”

“Then I’m glad we waited after all. These Witches look pissed. They’ll end up doing our job for us.”

“And whoever they don’t kill, I’ll fly us down and we’ll finish them.”

I returned to chewing the inside of my cheek. “Unless they surrender.”

“No. Not anymore. We don’t take surrenders. If the person isn’t with us, then we don’t let them breathe. If they switched from our side, then they die with the people they chose.”

I sighed. “I don’t know how comfortable I am with that.”

“We’re doing it my way, remember?”

“How can I forget that? You keep saying it over and over.” Rebels poured out of the Inked Guerilla. Nona trailed behind them. “Dante said the Witch Council is blaming the ball’s destruction on me and MFE, maybe that’s why they’re here, and maybe all of this is to fight me.”

“That’s not why they’re here. The Council dresses in uniform robes that match their elements. No one has the same thing on. Council members also wear badges with their special insignia on their chest.” Zulu spent a lot of time talking and working with the Councils, especially after we bombed Dante’s Blood Factory in Shango District. “But most important of all, they don’t fight out in the open like this. If the Council wants to hurt someone, they send veiled spells with no ability to track the user. They don’t march out in public, ready for a fight. This is personal. Someone pissed a bunch of Witches off.”

“How and why would …”

The answer rushed to me right when I spotted Vee speeding up her pace at the center of the group, swinging her arms, and stomping forward like her life depended on it. She still wore her sapphire gown from last night, but no shoes. Many of the gems were missing. Burnt marks slashed the front. The bottom half of the dress was ripped. Her eyes flared a bright blue that even from the roof seemed to be blinding. Her afro wavered as if a swift wind blew through. She kept her hands open, palms up, and arms extended out from her sides.

“Vee,” I muttered.

“Vee.” Zulu shook his head. “She doesn’t look pleased.”

“Not at all.” I heated my body and blew tiny blue balls in front of me. Those glowing blue spheres reached the size of marbles and kept on spinning over and over as they sizzled and popped within the air. I wasn’t the only one preparing for war. The Rebels shifted to their beast forms—fur grew, sharp nails tore through fingers and toes, ears pointed and lengthen, jaws elongated, fangs appeared, and many howled to the moon hidden behind the habitat ceiling’s bars. If many on the ground noticed the fireballs heading their way, they remained quiet on it. Every ten or so ice blue balls, I peeked over the ledge to see if anybody pointed or signaled our way. No one did. Everyone’s gaze centered on either the Rebels or Witches.

Nona, still in her Human form, walked up to the front. A pink mohawk adorned her head. She wore a hot pink wife beater with blue jeans and boots. A wicked grin appeared on her face.

Zulu sneered. I realized he wasn’t doing that to Nona’s presence in front of the Rebels, he made that noise as he stared at me and my fireballs.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m sending some help down for Vee.”

“You promised you wouldn’t use the demon fire when we were walking here.”

“I don’t remember that.” I blew more fireballs out. They traveled over the ledge and down to MFE without me ordering them. They fled from my lips with no effort at all. Sugary gooeyness lathered my tongue as they left. Just making the fire, stirred sensations inside of me. My nipples pebbled. My flesh tingled.

“Are you ordering your fireballs in your head or are they moving on their own?” Zulu asked.

“Does it matter?”

“You know damn well it does.”

Pausing from making the fire, I twisted my lips to the side. “They went on their own.”

“I don’t like it.”

“We don’t have time to discuss your dislikes. Vee is almost there.”

When Vee and her pack of Witches arrived in front of them, the rest of the Witches remained in the street. Vee stomped forward, hopped onto the pavement, and got directly in front of Nona’s face. Everything went quiet. I didn’t even hear the usual breeze whipping past trees or a distant horn blocks away. Everyone focused on the two women.

Zulu rose. “We better go down there. I’ve never seen Vee fight, but the things I’ve witnessed Nona do, make me scared for your friend.”

I stood with him and jumped on his front. “Okay. When do we go down?”

“Just hold onto me. I’ll wait when the moment is right. Be careful and keep a good grip.”

I blew more fireballs out of my mouth. “I’m fine.”

Lanore

Lots of my ice blue fire marbles hovered over everyone. I had no idea what they would do to them. The demon fire melted Vamps, but would it do the same for Shifters?

Zulu rose in the air and I wrapped my arms around his neck. We hovered four or so feet above the roof.

“Where are my kids?” Vee’s voice echoed in the street as she stood in front of Nona.

“Inside.” Nona gestured to the building. “Them real fine. Me don’t hurt little ones.”

You hurt Cassie.

“Let them go,” Vee said. “They didn’t do anything to you. I haven’t done anything to you.”

“Where’s Lanore?” Nona asked.

“With the Vampire.”

“No, mon. People say she been on Thunder Alley road near Aztec Hotel.”

That’s quick. News sure travels fast in this city.

“Then
them
is wrong,” Vee hissed back. Wind swirled around her, lifting up the ragged ends of her dress and making the few remaining sapphires clink against themselves. “Have you ever seen a pissed off Witch?”

Nona widened her mouth and exposed her fangs. “Yes, me seen many of dem pissed witchies, but when I tear off their heads, them not pissed off no more.”

The wind around Vee picked up. Leaves flew from different directions, gathered with the rest of the floating elements over the Witches’ heads, and moved fast in a circle, spiraling over and forming into a tiny tornado of leaves. My fireballs rose higher in the air as if they sensed the elemental magic and didn’t yearn to be near it.

Demons and Witches held a connection between each other, a sort of spectrum of opposite sides of magic. According to my dad, neither was good or evil, but neither supernatural energy could mingle or merge together. When elemental energy touched demon magic, things always exploded. Many scientists used that exact knowledge to make the first paranormal bomb.

Zulu raised us in the air higher. His wings flapped, but made no sound. Not that anybody would’ve noticed. Everyone’s attention glued to the two de facto leaders, Nona and Vee. They all waited for the signal to fight.

“I’m not at war with you,” Vee said. “I just want my kids.”

“But this is war, and here you are, standing over there.”

“I don’t care what this is. You’re not at war with me!”

“We fight on different sides.”

“I’m on no side!”

“Then why you there,” Nona pointed to the space in front of Vee’s feet, “and I’m over here?”

In a flash, Vee whipped her hand above her head like she was swinging an invisible lasso. Her hips swayed from side to side with the movement. The leaves, rocks, and sticks thrashed and beat against the wind as the particles blurred into a circular moving tornado of dark brown shades.

“Me think you should leave the breeze alone.” Nona pushed her claws out. “Me feel threatened.”

“Good.” Vee slashed at the air.

The brown tornado twisted Nona and Vee’s way. It whizzed past at a speed that must’ve shocked us all. I froze into a statue of fear. Vee dove to the ground. Huge wolves, dogs, and other beasts jumped and leaped out of the way. The tornado was a force that couldn’t be stopped. It moved with speed, yet seemed to cut through the air and destroy anything around it. Growling, Nona raced away in the other direction.

I turned to see Vee on the ground as she slashed at the air. The winding leaves of the tornado crashed against Nona’s foot. She tripped over and smashed into the ground. The tornado wasn’t done. It lifted Nona up, only a feet or more, but enough to get a shriek from Nona as she spun above the ground and landed on her head. She rode that treacherous wind. It dragged her down the street. When she flipped over, it twisted her back. When she gained enough momentum to begin her shift into a huge dog, leaves slapped at her face and entered her mouth. She grasped at her neck and howled in terror.

The Rebels took that as a signal to fight. The ones that could jumped on all fours and dove for the crowd of Witches. Beasts and Witches battled right in the middle of the street. Sticks stabbed into furry flesh. Fangs snapped at fingers and arms as they tried to work a spell. Rocks propelled into the air, hitting unsuspecting animals in the eyes before slamming into the Inked Guerilla’s bricked walls. Chanting rose in the air. Snarling and yipping, barking and yowling pierced the space.

And still my blue fireballs crackled and rose high above them. With all the elemental magic thickening the area, I feared the two energies would combine and an explosion would occur. Dirt clogged the space. A dust storm came next. I couldn’t see who was who down there.

“Let’s go. I can’t let Vee get hurt.” I extended my hand as Zulu flew away from the roof. I searched for my fireballs. The sensation of falling surged through my legs. I spotted my demon fire rising high up to the height of the building’s roofs.
Come back to me.
The fire remained where it was and ignored my command.
Come back!
Sparks burst around the ice blue fire. They expanded into bigger balls close to the size of oranges. A current of air hit against my skin as Zulu zipped us down to the ground. My shirt ruffled up.

“Do you see Vee?” I waved away the dust. It was everywhere, getting in my eyes to mess up my vision, filling my mouth and making me gag. The noise level of the chants increased. I doubted Zulu heard me.

Zulu roared.

A blast sounded in the air. I looked up. One of my fireballs must’ve touched an elemental spell. Bright light sparked out and burst above us like fireworks, but these were too close. Witches and Beasts fled in opposite directions, but not enough to relax me. So many still fought within the dusty moonlight.

“Find Vee and protect her.” Zulu jumped back in the air. “I’ll handle Nona.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t die!”

“Sir, yes sir.” I saluted.

He roared as his wings beat against the dusty air and spread the clouds of smog apart. He disappeared when the fog mended back together. I should’ve told him that my fire would explode in the thick magic surrounding all of us. There hadn’t been any time. My balls didn’t respond to my orders. It was hard to see through the dirty smoke or hear within the blood-curdling screams of Witches and the thud of tortured animal noises. I’d never been on a battlefield, but this was what it had to feel and look like.

I raced away in the direction of where I’d spotted Vee fall.

“Run!” a woman screamed.

I glanced over my shoulder. The brown tornado had lengthened over the buildings and continued to rise up to the barred ceiling. We all paused right there in the street. It was surreal. The fight paused as if frozen in a snowstorm. I didn’t know about them, but I needed to see if the tornado could break the barred ceiling or affect it in anyway. Spinning around and around, it gained momentum and ascended higher and higher. The habitat’s ceiling lights brightened. The dark bars transformed into a light color until finally ending on a blazing white. The bars sensed the coming of magic. My heart stopped beating.

Orange gas sprayed down from the bars. Although really far away, I covered my nose and mouth. Humans installed the bars to keep us and our magic in. I doubt they cared if we died in the process as the bars defended themselves. Orange fog soared down onto the tornado and mixed with it until that spinning threat resembled a zigzag of brown and orange lines. The tornado decreased foot by foot, slowing down and evaporating into nothing but swirling wind.

Everyone returned to fighting.

I ran through the mingled bodies and kept my head low as much as possible. Too many sticks and rocks zipped through the air.
Vee where are you?
Fear flowed through me. She’d made a freaking tornado. It had to cost all of her energy. Witches just didn’t make big tornados every day and keep on walking in the next minute. It took them hours and days to recover from big spells, thank god, or we’d have tornados ripping buildings apart every day.

A furry body crashed into me. Were
-
rat. I fell to the ground. Bloody fangs snapped at my arm and scraped my skin. The smelly beast dug his claws into my shoulders. Pain ripped through me, especially since one shoulder still boasted wounds from Zulu’s claws, when I tried to prove I was me underground with the Vampires. I kicked the animal in his side. It didn’t hurt him, just knocked him off balance for a little. I rolled over and struggled to get to my feet. It slammed into me again and planted himself right on top of me. His weight shoved the breath right out of my chest. I shrieked and blew demon fire in his face, forgetting about how much elemental magic suffocated the air.

Blue fire blasted out, greeted the elemental drenched air, and detonated right there between the Were-rat and me. Boom! The beast exploded. The stink of burnt hair filled the space. Shards of burning meat rained down on me. Hot blood dropped, singed my clothes, and made little holes in my jeans. I wiped the chunky muck off of my face.

“Okay. That didn’t go too bad.” I got up, slipped in gunk, and managed to eventually make it to my feet.

On my right two Were-tigers chased a Fire Witch. She slung strips of yellow fire at them. The flames never hit them. The tigers twisted out of the way, dodged, leaped, and ducked. I rushed their way. One saw me and jumped my way to attack. Smiling, I leaned his way. Purring ensued. Cats loved fighting. I blew out a flame. The tigers head imploded within itself from the impact of my ice blue breath interacting with the Fire Witch’s magic. Being no dummy, the other tiger ran away.

“What are you?” The Fire Witch’s eyes blazed a smoldering orange.

“A friend. Have you seen Vee?”

“Last time I saw her she was crawling that way.” She pointed blocks down.

Damn it, Vee. What were you thinking? Her kids were what she thought about. Her kids.

I sprinted down the block and moved my head from side to side to search for her. Anytime I saw a Witch struggling with a beast, I blew the animal to pieces.

I’m starting to really enjoy this demon-elemental effect. Maybe after Vee curses me out, stops talking to me, and eventually forgives me for putting her kids in danger, we could work on some sort of demon-elemental weapon.

I cringed a little at the thought. Did I really need access to weapons that could cause that much destruction? Plus the demon fire would be there only for a few more weeks at the most. The truth of that carved out a sick hollow feeling inside of me. I didn’t relish in the idea of those blue flames not moving inside of me.

“Nothing is as addictive as demon fire.” Dad had trapped me to the ceiling for days after he realized I’d played with it. The only time he let me down was to go to the bathroom, wash, and eat. I missed school. “I’m doing this for your own good, little girl.”

Zulu roared in the far distance. I stopped running and turned around in the direction, but saw nothing but clouds of dust, burnt leaves fluttering through the air, and the haunting silhouette of battling bodies against the moonlit sky. My cords lightened up.

Please be okay, baby. I can’t lose you too.

An alley appeared as I rushed off. It made sense that Vee would crawl into it, so I rounded the corner and entered while maintaining a nice hot temperature for any beast with the confidence to attack me. “Vee!”

The thickness of elemental energy dissolved the deeper I walked into the alley. I pushed several fireballs out of my hands. The two ice blue flames formed into huge balls, rose up to my shoulders, and kept my pace as I traveled further. They should’ve creped me out. They were too intelligent, too ready to move on their own. That was dangerous. I had to talk to Dad soon.

“Vee! It’s me Lanore. Are you around here?”

The top of a trashcan rose from the ground six feet in front of me and dove for my head. Vee had to be in the alley somewhere commanding it.
She’s pissed.
It traveled too slow. Vee must’ve been weaker than I guessed. I dropped to the ground and avoided the lid with no problem. “Don’t you think we should focus on fighting the Rebels together verses fighting each other? Especially since you can’t fight?”

“Says who?” A trashcan slammed into my head from behind.

“Motherpounder!” I rubbed the back of my head and set flames to the can. Not my most mature moment, but it felt good to destroy it. “I know you’re pissed at me, but you have to believe I had no idea the Rebels would be able to lift the fairy glamour on the warehouse. I thought it would be the safest place in the habitat.”

“The safest place in the habitat is far from you.” Vee’s voice sounded from the dumpster at the end of the alley.

“That hurts my feelings, Vee.” I jogged that way. “Our friendship is turning into an emotionally abusive relationship.”

“If they hurt my kids, if they touched them in anyway—”

“Then we’ll kill them and everyone they love.” I arrived at the dumpster, lifted the top, climbed to the top, and peered in. Vee lay on top of a pile of trash. Her chest lazily rose and fell. A big hole in the dumpster’s metal decorated the area in front of her face. It was probably how she saw me coming and was able to attack me.