Don't Let Them Catch You

16• Siege

Before Aura could force Amos to explain himself, she was rudely cut off by a thundering against her door.

Instinctively, Amos disappeared, lifting Aura off of him so she could deal with it.

It was Tanya, sporting a swollen eye and a cut lip. "What happened to you—"

"Amber— but that's not the point we can talk about that later!" She exasperated, snatching Aura's wrist and dragging her into the dimly lit corridor. "You don't know how long it took me to find your room, I've been through almost every door on the left wing."

The red headed girl broke into a run, forcing Aura to speed up behind her, bare feet slapping against marble.

"You have to see this— now."

The angel looked over her shoulder in attempt to see if Amos was on her tail.

"Ow!" She barked, feeling something invisible pull her hair.

Confirmation enough.

"Tanya, where are we going!" She was leading them towards higher ground, away from the basement floor of Aura's room. Tanya didn't respond, only moved faster.

They broke through the door separating them from the outside, and emerged onto the fighting pits where thousands of shifters were gathered with their heads tilted towards the skies.

"Look!" Tanya pushed, thrusting her arm to the heavens.

Aura followed her finger and felt her tongue dry.

"No."

"What is that?" She heard shifters whisper amongst themselves.

From the corner of her eye, a black haired witch emerged from the medical wing, her expression mirroring Aura's emotions.

"I don't know what the fuck that's supposed to be but it doesn't look good." Tanya gulped beside her, her small frame cowering towards Aura in protection.

"It's not." Aura bit, the witch looked towards them as though she could hear their conversation. "It's hellfire."

Across the wall, looming over it like a tsunami wave were flickers of red flames. It moved unnaturally, staying in that same towering position, peering over the wall as though it could see everyone inside. The cries of tormented spirits were trapped inside, the haunting sound was almost deafening to the angels ears. If she closed her eyes she could practically imagine what horrors they were forced to endure.

A bony hand clasped around her wrist, and forced Aura away from Tanya faster than the red headed girl could react, and pushed the angel into the darkest corner. Stunned, she snapped her head in her captures direction to react, only to find her mouth quickly covered. The witches raven coloured hair willowed around her skinny face, those inky eyes widening unreadably. "You have to stay hidden."

Aura felt her stomach drop. What does she know?

The witch jolted her chin to the skies, silently demanding Aura watch.

Like a glimmer of light in the darkness, a figure trailed the crenels on the wall, defying the wave of flames attempt at instilling fear into the hearts of his people.

"What do you want." Markus's voice carried over the compound with penetrating force.  He went unarmed, bearing nothing but his hands.

The red behemoth seemed to turn to face him, incline as though it were analysing him silently.

Wailing souls quietened so that the flames could be heard clearly. "You know what I'm here for."

It's disembodied honeyed voice spoke in sotto voce, crackling to the sound of the fire.

Aura felt her limbs tremble, but the witch held her upright.

"You cannot hurt anyone here in spiritual form." Markus defied, "this illusion serves merely to traumatise my people."

"Hmmm. Perhaps." It drawled. In an uncharacteristically human way, it leaned against the wall, coming dangerously close to the alpha.

Despite the odds, Markus stood firm and didn't flinch.

"But Legion is not an illusion."

No!

Even the witch stilled behind Aura.

"They surround this... precious little thing as we speak. My soldiers caught a couple of your pack members on the way here... frolicking about in the forest." It chuckled sadistically. Aura prayed silently for the victims on the other side. "We're using them as playthings while we wait."

"For what." Markus responded tautly. Despite his refusal to mention the members, Aura knew he worried.

"For the angel." 

"Don't. Move." The witch hissed into the angels ear, as though she knew Aura was ready to throw herself into the open.

Ever since Amos had executed the demons on their return to base that other day, she knew this was coming. She just didn't expect it to be so soon.

The crowd stirred at the knowledge there was an angel among them, and Aura didn't have to have exceptionally good ears to know many were willing to give her up immediately.

"I don't have to give you anything. You can't get in." Markus shrugged. The runes surrounded the wall served to protect everyone inside from a situation exactly like this, it stood firm.

The fire gasped mockingly. "You're willing to abandon your shifters? Do you know what we're doing to them on the other side?"

The alpha didn't budge. He knew that whatever fate befell his comrades on the outside would surely become of everyone if he wasn't careful.

Aura knew this, everyone did. So it wasn't a surprise when Markus didn't respond.

It was an impossible situation.

"Very well... We'll do it your way." The fire stretched to its full height, stepping away from the wall. By the smoke, crackling and popping coming from the other side, Aura knew the forest had began to succumb to the flame.

"My angels are burning your source of food to the ground." It announced, almost like it were singing. "I wonder how long it will take before someone betrays you."

And then, in a gust of wind, the hellfire disappeared.

As the shifters erupted into panic, the witch stole Aura away, back towards her basement floor to find her room.

"What do you think is going to happen now—" Aura grunted against her heavy hands. Despite her willowy frame, she was stronger than she looked, shoving Aura down the dimly lit corridor.

"We're under siege." The witch responded.

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