Pack Wars

Chapter 2 - Come With Me

The silent warning signal flashed an ominous purple glow over and over throughout the many narrow corridors of Castle Mooreswell, alerting everyone in the coven of the imminent attack on their castle.

Witches of all shapes, sizes and skill carefully filed out from their dorm rooms and headed down the large double staircase on their way to a safer location; the castle’s basement.

The basement was always the safest place to go in Castle Mooreswell. With an unbreakable magical protection incantation cast over it by the Grand Master himself, the massive underground chamber was their go-to place whenever danger had reared its ugly head.

Everyone in the coven knew to make their way there immediately.

“Come on Zara, the castle’s on high alert! We need to get down to the safety of the basement like we were told to!” came the insistent voice of Belle Waters, Zara’s roommate and good friend of many years. 

“Hurry up girl! Move your ass!”

“Hang on, there’s no rush...” Zara insisted as she sat on the edge of her bed, zipping up her knee-high black leather boots. 

“This is probably just another one of those drills anyway. No need to panic.”

“A drill, at this hour? Not bloody likely.” Belle argued with a frown, her hands now resting on either of her hips in protest.

“Where’s my phone?” Zara asked as she glanced around the room frantically, “Where is it?”

“Just leave it, we can come and get it later.” Belle demanded, opening the door to their dorm and revealing the glowing purple lights flashing over and over just outside their room.

“You don’t understand, I need my phone!” Zara insisted.

“Why?”

“Riley said he’d call me later on and I won’t miss his call, not again...”

Belle rolled her eyes at this.

“Oh my god girl, I’m gonna die because you want to hook up?” the frustration evident in Belle’s voice now as she gritted her teeth together and narrowed her brown eyes at her roommate. 

“Seriously, Zara get your ass out here right now!”

“Ah-ha, there it is…” Zara quickly grabbed the sleek black phone sitting in its obvious spot on her bedside dresser and smiled with delight. 

“Should have looked there to start with.”

“I am not getting in trouble for being late again-”

A deep voice spoke over hers, cutting off the end of her sentence.

“-That will not be a problem, Miss Waters. No one is in trouble.” came the commanding voice of Xandaar, the Grand Master of their coven as he now stood beside her in the darkened hallway.

Belle’s eyes were the size of saucers as she turned to meet the bright purple irises of their leader staring back at her ominously. 

Meeting with the Grand Master was not a common event for a witch, especially one such as Belle or Zara. They were still in training after all. But here he stood before them, speaking to them of all people!

“Grand Master?” Belle bowed her head with respect.

Zara’s brown eyes also widened with fear as she stood inside of the room looking at her roommate with concern. A visit from their leader was usually never a good thing.

“What can I do for you your eminence?”

“I believe you know what the flashing purple lights are for, Miss Waters?” Xandaar queried sternly.

“Of course, we were just on our way-”

“-We?” his eyes narrowed in question.

Belle’s eyes darted to the side to meet with Zara who was at that same moment shaking her head and glaring back at her. It was clear that Zara didn’t want her friend to dob her in any more than she already had to their leader.

“Um…” Belle began to stutter with nervousness as she looked back at the waiting Grand Master standing before her, "I, um… I just mean...”

“Go on now, off to the basement with you.” Xandaar commanded softly, gesturing with a small nod of his head to the side.

He watched the young girl before him cautiously walk around him and then disappear off around the corner, out of sight.

His sights quickly turned towards the door leading into the dorm room and he smirked.

Zara let out a silent sigh of relief, believing herself to be safe from yet another dreaded lecture from Xandaar as she began to make her way towards the doorway with her phone in hand.

A shadow moved in to block her path and her heart plummeted.

The tall, hooded figure instantly caused her to freeze with a surprised gasp as her eyes widened. Lifting his head up to reveal his glowing purple eyes, he stared back at her with a now wider smirk.

It was indeed Xandaar standing before her. 

Zara immediately let out a frustrated sigh as her shoulders slumped downward and her brown eyes rolled defiantly.

“Why are you here?” she asked, her left brow raised as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

“You don’t normally pay visits to the dorms? Especially during an evacuation. What’s going on here Xandaar?”

“There is no time, you must come with me Zara.” he replied, his face void of expression. 

“Now.”

“I was on my way down to the basement, honestly-”

“-NOW Zara!”

His command was short, sharp and held no room for negotiations as he abruptly turned and went walking down the hallway, in the opposite direction of where everyone else was going.

Zara hadn't yet noticed this as she frowned.

“Ok, ok… no need to be rude.” she huffed to herself quietly.

With a dissatisfied sigh she followed along close behind and without question.

This was not the first time she had been in the presence of the Grand Master and she knew it wouldn’t be the last.

But why was he acting this way now?

What was really going on here… and how did it involve her?