***Kiya*:
“Phoebe!” There was no way she was standing in front of me. Phoebe engulfed me into a tight hug, her head burrowing in my shoulder. Some pup trainees stopped to see the reunion with their trainer and the strange woman. “What are you doing here?”
“We have to talk.” She stated with her purple eyes quivering in fear. Wasting no time, I asked Adama, Kwame’s brother, to lead the next training sessions. Jackie and the others caught up as soon as they got a whiff of Phoebe’s wild berry scent. In no time, the six of us sat in Neron’s office with him. Kwame and Valerian joined us soon after.
“Does Alpha Anthony know that you’re here?” Sapphire asked.
“Um.” Her eyes darted to the side. “No?”
“How did you get here?” Galen asked, crossing his arms.
“Teleportation. I’m not sitting in a car for five hours.”
“You could have called us.” Abigail smiled. “This is such a surprise.”
“I didn’t have time. This is too urgent for a phone call.” Phoebe’s eyes found mine. “Because I know you’ve awakened, Kiya.”
My eyes widened. How? There was no way she could have known. She couldn’t detect that power from afar! Then again, witches were powerful. They had magic and senses beyond that of a werewolf. “Yeah…I did.”
“That puts you in more danger than before,” Phoebe replied, sending shivers down my spine. “How’s the selenite?”
My gaze lands on the bracelet around my wrist. “It’s fine, but it doesn’t feel or look as powerful as it used to.
“Your awakening weakened the wards I put in them to protect you, thus rendering them useless. You have more power than before, and the original wards only worked if you haven’t awakened. I brought more that could help you.”
“Wait,” Neron spoke, expression dark. “Backtrack. What trouble are you speaking of? Does it have to do with that beast from last night?”
Phoebe’s fear became palpable. “Beast? What beast?”
My mind quaked at last night’s recollection; the hunter’s emotionless face and robotic killer-like movements. “ He was bigger than Neron. Much bigger, about twice his build. He wore black and—”
“White skin? Red eyes? Black hair?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “How did you know?”
“Wait, you got attacked last night on your date?” Jackie exclaimed, jumping into protective mode. “Little Bit, why didn’t you tell us?”
“I was going to…”
“Stop!” Phoebe exclaimed, sighing heavily as if she ran a marathon. “This is much worse than I thought. They sent Cerberus after you.”
“Cerberus?” Kwame asked.
“The avatar bounty hunter. Its sole mission is to hunt down awakened avatars.” The witch sighed heavily again, but this time, it was as if the weight had visibly added to her shoulders. “Avatars are powerful beings born and created from the hands of the gods. Across the pantheons: Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and others, they make avatars to spread their holy messages to all the species on earth, supernatural or otherwise. Some call us demigods. However, not every deity creates an avatar, and we aren’t born in the same lifetime. We may skip lifetimes. Unfortunately, when the avatar awakens to their true power, they become a beacon. A beacon that’s hunted down for their power. The fact that Cerberus attacked you means that the Masters know who you are.”
“Phoebe, how do you know so much about this?” I asked. “And who are the Masters?”
“The Masters are part of an underground cult cut off from the human and supernatural world.” Her eyes cast down to her lap. “They have branches that stretch through multiple states of the United States with different leaders and rules. I spent my childhood in that cult, surrounded by corrupt witches. My parents were corrupt witches as well, using their magic to harm and torment. When I showed signs of being Hecate’s avatar, they kept me for a different purpose.”
Phoebe took a napkin out of her pocket and wiped the makeup off the back of her neck, revealing a brown birthmark. The symbol of the triple moon goddess. “This is the telltale sign. I grew up thinking I would never escape the pain of being used for the cult’s purpose. To answer to their leader. The Masters hunt avatars all over the country and use them for their power for a secret cause that many kept to themselves faithfully.”
“How did you escape?” Darien whispered, worried.
“I…I don’t want to talk about that. I’ve said too much about my past already.” Her eyes were on me again. But the fact remains that now the cult knows about you and its main leader, whoever it is. You’re a beacon of hope and light to all werewolf kind, Kiya. You and Artemis are a powerful duo that no elder or Alpha could ever hope to be. Your power puts a target on your back for others to hunt you and use you. Cerberus is nothing compared to what else is in store.”
I slumped back in my chair, taking in the gravity of Phoebe’s words. Every word, every sentence, added ten tons of cinder block on my shoulders. It weighed heavily on my heart. “I’ll never be safe, will I? How did you remain hidden all this time?”
“Hecate is a deity who takes protection seriously. Garnet Moon is my home, my refuge, and I protect it with the help of hidden wards around the territory.” She took my hand into her cool, soft ones. “I’ll do anything to protect it and you. You’re my friend and I cannot let you fall in their hands.”
She looks at Neron, Valerian, and Kwame. When I looked at Neron, I noticed his claws digging into the arms of his chair, desperately trying to hold back his fury. Phoebe’s past was something she never talked about, and it gave me insight into what was potentially after me.
“What could we do to help, Miss Phoebe?” Valerian asked what was on everyone’s minds. “Could we stop the cult members from getting to Kiya?”
“Before you ask that, Valerian, I need to know something.” I interrupted. Swallowing a nervous gulp of air, I spoke. “Danger is coming to me, I get it. But does that also mean I’m putting everyone else in danger by being here? Cerberus almost beat Neron to death just to get me. Would he do the same to anyone else?”
“He’s a beast on a mission. He’ll do anything and everything to complete it…even murder. That’s how he was programmed. The cult wants you, wants us because of what our goddesses blessed us with. They would do anything to capture any avatar they come across.”
Phoebe sat up straight, dug into her pocket, and gave me a jingling bag filled with more selenite, this time heavy with power. “You can give me your old selenite and I can use that to put protection wards around Zircon Moon to keep your energy shielded for as long as you remain here.”
I nodded, sparing glances at Neron, whose eyes caught mine momentarily. Embarrassed, I look away. There was so much on the line here. All because of me. “Okay, Phoebe. We should call Anthony and let him know that you’re here so we can ”
“FIRE!”