02- A life for a life

***Beatrice's POV***

I should have listened to Liam, but no, my I-make-my-own-choices side had to defy such a safe and rational option. My arms hug the wooden pillar as the creature pushes Liam past me, crushing him against the fridge's door. 

-"I told you... Arggh... to go inside the fridge." Liam points the obvious while pushing the human-shaped bird creature away from him, trying to avoid its sharp beak teeth. I was pretty sure birds didn't have teeth. This monster somehow defied it. Bare-bone skull, arms covered with what once might have been blue feathers but now were black and deprived of life, black scally textured long legs with four armed claw toes. Living among supernatural creatures, I thought I had seen everything there is to see, but this beast is a rather repulsive proof I haven't. 

-"There isn't getting in now. The lock is in pieces." I watch the device crunch under their feet.

-"Stop staring at it and run to safety." Liam grunts, finally pushing the creature off him and shifting into his wolf form, his clothes shred to pieces. 

While they are busy fighting each other, I click-clack my way to the exit, often ducking and jumping out of the way every time their fight maneuvers collide with shelves, wooden boxes, and partitions near me. Let me tell you, running on two-strap high-heel sandals was not something I had envisioned when the night started.

The creature squeals in pain as Liam sinks his canines in one of its legs. Desperately trying to scuff him off, the monster wields its sharp velociraptor-like claws, viciously piercing Liam's wolf right paw, his painful whimper causing me to turn around halfway up the stairs. I shone the flashlight towards them in time to see Liam's golden wolf collapsed to the floor, and the sharp icicles spat in my direction by the creature. Throwing myself down the stairs to avoid the attack, I watch helplessly the whole door become a large ice block. Great, now we are trapped in here, with pure fluke chances of anyone coming to rescue us because of the soundproof walls.

The creature steps closer to Liam's inert wolf, intending to finish him off. Something was definitely wrong. Liam wasn't the type to go down with just a scratch, he is an alpha after all, yet he hasn't moved. 

This thing wants to fight, then so be it. Never taking my sight from the danger ahead, I reach down to remove my silver leather sandals. I am done running.

-"Hey, leave him alone." I throw my sandals at the creature, causing it to focus on me. 

My abilities are volatile. It's either I freeze everything around me or nothing at all. So, to preserve the tiny bit of light we have down here, I place the flashlight on the nearby surface. 

-"Blizzard, it's up to you and me to save the day." 

-"We got this. Just remember the training. And Bea, stay away from its claws. Judging by the fact, Liam is motionless after being wounded. I think they might carry some powerful Venum." Blizzard advises.

-"Dance fighting

it is! Let's dance..." 

Just Dance by Lady Gaga queue in the back of my mind as I charge the enemies. Each beat is matched with my steps. The creature shoots more icicles, and I twirl to safety, gaining momentum to jump, wrap my legs around its torso and flip us upsidedown. We both recover and face each other. This time it uses the upper limps to scratch me. I duck each move and punch its torso as hard as possible, ending with a spin kick.   

-"Just dance. Gonna be ok. Da doo doo doom." Backing away,  I hum the melody as I fix my hair. 

We go on another round of ducks and dodges since I can't form sharp icicles, even when my life is in danger. Well, I might as well use the furniture then. I grab an old dusty wooden chair and swing to hit the creature with all my might, breaking it to pieces on its back. 

-"Bea..." Liam muttered weakly, a few feet away from us, making me look back for a brief second. He had shifted back to human. This momentary distraction was enough to blind me from the oncoming attack that projects me into the wooden shelves where the flashlight is. I curl in agony, wishing to be a werewolf right now. Their bodies can handle pain a lot more than mine can. Steady footfalls circle me within the shadows. I crawl, feeling the floor for the flashlight that had gone off as it dropped to the floor.  It's not like it will save me, but not knowing where the enemy lurks was somehow scarier than anything else right now. 

The creature grips me by the ankle, pulls me closer, and grasps its sharp, rough claws around my neck, my hands immediately griping it. As seconds pass, the harder it is for me to bread, fear and adrenaline kick in, setting me on overdrive. The temperature dropped to sub-zero, everything around us freezing. It sounded like millions of glass marbles clashing against each other.  I focus my power on my attacker, who seems to be immune to it.

-"Liam. Uncle Leo. Mom, Dad." I cry out for help. "Anyone, p-lea-se." I struggle to verbalize as the pressure around my neck increases and the air in my lungs diminishes.

A bright orange light illuminates the entire basement, the air suddenly warming up a few degrees. Flames enclose the creature, burning it alive within seconds, the burned body dropping to the floor next to mine.

-"It's coming... coming for... for you." The monster muters in a raspy voice before igniting into cold purple flames. Warm arms carry me upstairs away from it and the toxic fumes emitted by the combustion. 

-"L-iam!" I say in between coughing gasps. 

-"I got him." The Drakon I stumbled upon earlier reassures me before sitting me down in the corridor and hurrying back down to get Liam. 

Carl rushes down the hall, with my worried parents following close behind. They bombard me with questions, but before I can say anything, the Drakon resurfaces, carrying Liam's body on his shoulder. 

-"We need to close the opening. The toxic gas can't reach the guests." He says. 

Carl's eyes blur for a moment, meaning he mind-linked someone. Within seconds, Caroline Maxine, along with Liam's parents and uncle Leo come into view.  Pff, he used the alpha-link that Mother created between him and all the other alphas. Lucky bastard. This whole situation could have been avoided had I had the capability to mind-link. It all happened so fast, Liam probably didn't have the chance to use it either. 

Maxine executes a spell where the basement door used to be before dragon hero here incinerated it to dust, successfully trapping the toxin.   

-"He's in bad shape. You need to treat him fast, or he won't make it." The Drakon brings attention to Liam's condition.

Liam's naked body shivers uncontrollably, his hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes covered in snowflakes. I finally got my powers to work, but they didn't faze the beast. Instead, they hurt someone I deeply care for—great way to do it, Bea.  My hands grip the skirt of my dress tightly as this lingering sadness and frustration towards my abilities skyrocket. 

-"Thank you, Omar. I will take it from here." Carl takes Liam from him. "Bea, can you—." I know what he's about to ask, and I nod negatively, stopping him midsentence. Without wasting another second, Carl takes Liam to the Pack Hospital.

When my mother hosted Blizzard, she could heal either by touch or through the pack link she shares with the pack as it's Queen Luna, but even though she had spent hours training me, I can't heal like her. I can't heal at all. If it weren't for my freezing capabilities, I wouldn't be more than a regular human. 

-"You might want to go with them. They will need a witch to slow down the poison." Omar advises Maxine, and she follows Carl.  

I watch Liam's arm dangling in the air. Dark purple veins extend from the wound area down his arm and up to his neck. I couldn't believe it. Moments ago, he was smiling, flirting even, and now his face had no emotion as if life was being drained away from him. 

-"Bea, are you hurt?" Dad questions while wiping my tears away.  

-"I think your question should be, how bad are you hurt?" Uncle Leo corrects my father. 

Yes, I was hurt, but my throbbing ribs, which I am sure I broke, and burning throat can't compare to the suffocating pang formed in my heart when Omar stated Liam might not make it. Uncle Leo and dad support my wobbly form as I stand up. 

-"What was that, down there? How did you know we were in there?" I am not questioning Omar's loyalty or anything, but with such an isolated area, no one should have heard the fight.  

-"I sensed something amiss among the guests, which I was tracking, but our little encounter had driven me off course. Your energy is different from everyone else and gave me the same feeling. I thought, perhaps, the uneasiness I felt was just centuries of rivalry between us." 

-"Excuse me? I don't think I quite follow what you just said." Caroline questions as confused as I am. 

-"You know, Beatrice is an ice creature, and I am a fire one. It's in our DNA to fight one another, just like ...hmm... werewolves and vampires." He explains.

-"That still doesn't explain how you found them." My father became protective all of a sudden. Does he think Omar tracked me down because he wanted to mate me? Little does he know he is targeting the wrong man.

-"I sensed the vibrations in the ground." Omar defends.

-"What about the creature? Do you recognize it?" My mother brings the focus back to the main subject. 

-"I think the last time I saw one was in the northern countries of Europe, a little over half a millennium ago, but I don't know what they are exactly. It's out of my jurisdiction. Your kind knows more about it than I do. Maybe you should reach out to them for answers." He advises me.

Half a millennium ago? How old is this Drakon? Legends about his kind do say they live long lives but never mention the exact number. He could very well be everyone's grampa, yet he appears to be in his twenties. 

My kind, he says, I searched and never found anything about other Ice Phonix like me. I had started to think I might be the only one. Tonight definitely proved I wasn't. The creature's electric blue eyes were the same glow as mine when I used my powers. But all this doesn't matter right now. Our priority should be to help Liam. 

-"It doesn't matter right now. Whatever attacked us is dead. We need to focus on helping Liam." I state, growing anxious about losing him. 

-"Let's take you to the hospital too." My mother says, her gentle hands lifting my chin to inspect the scratches and bruises that start to form. She turns to Omar before proceeding. "Would you be so kind as to come as well? Our Doctors might need any information you know about the creature to treat Liam."

-"Of course. I will be here as long as you need me." Omar reassures.

While we drove down to the pack hospital, Uncle Leo, Caroline, Jessie, and Beta Morris Jr stayed behind to send the guests home and ensure their safety. My parents had me checked in as soon as I walked through the hospital doors. After what felt like an eternity of X-rays and wound care, Doctor Reyes reluctantly discharged me on pain relief and rest orders. The now confirmed broken ribs won't take long to heal, maybe a couple of days. Healing might be the only aspect I have in common with a werewolf.  

Taking the ER elevator up to the Surgical trauma floor, I look for Liam's room. Thanks to the little commotion outside his door, it didn't take me long to find it. Carl, Omar, dad, and Liam's father discussed who could have been the attacker, how it infiltrated among the guests, and who their target was. I greet them, peaking through the small square window to inspect who's inside before entering. Maxine is actively casting a spell. Her hands glow green as she waves them over Liam's body, which is connected to multiple drips and monitoring machines with an oxygen mask covering his face. Sitting on the chair by Liam's bed is his Mother, Morgan, being comforted by mine. I silently greet them and stand in the corner, holding the unsettling feeling brewing within me.  

The creature was targeting me, that much I am sure. In its last breath, as if remembering who it was, it had muttered something, or someone was coming for me. I can't just figure out why me. Never have I harmed anyone. I mean, apart from freezing a kid or two in high school, but that's about it. It can't be power, either. Carl is the Alpha king, and I am just his sister. So if anyone wanted to hurt him, they would target Jessie. Blue cerulean eyes are the only thing tying me to the creature. But if it was indeed after me, why take the time to finish Liam? 

We all just stand there listening to the medical devices' blips and Maxine's spell words. Eventually, my mother convinces Morgan to go rest, leaving Maxine and me behind. I take a seat on Morgan's chair, holding Liam's cold hand in mine. 

-"I have never seen anything like this. Nothing seems to work. I have managed to slow down the venom, but it's uncertain how long he can go on fighting it. It doesn't look good, Bea." Maxine comes around, squeezes my shoulder, and leaves the room.  She isn't one to sugarcoats anything. 

Nurses come and go to add medication, take vital signs, and turn Liam's body from side to side. I sit through it all, barely holding myself together. I had so much to say, yet all the words were stuck in the back of my throat.

-"Hey Bea, how about you get some rest?" Carl suggests as he walks into the room. Seeing I had no intentions of leaving Liam's side, Carl proceeds. "He's strong and will make it through this. You have been here all night. Go rest, I promise you, you will be the first person I tell when he wakes up." Reluctantly, I decided a nice warm shower and a couple of hours of sleep would do me some good. 

Liam was in good hands, and there was nothing I could do for him at this point. I exit the room to find Omar standing by the door against the wall with eyes closed as if meditating. Carl had requested him to drive me home, which he honorably agreed to. 

We barely spoke the whole ride. As he pulls to my parents' driveway at their new house, I thank him for all he did tonight. He stops me just as I open the door of his grand wagoneer jeep. 

- "What you fought today was just a minion, a mere pawn. The root of the problem hides within the shadows. Here, take this." Omar takes out a white paper from the inside pocket of his jacket. "The number on that paper can give you all the answers you seek, including how to help your friend, but it comes with a great cost."

-"What's the cost?" I ask him, my troubled heart picking up the pace. 

-"A life, for a life."