Jade

Valentine inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. The rose on Jade's back flared, but instead of winding around her arms, the thorns wound around his. He lifted his hands, opened his eyes and let the vines go. They snaked and twisted into a web, of sorts, over the window, trapping Ash's leg and preventing entry.

"Valentine can manipulate the thorns, to do things. All I can do is kill with them," Jade said, freeing her hand. Zach was speechless.

"Harm none, ye do what ye will," Valentine muttered. "Any harm ye do, comes back to ye three-fold,"

"What are you to her?" Zach snapped, puffing out his chest.

"Zachary!" Aya hissed, standing at the top of the steps, hand on her hip.

"S'okay, little one, fair question," Valentine chuckled. "I grew up with her, kissed her bruises, bandaged her cuts and held her when she cried. I love her, I'm not gonna lie about it, princess," he said to her, as her eyes widened. "I'll die for her, if my life may be of some use in defeating him. Can you say the same, half-breed?" The vines went up in flame and Valentine sighed. Jade growled, assuming a fighting stance.

Ash walked through the smoke, guys from school behind him.

"Kill her," he spat. Valentine grinned, pulling out his switch blade and Zach curled his hands into fists.

"Valentine, he's coming after you," Aya whispered. Ash looked at her sharply.

"Damn traitors," Ash snarled. Valentine laughed.

"Traitors?" the witch asked, fire dancing on his finger tips. Valentine lunged at Ash, switch blade grazing Ash's stomach as he twisted to avoid it. "Ya damn bible thumpers, harmin' mother earth, buildin' things o' 'glory' on her. You have no respect for her,"

"God gave us Earth to live on as we chose!" Ash roared.

"Wrong! Did ya know, witchcraft was around twenty-eight-thousand years before yer damn Christianity?!" Valentine roared, pinning Ash beneath him. Jade had the others wrapped in her vines, the life slowly draining from them as the thorns dug into their skin.

A loud roaring was heard over the house. Vladimir ran down the stairs.

"It's him, he's come for you!" her brother yelled, panicking.

"I don't have time for you, or your friends, right now," Valentine hissed, punching Ash in the face, knocking him unconscience. Jade let the others go, they ran from the house and her glowing green eyes.

"We need to get you out of here!" Zach yelled, shoving Ash into the closest. A werewolf stood in the doorway. It launched itself at her, smashing her head on the banister of the stairs.It looked back, gave a lazy wolf-grin and ran upstairs, to her window. Valentine and Zach ran after it and Aya jumped on it's furry back.

"Let her go!" Aya yelled, sending mental spikes at it's mind. Stabbing it. It recoiled from each attack, but continued running. It pushed Vladimir to the side and jumped out the window, landing in the helicopter. Zach and Valentine made a grab for the landing bar, pulling themselves into the machine.

"Three more test subjects, then we were planning for, but he'll be happy. We'll put them in a cage, until he's ready for them," the pilot laughed. Valentine cradled Jade's head in his lap, stroking her face. Zach had his arm around Aya, who had her face hidden in his shirt.

Where are they taking us? Zach wondered. A look of grim determination laid across Valentine's soft features.