Chapter 92 - THE PHANTOM

Derek balled his fists, still having a grip on his wolf, as he stared with anger at the little girl whom he could break into two with just a snap of his wolf fingers.

"Let us go." He said, gritting his teeth, not wanting to dwell on why she needed his mate. His main problem was getting them out of here.

He could feel the distraught state of his little witch and he felt bad about it. He wished he hadn't brought her here. He had wanted to show her the Seven Falls, before they had gotten interrupted by the little girl.

He rubbed her arms up and down, trying to calm her down. He could understand her state; she was just a week old here, and already, something or someone was looking for her, planning to take her away.

"Sorry, I can't." The girl stated, before laughing crazily, and all of a sudden she metamorphosed into an apparition, the exact ghostly feature Emma had seen earlier.

Emma fainted, after seeing it; after watching with her eyes, a pretty girl turn into an ugly apparition.

"Emma.." Derek called, as she fell into her arms. He didn't know whether it was a good development or not; because now he could finally deal with the witch without her knowing, but then he didn't know how long she would stay out.

"She is okay, just a bit overwhelmed." The apparition said, its voice, dark and deep, no longer girlish or shrilly.

"What are you?" Derek asked, as he kept Emma gently on the grassy land, before standing up to confront whatever this was.

"Your mother or cousin might have an idea." The apparition said, moving around them. It didn't have legs. It was literally floating.

"Stop speaking in parables,and just tell me what you are." He shouted, about letting out his wolf. But then he needed information; like why the deathly being needed his mate. Was it another of his uncle's trick or what?

"You call us phanthoms." The being said, now still.

"Phanthoms?" He asked, trying to remember what had been said about the deadly beings. He haven't heard of them turning into little girls or something else. They usually passed message, mostly messangers, perhaps assassins. But not shifters.

"How then were you able to make a shift to that little girl? Did you kill  her to take her face? He asked, folding his arms.

"That's a story for another day." The phantom said, floating around again.

" There won't be another day." Derek stated.

" There will be, especially since I'm taking her with me." The being said, floating towards Emma, who looked dead on the grassy area.

"You're not taking her anywhere." Derek stated vehemently, ready to don anything to keep his little witch with him.

Where was Maya? He thought, worried a bit. He had heard her call their names some minutes ago. But now, nothing. Was she okay?

"You won't be able to stop me, boy." The phantom said, with a cackle which sounded like an owl's night cry to Derek.

"Why do you want her?" He asked, unfolding his arms.

"For something." The being answered. "For something." It repeated, as if mulling over it.

" Well you can't have her." Derek stated, thinking of ways to escape the evil being.

" And why is that?" The being asked, nearing him, even up to his face.

"Because she is my mate." Derek replied, and immediately, the phantom swerved with am incalculable speed, howling as if in shock.

"Impossible!" It shrieked. "You're a werewolf, and she is…..she is..." The phantom stuttered, gauging its thoughts.

"She is a human. I know. But why do you want her?" Derek asked.

" Why do you think she is a human?" The phantom queried, floating closer to him again.

" Because she is." He stated flatly, wondering whether the wraith hit its head somewhere. His little witch was a human, her scent alone gave her out.

"Okay then. If you say so." The being said, cackling afterwards as if it found Derek's statement funny.

"But I still want her." It said.

"Why?" Derek asked, finding it weird that a phanthom would be interested in a human girl. They didn't even deal with humans. So why was it interested in his little witch? He thought.

He concluded that it must be his uncle's handiwork. The older man must have sent the apparition to take his mate, but he won't let that happen.

"Leonarya requires her."  The being answered, casting a long glance at the still Emma.

Leonarya? Who is Leonarya? Derek thought, ransacking his thoughts for any sign of a Leonarya's information. But nothing came up. He hadn't heard of the lady or woman before.

"Who is Leonarya?" He asked, finally voicing his thoughts.

"Ask your mother when you get home." The being replied, floating and sitting slightly on a rock.

"How do you know my mother?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest once again, as he thinned his gaze on the apparition.

"I've known Melvina, since she was twelve." The being replied, startling Derek.

" How old are you?" He asked out, in curiosity.

" You don't wanna know, boy. I'm close to a thousand." The phantom replied, cackling as it saw the look of unbelief and shock on Derek's face.

"But don't worry. I won't hurt you. I owe your mother a favour. I just need your mate." It continued.

"Let her be, as a pay for the debt you owe my mother then." Derek stated, knowing he couldn't fight his way of this. 

The phantom cackled again, then floated up from the stone, drawing closer to him.

"I owe your mother, not you." It stated, before zooming away in a speed of light, towards Emma.

"No! DON'T!!" Derek screamed, immediately shifting into his wolf form for the first time, finally letting out Maru, ignoring the bouts of pain assailing his body, deep within his bones, after he understood what the phantom was about doing. It was going to take his mate away. And he was never going to let that happen.

The phantom, carrying a sleeping Emma on its hands, floated side by side, watching as Derek, now in his wolf form, approached him. It could kill him in a blink of an eye, since he looked weak, but then, it owed his mother a favour.

Azeera!!!

A voice screamed out, breaking the tension between the apparition and Derek.