The Dark Passage: Queen of the Damned (Book 1)

Chapter Thirteen

"So, how do you want to do this?", Maat asked.

"Do what exactly?", Diana said confused.

"Get in there and get them out".

"I thought you had a plan".

Maat rolled her eyes and started loading her guns just in case she needed it. Diana was finally ready to reclaim what is rightfully hers, she just had no idea how she was going to do it. If these witches are as powerful as she think they are, they definitely won't be leaving without a fight. Diana did pass her training but it's not like she was fighting multiple people. She had no strategies on how and what to do.

"Let's go", Maat said looking determined.

"Wait a minute, what are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna go in there and kill the witches. Or do you want to do that part?"

"Kill them how?"

"What are you two fussing about?", Tiko said from thee tree that was above them. He said he was going to stay back from the fight but he couldn't risk Diana getting hurt. He flew in from Azul's place and shifted into his human form once he realized he needed to verbally get Diana and Maat on the move.

"The princess here is asking too many damn questions", Maat told Tiko.

"I am not!", Diana protested. "I'm just simply trying to figure out what course of action we're taking".

"Course of action? Why can't we just walk right in?"

"Maat, I'm sure they have the castle blocked off somehow", Tiko said.

"And?", Maat asked not understanding Tiko's point.

"And how are you going to get in if it's blocked off?"

Maat smirked then suddenly all Tiko and Diana saw was her silhouette. Seconds later she was back fully standing in front of them with her hunter's knife drawn in her hand.

"It was about twelve witches total", she said.

"Was?", Tiko asked, already knowing what happened.

"I took nine of them out just on my way back here".

"And the other three?", Diana inquired.

"In the basement of the castle. Sounded like they were doing some chant-"

Before Maat could finish her sentence, she keeled over clutching her stomach. Diana could smell the blood before she saw it staining the shirt Maat had on. Tiko immediately went to her aid, trying to find something in his satchel to help her with whatever was happening.

"Get away from me bird!", Maat choked out. "I don't want none of your voodoo".

"This voodoo is going to stop you from dying and from your father going into an early grave himself from finding out you died"

"Trust me, if I died he wouldn't care", Maat mumbled.

Tiko turned to see if Diana was okay but she was no longer behind him. Diana had already taken off towards the castle. She know the witches were doing some sort of spell that was killing Maat from the inside out. Despite her heartless demeanor, Diana knew Maat cared for her. And if the shoe was on the other foot, Maat would be in the castle slaughtering everyone.

Diana stopped a few feet away from the castle's front entrance, trying to think of her approach. She closed her eyes and used her basic vampire instincts to find the witches. For some reason, she couldn't smell them or hear their heartbeats. They must be warded the castle from vampires somehow. All Diana could go off of was the information Maat gave them. How was she going to search a castle she barely remembered? She had no idea.