The Tiger Prince's Witch
Chapter 69 - Astaroth's Revenge Plan

Two weeks had passed since Sasha and Sean were born. Their talents were profound, and despite being newborns, they were well-intuned to everything around them. Liana and Zack wanted to be around their mates at all times. They may be too young to understand the meaning of mates, but their animal side knew they were stronger together.

Everyone was on alert, waiting for Astaroth to attack. No one was leaving the royal grounds. The four sets of parents stuck together, working with the little ones to enhance their powers. When they were all working together, everyone in the palace felt the power. It was incredible to feel and witness.

Anna had told everyone to expect the attack within the next week. Kamryn knew she was hiding something from him, but he couldn't get her to tell him what. He could tell she was worried about something the closer they got to the battle. He thought it was the battle itself, but the closer it got, the more he felt it was something else. They were lying in bed, exhausted, studying her face.

"I know you have something on your mind, and I also know that you don't want to tell me what's got you so upset. What are you hiding?" He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She thought about the best way to tell him without causing him to freak out. Anna would rather bear the weight on her own than give him anything else to worry about.

"You have to keep what I'm going to tell you to yourself. It will be hard with your protective nature, but to keep everyone safe, we can't disclose this to others." She looked into his eyes and saw the concern, but he eventually nodded. "Alright, I won't say anything." Kamryn was nervous about what she was going to say, but he would do as she asked.

"During the battle, not everyone is going to survive. I can't tell you who, but some of our parents won't live. They're going to die trying to protect our children and us." Anna watched multiple emotions run over his face. She knew his instinct was to leave and hide them all away, but they couldn't do that. They had to let things play out. Otherwise, they could all end up dead. She didn't like it, and it made her sick thinking about losing anyone, but it was necessary.

"There's no way to save them?" Kamryn asked in a raspy voice. The thought of losing any of their parents made him want to break. They had all played essential roles in getting them so far. When he saw the tears in Anna's eyes, he broke a little more, knowing she'd been carrying this on her own to decrease the pain for everyone else.

"No. Some of them will survive, but I don't know who. We have to stay strong for everyone and not let this information make us waiver from what we must do to defeat Astaroth." Neither of them could hold back their tears. No matter what parents didn't make it, the loss would be significant to everyone. Kamryn wrapped Anna in his arms as they both cried about what the demon was going to take from them. So much of their life together had been surrounded by evil. When would the good begin?

Astaroth looked at the specimens before him. He had taken the souls of all those from the palace except for Melita and Elsie. Melita had no tiger anymore, so she was nothing more than a human. Elsie didn't have her powers from Spirit Energy, so she was a waste of flesh. He couldn't get anything from them by taking their souls, so instead, he would sacrifice them once they arrived at the palace. It would be a good way to distract everyone during the attack.

The black eyes of those in front of him would terrify those who weren't truly evil. He chuckled to himself in his grainy voice. Alpha Gary thought he was so smart siding with the king and taking the pack to the palace. The alpha would soon discover that he may run, but in the end, it wouldn't matter. Astaroth would eliminate the entire pack as soon as he stepped foot on the palace grounds.

Alice and Marcus were at his side as they prepared the newly converted to fight. Astaroth was utilizing the body of Anton so he could move freely around the mansion. He still had no idea what happened to Santi. He assumed the tiger may have killed himself after the evil got to be too much for him. Either way, he was no longer his concern. After all the souls he'd consumed, there was no way he could be defeated.

"You all are going to be my finest creations. When we defeat the tigers and Spirit Energy, we will be on our way to taking over the world. Once we're done, we'll have enough souls to take over the underworld. Satan won't know what hit him once he becomes a slave to me. I think it's time I tell you why I'm doing this." Astaroth knew they didn't understand what he was saying, but he didn't care. It made him feel good to have them bend to his will.

"This all started many centuries ago, so many I can't even tell you how long ago exactly. Satan and I were friends who were happy in the underworld. We dominated everything there. Yes, he is the ruler of darkness, but I was next to him every step of the way. Everyone feared us and would cower down when we came near them until everything changed."

"Satan met a female who made him feel different. He may have been full of darkness, but she changed him. He began talking about love and all this mushy crap. I couldn't take it. He went ballistic when I killed her and tried to show him we were better without her. She was nothing but an insignificant piece of flesh that should have never been with him. Satan didn't see it that way. He saw her death as a betrayal and reminded me that despite us being friends, he was still my ruler. I was sent to live deep within the earth, never allowed to go to hell again. He also left me with no flesh, so I had to find people to come to me so I could take over their bodies. It's the only way I can leave my cave." Astaroth looked around at those in front of them. They had no comprehension of what he was saying, but it felt good to tell his story. It was time to get his revenge on Satan for banishing him from hell.

"You, my army of soulless beings, will help me get my payback for the pain and suffering he caused me. Once I rule all, everyone will know that love never wins. Evil is the only way to get what you want. Be prepared. We leave in three days." Astaroth left Alice and Marcus to deal with everyone while he went to visit his two sacrifices. Melita was in the corner crying inside her cell while Elsie was sitting on her cot, oblivious to what was going on. "Hello, my dears." Melita looked up at the man who looked like the guard Anton from the palace, but she could tell he wasn't there anymore. After everything she'd been through, she realized how horrible she had treated Randal and Lynn after everything they'd done for her. All she wanted to do was return home and forget everything that had happened.

"When are you going to let us go?" She asked, still sitting in the corner shaking. Melita hadn't seen Santi for a long time. She now understood that when he raped her, it wasn't him. She had seen the difference between him when he attacked her and how he had acted the last time she saw him. Whatever was using Anton's body was most likely responsible for what happened to her.

"You will be leaving when we go to the palace. I will take you both with me, but not to release you. Both of you will be my sacrifices to hurt the king and queen. I know they think of you as their daughter. When I remove your head from your body in front of them, it should make them break so I can kill them." Astaroth began laughing at the look of horror on Melita's face.

"Why would you want to kill anyone?" Elsie asked the man whose voice gave her chills. She may not remember who she was or where she came from, but she could still feel the evil coming off him in waves.

"It's the only way to get everything owed to me. Don't worry. You'll also be killed, so you will no longer need to worry about your name or past." Elsie looked at him with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say. Even though she didn't remember everything, she didn't want to die.

Melita watched the demon walk away, and she had a thought. Maybe she could help her family in the battle. She had no tiger or power, but that didn't mean she was useless. Melita stood up and began planning. It was time to be the woman Randal and Lynn always said she could be. It was time to make a difference and save those who took her in when she was a child. No more cowering in the corner, waiting to be rescued. Even if she died in the process, she would at least know that she did everything she could to help her family. When she heard the voice in her head, she almost screamed. It had been so long.

*"Hello, Melita. I'm so glad I could return to you now that you have decided to walk on the side of good rather than evil."* She smiled when she heard Asha's voice. Now she had real hope. Her tiger was back.