Chapter 18

Donnie arrived in style at the school in the back of Xander's stretch hummer. Xan's Domovoi, Dom was at the wheel and most of his friends filled the many seats in the back. Lauren could have ported him tonight but he'd spent almost every day doing that since the first attack and frankly he was sick to his back teeth of it.

He just wanted one normal night were he wasn't treated like a colossal burden.

The ride over was boisterous and fun. Xander had a leggy blonde by his side who hung on his every word. Donnie thought she might be a sixth year. He didn't know for sure what magic she wielded, but what he did know for sure was that Xander most assuredly had a type; she looked remarkable like Kelly, just not as beautiful.

As far as he was concerned, Xander could hunt for a thousand years -- and he might just live that long -- but he would never find another that would even come close to that perfect flower. Donnie had to chuckle at that thought: if he dared to speak those words aloud to her she would be more likely to knock all his teeth out than to be flattered. And didn't that just make him like her all the more. Donnie wasn't like other guys, he thought the scariest strongest girls were the super sexiest ones.

When they pulled in to the back parking lot everyone started piling out. Of course Xander and his date went first then everyone else went in turn after them. Finally he laid his patent leather Italian shoes on the dark asphalt and when he did all hell broke loose.

There was a blinding flash of red light in the midnight sky like an emergency flare had been shot into the air and out of nowhere Liam and his crew walked out of a port door of his own making.

He was dressed in a tux too -- like he had every intention of joining the party --which was crazy to the extreme. Ever since he bombed the Samhain Ball last year he was on the councils most wanted list and if he dared to show his face in front of all the teachers. Well Donnie had no clue what would happen, but he had to imagine given the collective power of his instructors that Liam wouldn't like the outcome.

Liam waved his hand in a circle above his head like he was giving a royal wave and a whirlwind picked up out of nowhere. It created an eerie blue mist that rocketed to the sky and floated down to the ground around them – like a heavy fog.

Donnie and his friends looked around in shock and awe when they realized that Liam had just shrouded himself and his fellow combatants in Les Mis. Not to be mistaken with the musical, this mist is a magical cloaking mechanism that allows the Fae to hide in plain sight. It was the legendary mist that shrouded Avalon from the human world. Enlightened and unenlightened alike could walk right through this scene and not see or feel a thing. It took a wizard of extraordinary power to construct this spell and he had done it with a wave of his hand.

Brenna, the Inuit Shaman seeing this stepped forward to protect Connor her Gancanagh companion, CJ, Ray the Japanese demigod and dragon shifter, and Ryan the Egyptian Jin all stepped in front of him, Xander stepped in front of his petrified date, as Marley the dhampir, took up a menacing stance in front of her girlfriend Olivia as if to say lay one finger on her and you'll lose it.

The wielder's had naturally taken point in front of the non wielders to protect them from whatever magic might be thrown their way. But all of them fell into a comfortable fighting stance beside each other in front of Liam's crew. Luckily no one had come unprepared. Nope they would never come to a school event again without their full arsenal of weapons, not after what had transpired last year.

Bash the Nubian Dogir jackal shifter was growling menacingly in his jackal form, while Lily the Filipina Aswang stood in her giant Bat shape next to Liam the maniacal Fae, Fury the red headed Xaphan demon juggled fire balls, her and Frost the white haired Icelandic Ice Elemental were exchanging ice for fire and laughing their sick little heads off.

And Liam the African American Fae stood between them examining his nails like he wasn't worried about the magical creatures staring him down. Donnie couldn't blame him. It had taken their entire crew to even remotely come out on top when they'd gone against Liam before and here they were eight members down and it was starting to feel like they didn't stand a chance. -- Especially now that the rest of his crew wasn't going to be able to come to the rescue.

They could be in the back parking lot now and they wouldn't even be able to sense their presence let alone know they were still there.

Donnie uttered aloud, "Merda!" When he realized not even the teachers could come to their aid. If there had ever been any doubt, there was none now that Liam was an evil genius of astronomical proportions.

Then he remembered the pens and he hurriedly wrote 'Help back parking lot' before his pen was spelled from his hand and went flying across the lot to its final resting place under a parked car.

Liam spoke then and he was calm cool and collected, "My quarrel is not with you," he addressed Donnie's friends. "Hand over the boy," He pointed a manicured finger at Donnie, and continued "and you can all go about your business unmolested."

CJ looked over his shoulder at Donnie and said sardonically, "Did I just hear that dude right? Did he just threaten to molest you?"

Donnie just laughed and said caustically, "vaffanculo you are not my type."

Liam narrowed his eyes at them both and with a sneer he bit out," You dare mock me!"

It was at this time that Xander's date started to slink cautiously away, and when Lily went to launch a spell at her Xander stepped forward to hold up a hand and said," Excuse me, but I believe your fearless leader said his quarrel wasn't with us, so it most certainly can't be with the girl I've hooked up with for the night."

Xander made a point of looking at Liam who shrugged and dismissed the girl nonchalantly with a wave of his hand and a shrug of his shoulders. Suddenly she was gone and Xander was standing alone.

"Anyone else want to take me up on my offer?" Liam asked Donnie's friends.

"We're good," Ryan said from the far left of the group, everyone nodded in agreement.

Then something really horrifying happened every bit of fire power was launched straight at him. Making Donnie think I got to figure out a way to put an end to this before it is the of me, but how? The first person he intended to ask was his cousin there must be something he wasn't telling him. Some family feud some ancient misdeed that had come home to roust.

His friends formed a defensive line in front of him and did everything in their power to stop the constant salvoes that were coming his way. But they were dropping like flies. The constant magical bombardment was too much for their immature skills. And he was beginning to think that all was lost.

When out of nowhere Lauren broke through the blue mist being dragged by a giant red eye supernatural blood hound, it lifted it long muzzle and bayed loudly into the night sky.

Lauren had the hound on a magical leash and tethered to the leash was the rest of their friends including his magnificent Kelly, who wasted no time in launching her daggers right at Liam's head -- Which turned out to be just the distraction they needed to turn the tide.

Megan came thundering through the mist on the back of her giant Kelpie Midnight and launched her crossbows into the Aswang that was now in a giant Owl form. Making her look like a hug pincushion.

Lauren took her brother on head to head and threw up equally effective shields to protect her friends.

Quinn morphed into his coyote shape as soon he broke free of the fog and bounded across the parking lot toward his arch rival the raving jackal. They collided in a ball of fury and fur howling in a fit of snarls.

Donnie cringed when he heard their jaws snapping shut from across the parking lot, and he thought one down four more to go.

Ray dove for Fury the fire demon and wrapped around her like an anaconda with his serpentine dragon body. He squeezed her so tight it looked like her head was going to explode.

She swayed in his grasp as she struggle for breath while Frost the Ice Elemental turned his attention from fending off Brenna and CJ to helping his evil teammate.

He worked up enough energy to create a giant ice javelin and he used his superhuman strength to lob it at the unsuspecting Japanese Dragon.

Suddenly Olivia was Ollie and she was wielding her whip with lightening speed and accuracy. It sliced through the ice spear in mid air which turned the would be deadly weapon into dust.

The crack of the whip rang out around the lot causing the Aswang to cry out in anguish which distracted Liam long enough for Ryan to turn to smoke and possess him.

Unfortunately for Ryan Liam was too strong for him. He expelled him through his mouth in a thick cloud of smoke, leaving Ryan spent at his feet and at the mercy of the evil fae.

No one was surprised when In a fit of rage Liam went to cast a death cruse, but out of nowhere Travis grabbed him around the ribs from behind and locked him in a bear hug before turning to stone.

Liam was turning red and then blue and then slightly purple.

"Brah you got him," Kyle celebrated, "squeeze the shit of him." He crowed.

But just as he said it, Travis's arms started to glow lava red and crack around Liam's midriff.

And suddenly he had to jump back and he was flailing his arms around seeming to try and cool them off.

Now Liam looked pissed like he hadn't liked the idea of anyone having the upper hand on him not even for a second and he went after Travis with a vengeance, but Kelly stepped in the way.

She looked him straight in the eye and said, "If you want to get to him you're going to have to go through me."

Liam faltered for a moment, but looked at her as if he liked ultimatums even less than people who could get the upper hand against him.

"Get out of my way slut!" he bellowed loud enough for everyone to hear.

But something really strange happened. Kelly just stopped and stood at her full height in a state of quiet rage. And there couldn't have been anyone for miles that didn't feel the electricity in the air that emanated from the spot were Kelly stood. It seemed to be coming up from the ground itself rooting her to the spot with its tremendous power.

And then she began TO GLOW and to vibrate infinitesimally. The rage she felt was visceral it could be felt by everyone in attendance. Suddenly Liam's crew was rushing to his aid but they were too late. Nothing could save him from her wrath now. She was the Demigoddess of Death.

Kelly had him in her clutches now and even Liam had the good sense to look shocked.

"What did you call me?" her voice took on a hollow sound and echoed across the parking lot eerily making everyone back up a step or two in fear.

It felt too much like the point of origin of her power would turn out to be ground zero and the blast zone could go for miles. When the magical beings started to shield their eyes, Donnie became very concerned what would happen to her if this nuclear power she was exhibiting blew.

Would it take her with it?

Donnie did something then that took real courage he braved the ultimate power that was wafting off of her and walked up to take her arm.

She turned her glowing eyes on him and at first he thought she doesn't recognize me. But when he said," Cara please."

Her mouth splint into that half smile he loved.

Her weird echoey voice said, "Hey sugah. I'm busy right now I'll be with you in just a sec okay?"

She turned her eerie eyes back on Liam to say," Sugah you must be three gallons of crazy in a two gallon bucket if you think you can mess with my people, because these here dweebs, "She pointed to Donnie and her other classmates," aren't only my friends, they're my family. "

She put her face right in his and through clenched teeth she growled," Ya'll best be opening a portal and getting the heck gone or things are fixin' to get real ugly around here."

Liam muttered an incantation and opened a portal next to him, but she didn't let him go until his friends went through.

As Kelly watched Lily the Aswang the last of Liam's crew go through the portal, she turned her cold stare on Liam again and said in a creepy calm voice," Sweetheart, let me give you some friendly advice before you go . . . never mess with a southern woman, she'll rip your heart right out your chest, and show it to ya, before she bakes it in a pie."

She released the front of Liam tux and let him go. He straightened out his jacket and fixed his lapels dramatically before he crossed the threshold of the port door to the other side of where ever he opened it.

Kelly watched as the door closed before she slumped to the ground in a heap. Donnie grabbed her crumpling form while everyone else rushed to her. They piled around her in concern. She looked spent, but thank goodness Donnie couldn't feel the menacing power that had emanated from her before, now she was back to being the same old semi scary southern belle he knew.

He reached out to sweep her blonde hair from her face searching for any signs of distress..

"Mia Cara are you all right?" he asked in concern.

She just smiled up at him as she gained her feet and said, "I will be after I have me some damn chocolate cake. Do you think they'll have any at the Ball? Cause I'm fixin to have me a big ole piece and ain't nothing going to stop me."

She swayed a bit in his arms so he held her close to steady her. Donnie chuckled to himself as he realized that her southern accent became more pronounced when she was upset.

Brenna pointed to her ripped and torn ball gown and said, "Well we can't go like this."

"Let me," Lauren spoke up, "I've been working on a new spell. I thought it would come in handy given the number of times we end up on the wrong side of one magical creature or another."

Lauren waved her hand over everyone's clothes and they were magically mended and clean.

Kelly squealed then and said excitedly," Lauren Evelyn Nash you're going to save me so much money on my dry cleaning bill!"

"You haven't seen anything yet. She announced, "Kelly my dear think of what you were going to wear tonight. Fix it in your head." So Kelly closed her eyes and she pictured everything right down to how she was going to do her hair.

When she opened her eyes she was dressed exactly how she'd pictured. She was wearing her over the shoulder black velvet valentino gown with her black strappy heels, he hair was swept off her face in a high bun with just a few tendrils of baby hairs left to cascade to her shoulders.

She turned her shocked gaze on Lauren and asked, "Is this material magic or ethereal?'

One would mean that that her real dress was gone from her closet and on her body the other would mean that this was an illusion cast to give that impression.

Lauren turned to announce, "Material, " and smirked when everyone gasped around her.

Kelly consulted her watch and announced, "Looks like we just missed the last half hour of the ball. Everyone best be getting their derriere moving I'm fixin' to dance up a storm tonight."

Donnie realized what that meant and he turned to apologize to her, "Cara I'm so sorry you missed your . . ."

She cut him off before he could finish, "don't be. Here's where a really want to be."

Donnie took his tuxedo jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders before he said," Well then I claim the first dance with you, and the last and everyone in between, si?" he asked expectantly.

She smiled a secret smile and answered, "Just try and stop me sugah."

Donnie face split into a wide grin as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Thinking: first order of business is to find his guerriero donna a big piece of chocolate cake, then next was to try and sweep her off her feet.

Wow! Kelly's Goddess powers are pretty scary.

Looks like the gang has to fight off Liam as well as the Caits.

How are they going to keep Donnie safe now?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.