Appleberry(Completed)

Ch. 18: Ozzi is Home

We pulled up to Jason's place. I could tell Ozzi was nervous. He usually wasn't. Ozzi usually was sure of himself. I guess he figured he wouldn't be welcomed back. His brother Bowie had left too but it was different from Ozzi. Ozzi still had his loyalty with the fleet.
"Ozzi, it will be okay." I turned off the truck.
He had tears in his eyes. "What if they don't welcome me back? I left my fleet. Something I shouldn't have done."
"They will welcome you back. Ozzi, it wasn't like your brother. They let him through the door. Then there is me. I left for months and they still let me in. They will be happy that you are back. Trust me."
"Okay, then let's go in."
Ozzi got out of the truck, I followed behind him through the front door. He stopped in front of the study doors.
"Go on Ozzi."
He put his hand on the door knob and opened it. He stepped through and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. Jett, the twins, and Bodhi ran up to me him and hugged him.
Zig picked him up and spun him around. "Ozzi, I am so glad you are back. I swear if anyone else runs off again, I am personally going to kick their ass."
Ozzi made his rounds to everyone. They all hugged him and welcomed him back. When he got to Jason, he hesitated.
Jason gave the warmest smile. "I am glad you are back Ozzi."
You could see Ozzi's shoulders relax. They both hugged. Jason let go. "Now, it is time to get caught up and get to work."
"What exactly is going on? You have the Appleberry's here and Gwendolyn and Bowie. What in the world happened?" He was looking at them.
Then his eyes fell on Jonathon. "Who in the world is that?"
I grabbed his hand and we sat on the couch. I told him how we had gone to the elders and brought back Jonathon. Then I let him have the even worse news. That we were going to die if we didn't fight the elders.
"Wait. I knew you pissed off the elders but bringing one of them here. What the hell were you thinking Sloane?"
"He wanted to come and help. He knows the elders and how they think. We know if you take out Claudette, then the others will weaken. They are bond to her. She is the oldest witch out there. Hence, she is an elder. But she only looks about forty."
"How old is Jonathon?"
"He is around our age. Just a bit older. But he knows a lot. He is like my family and Slade."
"Is he single?"
"Ozzi, fight not love."
"But I'm a lover not a fighter."
"Well you are going to have to be a fighter. Save the love for later."
He rolled his eyes. "So, where do you want me? Am I going through history books? Or what?"
"You are helping the twins with helping the younger siblings learn how to fight."
"Iggy, Zif, Maddox, and Pixie. That will be easy. I have high hopes for Iggy and Zif. I mean Zif is the twins brother. Iggy is my brother. But Maddox is an Appleberry and Pixie is an Alderman."
"If anyone can teach them, it is the twins and you. So, go get working on it."
I got up and went over to Jason. "Everyone is here and counted for."
"I see that."
"Why the cold shoulder Jason?"
"I know this is your fleet and coven. You are a huge part of this Sloane. If you leave again, I don't think they could handle it."
"I'm not planning on leaving again Jason. Like you said this is my fleet and my coven, I am not going anywhere. I have too much I care about."
"Good, I'm glad you have come to your senses."
I looked over to Jonathon. He and Kal were talking and going through books. Ozzi had ran off with the twins and the younger ones to teach them how to fight. Everyone was working to find a way to kill the others. We already knew how to kill Claudette. Though the others may weaken, there were different ways to kill each of them. Richard was a guardian. James was an alpha to a centuries old fleet. It'd be easy to kill them. At least I hope.
***
I sat by Jonathon and Kal. "Richard and James, how do we kill them?"
Jonathon looked up from the book he was reading. "Richard will be easy. I figured poison would do the trick."
"Yeah but he won't drink whatever we give him. They will be coming down with a huge ass fleet."
"Got a bow and some arrows. Go old school, dip the arrow head in poison and pierce his heart."
Kal stood up. "I will be back. I have some bows and arrows at the house. I will get Gwendolyn to mix up a poison."
Kal waved to us and left. "What about James and his fleet? I know he probably collected wolves over the years."
"He has but that doesn't mean we can't kill him. His heart will have to be ripped out like Claudette's, but you won't have to burry his body away from his heart. You know since he isn't a witch."
"Then his fleet will come after us."
"No, they won't. I will give them a choice. They either find another fleet or they side with us and things will be easy for them. Do you know what will happen when the elders are dead, Sloane?"
"All this bullshit will be over."
"Yes, but there will be a new reign. A more powerful witch that will take Claudette's place. They will have say on what goes on. They will make the rules."
"How do we find the next elder witch then?"
"Try looking in a mirror Sloane."
"No way Jonathon. I'm not becoming an elder. I'm not even old enough to be an elder."
"You don't have to be ancient to be an elder. You just have to lead your clan in the right direction. Plus, you have no choice. You are an Ashby. Your blood line runs deep into history. You have ancestors who over a thousand years that were elders. The reason Claudette is an elder is because your grandmother didn't want it. Now, look where that has lead us."
"I think you've lost it."
"I don't know anyone better to lead. You already have a fleet and a coven. You are powerful Sloane."
"What about my dad? Couldn't he be the elder?"
"He could but he won't. That rightful place is yours."
"I'm only eighteen."
"Like I said age doesn't matter."
"What about the whole stone thing. With the faces in them?"
Jonathon shrugged. "Yes there is that. But I have no doubt your face would show up. It's just one face though. Until you pick two that you'd want to help lead, that is when their faces show up on the stone. Three faces."