Two - Welcome to Dark Valley

Witches were known for their twisted word plays. Fascinating, if you consider their position in the supernatural world and the brutal way their doom unfolded. Trusting a witch was the same as trusting a demon. They were known for making evil plots, manipulation, and destroying with their dark magic.

Kayla and I left the fortune teller’s, or rather witch’s cabana, at lightning speed, not stopping until we reached the parking lot. It took a full minute for us to catch our breath.

“Did that just happen?” Kayla asked, clutching her necklace. “Or was it my imagination?”

“Nope. We definitely just met a witch. A dark witch, if you ask me.”

“Our hearts are still intact. I doubt she was a dark witch,” Kayla argued. “Visions and prophecies were gifts of ancient witches.”

The mere thought of being in the same room with an ancient witch made my stomach churn. The sinister glow in the woman’s eyes had etched itself into my mind. That brief encounter left a bitter taste in my mouth, like a warning I couldn’t shake. 

She glanced at the screen, and her expression tightened.  “It’s Dad.”

“Well, pick up.” 

It did seem odd our dad was calling just in time of our witch encounter, but what really set my nerves spiraling was the way the color drained from Kayla’s face. 

The sweat beads on her forehead got more visible. Her heartbeat spiked so sharply I almost tuned in my heightened hearing. She ended the call. 

“What happened?” I asked immediately. 

“The pack was attacked.”

My chest tightened at the news. “Attacked? How? Is anyone hurt?”

“Vampires broke through the border during the morning security change. Not many casualties, but Mom was injured. She was rushed to the clinic.”

We’d spent twelve years away from home at our parents’ insistence. Their reasons were never shared, and we never pushed. It was a constant struggle holding back answers from Kayla. We adapted to the human world, buried the homesickness, and made peace with the distance. 

But with this news? There was no hesitation. We had to go home. 

The drive back to the apartment was short. We quickly packed clothes and essentials for a few days. Bags packed and doors locked, we sent a quick text about the current situation to our aunt. She raised us after we left the pack. 

The Uber got us to the airport in thirty minutes, and unfortunately for us, we were only able to book business class tickets at the last minute. I could practically hear my bank account bleeding, but there was no time to dwell on that. The flight was 16 hour journey to arrive at Dark Valley. 

Dark Valley was a small town occupied solely by werewolves, governed by its own pack laws.

It was heavily guarded against outsiders and other supernatural creatures like vampires and dark witches. Scratch the heavily guarded part. 

Apparently, someone had been sleeping on the job.

Werewolves and vampires had been mortal enemies for centuries, but following the Second World War, a peaceful treaty was signed to limit bloodshed and reduce the animosity between both factions. The vampires were known to be vile, manipulative, and brutal. Their thirst to dominate over all supernatural beings made them vile. Still, one thing they were known for was honor. 

Vampires never broke their word. 

The dark valley border was protected by magic from a light witch, and for the vampire to have attacked out of the blue, it could only mean a dark had to be involved. For the vampires to attack now meant something powerful was at play.

Kayla slept through most of the flight. How I envied her. I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing glowing serpent pupils staring back at me. Her words kept ringing in my ears relentlessly, intertwining with some unresolved feelings from my childhood. The fragments of the past were unclear, yet this sudden grip of anxiety gnawed at my chest. 

As the plane descended, my breathing tightened. I wasn’t ready to face my demons. Ones i couldn’t name but knew existed in Dark Valley. 

I attempted to read a book to distract myself, but even the flowery romance couldn’t stop my palms from sweating. The thought of running back to New York crossed my mind, although my weak heart would not let me. I was worried and terrified at the same time. 

If something tragic happened to my mom, I don’t think I would be able to forgive myself. 

Still, the courage to face the family that I had wronged was nowhere to be found. I wished I could just pour out my heart and speak to Kayla about what I was going through, but this was a secret I promised never to speak of.

The hours passed by in a blur, and we finally arrived at our destination. It was already dark out by the time we got off the plane and headed into the airport to pick up our bags. As soon as we got cleared, we hailed a cab to drive us to the town’s border. 

The driver eyed us like we had lost our minds. 

To mundanes, the dark valley town was an uninhabitable area that no sane human dared to enter. Many humans kept out of the area, but occasionally, an adventurous fellow would attempt to enter the pack’s territory, so aside from the weird look, he helped us put our bags in the trunk and drove us home.

By the time we arrived at the pack border, it was past 7 pm. We paid for our ride and alighted from the cab.

“Good luck, ladies,” the cabman called after us, tossing his card. “Call if you need help. Dangerous creatures are always lurking around.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” I replied with a tight smile and reversed away. 

Kayla stepped toward the towering steel gates engraved with DARK VALLEY. A warning sign screamed, “DANGER! Keep out.” As she raised her hands to open the gates, bright security lights snapped on, bathing us like suspects in an interrogation room. 

The large gates crept open. Two heavily armed men in combat clothing approached us, boots heavy against the pavement. 

The protocol for pack members leaving and entering the pack was to state their clan and do a fingerprint test to confirm their identity before they were let in.

“Good evening. Welcome back to Dark Valley,” one of the men began speaking. The lights dimmed, allowing room for us to scan their faces. “We’re unaware of any distant family visiting. What clan, if we may ask?”

“Cole Jefferson,” Kayla replied, and the 2 guards slightly exchanged looks. They seemed to be speaking with their minds. Since we’ve been disconnected from the pack for a long time, we could neither use the ability nor be involved in any mental conversation.

Our clan, Jefferson, was one of the first founders of the Dark Valley Pack, and our dad, Cole Jefferson, was the former deputy chief in charge of the relationship between the pack and human authorities.

“Kira and Kayla Jefferson?” he asked in confirmation, and Kayla answered. “That’s us.”

The other guard confirmed our identities. Cleared at the border, they escorted us to their van, and one of the guards seated at the security booth was instructed to drive us to our parents' house.

Everything seemed so different compared to the bustling aura of New York. Dark Valley was known for its serene milieu with beautiful palm trees, fields of flowers that gave the air a nice scent, and great weather to top it off. If not for the secrecy of werewolves, Dark Valley had the beauty and potential to be a getaway spot. But good things are best kept a secret cause a flood of tourists would instantly make the town lose its charm.

Sensing the excitement from Kayla, guilt settled in my tummy. The last year we spent in our childhood home before moving to New York was a blur to Kayla, and it was best kept that way. Battling the demons that tormented me every night was the last thing I wished on my sister.

We arrived at the house, and our dad was already waiting for us on the porch. The guard kindly helped us unload our bags and greeted our dad before driving away.

“My sweet girls,” he called with his arms wide open to receive us with a big hug. Kayla beat me in getting to him first. “Oh, I missed you so much dad,” she cried in his arms. “You have no idea how hard it was to go months without getting a hug from you.”

We might have spent a year away from the pack, but our parents visited us at least once every few months.

Dad chuckled deeply, “Well, that explains you two showing up without giving me a heads up.”

“Mom’s hurt, of course, we had to come home,” I said.

Kayla released herself from her dad’s hold. “That’s right! Mom!” she shrieked happily and ran into the house, shutting us out on the porch.

“Come here, my princess,” Dad called to me, and I finally got to feel the warmth of his hug. It grounded me instantly and felt like home to be in his embrace. His warm, calloused hands rubbed my head, and he pecked my forehead as I stepped back from his hold.

We could easily spend hours on the patio catching up and sharing stories about the human world and pack affairs. That’s how close we were. Every evening after school, I’d rather spend it following his tail around the town and watching him fix his motorbikes.

He picked up our bags and led the way into the house. Home remained the same as 12 years ago, except for the newly white walls. The 3-seat couch, coffee table, pictures on the wall, and mini bar at the corner of the room were just as I remembered, except for my mom seated on the long couch with her right arm in a sling, unlike the usual picture of her always whipping up something in the kitchen.

“My baby,” she called to me, and I ran to hug her, but gently. One arm in a sling was enough. It felt great to catch up with our mom and dad and get more details about the vampire attack. Apparently mom was on her way back from attending to business outside of the pack when the attack happened. She was caught in a crossfire between one of the guards and a vampire, which led to an injury on her hand.

There was so much to catch up on, but she sent us to our rooms to freshen up and come back down for dinner. 

Kayla took her bags into her home. And I went into mine, just opposite hers. My room looked exactly how I left it, except cleaner. I turned on the lights and dropped it at the foot of the bed. The clean sheets calling out to me, I wanted nothing more than to get into my bed. 

Needing a bit of fresh air, I opened the curtains close to my bed and opened the windows wide to let the fresh breeze of the dark valley fill my lungs.

My moment of solitude came to an end as I felt a fiery gaze on me. The night was pitch dark, and I struggled for a minute to focus my sight on the figure. 

Channeling my sight to adjust to the darkness, I was able to make a face out, and froze. My mouth tasted bitter as I licked my dry lips. The last person I wanted to see in dark valley knew I was back in town. Fear stiffened my spine, and the person’s expression screamed bloody murder. 

My face stoic with fear, I shut the windows and drew the curtains.

Death had just looked me in the eyes. And I knew my return to Dark Valley would be anything but peaceful.