Chapter 3

IRMA banged on the front door of her mother’s house. After fleeing from their home, she took Luna there. She and her daughter would be safe if they were with the coven. Vampires were somehow afraid of witches.

“Who’s that? My goodness, it’s the middle of the night.” The door swung open, and her mother emerged with wide eyes looking at them. “I-Irma?”

“M-Mother… please let us in,” she pleaded.

Her mother’s gaze reverted to the sleeping child she was carrying in her arms.

“Who’s with you?” her mother asked as she peeked outside.

“It’s just my daughter and me.”

“Come in.” Her mother ushered them inside.

“Take her inside the room. I’ll make you something to drink.”

Irma took her daughter to the bedroom and carefully laid her down on the bed. She caressed Luna’s cheek and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Then there was a knock on the door.

She left the bed and headed outside. Her mother, Lucinda, was making tea in the kitchen when she arrived there.

“Tell me what happened,” her mother said firmly. “And where the hell is the father of your child, Irma?”

She pulled a chair. Sighing, she sat down.

“Sebastian went out of town for a mission. Luna and I were fine until I saw a vampire lurking in the dark. I already sent Sebastian a message, but it would take days before he could return. I don’t know if that vampire got there by accident or if he was after something. I only know one thing at that moment, to run away. That’s why I brought Luna here. We’ll be somehow safe here. Vampires won’t—”

“This is what I’m talking about back then.” Her mother heaved a sigh and served her tea. “That child will bring chaos—”

“Mother, please… don’t say that.”

“I don’t think that vampire was just a lost baby in the woods, Irma,” Her mother said in a low tone. “Someone must’ve sent the vampire to your home to check on your daughter.”

“But Sebastian hasn’t told his pack yet because he was afraid that his alpha would take our daughter away. Who could’ve leaked the information—”

“There are seers everywhere, Irma. Have you forgotten that? There will always be someone in a clan who can see the future. One vampire seer must’ve seen Luna.”

She cupped her mug and stared at her reflection in the tea.

“If that’s the case, then my daughter’s in grave danger. The vampires will hunt her—us.”

“Probably.”

“But she’s just a child, Mother,” she said with teary eyes. “What could she possibly do?”

“But if she’s really the one in the prophecy, may she be a child or not, she’s a threat to their clan. Remember what that prophecy said?”

“I can’t let the vampires have my daughter. They will kill her!” Irma buried her face in her palms and cried.

Her mother went to her side and grasped her shoulders.

“There’s only one thing you can do to save your daughter, Irma.”

Sobbing, she raised her head.

“M-mother… I… I can’t live without her….”

“You only have two choices right now,” her mother said firmly. “Let her go so she can be safe, or let her stay and die together.”

“I’m not going to decide without Sebastian, Mother. I’ll wait for him.” She sobbed. “Please let us stay here for the meantime.”

“Wash that cup after drinking your tea and go sleep beside your daughter. If you need extra sheets, you know where to get them.” Her mother headed to the other room.

Irma heaved a deep sigh. She was lucky her mother let them stay despite being cold.

She then closed her eyes and whispered.

“Sebastian… please, come home now… Luna and I need you…”

She exhaled slowly and let the wind take her message wherever he was right now. Irma hoped he’d be home sooner than later. She really did not know what to do.

“IRMA! Luna!”

She heard Sebastian’s voice right outside the house. Her mother immediately opened the door, and he came in.

“Sebastian!” Irma hugged him tightly, and so did he.

It took him a week before he could come home. Good thing nothing terrible happened within those days that he was away. Irma made the right choice to stay in her mother’s place to hide from the vampires.

“Where is Luna?” Sebastian asked as he ushered him to sit.

“She’s in the bedroom, sleeping,” her mother responded to his question and headed to the kitchen.

“Our daughter’s ill since we came here,” she told Sebastian. “She has this very high fever that even witchcraft couldn’t cure. I… I don’t know what to do anymore.” Irma buried her face against his chest and cried.

“Hush. I’m here now.” Sebastian embraced her again and caressed her back. “Maybe her body’s not adapting well to the surroundings. It happens sometimes. She’s a half-werewolf, remember?”

“You’re right.” She distanced herself a bit.

“Now, tell me what happened. You sent me a message about vampires. What do you mean by that?

She held his hands tightly.

“Luna and I were having our evening stroll when she suddenly pointed at something. At first, I didn’t notice what it was, but my instinct told me to take her inside the house. But when we got home, Luna saw something from the outside, and that was when I saw a pair of red eyes. I’m certain, Sebastian… those were the eyes of a vampire.”

“A pair? So, it’s one vampire. Maybe it’s a lost one—”

“I’d like to think that way… but then, I just can’t stop overthinking.” She heaved a deep sigh. “Mother said someone from the vampire clan must’ve seen the same vision that you saw.”

Sebastian looked at her intently.

“Your mother might be right. There are vampire seers too.”

“What should we do now?” Irma asked with teary eyes. “If we tell your pack about Luna and ask their help for protection, chances are they’ll take Luna away from us. And Edward will surely punish you for not telling him beforehand.”

“Do you have a plan?” Sebastian countered.

“I suggest you send your daughter away,” her mother chimed in.

“Right.” Sebastian let out a sigh. “We should take her somewhere safe—”

“You’re not coming with Luna. No one of you.”

“What?” Sebastian stood up. “No! Forgive me, but your idea is absurd—”

“Sebastian…” Irma held his hand. “Mother is right.”

He looked at her. “What? Are you insane, Irma? Our daughter is nothing but a child, and you’ll send her somewhere on her own?”

“If you’re with Luna, the vampires can easily track you down,” her mother told Sebastian. “If she’s not with you, she can be safe.”

“But—”

Irma stood up.

“I know this will never be easy for us all. But this is the only way to protect her—”

Irma’s sentence was suddenly cut off by the screaming coming right outside the house.

Her mother sauntered to the window and peeked through it.

“What is it, Mother?”

“Vampires!” her mother exclaimed.

“What?”

“Get Luna, quick!” said Sebastian.

Irma rushed to the bedroom and wrapped her daughter with a cloak.

“Where are we going?” asked Luna.

She planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead and cast a sleeping spell. Irma didn’t want her to see the chaos outside the house.

“Take Luna away from here! Take her somewhere safe where no one can find her,” Sebastian said in a firm tone before he shifted into his werewolf form and ran outside the house.

She then turned to her mother, who immediately nodded at her and guided her to the backdoor. They ran into the woods with Luna in her arms.

“You must take her memories away, Irma,” her mother said as they walked past the trail.

She halted and hugged her daughter tightly.

“W-what? No!” Irma shook her head hard. “We followed your suggestion to send her away, but not like this!”

“Irma, you have to do this for your daughter’s sake!” Her mother grasped her arms tightly.

“And then what will happen to my daughter after I do that?” Irma cried. “She’ll forget about us—”

“Luna will forget about you and Sebastian, about who she really is… but she will live a safer life, Irma. This is a sacrifice you have to make for your daughter’s sake!”

She kneeled on the ground and buried her face in her daughter’s chest. The happy life that she had been dreaming of was short-lived. Now she had to send Luna away, and Sebastian was engaged in a tough fight with the vampires. And not only that, but she also brought chaos to the coven. Was it too much to ask for a happy and peaceful life?

“Irma, we should hurry before the vampire catches up with us.” Her mother pulled her up.

“There has to be other options…” She looked at her mother. “I-I d-don’t think I can do that—”

Her mother slapped her cheek.

“Pull yourself together, Irma! This isn’t about you anymore!”

Sobbing, she lay Luna on the ground.

Her mother crouched across from her and held hands with her, with her sleeping daughter at the middle. She started chanting, and her mother followed.

“Irma… everything will be fine,” her mother said afterward. “If Luna was indeed the one in the prophecy, fate would take her back to us no matter what happens.”

She just nodded her head in agreement with what her mother said.

“Wake her now and send her away. Quick!”

She picked up her daughter and hugged her tightly one last time, then she kissed her softly on the forehead and uttered the spell that would wake her up. After a few seconds, Luna opened her eyes. However, she was just looking at her as if it was the very first time they met. The spell had taken effect.

“It’s time….” Her mother patted Luna’s head.

With a heavy heart, Irma let go of her daughter.

Luna turned around without a word and started running away from them. Irma could feel her heart ripping as she watched her go far away, deep into the woods.

She propped her hands to the ground and wept, silently wishing that one day she would see her again.

And then, the wind blew, and she heard Sebastian’s cry.

“Sebastian!” She rose to her feet and rushed back to him.