LYDIA "I don't think I can..." I stammered, pointing the candle back at Elliot. Totems as powerful as this were hard to find. It took an extremely powerful witch to craft one and I had not the slightest idea what price Elliot had to pay to get one. "You acquired this for yourself. It would be cruel of me to steal your chance to talk to whoever you want to speak to." I pointed it closer to him, tears filling the brim of my eyes. "I can't accept this."Elliot smiled down at me and reached into his chest pocket. He withdrew a matchbox and dropped it to the earth. My eyes followed it. It took a moment before I could face him again. "Don't be so prim and proper." He said to me. "Didn't you say you wanted to see her one last time?""But...""Would you rather see Alaska's body?" He butted in.The tears started to pour. My outstretched hands got weak to the core and eventually, they fell to my laps. I did want to see my mother. More than anything. As much as it felt selfish, a part of me was
ALEXIOSIt took two days to reach Nightshade territory much to my chagrin. Mother chose to follow me and surprisingly so did Fiona. I did want to tell her no. But she was her own person. As much as I knew why she was joining us, I didn't have the heart to stop her. I was convinced she would eventually come around. We were accepted into the almost desolate pack grounds that happened to be Nightshade. My heart thumped as the vehicle I was in slowly carouseled around the maze that was their settlement before eventually stopping in front of a mansion. It was vast in every manner. So much so that it almost rivaled the Rose mansion. In front of the entrance was Vitale, the new Alpha of the Nightshade, and next to him were two elders. One's demeanor was cool as the starry night. The other however looked as blue like a ghost. The whites in his eyes became almost bloodshot at the sight of me. I could hear his heart from the comfort of the car. He was very much afraid and rationally, there were
ALEXIOS The car door flew open and I watched as my mother and Fiona paced onwards. My name as being yelled. Although, all I could hear was white noise. My eyes were fixated on Fiona. She gave me a knowing look. Perhaps it was all in my head but the glow in those eyes had darkened. I saw guilt in those dark irises. Fiona rushed to my side, her hands were firmly placed against my head to stop the bleeding. She was crying. So was my mother. The world died in front of me before burning alight again. With the alien strength that arose within me, I pushed Fiona away from my line of sight. Pack members of the Nightshade pack were now battling with the reanimated corpse. Their goal seemed to be to free Vitale who was still impaled in the chest. "Where is Lydia?" The creature asked again, digging its speared fingers deeper into the Alpha's flesh. Vitale groaned in absolute suffering as the creature continued to forcibly extract information from him."I don't know." He wussed, crimson sputt
ALEXIOS I bolted up to sitting, aware of the way I melted into the bed I was in. The chill of air brushed against my bare chest, kept from my knowingly naked body by a thick duvet tucked around me. I half expected to see nothing but crimson. But the would on my forehead and the broken bones were gone. The room was dark. The lamps were dim and the curtains blocked a lot of the sun lights phasing through the windows. That and the broad dark shadowy figure that blocked the lamp light in front of me from reaching me.He stood before me. Vitale. Shadow cast across his cheekbones which hollowed out the features of his heinous face.I looked down, unable to hold his dreary stare, and muttered, “You saved me.”Even in my state, I knew how to act. Humble and grateful. Despite the rage surging inside me like electricity. Fiona had probably gotten what she wanted. An answer to where Lydia was hiding. "Where is my mother?" I further asked."In one of the guest rooms," Vitale answered. "She cou
ALEXIOS I wasn't sure what I expected to feel next. Perhaps I wanted the rush of emotions to overpower me. Perhaps I wanted to feel her around me once again. It was probably stupid but I had tried it. I grabbed a pillow and sighed whilst staring at the ceiling. I wondered if she was watching now. Selene, alleged mother of the night. The goddess who had done absolutely nothing for me. If she was watching, if she care at all, I wanted her to hear me."I'm trying. I am not a silly defenseless child anymore. For years, I have done without your protection or your so called grace but if you can hear me... If you give two fucks about that innocent girl whose life is currently in danger, You'll give her back to me." I paused, breathing in. I waited, expecting something. A sign. It was either that or having to scout the cemetery for clues. But there was nothing. No miracle. No magic. It was just like I remembered. The goddess was fucking useless. I did want to get to my feet and get to work.
LYDIA The day after Elliot sacrificed his totem to see my mother for my sake, I found peace. For the first time in ages, I finally found it in me to leave this place. It had always been a youthful dream of mine to travel around the world and now that the weight of my mother's murder was off my chest, I found it possible to finally do good on that dream. So I made it known to Elliot during breakfast. Elliot made bacon and eggs. The smell of simmering fat crammed the air. As Elliot passed my plate towards me, I cleared my throat to speak."I have to go and see Vitale today."I watched as Elliot choked on a slice of bacon. I rushed to the kitchen sink and turned the valve, filling a glass with crystal clear water. I rushed back to the side and placed the glass to his lips but Elliot refused it. "What do you mean you want to see Vitale today?""Well... I want to leave town soon." I began, dropping the glass in my hands on the counter. "I didn't reject Vitale. It would be unfair of me to
ALEXIOS"Mom," I began as the driver parked somewhere convenient. "You should have stayed back at the Nightshade pack. Who knows who or what is out there?" She could not care less. She had been trying to reach out to someone on her phone. Each effort kept returning to voicemail but she didn't give up. Finally, whoever she was trying to speak to answered."Elliot! She is in danger." She immediately screamed unto the receiver. She gripped her phone for dear life as the words exploded from her throat. She inhaled deeply and swallowed saliva. Her eyes lingered my way and I could tell she regretted having this conversation with me in the car. I had questions. Like who the fuck was Elliot? It was quite easy to piece the second part of her sentence together. But queries still remained. What did this Elliot guy have to do with Lydia? I watched her adjust the mobile closer. Elliot had been whispering and my acute senses caught it. Whoever was by the receiver had to have known my mother. Like
FIONA Fire licked my fingers as I trailed my fingernails against the familiar car that was now packed in the cemetery I was scouting. It had taken one murder to get something about Elliot. A jacket he had gifted an old friend. Burning that ugly piece of fabric had given me an answer I was so desperately looking for. His DNA had been little to nothing but it revealed this much. The omega who went by the name Elliot was around here. Imagine my surprise upon discovering that Alexios could have beat me to it. I clicked a finger and one of the car doors flung open. Someone inside gasped. The driver's seat opened and one of Rose's sentinels stepped outside. His initial riposte was to shut the unhinged door but his gaze instantly flew my way. I could tell his instincts told him to run, flee or scream. Anything to ensure he was safe. Unfortunately for him, the gift of intuition would be his downfall. "You bitch!" He tried to sound intimidating but I could hear the blood curdling fear lace