THE IMMORTALS (✓)

23. Searching for Magnus

!W! use of strong language and graphic depictions of violence and abuse.

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Daniel's stomach twisted and he lowered his gaze. "Not yours Rose, mine. It's all on me. Only me."

"Bro! Don't you dare say that!" Stefan walked in with Brittney, who carried a food trolley with her. Keeping the trays on the side table, she sat beside Rosette and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Why Stef? Isn't that true? If I wasn't desperate and selfish enough to get rid of him and live my life with Rosette, this all wouldn't be happening. You two became immortal because of it. I ruined your life too."

"Daniel!" Brittney smacked his head, having a pinched expression on her face. Why does he keep forgetting that his parabatai could feel everything he feels, including his lifelong guilt. "We became immortal because we wanted it. We wanted to live with you. We would've chosen it either way, Kasper or not."

"She's right, Dan." Stefan said, "We didn't just ask for this immortality to beat Kasper, we asked for it because we wanted to be with our family. And to be honest, for Lou." Stefan's hand unconsciously moved where once his parabatai rune was placed, now faded and lay like a scar, and a pang of heaviness spread in Daniel's heart. Of course, they missed their brother. Even though they had taken revenge for his death, nothing could fill the void he left behind.

"Yes Dan, so if we were unable to find a way to beat him, it's on all of us and not just you. And you better feed that in your guilt-ridden mind!" Brittney said in a fierce, commanding tone. "Now, we should give our dear sister-in-law some time to regain her energy. Eat breakfast and rest, okay?"

With a heavy sigh, Rosette nodded. As Brittney and Stefan left the room, Daniel picked up the tray and fed his wife a spoonful of her favorite fruit cereal, ignoring the plea in her dull eyes.

"For a 900 years old warlock, you're impossible, Rose. Just eat and rest. You need to regain your energy before anything else."

Obliging, she picked up the tray containing her breakfast and kept it on her lap. "I just hope Magnus is fine. Knowing that he's not even on earth is terrifying, Danny."

"Magnus is strong, Rose. I'm sure he'd be okay. He's the ex-Prince of Edom after all."

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Raspy breaths echoing in a confined surrounding, black fire passing by barely half an inch from his body, almost burning him alive, heavy tremors beneath his feet as if the ground was ready to swallow him whole. When these events ended and he was transported back to a dark, underground basement, Magnus had no idea but what he was certain was that this place was made deeper than the previous basement he had been captured in before.

The fetor of urine, decaying flesh, and death lingered in the creepily dark surroundings, sending chilling shivers down his spine. Nothing made him that frightened that lead to almost ruining his dear pants, in both ways. But this was different. The light hum of chants of dark magic in a singing tone was not something you hear in everyday life. And certainly not from the mouth of a demorphed devil whose sole purpose is to wreck havoc.

"Enjoying warlock?" The voice echoed. Magnus pulled on the chain tied around his wrist but to no avail. His powers were drained out. Beside him, he could make out the faint sobs, certainly of that child, her tiny fingers trying to hold onto the fabric of his pant and growing wetness around his legs. That poor child.

"If you dare put your hand on this child, I swear Kasper-"

"Tut! Tut! The wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature! Or what warlock? What would you do? Kill me?" A burst of maniacal laughter filled the surroundings and so did the sobs of the child. Trailing his hand in the darkness, Magnus successfully found the child's small frame and stroked her tiny head to calm her down.