Crimson's parents were killed by vampires when she was 6 years old. Because of that, she's sworn vengeance on all vampires and spends every night tirelessly hunting for vampires to kill. Lamech is the leader of the biggest vampire clan in the world...
It had taken far too long for my liking to figure out her address. She herself wasn't registered at one when we searched for her. We managed to find a bunch of different houses that belonged to Starlight, but there was no telling which she lived in if any.
Her phone number ended up being the solution. From it we managed to find the address her phone bill was sent to and I could only pray that it was where she lived as well.
I left in an instance, with Alair in tow. It took us about one hour to reach the apartment building, much longer than it would have if it had been night and we could have run more freely.
I knocked hard on the door.
"Crimson! You there? Please open," I yelled at the door, but there was no answer. I waited and knocked for maybe ten more seconds, until I shoved the door with my shoulder, breaking it open.
The apartment wasn't big. Just two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, and no one was home.
"Search to see if you can find anything that can help," I told Alair. "There's another witch living here too. Maybe if we can find her, we'll find Crimson."
I myself went straight into Crimson's bedroom to search. It felt wonderful being surrounded by her scent again, though I could tell that it had been hours since last she had been in the room. The room in itself was a mess and it made me smile. It was nothing less than I had expected. Clothes, books, and various things spread about in a haphazardly manor.
I tried to focus on what I needed to do, but really all I wanted was to lay down on her bed and relish in her scent.
"Lamech," Alair called from another room, snapping me back to reality.
"What?" I asked as I hurried out.
He was in the kitchen, looking at something hanging on the wall.
"Today's date," he said and moved aside so that I also could see.
With the length of my life, dates had somewhat lost its meaning. Each day was just a new day, and the date didn't matter. I had often even first realized that it was my birthday because others remembered. So I had no clue what date it was and I also wouldn't have realized the importance of the date, if it hadn't been for the neat handwriting on the calendar that hung on the wall, for vampires didn't celebrate any particular holiday.
First of November. Samhain.
"They would be at the coven's headquarters," Alair said and my heart sank. That was very likely and so would all the witches in Starlight. If Crimson decided to pick a fight today...
"Try to find anything that can tell us the address," I said and we continued to search again. I flipped open my phone also and sent what felt like the millionth message.
Please just call me. I need to know that you're alright.
I put the phone away and started to search. But to my disbelief, it rang mere seconds later.
"Crimson, thank Goddess," I exclaimed as I answered it and then a torrent of words left me. "We need to talk. You have to get away from your coven. You're in danger..."
Before I got any further someone spoke on the other end, but it wasn't Crimson's warm voice. Instead the voice sounded cold and hateful.
"Hello, this is Lamech Carnell that I'm speaking with, I presume?" it said.
"Who are you? And what are you doing with this phone?" I answered, my voice matching the coldness of the other.
"I'll take that as a yes. I'm the Priestess of the Starlight coven and unfortunately Crimson is unavailable to talk at the moment."
Her words confirmed all of my fears and spread ice through my body.
"What have you done to her?" I asked and breathed hard to control my rising emotions.
The Priestess laughed on the other side of the phone. It was a nasty laugh that only made me hate her even more.
"Don't worry," she said with a fake tone of friendliness. "I haven't done anything to her yet. Though that would also hardly be any of your business. She's a witch in my coven and nothing to you."
"She's my mate," I growled at her and though I knew that technically wasn't true since the rejection it felt completely right. More right than anything had ever felt. Crimson was my mate and nothing in the world could ever change that.
I was met by another laugh. "Your mate? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she reject you?"
I heard the faintest of sounds from the phone. It sounded a bit like a vampire's growl. Crimson was there. She could hear the conversation and thus my next words were said more to her than to the Priestess.
"She'll always be my mate. My evermore. And if you care for your life, you better not hurt her."
"Well, I'm glad that's the attitude you have," the Priestess said and there were still traces of that nasty laughter in her voice. "This wouldn't be fun if you didn't. You won't have to worry about her well-being as long as you do as I ask. I would very much like to meet you. Betsom's Hill. In an hour. If you do not show up, well, then I really don't know what might happen to Crimson. Oh, and make sure to come alone."
"Lamech! Don't..." I heard Crimson's voice before the call disconnected. She was there and she was at least well enough to talk. I held onto that small comfort as I started to make my way to the door.
"Don't just rush off. You know it's a trap," Alair said as he blocked the exit from me.
"Move out of the way before I really hurt you," I told him in a low voice while balling my hands into fists.
"Just stop and think for a moment. Please!"
"I know! Of course I know it's a trap!" I yelled at him. "But what option do you have? If I don't go, they'll kill her. If I do go, there is the smallest of possibilities that they will spare her. So what do you expect me to do?"
I watched as Alair opened his mouth. Then closed it. Opened it again, only to close it once more. Then he took a step to the side.
"Just be careful. And make sure to make it out of there alive," he said. "If you dare to die, I'll hunt you down and kill you."
I didn't answer, but just hurried away. It wasn't something that I could promise him, for I knew that if I had to give my life for Crimson's I would without any hesitation. It wouldn't be much of a life without her anyway.
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