We're more than friends

Chapter 16

Hope's POV

"So? Where are they?" Lizzie asked as both our eyes shot up, our hands still clasped together.

Josie and I turned to the group of people waiting impatiently for our answer. My eyes skimmed the familiar heads until I found Davina's who stood between Auntie Bex and Uncle Kol.

"They're on their way." I said. "And they're coming for Aunt Davina and I."

The room erupted in chatter, some (Uncle Kol) louder than others. Aunt Freya took a few steps forward then whirled around, facing everyone.

"Hold on." She said, her arms extended. "Do you girls know why they're after you specifically?" She asked, turning her head towards me.

I was about to answer when Josie cut me off.

"Something about exacting revenge on Kol." Every head then turned to my uncle.

"I thought you said you didn't recognise her, hmm?" Auntie Bex said, her arms crossed, and her head held high as if to say I told you so.

Davina shook her head. "Whether he remembers her and what he did or not doesn't matter. We only need to stop her. Did she say what she was planning? Any hints? Or ingredients you saw?" She asked Josie and me.

"She had a mixture of herbs in a bowl, a pentagram, a voodoo doll, and every witch in Salvatore's DNA." I answered slightly confused by the contents the witch needed for her spells.

"What sort of fucked up magic is that?" Lizzie exclaimed from her side of the room. Her dad hummed in agreement.

The room fell silent after that, each person deep in thought until-

"Oh fuck." Uncle Kol muttered under his breath. He reached his temples and started to rub them, his eyes shutting slightly.

"What?" Aunt Freya eyed her brother closely, her brows furrowing.

"I remember. A few decades back, I was following a lead on a coven that excelled in voodoo magic. Specifically, Louisiana voodoo."

"I've never met any-" Aunt Freya started, but was cut off by uncle Kol waving his hand in an attempt to shush her.

"Most fled when Marcel declared himself king of New Orleans, the rest followed once he recruited Davina who could sense anyone doing any magic." He continued. "When I found them, they didn't appreciate an original walking about. So, they tried to get rid of me. Needless to say, it ended badly for them. I didn't think I left any survivors."

Davina's face flashed numerous emotions: sadness, anger, hurt, betrayal.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her eyes displaying only a hint of what she was probably feeling.

"It was a lapse in judgment I didn't want to burden you with." He replied, his gaze fixed on Davina's.

Aunt Davina pursed her lips, her eyes in slits, as she pondered. Finally, she muttered something along the lines as we'll talk about this later then motioned for Aunt Freya to speak.

"Right, well, with what the girls have found out we must assume that whatever the voodoo witch's spell is, it lets her control the ones whose DNA she has." My aunt said.

"According to the Necromancer, Pedro managed to get every witch's DNA in the school." Josie added as an afterthought.

Lizzie grumbled. "I didn't sign up to be a minion."

"You didn't sign up for anything Lizzie, now shut up." Josie snarled before turning to Aunt Freya and me. "So, what's the plan?"

*

Aunt Davina and I were split up. Uncle Kol was to join her alongside Lizzie whilst Josie and auntie Bex stayed with me. We had barely stepped foot outside of the school's main entrance when we were greeted by a smirking MG and a zombie like version of Pedro. The young boy's arms were limp, his face drooping down yet his gaze was simultaneously shifting between my aunt and me.

"Well, this makes things a lot simpler." MG smirked, a flame flickering in his eyes. His smirk evolved into a wide grin where his fangs descended from his gums and the veins around his eyes turned black. "Who's first?"

He took a step forward, towards Aunt Davina, and uncle Kol tried to protect her but was flung backwards. He flew back into the school, skidding to a halt at the foot of the steps down the living area. A low growl protruded my lips as I watched my family hit the floor. My eyes turned golden as they landed back on Pedro. He seemed unfazed by it; his eyes glazed over as if he were in a trance. Quickly, my head snapped round to a squealing Lizzie whose eyes were shut tightly as MG's hand gripped her neck firmly. Josie took a step forward, but MG's hold only tightened.

"Take one more step and she's dinner."

Josie retreated, falling back in line beside auntie Bex and me. Aunt Davina, whilst MG was distracted, went to go check on her husband who was now in a fighting stance where he fell. Auntie Bex, however, seemed unfazed by the danger Lizzie was in, as she advanced. A small whimper escaped the blond twin's lips as MG's fangs now hovered over her shoulder and neck, grazing the skin ever so slightly. If he started to feed, then there would be no saving Lizzie.

"Auntie Bex, what are you doing? You'll kill her!" I whisper yelled.

"Darling, it's not a newbie vampire that's going to scare me." She waved off, never turning to face me as she replied.

"So be it then." Mg said before sinking his teeth into Lizzie.

As MG was draining Lizzie, her skin started to pale. The pink in her cheeks dissipated and her eyes started to role in the back of her head whilst she shed a single tear. Josie was shocked in horror, her eyes transfixed on the scene in front of her, disbelieving.

I hadn't noticed I was rushing to Lizzie until I felt a thud against my stomach. I looked down to see Auntie Bex's hand holding me back. Confused and frustrated, I looked back at the scene. That's when I saw Marcel standing inches in front of MG, holding powder in his hand that he blew in his face. Then his fangs retracted as he collapsed onto Lizzie, both fell to the ground.

Josie rushed to her sister's side, kneeling alongside her, her hand on her neck checking for a pulse. Marcel, for his part, picked MG up and walked inside the school, he turned left, probably to the transitioning cells. Auntie Bex was about to follow, but I grabbed her wrist before she could. My eyes turned to slits, my nose crunched up and my brows furrowed.

"What the hell?" I fumed.

"Relax, it was a part of the plan." She answered back.

"Plan? How could you have known what was going to happen? Lizzie was in danger!" I exclaimed.

Auntie Bex's eyes shifted from my eyes to my hand around her wrist. "The twins drank some vampire blood before we left, and Marcel was following us just in case."

I let go as I heard the twins drank vampire blood. My head snapped to Josie whose hands were resting on her legs as she watched her unconscious sister. She must have felt someone watching her because she turned her head and our eyes locked.

"Is she...?" Josie shook her head before I could finish my sentence. A shuddering breath left my lips as I nodded, my fingers gliding through my hair. Lizzie was fine. She was alive.

Suddenly, I remembered –

"Where's Pedro?" I skimmed the grounds and he was nowhere to be seen. "Fuck." I cursed under my breath.