"Holy shit!"
Brandon groaned when he hit the ground very very hard. Whatever that witch had done made him and Selena crash into a snow covered icy hill.
"I can't believe that old dude did this!" He groaned with a frown as he stretched him arms a bit to relax his muscles.
"He could've turned us into coconuts! You'd better be grateful." Selena replied in utter annoyance. The cold made her voice sound weaker than usual.
Unlike vampires, witches are prone to coldness related matters. Therefore, by every passing second, Selena could feel the frigid air move its way to her bones.
"Being a coconut isn't really worse than the situation now, honestly." Brandon chuckled. "At least we'd be in Maldives or something." That earned him a smach in the arm from Selena.
"I take it back." Brandon glanced beside him just to see how hard Selena was glaring at her.
"What's the matter?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Keep talking and I'll turn you into a rat." Selena threatened seriously which caused Brandon to throw his hands up in surrender while smirking playfully.
Her voice sounded husky and had a slight shaking into it. Selena rolled her eyes. The cold was really getting to her.
"Where the hell even are we?" Brandon asked as he stood up slowly. His body was sore from the sudden hit, but he was getting better with every passing second.
After standing up, he checked his environment. There hills were covered with snow for as far as his eyesight allowed him to.
"Seriously where the fuck did this creep post us to?" He asked while still checking the view out. There was nothing relevant he could notice, even with his eyesight.
After a few more seconds of silence from Selena, Brandon looked back to see if anything was the matter. Selena was hugging her arms to her body and was shaking uncontrollably.
"Oh Gosh!" Brandon took off his jacket immediately and wrapped it around Selena's cold body.
"It's cold." Selena let a shaky sigh out. Her breath came out as a warm cloudy figure in the air.
Brandon sat beside her in the snow and turned his gaze back at the brunette. "Are you alright?" He wondered as he softly rubbed Selena's back. All Selena could do was nod silently, indicating she was alright but reality was far away from that. She was freezing.
"W-we should get going. Before the gate ch-changes places again." Selena whispered out the words. She could barely form them due to how cold it was.
"What are you talking about? We aren't going anywhere when you're freezing like this!" Brandon argued.
"We should.." Selena began but Brandon cut her off.
"We should find a way to keep you warm that's what we must do." He added sternly.
"I'm alright." Selena snapped stubbornly and gathered all her might to prove Brandon she was capable of continuing.
As soon as she stood up, she was about to fall, since her muscles were cold. Brandon rushed by her side immediately and wrapped his arms around her cold figure, which was warm for his body even in that temperature.
"Careful." He whispered. Selena nodded her head in understanding. She then, started to walk. "Let's go." Brandon didn't argue this time.
As they walked, a comfortable silence fell between them. Even though Selena didn't say anything, she liked the fact that Brandon was looking after her. Despite them not liking each other before.
"Where do you think we are?" Brandon asked. He liked the silence between them but he couldn't help his curiousity.
"The North pole." Selena uttered matter of factly.
"What? You've been here before?" Brandon joked which caused her to chuckle.
"No but where else can this be?" Selena asked as she pointed around them, seeing nothing but white as snowflakes started to fall down.
"I don't know... Canada?" Brandon suggested. Selena nodded at that.
"I thought you didn't like Geography much." Immediately after saying the sentence, she fell down, due to her legs going completely numb.
"Hey.." Brandon used his speed to catch Selena in his arms. He held her up bridal style and kept walking.
"Put me down!" Selena protested angrily, as she tried to fight back. But it was of no use. She could no longer feel her limbs.
"Why? So you'd fall into the snow again? No thanks. I don't wanna hear you complain about that the whole time we're here." Brandon argued playfully, not putting her down.
Selena gave up trying and made herself comfortable in the vampire's hold. "We should possibly move faster now that you're carrying me practically." Selena demanded.
"Right. But first, put the jacket over your skin. It might get extra cold when we speed up." Brandon agreed. Selena did as she was told.
Before they could run, they heard a scream and a bullet being fired.
***
Kendall felt a hand grab her arm and pull her deeper into somewhere she could only vaguely see. Her and Cara were being pulled through the cold water.
When they hit the ground, the force that was grabbing their arms let go of them causing them to fall into the muddy puddle. Kendall took a deep breath trying to digest all that had happened in such a short while.
"Are you insane?" Asked a vampire girl. With one glance Cara immediately recognised her. She was the girl who had served them their drinks earlier that day. The green eyed girl.
"Who are you?" Cara stood up, preparing herself for whatever that was to come. She didn't know this green eyed vampire but she was quite sure she was the girl from before. Cara didn't believe in coincidence much.
"I should be the one asking you that!" The girl snapped. "What the fuck were you doing in the restricted area?" She was clearly surprised and furious. "Are you out of your minds?"
"How is that in any possible way, your business?" Cara replied as coldly. She pulled Kendall by her side protectively.
"It's in every way my business!" The girl snapped.
"Leave us alone." Cara stood beside the Bright Sider, showing off her fangs in a menacing way. Almost ready to fight the second it would be required.
"You can't go back to the restricted area. It's forbidden for our kind." The girl replied angrily. "Besides, you wouldn't last there. They'd kill you with no shame nor regrets." She warned.
"What were you doing there?" The girl asked again.
"We were Looking for the gates." Kendall replied. Cara shot her a worried glance before turning her attention back to the green eyed girl.
"Oh my! You two are insane." She laughed bitterly. "No vampire has ever gone past those gates without Alexandra's consent. You should be aware that you're no exception."
"Who are you, anyway?" Kendall wondered curiously.
"I'm Lauren." The girl replied. "Why do you guys want to meet with Alexandra?"
Cara thought whether or not she should open up. She decided to vaguely respond to the subtle question. "We need to ask a few questions." Cara replied. The green eyed girl, Lauren seemed to be in thought.
"Well those must be a hell of a question since you're sacrificing your life for them." Lauren concluded and turned around, walking away from them.
Kendall and Cara glanced at each other in surprise at the girl's sudden departure. They assumed she was done with them and let them continue what they were doing.
"Aren't you going to follow me?" She asked with an amused smirk on her face.
"Where to?" Cara asked.
Lauren rolled her eyes. "Didn't you just tell me that you wanted to see Alexandra?" She asked.
"Yes." Kendall trailed off.
"Then follow me. I'm taking you to her." She replied with a smug smile.
***
The guy pointing the freshly fired gun at Brandon and Selena shouted something unrecognisable.
"Oh my God!" Brandon shouted and laid Selena down on the snow to look at her wound. The local guy had shot the girl in her arm and she was bleeding real bad.
Her blood dropped onto the snow, melting some of it away. Brandon panicked, immediately grabbing her to run.
"Stoyat!" The man shouted at them demandingly. Brandon wanted to run, but he couldn't really help Selena.
"What?" Brandon shouted back in panic. "She's bleeding! Help!" A man wearing thick fur approached from behind the one whom had shot Selena.
"What are you doing here?" The guy asked in a very thick Russian accent after observing their outfits.
"We're lost. Please help." Brandon shouted back. Though his shout was barely audible in that heavily snowy weather.
The guy nodded at a few of his companions and explained a few things in Russian. Brandon looked at them with questioning eyes.
They approached and guided the two towards the others. They gave either of them a thick fur overcoat and started to treat Selena's wound.
*
"I'm Boris." The guy whom had spoken English with them earlier, introduced.
"Brandon." Brandon extended his hand which was shaken by Boris later on. Though not until Boris took off his gloves. After shaking the vampire's hand, he put it back on.
Noticing the question in Brandon's eyes, the Russian man explained. "We don't shake hands with gloves on. It's a display of sincerity." Brandon nodded in understanding.
"Where are you going?" Boris wondered as they resumed walking. Selena was now securely placed on a trolley and was being carried by a few of Boris' companions.
"I don't know. We got lost somewhere along the way." Brandon didn't think stating they were looking for Alexandra's gates would be logical.
"I thought you wanted to attack. That's why Dima shot your friend." He explained. "I'm sorry about that." Boris apologised.
"How is she?" Brandon asked for the zilionth time. Smiling with recognition at his gesture and obvious worry, Boris replied.
"She's okay. Her bleeding has stopped. Worry, you should not." He softly patted Brandon's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.
"You're tired, probably. You should rest." Boris suggested as they got closer to their village.
"Where is here?" Brandon wondered. "Where are we?"
"Yakutsk oblast, It's basically the coldest area in the Russian Federation."
***
Kendall and Cara followed Lauren towards the hills with their speed.
"You should focus now." Lauren began as they approached a seemingly abandoned Synagogue. "There are bats all over this place. Be extra quiet."
"Who are you?" Cara asked again.
"The person who's gonna take you to Alexandra. That's all you should know." Lauren added.
"Just be extra careful to not provoke the bats. They're really aggressive." She restated. Cara and Kendall nodded as they entered the synagogue.
Lauren slowly but steadily lead them forward toward a door in the very back of the building. Cara carefully followed her while Kendall was captivated by the place. It was a clearly ancient building which was constructed for religious purposes and here it was today. Standing tall after all that it had been through during its existence.
Kendall did not notice she stepped on a leaf just until she heard the cracking sound emerge from under her feet.
"Oh fuck." Lauren muttered under her breath when all the bats suddenly started to move. The three vampires ran with all their speed while the rats chased after them.
They stepped into the door they were going toward earlier and ran through it. They were now outside in a hilly land where several caves were located.
Once you get into the wrong cave, there's no way you can come out alive. At least, that's what Cara knew. Since the bats were getting closer, obviously not left behind by their vamp speed.
"Follow me!" Lauren instructed as she used her speed to reach one of the many caves. The bats' wings making a quite frightening noise.
Lauren guided them towards a small door and lead them inside. She jumped in as well right before the bats reached her.
***
"How are you feeling?" Brandon asked.
They were inside a cottage alone together since the Russians had insisted they should rest after a trip that unfortunate, and apologised several times for their misunderstanding.
"I've been better." Selena replied softly. Her voice was barely back to normal thanks to the fire that warmed them up in the fire place and the fur she was wearing.
"I've seen you worse." Brandon began. "But you always rise above everything. This is not going to be an exception." He sincerely meant it.
"Thanks.. I guess?" Selena stated with a small blush making it to her cheeks.
Brandon smiled softly as ran a hand through the brunette's hair. "Anytime." His genuine smile was replaced with a playful one.
"I kind of like you like this! You're way less annoying." He joked with a small smile.
"You like my annoying side better." Selena stated confidently.
"That I do." Brandon replied honestly.
"What are we going to do?" Brandon asked as he also laid down beside Selena on the ground.
"I don't know. I think we should just find a way to get back. Find others.. Hopefully even find the gates." She mused. Though they both knew they were kind of late for the latter.
"I think they've already changed places. We don't stand much of a chance there. Darn that witch." Brandon sighed.
"Well at least we're alive and we're okay. The undead would have made sure we were dead by now. I think if anything, we should thank Christian when we go back." Selena replied.
"You're right. Again." Brandon let out a huff. "Are you ever wrong?"
***
Kendall and Cara found themselves in a room filed with several mirrors. There were a few candles burning and apparently, they had just come out of a mirror.
"Just be thankful those bats let us off the hook easily." Lauren muttered as soon as she exit the mirror. "They've killed quite a lot of trespassers."
"Right." Cara chucked at the memory of them running like idiots.
"Thank you by the way." Kendall uttered. "It was really nice of you to not let us be eaten alive by those sharks."
"Yeah I'm really grateful for that as well." Cara smiled. "Thanks."
"You must be Royals, am I right?" Lauren asked as she ran her gaze from Kendall to Cara and back, analysing the couple.
"Yes" Cara answered with confusion. "How did you know?"
"You're just different. And your eye colour is more intense when you change."
"Oh wow I didn't know that." Cara smiled half heartedly.
"Me neither. Just follow me."
***
"Mom! We have visitors." Lauren called as they entered the large hall.
Apparently, she was Alexandra's daughter. At least that's what Cara and Kendall concluded.
"Darling it's been over a decade that I have had one. Oh! You brought them in?" Alexandra approached them from the other end of the hall, with a surprised expression on her face.
As she got closer, Cara could see her more clearly. She was a very attractive young woman, exceptionally tall with a very good looking body, tanned skin and brown hair with chocolate brown eyes. She looked too good to be the oldest witch alive.
"Dear Lord." Alexandra gasped when she saw Kendall.
"Where did you find them dear?" She asked Lauren.
"They were at the restricted area in the Old City and I saw them earlier too at the club." She replied.
"I can't believe this!" She grabbed Kendall's face and studied it carefully before closing her eyes.
"Kendall! Please tell me that's you! I need to hear it from you too!" The old witch's eyes sparkled with joy. Which planted more seeds of confusion in the vampires' minds.
"Yes. I'm Kendall if that helps. But how do.." Alexandra hugged her real tight. She closed her eyes and leaned into the young vampire.
After she let go, she smiled at Lauren with appreciation. When her attention was finally on Cara, however, her expression changed.
"And you are?" She wondered. "Cara." Cara replied in a strong voice, trying to sound as powerful as she could. "Cara Delevingne."
Alexandra seemed genuinely surprised. "A Royal Bright Sider and a Royal Dark Sider... Together and alive?" She chuckled softly. "This is interesting."
"Let's sit down." Alexandra snapped and a whole set of furniture appeared in the empty space they were standing before.
Cara and Kendall hesitantly sat down while Lauren excused herself. "Thirsty, are you?" Alexandra snapped again and a glass of fresh blood appeared in front of them.
They both grabbed the glasses and took a sip. Feeling the need to drink after the stressful day.
"Tell me everything first." Alexandra began. "And I'll tell you everything as well in return."
*
After finishing the explanation about the undead and all that has been happening lately, Alexandra was surprised.
"It seems to me that what happened eighteen years ago is happening again." She sighed. Cara and Kendall kept it quiet to let her continue but there were a million questions going on in both their heads.
"I remember it like it was just yesterday. Can you believe it?" Alexandra sighed deeply before going on.
"After she was born, Kendall's parents, Albert and Elizabeth, came to me saying that some people were after their lives. And apparently, their daughter's life as well." She stated with a serious expression.
"I remember Albert told me that Kendall needed protection. The Bright Side couldn't really protect you back then. There was the ongoing war."
"Your parents left you with me to protect you and left the Bright domain. Though they never knew who was responsible. No one heard from them for quite some time. I thought we'd be together." Alexandra brushed away a tear that had fallen from her eyes.
"Three years later, Albert and Elizabeth reappeared and got you back. Saying they knew things now they didn't before but they never told me what. Eliza cried her eyes out the night she finally saw you."
"You didn't know her as your mom. And didn't want to leave me. But of course, they took you anyway." Alexandra let tears run down her cheeks freely.
"After that, everyone heard the news of them dying. No one knows who killed them. But apparently, they had hidden Kendall somehwere safe but the domain in general believed that she's dead."
"After searching for years, they gave up. But now I can assure you that they know you exist, Kendall." The witch's voice got dead serious all of a sudden.
"Those people who wanted you dead back then, want the same now. I don't know the reason. But I know it must be the undead's possessor."
"Does it have anything to do with Christian?" Cara wondered.
"He always looked after your father, Cara. He always warned me of a danger that can awaken any time." Alexandra stopped to think for a moment.
"I don't know who the possessor of the undead is or what they want in particular. All I know is, what they want to achieve can change the underworld forever. And not for the better."
***
Brandon was staring at the ceiling listening to Selena's soft breathing. He adored the girl and he knew he adored her too much now to ignore.
Just when he was deep in his thoughts the door was kicked open.
And the undead entered the cottage along with its possessor, causing Selena to jolt awake.
"Nice to see you again, son."
***
Hi everyone!
I hope you're having a great day!
This took longer than usual but there are a lot of clues throughout the whole story that can help you figure out what's going on.
Please please please please tell me what you thought. It inspired me to write a whole lot and I appreciate it !
Love you all!
P.S do you want me to update Double U.. The EFF?