Rosalyn's POV
I stood there, bewildered, surprised, frightened, with the open sarcophagus in front of me. In it, lay the woman whom the Blackwoods claimed as their sister.
"How could you keep so important, hidden away from us?" Amber said.
"It is what she would have wanted." He said.
"We could not reveal her secret until we felt there was no option left." Aurora said.
Meanwhile, I was looking at her features. She was dressed in a blue, medieval gown, her wavy, honey blond hair was let lose, a few strands of which curled up on her neck and face. Her face was as pale as snow, her lips the colour of peach. She looked serene and peaceful. It was then that I noticed a ring on her finger, with a familiar baby pink coloured stone embedded into it.
"Was she a rose quartz attuned witch?"
"No. Half witches like we were, don't have attunements. We can only perform spell magic by siphoning other objects or creatures. We don't have the power to generate our own magic." Vincent said.
"But what about this ring?" I said, pointing at the pink stoned ring.
"That is our mother's. Our sister drew the magic from her ring before dying and put up a preservation spell on her, which would prevent her body from decomposing." Damien explained.
"A preservation spell? Do you know anything about it?" I said to Amber.
"Yes. Preservation spells are too complicated and tricky. If performed properly, you can preserve a body for centuries."
"What about an anti preservation spell? We have to bring her to life." I said.
"I know how to break the spell, but neither have I done something like this before, nor seen anyone else doing it."
"What do we need to do?"
"We need an article of hers which she held very dear, the blood of the witch who can break the spell, which will be you since you have the same attunement with which Genevieve's body is preserved, the blood from a person directly related to her, Ephedra and the blood of the Alpha of the Lycan Wolf Pack."
"Wait, will there be werewolves involved too?" Stella said excitedly.
"Yes. Werewolves were created by witches. They derive their bloodline from ours. The Alpha's blood is considered to be of the purest variety of werewolf blood, and so, we need it to break the spell. " Amber said.
"But what is so special about the Lycan Pack?" I said.
"The wolves of the Lycan Pack were the first werewolves to be created by witches. The magic that they have in their body is more concentrated than any other Pack's blood."
"So, when do we go?"
"Today."
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At dawn
Kristen's POV
My body was still throbbing with immeasurable pain, fangs threatening to reappear in my mouth. I had the sickening urge for human blood. I needed it. My stomach grumbled in agreement. I felt every emotion with so much more detail. It felt as if I was living under a microscope, where everything was enlarged. I could hear the chirping of birds like bursting loudspeakers, the rustling of leaves like sliding, rusty glass doors and the cool breeze blowing in the early morning hours howled at me. I put my hands to my ears, trying to put an end to the noise, but nothing worked.
"You need blood." Aurora said as I was standing in the balcony of the Blackwoods' mansion.
"I don't know. It is like I want to have it, but at the very next moment, I feel guilty about it."
"You don't have to feel ashamed of anything." Stella said, coming outside. "It feels bad, rather should I say, worst in the beginning, but soon, you get accustomed to it."
"I don't know if I can ever get used to such a hunger. I feel like I want to tear down the entire world and get what I want, but then the realization would hit me in the head, and I would feel guilty of it yet again." I said as my stomach grumbled, louder this time.
"I can't do anything about that, but all I know is that we need to fix this situation right now, lest it may get worse." Aurora said.
"What do you mean?"
"It means that you are going to drink real human blood."
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Outside, the road seemed mostly barren, with only a few vehicles driving by occassionally.
"How are we--"
"Shh..." Aurora shushed Stella as I noticed a man, in his early thirties jogging up towards us.
"He." Aurora whispered in my ear, which sounded like someone shouting in a microphone. "Excuse me." She waved at him, as the man halted to a stop. I could hear the thumping of his heart in his chest with the workout, the adrenaline pumping in his body, and the smell of his blood. Human blood. I tried not to turn into my vampire form with every bit of strength in my body.
"How may I help you?" He said, breathing heavily.
Aurora walked up to him, and stared right into his eyes. "Don't make any sound. Do as you are told." She said. The man nodded obediently. She then turned to look at me. "Feed on him."
"I..." I was already blinded with the desire for blood that I could not help but give in. I moved in his direction, and in a flash, I was right in front of him. He looked at me in the eye with a blank face. I wanted to grab him and sink my newly-shaped fangs into his tender throat.
Aurora told me to hold the man and so I did, with my trembling hands.
"Good. Find the spot where the vein runs across his neck.
I brushed my cold fingers on the side of his neck. The vein streaked across his skin and I could hear the blood rushing through it.
"Now slowly and carefully... bite down."
I brought down my mouth to the man's neck. He smelled like cheap soap and linen, but also the most delicious meal I had ever had, more alluring than ant wine. As I rested the point of my fangs against his neck, his heart began to race, sending the blood rushing to his veins, the sound defeaning. I could not help it any longer. My fangs punctured her skin, sinking into the rich vein.
"Easy!" Stella gasped.
As the blood touched my tongue, I moaned in pleasure.
"Now detach your fangs and take just a couple of small pulls."
I hesitated, and Aurora rested a hand on the back of my neck and squeezed gently.
"Release."
I followed her order and retracted my fangs.
"Good. Now drink slowly."
I covered the bite marks with my mouth, sucking. Blood rushed down my throat, hot and exhilarating. I could feel it flood me, invigorating me, as if I was drinking hot pulsing light. I could feel it course through my muscles, my limbs, healing me, strengthening me.
The man arched against me as I fed, sating the hunger deep inside me.
"That should be enough for now."
But it was not nearly enough. I grabbed the man's waist in a bruising grip and growled, gulping down as much blood as I could.
"Ah... please..." The man said his voice merely a whisper.
"Kristen!" Aurora shouted, squeezing the back of my neck again, and I released the man, to turn and hiss at her. Only then I realised how pale the man had become.
"Oh... Oh my god. I'm so sorry..."
"Don't worry. The first time always sucks. You will improve as you feed more. Let us get inside before someone sees us." Aurora said as we followed her inside.
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Rosalyn's POV
"How come no one knows about this place?" I said to Amber as she, Vincent and I walked past the trees on the marshy landscape.
"This area is cloaked from mundanes. Only supernatural creatures can detect its presence."
The sound of people talking and children playing around became clearer.
"Remind me why we brought Vincent here?"
"At least he can be of some use because of his vampire strength."
I sighed. 'When will she understand that she can trust him?' I thought.
After what seemed like hours of rummaging through the forest, we finally reached the spot. It was a cleared out part of the forest and somewhat seemed like a mini village.
"Who are you?" A man, in his late twenties, with long blond hair and blond beard approached us.
"We are the Valerian witches. We need to see your Alpha." Amber said.
The man let out an amusing laugh. "Do you think I am a fool? Valerian witches do not exist anymore." He continued laughing.
"Not on my watch. Et spiritum ducitis sectetur." Amber clicked her fingers as the man flew to the right hitting a nearby tree.
"Amber, you can't act like this! At least not here." I said.
"People who tend to get on my nerves often suffer like that." She said, walking towards the human settlements.
"Are you visitors?" I had not noticed but a young girl, about the age of five had walked up to me. Her strawberry blond hair, bright blue eyes and freckles on her pale skin made her look innocent.
I knelt down to her level. "Yes. May I know what your name is?"
"Luna." She smiled.
"Luna is a beautiful name. We wanted to meet your Alpha."
"Stop being so kind with everyone Rose."
"Sometimes, kindness does more good than bad." I said.
"You want to meet the Alpha? Come with me. I will take you to dad!" She said, running inside a nearby hut. Moments later, she emerged from inside, a man in his early thirties, with long brown hair and brown facial hair behind her.
"Dad, they wanted to see you." The little girl said, tugging onto his shirt. The man furrowed his eyebrows.
"We mean no harm." I said.
"... Let us talk inside." He proposed as walked in the hut.
Once in, he sat on a chair at the centre of the room, with his daughter on his lap. He asked us to sit on the nearby chairs.
"So who are you?"
"The two of us are the Valerian witches, and he is one of the First Vampires."
The man seemed confused for a second, before a young woman with brown, wavy hair entered the hut.
"Do we have a problem in here?" She said.
"...No. Octavia, take Luna with you. I have to talk with the guests." The young man said. The woman took Luna's hand in hers and left after staring us from top to bottom.
"What do you want from us?"
"We need your blood to perform an anti preservation spell."
"And why should I help you? Witches, werewolves and vampires are not the closest of friends afterall." He leaned back in his chair.
"We are not here to harm you, and it were not the Valerian witches who trapped you in here. They were the Salem witches, led by the Original Vampire, Nathaniel Blackwood."
"You mean the father of this gentleman right here?"
Vincent nodded guilty.
"That gives me more of a reason to not help you people."
"Please, believe us. We promise we won't do anything bad." I said.
"The worst has already been done. The curse has kept us away from human civilization. It is only on the full moons that we can get out of here. Do you even know the way we have been living until now?" He said furiously.
"... We will help you lift the curse if you promise to give us your blood." Amber said as I stared at her. 'What was she even thinking?'
The man paused for a second. "... We need to negotiate. Only the two of us." He said, before getting up as Amber followed suit. The two of them headed outside and started talking in muffled voices.
After some minutes, which seemed like an eternity, Amber entered the room.
"Did he agree?" Vincent said.
"Werewolves don't know how to settle matters peacefully..."
"What do you mean?" I said.
"They want a duel with Vincent the next hour. A fight till death."
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So, what are your thoughts on this chapter? Let me know in the comments section down below!
Will Vincent survive the duel? What will happen to Genevieve? Read on to find out!
Until then,
Goodbye,
-Adrianna