Danica sat up straight on the bed with Selene sitting beside her and Helia, Brient, and Rendall standing with their full focus on her."How are you feeling?" Brient asked."I've never felt better," Danica beamed. She never thought she would be grateful for life as much as she was. Unlike the past few days, her skin was glowing without blood stains, her eyes were bright; they weren't dull and red. Her hair was straight and in place, her clothes were not torn, the air wasn't stale, the room wasn't stuffy and she wasn't held in chains without any freedom. "Did you know that Helia was the one who saved you?" Rendall glanced at Helia and smiled before looking back at Danica. He was hoping that his childhood friend would get along with his mate after she learned of how his mate had saved her."Yes I do," Danica smiled. She looked at Helia. "You were really awesome. What you did was risky and Mac could have used his silver bullets on you but you did not mind. You chose to save me. I'm grate
"Danica," Helia called out nervously and Danica smiled at her."I got shocked at how close you both had gotten and I dropped my glass," Danica said."Dani—""Four weeks of me being in chains and slavery has really changed my mindset," Danica chipped in. "I had enough time to reflect on myself. You shouldn't worry about what I'll think. I'm no longer the old Danica. I came here to get water since—"Helia and Rendall glanced at each other. Their faces turned apart and they pulled away from each other."I'm sorry for interrupting.""It's okay," Helia and Rendall replied in unison."I'd help you with the shattered glass. You just recovered and need to rest."Danica smiled at Helia's offer of help. "It would be wrong to trouble you for my mistake. Don't worry. I'd do it myself."As Rendall watched Helia and Danica argue in order not to trouble the other, he smiled in satisfaction. He thought of how his and Danica's disappearance was a blessing in disguise. He was satisfied with how Danica
Brient roared in laughter."Both of you really crack me up," He remarked and continued laughing. "Selene? My mate? Very funny.""She is your mate. You'd regret it if you lose her," Rendall warned and Brient smirked."I'm not like you, Rendall.""You should go after Selene. She's at Ocean Ville. Go to Ocean Ville," Helia said. "You miss her, right? Go to her if you do.""There are much more important things to do, like going to Nyx's house to find clues. This is what we should be talking about.""We can find Nyx ourselves," Rendall assured Brient. "You should not worry too much. Just go to Ocean Ville. You can just pay at least a visit to her.""I'm not doing that," Brient huffed. "The only place I'd be paying a visit to is Nyx's house. We should begin preparing. We will go to Nyx's house in two days.""Go to Ocean Ville. We would go to Nyx's house," Helia persisted."I won't," Brient refused. "Let's forget about Selene and talk about how we would get to Nyx's house.""Now?" Rendall as
Rendall and Helia talked and laughed heartily as they waited for their bus. Brient was seated with them too but he showed no interest in whatever discussion they were having. He just sat quietly and when they both tried to engage him in their conversation, Brient just stared at them without saying a word. After so many fruitless efforts, they gave each other knowing looks, sighed, and continued with their conversation without trying to involve Brient. Since Selene's departure, Brient had not been his usual self. He became aloof contrasting his usual jovial and outgoing former self. Brient had become a shadow of his former self. "Helia," A voice called out and Helia beamed when she saw it was Danica. She waved happily at Danica who smiled at her and walked to them in a haste despite the huge luggage that was with her. "Move away I want to sit with my friend," she said to Rendall, and Rendall's mouth hung agape. "Have you forgotten that I am your childhood friend?" Rendall frowned at
"Are you saying that there is another house under the one you live in?" Rendall asked and the young boy nodded. He glanced at the others and then looked back at the boy. "What about the older man?" "Anytime grandpa comes back from the farm, he always goes into a deep sleep in seconds. Immediately he enters the house from the farm, he slumps on the couch and goes into slumber." "Take us to the house," Brient demanded in a flat tone. "Come along." The boy beckoned them and as he walked toward the backyard of the cottage, they followed suit. They got to the backyard and stopped in front of a heap of grass. The little boy bent down and with his hands, he pushed the grass away, and Danica gasped. The grass was covering a door that lay horizontally on the ground. Rendall took out his key but before he could hand it over to the little boy, the boy had pulled the door open, revealing long, spiral stairs that went way down. He took a few steps down the stairs and looked back at them. Hel
Rendall, Helia, Brient, and Danica were awe-stricken as they got to the base. Shelves with books that were as tall as a skyscraper surrounded the room. There was a section of the shelves that were filled with elixirs, magic potions, and spells."Now this is what can give us clues," Helia said as she looked around.The room they had stepped into wasn't the only room. As they took a tour around the place, they were bedazzled. The place had so many luxurious bedrooms and playrooms."This place is big enough to be a hotel," Brient commented and the rest concurred. They wondered how Nyx was able to stay in the room alone."This must be her workshop," Danica said as they got back to the first room they had entered."It is," Brient affirmed. "This place has her spells." He pointed to a shelf with the label spell."Her spell books, magic portions, all ingredients for making her magic potions, medicines, and even the solution to all of her curses," Brient announced as he pointed to each of the
"Let me see," Helia said and Rendall handed hers over to her. Immediately after, she snatched it from his hand in a hurry, unfolded the paper, and as she did, she stared at the paper in confusion."My paper is blank," Helia announced as she waved it for everyone to see."Mine too," Rendall said."Is this a prank or what?" Danica thundered. "What if, just like this paper, this room she had given the key to is empty of the clues she had promised?""Let me see the paper," Brient said to Rendall and Helia and they both handed their paper over to him."Fading ink," Brient muttered thoughtfully."What are you saying?" Danica asked."Some pieces of information are very confidential. People like Nyx are cautious. She must have used ink that would disappear in seconds when she wrote this. These words can only reappear if the person at the receiving end knows what to do. Whatever you need to make these words reappear must surely be in this room. It might be oil, powder, a special kind of light,
"I was the one who persuaded her to do it," Danica said quickly as she heard Brient's angry voice. "I'm really sorry."Helia's head was bowed to the ground. Today was the first time Brient had raised his voice at her. "Danica, stop trying to take the blame for my misdeed.""Helia," Brient called out in a mellowed voice. Helia raised her head and she saw Brient and Rendall standing in front of her. "I apologize for what I did. I just thought that it'd help if there was an elevator in place of a staircase.""Helia," Brient called her name again, gently. "This is dark magic. You shouldn't toy with it. For every spell you make, there's always something you would have to pay. Nyx's last pay was death. Don't ever make magic potions again. Okay?""Okay," Helia beamed and Brient gave her a pat on the back."I know that Helia shouldn't have used Nyx's spell book but can you imagine, she used it and it worked. She isn't a witch and it worked." Rendall was excited and Danica frowned at his exci