Damion is pacing in the forest as Tasha and his grandmother are practicing magic, sitting under a large oak tree. He can sit down too, like Evarius, who is sitting a few feet away with his eyes on Tasha. Damion stops to look at him carefully and thinks that either Evarius is just a really good actor or he is thinking of something entirely different or he is in love with Tasha because the softness in his gaze is such that Damion feels like he is intruding on something very personal or intimate. He looks away and starts pacing again. He does not think he can take just sitting and doing nothing. Maybe Evarius is okay with it because it seems like the girl he cares about is right in front of him, but not Damion. His Lilia is far away, in danger.His heart aches as he imagines the situations in which Lilia could be right now. He is not even sure if she is pregnant. Does Lilia know herself? What a beautiful moment it would have been for them had the situation been different. But now, Lilia
Carl, Luther, and Garrit are on edge, waiting for the Junta’s reply. It’s been over half an hour, and there has been nothing.“Maybe they are not interested,” says Luther.“Or maybe,” says Garrit, “they just need some time to come to a decision. We are not exactly friends. Are we?”Carl likes Garrit’s reasoning better, maybe because he himself wants to believe that. Then, suddenly, they notice smoke in the middle of the room. A golf ball-sized ball of smoke just hangs in mid-air, then a crumpled-up paper falls to the floor, and the smoke vanishes.“It’s them,” Luther exclaims.Carl grabs the paper off the floor. His hands shake a little as he opens it. It says, “We are ready to meet.”There is also a mobile number.“Yes!” says Luther, who had read the message from the other side.Carl immediately takes out his phone and dials the number.*Tasha has been sitting under the tree with Anastasia for about two hours now, or at least that’s what it feels like to her. She hasn’t checked the
Carl and Luther are driving to Arrowall. Garrit and some other members will follow them sometime later. They didn’t want to head down to the town all at the same time and make it look like a procession. So, they have decided to come in batches.Carl is the one driving, and they are about one hour into the trip when his phone pings with a message. He glances at it, expecting it to be Garrit, but it’s not. The name on the screen makes his heart flutter with anxiousness. It’s Evarius.With one hand on the wheel, he unlocks the phone with the other and quickly reads the message.“What is it?” Luther asks. “You look tense.”“Evarius just texted me. He wants to meet.”Carl turns the phone to Luther so he can read the text.“He doesn’t say why?” Luther asks.“Nope. Just one message. What should I do?”“The timing is fishy, don’t you think?”“Yeah, yeah, of course. We contact the Junta, and within two hours, Evarius contacts us. Looks like he knows...”“But how?”Carl shrugs, “It could be a c
Carl turns around to look at what is happening with the four people and is surprised to see the girl standing and the men on the floor. He had felt that she is not a vampire, which had led him to deduce that maybe she is a werewolf or a hybrid. It hadn’t crossed his mind that she might be a witch. From the look on Luther’s face, he had not anticipated this as well. Carl sees Luther being pushed back by whatever the girl had done and knows that now they are screwed. He and Luther had planned to make one perfect move that would let them escape. Meeting Evarius would have meant they would know what he wants, which they could have told the Junta after escaping. But now Carl feels that their one chance to make a move has been messed up.Before Carl can even get to Luther, he sees a blur that is Evarius get off the ground, seize both of Luther’s hands, rotate them and pin them behind his back.“Aaaagh,” Luther screams.Carl is feeling panicky now. If Luther is in pain, he would hardly be ab
Carl directs Damion to drive to the town museum. It is actually the largest museum in the city. When Carl asks Damion to stop right in front of the museum, he exclaims, “You’ve got to be kidding me! You are saying that you have kept the Alexandrite stone in the museum. That it was here all along?”“Yes. But I doubt anyone would find it unless they know exactly what they are looking for and exactly where to look.”“But still,” Damion says, “the stone is so important to you, and you kept it in a place that hundreds of people visit regularly.”“The best hiding places are in plain sight,” Carl replies, as Damion parks the car and all of them get out of it.The sunset is not far, and the sky now has a tinge of orangish-red. The museum has reached its closing hours. So, Carl compels the museum guard, and they walk inside.Carl directs them around the paintings and then through a photo gallery where a lot of small relics are kept. All of these have historical significance. Tasha looks around
Damion has been following Carl stealthily for over ten minutes now. He has walked away from the museum and seems to be walking back to the place they had met him and Luther today. Damion wonders if Luther would be waiting there for him, though Carl does not seem to have contacted him. He hadn’t called him, at least. Maybe he had sent a text, and Damion had missed it. But why go back there? He could simply climb up the hill and go home. The car wouldn’t take him there anyway. Once they have walked, jogged, and jumped for over twenty minutes, Carl finally reaches the spot. As there is an open field around, Damion cannot get much nearer, so he hides behind a tree that is closest to Carl and observes him carefully.Carl took out his phone and called someone. Damion focuses all his attention on hearing what he is saying.“I am here,” Carl says. “Where are you?”“Almost there.”Damion hears a faint voice from the other side. It most probably is Luther, and sure enough because now he can see
Tyrus and Sabina have spent their morning in the house like everyone else. Damion had returned late last night, and now that they know Carl is working with the Junta, the anticipations in the house are running high. They don’t really know what to expect from the entire thing. Tyrus and Sabina are standing on the balcony, looking into the distance.“You know what,” says Tyrus, “just sitting around the house and doing nothing is making me restless.”“Same,” says Sabina. “Why do you think the Junta has collaborated with Carl? What can they possibly want from him?”“More protection?”“Maybe, and maybe in exchange, he will get Lilia... this is dreadful...”It surely is. Even thinking about it is making Tyrus’ blood boil.“Let's go out for a bit,” he says.“Okay.”The town does not have a lot to see. It seemed like they had seen everything there was to see yesterday. But they still keep walking and talking around the same streets, the same houses, shops, and parks.*Carl had reached the Ju
Tasha has been practicing all day. She stopped for lunch when she heard about the attack on Tyrus and Sabina, which only made her resolve to get better and stronger. The quicker she is ready, the quicker she can save Lilia and maybe handle other things as well. All the while she has been practicing, Evarius has been giving her advice and assistance. He has been really helpful. Tasha has been doing most of the practice in the garden behind the mansion.“You don’t have to stay out here all the time, you know?” Tasha says to Evarius.“I know, but I want to.”“Aren’t you bored?”“By what? You? Never.”He looks at her so intently that it makes her blush. She looks away, and it takes a few minutes for her to get her concentration and focus again. After about half an hour, Evarius asks, “Would you like something to drink? A smoothie, perhaps?”“Sure. You going out to buy some?”“Oh, no, I’ll make two.”“Okay! I’ll come inside in fifteen.”Evarius leaves, and Tasha continues her meditation. B