Chapter 46

 Erebus Must Remain Dead

Seb

 Pov(perspective)

"How long does this take?" Seb questioned growing more irritated by the second with the young witch

"It depends, I don't know exactly" 

Jace said with equal frustration. He was desperately trying to find the right ingredients to get the vortex screen back up. It went off shortly after his grandmother's spirit left.

 And Seb has been losing his shit ever since. That was 2 hours ago."Why can't you bring the image back up witch?" 

Seb asked for the one hundredth time

"Half-witch actually and these are complex spells" Jace said dropping blue liquid on The table.

Just like every other time he tried it just sizzled but no picture. 

Which means no Ana. Seb was so worried he felt like his heart running wildly trying to break free of his chest. Jace went back to the cabinets searching for other ingredients. Hopefully some that really works

"So you're a half witch?" Seb asked stopping his pacing

"Yes. Human father, witch mother who hates the craft."

 Jace replied mixing things together. That explains why he isn't as strong as a full witch.Seb didn't really care. All he wanted was for Ana to get out of that vortex. 

He couldn't stop thinking about the moment at the motel. He had the perfect moment to tell Ana how he truly felt and choked.

 Honestly he was still pissed about her kissing this witch boy. But could he blame her?

By now he was sure she wouldn't give him another chance. But was he willing to stand by and watch her be with someone else. Hell no! Sounds selfish, but it's the truth. He'd have to find a way to get back in her good graces.

 That would be easier if the witch kid wasn't around. Seb turned to Jace as he yet again unsuccessfully poured another fluid on the now multicolored table.

Seb didn't really care. All he wanted was for Ana to get out of that vortex. He couldn't stop thinking about the moment at the motel.

 He had the perfect moment to tell Ana how he truly felt and choked. Honestly he was still pissed about her kissing this witch boy. But could he blame her?

By now he was sure she wouldn't give him another chance. But was he willing to stand by and watch her be with someone else. Hell no! Sounds selfish, but it's the truth.

 He'd have to find a way to get back in her good graces. That would be easier if the witch kid wasn't around. Seb turned to Jace as he yet again unsuccessfully poured another fluid on the now multicolored table.

"Ugh it's been too long!" Seb shouted running his hands down his face

"I'm doing the best I can! You're not the only one who loves her you know" Jace said angrily. 

Seb paused his movements and regarded Jace

"Who said anything about love?" Seb questioned taking a step towards him.

 Jace laughed humorlessly taking a matching step until they were face to face.

"You don't need to say it. It's in the way you look at her when she's not watching. It's in your actions since she was sucked in.

 What you don't know is I love her too and I will fight for her" Jace said voice hard and determined. 

Seb half smiled. He admired the boys drive but if he thought himself competition then he needs to think again.

"You know nothing about Ana" Seb challenged

. He spent every day with her the last two years, he was certain the Ana now is nothing like the Ana Jace knows.

"I know now she's some type of supernatural. 

The rest will come when I make her mine" Jace shot back. Seb was starting to get pissed off. He and the witch boy were almost nose to nose. 

The testosterone in the air weighed heavily.

"Touch her and I will break every bone in your body" Seb said ferociously

"Is that a threat?" Jace dared. Seb gave a dark chuckle

"No. It's a guarantee" 

Seb saw Jace's eyes widened slightly before he tried to cover it.

Jace didn't chance to add anything else because Helia bolted awake with a scream. 

Both men separated and Jace ran to his grandmother's aid.

She was panting hard but jumped off taking off out the room.

 They both ran after her. Helia went to the bathroom and started filling the tub with scorching hot water. 

Now is not the time for a bath, Seb thought.

"Grandmother what happened? Where's Ana?" Jace was looking as confused as Seb felt.

The tub was half way full now with more water rushing through.

 Seb couldn't take his eyes off the water. He thought he saw something flash in it but brushed it off as a trick of the light. Helia was still trying to catch her breath.

"Por-portal. She needs an entry point" Helia pulled another vile from her pocket and poured the contents into the water.

Here Jace can't make one good potion and Helia has pockets full of them.

 Jace really must be a half witch after all.

Seb looked back into the tub and this time he was sure he saw something in there. 

And he knew exactly what it was. He moved so quickly he almost knocked Helia out the way as he drove his upper body into the tub.

Seb came back up empty handed but wouldn't dare stop. He dove is arms back into the burning water ignoring the pain as he felt for something, anything.

Suddenly he felt an object.

Seb used both arms to reach in and yank it out with all the force in his body.

Finally Ana emerged from the water gasping.

 Her face was pale, lips blue, she was shaking terribly and even had frost on her eyelashes but Seb had never been happier to have her in his arms. 

He cradled her as tightly as he could on the bathroom floor.

"S-s-s-seb" Ana stuttered. Seb could scream at how relieved he is to hear her sweet voice again.

 In reality she wasn't gone that long but given where she was he wasn't sure he would get her back. 

Seb couldn't help himself and planted hot kisses all over her cold face.

"I-I'm st-still mad at y-y-you" Ana said shivering. Seb didn't fight the laugh that bubbled up. He squeezed her harder trying to warm her before he replied

"You can be mad at me forever if you promise to never scare me like that again…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ana Pov

"This should help" Helia said handing me a steaming cup of what I presumed was tea. I took the large coffee cup and inhaled the steam.

 It smelled of honey. Taking a sip confirmed the liquid to be as sweet as it smelled.

Jace walked into the kitchen carrying a fleece blanket.

 He gently wrapped the soft material around my shoulders. I smiled gratefully at him. 

Jace returned the smile and then frowned at Seb's hand on the small of my back before taking a seat in the chair on the opposite side of me.

I have been back from the vortex for about twenty minutes and in that time Seb hasn't once left my side.

 What's up with him? Maybe he was worried about me not making it out. Not that I blame him since I was worried too.

"So how'd you get out?" Jace asked curiously.

"Well" I started but stopped, thinking to the moment I dived off the cliff. 

It was the scariest thing I'd done but I knew I had to. I lifted my head up to see Helia.

 She was standing at the stove stirring something in a big pot with her back to me. Her final words drifted through my mind before she left me in the vortex.

"I followed my instincts" I finally admitted "

And they lead me to the edge of a cliff. I dove off into the freezing water. 

For a moment when I was under I felt like I'd made a mistake.

 But then I saw a shimmering light further down. The next thing I knew Seb was pulling me out of a bathtub." 

I ended taking another sip of the hot tea.

Helia came back to the table and sat across from us just like when we first arrived here. Seeing her there brought a lot of questions to my mind.

"So Celeste was the creator of vampires" I stated to get my thoughts organized

"Yes. The first immortal" Helia responded

"Okay. 

And one thousand years ago a war started on Nexus because this Erebus guy wanted all the power.

 Celeste sacrificed herself to imprison him right?" 

I asked

Helia nodded.

"Does that mean she's dead?"

 I questioned even though I was sure of the answer.

"Does that mean she's dead?" I questioned even though I was sure of the answer

"Mostly likely" 

Helia replied. I couldn't hide the disappointment on my face. 

A part of me held hope she was strong enough to survive even without her crystal heart. This brings me to my next question

"What happened to her baby? The daughter she gave her powers to?"

 Helia looked at me with something in her eyes I couldn't decipher before responding.

"My grandmother and I took her though the portal.

 When we arrived on earth my grandmother used a similar spell to the one used on Erebus. Except this one put the baby in a timeless slumber.

 The child was engulfed in an unbreakable cocoon and laid deep in the earth's core until the rising spell was performed"

 Helia explained looking intently at me.

 I glanced at Jace and Seb who both looked equally confused by the story.

For some reason I wasn't.

"Where is she now?" My voice quivered a little but I brushed it off as after effects from my journey.

 Helia smiled a slow full smile that had me nervous for her reply. 

She then took the finger of her right hand and drew small circles on the palm of her left. When she was done she held the palm up.

"You tell me" Helia said.

The center of her hand had transformed into a mirror. 

The image that it reflected was me.

 I was so startled I jumped out of my chair sending it crashing to the floor.

"Me! I-I'm the baby"

 my words at the end came out as a whisper, more to myself than anything.

"How is that possible? She's eighteen?!" Seb asked

"Why didn't you tell me she was the daughter of Celeste?" Jace jumped in to say before Helia could respond to Seb. 

I wasn't paying much attention to them though, because my mind was reeling from the new piece of information.

Celeste was my real mother. It all makes sense really. The way she looked like me. 

Her smile that made me feel at home. 

Now that I think about it, she even called me daughter! 

Geez I can be so stupid sometimes. How'd I miss that!

"Jace-" Helia started but I cut her off.

"I met my mother. The real one!" 

I said still stunned by it. In the next instance sadness took over because I knew that would be the last time I ever saw her. 

I had so many questions for her that she would never answer.

"Technically yes Celeste is your birth mother, but Lucy Walker is your mother too" 

Helia reminded me.

"So Lucy's story about taking me from cloaked people is true" 

I shot out a little irritably.

 My anger at the woman who raised me was still there apparently.

"Yes. I needed to make sure the location was correct. That's when I started going to the library where she worked. 

Lucy over heard some things and followed me and the other witches the night of your rising. 

You came out so forcefully it knocked us unconscious"

 Helia informed us.

"And that's when she took me…" I added putting the pieces together.

"Right. 

I found you a few days later but witches believe everything happens for a reason. So I left you in her care" she explained.

Everything happens for a reason my ass! What's the reason for years of bullying and torture? To build character?! Yeah right. 

My sarcastic thoughts must have showed on my face because Helia narrowed her eyes at me

"No family is perfect Analise remember that.

 Lucy may not have been the perfect mother but she loved you. That's a fact" 

Helia's lecturing was frustrating but I tried my best not to let it get to me.

 She just doesn't understand how I feel about being lied to my whole life.

"Okay whatever, so I'm some thousand year old daughter of the first immortal. What's this all add up to now?" 

I'm missing something big here and I need to know what.

"Technically you are 18 since you didn't start aging until you rose. 

But it all matters now because Erebus is due to rise again"

 the words Helia spoke sent a chill down my spine. I pray she's not serious.

"I-I thought Celeste..." 

My voice trailed off mostly from fear

"No she didn't kill him. Only imprison him but the spell is wearing off.

 Soon his body will be free and he will come for you" Helia told me

"I don't know who this guy is but he won't get near Ana"

 Seb jumped to defend me like usual.

"Erebus is only the most dangerous and powerful vampire is history.

 If there is even a chance he's coming for Ana I'm sure she'll need more than you to protect her Seb" Jace chimed in venomously.

No, no, no this can't be happening! When I was in the past I never saw Erebus but I felt the fear in the room that surrounded his name.

 This vampire killed my father, brother and mother.

 He is the reason I'm here.

 Celeste knew he would have killed me too had I stayed in Nexus.

 And now Helia is basically saying this crazy creature is coming back for me! What the hell am I supposed to do now?

"I can't fight him! What do I do?" I asked timidly.

 Helia walked toward me and gently took my hand in hers.

"Hopefully you won't have to dear. 

Even though Erebus prison will free his body, he has been hibernating for a thousand years. That being said he won't be able to awake without-

"Blood!" 

I cut Helia off to say. She nodded in agreement.

 I could literally feel relief wash over me. As long as Erebus doesn't get any blood he can't awaken and come after me.

"Yes he needs blood to completely break the spell and not just any blood. 

But the blood of one of his descendants" Helia explained walking back over to her boiling pot. 

I wondered briefly what she was cooking at this time of night.

 It didn't smell good or bad to me, but Seb would scrunch his face every so often clearly not enjoying the aroma.

"Who are his descendants?" Seb asked.

"Do they even know about him?"

 Jace added.

This was the first time I noticed the tension in both their bodies. 

It was like they were having a contest on who could stick their chest out the furthest.

 I'm going to guess something happened between Seb and Jace when I was in the vortex. Now is not the time for me to bring it up though.

"Erebus only had one son.

 His son's name is Ferox. The vampires know him as king Ferox the current ruler of vampires" 

Helia said not turning around.Silence surrounded the room.

 I knew what everyone, except Helia, was thinking. The current feared vampire king is the son of Erebus.

 That's just fucking great! With the father being who he is I can only imagine how the son is.

We all still stood there silently in our own thoughts.

 Each of us not knowing what to say. Helia of course had more "good" news to add

"King Ferox has two children, Princess Catalina and Prince Cassius. 

These are the only vampires whose blood could raise the ruthless Erebus. All you have to do is kill the "royal" family"

 Helia told us like it was a simply plan. 

Has she lost her mind? I can't just go kill royal vampires.

 I'm not some secret vampire assassin.

 My only training has come from Seb, a human, might I add.

"Helia, you're asking the wrong person. This isn't my fight!" 

At this point I don't care that I sound whiny but she has no right putting this on me. It's too much for one person to bear.

Seb tapped me on the shoulder.

 I turned to him noting his face and body was hard and ridged.

"Ana, I need to call and check on Marie. I'll be right back" he said. I half nodded and seconds later the front door was closing.

The three of us stood in an uncomfortable silence. 

Helia wiped her hands on a towel before slowly approaching Jace and me.

 She looked between the two of us before sighing loudly. 

What does she have to sigh about? It's not like I asked her to take down a group of powerful vampires or something.

Helia walked out the kitchen leaving Jace and I staring after her. 

A minute later she returned with a book in her hand.

 It was brown leather bound book that looked old from the cracks along the binding and cover.

 Even the pages looked crinkled and yellowed.

"Here" 

she said handing me the book.

 "This should give you more information on the vampires you must kill" 

I took the book from her hands but didn't bother to open it. 

I'm assuming she didn't hear me earlier when I refused this mission.