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CHAPTER ELEVEN.

(Southern Svetyland)

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Damien placed his hand on the wheel, trying to banish all thoughts of Freya from his mind. He shouldn’t be attracted to any woman whatsoever. All he should think about should be having them in his beds and arms. But, even as he thought this it was so difficult to get her out of his mind.

He steered the car into his home and got out. This was the perfect camouflage to act like he was normal, at least till he got the truth out of Freya.

Two vampires were stationed at the door, as he stepped into the threshold. They greeted him, but he didn’t respond. He walked blindly to his room and shut the door behind him. Everything here was dark, but his glowing eyes made it easy to navigate the room. Damien hated the light and anything to do with it.

“Damn it!” He cursed fluidly.

He walked over to his mini bar and brought out a whiskey bottle, which didn’t contain whisky. It was filled to the brim with blood; human blood. Without bothering with a glass, he chugged down its content. This was…

He saw her face once more, as she looked at him in fright. It annoyed him that she was afraid of him. Damn it. Her lips, they had been so sensuous and full.

His feet moved before he could get it back. He dug his hands in his cloak bringing out the portable device. “Freya,” he whispered as he brought out his phone from his pocket. His red eyes seemed to glow with a dark desire that stunned them as he looked down at her number.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Ethan and his mother sat in the quiet dining of their home, their faces set in harsh lines. They kept staring at Elizabeth’s favorite chair, as they tried in vain to drink the black coffee and toast.

“This is too much!” Ethan snapped angrily.

Elizabeth’s mother sniffed in response. “I don’t understand anything. What did Freya tell you when you got to her place?” She asked as she touched the rim of her cup.

Ethan pushed his hair from his eyes, anger spilling out of him in waves. “She claimed that my sister left before her, which doesn’t make sense. You know how tight they both are. Why would my sister leave first?” He shouted, angrily.

His mother sighed. “Your sister never liked parties. I shouldn’t have forced her to attend this one. Where do I start from? My child…” she said absently, her throat thick with tears.

Ethan sprang to his feet suddenly, making his mom clutch her chest in panic. He glared at the center of the table. “We have to start from somewhere mother. We can’t afford to grow weak now. Come on, let’s go,” he said with a voice of steel.

His mom got up slowly, her face barely leaving his face. She seemed to have aged overnight. “Tell me, where are we going? Your sister might come back anytime soon, and we need to be here to welcome her when she does. You know that she gets scared when she is all alone at home. We need her to…”

“Mom,” Ethan said softly, cutting off the words. He moved closer to his mother and placed a hand on her arm. He wasn’t much of a toucher, but he was aware that his mother was breaking down so fast. He had to stall it, bring her back to the harsh reality that they faced. “Mom, Elizabeth is missing. As much as I would wish for her to step in here, and be such a light in the darkness, it doesn’t change the truth. We need to go report to the police station,” he enunciated each word, making sure it registered with his mom.

She almost collapsed in front of him, but he held her up firmly. The tick of the clock showed that time was slowly slipping from their hands. They had to do something.

“Ethan, this is a nightmare, right?” She asked in a panic. “I mean, your sister is just playing a silly prank, and she will get back soon. Then she’d go up to her room, and stick her beautiful head in the sea of books she is always lost in,” she said with a voice filled with a voice full of hope.

Ethan closed his eyes for a split second, trying his best to mask the pain he was feeling which was like a living thing in his chest. He hadn’t come to terms that his sister hadn’t made her appearance since last night. It was a hard pill to swallow.

He took his mother’s hands in his. “Mom, we will find her. But, we need to make a move first. We can’t just wait for her here. We have to make moves so that it doesn’t aggravate into something beyond our control,” he said softly.

Ethan watched as his mother digested the words he had said, and then, she retracted her hands from him, only for her to grip him by the hands, leading him out of the house. Their breakfast was a distant memory on the dining table.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

She drove them calmly to the police station. Ethan could see the tears in her eyes, but his mother was going to look for her daughter, and nothing would stop her from finding her. Her hands were shaking as they groped the steering wheel. Ethan placed a hand on hers. She gave him a sideways look and was almost at the point of crying.

“Stop the car by the side, mom.” He said softly.

She swerved left, almost hitting a tree in the process. The tree was so out of place that they jerked backwards in response. When their breathing had become more stable, Ethan got out of the car and walked over to his mom. He pulled open the door, and then with firm hands brought her out.

Without words, he cradled her in his arms. His mother cried softly on him. She never cried...never. It tore into Ethan’s heart, as his heart constricted in pain. ‘Where are you Elizabeth?’ He asked in his heart.

She pulled back and touched his cheek fondly. “I’m so sorry. Come, let’s go. we have to find your sister,” she said with determination.

He nodded firmly, his face set in a scrawl as he helped his mother to get into the passenger seat. He took the wheels, and without words, they drove into the city.

Soon, he got to the police station. His mother — Mrs Pott, didn’t wait for him to come and open her doors, she pulled them open and stepped out on the cobblestone. Ethan moved ahead of her, and together they made their way to the office. There were a few people in there, looking worn-out, and depressed. Ethan took note of an officer in dark spectacles, talking animatedly with one of the civilians. He assumed that the man could be of help to them, and walked over, his mother not far behind. “Hello, officer,” he started.

The officer turned toward him with a look of annoyance on his face. “Wait over there,” he snapped.

Ethan swallowed. “Please, don’t say that. This is a case of life and death. Hear us out,” he pleaded.

The officer turned his back on him. Ethan tried harder to get their attention, but nothing. His mother led him back to a bench at the corner of the room where other people were also waiting like them. Her eyes were sad as she took in the lack of humanity in front of them.

After fifteen minutes, Ethan tried once more to get the officer’s attention, but there was nothing upcoming. He was simply snubbed and told off like he was nothing but a petulant child. In a rage, he stormed out of the station.

“Ethan! Ethan!” His mother called out after him, but he barely listened. He didn’t even turn.

Ethan went back into the car, and drove off, leaving his mother screaming his name. He drove wildly, his eyes blinded with tears, and a storming inferno raged in his heart. The land caved forward, and before long, he was in Freya’s compound.

Not bothering to pack, he stepped out of the car and walked to the front door. His hand turned to fists, as he banged on the door. Freya opened the door, and almost got hit by Ethan. Her eyes went wild in panic, as she stared at him. “What’s…”

“Where is Elizabeth, Freya? Where is my sister?” He shouted angrily?

She licked her lips slowly. “She is not here Ethan. I told you when you came here the last time,” she said softly.

Ethan stepped into the house, hitting Freya with his shoulder. “You’re lying. You know where she is,” he cried.

Freya shook her head frantically. “I swear I don’t know. I wouldn’t lie about something like this,” she cried.

Ethan whipped his head back with a hardened glare in his eyes as he cornered Freya against the wall, with his fist connecting against the wall in a resonating tone. “You’re a fucking liar! If you don’t know, that’s alright, but you’ve changed. The Freya I knew would be looking for her best friend right now, but you don’t even care!” He cried. Then, pointed at her. “I can’t believe I had a crush on someone as vain as you. If I found out that you have anything to do with my sister’s disappearance, you would hate yourself,” he snapped coldly.

Ethan ran out of there, to the car, as Freya kept screaming that she had nothing to do with Elizabeth’s disappearance, He drove manically around the vicinity, hoping to catch a glimpse of his sister.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Elizabeth leaned her head against the window panel, as she thought about her present. Being amid supernatural creatures was insane, and she almost felt like she was dreaming it all.

‘Ok, darling, stop lying to yourself. This is not a dream. It’s very much real, and you’re in the middle of some crazy shit. You’re right in a vampire diaries sequence. The difference is, this is reality; your reality,’ she mumbled to herself.

She pulled her head away from the window panel and looked at the door. Neither of the twins was around, so it would be easier for her to make a move. She quietly tiptoed to the door and turned the handle. To her amazement, it was unlocked. It could be that they believed they had her caged, so there was no need to worry about it, or it was a trap.

A smile tugged at her lips at how silly she was. Too much N*****x could do this to someone. It was crazy. She quietly walked through the hall that seemed to be illuminated with light from within. She couldn’t imagine what she might say if someone caught her doing this.

She sighed. Who cared? She needed to know her surroundings, so she could be able to escape when needed. In her clumsy moves, she tweaked a handle of a room, thinking it led outside, it did not.

A force slightly stronger than she was, propelled her forward, and she obeyed its leading, closing the door behind her, with her back on it. She swallowed as she adjusted her eyes to the darkness. There was no window here. Slowly, she steered sideways, and her eyes connected with a figure dressed in black, with the hoodie over his head.

Master!

His eyes were fixed on his book, but that wasn't what made her gulp. It was his red eyes, which were daunting and electrifying all at once. He truly was the vampire master.

"Elizabeth," he called out slowly.

Elizabeth turned in fright, as she stared at the Master who was standing so close to her. His red eyes penetrated her soul, and her voice failed her.

"You, here?" She asked stupidly.

His gaze softened. "In the flesh," he said dryly, his eyes glowing into her face.