MADDOX
Langston and I crept low through the brush. We parked over a mile away and hid the car to keep ourselves as unseen as possible. We were confident that we found where Warwick was hiding and hoped that we would find enough vampires here to be worth attacking. We could smell them all over the place.
I kept my eyes constantly moving, trying to map the area we traveled. We chose to come before the sun could rise, hoping that it would be a time they wouldn’t expect. If this was the place we were searching for, then we needed to take as much information back as possible. Information about the surrounding area was just as crucial as the hideout itself.
Langston motioned for me to slow down as he listened closely. He must not have heard anything of concern because we continued to creep towards our target after a paused moment. Our pace was excruciatingly slow, and it would be only moments before we started to see the sun.
As we got closer, the smell of vampire was increasing. If we were not at Warwick’s hideout, we were definitely at some sort of camp.
We were nearing where we thought Warwick’s hideout to be when we started to see the trees thin. We slowed almost to a crawl, making sure that we couldn’t be seen.
The forest stopped abruptly and a finely manicured lawn sprawled out from it. We came to a stop, hiding amongst the foliage to observe the area before us.
Warwick certainly had particular taste because not only was the lawn immaculate, there was a small, southern styler plantation home stationed amidst it. From our vantage point, it appeared the house sat right up against the treeline with the grass area surrounding it on three sides.
It was a two-story building, half of stone and the other of white siding. Two robust columns held up the balcony of the building’s second floor. Curtains were drawn against every window, so there were not many ways to glimpse inside.
The lawn reached far out in front of the structure, creating a perfectly rectangular lawn. To the far side of us, we could see the less than appealing front of what had to be barrack housing. Opposite the house, there was a gravel road wide enough for only one car that disappeared into the trees.
I made eye contact with Langston, who was also taking in everything around us. This was not unlike the area where we attacked Warwick the first time. He nodded his head, and I knew what he was thinking; we needed to get closer and confirm this is where Warwick was holding up.
There was still the possibility that he was not here, that we had misinformation, and we were intruding on another Sire. Offending another clan and creating conflict there could only end in disaster for us.
I pulled out my phone to text Langston that we should check both the house and the other building, but I found the signal unavailable. They were probably blocking in the surrounding area. Creating a dead zone like this was only a giveaway if you were looking for them.
I motioned to Langston, trying to convey that it would be faster if we split up. He seemed to be following me. I pointed to myself and the manner before pointing to him and the other dwelling.
Although there was the distinct possibility that more vampires were within the other building, we did not need to get inside. We simply needed an idea of what was there to bring back to Alpha.
On the other hand, one of us was more than likely going to need to enter the prominent manner to confirm this was Warwick. That seemed like the more dangerous endeavor, and after our last fight with vampire opponents, I wasn’t confident in Langston’s chances against an older opponent. While they gained strength in age, we lost it. I was afraid Langston and I were pretty evenly matched at the moment, but I probably had more resiliency. The best possibility of us both getting out of here was me taking the more serious risk.
Langston seemed hesitant about my plan. I held his gaze, showing him that I was confident about this. Finally, he gave me the slightest nod. I went to move away, toward the back of the big manor house. Langston stopped me by grabbing my arms.
“We made it this far,” he says almost inaudibly. “You better make it home to Missy.” I just nodded, and he dropped my arm. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to get back to my mate.
I crept low and slow through the trees that bordered the too-perfect lawn. I kept my eyes on the house, looking for any sign of movement. It was futile, though; you couldn’t see into any of the windows. It was almost creepy how still and perfect everything was.
With painstakingly slow progress, I eventually got around to the back of the house and found the back door. There was one that led into the house and a set that looked like they led down into a cellar. All I needed to find was confirmation that Warwick was here, and I didn’t know that I could get that in the basement.
I held my breath, scanning the area again. It felt a little odd that we had gotten this far and found no one so far. It felt out of place, but then we were out of place. The quicker we confirmed Warwick was here, the quicker we got out. The longer we stayed, the longer our scents were in the air.
With a deep breath, I stepped out from the trees and hurried toward the door. After maybe 30 yards of grass, two stairs stepped onto a small concrete landing in front of the door. I flattened myself against the stone of the outer wall, straining my ears to listen through the door.
I couldn’t make out anything discernible on the other side, so I carefully reached out and turned the knob. There was no resistance, no lock keeping it closed. I released the handle, and the door creaked open slowly. My shoulders tensed at the old door’s noise; I stood rigid for a moment, waiting for someone to come to inspect the source of the noise, but nothing happened.
I let out a long, slow breath. Get in, confirm he is here, get out. Then I could get home to Missy. I steeled myself and slowly pushed the door open just enough so I could slide inside.
I slid into a sizeable kitchen complete with a hearth full of red embers on the far side. I backed into the corner, crouching in between the wall and a baker’s rack. A woman shuffled into the kitchen from the doorway that led into the rest of the manor. She went right to the sink and looked like she was filling a pot.
“You should leave, you wolf,” someone said in my head. I almost jumped out of my skin. “I can smell you. It will not be long before Master Warwick can as well. Please do not risk your life further.”
The woman continued her business at the sink without pause. Was she speaking to me? “Yes, I can communicate with you. And I am too old for these shenanigans. Please go quickly and never return.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. My gut told me I could trust this woman, and Tom thought we should go. He is usually on the side of ripping vampire throats out but not this time.
As silently as I could, I opened the door again and slid back outside. I didn’t pause to close it; I took off straight to the trees. I got far enough into the cover of the woods to move in an upright position.
I maneuvered my way to the building Langston was checking as swiftly as possible. If that woman was telling me the truth, it could be literally any minute until someone caught on to us being here. I paused in the covers of the trees, searching for Langston.
“Come on, come on,” I silently pled with him.
AZALEA
Felix managed to arrange a witch to come the very next day. I spent the morning nervously anticipating her arrival. When it was finally time, Felix and I headed downstairs and waited in the front.
A small, older car came into view coming up the packhouse driveway. When it stopped in front of us, the driver climbed out and slammed the door aggressively before coming over to meet us. She was a few inches taller than me with big, bright brown eyes that you could clearly read her emotions from. She had bushy brown hair that hung just below her shoulders and framed her face. She dressed in dark colors but nothing too flashy or noticeable.
Felix cleared his throat. “Luna, this is Willow. Willow, this is the Luna of B***d Eclipse, Azalea Blackfur,” he made our introduction. A look passed between Felix and Willow before she looked at me and held her hand out.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. Her voice was high-pitched and melodic.
“Thank you so much for coming on such short notice,” I said.
“When old friends call…” she trailed off, looking at Felix again. He shifted uncomfortably next to me. I wanted to ask him what was going on or how he knew her, but I couldn’t link him, so it would need to wait.
“Should we, uh, go to my office then?” I asked nervously. Willow smiled weakly at me and nodded her head; I turned around and led the way to my office.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
When we got upstairs, I invited her to take a seat. Felix hovered in the doorway, giving me the idea that he was unsure about joining us. “Felix, would you mind closing the door for me? I am sure Willow would appreciate some privacy.” He nodded, a moment of insecurity passing through his eyes.
He closed the door and left us alone. Clearly, he had to trust this girl to some extent to leave me alone with her, so I wondered if I could trust her to help me.
“So Willow, did Felix mention why I needed help?” I asked her.
“Hold on,” she said. She stood up and waved her hands around, muttering something under her breath. “Okay, we can speak candidly now. Anyone listening at the door will hear some indecipherable muttering.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised.
“You seem like a woman who is a bit smarter than this,” she said. “He sent me a photo of the watch. The incantation is inscribed right on the back.”
“Oh, uh…” I said, feeling a little foolish that I didn’t make that connection.
“Those instructions were pretty clear too. Wear the watch, say the word, make yourself equal. So why am I really here?” she asked plainly.
I narrowed my eyes in discernment. I couldn’t tell if I liked her or if I should be suspicious of her. I decided to roll with it for the moment.
“Why did you come if you knew I had an ulterior motive?” I asked. She raised an eyebrow. “Humor me, please.”
She leaned back in her chair, hanging one arm over the back of it. “There are plenty of rumors going around about this little war between you dogs and ticks. Plus, the Luna with healing powers. You are also pretty interesting.”
I raised an eyebrow this time. I chose to ignore the dog jab. “I am?” I asked. We didn’t make my ability widely known, but we didn’t hide it either.
“Mmmhmm,” she hummed.
“So, are you involved in our little war?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “I have no place in that mess. There are some rumors about other witches getting involved, but I can’t imagine that number is large.”
I nodded my head. “Okay,” I said. “Well, I need help.”
“Clearly.”
“There is someone I would like to speak with, but meeting in person would be problematic,” I explained.
“So you need a witch for your half of a projection spell,” she concluded.
“Yes,” I said. She watched me for a moment, deep in thought. “This is a time-sensitive matter, so…” I trailed off, waiting for an answer.
“I think I might understand why he is here and so loyal to you,” she observed.
“Felix?” I asked.
“You really aren’t afraid of anything, are you? You clearly want to talk to someone you are fighting against, which means it’s dangerous. You know nothing about magic or my kind, yet you allowed yourself to be closed in this room with me and further allowed the silencing spell to be placed on the room. I can respect the bravery even if it seems a tad foolish,” she said.
“I have nothing to be concerned with. Yes, I want to speak to our enemy, but the only reason I am going about it in this way is the lack of understanding from my mate. I do not fear ending this conflict without more fighting, and I also trust Felix not to bring someone here that could have bad intent,” I told her.
She gave me a smug smile. “You aren’t as fragile as you look. Okay, I’ll do it. But it needs to be now. I am not coming back here.”
I jumped on the inside but kept my expression level. “Thank you. I will contact them now,” I told her. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Warwick, praying that I would get an immediate response.
“I guess I will get this ready,” she said. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a candle, then went about clearing a space in the middle of my office.
My phone chimed with a message, and thankfully it was Warwick. “He says his witch will begin in 10 minutes,” I told her.
She just nodded as she settled on the floor, sitting crossed-legged. I watched as she seemed to be concentrating and preparing herself. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow.
Two minutes before it was time, Willow looked up at me. “You sure about this?” she asked. I nodded. “You truly know what you are getting yourself into?”
“I need to have this conversation. Either help me or get out of my packhouse,” I said in a serious tone. She just smirked in response.
“Alright, here we go then,” she said.