A yellow taxi stopped across the road,
and a man in a long, black coat stepped out. He had a tall hat on with a black suitcase in hand.
Ashley peeped through her window, unsure who it was, but a malicious smirk graced her lips.
"It seems our little Alpha is a step out of this world already. Lucky you, Jerry. I can't wait to execute my plan as well." She rolled her honey brown eyes at him and her tiny fingers slammed the glass window close.
The thick black curtains covered the rays of sunlight as she walked up to a pot of boiling olive oil. She stretched her hand to the upper shelf and there were tons of bottles in it. She took out one labeled mummy's dust and sprinkled a pinch to it. With a handful of orange dry leaves, she then took out a sharp butchering knife from the side of her long dress. Looking at her reflection on its blade, Ashley placed it in the middle of her palm, holding it tight. Then she pulled out the knife with her left hand. The burst of blood flushed out of her hand.
'Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!'
Ashley gave a lip smacking sound, gently nibbling on her red lower lip. Opening another drawer, she brought out a wooden wand to stir the content which changes from olive green to red and then purple.
"Now I have to drink all of this to renew my strengths and weaken his."
A grin of satisfaction brightened Ashley's face as she gazed to her reflection in the mirror. Instead of seeing her honey blonde hair with brown highlights, it was a different version of her over the mirror with white-Grey hair. Her veins like thunder lines stroke of her pale skin and in reality, she looked fairer.
"He won't be able to resist me now, would he?"
***
The gentle taping on the door made Maria rushed to open the door.
"Sir Shkodra!" She gave him a warm hug, but he stood still. With a firm smile on his face.
"Help me with this." He told Maria, handling her the black suitcase.
She welcomed him inside and offered him a chilled bottle of juice to drink and rest. Maria quickly called Jessica and Adrian, and they took him to Stormie's room.
He walked to her, feeling the coldness of her stiff body and cold hands.
"Oh, main Gott...es gibt kein Leben in ihr!"
"What's it?" Adrian asked, rushing to him with curious eyes.
"There is no life in her... I think I have to test her blood. Maybe I can trace something. I feel a part of her is still alive. Stormie can't just die like this, not an Alpha." Sir Shkodra twitched his fingers while Maria brought his black suitcase to him.
He opened it right away and brought out a new set of syringe and needle. Sir Shkodra took an amount of her blood.
Jessica used her home use test kit for the at-home medical blood test. It took a while, Adrian and Maria waited patiently for the end results. Especially Jessica. After 30 minutes, she saw drops of green tetrodotoxin forming and settling under the blood solution. Worry spread all over her face as she handed it over to Sir Shkodra.
He read through it with narrowed eyes. "So Stormie is poisoned. There's tetrodotoxin in her blood cells."
"What's tetrodotoxin?" Adrian asked.
"Tetrodotoxin, also known as TTX, is 1000 times more toxic than sodium cyanide. It is a well-known marine toxin which is Fugu poisoning and is associated with the puffer fish since these tetrodotoxin harbor the poison in their liver, ovaries, intestines, and skin. Licensed chefs know how to prepare this delicacy such that the diner experiences a tingling oral sensation and euphoria with minute amounts of TTX found in the flesh." he lamented.
"That's awful..." Maria incoherently busted.
"Significant TTX poisoning produces hypotension and respiratory paralysis since the toxin blocks nerve and muscle impulse propagation." Sir Shkodra further explained. "In the initial stages, the patient may appear comatose, but has an intact sensorium. So a patient could look dead but not be dead. If we do not recognize the poisoning, the risk of Stormie being buried alive might occur."
"So what do we do? Is there any cure?" Maria panicked.
Jessica turned to Sir Shkodra, waiting for a reply. She had never encountered such a problem before as well. Tears welled up in her dark brown eyes as she tried to hold it back.
"Not only TTX poisoning is here. It might take a while, but I will have to find out if there's a solution somewhere. I might have to take her along with me to Wolfsberg. That way, I can experiment more without getting caught." He pointed out.
Jessica walked up to him with pain in her eyes. The tears split down her eyes like a filled bucket of water. She wiped out the lingering tears with her last fingers and gently placed her hand on Sir Shkodra's. "I'm sure you'll do your best to revive her back. I'm leaving this responsibility to you. My daughter is now in your care. Please, don't let her go."
"I promise I won't disappoint you, Mrs Knight." A small smile spread across his slim lips, and Jessica held him in a hug. Constantly sniffing to resist the bleeding tears.
"Take care of my baby." Her voice choked in the low, raspy cry.
Adrian, feeling the pain his mother was, gently pulled her back as she hugged him too.. Too bad Jerry disappeared before they got there. He had it in mind to hunt him down already. Unable to stop the painful tears, a great tremor took over Jessica. She held onto Adrian's shoulder in a disheveled heap while her grief poured out in a flood of uncomfortable tears.
Then Jessica pulled out of the hug, sitting right next to Stormie on her bed.
"I was trying to know you better, Stormie. Please, come back to me. Come back to mummy." Jessica buried her red face in Stormie's hand, crying a little louder.
Adrian could no longer hold the heartbreak. He felt a tightening in his throat as he took a brief intake of breath. Maria held onto him and her fresh scent relied on him a little.
"Don't worry, Adrian. We would definitely find him." Maria whispered in his ears.
Adrian held her tighter. With determination of revenge in his eyes.
Later that day, Jessica placed her daughter in a coffin and fixed it into a wardrobe for effortless movement. Booking the last flight to Austria, Sir Shkodra left late at night to the airport.
"You seem extraordinary." Adrian bright up with an appreciative smile.
"Yes, isn't it obvious? I'm not just a human scientist." Sir Shkodra told him. "I'm also an expert in natural and supernatural sciences."
"Then what are you?" His curiosity heightened.
"I'm a wizard. I wanted to tell you earlier, but it isn't too late. Someone stares at you from the other building. I felt her gaze, too. Her black magic darkens the day and lightens the night. She's more dangerous than you think."
"Who are you referring to?"
"I do not know what her name is, but she's a witch. A strong one." Sir Shkodra implied.
"Should I be scared? Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Adrian was starting to freak out.
"Don't overthink it. Just get lots of dried lemon peel." Sir Shkodra advised. "Put it in a pile at night and burn it. It would reduce her powers and cast her away."
"Okay, I would do that." Adrian promised.
The knights bade goodbye with so much pain, but they were sure Sir Shkodra was a brilliant scientist. He would do his best to bring her back. Getting to the Wolfsberg manor, Sir Shkodra dragged out the wardrobe from the laboratory into the icy, secret room. The flock of ravens squawk as he entered, placing her in the middle of the dark room.
Stormie was placed in a cryogenic capsule, which was as a glass coffin with low temperature. Only the moon reflected in the direction while her body laid still like frozen chicken. That way, her body won't decay while he starts his research for a cure.