Mei Li and Kylian were shocked as they turned to the beds and they saw the small dark spots on the bodies too.
"What do we do now?" Mei Li asked, panic visible in her voice.
However, Caius' eyes constricted to the size of a needle as he asked. "Kylian was slashed right?"
"Yes. Almost like a thousand times." Kylian responded, sadly.
"And you survived it. I think it's your heritage as a turned Skull." Caius said.
Kylian's eyes widened with shock. His lips trembled and a slight grin appeared on his lips. "When Adama licked my blood, I could control it to kill him. I think I should be able to…"
"Heal them with your blood. It's worth a try." Mei Li stepped forward a bit, her face brightened.
"But there might be repercussions." Caius said. "You have a dark curse running through your veins and if you give them your blood, you risk passing the curse to them."
"No, I don't think so." Mei Li muttered. "The curse was placed on the skulls and it should be affecting the Skulls, not any other person that drank from them."
"As much as I feel unsure about it. I agree." Caius muttered. "Try it, Kylian."
Kylian moved to the beds, his steps heavy and filled with hesitation and doubt. But he gritted his teeths and went on.
One after the other, Kylian fed Hector and Heald with his blood.
Then he stepped back.
Caius' eyes watched and Mei Li silently prayed in her heart that it worked.
Just as they contemplated, Christa sprung up from the bed with a gasp.
They turned to her.
Kylian immediately rushed to her and hugged her tight. She held him too, like her life depended on it.
"You are safe." He murmured close to her ears as he kissed her forehead.
After about a minute, Kylian pulled back and gazed at Christa.
It felt like paradise just staring at her. It was as though all his problems were gone and his dead heart banged again, after 800 years of being dead.
This sounds ironic but Kylian felt alive again.
Christa, on the other hand, felt like with Kylian, she's safe from any danger. Even if every other person turns their back against her, she'll survive it with Kylian.
Words cannot explain how calm her heart felt as she stared back at Kylian.
However, their powerful moment was cut short when Caius called from behind. "Ava!"
Mei Li frowned as she watched Caius walk closer to Kylian and Christa. His aura was unstable and his trembling eyes showed that he's losing it.
Kylian turned back to look at Caius. His eyes constricted when he saw the sharp claws of the Casal coven leader, sprouting from his fingers.
"Caius, what's happening to you?" Kylian asked, his eyes flashing with wariness.
"Ava." That was all Caius could mutter. All he could see was his soulmate, Ava. Everything he could think of was to take the Auburn haired girl, and kill anything that gets in his way.
Anything.
Unknowing to him is that she's not his mate, Ava. She only resembled her.
********
Somewhere else.
The night was quiet and the street seemed like a graveyard.
Sarai almost doubted if she was in the right place. Her face lifted and she gazed straight ahead.
A sigh of relief left her when she saw the slum and the twinkling dim lights that flashed from the small windows of the building.
She's in the right place.
"The one that has lived, I seek your help!" She screamed into the empty air.
Her voice tore through the night's silence. However, all she got back was silence.
Her lips twitched and her pale face winced slightly as she lifted her palm and tried to use magic.
A trickle of blood ran down her nose and the pain that stung her head hard reminded her how empty she is right now.
Her heart clenched in unison with her heart as she realized there's little she can do now if the ancient wizard doesn't want to see her.
"Why have you come here?"
Her eyes widened in surprise when the unmistakable voice of the wizard tore through the space.
"I- I want answers."
Silence again.
Her brows furrowed and her heart seemed to go on a vacation for a moment as she waited for a reply.
And soon, it came.
"About the Primordial? You surely meant to stand up against a Primordial just for something little a vampire promised."
Sarai opened her mouth to speak as her face crumpled in bitterness. "I-"
"Of course, if you don't join in and stop the Primordial from performing the ritual, he'll come after your lives and theirs. You had no choice."
Sarai stepped forward. Even though she has nothing in sight, she knows whatever she's saying or about to say will be heard by the wizard whether she's invited into the dome shrine or not.
"Please help me. The Primordial's head was cut, but he disappeared."
"You want to know. Whether the Primordial is dead or not?"
The ancient wizard's voice paused for a while. "He had compelled the second Dark Witch to teleport him away the moment he's killed and then kill herself, so as to conceal where he was taken to by the teleportation spell. He surely is a man of wisdom. How he annihilated the Skulls and had the mystical hunter under his nails for nine hundred years."
Sarai sighed. Relief washing through her and calming down a bit. Her eyes glinted as she asked the most basic question. "Is Akotal still alive?"
*********
The safehouse.
Caius took steps closer to Kylian and Christa. His fangs sprouted out and his claws flexed as seconds passed.
Mei Li quickly stood in between Caius and Kylian as she explained. "Caius! She's not Ava. Akotal made the same mistake and hesitated to kill her and that was why your son got in before he completed the sacrifice."
Caius snapped out of his reverie. He shook his head fervently and looked away. He cleared his throat and muttered. "I'm sorry. But…. Nevermind."
Mei Li watched him closely as he moved further away from Kylian and Christa. She couldn't imagine the idea of the Casal coven leader fighting against Kylian over his mate.
But now that Caius seemed to be off it, she sighed and calmed her nerves.
All of a sudden, a gasp erupted in the room.
They all turned to the beds and their eyes flashed with relief when they saw Heald sitting upright with wide opened eyes.
Kylian's lips broke into a smile.
It worked. His blood worked.
Heald is alive.
Just then, Hector sprung up too with a gasp.
"You are fine, vampire," Caius said as he gazed at Hector. "Now we have our lead."
Mei Li grinned off her teeths too, her heavy mind released all pressure and she quickly went to grab two blood bags and she threw it to the two vampires.
Heald sucked his blood bag dry and Hector did the same.
Kylian patted Christa, tenderly as he asked Hector the burning question.
"What do you know about a Primordial cheating death?"
Hector sighed and his bloody fangs retracted back into their holes as he threw the empty blood bag to the floor. He licked his lips and looked up at Kylian as he responded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because Akotal's body disappeared right after being beheaded by Adrian." Mei Li replied.
Hector frowned hard. His eyes flashed with consideration.
"As far as I'm concerned, a Primordial cannot survive decapitation." Caius said.
Kylian's eyes watched Hector closely as the latter pondered.
Hector lifted his face as he asked. "After Adrian beheaded him, what did he do with the head?"
Mei Li frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I don't understand." Kylian took a step forward, releasing Christa from his tender hold but still standing close to her, protectively.
"You know I and Heald were no longer aware of what's happening after Akotal and his vampire made sure we are taken out. So what did Adrian do to the head right after he cut it off the neck?"
"He didn't do anything. Like is he supposed to do something?" Mei Li asked, utterly stuck in confusion.
"Oh fuck!" Hector's eyes widened and he sprung from his bed.
"What is it?" Kylian asked in confusion.
Even Caius, who once had a Primordial vampire as a mate and wife, was confused and somehow anxious to know what Hector is about to say.
"Even though knowing this might bring the Primordials after us because it's a threat to their existence, I have no choice but to say it." Hector's face was serious as he muttered.
"Say it!" Caius' forehead ripped with a vein as he seethed in rage.
"To kill a Primordial completely, you have to behead him. And after that, the body must be burned and the head must be kept well." Hector spilled. "Without that, he will wake again."
The others couldn't contain their shock. They were terrified and their fear towards the Primordials increased even more.
A Primordial is capable of surviving decapitation?
They are definitely worth being called Primordials.
And now, they have an idea that Akotal might still be alive.
*********
Somewhere unknown.
Darkness ruled the space. Cozy air, enough to freeze even supernaturals blew around.
A single candle was lit at a corner, it bleak illumination struggling to stay alive in the enormous darkness.
But in the darkness, one would still be able to make out a figure.
A headless body and a head, laying next to each other. And across from the body was a red skull and a chain blade.
The Red Skull of Lead Skull and the Chains of Dracula.
The air was stagnant before, that was until something happened.
The head that laid next to the headless body, stirred and shook on the spot it laid. The eyes flung open and then the head lifted onto the neck of the body, landing on it and joining together again.
The eyes glowed red as soon as the head joined with the neck.
A growl resonated in the dark place and the dead body, now back to life, sprung up.
The figure turned to the single candle at the corner of the room. The illumination casted onto the face and highlighted the burned features.
The person is naturally Akotal, the Primordial vampire of the Tribunals clan.
His melted lips parted and he muttered. "And I lived."
A grin appeared on his marred face and he turned to the Red Skull and the Chains of Dracula.
All of a sudden, he grimaced and pain flashed across her crimson eyeballs.
The skin on his face began to peel off and he clutched his head, groaning in immense pain. His eyes widened and blazed with madness as pain coursed through his head.
Soon all the flesh on his face had peeled off.
Slowly he rose to his feets, not feeling any pain anymore. His eyes were filled with confusion and surprise as he touched his face.
It's fresh and normal. The burns are gone and his face is back to its normal look before it got burned by Lead Skull's flame.
His face is healed.
His lips parted and curled as happiness washed through his entire body. "Hahahahaha, I'm back!" He shrieked as he caressed his fresh face. His mouth opened wide as he roared skywards. "I'm baaaaaack."
He couldn't control himself any longer when he felt the strange feeling of supremacy rushing through his spine, his powers.
"My powers are back." His grin widened even more. Then, he turned to his left and there they are, the Red Skull and the Chains of Dracula. His eyes glinted with menace as he gritted. "Time to go finish what I started."
*********