THE CRYSTAL BALL shook. Frowning, Liliane took a look inside it. She then tried to feel the souls inside using magic. When she was sure nothing was wrong, she sighed before watching Silas feed off the dead werewolves' blood.
"Uncle Magnus is not one to be trifled with," Liliane murmured. All those werewolves were torn apart. It was a bloody mess. None of those werewolves she reared in the past made it alive.
Silas tossed out the head of the werewolf in his hand before wiping off the blood in the corner of his mouth. "Saves me the energy in killing these foods," he said. When he noticed Liliane's downcast expression, he added, "Do not treat these werewolves as friends." He slowly walked until he reached Liliane. "They have no issues killing us—-" he caressed Liliane's arms, comforting her, "—- so we should never sympathise with them. Remember. If you did not have the power to subdue them, I would have lost you."
Liliane nodded. "I know," she said. "I only feel like it is a shame losing this army. I hope we can prolong their lives until the ritual. They were strong, after all. But then, again—-" she smiled, "—- Uncle Magnus saved us the energy of killing them." These werewolves were part of the ritual. They were one of the essential elements in completing it.
—
[Tatia's POV]
I took a deep breath! Once I exhaled all the carbon dioxide I had stored in my lungs for a few seconds, I suddenly found myself standing inside my bedroom in Aseyana's inn.
And to my horror, the first thing I saw was my body lying on the bed!
"I used to dream of working in a horror movie," I could not help but mutter. "In a horror movie, not in real life!"
"Well, at least your dream came true."
I looked at my side and saw Yasha.
"Am I dead?" The thought did not scare me, but it did give me quite a shock!
Yasha spread her arms, smiled, and shrugged.
"You are not," said Aseyana, coming to my side. "But it will take me a while to bring you back inside your body. With that, I will need something of Liliane's."
"Oh, that pathetic excuse of a sister of yours," Yasha snickered. "Why not kill her right away? It will not only reduce our enemies, but we are also helping this world to get rid of its vermins."
"Aunt!" Aseyana blurted out in disbelief.
I also gave Yasha the same look. "I am grateful and touched by your unyielding love for me, but is she not your niece?"
Yasha spread her arms again, smiled, and shrugged. That smile told us she was too lazy to bother answering the obvious.
"Well, did you get her location?" asked Natalia.
Oh, she was still here. And I blurted that out.
Natalia blinked. "Why should I not be here?"
"Is Poseidon not your father? Is he not looking for you?" I asked.
"I already told him I am here, safe and sound," she answered. "You are flexible, are you not? You still have time to think about me." She smiled sarcastically.
"I am pretty sure you did not tell your father who you are with," chimed Yasha. "Because if you did, he would come here, take you with force, and maybe obliterate us along the way."
"You said you are my father's friend!" Natalia accused.
"I never said 'friend'. I did say we know of him," Yasha grinned. Then, she blinked. "Careful. I might snap and—-" she motioned her finger horizontally on her neck, "—- might snap you into half accidentally."
I could tell from Natalia's body she was tensed.
"Alright," I said. "I was just casually asking."
"And no one is snapping anyone," Aseyana added. "Anyway, I can track Liliane's whereabouts anytime. Problem is—-" she frowned, "—- she seems to be in the company of someone."
"Who?"
"I am not sure. But that person feels familiar."
"Please tell me it is not your father!" exclaimed Yasha earnestly.
"No," Aseyana shook her head. "If it were him, I would have known it right away. We have a direct connection. I will know if he is here."
"It is Silas, then." Yasha sneered.
Aseyana stilled. Her eyes seemed to flutter. 'Oh' was the only thing that came out of her lips after that.
"Let Magnus take care of that abomination," Yasha suggested, waving her hand.
My mouth twitched. How about she does it?
"Where is Magnus, by the way?"
"Grandi Valentina," answered Yasha. Then, she pointed at my body's neck. "He no longer has the cheat. Your body needs it more than him. The necklace will help preserve your body while your soul has a merry life in the spirit world."
"I am not having a merry life if you have not noticed that yet."
Could we even consider this as a 'life'? I was a soul. Where was the life in this?
"I will confront my sister," Aseyana volunteered. "As for Uncle Silas…" She trailed, giving Yasha a look.
Yasha groaned in annoyance. Sighing, she grabbed Natalia's wrist, saying, "Fine. But she will come with me!"
"Why am I suddenly pulled into this?"
Yasha gave her a look. "Because you have been living in my niece's inn for free. It is time you pay that."
"Then, I will pay!"
"Do you have any money?"
Natalia blushed. She came here without anything. At first, she wanted to see what a land looked like. Unfortunately, she was captured. Then, she stayed here after being saved. Where was she going to get money?
"Now, that is settled," Yasha declared. "What is next?"
—
"I am here now."
The bells rang, followed by Principal Stonefields' voice, filling the living room. It was already daytime—- the afternoon to be exact. Apparently, Principal Stonefield would be my babysitter when the night came since Magnus would certainly not be available.
Principal Stonefield then stood quietly at the side of the door.
"Finally," Yasha clapped. "The army of women is completed."
"Can I back out?" Natalia sighed frustratingly. She looked like she wanted to complain. Well, she would be against an undead man. The odds of them winning were not far from zero!
Yasha might live, considering her endless immortality. But that rule does not apply to Natalia. She was not immortal, after all.
"Do so. And I swear, your father will receive a glittering head of the daughter he has been missing. Considering he missed you, of course."
"Do you have to jab my heart in every argument?"
"Oh," Yasha touched her chest, sounding surprised. "So you do have a daddy issue!"
"You!"
Yasha was about to retort (probably say another round of insults), but I quickly stopped her.
"I think that is enough," I said amiably. "You two are going to stay with each other tonight. Are you going to kill each other later before fighting Silas?"
"I won't be killed," Yasha shrugged. She then sat on the sofa beside Aseyana. "Anyway, what I want this little mermaid to do is become my eyes. Silas' bite and scratch are deadly. It will take time for me to regenerate. If, perhaps, I got my head sliced off, I will take a week to heal. But he can take a second to reach Aseyana's location to help that pathetic excuse of a sister."
"Then, did it not mean I will accompany you on a suicide mission?"
Oh, dear. Natalia looked like she was about to cry. I wanted to pat her back, but I assumed that would not be a good idea, especially since she was forced to do this for me. I bet it would be wise if I—-urk—- remain silent.
"That is why you need to be observant." Yasha rolled her eyes. "I will keep his attention. When he will counter a deadly attack, I want you to attack him before he does to me. Then, before he attacks you, I will attack him again. Simple as that!"
Now, I felt even more bad for the girl.
"Wait," I said when I noticed something from Yasha's words. "Silas' bite and scratch are deadly," I repeated. "What do you mean by that? I do not remember you doing so as an undead."
I do not recall her biting and scratching.
Yasha looked up, staring at me with a look of hesitation.
"Uncle Silas," Aseyana answered, "is the origin of the vampires."
"What?"
Who knew who asked that question, but that revelation certainly astonished me!
"Then…" I trailed, looking at Yasha.
Of course, Yasha responded by rolling her eyes.
"I am ashamed of what I become," she said, smirking. "I will tell you the next time."
"As you all know, vampires do not have the ability to walk under the sun," Aseyana continued. "That is the curse that falls into Unce Silas' head."
"What would happen if he did?" asked Natalia.
"It is not that he won't because he fears the consequences. He just cannot." Aseyana then looked at me. "Uncle Magnus is different to Uncle Silas. Uncle Magnus is a creature of the night. He was powerful during that time, and that is what the world cannot tolerate. Uncle Silas, however, was made without the tolerance of the sun. He was cursed the moment he was reborn, while the others were cursed as their immortality years progressed. I cannot explain the Vates Family in detail now, but rest assured that we are safe during the day."
"So," Natalia squinted her eyes, "No matter how powerful your sister is, she will never be able to create a magic item that can let that vampire ancestor appear during the day?"
Aseyana nodded.
I frowned. Magnus was able to leave Grandi Valentina at night with Aseyana's help. Did it have to do with the time the curse appeared? Regardless of my curiosity, I did not ask that. Aseyana and Yasha seemed uninterested in exploring the secrets of their family, letting the outsiders know more than what they deserved.
Frankly, who in their right mind would let others know the secrets of their families? Definitely not me.