Three nights had passed since the death of Vamos, one of Malachi's subordinates. Seated within a room was Malachi and Vivian, prepared to solve the underlying problem before them.
Malachi brought out the handkerchief, examining it carefully. Vivian watched him, her curiosity piqued.
"What is it, Lord Malachi?" She questioned, her voice low.
"This handkerchief," Malachi replied, his eyes narrowing. "It's not just any handkerchief. It's made of high-quality silk, and it's embroidered with a unique symbol."
Malachi held out the handkerchief, pointing to the intricate embroidery. "This symbol here. It looks like a cross between a family crest and a sigil. It's a crescent moon. The curved shape is rendered in silver thread, with sparkling stitches. It's lifelike. I've never seen anything like it. But, I think I know someone who might be able to help us."
Vivian raised an eyebrow. "Who is that?"
"A witch," Malachi replied. "She's an expert in the occult, and she might be able to help us track down the owner of this handkerchief except that her demands might be too excessive. Let's go see her. I want to know who this mysterious man is."
Vivian nodded, and together they set out on their journey to the witch's house in a sleek, black sports car. They sped down the winding roads, the GPS leading them deeper into the countryside.
"I've been to the witch's house several times before," Malachi said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "But this is your first time, Vivian. Remember, you'll need to be invited before you can enter. Don't make a silly mistake, she's a powerful witch. Her barrier is much more powerful than the one nature provided for humans."
Vivian nodded, her eyes scanning the passing landscape. "I remember. But, what's the witch's name?"
"Her name is Lagartha," Malachi replied. "She's a powerful witch with a reputation for being difficult. I'm sure you've heard about her. As you know, there is only one witch coven in New York, the Gemini Coven. She's one of the High Witches, perhaps the most beautiful one. The feat she's well known for is the death of Andreas, the previous leading vampire of Veinari."
After a few more minutes of driving, they finally arrived at the witch's house. It was a small, rustic cottage surrounded by a garden filled with strange and exotic plants.
They stepped out of the car and approached the door. Surprisingly, the door was wide open. Malachi went in directly, without hesitating. Vivian tried to take a step toward, but found herself blocked by an invisible barrier.
Just then, a low, sexy voice called out from within the cottage. "Ah, Malachi, dear one! I see you've brought a friend. Please, do come in."
The invisible barrier dissipated, and Vivian stepped forward, her eyes scanning the cottage and its surroundings.
Once they were inside, Malachi turned to Lagartha and explained the purpose of their visit. "We need your help, Lagartha. We have a handkerchief that belongs to someone, and we want you to perform a location spell to track him down."
Lagartha's eyes lit up with interest as she took the handkerchief from Malachi. "Ah, a location spell. It won't come cheap. I'll need a few things."
"I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement." Malachi said, his voice smooth.
Lagartha cackled, clearly enjoying the negotiation process. "Oh, Malachi. You know I always drive a hard bargain. Very well, I'll name my price."
"I'm listening." Malachi said, his eyes fixed on Lagartha.
"Firstly, I'll need a vial of your blood, Malachi," Lagartha said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "The blood of a vampire who's over 300 years old is quite precious after all."
Malachi raised an eyebrow. "That's a steep price, Lagartha. But I'm willing to pay it. What else do you want?"
"Ah, that's not all, dear Malachi," Lagartha said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll also need you to dismiss your surbordinate after the man has been located, we have a bigger issue to discuss. That's all."
Malachi looked at her suspiciously. "That's all you want? Well, this is unlike you. Consider it done but what matter do you want to discuss that's so secretive?"
Lagartha held up a hand, silencing Malachi. "You'll know after she's gone."
Malachi's face was expressionless, but Vivian could sense his frustration. "I agree to your terms, Lagartha."
Lagartha chuckled, clearly delighted by the outcome of their negotiation. "Very well, let's proceed with the location spell."
She began to rummage through a collection of dusty jars and vials on a nearby shelf, muttering to herself as she searched for the necessary ingredients to carry out the spell.
"Ah, yes. Dragon's breath, wolf's bane, and a pinch of moonstone," She said, her eyes glinting with excitement. "With these ingridients, we should be able to track down the owner of his handkerchief in no time."
Vivian watched with interest as Lagartha began to mix the ingredients in a small cauldron, adding a dash of this and a pinch of that as she stirred the bubbling potion.
Malachi, meanwhile, stood back, his eyes fixed on the handkerchief, which Lagartha had placed on a small altar in the center of the room.
"What's the significance of this handkerchief?" Vivian asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"The handkerchief is a personal item, one that holds the owner's scent and energy," Lagartha explained, not looking up from her potion. "By using the handkerchief as a focus, we should be able to tap into the owner's energy and track him down."
Vivian nodded, fascinated by the process. She had never seen a location spell performed before.
As Lagartha finished the potion and held it up to the light, the room was filled with a soft, pulsating glow.
"The spell is ready," Lagartha announced, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Let's begin."
With that, Lagartha began to chant, her voice rising and falling in a hypnotic rhythm. The glow in the room grew brighter, and Vivian could feel the energy building up, like a storm about to break.
Lagartha, still holding the handkerchief, gazed intently at a large, yellow map spread out on a nearby table. Malachi and Vivian leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the map as Lagartha's slender finger followed the handkerchief's pointing tip.
"It's an old windmill on the outskirts of the town," Lagartha announced. "The man is hiding there."
But as soon as the handkerchief pointed at the windmill's location on the map, a sudden gust of wind blew into the cottage, extinguishing the candles and sending the shadows dancing across the walls.
A blast of magical energy shot out from the handkerchief, striking Lagartha with incredible force. The witch let out a startled cry as she was sent tumbling backward, her body crashing against the ground with a loud thud.
Malachi rushed to Lagartha's side, helping her to sit up. The witch's eyes were dazed, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.
"What happened?" Vivian asked, her voice shaking slightly.
Lagartha's gaze flickered back to the handkerchief, which still lay on the map, its tip pointing accusingly at the windmill's location.
"The handkerchief's owner," Lagartha whispered, her voice barely audible. "He's powerful. Very powerful. And he doesn't want to be found. If it was a weak witch that did this spell, he or she might have died. I'll advise you to avoid him. Nature is clearly backing him up. Vivian, you can take your leave. I and Malachi have an important matter to discuss."
Vivian hesitated but Malachi signaled her to leave, despite his cautious nature. He was also very much curious about why Lagartha had him stay back.