The sun had now risen, and it was a more acceptable time to call her family.

Using Lexi’s phone, he called her uncle and chewed his thumbnail. It was the only one he had left, but it helped prepare him mentally.

“Hello, Lexi!” the cheery voice of Keiron rang through.

“Hi, sorry, it’s Leo.”

Leo surprised even himself with how calm he sounded.

“Ah, not a problem! What’s up? Has Quinn drawn some more pictures for me to look at?”

“No, but… You were right about the ruins being Whitby Abbey,” Leo sniffed, taking a deep breath.

“What? How do you know that?” Leo could hear the confusion in his voice.

Clearing his throat, Leo confessed carefully, “The two people were Lexi and Quinn. I’m at the hospital.”

Keiron stuttered, “S–She didn’t. No, she…She couldn’t have, but…”

“Vampires took Quinn and then Lexi. Quinn nearly died,” his voice nearly broke at the mention of Lexi.

Keiron took a deep breath, “Is Lexi dead?”

“No,” Leo replied quickly, “The doctor has some hope, but she is in a coma.”

“Shit… Have you told her mum yet?”

“No, but I wi-”

“I will do it. Let me handle my sister. Stay with Lexi and let us know when we can visit, right?”

“Okay. I’ll keep you updated.”

Leo hung up and moved on to Seri.

 

Before the second ring, it was answered, “Hello? Lexi?”

“Sorry…” he sniffed.

He would not cry, he told himself.

“Ah… Hi Leo.”

Voices scrambled on the other side; he was on loudspeaker.

“How’s it going bud?” Devan’s voice sounded through.

“I…” Leo struggled with his words, “I don’t know.” Leo summarised what the doctors had said to him, and the procedures Lexi had.

He could hear Quinn blubbering in the background.

“Do they know if she will wake up?”

“I haven’t asked. For now, she had improved from when she first came in, but I quote, ‘It’s up to her to wake up...’.”

No one asked a question. All Leo could hear was sighs and groans.

“How are you holding up Quinn?” Leo asked sadly.

She hiccupped, “I’m fine… just fine. Stupid Lexi, why?”

“Shh… I know,” Devan said further away.

“Listen,” Seri’s voice was closer, “Let us know if we can come and visit. We will bring her favourite sweets. Right?”

A chorus of ‘Yeahs.’

“Oh! And you some food.”

“That would be great. I will let you know. Bye.”

“See ya!”

That was harder than he expected. He sniffed and wiped his eyes before going in.

---

Seri

Although Seri was chirpy towards the end, she did nothing but cry and hug Quinn as they distressed together.

Devan stayed strong but beat himself up, letting the others go without him.

“I think a speedy recovery and luck spell might help us all feel better,” Seri whispered, “You know, aid her.”

“That’s a good idea,” Lathen gently said.

---

Leo

Returning to the hospital room. She was still laid, eyes closed. Now, with a mask over her face. Confused, he turned to the desk to ask a nurse with fear in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, it is just oxygen with water. It will help stop her throat from drying out.”

A little relieved, Leo nodded and sat back in the visitor's chair. His eyes were tired, his brain muddled. He couldn’t help but lay his torso on her lower legs and instantly fell asleep while holding her hand again.

---

Keiron

After the conversation with Leo, Keiron stood at the kitchen sink, his mind reeling. His only niece, so wise and powerful, did something so stupid. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but it must have been a good reason.

From what he gathered, listening to Leo. She saved Quinn. Her friend died, but why? What event led to Quinn nearly dying and Lexi having to use Vitamortum?

Shaking his head, he focused on the phone call to his sister.

As it rang, he felt anxiety creeping up from his chest.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sis.”

“Keiron! Has Lexi been to see you?”

“Er, I saw her this afternoon; she has grown. Still like her father.”

“Hm, yes. My beautiful daughter.”

“Isobelle… I need you to sit down.”

After some silence from the mother, she replied, “Don’t tell me she’s pregnant.”

“No,” he said quickly.

Although, that would be better news than what he was about to tell his sister.

“Please, just sit, okay?” he pleaded.

“You're scaring me. What’s going on?”

“Are you sat-”

“YES.”

“I don’t know the details fully.”

“Right,” she huffed, clearly cross.

“Lexi is in the hospital.”

“What? Why? Has she fainted again?”

“…Again?”

“I’ll take that as a no. Why is she in the hospital?”

“Vitamortum.”

The silence was deadly.

---

Isobelle

Isobelle's hand shook as her knuckles turned white at the one word she never wanted to hear again.

Tears threatened to fall as she asked, “What?”

“She is in a coma. I know that Quinn nearly died, and Lexi is in hospital after performing the spell, and I think it has something to do with the Abbey.”

“The Abbey? Whitby Abbey?” Isobelle sniffed.

“Yes. I don’t know anything else.”

After a few pauses, Isobelle was thinking, trying to piece it together, “Vampires,” she muttered, fat tears streaming down her face.

“I–I don’t know. The treaty is still active; no vampire would dare break it. I could ask Quinn about it.”

“Is Quinn okay?” she managed to ask.

“I think so.”

“I–I need to get down there. Will you look after the others? If it is vampires, they might be in danger still.” Her speech was hurried, and she tumbled over her words.

“Hey, listen. There is no rush. Leo is with her, and the doctor has hope.”

“That’s what they said about Nick,” she wailed.

Keiron was silenced, “Look. Don’t rush. You need to get here in one piece. Talk to your boss. I will update you if I hear anything. Right?”

“Yes. See you soon.”

 

When the call ended, Isobelle lied; she wasn’t sitting. Instead, she collapsed on the floor in floods of tears. Memories she fought hard to bury came rising back. Two years ago, her idiotic husband tried the same spell that night.

---

“I will be back late tonight, Hunny. Don’t wait up for me.” Nick said and kissed her head and then his children before going to work.

His behaviour was different over the past months. She thought it was an affair. An affair she could have dealt with better.

Instead, later that night, Winnie kindly said yes to taking the children, and she followed her dead husband in Winnie's car.

She stayed well back and parked several yards from where he pulled up. On the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods. He was already gone from the car when she parked.

Waiting a few minutes, she grabbed her phone; she needed evidence.

It was eerily quiet, with no cicadas, crickets, or birds—just the howling wind.

Walking forward, she kept her eyes peeled and stumbled upon a hare. It was chopped into pieces. Horrified, she looked away and carried on further. Probably a predator.

The red glow of her husband's magic made her pause cautiously. She happened upon a clearing in the woods; scouting around, she was horrified to see his stature.

Her husband looked like a skeleton. Muscles were non-existent. His skin looked like it was hanging from the bone. He was aged, wrinkled, and greying.

She recognised the spell from her mother's teachings. Vitamortum.

There was no other body, no one dying. Why?

“Nick, you stop this right now!” She burst from the clearing, but he paid her no attention.

“Nick! Who are you trying to save? There is NO ONE HERE!” she cried.

“Isobelle.”

She screamed as a hand grabbed her shoulder; turning to look, she was surprised to find Nixon.

“The hell are you doing here?”

“I noticed some stock was running low, and your husband was acting strange.”

She turned back to look at her husband, “How do we stop it?” Tears kept falling.

“We can’t. Only the caster can stop.”

“I don’t understand, why?”

“A book was missing from my collection. Spells for death and beyond.”

Then it dawned on her, “His mother?”

“I think so,” Nixon admitted quietly.

“This idiot, she’s dead and buried!” Tears turned to anger.

She approached the red circle and was whipped back into a tree.

“Easy, Isobelle,” Nixon calmed, “He should run out of magic soon.”

“But look at him! He’ll be dead before he’s finished.”

“That’s why I’m calling an ambulance,” Nixon stated calmly, ringing 999.

A few seconds later, Nick collapsed, and his average stature returned. Checking him over, Isobelle swore at him while he lay unconscious.

 

He was taken to hospital. She wouldn’t leave his side, much like she imagined Leo would be right now.

They found nothing wrong with Nick. Other than him being in a coma. He was quiet, peaceful, the spell took a physical toll on his body, she didn’t want the children to see him, this way, but she had a feeling that he would not come home...

A few days later, he went into cardiac arrest, and his heart wouldn’t restart.

She feared the same would happen to Lexi. She couldn’t bear it, yet she knew she had to get to her daughter. No mother should outlive her children.

---

The door opened, pulling her out of her memories.

“Mum? What’s wrong?” Alex’s voice had gotten deeper seemingly overnight.

“Oh, Alex, come here.” She held out her arms and hugged him tight.

Gently, she explained to Alex what Keiron had told her. Alex’s eyes watered.

“Will she wake up?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly, “So, we need to pack a bag and go down to make sure she is all right.”

Alex nodded; his eyes were pink, and his chin dimpled—the face of someone trying not to cry.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let it out,” she encouraged and hugged him again. This time, he did not hold back as the tears fell.

---

Isobelle called her employer and arranged sick leave. Luckily, her boss was a family man and understood the severity. She also had a favour to ask the Grimsbanes. Someone had to feed Sooty, and it was only suitable to inform them of what had happened. They also cared for Lexi like their own.

“Of course we will! Please keep us updated; we’ll pray and spell for a speedy recovery. Are you sure you are okay to drive?”

“Yes. I’m much calmer. I’ll let you know how they are both doing when I arrive.”

Giving them the spare keys to the house, Isobelle said goodbye to Sooty.

He knew something was up. He had been acting up and unlike himself since the phone call from Keiron.

“Ready?” Isobelle asked her son, getting into the car next to him.

Alex nodded. It would be a long drive for the small family.