A chill awoke me. The wind caught the unfamiliar curtains. Fresh, crisp air did not help the grogginess. I felt tired, sticky, unclean. Where was I? Back home?
I groaned as I rolled over. I ached all over.
A warm hand on my forehead made me jump. Looking left, I fell out of the bed at the man.
"Careful, Lex," he humoured.
"Leo?"
"Who else?"
I rubbed my head in confusion, "What the hell happened?"
He kneeled to my sitting figure, once again touching my forehead.
"You had a fever," he informed, looking happier. I had to visit an herbologist to break it. How are you feeling?"
"Eh... Sweaty..."
"Do you remember anything?"
"Yeah, a weird ass dream... Very vivid."
"Well, you kept mumbling in Spanish."
"I-I was reliving Anabel's life. Gods, that was wild."
"Come on. I think you'll want to get cleaned up before discussing it."
"Yeah... good idea."
Jack
Jack sighed heavily, leaning into his knees. From what Victoria had told him. Cornelius was acting like a jealous child.
He did not like that Victoria's attention was elsewhere. He often expressed displeasure at feeding from animals or blood banks instead of fresh. He thought the treaty would repress them and make their numbers dwindle because they were the 'most powerful' supernatural beings. Not for the sake of witches and the unnatural order of immorality.
It all became worse when his youngest sister died at the ripe old age of 96.
Now, they were both tracking the man-child.
Jack piped up at the radio static that came to life.
"Report: Cornelius has been spotted..."
Magnus
He picked up the receiver, "Where?"
"Oxford, yesterday at six pm. More information to follow."
Magnus got up and took a red pin marking Oxford on his map.
Cornelius' movements were too erratic, with no clear direction. He was most certainly running.
Magnus lifted the radio, "Anything on Lexi?"
"Negative."
"Send info on the vamp ASAP."
"Understood."
The radio cracked to silence once more.
Kieron
He watched his sister's chaotic emotions. It gave him whiplash just watching her.
Luke kept his nephew busy, and the coven pulled together in support as always. He was glad she had a support system.
A text broke him out of his musings.
Jack: [Vamp in Oxford. Nothing on Lexi.]
Jack kept him updated on anything now they were in this delicate situation.
He glanced at the eldest sibling. She tapped a pencil on the table, going through Selena's BoS. How Lexi managed to reveal its secrets stumped them both, and without her knowledge, they were grasping at straws.
Turning a page, the lights dimmed once more.
"Are you sure your electricity is fine? I don't mind checking it, you know."
"No. We need to figure out how to lift this ink-" Isobel's sentence was cut off by a book flying off the shelf.
"Told you my electrics were fine," she retorted.
She got up from the seat and went over to the book; she groaned in frustration and threw it on the table. Kerion glanced at the cover; it was a 'house witchery' book.
"I was hoping it would help us with this, Selena. I know the house is a mess. Thank you."
"Erm, Isobel, I don't think you should be shouting-" "Shush."
The book slid to Kieron, candles and herbs fell from the shelf, and the lights flickered once more as Isobel rubbed her temples.
"Go take a break," he encouraged his sister, "It's nearly time to make dinner anyway."
She quickly gave up, frustration evident in her demeanour. She left the room without another word.
Kieron turned back to his passage. He was looking through the book Jack procured for him. Surely, something in here would give the answers he was looking for.
Lexi
A happy sigh left my lips as I lay on the bed after a walk around Inverness. The herbalist's medicine worked like a charm.
"Lex?" Leo asked from the other side of the room.
"Hm?"
"We need to talk..."
These are the dreaded words of any relationship.
"Okay," I sat up, watching him approach the window.
"Do you remember your dream?"
"Yes... Do you want to go through it?"
He nodded, "When I fell asleep, I think I was right in the middle of the past life."
"Well, Anabel didn't meet Carmilo until later. At first, she married another called Deigo..."
"And I woke up just as I-Anabel fell asleep on the boat."
Leo remained quiet, watching outside, like I was, while he listened.
"I didn't see the cliff. My dream was from the beach... That was my favourite scene of ours."
I smiled; it was mine too, but thinking about Anabel's past leading up to it, I realised the calm romance was bittersweet. I had to know, did they see each other again?
"I said I needed a break from the lifetimes... but..."
He smiled knowingly, "You want to know if they made it?"
I nodded slowly. I had to know. Good or bad. This may be what I needed. Hope bloomed in my chest. We could find the key we were missing.
Thanks to my illness, we only had a few days left of our escape before heading back to Morgan.
First, we needed a scrying mirror.
Blackspit
"Finally! Where the hell have you been?" she practically screamed down the phone.
"Strengthening my numbers, taking a vacation-" "bullshit you've been running with your tail between your legs."
Cornelius tutted down the phone, "Now, now. Don't take your anger out on me."
"There is no one else to blame. I told you not to play around."
"It's not my fault your plan failed," he spoke casually.
She took her anger out on a nearby wall, "Shut. Up."
He mocked her, laughing at her rising anger.
"You forget about our deal. Only I can bring her back."
He quickly ceased the laughter and cleared his throat, "What's your plan now?"
She smirked, knowing she had an upper hand over him, "How many do you have?"
"Enough."
"You need more."
"I will worry about that. It's hard now. There is a hunt for me."
"Hm. Not my problem. Get your ass to Pendle, she will arrive home soon."
"You sound sure."
"I guarantee it. Once she's gone, you'll have the whole coven, and I will bring back your sister."
She hung up the phone and hid it back under the floorboards. Next, she had to figure out how to get rid of Morgan without giving away her identity or tipping off her sixth sense.
Lexi
The bell tingled as we entered the little hidden nook. I stood behind Leo, looking around at the stocked shelves; the store was packed with incense, crystals, herbs and local artistry.
"Hello again!" The owner greeted Leo, "I trust the medicine worked?"
"Like a charm, thank you. We are after a scrying mirror."
"Ah, this way," I watched the woman come around the front desk. She caught my eye with a smile, and her footstep faulted like she was about to trip over something invisible.
"Whoops, how clumsy of me... This way, please." She gestured for us to follow her.
An extensive collection of crystal dishes were on display. A cobalt blue mirror caught my eye, and my fingers strayed over it. It reflected the light into cool blues and vibrant violets.
"A beautiful blue, right?" she commented, leaning in. "They say crystals pick you, not the other way around."
I smiled, "I can believe that."
I glanced at Leo next to me; this was coming with us.
Standing next to the register, I wandered over to the notice board. My breath left me, and without looking, I repeatedly tapped and smacked Leo.
"Ow, Lex, what's-" "Hunt."
I stared at the haunting, familiar face.
"Shit," he breathed. Finding the same thing I was looking at.
I stared at my picture.
I looked back at the owner. She looked like a deer in headlights.
"You've called them already, haven't you?"
She shook her head, "N-No! I haven't, I swear!"
I looked at her sadly. This woman was scared. She was scared of me.
I am dangerous.
I turned back to Leo. The flyer had shocked him, and his face was pale. He stepped closer to it.
"So this is Cornelius?"
"Yeah..."
He took a photo on his phone quickly, and I stepped to the register. The woman flinched as I did.
"I'm not going to hurt you," I said with a slight eye roll.
Putting the cash on the side, I took the bag, "Thank you... You should call them."
She looked confused, "C-call who-o?"
"The council. Tell them you saw me, give them every detail-" "Lexi." Leo interrupted.
He quickly approached me and whispered angrily, "What are you doing?"
"I will not hide anymore."
Our trip would have to be cut short again.
Returning to the room, I sat on the bed, defeated. The voices from the past rang in my head again, and the thoughts could not stop swirling.
The shop owner was not the only one to have seen me. It was more likely my whereabouts were reported before this.
I sighed as Leo cast a veil. Here we go.
"There is no need to be reckless," he said calmly. We could have stayed with Morgan, laid low for a while."
"Even if we did, it would only be a matter of time. We don't know if one of them would inform the council. They have no loyalty to us."
He leaned against the wall, knowing I was right. I knew it was my imagination, but I could feel our bond muting further.
"They want me alive... That's usual," I whispered.
Leo hummed, "Probably for information."
I was quiet for a moment. One voice was nagging. Relentless.
"Leave him. Let him be happy."
I took a breath before speaking, closing words carefully, "They are after me, Leo."
"I know. We can-" "No. This is going too far now. I can't ask you to stick with me."
I watched him, pulling the flesh between his brows and frustration mounted.
I don't want to drag him into this mess anymore or any of the coven dragged in further. There was only one outcome, which must be on my terms.
I watched Leo Leave the wall and kneel in front of me, his eyes determined.
"Lexi," he crooned, "We are in this together." He reached out, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"Tell me... What's going on?" He gently poked my forehead.
I shook my head, "I've been selfish."
His brows furrowed in confusion and made me continue.
"I so desperately wanted this"-I gestured between us- "to work. We are trying to break the cycle, but I can't see a way out. Instead, all I see is death."
"But we are finding out new things," he interjected.
"Yeah, more headaches to figure out, thanks to the crows. I'm worried about home. Now, this Hunt. It's too much."
He took my hands, "Why do you think you are selfish?"
I breathed a laugh, "Because I want to keep you with me in this shitstorm. When you should be..." I cut my sentence short. I didn't want to finish.
"I should be...?"
"Forget it," I sighed.
Surprisingly, he didn't push it further. Instead, getting up and kissing my forehead.
"I'm not going anywhere," he finished before leaving me on the bed while he left the room.
'Why stay when you can be happier elsewhere?'
Leo approached me an hour later with the blue mirror.
"Still want to try?" he asked.
I nodded, following him to the floor. I prayed to the Goddess for a happy ending. Then we had something to work with, something I could hope for.
