Chapter 4
DAMIAN'S POV
Victor had figured out our location again. It would be difficult to escape. I knew Victor would have infiltrated every border. I went to my room and collapsed on my bed. Looking around, I knew something was different. My room looked like it had been searched. The room was tidy but a lot of things were placed in the wrong places. I only had someone who could do that. I examined my room if she had been looking for something and in a minute, I discovered the dagger had been taken.
"A-very!" I yelled. I heard her feet make a thumping sound as she made down the small stairs to my room. When she entered my room, I threw her one of my adult cards.
"Avery, you are so irresponsible. Where is it?"
"What?" She retorted giving me a bored to death look.
"The dagger," I replied.
"It's in the living room." I was about to race out to fetch it when she called me back.
"Damian, what is the dagger for?" She asked me definitely reading my mind if I planned on not telling the truth.
"I stole it from Victor," I admitted. A look of surprise was plastered on her face.
It was not in the living room. I searched for the millionth time. I looked at Avery who feared the worst. I could sense her imagine the worst-case scenario.
"Avery, "I said."Why do you always throw yourself to problems bigger than yourself."
"What so special about the glowing dagger?" She threw back. My rage and frustration was building and I knew I had to let it all out.
"That glowing dagger can freaking kill you!" I spat back. There was a long awkward pause between us. All I could hear was our breathing. She had her "idea-face".
"It must be-Kalim. Yes!" she said snapping her fingers. If it was Kalim, we needed to be sure. I had a plan. A crazy idea.
"Avery, we're going for a witch. She could help us track the dagger." I turned to Avery, awaiting her response.
"That's madness. You are aware they are witches right?" She sounded horrified.
"And you are not coming."
"What?!" She spat."you're going to your deathtrap and I can't follow you to protect you."
"Protect me?" I teased."you can't even heed to a single instruction. it's final, you are not going with me."
I watched her resign to my authority as she raised her hands in mock surrender.
"I'll be fine," I assured her.
***
AVERY'S POV
I settled for a boring Saturday afternoon. It would have been boring if I hadn't opened that door. Someone knocked zealously on the door refusing to stop even when I ignored it. I knew it was Kalim, he had that funny smell but what was he doing here?
"Hi."I sent it to a visibly disturbed Kalim.
"What did you freaking do to me?" He spat.
"What?" I asked in my innocence.
"Ever since I met you, people, my life has been hell. I'm hallucinating things."
"What things?" I asked, genuinely interested in the conversation.
"Well, it happened after I touched a dagger. It glowed and all these weird things began to happen." He replied.
I was sure the dagger was with him now, at least Damian could return home now. What interested me was how the compelling did not work on him and how he liked it?
"Where's the dagger?" I questioned him. He reached into his pocket and brought it out. It surprisingly glowed in his hands. I needed to reach out to Damian before the witch tried to use him for malevolent purposes.
"Damian, "I sent using the mind link."I have the dagger. Come home." There was no response. It was like he wasn't awake. All I got was a buzzing sound similar to white noise. There could only be one explanation for this. Damian was out cold.
"Witches!" I screamed out. Memories of those vile creatures began to come to me. Damian was definitely not dying. I was going to rescue him even if it meant breaking Damian's orders. I turned to Kalim who looked like hell.
"If you want help, you'll help me save the only person I know can help you."
He looked at me as if uncertain of his involvement in my pretty crazy resue mission.
I used an ultimatum on him as if saves time for sane and wise decision making.
"It's now or never. Are you coming?"
After an afterthought, he answered.
"Let's go."
We weren't walking, we were running. I had repeatedly tried to contact Damian but there was still no reply and I was losing track of his scent.
"We're losing him, aren't we?" Kalim asked in exhaustion. I did not want to admit the truth but it was true. But then, I had a crazy idea of my own. It is a witch to find a witch. The idea was crazy but I was willing to do everything, anything to get Damian back.
"You know any fortune teller around?" I queried Kalim. He thought for a minute and snapped his fingers in response.
"Yes, madame gypsy."
"Take us there," I instructed, allowing him to take the lead which I somehow detested.
Madame gypsy shop was a small shop with only a door. Opening it, I was hit by a wave of rotten something covered in perfume. The thought of me being used in a de-aging ritual sent chills down by my spine. I secretly hoped this witch was naturally still young.
"What do you want?" A hollow sound whispered coming from a dark and horror movie sinister corner.
Kalim spoke first. He obviously had no experience with witches.
"Are you a witch? My friend here..." He said pointing to me." Well, she needs your help."
The woman got out of the enveloping darkness and I got to see some of her creepy features. Raven black hair that was cropped to meet her shoulder, Green piercing eyes that never seemed to stop probing and Olive rich skin that sparkled when the sun touched them. It was almost horrifying that I saw her as beautiful. She had to be a new age witch, the older ones had pale green skin and a smell that could make you beg for death.
"Hello." She said, offering her hand.
I attempted to shake it but she withdrew it and offered it to Kalim. Somebody was crushing bad.kalim took it and placed a kiss on it. I could see a smile escape her lips and immediately wished I was not seeing this. The sight was so sorry, I cut it short.
"Can you help us gypsy?" I spat dryly.
She sent me an eye laser and turned again to Kalim like I did not exist.
" Sure vampire, all I need is something he is attached to. A simple location spell will end your worries."
"Sure," I returned."I'm ready when you are."
"The object?" She asked, referring to what was needed for the location spell.
"Me, "I replied almost proud to know Damian was attached to me. The woman got inside to prepare a brew while Kalim examined the shop. The woman replied a minute later offering me the brew to drink. As it went down my throat, I began to feel light-headed and dizzy. All I could picture before I blacked out was the woman chanting.
I woke up with a slight headache. My head still spun but I was okay. I was outside a house. It looked old. I wondered what I was doing here.
"Damian." I mind linked once again. This time, all o got was silence. It gave me hope and great concern at the same time. I entered the house and found myself in the basement. I could hear water drops from leaking floorboards and occasionally creaking of old wood. I studied the environment and saw an area with a lightbulb, it was on.
"Hello," I whispered as I got to my destination. I saw human skulls and animal skulls placed on the table. I was definitely at the witch's home. Where was Damian? I wondered as I wandered around. Something hit me. It was hard and almost left my brain dead. I turned. It was a witch. She looked old and her teeth were gold in color. She was chanting a spell. I felt my neck tighten like it was being held by an unseen force. I could feel my life force dwindle as I began to have a splitting headache coupled with blood oozing from my nose and mouth.
"Help," I begged hoping someone heard me. In my pain, I could see Damian on a table. He was alive although unconscious. I wished he could save me, I wished anyone could save me. What was wrong with this witch? Did she bring here to die? I thought in my anguish.
KALIM'S POV
The witch was on the ground bleeding. Avery was also having the same predicament. What could I do?
"Open the circle" The witch ordered as she continued screaming. I wondered what she meant until I saw a chalk diagram on the floor. I scattered my foot. The witch recovered immediately so did Avery.
"A dark witch. A dark witch!" The gypsy babbled.
"What?" Avery asked.
The woman bowed and shook her head to Avery. "You are not dealing with a witch with earth magic. The witch that took your friend knows dark magic."
What have I gotten myself entangled in? I said to myself and all because of a stupid knife. I took out the dagger to examine again and watched the witch jump.
"Where did you get that?" She exclaimed.
"You know about this knife?" Avery countered.
All that happened next was that the woman kicked us out.
"What happened to her?" I joked with Avery. She, however, had no time to joke as she abandoned me.
"Wait up!" I yelled.
"So..." "where's the witch?" I asked attempting to strike a conversation.
"Up the street," Avery replied, pointing to a house that looked desolate.
"There is no way, I'm entering this house." I protested as I examined the perfect epitome of a haunted house. It's paint we're peeled. To not beat around the bush, it was plain terrible.
Avery went in and did not turn back. I marveled at her bravery, well considering she's immortal. It reminded me of a horror film I watched where the guy who refused to go in died, first. I would have screamed to wait but we were in a witch, a dark witch's home. I open the door and steadily sneaked in. Turns out Avery was waiting for me at the door.
"Welcome." She said. "I couldn't go in alone."
F**k me! I should have waited outside. As I watched the door close, I knew my"right to live" was gone. On the positive side, I had the dagger with me. It reassured me as it glowed in my pocket.
We went to the basement as stealthily as we could. It's stairs creaked scaring us both but we scaled through. We might actually live, I thought aloud. maybe we'll defeat the wi... Avery stopped in her tracks. I felt myself pee. Right in front of us was the witch and she had freakishly lethal fireballs on each palm. She threw one at Avery who dodged with ease. She threw one at me and I swear I would have died if Avery didn't push me out of harm's way. I knew there was only one thing I could do, something a smart and human boy should do, hide.
I watched Avery Dodge more fireball but she could not launch her attack. The witch grew bored as she conjured two ugly looking demons to do her battle. I noticed the sword in my pocket stopped glowing. I checked to be sure. That was strange, it always glowed when it was with me. Touching it, I felt something. It was an out of body experience. I could hear different tongues in my head and when I opened them, I knew I had changed. It was like the dagger gave me strength, inhuman strength.
AVERY'S POV
I saw the witch move on to Damian and began to drain his blood. The demonic creatures we're difficult to attack as they could make their bodies corporeal and incorporeal. I couldn't land a single blow on them. One of the demon suddenly screamed and disintegrated into dust. It was Kalim and he was wielding the dagger. I was shocked at his bravery but was more concerned for his safety.
"Give me the dagger and run," I ordered him. Looking at his eyes, I knew he was not the same Kalim. He pushed me out of the way with brute strength and fatally stabbed the second demon who likewise disintegrated into dust. The witch noticed Kalim's success and turned to him. She opened her mouth to start a chant but he anticipated it and threw the dagger at her. It struck her down. Her throat was open spewing blood and mucous membrane. Kalim passed out as soon as the dagger left his hands. Whatever he was, I knew he could not be human. I rushed to Damian. He had a strange medallion on his neck that must have been responsible for his blackout. I ripped it off him and he woke up immediately. He was disoriented for some time but all he could do was hug me. I held him tight refusing to let him go.
"See breaking the rules actually saved your life," I whispered to his ear and watched him smirk.
"Did I just do this?" Kalim asked, looking at his one-man massacre.
Damian was just as surprised. It's almost as if he knew what was happening.
"You're a faeblood," Damian revealed.
