Chapter 7
Seven
VAUGHN
SALEM
Since I turned into a vampire, I got used to being pushed aside and letting the Blueblood vamps do everything.
They didn’t think I could handle all the nasty situations that have been thrown our way.
I tried to not let their lack of confidence get to me.
I did the work instead. I trained hard and followed their rules.
That meant staying away from my mother and sisters.
I still talk to them on the phone regularly, but I haven’t seen them in person since the change.
Tonight, I feel like I’ve earned my place in Lucca’s inner circle.
We’re gathered in a clearing to perform a spell that will hopefully open a portal to Ellnesari.
From what I understand, our current location is a source of natural magic that Solomon and the High Witch are hoping to tap into.
We’re going to rescue Miranda and Rikkon, who were kidnapped by a psychotic Nightingale named Selor for reasons unknown to us.
We’re all armed with swords and daggers.
I asked why we weren’t bringing any guns, and I was told modern weapons don’t work in Ellnesari.
I have my doubts that what we’re packing can do much damage to a Nightingale, but I don’t voice them out loud.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who knows the odds are not in our favor.
“All right, we’re all here. What are we waiting for?” Lucca asks Solomon.
He glowers at Lucca. “We are waiting for me to get ready. May I remind you that the Taluah Mirror is an unpredictable relic? One wrong word or ingredient and I could end up opening a gateway to Hell.”
Saxon shudders. “That’s definitely not a place I want to visit again. Please, take your time.”
Solomon and Isadora carry on with the ritual, and it’s exactly how I pictured it’d go.
There’s a cutting of palm, blood dripping into a bowl, and a chanting that sounds like gibberish to me.
As the blood fills the silver container, glowing letters appear on the outside.
The script reminds me of the writing inside the ring of power from The Lord of the Rings. I get chills thinking about it.
Once Solomon is satisfied with the amount of blood he collected from the High Witch, he looks at us.
“Now it’s your turn to make a donation.”
One by one, we make a blood contribution, and this is when things begin to get spooky real fast. The letters on the bowl become brighter, and a strange energy emanates from it. I’m not vibing with what’s happening at all.
“Does anyone know what those symbols mean?” I ask.
Vivi squints, trying to read the inscription. A moment later, she gasps.
Lucca puts his hand on her lower back. “What is it, Vivi?”
“It’s… it’s my name. My full name, written in old Aquilan.” She turns to Solomon, looking visibly shaken. “Where did you find this?”
He avoids her stare, which to me is hella sus. “I’d rather not answer that.”
“Why not?” Saxon asks. “Wait… did you steal it from someone?”
The headmaster remains quiet, and I guess Saxon was right on the money.
“The source of this object isn’t important. Let’s focus on finalizing the spell,” Isadora interjects.
Lucca makes a displeased face, and steps closer to Vivi. I’m getting strong alpha protector vibes from him, and I wonder if he forgot to shield his emotions from me.
Once Solomon is done collecting our donations, he stops Vivi from cutting herself. “No, dear. I don’t need your blood.”
“You don’t?” she asks, surprised.
“Wouldn’t Vivi’s blood be the most important for the spell considering she’s the only Nightingale here?” Aurora asks.
Solomon doesn’t dignify her with an answer, and Aurora flattens her lips. Boy, lots of egos getting chaffed tonight.
The High Witch carries on with the spell, and things go from spooky to Poltergeist-level scary in zero point two seconds.
Lucca reaches for Vivi’s waist, pulling her closer to him. He seems to have half a mind to pick her up in his arms and get the hell out of here. But Solomon turns to Vivi and says, “Now it’s your turn, child.”
She tries to step away from Lucca, but he keeps his hold. She gives him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, my love.”
Reluctantly, he releases her, but he keeps watching the headmaster with his sharp gaze. If this spell goes wrong and Vivi gets hurt, Solomon is cooked.
The headmaster doesn’t seem to notice Lucca’s glare when he offers Vivi the bowl. “You must drink it.”
“What?” she squeaks.
“You can’t be serious. You want Vivi to drink blood?” Karl interjects.
Solomon gives him a look that makes me feel stupid, and that glare isn’t even aimed at me. “No, I was just kidding. Of course she has to drink it. I wouldn’t have asked her to do it otherwise.”
Vivi stares at the bowl with a look of uncertainty. Lucca, on the other hand, seems guilty as hell. I wonder why.
A moment later, she drinks from the bowl, and I’m shocked that she’s not gagging. I wouldn’t have been able to drink blood when I was human. She doesn’t barf, but she does start to shake as if she’s having a seizure. Shit.
“What is that potion doing to her?” Lucca tries to get to Vivi, but Aurora halts him.
“You can’t stop the spell now!”
He yanks his arm back, showing off his fangs. “The hell I can’t!”
“If you do, it’ll all be for nothing. I can’t lose my sister.”
“Lucca, Vivi will be all right,” Ronan chimes in.
“You don’t know that.”
My stomach is tied into knots. I shake my head, trying to get rid of the bad feeling that’s licking at the back of my neck. If Lucca is rattled, then so am I.
A storm seems to gather around Vivi as the magic increases exponentially. Her eyes become completely white in a freakish manner. She looks possessed as she drops the bowl and walks toward the Taluah Mirror. I have a bad feeling about this.
Don’t touch that thing, Vivi.
Lucca runs to her, faster than anyone can stop him, and Aurora screams, “No!”
But before he can reach Vivi, he seems to hit an invisible barrier, which sends him flying back. I stare wide-eyed while he spasms on the ground as if he’s being electrocuted. Son of a bitch.
“Someone do something!” I yell.
The High Witch kneels next to him and touches his forehead. His body goes slack and his face relaxes too. But my attention diverts to the black void that appeared where the Taluah Mirror used to be. Vivi is gone. What the hell! I step back, not willing to go near that thing.
My companions don’t hesitate to jump into the darkness. Ronan lifts Lucca off the ground and tosses him into the void before he looks at me. “Come on, Vaughn.”
I shake my head.
He doesn’t try to grab me to throw me into the void, or pressure me to go.
He simply follows Lucca. A second later, the void collapses onto itself and a powerful blast knocks me down.
I hit the ground hard, tasting blood. I must have bitten my tongue.
My ears are ringing, but besides that, I seem to be in one piece.
I sit up and search for the High Witch. She’s getting back on her feet.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes,” she grits out. “And you?”
“Yeah.”
I search for the Taluah Mirror, but it’s gone. An overwhelming sense of shame takes over me. Everyone crossed over the portal, even Solomon. Only the High Witch and I stayed behind, but the difference between us is that she was supposed to stay—which means the only coward in this scenario is me.
“I choked,” I blurt out.
“Because you didn’t want to cross?” Isadora asks.
“Yes. This was my chance to prove I’m not a deadweight, and I blew it.”
“I’m sure no one thinks you’re a deadweight.” She begins to collect the objects used in the ritual.
“Ronan looked hella disappointed.”
“That vampire always looks disappointed. Don’t take it personally.”
I bite my tongue instead of saying that it’s hard not to take it personally when my very existence feels like a burden to Lucca and company.
To distract myself from my woeful thoughts, I help Isadora, and we work in silence for a minute.
Nothing she can say will erase the fact that I chose not to follow my friends.
More than ever, I miss my family. Annabelle, my older sister, would know what to say to make me feel better.
And Clarissa, my baby sister, thinks I’m the coolest guy around, which is always good for the ego.
Mom would have some sage advice, although I can’t tell any of them about what happened to me.
I can’t even go visit them because Mom, for sure, would know I’m no longer human.
Stuck in my head, a thought occurs to me. I’m in the presence of the most powerful witch in Salem. She could help me.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
Isadora looks at me with narrowed eyes. “You can ask, but it doesn’t mean I’ll grant it.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Right. Well… I haven’t been able to see my family since I was turned, and they’re starting to get suspicious because I’ve always visited them. We’re tight.”
“You want a potion that will make you appear human,” she replies without missing a beat. Boy, the lady is sharp.
“You read my mind.” I smile, hoping my dimples will work their charm.
“It was easy to guess. I suppose there’s no harm in allowing you to visit your family. I’ll drop by tomorrow with a potion. But remember, it’s just an illusion. It doesn’t grant you immunity to the sun.”
The fact that she feels the need to warn me about it tells me she thinks I’m a dumbass.
“Noted. And thank you.”
I still feel like shit, but at least now I have something to look forward to.