I waited like a shark would for its prey.
She didn't say yes but it wasn't exactly a no either. I just had to try harder, make her see reason. And if that didn't work then I'd let my shadows do all the work. They were dying to get out anyway.
"Alexei!"
The shout didn't change my emotions. At least it wasn't her voice. Still, in a daze, I reached downstairs to see Zach looking around for someone with worry in his eyes. If it was any other day, I'd care for it but today? I only managed to do a careless scoff.
"I thought you were going to drink your sorrows away. Your buddy bailed on you?"
Prick.
Zach's eyes clearly showed what he thought of me. "Ivy didn't bail but your woman sure as hell did."
I paused, not even realizing what he was talking about. Emie did what? How did I not feel her emotions? How many hours had it been on the roof anyway? For the first time, I looked around, noticing the broken glasses thrown there.
"What happened?" My gaze hardened the more I took in the scenery. "Where's Emie, Goddammit!"
My words cut through the commotion near the hall. How could I not notice the tension in the air? Everywhere there was at least one or two tensed individuals bubbling about something. To my surprise, even Cone was there with his head bowed as usual.
Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I wondered what if whatever Ivy saw before was happening right now? I tried to shake the image of Emie's eyes filled with suffering but no matter what, I was stuck in that horrible nightmare.
"I was going to meet Lana and Mikhail when I heard the scream." There was no longer any anger left in Zach's voice. He sounded as tired as I felt. "I came down to see what's happening but it's like they literally vanished. I can't find them, Alexei. They are gone. Allegra is also missing so you can assume what the Coven is going through right now."
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to blame someone for it. But who? Demos had been already handled with Zed's help. Zedkiel...
"Did Zed decide to stay the night?" Surely he would know what to do. If it's anyone I could count on, it was Zed. But Zach's lips tightened even more at the question.
"He's missing too." Damn it to the hell!
I could feel my control snap at any moment. This, exactly this type of despair I was trying to avoid when I ended everything two months ago. Thankfully Cone rasped out, making me look at the demon. "Masterr, we should look for them now before it's too lateeeee."
"Cone, find Jonathan, we might need him. And the rest of the Coven members, you call the Volkioses and other clans. We're gonna need as many people we can." I turned back toward Zach. "What about your bindings?"
Zach almost ripped open the trinket from his wrist in one pull. "Consider it done."
"Good, where's Allegra's room?"Â Every Volkios had a room in here that was locked. She had to have one too.
Zach frowned. "What?"
"We need to find a book named El kayes to find Emie. Now, just tell me!"
"Upstairs, East wing."
For what I was going to do, I needed that book. But to my surprise, when we actually found the room, there was no reason for us to break in since it was already open and in shambles. Shredded papers covered the whole floor, even the small bed. I carefully stepped over the broken things to look through the drawers.
"Is it the book you were looking for?" After searching for a good half an hour, Zach threw me a heavy book.
"This is it." I nodded half-heartedly where Zach came bearing candles, a bowl, and a small knife. Picking the knife, I clenched it tight until blood dripped into the bowl from the open wound. But sooner we realized that we forgot the most important part of a ritual.
"Shit, I need a witch. Especially a clan leader." I cursed, watching Zach already retreating outside to find one. Everything started to feel more like a hazy dream than reality to me when an old woman stumbled inside in a hurry with Zach.
"I'm here. What do you need me for?"
I nodded toward the bowl of blood and the book. "Need to find Emeline Deshayes through my blood. Chant it up, witch."
I didn't think to notice the glare the witch shot at me nor was I interested to know if the witch was actually chanting or just cursing me in her language when she started doing incantations with her hands raised like a prayer.
"In vo in eam em, ut vet ut, tarda cut Inunc a mle in noc re me sol, me vita vitae ekiem coim, Deshayes golam hyas."
The pain hit me hard, almost taking me down to my knees. Zach was beside me in a second. "What is it?"
"Zach, you sure the basement was searched?" I gritted out, still clutching my chest as the white shirt started to go red with my blood.
"I searched the whole place." He confirmed with a firm nod. "There was nothing there. Why? Do you feel anything?"
"The pull is stronger toward the basement. She had to be there." I couldn't ignore the strong pull I felt toward the place. Unless someone was messing with all of us...
"Goodness!" The witch suddenly gasped, making me stare at her. "There's a hidden tunnel in the basement which leads to a some kind of portal. It was meant for a peace treaty from the Coven to a friend."
Nothing good could come from a portal. Who knew what had come through it? Maybe Zach had the same idea cause he was following me with the same look on his face. And maybe I would keep running if he didn't put his arm around mine in alarm.
"Alexei, stop!" Putting a halt in my search, we both stared at the dark tunnel with extra caution. There could be anything out there.
The tunnel was awfully quiet.
"Holy hell!"
I blinked hard, trying to take in everything. This had to be a nightmare. At least hundreds of hellhounds were there, protecting something. They all growled again the moment I stepped ahead.
"No, wait! They are deadly lethal and their bite can be poisonous." Zach warned. As if they could understand him, I saw several red eyes starting to glow in the dark. "We can't go there. Not until we know what we're dealing with. If we go now, they'll rip us apart without any fight. The souls in my bindings are strong but even they can't fend off these many hellhounds at once."
"My little soul is gone along with those people." He looked away in guilt. "What about Lana and Mikhail? You going to leave them there too?"
That did it.
Zach let loose of the trinket, making those faceless souls burst in with a screech. And just like that, with a holler, we stumbled upon the hellhounds.
***
Cold.
I was so cold. Memories flew by but nothing made sense. I could only hear the sound of my own heart beating in my ears. Was I dead then? Or was it the grave calling for me again?
"Alexei? Darkness?"
Who was calling me?
I could hear voices chattering in the distance but I couldn't quite make out what they were talking about. I heard my name again but I just wanted to leave. Better yet, I wanted to go to Em...
I wanted Em...
Emeline.
I woke to light streaming through the window. Where the hell was I? I looked around only to remember what happened. The engagement, the people missing, the hellhounds.
The hellhounds.
I looked down and there was a deep cut on my leg. My neck was sore too but I couldn't reach it with my hands cause they were bound to a pole. I tugged them but the rope only cut more. Next, I tried to call for my shadows only to curse when the rope glowed silver meaning it was hexed. The only good thing was I could still feel her somewhere around here.
Similar to me, Zach had a chunk of skin missing from his neck. At least he was breathing. The room we were in looked like some type of illusion. It was odd. The moment I turned my head a little, I was surprised to see another three, no...four people there.
Lana, Mikhail, Ivy.
And a woman with cold eyes.
But no Emie.
No Zed.
"Alexei?"
It was Lana who called out and seeing her, there was no doubt that coming here wasn't exactly a joyful ride. Blood smeared across her face similar to Mikhail, the only person who didn't look like going through hell was Ivy and the woman in the room who was still unknown to me.
"Where are we?"
"With our luck? In a Limbo probably." Lana cursed.
"Actually you are in Hell. We have already bypassed the Limbo." The stranger rolled the words on her tongue in such a way as if she was mocking us. "Such a wonder today is, isn't it?"
"There's no fucking wonder today." I spat, despite seeing Lana shook her head in warning. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled slowly, revealing her teeth. "I'm surprised that you didn't recognize me, Darkness. I'm the one you fear the most. You have been running from me for your whole life only to land on my doorstep when you think of it least."
What?
Riddles...
Suddenly there was a possibility that I had a hard time grasping. Clenching my fists, I looked up again. "Who are you?"
"I'm known by many names. Fate, that bitch and most commonly...Prophesy."