The Iron Dagger (The Vampire Series Book 2)

Chapter 14 - long story short

The last two weeks had flown by. It was nothing but training and gathering materials and Persephone was ready to charge their powers in the almost full moon. Kit was helping them set up, his scent was part of the bait but he was needed elsewhere. Eloisa was making the spell circle nice and large also because it was an actual functioning spell, it was almost time to light the bonfire. The fire was the first part of the spell that would send out the smaller wave of magical energy. Everything was set to go until Persephone was scavenging when they got a call.

"Who is this?" They answered the number.

"Hello witch," it was Emily, Vic's oldest sister.

"What do you want? If you're trying to trace this call you can't," Emily let out a laugh, a strangely gruff and angry noise like she'd never really learned how to do it.

"Oh I don't need to trace this call, you're gonna come right to me and turn yourself over. No reinforcements, nobody else knowing where you are, just you walking into the hunter compound here in Boulder and letting us put you in chains."

"And why would it do that?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to slit Vic's throat," Emily responded casually. Their phone started ringing again, a video call coming through from the same number. They froze and let it go through. Immediately, the video popped up of Vic chained up to a wall in the basement compound. She was bruised and battered, head slumped forward. Persephone could see her labored breathing through the camera. "Say hello to your girlfriend, Vic! I've got Persephone on the phone!"

"Persephone, I'm so sorry. Please, don't-" she was cut off by a whimper of pain before she could finish, Emily socking her in the stomach.

"You've got three hours, witch. Be here by four pm or she dies for you," Emily hung up, the silence ringing in Persephone's ears. They looked at their phone, it was only 1. They didn't have much time to track where she was. Persephone ran back to the cabin, trying not to raise an alarm as they walked in. They kept their mind blank as they walked in the main area and beelined for their room. There were a few calls of greeting that they vaguely returned, focusing on not letting the mind readers in. Once they were closed in, they rushed to their altar, grabbing the map and pendulum. There was a knock at the door.

"Persephone? You were gone gathering for quite a bit of time and had missed lunch," Kit's voice called. "I have sequestered away a sandwich and bowl of soup for you, shall I bring it up?"

"Uh- no, I'm not quite hungry yet. Still a little liquid full from my water," they were trying to focus on the map when the stone finally stopped and landed on a spot. They quickly pulled out their phone and looked it up. It was on the edge of Boulder, right where the hunter compound was. "I have to go back out, I need to make some charcoal."

"I could come with you?" Kit offered with a smile in his voice. "Victoire and Ercole are rather grating at this time, I could indubitably use a break, and a walk through the forest with my lovely partner sounds like a most pleasant one."

"I-" fucking hells "-I just need a little time to myself still. If that's alright?" They were packing a small charm bag with deployable spells and grabbing a lighter. "I'll be a few hours, I really just wanna meditate and reconnect with my new powers," there was a small moment of quiet.

"Of course," Kit agreed. "I can understand that. Be safe, and I shall see you upon your return."

"Thank you," they started running back outside, not saying anything as they blew through the house and to a rental car Stefan had gotten car. Hopefully Kit would feed everyone else their lie and nobody would have any idea.