The Immortals

THIRTEEN - Confrontation Approaches

As the morning sun slowly ascended the horizon, casting a resplendent orange glow upon the land, a sense of tranquility embraced the small town. Having spent a restful night on the welcoming comfort of Celine's couch, Tom found himself plagued by weariness, lingering on the couch long after awakening, lost in contemplation.

Yesterday's events had unfolded in a whirlwind of danger and uncertainty, yet the decisive actions of Antonia and her loyal followers had brought an end to Victor Black's reign of terror.

The immediate threat had been vanquished, leaving Tom to grapple with the reality of living in a town where vampires and witches coexisted. A wistful chuckle escaped his lips as he pondered the new normal that awaited him.

Finally rousing himself, Tom sat up on the couch, releasing a heavy sigh as he stretched his tired muscles. With determined steps, he made his way to the bathroom, freshening up.

Emerging with renewed vigor, he traversed the familiar path back to the living room and then the kitchen, where Celine's grandmother sat, savoring the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

"Good morning, Mrs Ackermann", Tom said friendly and respectful.

She smiled, her eyes showing bit of a tired gaze. "Morning, Tom. Oh, and please call me Sophia."

Tom nodded in acknowledgement and asked, "May I make myself a coffee, too?"

"Of course, of course", Sophia said.

Tom quickly poured a cup, adding just enough milk to sweeten it, stirred it and took two large gulps of the hot drink.

It didn't take long until Celine came down, greeted both with a "Mornin'" and sat down at the kitchen table too. Her blue hair was still wet from the shower and a thin layer of steam clung to her damp skin.

The next to speak was Sophia: "I'd like to thank you both again, for saving me from this vampires' clutches."

"It's alright, grandma. How are you feeling anyways?", Celine responded with sincere concern.

Sophia sighed, "Not too bad, actually. The vampire did not torture me too much. He locked me away without food and water, sure, but thanks to your bravery, I could return here, eat and drink and have a good night's sleep."

Celine smiled a bit at that answer and said, "That's good to hear, grandma."

In agreement, Tom nodded. "Yeah. Also, have you seen Eliott? You've been awake earlier and he's not here."

"Yes, actually. He left when I arrived into the kitchen, here. Said, he had to shower and get ready. Mentioned, he wants to meet a guy at some club, tonight", she answered.

"Is he even allowed to enter the club?", Celine's grandmother asked confused.

Tom shrugged, answering: "Sure, if he brings a mom note. But then, he's only allowed to stay until midnight, not a minute later."

"I see", Sophia murmured, then sipping her coffee.

Then, she looks at them both, her gaze a bit more serious. "I know it's early but we should talk about our... Well, our gifts."

Celine groaned inwardly, while Tom grimaced. They hadn't discussed what happened yesterday and they certainly didn't want to discuss it now either, not with the possibility of a life with vampires around. Not so soon, not so soon. But the older witch seemed convinced otherwise, so Tom decided to try.

"Alright.", he conceded.

Sophia nodded, determined. "So, Tom, you're the newbie witch. In that case, I'll make it my duty, my mission, to train you."