Blood

Chapter Fourteen: Seraphina

We found ourselves standing in a quiet, moonlit clearing. Tall grasses swayed gently in the night breeze, and the distant sound of chirping crickets filled the air. I looked around, trying to make sense of our surroundings.

"So, where the hell are we?" I asked, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "We're back on Earth, but which country? Which state? Where exactly on Earth are we?"

Emily sighed. "The portal is dynamic. It doesn't always work the way you want it to. Sometimes it takes you where you need to be, and other times it takes you where it wants you to be."

"Great. Good to know we could be anywhere in the world," I replied sarcastically.

Ava snickered. "Always wanted to be a world traveler. Guess the universe decided to make that dream come true."

"Okay, Emily," I said, turning to her. "Are you ready to tell us what your parents were planning to do with me now?"

Emily took a deep breath and nodded. "My parents are after something called the Elven Heartstone. It's a powerful artifact that can amplify magical abilities beyond imagination. They believe that by using the Heartstone, they can merge the magical and human worlds, bringing them under their control."

"Sounds like your typical 'take over the world' plan," Ava said dryly.

"Unfortunately, yes," Emily continued. "But the process to merge the worlds is incredibly dangerous. It requires the life force of a powerful supernatural being. They planned to use you, Ethan."

"Of course they did," I muttered. "Why use a battery when you can use a vampire?"

Emily looked down, her expression pained. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it would kill you. They lied to me."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Emily. We'll stop them. Together."

"But why me? I'm like the weakest vampire. Even Ava is stronger than me." I said. "Why didn't they take her?"

"Hey!" Ava exclaimed looking at me. "So you want your only sister to be taken captive instead? What a brother you are."

"Well the only sister has lived two years more than me. It's only right they take her." I said. "The younger brother has his whole life ahead of him."

"Thinking that two years is a long time is really funny coming from you. You know 'cause we're vampires and all." Ava said before trying to Emily. "But on a serious note. Why him? He's the weakest vampire alive. He couldn't even kill a rat if he wanted to. Mom and dad had to hunt down the prey that he used to quench his thirst as a kid. He's basically useless."

"Come on. There had to be a nicer way to say that."

"I know. There was. But saying it this way is more to my liking."

"There's something about you. Your blood that my parents need. No other vampire is like you. You might be weak now but you have the potential to be the strongest." Emily replied. "There's not much I can say. I can only tell you that if you come to age you have to potential to be the strongest creature in the whole supernatural world. Ask your parents how they conceived you. You'll understand better."

"But how did you and parents come to know about this?"

"That's not important now. I'll let you know in due time but for now we have to keep moving."

"So, what's the plan?" Ava asked, glancing around. "We can't just stay here and wait for them to find us."

"We need to find Seraphina," Emily said. "She's an elf-witch and my mentor. She'll know how to help us stop my parents."

"Great. And where do we find this Seraphina?" I asked.

"There's a hidden sanctuary not far from here," Emily replied. "It's protected by powerful magic. We should be safe there."

"Well, lead the way," Ava said, gesturing grandly. "Let's go meet this magical mentor of yours."

We followed Emily through the woods, the moonlight barely penetrating the thick canopy above. After what felt like an eternity of walking, we arrived at a secluded grove. Ancient trees formed a natural archway, and a faint, shimmering barrier surrounded the area.

"Here we are," Emily said, stepping through the barrier. "When supernatural creatures with bad intent step into this barrier they get vapourised immediately and when humans step in through this barrier they don't go anywhere. They just keep moving into the forest. This place is like another dimension in a way. Seraphina is almost as powerful as my parents so try not to annoy her with your excessive bickering. She can and will vapourise you if she feels threatened so keep your claws and fangs to yourself."

The air inside the sanctuary felt different-calmer, more serene. We walked deeper into the grove, and soon we saw a small, quaint cottage nestled between the trees. Smoke curled from its chimney, and the soft glow of candlelight shone through the windows.

As we approached the cottage, the door creaked open, and a woman stepped out. She had long, silver hair that cascaded like a waterfall, and her eyes twinkled with a mixture of wisdom and mischief. She wore a patchwork robe adorned with various trinkets and charms.

"Well, well, what have we here?" she said, her voice melodic and warm. "A vampire, a hybrid, and another vampire. Sounds like the start of a bad joke."

"More like a nightmare," Ava muttered.

Seraphina chuckled. "Let's see if we can turn that around, shall we? Come in, come in."