is it love? Mystery Spell- Love and War

Chapter 22: The Final Front

"Viktor's been here," Nicolae scowled, "I can feel the residue of his aura."

"How is it no one was able to sense him?" I asked.

"He's picked up some new tricks it seems," Drogo frowned, "I can't feel Lorie anywhere. He must be covering her."

"Or it wasn't him that took her," I muttered, moving towards the glowing sigil on the wall, "a witch's sigil, he sent my father to take her, that's why no one felt him. Viktors power is here because he's manipulating him."

"So, where will they be?" Peter asked, "Where's he taken her?"

I think for a moment before searching outward, reaching out for my father through our blood ties. I see an old monastery not too far from here.

"Found them," I say.

"Let's go then!" Peter cried.

"No, I need you all to hang back," I say, "I can feel that something is waiting there that you won't be able to protect yourselves from. Stay here and help everyone else prepare, something big is coming; I can feel it."

I could feel they wanted to argue but they knew how serious I was, so they just nodded. I used my shadow-walk ability to arrive at the monastery. I could hear Lorie shouting and struggling inside. I walked in and saw her tied up with enchanted chains.

"Ophelia!" she cried, eyes full of tears.

"Hang on Lorie!" I called, running up to her before being struck in the back with something.

I collapse to the ground only to be pulled back up by my hair and to feel a sharp sting on my arm and a metallic smell to fill my nostrils. I glance up and see my father heading towards the altar.

"You can't fight his plan, my dear daughter," he said somewhat sadly, "your mother and I tried, and we failed. He wants your blood. Your vessel is powerful. With you, his court will be complete and no one will be able to stop him."

"I'm not giving up and I'm not letting him win!" I yell, flaring up my energy, ready to fight.

My father sighs and I see the sorrow in his eyes as our auras clash. He doesn't want to do this, but he has no choice. He can barely fight me off, but he's not going to give in. I have no choice. I have to kill him and destroy the power Viktor has stored in him. I close my eyes as my tears fall and release the sharp energy directly into my father's heart. I open my eyes and rush towards Lorie. The poor thing is weeping tears of blood at what she's just witnessed. I hold her close to me so that she doesn't see anymore and I let her cry.

My father's body crumbles into ash and floats away on the wind. We stay like that for a while until we've both calmed down enough to teleport back to the castle. Lorie runs off to Nicolae and Drogo and I go to Sarah and Peter who are waiting in the library. One look at me and they both know.

"I'm so sorry, Ophelia..." Sarah sobs.

I shake my head, "There's nothing to be sorry about, but we need to finish this. Viktor will be weak from the sudden loss of power, the time to strike is now. We can end this."

"Ophelia, we can't go against him..." Peter says sadly, "He'll make us kill you if we try."

"That's why you're staying here with the other vampire courts to keep you under control," I explain, "if Viktor reaches out to control you, their combined efforts should be enough to protect you from his influence. I'll be taking the werewolf pack and our coven straight to Viktor's front door to finish this and free us from his tyranny once and for all. He's going to pay for the lives he's ruined."

"What's the plan?" Sarah asks and everyone starts to gather.

"The werewolves can serve as a distraction," I explain, "Viktor's got a bunch of newly turned vampires waiting for us according to the information supplied by Loan and the remaining Templars. They'll be assisting our efforts. The coven and I will get inside and take down Viktor. It was magic that brought him into existence, it'll be magic that takes him out."

Once everyone is dismissed, I'm left alone with Peter who looks less than happy. I take him in my arms and hold him close.

"What if you don't come back, Ophelia?" he whispers.

"Don't think like that," I say, "I'll be fine."

"But what if-" he starts to protest but I cut him off with a fierce kiss.

"I'll be back; alive. I promise," I whisper, "I love you, Peter."

"I love you too..." is all he gets to say before I teleport outside Viktors residence, where the werewolves and Templars are already fighting the newly turned.

It's carnage with heavy losses on both sides. Sarah and the other witches nod to me and we charge across the battlefield, dodging heavy blows and hungry vampires as we go. When we make it to the inside of the building, it's no better. Older, but still fairly fresh vampires greet us at every turn and at every turn we waste valuable time and energy to kill them. Some witches are killed or heavily injured but we keep pushing forward through the building, trying to locate Viktor.

At last, we find him, in an office on the top floor, casually signing papers. The fucking shithead! He looks up at us and instantly the atmosphere gets heavier. Sarah and a few of the other witches start to choke on how oppressive his aura is. I turn to help them but a strong, ice-cold hand wraps itself around my neck and holds me in the air.

"You've saved me the trouble of collecting you myself," he grins, fangs bared as he sinks his teeth into my neck.

It hurts. A sharp, stabbing pain that turns my blood to ice. I start to panic and flail which only serves to amuse him. When the last of my blood is about to leave me, a brief calm overwhelms me as my body drops to the floor with a heavy thud. As I close my eyes, my life flashes before me, the happy memories I've had, my friends and loved ones in mystery spell. I feel good. I'm glad I got to know them. To experience what I felt with them. I thought of Viktor, and with one last insolent part of me, I pitied him. How he'd continued to live an empty, meaningless existence without ever knowing love or friendship. This thought alone caused my blood to warm up and my magic to sizzle. I could hear screams of agony somewhere in the distance as my consciousness faded to black...

When I awoke, I was back in the Bartholy house. Had it all been a dream? I was thirsty. I got up out of bed and padded to the bathroom to get a drink of water. It all had felt so real... My glass had finished filling up and I went to take a sip only to spit it back out. Why did the water taste like ash?! Was there something wrong with the plumbing? I looked at my reflection in the mirror and screamed. There, looking back at me, was a hideous, red-eyed monster that vaguely looked like me.

Peter and the others stormed into the bathroom, I mixture of surprise, concern, and relief on their faces. Peter grabbed me and held me close.

"Ophelia! Thank God! We weren't sure if you'd ever wake up!" he cried.

I hugged him back tightly and realized what had happened. I've been turned. I was dying and the Bartholy's saved me.

"What happened to Viktor?" I ask.

Nicolae answers with a gentle smile, "Apparently after drinking your blood, the magic was too strong for him to control and it killed him. For good this time. His influence over us is gone. We're free thanks to you."

I beamed brightly and looked at my loved ones. Finally! We were all free, and the future was ours to control!

"How are you feeling, little thing?" Drogo asked once Peter and I pulled away from each other.

I looked at him and frowned, "I'm thirsty..."