Part 6

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"Mistress, there's a visitor waiting for you downstairs."

You glance up from where you sit in the center of your bed, books spread out around you. You've been working for the last few hours to see if you can find out anything more about this curse, anything similar that you could maybe combat. You made those potions to try to maybe slow down the speed of which it takes control, but so far you haven't been able to use them on anyone to see if it would work; that's a good thing, of course, but still.

Now who is this visitor?

"Like someone from my coven?" You ask, seeing the ghost hovering in your doorway. Why would someone be visiting you, and one that makes Claudette nervous? She doesn't look particularly pleased with whoever it is, and it makes you frown. You glance at your phone, checking the time; you have to meet Cerulli in an hour at some secret rendezvous point, where he may or may not murder you, so you don't have a lot of time. 

"No." Claudette fidgets, nervously twisting her black skirt between her fingers. "It's the vampire king, and one of his associates."

"Cerulli?" Now you are surprised. "Did you invite him in?"

"No, I am not the lady of the house. Do vampires still require an invitation?"

"Well, no, not really." He could waltz in all he wanted too, he's been in your house before after all. "What's the matter with his visit?"

"He looks... peeved, mistress." Claudette finally sighs, glancing down the narrow stairs behind her. "He is very agitated and I dislike it. Would you like me to send him away?"

"No, it's okay. I was going to see him tonight anyway," you sigh, closing the books you've been studying. You were focusing so hard on trying to find out more about this goblet from your father's old books, but you're not getting anywhere. Honestly, you've hit a dead end, and even Claudette just shrugs her shoulders, she can't find another mention either.

Maybe you're just not looking in the right place; if only you could just Google the answer!

"Perhaps you should not. I do not like a vampire in an aggravated state," the ghost says, worried. What if he attacks you? What if he tries to hurt you? She couldn't stand the thought of it! She'd have to kill him, and it's such a mess to clean when you're barely corporeal! 

"I'm sure it's fine," you dismiss, rising to your feet. You slip your phone into your back pocket, sighing; you spent all yesterday and last night making some protection charms, the first one of which you gave to Katie. You were going to give one to Cerulli tonight, you even made his in black so it wouldn't throw off the whole aesthetic he has going on; hopefully, he won't mind it looks like a friendship bracelet, the thick strings braided together to hold the magic in place. 

BFFs. 

You make your way downstairs, stifling a yawn as you reach the second-floor landing; you practically live in the attic of your house, but it's quite spacious and lets you overlook your backyard, so you like it. Plus the descent gives you time to get a good look at Cerulli where he stands in the entryway with Vinny hovering nervously at his side.

Okay, he's definitely unsettled.

What bled in his cheerios this morning?

"I thought we had a secret meeting later tonight?" You ask as you reach the stairs leading down, frowning at the top of them where they curve. You're not sure if you want to be on the same level as Cerulli and have to look up at him when he's in a mood. 

Cerulli cuts his eyes at you, spearing you with a dark gaze that sets you on edge. You tense as you frown down at him, feeling like you should be on guard. What's wrong with him? 

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