Tainted Happiness {Formerly Returned} (Book 4) (Completed)

Chapter 17

Melanie POV
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Sydney finally called back a week later. Once again, all I had was a rough outline of what to do. She explained that there was a person currently located in Toledo that was a part of some sort of Alchemist-like anti-Alchemist party that would make me two stakes of Electrum. Her name was Lea. I wasn't told of an exact address, but her apartment was located across the street from the Huntington Center where the Toledo Walleye play. She would meet me out there around three in the afternoon the next day.

Once I got there, it was immediately clear who she was. She had a dark blue tattoo on her cheek where the Alchemist lily was normally located, which I assumed to be some type of spell that negated the magic in the tattoo. Her looks reminded me so much of Rosa that it pained me to look at her. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. Her blue eyes reminded me a lot of the Welling cerulean-blue that Rosa had before she was Viu. She had a rounder, more tapered chin than Rosa that almost reminded me of Rosa's mother's. She was a bit shorter than Rosa and slightly chunkier, but the general look was there. When she spoke, her voice sounded like a much more feminine version of Rosa's rather deep, almost masculine voice. This woman almost put me in tears just by looking at her, but the voice was the worst.

"Are you Melanie?" She asked.

"Are you Lea?" I asked in reply.

"Yes. Come with me." She demanded, "So I hear you need a few stakes made out of Electrum."

"Yeah, I guess. One should be fine, but it might be good to have a few extras. I still have no idea just what these things can do."

"Nobody knows, not even me. I just know how to make them. What exactly do you need them for?" She said.

"I'm helping a friend." I said, trying to be as vague as possible. I still wasn't sure how much I could trust this Lea girl.

"How are you going to charm them?" She asked.

"I was just going to charm them myself. I have control over all five elements." I replied.

"All mortal vampires have some control over a five elements. That won't be enough." She said.

"I'm Viu. I specialized in all five elements." I added.

Lea spun around and stared at me for a minute before speaking again.

"Do you know The First Viu?" She finally said.

"She's the one I'm helping." I replied.

"She's my sister." Lea said, still staring at me.

"She thought you were working as a zoo-keeper in Colorado!" I said a little too loudly.

"That's what I told people. The Alchemists wanted me to be their only Moroi member, in an attempt to become more friendly with vampires and Dhampirs while still being strictly business with them. Their plan failed when I realized how corrupt they were. I was traveling to Palm Springs when I met a man named Marcus who made me a part of his group of former Alchemists who strive to do the same as the Alchemists, but without all the corruptness. He moved me out here because he needed an agent in Toledo who knew the area fairly well." She explained, "Enough about me. How's my sister?"

"Not well. Her soul has been Torn and I need these stakes to get her back to normal."

"Torn... That's a phrase I haven't heard in awhile." She said with a sly smile.

It took all my strength not to punch Lea. After I'd heard all the stories about what she'd done to Rosa when they were children, I wanted nothing to do with her. It was obvious that the Alchemists had managed to do the impossible and change her completely. She didn't even show the slightest hint of how she used to be. Nevertheless, I still wanted to beat the living daylights out of her. She showed little remorse for her sister's likely demise. She actually smiled at the mention of it. She quickly spun back around and continued making the stakes.

I made sure to get the hell out of that apartment as fast as possible after she gave me the stakes. I didn't even look at them, I just took the bag and ran. By the time I got back to the hospital, they'd cooled enough to be held. They had a pale, golden color and were rather cool to the touch. I made sure to charm one with all five elements, and one with the regular four, but I left one plain as a spare. Somehow I knew that I'd need an extra one. I quickly read through the instructions in the book once more just to be exactly sure of what I needed to do. This was the closest I'd ever been to getting Rosa back from her current state. I wanted to make sure I was following the directions exactly. I went down to Dr. Cuddy to get another room for Dave's body while he was in the Spirit World. When I actually got to the point where I had to stake Dave, my heart started racing and my palms were getting sticky with sweat. I knew what I had to do. It was either this or no more Rosa. I had to do it not only for her, but for myself so I could finally start on my way to having a half-ways normal life again.

"Are you ready you miserable pile of crap?" I spat when Rose and I locked Dave in the hospital room.

"Shouldn't you close the curtains first?" Rose observed.

"Oh, right! Thank you!" I replied, rushing to close the curtains.

"Should he lie down on the bed or...?" Rose pondered.

"Considering that none of us could really lift him, yes. Dave, lie down on the bed." I said. "Now, on the count of three, I'm going to stake you. One. Two. Three!"

I quickly stabbed him in the chest after I yelled three. He let out a small cry then passed out in the same way Rosa had.

"I hope this works. I wish there was a way to tell." I said.

"There is, Melanie. You're Shadow Kissed, you can see into the Otherworld." Rose reminded me.

"Yes! I can!" I shouted, remembering that I had that ability.

I focused my vision on the blank wall across from the bed. Whatever mental walls I had blocking the ghosts in the Spirit World from being seen went down. I called out for Dave in particular when I began to see the spirits. Slowly, his figure began to form.

"Show me that you aren't the scum you appear to be. Prove to me that I can give you a second chance. Bring me back my Rosa." I told him.

He nodded in acknowledgement and I quickly let him go. I was one step closer to fixing Rosa. I collapsed into a chair and began loudly crying.