Chapter 29: To The Vampire Coven

Adelie

I held Kairos until his breathing evened out, signaling his descent into sleep. My eyelids were heavy, begging for rest, but I couldn’t afford to sleep. Leaving would be so much harder if he was awake.

I rose as silently as I could, retreating to my room for a quick shower. I dressed in my training gear, figuring it was more suitable than any of my dresses.

I navigated through the house until I found myself outside. I took one last look at the front of the house, praying to the Moon Goddess that it wouldn’t be my last. I had no idea how to find the vampire coven, but I hoped my mother’s witch friends could guide me.

I needed to see Maeve, and quickly. If Kairos woke up, I needed to be long gone. I half-ran to Maeve’s house, ringing the doorbell without regard for the early hour.

No one answered for what felt like an eternity. I fidgeted, tapping my foot impatiently. Finally, the door creaked open, revealing a sleep-ruffled Maeve.

“I’m leaving,” I blurted out, thrusting an envelope into her hands. “Give this to Kairos in the morning, not a moment sooner. If I leave it at the house, he might find it too soon. The letter says you didn’t know about this, so he won’t blame you. I still need to figure out how to get there, but I’ve reached out to some of my mom’s witch friends. Hopefully, they can help.”

Maeve’s eyes were wide awake now. “Wait here,” she instructed, disappearing inside. She returned moments later with a black cloth bag. “I knew you’d need this.” She reached into the bag, pulling out a crystal that glowed with a soft, gray light.

“What’s that?” I asked, taking the crystal from her.

“It’ll guide you. If the light goes out, you’re going the wrong way. Keep the light bright, and you’ll know you’re on the right path. Once you reach the vampire coven, the crystal will lose its power.” Maeve squeezed my hands. “You’re strong, Adelie. Don’t hesitate to use your powers if you need to.”

“How far is it?” I asked.

“Closer than you think,” she replied.

“But Raphael was gone for a while,” I pointed out.

“Just because Raphael left on good terms doesn’t mean it was easy to convince the vampire leaders to let Alpha go there. They’re not easy to deal with.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “Good luck, Adelie.”

I left as soon as I could, following the crystal’s guidance into the woods. I barely noticed my surroundings, my focus solely on the crystal. It was my only plan, my only hope.

I didn’t know how long I’d been walking, but it felt like hours. My feet were sore, and the sun was beginning to rise. The cold air made my breath visible.

After what felt like more hours, the morning light made the crystal’s glow unnecessary. I kept my eyes on it, but suddenly, it stopped glowing. It looked like an ordinary stone. Was it broken? I shook it, hoping to reignite its light, but nothing happened.

I glanced up, exasperated, only to realize the crystal wasn’t damaged. It was functioning just as it should. Suddenly, I found myself standing in what appeared to be an ancient castle, overrun with creeping vines and clumps of moss. I looked up at the rooftop where a pair of bats perched, seemingly observing me.

Kairos

The harsh sunlight woke me up, piercing my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept so soundly. In fact, I couldn’t recall ever having such a restful sleep.

My king-sized bed was empty. Adelie was nowhere to be found. Her clothes were gone, and her scent lingered faintly on my sheets. She must have left hours ago.

I didn’t waste any time. I got up and prepared for my morning training. It was earlier than usual, but I needed to see Adelie. Silently, I prayed she didn’t regret last night.

Adelie wasn’t in her room. I descended the stairs and found Helen rushing towards the kitchen, muttering to herself.

“Helen!” I called out.

“Breakfast isn’t ready,” she replied, continuing on her path. I followed her. Helen was an odd woman, but her cooking was worth it.

“No, not that,” I said, stopping in the kitchen where Helen was chopping something. “Have you seen Adelie?”

Helen paused, looking at me with a frozen expression. After a moment, she bluntly replied, “No.”

Could Adelie be on one of her forest walks again? I decided to check there since breakfast wouldn’t be ready for a while. As I opened the front door, I was greeted by Maeve. She sprang up from the ground where she had been sitting. “Maeve? What are you doing here?”

“Good morning, Alpha!” she greeted me. “Luna Adelie asked me to give you this first thing in the morning.” She handed me a white envelope with my name on it.

“What is it?” I asked. “And why couldn’t she give it to me herself, or leave it somewhere for me to find?”

“I don’t know, Alpha. I’m just following orders,” she replied, preparing to leave.

“Wait,” I commanded, opening the envelope. I was growing suspicious of Adelie’s actions.

Inside was a letter.

Dear Kairos,

I’m sorry I had to do this behind your back, but I know you’re too stubborn to let me go. I received a message that only those who know about my father’s absence would be from the vampire coven.

This is about more than just my father’s disappearance. If there’s someone powerful enough to challenge Death, we’re heading towards disaster. I know I don’t have any tangible proof that my father isn’t just on a ‘vacation’, but a voice in my head tells me to trust my gut, and it’s never let me down before.

Please don’t come after me. I’ll try to negotiate some sort of peace agreement with them. I’ll do everything in my power to protect our pack. Remember, I can take care of myself. I truly believe I’m doing the right thing, and I hope you can trust me on this and let me fight this battle alone.

P.S. Maeve isn’t involved in this. I only asked her to give you this letter as soon as you woke up.

Forever and always, your Adelie

My heart sank. How could she do this? She can’t possibly go there. It’s not safe. I crumpled the letter in my hand and turned to Maeve. “When did she give this to you?”

“Late last night, she knocked on my door,” she replied. Adelie had left hours ago. How far could she have gotten? I knew she was still alive—I would feel a thousand knives in my heart if she died. No, she won’t die. She’s strong. My Adelie.

I sent a mental message to Raphael. “Brace yourself, we're heading to the vampire coven. Immediately!”