BLOOD IS KEY

Isabella Point Of View

It was hours past midnight. Exactly thirty minutes past the witching hour. I was up, actually I couldn't sleep, I felt utterly drained, both mentally and physically. I was completely exhausted trying to figure out what the crystal pendant the red circle stole meant. What did my aunt Delilah want with it?

She must need it for something really evil. I knew my aunt, and she must have gone through all the trouble to get the pendant because she needed it for something big and for sure it wasn't going to be anything good.

I remember seeing the pendant always tight around my mother's neck, it seemed to be a very treasured magical heirloom passed down in my family from one generation to another to protect. Fate didn't grant my mom enough time to groom me properly on what it was, if only there was a way I could figure it all out.

"Never lose this, protect it with your life." I wince, as I remember my mother's clear warnings. She warned me desperately not to lose the pendant, I always wore it on me because I wanted to keep it safe, but alas I failed my mother. I failed my coven. I failed them all.

"Fuck!" I screamed, knocking the unhelpful books on my table over to the ground. I felt frustrated, I lost to my aunt, again. I couldn't stop her. It felt like the day of my  family massacre all over again. I couldn't help feeling helpless in all of this, how I wish I had my mom.

I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision was crumbling into a foggy blur. I stood up, trying to get my footing, but I couldn't. My feet felt wobbly, as I stumbled down on the floor. My eyes faintly fluttering, till all I could see was darkness.

My eyes fluttered back open, I jumped up immediately scanning my new environment, I was no longer in the comfort of my room.

'What was I doing here? Most importantly, how did I get here?' My inner thoughts questioned.

The last thing I remembered was being in my room, reading journals to learn why aunt Delilah wanted the crystal pendant. Then I felt my vision begin to blur and then I was here.

Wherever I was, it was dark and foreign but yet it looked familiar. I pushed myself off from the floor, standing up on my feet as I gazed at my environment.

I began to recognize these walls, I knew this place all too well, even if I wanted nothing more than to forget all about this miserable house. This was a place I knew very well, this was the place I grew up with my adopted father, my own personal hell on earth.

The place was all burnt down from a fire, created by one of the monsters that found me, the red dragon. I felt a sharp pain on my feet. The ground was slowly beginning to heat up, the floor turning into a boiling red lava.

"Shit!" I exclaimed. I quickly muttered a spell to remedy the burning floor but as I soon realized my magic didn't work here. Wherever I was, I was completely defenseless.

I quickly ran trying to escape the lava floor, I saw a creaking door, I quickly opened it, the door led me somewhere else. I was on the basement floor of the house.

Instantly, a tight sucking pain gripped my stomach. It came with similar pain that had been haunting me the whole day but there was a stern difference. The burning pain has intensified into something deadly, and it stung me mercilessly. it felt like a fire was lit in my stomach, burning and disintegrating me from the insides. Raw pain specially designed and sent from the pits of hell tortured me.

I crippled to the floor, clutching on my stomach tightly, the raw burning sensation of the pain was overwhelming. I couldn't contain the pain. I opened up my mouth, releasing a screaming wail, expelling a huge surge of energy from me.

I saw a little girl walk in, her back was against me, permitting me to only look at her long blond hair. I tried to move over to her but another staunch pain  shot through me, I let out another scream.

Immediately, the little girl's head snapped in my direction. her blue eyes peering at me intently. My heart drops as I look at the child's face, not able to believe my eyes. Her face reflected my younger image.

She was me, six year old me.

Another wave of pain hit me, rendering terrifying wails to escape from me. A painful vibration along with a steering ringing, assaulted my thoughts. I gripped onto my head for support. What was happening to me?

The ground beneath my feet began to rumble as if there was a fearful earthquake drawing close.

The little girl--- me, pointed over to a small compartment in the floorboards. I remembered that was always the place I stashed my secret items to keep it safe from my foster father, what was I trying to let myself know. Little me kept pointing at that spot in the corner.

"Bring down the wall Isabelle!" Little me screamed at me. I couldn't understand what she meant.

A powerful and restless wind brewed in the room, like a mighty tornado, it stormed and raged like a violent storm, red fiery flames ignited within the wind, blowing around like a burning tornado.

Everything in the room lifted up in the air, levitating in circles, spinning round in the room. The room was in a complete abyss, with everything happening all at once.

I felt completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening. The pain continued to grip me, burning my insides to liquid, as if something deep within me was tired of the silence and wanted freedom. Something strong, something powerful.

I clutched on tight to my head, trying to fight back the storm brewing inside me, demanding for freedom. Now I couldn't control this beating heart of mine. I felt restless and scared.

"Bring down the wall, Isabelle!" She demanded again. "Take control. Only you know how!" I look up at her, trying to decipher her words. Was I the one causing all of this? Was it my magic spiraling out of control? Was I the one responsible for all this havoc?

I heard a loud thunder strike, causing the entire room to spark with energy. It was as if the entire environment was reacting to my emotions. I felt scared. Scared about this uncharted territory of my powers. I was scared about what I did not know, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to control it and I'll hurt the ones that I cared about.

"Take control now! Bring down the wall." Little me ordered,

"Stop!" I say to the raging storm, threatening to destroy everything. It didn't respond to my words, nothing seemed to happen.

"Stop it." I screamed this time, but the storm only grew wilder. A bolt of lightning almost struck me where I stood.

"I COMMAND YOU! STOP!!!" I bite out determinedly, my words strong and firm. I noticed the wind slowly began to dwindle and eventually the entire storm gave up.

Simultaneously, I got a vision of a memory, the memory was mine, a memory that I hid, creating a wall around.

I saw a memory of my younger self, hiding my family Grimoire within the floorboards of the basement, sealing and protecting it with magic. I hid my family grimoire before I fled here, to keep it safe.

"All your questions will be answered within!" My younger self said to me before she faded away.

I needed to get back my family Grimoire, if I can get it maybe it will help me to uncover what aunt Delilah's nefarious plans. It was still here in the house, I needed to go there Immediately.

I opened up my eyes, drawing in a deep breath. I looked around, realizing I was still in my room but I was no longer on the floor, I was lying comfortably on my bed, with a strong hand in mine.

My head quickly spun around to meet a pair of dazzling brown orbs.

"Dimitri," I called out softly, completely glad that he was here beside me when I woke. With him by my side, I knew I was safe. I briefly regarded his eyes, tracing the burning look of relief in his eyes.

"Thank goodness, Belle. I was worried seeing you that way." His masculine voice said, I could sense a feeling of dread in his voice. He was really afraid that something really bad had happened to me. Before I could say anything else I was pulled in, deep into his warm chest.

"I didn't know what was happening. When I came, I found you just lying on the floor, eyes opened. Celeste told me you were just in a trance. Don't you ever scare me like that again." He whispers, embracing me deeper.

This felt nice, being smoldered in his arms. It was kinda cute seeing him reacting like this; he always seemed like he had all his shit together most of the time. It was cute and scary seeing him acting like this all because of me.

"I promise." I said to him, The memory of my vision replayed in my head.

The Grimoire.

I needed to find the Grimoire.

"I found out a way to know what Delilah is up to. If I can get my family Grimoire, I can figure out what she is planning." I tell him, pulling away from him.

"How do you know all this?" He asked, folding his arms.

"I saw it in my vision." I explained. "I need to go and get it." I tell him standing up. I could still feel weak, I still haven't fully recovered from all the energy I expelled.

"I'm coming with you." He added and I couldn't agree more. I would feel safer going with him. To uncover all my aunt's plans and what the crystal pendant meant I needed to get my family grimoire, before anyone gets it first. I guess we were going for a road trip.

~~~~

We got strapped in one of Dimitri's red Chevrolet, I had told Dimitri the location details. We were riding fast in the middle of the night to the place I once called home. I must admit I got a weird feeling coming back here after all these years, it held a lot of terrible memories I tried so hard to forget.

We finally arrived at Cosgrove Maine, where I grew up. There weren't so many changes since the last time I was here, except for the fact that most people moved out of the town, making it a ghost town. The neighborhood looked desolate and abandoned.

I stared at the burnt down exterior of the place I used to live, the fire really burnt down the entire building.

"I can sense your uneasiness Isabelle. You have been restless the entire ride here." Dimitri said, sparing me a worried look.

"It's nothing. Being back to this place just brings up a whole lot of memories." I said with a sigh, I didn't want to dive into the details.

"It couldn't be nothing if it bothers you this much. What happened?" Dimitri asked, turning to me.

"When I was six I got adopted from the orphanage, to be honest that hellish hellhole couldn't be more happy giving me away, but then I went through another hell here. I was abused by my foster father." I fell silent, the pain of the memory flooding in. Dimitri just observed me with his burning eyes, his face cold and unreadable.

"He would starve me for days and beat me up. He would lock me up in the basement, that bastard fucking traumatized me." I sniffled, fighting back my tears. I hated crying and showing my vulnerability, it was never a good look that suited me. I always learned to channel all my pain to be my strength. But right now I found it hard to keep a tough front.

I heard a low growl emanating from Dimitri. I looked up at him to find him vibrating in pure rage.

"Bloody imbecile! If that bastard wasn't dead I would kill him myself." Dimitri expressed. He was damn serious.

"I wasn't even sad when he was killed to be honest. A monster found me, the red dragon, he killed the bastard first before burning the entire house to the ground. That was when I fled town." I said looking back at the house. Let's just get this Grimoire and be done with it.

"Are you sure you want to go in there alone?" Dimitri asked again. I needed to do this part alone, I needed to confront and put an end to this phase of my life alone. Just knowing he was out here with me was more than enough.

"Yeah. I'll be out soon." I said, walking into the house. I took a deep breath, walking towards the basement, the floorboards creaking with every step I took.

"Illuminadés." I whispered a spell, summoning a ball of light to go ahead of my path.

I finally reached the basement, roaches and rats scurrying around to hide. I open up my safe compartment on the floorboards, taking out the dusty lunch box.

I blew on the dust, opening the lunch box with a gentle click, I took out the Grimoire that sat within it.

I let my fingers trail around my family crest symbol that was on the cover. It was a detail of three roses, all intersecting each other at the end. I tried to open the Grimoire but it was locked.

My eyes fell on the writings below.

'The Book of countless shadows.'

'Blood is the key.'

I understood and knew what I needed to do.

I pricked my thumb, letting droplets of my blood drop on the surface. In a click, it opened up, the pages fluttering on my face, my eyes going through all the pages. It was as if I was gaining the knowledge of everything written in it, every spell. It felt enlightening.

I quickly closed the pages, placing it back in the lunch box. I stepped out to see Dimitri waiting for me beside the car, I went to him.

"Did you find it?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at the lunch box I held.

"Yes, I found it." I admitted to him, with a smile. But there was something else wrong, I could feel the air all aroused me tense, the hair on my hands perching up in attention. There was a monster around.

Judging by the serious look on Dimitris face and the threatening growl that was erupting from him, he could feel it too.

"You came back. I always hoped you would come back but It got so long I lost all hope," A man's voice says, the night was still too dark to see his face from where he stood, but his smell felt familiar.

"Somehow I just knew that you would one day return, I guess it was worth all the wait." The voice spoke again, coming closer to me and Dimitri.

The moon shone on his face, I knew him. How could I forget that face, that twisted and sinister smirk. The red dragon tattoo on his neck couldn't be forgotten.

It was him, the monster that killed my adopted father and burnt down the house.

The red dragon.

***Author's note****

Hello guys... Hope you are enjoying the book so far. Let me know your thoughts on the book so far… and what do you think will happen in the next chapter. Let me know in the comments and please vote and share the book. If you want to learn more about the book or characters faces you can find me on insta at heischerry

See you next chapter coming out tomorrow!!! Love y'all MWAH!!!

Chapter soundtrack: Love again by THE KID LAROI