With a frown, I enter the bathroom. My aura is calm, but in the mirror, I blink, and my eyes turn a dull red. My stomach growls and I still feel hungry, but I just ate dinner a few minutes ago. It's been a few days since the police rescued me from the furnace. I'm sure the change in my appetite is from stress.

Typically, my aura is blue, but there's traces of red rippling in it now. I don't remember my aura changing color like this before. I'm noticing more the effects of being a vampire hybrid, or a 'halfling', as Nick calls it. The word sounds so archaic. I haven't spoken to him at all since the day he rescued me from the furnace. They basically sent me home after their meeting ended. Nick didn't think it was good for me to be around during David's statement. I wanted to go straight home, anyway, so I was happy that I wasn't going to be stuck getting questioned like David was. I got off very easy, I think, for going in an off-limits area of the building after hours, especially, after quitting.

On the bathroom sink is Stella's elixir. It's supposed to help with anxiety. I don't normally take it, but I've been so anxious, that I've started taking it more.

It tastes like grape juice. It glows a soft blue hue as I pick up the glass. There's some kind of magic in it. I take a sip and set the glass down. After blinking a couple times, my heart settles a little and my eyes no longer are red. Neither is my aura, which, has returned to its blue tone. Content, I leave the bathroom and head to bed. 

My gums feel kind of itchy. I just brushed my teeth. There's nothing different about my toothbrush or toothpaste. The longer I sit on my bed, the more itchy my gums feel. I return to the bathroom and rinse with some mouthwash. It helps the itchiness go away a little. With a sigh, I head back to bed.

The cat-shaped wall clock in my room reads ten pm. The itchiness in my gums feels like it isn't really going away. I don't have any mouthwash left.

Using my phone camera, I sit up in bed and open my mouth to take a look. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. Am I having an allergic reaction from dinner? Whatever it is, it can't be that serious since my symptoms are so minor. I'm sure it'll be gone in the morning. 

Abruptly, my phone lights up with a buzz. Its an incoming text from Nick. Usually, he doesn't contact me this late unless something bad is happening. 

It's a photo of the pie I dropped off. I had completely forgotten about that. It looks like he plans on sending another message. It's so weird that I can see him typing. Stella taught me that's what the little moving dots mean. 

Wanted you to know we enjoyed the pie. Thank you. We'll talk soon, I read his message.

It's a relief it's nothing bad this time. Still, I wasn't thinking he'd be texting me much since I quit, and he made it clear he wants to focus on Regina. After hearing that, it wouldn't make much sense to engage beyond what's strictly necessary. What should I say? I'm not sure how to reply to his message. I end up not replying at all. 

I set my phone back on the nightstand and close my eyes doing my best to let go of what worries me. The faint ticking of the clock reminds me of how much time has passed since Will and the coven left. Surely, since Colin returned, they can't be gone much longer.

I'm not sure where I am. I'm more than a far cry from home. That's for sure. It's dark in here. It smells damp and I can hear the whisper of water droplets falling somewhere high up.

Torches light the walls letting me see the expanse of the shaded room. It's a large square with a group of cloaked figures standing in the middle. Anxiety keeps me at a safe distance nearby a stone column.

The figures stand in a circle. There is a large glowing fire in the center.

"You have disappointed me," a voice hisses. It sounds predatory. Its voice moves in unnatural ways around the room making me feel threatened and cornered. I have the strong urge to run out of the room. Whatever it is, feels evil. "I need more sacrifices. More witches. Why have Colton, Viktor and Noctus been my only loyal servants?"

No one is speaking but the voice. The air starts to move again, as if moving by magic, it slithers rapidly over the ground searching for answers. It snuffs out the light of the torches. At first, I assume it's blowing out the light, but it doesn't. Instead, it turns the flames of the torches a dark unnatural red that matches the flames of the fire the people stand around.

The men bow down to the fire. Now that I can see the inside of the circle better, I see someone standing in front of the blaze of fire.

"Master!" it sounds like Regina. She is speaking. Her words directed at the voice coming from the blazing red fire. "Who should we punish? Who are of guilt?"

She sounds excited and eager to do it's bidding. It freaks me out. I scoot along the wall, doing my best to stay in the shadows, until I reach the side of the room with the beaded entryway. Safely, I manage to make my exit.

This looks like a passage. The walls are made of stone. I'm in some kind of tunnel system. The floor is cold, wet, and my feet are bare. It's a dirty place. Feeling claustrophobic in the tunnel, I hurry down the path.

The sound of water dripping sounds louder. I think I might be in a cave. I follow the glow of the torches lining the tunnel. When I find another room, I duck inside seeing a large familiar fountain. This is the same place I dreamed of before. Inside, there's the same large seat. The man isn't sitting on it. Regina is. She stands up immediately spotting me.

How did she get here so fast?

She speaks in another language, for some weird reason, I understand her.

"I see you've come," she announces with a smile. Her gaze is anything but warm. She rounds the fountain. "Take this. Give it to the beast for me."

She is holding a bone. It's the same bone I took to the other realm.

"No," I answer.

She hisses at me through her extended fangs. I stand my ground.

"No? You think you have him under your spell? I'm his maker."

She uses magic to force the bone into my hand. I'm unable to speak anymore. It's a terrifying feeling. Regina becomes quiet as footfalls can be heard. Someone is coming down the tunnel. Not long after, a man enters the space. Its one of the men from the circle. I cannot see him completely because his hooded robe covers his face in this darkness.

"Noctus!" Regina fusses. She hurries to his side. He runs a hand down her back. It's obvious they are a couple. "The slave stole something from your collection!"

Slave? Collection? My heart hammers as I spot the pile of bones sticking out from behind the large seat the man sits down on. Regina sits on his lap.

Only a disturbed person would hide a giant pile of bones, in addition to, a blood fountain, in a cave like this. All those bones probably belong to the owners of the blood.

The man raises his arm. I'm summoned to his throne and stand in front of them both.

"Speak!" Regina orders. "Admit your act of thievery! Now."

I can't say anything. The man isn't a witch. He is a vampire. Regina is whispering in his ear now. I don't know what is being said.

Why would I want to steal a bone? It makes no sense.

"You have used magic on the slave," the man, Noctus, says. His voice sounds just like the demon that was speaking in the fire. Regina gives him what must be her best puppy-dog eyes. I feel very uncomfortable. Why would she want to work for someone so creepy? "Leave. Return to the concubine chamber. Now."

With a pout, Regina teleports out of sight. No longer is her bewitchment active. I'm able to move my hands normally and I can open my mouth. My gums feel funny. My jaw hurts, too. Probably from my mouth being forced shut.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust smelling the foul odor from the fountain again. The man pulls his hood down as he steps away from his creepy throne. He looks just like Nick.

His dark blue eyes watch the fountain beside me.

Come here, he says in my mind.

I shiver hearing his voice again. It sounds so guttural and sinister. It sounds even scarier in my mind.

It sounds just like the demon that I've been hearing in my head! Fighting the urge to vomit, I take baby steps in his direction.

Too soon, I reach the edge of the fountain he stands near. He sits on the edge and pats the seat beside him. I can barely breathe without vomiting. The blood smells so heinous and nasty. I don't want to sit there. I'm going to get some kind of disease just by breathing this awful stuff in.

Fill it up for me, he orders rudely into my brain. He points at a golden goblet resting on the edge of the fountain.

"No!" I whisper back.

Beep, beep! Beep!

With a groan, I sit up in bed wiping sleep from my eyes. That was another vivid dream. My mind is trying to say what my heart doesn't want to hear. Nick's been hiding things since the very beginning.

He shouldn't go out of his way to protect someone like me from the law. At a minimum, he should have given me fines and interrogated me. Now that Colin is back, maybe, the truth is closer than I've considered. I don't have to risk snooping around or going behind Nick's back. I don't want to really do those things at all anymore, especially, after what happened this week. 

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