❖𝒩𝑜𝓇𝒶 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓃𝑒❖

When the gray of morning faded throughout the woods was when I finally stopped. I was in unfamiliar woods, cold, and angry out of my mind. Shifting, I sat on the leaf-covered ground. What was I going to do? I had to face him at some point. I had to own up to my lies--to what information I held back. What I really needed was to talk to my sister--I needed to talk to her before I go find Hamish. I just hoped my sister would listen and, at the least, give me some sort of advice.

I stood, knowing I had been in these woods for longer than I should. But was I ready to go back? No...I would just--walk back. But before I could start my journey back, a low growl froze me in my spot. I knew that growl--I was being tackled to the ground by the black and white Spiral.

Getting out of Chole's grip only gave me a second to shift before she was attacking me again. She was a fury of claws and teeth and rage. Such rage I had never seen in her before--not even when she thought I was a traitor. It made my heart beat a bit fast, thinking she had somehow been put under the Mind's Eye's spell but found her eyes weren't red. 'Chole!' I shouted to her.

'You did this!' She roared, striking me again and again. Harder and harder. 'She always--always did as you asked! She was too good for you and you destroyed her!' I blocked a deadly blow to the ribs. I took hold of Chole's arm and threw her to the ground. Before she could get up, I pinned her, using my whole body weight to do it. Delta roared in Spiral's face.

'What are you talking about?' Chole snapped up at me, but I moved each time she tied. 'Chole?' I shouted. The girl struggled a few more moments before it began to become half-hearted. Chole shifted and a heart-wrenching sob escaped her lips. I shifted in seconds, holding Chole in my arms. "What's wrong? What happened?" I asked, holding her tight.

"Ma-Mavis--" She sobbed. Oh god...oh god no.... "We had a plan. We were going to win--"

"O-okay...okay," I said, trying to keep my voice as even as possible. Mavis was dead...oh god Mavis was dead.

"Rogwan-Rogwan pulled her--" A sob. "And-and Lilith through the portal--their gonna die there--oh my god Mavis is going to die." I shook my head, holding Chole even tighter. Tears blurred my vision.

"They--they won't...they won't," I said, trying to convince myself. Mavis and Lilith in the demon realm...god. Chole and I sat like that for what felt like hours. We needed each other in that moment. More than we had ever needed each other. And I think, for the time being, we had some sort of truce. We were going to get Mavis and Lilith back, no matter what.

By the time we had made it back to Belgrave, the sun had set and everything seemed...normal. Students were making their way back to their dorms and even the pub looked open for business. Oh, what couldn't magic do? We grabbed a pair of clothes from the pub's lockers and changed into them rather slowly.

We made our way to the abandoned building that served as the temple and descended down until we made it to the lounge room. There were a few kids in here, one of which was Jason, who stood upon seeing me. "Nora, I--" I cut him off with a glare. Telling Chole and Jason to wait here, I made my way to the reliquary where Vera would no doubt be. I opened the doors without so much as a knock and found Vera sitting there, nursing her drink. The painting above her had writing burned into it, but I didn't look long enough to read it.

"You're alive." She said, turning her cold gray eyes landing on me.

"Aren't we lucky?" I sarcastically said slowly sitting in the chair before her desk. I was tired--so tired. We sat there for a long moment, not saying a word.

"Who were those two girls?" My heart tightened painfully.

"They are with me...Chole and--and Mavis." Her name ripped through me like barbed wire. Vera nodded once, taking a sip of her drink.

"I see." Silence again filled the space. We never talked about our feelings or things personal to us together. We just didn't. I don't know if it was the age gap or the fact of how we were raised, it didn't matter really. "Did Rogwan get to you?" I nodded.

"I need to tell you something, Vera. Then I need you to tell me what to do."

"That is my specialty."

"I'm serious, Vera." She lifted her eyebrows, a bit annoyed, and gestured for me to continue. "Do you remember--remember that guy I was telling you about? The reason I became a wolf?"

"I do." She said, eye hardening.

"Uh--His name was Daniel." I froze my heart starting to beat ten times faster. I didn't want to have to tell this story again.

"Is that it?" I growled, tangling my hands in my hair.

"No. Just--it's hard to talk about all this." She pinched her lips together. "Dylan...Dylan wasn't killed by the Silent Sisters. He wasn't even there when I summoned that fucking demon." Vera's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" I tapped my foot anxiously

"I mean--the old Dylan is dead...killed years before I even thought about summoning a demon. Dylan grew...he grew hungry--wanted more and more power until it consumed him. He somehow--switched--his hide with another."

"Hide as in your werewolf side?" I nodded.

"The only way for a knight and their champion to separate is for the champion to die. Dylan used dark magic to switch his hide--When he came back...Dylan was dead and Emperor had replaced him. He's dangerous and somehow gathered a following of powerful practitioners. He--" I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself down. Vera waited patiently. "He wants me to find the Vade Maecum Infernal and give it to him..."

"The Vade Maecum Infernal was destroyed." She said a little quickly. I thought nothing of it though.

"I know...that's why I need your help. I wasn't just going to give it to him. I know what that book is. I know it's nothing but trouble."

"Then what does he have over you then?"

"He has--he has my daughter." Vera's eyes widened.

"You have...a daughter?" I nodded my head, my eyes stinging at the thought of her.

"He has her somewhere--he'll kill her if I don't bring him that book."

"He's bluffing, right? He wouldn't kill--" But the look on my face gave Vera her answer. Vera tapped her nails on the desk. "Whats... what's her name?" I gave a weak smile.

"Brianna." Vera gave a fleeting smile.

"How long do you have?"

"Not long. This is the last chance I get. I'd say I have about a week before he comes looking for me again." Vera nodded.

"I'll help you, but I have some things to attend to first." She said pointing to the painting above her. I finally took a good look at it, and found it said, "In accordance with the rules, the Esoteric Sons of Prometheus formally demand an audience with the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose and hereby invoke parlay".

"Sons of Prometheus...those are the wired hermit practitioners that live somewhere around here, right?"

"Yes they are and I believe they are the ones that stole what you idiots stole from me."

"Do you need me to help?" Vera sat back in her chair.

"No. I don't need another werewolf running around messing everything up. Just--lay low for a while. Once this is all taken care of and I have my inventory back, we'll find Brianna."