Celeste patted Cara’s shoulder and nodded at her. “I got this; I will try to talk senses in her.” She rushed outside to follow Percy.
Wendy crossed her arms and walked towards Cara. “I know who it is. There are just four of us. I just want you to be cautious about her and likewise her to us. We shall finish this ritual first, then we should take care of her matter.” She was very frank with her intentions. It made Ashton and Cara see a bit of clarity about the situation.
Tyra stood up and nodded her head at the couple who looked seemingly confused.
“You know who it is too?” Cara asked Tyra before she left the lounge.
Tyra looked back at Cara and smiled. “You know what they say about that thing… Hmm, the news has wings and the ground has ears.”  She placed her hands in her pockets and quietly walked out.
****
“You won’t believe what just happened.” The traitor called Thomas, her mood was light, contrary to the news she was about to give him. “There was quite a mess in the lounge earlier. The Sakalam is now aware of the mole amongst us.” She said with a chuckle.
Thomas responded in his deep voice. “For someone who might be exposed, you don’t seem bothered.” He was straightforward, trying to track the game the traitor was playing.
She laughed harder, “They won’t expose me. We all want the same thing, we should complete the ritual.” Her tone suddenly changed. “It was fun seeing the almighty Sakalam look lost and destroyed.”
Her words further confused Thomas, it was not an update, they both clearly knew about the Phantom’s plan. “What’s the use in telling me?” He confronted the traitor. “You better use opportunities to talk to me wisely, every time you do this your cover is at risk.” Thomas sounded like a strict father.
“Hey, you should chill. I just wanted to share my glee.” She said before she ended the call.
Thomas looked at Theo who was waiting for him to spill the details. “Don’t worry; they won’t attack Cara or anything. Both her enemies and her friends want the same thing right now.”
Theo brushed his long hair behind his ears. “I know. But that woman is insane; I won’t be surprised if she makes a way to eliminate Cara if we can’t do it for her.” Theo was slapped on the face by the impending reality.
Thomas took a deep breath and spoke his truth. “I know, and if that time comes I won’t hesitate to give Cara my last breath of life.” He turned pale right after saying those words.
Theo squinted his eyes, wanting more details about the fact his father had just said. “Come on Dad, what about that breath thing?” It seemed to him that Thomas was not ready to talk about it but he wouldn’t take his father’s silence as an answer.
“Theo. I’m not sure if it is the right time for you to know. People of our kind would undergo a ritual before we could possess such power.” Thomas almost could not mutter the words. “For people like us, it is more of a curse than a power, we could save a person, but it comes with a price; our own.” He further commented.
“So you mean, it is literally our last breath? So when we are dying we can share our breath with other people who are also dying?” Theo wanted clarification, his eyes lit up like it was something exciting.
Thomas nodded his head. “Yes, even the ones that are already deceased within a twenty-four hour period.” Thomas gave that gruesome detail. “Wait, why do you look happy with that info?” He could not help but ask his son.
“Why not? All this time, I thought we were brought to this planet with the sole purpose of murdering witches.” Theo blurted out bravely. “This makes us so much more than just power-hungry creatures, because it is only us who are capable of making the most noble sacrifice.”
Thomas took a deep sigh, “Well, honestly, this is more likely of a myth inside our circle.” He admitted fully to his son as he did not want to disappoint him too much.
“What do you mean?” Theo further asked his father. “You underwent the ritual already, right?” He wanted clarification.
Thomas bobbed his head. “I did, most of your elders did. But you see, I don’t feel anything special within me. The books said, you will feel this ball of life in you like it is a precious thing waiting to be released. But no, sorry I haven’t felt that… and none of the people I know ever felt that.”
Theo rubbed his chin, in disbelief that the only thing that would make their kind special was just a myth. “Do you have to be a special kind of witch hunter to feel it?” He asked again.
Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe… Well, the elders always said that the highest ranking witch hunter is the only one who has it. But you know, as decades passed no one showed this trait, so in the end everyone just went on with the ritual as a rite of passage.” Just like that, Thomas destroyed the greatest myth Theo had ever heard right before his eyes.
***
“Love, do you think we can go through the ritual while this thing is going on?” Ashton asked Cara, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. He dropped on the bed beside his wife.
“Exactly what I am thinking, love. Those women are making it hard for me to see right through them.” Cara confessed to Ashton. She went to her side and pouted her lips. “Who do you think it is?”
Ashton looked at Cara directly in the eyes. “I have my bias, you know that, but… I honestly don’t want to cloud your judgment if I tell you who I think it is. Let’s deal with it at face value.” He finished with a wink.
“Oh you don’t do that with a wink!” Cara sat up and dropped her shoulders. “Oh, God I don’t even know what I am doing. How can I possess this power when I am this clueless?” She questioned herself, anticipating her doom.
Ashton sat up as well and held both Cara’s hands. “On the contrary, love. I think you are doing well and you will handle this hiccup wonderfully.” He kissed her hand, wanting to comfort her.
“You clearly have your bias, Mr. Crafter.” Cara chuckled as Ashton gave her butterfly kisses all over her hands and arms.
“Really? I thought you couldn’t tell.” Ashton answered with sarcasm. He held Cara’s chin and gazed into her eyes. “All I want to make sure is your safety, my love.” He spoke softly and sincerely this time.
Cara’s eyes lit up like she suddenly found answers from Ashton’s words. “You are right, babe. I think I know how to handle the situation with the coven. I just need to make a deal with them.” She said confidently.
Ashton felt his heart full after finally seeing Cara speak with confidence. “That’s my girl!” He commented with a broad grin on his face.
Cara looked back at Ashton with a fierce gaze. She moved towards him like she wanted to attack her husband. “I’m not just your girl.” She sneered and pushed Ashton on his back and straddled him. Cara crawled her hands on Ashton’s. Their hands interlocked and she placed them on her hips, which caught Ashton by surprise. Cara whispered to Ashton’s ears “I am your woman.”
Ashton smiled on hearing it from Cara. He sat up and held her in his tight grasp. “And I am your man.”
Cara was happy Ashton seemed unaffected by Percy’s comments earlier. “I am just so thankful that you don’t really have a choice.” Cara mocked her husband.
“You are partly correct. But the truth is, I choose to be with you, my love. Always choose to be with you.” Ashton held Cara’s cheeks. The last thing he wants Cara to feel is that he is trapped in their situation.  
“Kiss me.” Cara said in a low voice.
Ashton unhesitatingly gave Cara a quick peck on the lips and smiled at her.
“See. I bet you are not even sure if you wanted to do it or not.” Cara took a deep sigh, proving his point.
Ashton chuckled at his wife. “If I did not want to do it, you would hear me grunt while doing it. Remember before how I complained about everything you wanted me to do? The way I kissed you earlier is me happily obliging to your request.” He moved closer and kissed Cara on the lips gently. “And this me, voluntarily kissing you with all of my heart.”