After getting different fruits into their baskets, Ryan, Jabal, Jamal, and Kelvin carried the baskets into the car while Ariana and Jasmine said their goodbyes and finally joined the rest in the car. When the journey started, everyone kept quiet with different things going on in their minds. The presence of the demon prince had made the atmosphere awkward for them, especially for Jasmine who sees his presence as a distraction.
She has wondered why Stella had asked him to come with them. "Is his birthday not supposed to be tomorrow?" She thought.
Why then did he accept to come with them when he should be preparing for his birthday. It had gone off her mind his close his birthday was. She had been occupied with the vampire queen's case that she forgot they were to go to the demons' realm tomorrow. "They should have shifted their journey to Alaska until after his birthday," she thought.
She knew that won't be an option. They needed to go see Stella first before going to the other realms for further inquiry. They needed to clarify some things and Stella is the only one who can do that for them.
"But why is the demon prince's presence needed," she thought. She could not understand why he needed to follow them.
Just like Jasmine, everyone, including the demon prince was curious to know why he was summoned. To Ryan, he felt Jasmine being the demon prince's mate was the reason he was summoned. He dislikes the fact that Kelvin happens to be Jasmine's mate. He doesn't know why but he doesn't like the demon prince a bit and his presence provokes him.
"Maybe that's because you are in love with Jasmine," his subconscious mind said and he scoffed.
He isn't in love with Jasmine, he only likes her as a sister. He was sure about that. "Maybe the demon prince has a skeleton in his cupboard. That has to be the reason why he doesn't like him" he thought. "What if I was afraid he might hurt Jasmine?"
He concluded that has to be his reason for not liking him. With that, he vowed to protect Jasmine no matter what he takes.
Unlike Ryan who doesn't like the demon prince, Jamal since to like him. To him, the demon prince was the perfect one for his sister. Though he had once thought Ryan would be good for her, he knew how they fights with each other at every slight chance they have.
He loved the aura around him and was sure he would protect his sister. But despite liking him, he couldn't help but wondered why the great witch wanted him to come with them.
"Maybe that's because the great book of the witches might be appearing in their realm," he thought but shrugged it off. If that was the reason, the vampire prince would have been summoned too.
"Or maybe that's because his mother is missing and the realm isn't at peace," he thought. "Or maybe Stella had confirmed the book will be appearing in the demon realm?"
He had so many thoughts running through his mind as he kept stealing glances at the demon prince who seems to be lost in his thought too.
When the demon prince had received the message which had come in a dream, he had wondered who Stella was and how she had gotten access into his dream without his permission. The message she had relayed to him, was confusing.
When he woke up, he was lost and confused. He had wondered why he needed to follow the twins to a place he knew nothing about. According to the dream, she had asked him to go to the earth witches coven to see Emerald who would shed more light on the situation for him.
He had gone to meet his mom to explain what he saw in his dream to her. She, being more sensible was able to understand what it meant. Though she doesn't know who Stella is, she had heard about the great witch and had suspected it has to be her.
"Don't worry, I will talk to the black witch of the Ivory Coast" She had promised and she did. She sent a message to the earth witches coven and by evening, a message was sent back to tell them to let them know when the kids would be leaving.
Emerald also visited the demons' realm to explain a few things to him. And told him to meet wait at a nearby filling station for the kids. She knew the kids will pass through that place and when they see the demon prince, they would stop to talk to him and them bring him over.
He must have been waiting by the filling station, that was when they saw him. Someone came to pick him up some minutes later. He had asked when he got to the earth witches coven why she had sent someone else. Emerald told him the kids had passed without him seeing them.
Now, he is in the same car with them going to a place he doesn't know to meet someone he knows nothing about. He had so many questions he needed to ask her. Not to forget some of the questions, he brought out his notebook and pen and began to write down some of the questions.
Jasmine looked over Ariana's shoulder into the book. "What are you writing," she asked breaking the silence that had been looming over for a while.
Kelvin shrugged. "Some questions I will like to ask the great witch" he answered.
He was calmer and friendlier than he was when they first met. Unlike their first meeting, every other of their meeting had shown how calm and friendly he was. She "wondered if she had read him wrongly during their first encounter or the dream where he left her to drown was the reason he thought him to be cold.
"Why do you need to ask the great witch some question?" Jabal asked and Jasmine frowned.
"That should not be your business" she answered
"I wasn't talking to you" Jabal replied and Jasmine glared.
"I want to ask her some questions because I am confused about so many things" the demon prince answered and Jasmine scoffed. She had wished he never answered Jabal.
"But did you not really see us at the filling station?" Jamal asked changing the topic.
"I did not" Kelvin answered.
"I bet he did not" Ryan answered with a hint of sarcasm.
Jabal poked him. "Do I sense jealousy? Huh?" He whispered
"I'm not jealous, ok?" Ryan defended.
"It doesn't look like that" Jabal answered.
"You can think whatever you want," Ryan said and silence returned.
**
The car was parked at an open field where they could have some snacks before moving on in their journey. Kelvin helped Jamal and Jabal in setting up the picnic ground while Jasmine, Ariana, and Ryan brought out the food they needed. Everyone settled down to eat after everything has been set.
"Pass me the ketchup," Jasmine said.
Kelvin and Ryan made for the ketchup at the same time but Kelvin withdraw for Ryan to pick it up. Jabal chuckled.
"Don't you think there will be a fight soon" he whispered to Ariana who had noticed the awkwardness between the two.
Everyone knew Ryan was in love with Jasmine except for the demon prince who doesn't know and Jasmine who kept pretending not to have noticed.
"I think so too" Ariana whispered back.
"Do you think it will be bloody?"
Ariana frowned. "They are two mature people with sense while would they want to do that?"
He shrugged. "You never can tell what love can make them do"
"What are you both talking about?" Jasmine asked eyeing them suspiciously. She had suspected they might be talking about her.
"I think there..."
Ariana pulled Jabal by his cloth. She had suspected he might tell Jasmine the truth.
"We were just talking about having a picnic when we return. Just the two of us" Ariana lied.
"Jasmine, don't you think we should do the same?" Kelvin asked and she batted her lashes.
"She has no time for that" Ryan answered.
"We should get to know each other since we might be getting married soon" Kelvin answered ignoring Ryan.
"We are both getting married soon?" Jabal asked. "Are you going to be my brother-in-law so soon?"
Jasmine scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous I am not getting married anytime soon"
Kelvin folded his arms. "That is mine to decide"
She furrowed her brows. "You can't dictate for me"
"Well, I can" Kelvin answered.
"Yes, he can" Ariana answered. "He is the demon prince and should be marking his mate on his twenty-first birthday. I think they are to get married as soon as possible"
"I am not getting married not anytime soon," Jasmine said.
"Isn't that forcing someone against her will?" Ryan asked.
"Someone can't hide his jealousy," Jabal said and Jamal chuckled.
"How about we talk about something else. I think we can talk about this when we get back. We have a life to save" Jamal said hoping they will all agree to end the argument.
Everyone agreed to it. Though they talked about other random things, Jasmine could not take her mind off the fact that he gets to decide when he wants them to get married. It wasn't like she has accepted him as her mate already. Why will he have to dictate for her?
She had so many things running through her mind, that she couldn't eat much. After the picnic, they returned to the car and Jabal took the steering.
"Is everyone set?" He asked.
"Yes," they answered in unison. He put on the engine and off they go.
"How long do we have to drive before we get there?" Kelvin asked
"Two and a half days" Jamal answered.
"What?" Kelvin said almost in a yell. "Are we stopping over for the night?"
Ariana nodded. "Yes. There is an inn close by. We will stop there for the night" she said and everyone smiled.
They could remember their first night at that in and how Rose had shown up to threaten them. They wondered if anything has changed about the inn.
After driving for over an hour, Jamal pointed. "The inn. We are getting closer to it. It's over there"
There was excitement in their faces except for Kelvin who seemed confused. He wondered what excites them so much. Jabal brought the car to a stop right in front of the inn.
When they stepped out of the car, Jasmine breath in some fresh air. The inn seems the same in the outer part. They wondered if it will be the same inside.
"We should go in. I am dying to see what it looks like inside" Jamal said.
"Do you think it has changed?" Ariana asked.
"I don't think so" Jabal answered.
"Does anyone remember the room we slept in the last time we came?" Jasmine asked.
"Room 101, I guess" Ariana answered.
"I wish to sleep in that same room. I kinda love that bed" Jasmine said dreamily.
Jabal scoffed. "I guess you forgot we couldn't sleep that night," he said
"That is the reason why I need to sleep in that same room" she answered.
"Should we not be talking about how to sleep. We are six here with just two girls. What's our plan?" Jamal asked changing the topic.
"That's true. The boys can share a room. Ariana and I will share one" Jasmine said and Jabal frowned.
"How do you expect the four of us to share a room?" He asked.
"You can get two rooms then" Jasmine suggested.
"That should be Jabal and me. Ryan and Kelvin" Jamal said.
"There is no way I am sharing a room with him" Ryan pointed at Kelvin.
Jabal smirked. "I think I have the perfect idea for this situation. How about I share a room with Ariana. After all, she's my mate. And then Jasmine shares a room with her mate. She can choose room 101 since she likes it so much and then Jamal and Ryan shares a room"
Jasmine blinked. "I-i am not sharing a room with him" she stuttered.
"I think that a good idea," Kelvin said.
"I..."
"Is anyone else against it aside Jasmine?" Jabal asked, cutting Jasmine short but everyone kept shut. "Then we go with that. Let's go in"