"You should wait here and not go with me," Jabal told Jasmine.
He wanted her to stay back because he wasn't sure of what awaited them on the other side. It's better, I get hurt alone than we both get hurt, he had thought before saying those words to her.
"I won't be staying here" Jasmine was adamant.
"Have you thought why your spell stopped here?" he asked and she furrowed her brows.
"What do you mean?"
"Have you not thought about it? That they might either know about our powers and pretend not to or they knew there is someone who can find us easily"
Jasmine can't understand what Jabal is trying to say. "Can you explain better?" she asked.
"Listen carefully," he said. "Why do you think mother couldn't find our location early?"
"Because she thought we will return soon?" she asked, not sure if that was the answer he is expecting.
"Of course not. There is a stronger spell hiding our location"
"Do you think whosoever did it is stronger than mother?"
"I can't say"
"Then what are we going to do now?"
"Just listen to me and wait here. I will go and see if it's safe for us"
"But I want to..."
"Jasmine, can't you listen to me once? Please"
Jasmine sighed. "Ok. But if I don't see you in the next five minutes, I am coming over"
He nodded. "Do your wish" she told her before leaving.
Jasmine tapped her leg on the floor impatiently. She wasn't comfortable with staying back while Jabal goes alone. Though they fight and argue a lot, she still doesn't want anything to happen to him. She opened up her bag and brought out a book. She will write whatever comes to her head, to keep herself calm.
**
Jabal hid behind a tree, he had just noticed two men walking with guns in their hands. From the way they are dressed, he could tell they are from the vampire realm. He wondered why they were here and who they could be working for. He waited for a while before going after them. They were whispering to each other and he could hardly hear them. Soon, they got to a cave and they stopped walking.
"You should go first. I check around for the key" one said to another.
He was the man with grey hair. Though he had grey hair, he looked younger than the other man and that made Jabal wondered how old he could be. The other man entered the cave. Jabal waited for the man with the grey hair to leave before tiptoeing into the cave. Unlike the caves he knows, this had so many passages. He wondered which passage the man had followed.
"Jabal?" he heard, as he took a few steps. It was Jasmine whom he had left at the last case. He turned slowly to face. "Where are you going?" she asked, her hand folded.
"I should be asking you what. How did you get here?"
"I followed your scent"
"Did I not ask you to wait?"
"For five minutes. It's past five minutes already"
"You should have mind linked me instead. What if you get hurt on your way here?"
"You should stop treating me like a baby, ok? I can take care of myself"
"I know you can. But if we both get hurt, who will take care of the other"
"None of us is going to get hurt. So tell me, what are you doing here?"
"I saw two men from the vampire realm. I wondered why they are here and who they are here to see. So I followed them. One of them entered this cave, while the other went in search of a key"
Jasmine furrowed her brows. "What key?"
"I don't know. We should find a place to hide. He might be back soon"
"Are you not going after the one who entered this cave?"
"Yes, but I don't know which of the road he followed"
"Let's split up and find him"
"What if..."
"My mind tells me the vampire Queen is here. We have to find and rescue her"
"We can't rescue her while the others are not here. We are not even sure if it is just the two men or if there are more"
Jasmine sighed. "If we don't rescue her if we find her today, don't you think they will change where she is kept and we might not be able to save her again"
Jabal sighed. Jasmine is making sense but he doesn't want to risk their lives by doing something reckless. He could feel a very strange and strong aura In the cave. He wondered why Jasmine is not feeling it or maybe she does but wants to ignore it.
"Don't you feel the strange aura" he wanted to say but when he heard footsteps, he suspected the grey hair man might be coming. He held Jasmine's hand and they ran through a passage closer to him.
"What are you doing?" Jasmine yelled.
"Shh. Someone is coming" he answered.
"S-someone?" she asked, now in a whisper.
"Don't you hear footsteps?"
She nodded. "I can" she replied.
"I think the grey hair man is coming"
"Grey hair?"
"Yes. He has grey hair. I call him that to differentiate him from the other man"
"Do you think he is coming this way? I think I can hear the footsteps getting closer"
Jabal heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt chills in his spine.
"Do you think he is?"
"How about we check? We can't keep staying here, you know"
"I will go and check. You remain here. Make sure to mind link me if there is anything, ok?"
Jasmine nodded. "Ok"
"And don't try to use your powers. I can feel a strange aura here" Jabal said and left.
He returned to where he was standing with Jasmine a while ago. He noticed the man must have followed another route. He returned to join Jasmine but noticed she was gone. He groaned slightly. Did he not tell her to mind-link him? Why did she wander off on her own?
"Jasmine?" he tried to mind link her but there was a strange aura blocking it. He became worried the grey hair man might have gotten her or maybe the other man with the black hair. What if there were more men? He won't be able to fight them all if this strange aura persists. He also worried that Jasmine might try to use her powers and maybe lose them. He ran through the route he thought she could have followed. Soon, he entered a room, decorated elegantly. Could someone be living here? He wondered. He looked around but there was no one. There were about four other doors and he wondered where they could be leading to.
"Jabal?" he heard.
"Jasmine?" he cooed and she ran up to him. "Where you caught? Are you hurt?" he asked so many questions she busted into laughter
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, frowning.
"You look so funny, right now," she said amidst laughter.
"It's not funny. I was worried about you. But look at you laughing"
"I am sorry. But I already told you. I will be fine"
Jabal shrugged." What are you doing..."
"Shh. Come with me"
"I should come with you? Why?"
"Stop asking questions and just come with me"
He followed her wondering what she wants to show him. And though he was angry he worried over her for nothing, he was still curious to know what she found out.
She opened one of the rooms and entered.
"Where is this place?" he asked.
"A bedroom" she answered and he scoffed.
"Of course, I know. Anyone who enters this place will know. Where is this place?"
"Look around. What do you notice?"
"Just tell me. I am too angry to notice anything"
"Alright, I will tell you. This is where the vampire Queen was kept"
"But she is not here now"
She nodded. "Yes, but there is a clue to find where she is now"
Jabal eyes brightened up. It is good to hear something positive after a long time of walking in these scary woods.
"What clue?" he asked.
She brought out a comb. "This belongs to the vampire Queen. Look, it has a stain of her blood"
"How does that help us?"
"She left her blood on it purposely. It is to help us find her"
Jabal furrowed her brows. "We?"
She nodded. "The two men you saw earlier, they came here to find it. I was the only one, who was able to see it"
"I still don't understand"
"They must have spoken about our kidnap and how we escaped. And also how we might be looking for the vampire Queen. That is the reason they took her away from here"
"Ok?" Jabal said, trying to understand what she meant.
"The vampire Queen hoped we might find this place. That is the reason she kept this hidden message for us. I mean this comb"
"Then why were they looking for it? When it is hidden?"
"Whosoever made that spell that hid our location, told them about it"
"And the strange and strong aura?"
"It belongs to the vampire Queen"
"Are you sure the strange and strong aura belongs to the vampire Queen?"
Jasmine nodded. "I confirmed it"
Jabal furrowed his brows. "Did you use your powers?"
"No. I suspected they might have cast a spell that can turn your power against you, so I did not use mine. I think that spell is the reason the vampire Queen, could not leave and also the reason mother and Ella couldn't get out location at first. The spell is not just cast here. It has been cast on every part of the woods"
"Then it will be difficult for the rest to find us," Jabal said.
He nodded. "Yes. That is the reason we have to return now. Or they might fall into the trap by trying to use their powers to find us and get caught"
"But where are the men?"
Jasmine chuckled. "I locked them up"
"How? Did you fight with them?"
She sighed. "I never wanted to but I got caught and since I can not use my power, I had to fight. Though they were kind of stronger than me, I won" she said happily and Jabal sighed.
"Let's go"
**
"Do you think we will make it out, this night?" Jasmine asked.
"Of course, we will" Jabal replied.
"I am so tired now," she said. "I feel so sleepy. Can't we wait a bit"
"We can't let the rest get worried about us"
Jasmine groaned. "I do not...". She missed her step and fell to the ground. "I feel so frustrated right now," she said and he walked closer to her to help her up.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"I am fine" she replied, dusting herself.
"I told you to be careful"
"Are you going to blame me for tripping?"
He sighed. "I am not blaming you. I just do not want you to get hurt"
"I told you to stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself"
He nodded. "I guess you can" he muttered." We should go, the rest will be waiting for us," he said and Jasmine nodded.
She walked in front of him with him walking behind her. Her hand was bleeding and he noticed it.
"Wait," he said and she turned. "Your hand. It is bleeding"
"I am fine" she answered and continue to walk
Jabal stared at her. He is worried the injury might be deep and she might be in pain but she doesn't seem to worry. He could not tell if she is in pain or not.
"Are you sure you are fine?" he asked and she nodded.
"I am"
"Do you see why I told you to be careful," he said and she scoffed.
"Wasn't I careful enough"
"Careful? You got hurt"
"But I was able to save us. Those men would have found you if I had done, nothing". Jasmine sounded so proud of what she had done. She had fought for the first time, after a long time without using her powers with about four men. The last she fought was during the battle with Rose and that is a long time ago. She had used a sword, not her bare hands.
"Wait, you did not get hurt because you fell?" he asked in surprise.
She nodded. "Yes. The injury isn't from falling"
He frowned. "And you did not tell me?"
"I am so sorry. I do not want you to get worried over me" she replied. She had hidden it from Jabal because she knew he was going to get worried, just like he is now. "I am so sorry"
"But I did not notice any blood while we were coming"
She nodded. "It must have opened up when I fell"
He sighed. "I will tie it up for you"
"Thanks" she muttered.
"You must feel proud," he said and she nodded. "I am proud of you, sis"
Jasmine widened her eyes. "Is that really, coming from Jabal? It sounds odd, you know"
"Have I never complimented you before?"
"Sincerely? No. None I can remember. But with sarcasm? I get that almost every day"
Jabal chuckled. "Was I really, an asshole?"
Jasmine nodded. "You were more than an asshole"
"Ouch. That hurts so badly. Do you think those words were too harsh?"
"You think...". She stopped talking. "I think I can hear voices," she said.
Jabal strained his ears and nodded his head. "I think I can hear Ariana's voice"
"We should run and catch up with them"
Ariana saw them and ran up to them. "Guys come over here, I have seen them," she said. "Jabal, Jasmine. I thought we wouldn't see you again". She hugged Jabal "Are you ok?"
He nodded. "I'm fine"
"Jasmine, are you ok?" she asked Jasmine.
"Yes. I am fine"
"Your hand. You're bleeding"
"I'm fine you don't have to worry"
Jamal ran up to Jasmine and hugged her. "I was so worried about you. Don't ever get kidnapped again, ok?"
"I won't, I promise," Jasmine said with a smile. "Where are Kelvin and Ryan?" she asked.
"They should be heading here now"
"Let's go home. It's cold already"
**
"Are you saying the vampire Queen left a clue for you?" Ariana asked and Jasmine nodded.
They had gotten back to the earth witches' coven and after some celebration, they gathered up to listen to what Jasmine and Jabal had to say.
Jasmine nodded. "Yes. And I fought with four men without a sword and my powers" she said proudly.
"You must feel proud," Jamal said, smiling.
"You should have seen her face when she first told me," Jabal said.
"Is that where you got hurt?" Ryan asked and she nodded.
"Yes. I got hurt while fighting them"
"Does it still feel hurt now?" he asked.
"A little" she replied and he stood up.
"I will get the first aid box"
"N-no... There is no need for that" she said but he was already gone. She sighed. "That is really, not necessary" she muttered.
"You think it is not" Kelvin whispered to her.
"I think it is" Jabal answered and she frowned.
Is he not the one acting all good a while ago? Has he returned to teasing her? How easily people change.
"What is the next step?" Ariana asked.
"We draw out a plan to rescue her," Jamal said and they nodded.
"But what plan are we going with?" Kelvin asked.
"Let's get a book and pen and draft out some plans. We can choose the one we all agree to be the best. Every one of us can bring an idea" Jabal said and they nodded.
They all thought about the perfect plan to get the vampire Queen back to the vampire realm. With the little information they have been able to gather, and with the comb the vampire Queen left, all they need is a plan.
Papers were littered around the room. For over three hours they have been planning, but none of the plans seems to be better than the other. None seem like a good one either. They were frustrated and Jasmine could not stop groaning.
"Don't you think we should find a way of removing the spell first?" Ryan asked. "I don't think we will be able to do anything if the spell remains," he said and they nodded.
Ryan was right. The spell will only make every plan they make useless. They might not be able to find the vampire Queen too.
"Jasmine, do you have any idea how the spell can be broken?" Kelvin asked.
"No, I don't" she replied.
"How about we speak to your mother?" he asked.
"I think it's a good idea," Jabal said.
Jasmine yawned. "That will be tomorrow, not today. I feel so tired right now"
It was already past midnight and most living beings were already asleep. They agreed both Jabal and Jasmine must be tired from all the stress that they passed through.
"We should return to our room," Ariana said and they all left.
**
A knock on the door jolted Jasmine out of her thought. She was the only one in the room. Ariana had gone with Jabal to speak to their mother, with Jamal tagging along. Ryan and Kelvin had gone to the Munar pack. There was a matter of urgency and Kelvin offered to go with him. She wondered who could be at the door and why her peace was being disturbed.
She groaned slightly. "Who is there?" she asked but there was no answer. She frowned. "Who is that?" she asked again.
When there was no answer, she hissed. Whosoever had knocked wasn't serious about seeing her, she thought. She lay down on the bed, her eyes closed. There was a knock again after a while and she groaned. Is there someone playing pranks on her?
"Who is that?" she asked again this time, in a loud voice.
"Ryan" she heard and she blinked.
Did he not go to the Munar pack with Kelvin? She thought.
"Ryan?" she asked.
"Yes. Can I come in? I have something to tell you"
She sighed and stood up. "The door is locked. I will open it now". She walked closer to the door and opened the door. He was standing right in front of her and she couldn't help but stare at him.