Rain rebelled in the cramped van, and two people were flanking her. Rain sits in the middle. Another man was sitting in front driving the car. Rain recognized one man who was beside her.
"Ethan?"
"Wow, you still remember me? My handsome face is hard to forget, isn't it?” said Ethan with great confidence.
"You disgusting wolf!" muttered Rain. "What do you want?"
"You said the werewolves from the Hardy Pack were disgusting? Oh, you haven't seen how disgusting it would be if we were hunting and preying on talkative girls like you!" threatened Ethan.
Anthony, who sat beside Rain, chuckled. He folded his arms across his chest and looked straight ahead. While Jonathan just glances from the rearview mirror. He drove the car at full speed. Even if the vehicle is getting longer, it feels like flying.
"You like flying, right? The monster often takes you flying. I see it!" Ethan said later.
"I have no business with you. Get me out of here!" Rain shouted.
"Yeah, we're tired of playing hide-and-seek with you and Benjamin. Is Ben too innocent, or maybe too stupid? He always disobeyed his dad's orders. What's so hard about bringing you face to face with Master Flynn? Instead, he kept you to himself at his mother's house."
Rain hissed. All the mysteries began to unfold in her mind. "So the werewolves are working with Major Flynn? Benjamin was also involved in it? Did they frame my dad on purpose and me?"
Rain looked out the window. The van they were driving actually flew. She couldn't get out of the car, or she would die instantly.
"This car uses demonic energy. Nothing is impossible for us. We stole it from the vampires. Yeah, you know wolves can't fly. However, with this devil-fueled car, we can even fly more than anyone."
Jonathan grinned and pressed the gas pedal harder.
"Where are you guys taking me? Meeting Major Flynn?"
"Oh, come on, of course not. We'll take you to meet your dad. Someone has to unseal your memories to restore your powers," said Anthony.
Rain is like a fool. She had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.
They actually returned to Rain's childhood home. The rain reached the place but had finally stopped by the time they arrived. The puddles on the pavement began to dry up.
The three werewolves got off the van and dragged Rain along. They weren't surprised when Benjamin arrived a few minutes later, following them in his private car.
Rain expects the presence of another figure. It wasn't Benjamin she was expecting, but Jace Dauntess. Rain felt ashamed of her own thoughts.
Rain looked down and gloomy. She realized that her wish was too grandiose and could not happen. Rain even thought maybe Jace was curled up comfortably in his super big soft bed in the east tower.
Benjamin ran over and grabbed Jonathan's arm. They were faced with taut and angry faces.
"What did you guys do to this girl? You kidnapped her from me!" Benjamin said excitedly.
Jonathan grinned. "I only did what you were supposed to, but you didn't. I took this girl back and brought her to where she should be. We must finish the mission soon instead of following your feelings to be alone with this girl and make love."
"What?" Rain almost screamed at Jonathan's sarcasm.
Benjamin threw a fist at Joe's face. Oddly, Joe should have dodged it, but he accepted it as if it was what he was waiting for.
The fist that Joe received became an opportunity to get back at Ben. The two got together and exchanged fists in the middle of the half-dry road.
Ethann and Anthony saw it all through their sun-colored eyes.
"Anthony, do something!" Ethan demands that his brother stop the fight between Ben and Joe.
Anthony immediately grabbed Rain's hand and dragged her into the middle of the two men fighting. "We don't have much time before; perhaps the forces of darkness will come after us."
"What Anthony said was true," Ethan said.
"Ben, you want this girl? I'll hand it over after she does her job in there." Anthony pointed at Rainn's childhood home, which was tightly closed.
"I don't need compromise," Ben hissed through cracked lips and fresh blood.
"There really is no compromise here!" said Joe, who was no less annoyed. He also rubbed his nose, which was bleeding, and possibly broken bones. "Better we do it, or Major Flynn himself will step in? Your choice is just that. If Major Flynn comes here, we can't guarantee this girl's safety, and neither can you."
Benjamin sighed. "You're being nice to me now?" But he had no choice and finally agreed.
"Ethan and I are going to look inside," Anthony said. "And you, Joe, clean your wound."
Joe swore and walked back to the van.
"Ben, I leave this girl to you. Take care of her, but don't take her away. You understand?"
Rain reached out to examine the wound on Ben's face. However, Ben raised a hand and restrained Rain from doing anything.
"Ben, about last night."
"We don't need to talk about it. Even I'd rather not." Ben said coldly.
"I just want to say one thing." Rain spoke fast. "I know that my response is not what you want to hear when you say you love me. Even when you suddenly kissed me…."
"True, I always hoped when I finally said 'I love you' to a girl, she would say 'I know', but I didn't get that from you."
"Sorry," Rain said. "Look, Ben. I...."
"Not!" Ben said. "You should see me, Rain. Look at me, and really look at me. Can you?"
They were alone on the side of the road. Jonathan was still busy cleaning his wound in the car.
Rain looked at Benjamin in surprise. She looked into Ben's dark eyes, asymmetrical eyebrows, long eyelashes, and growing hair. Rain realized all of that was part of Ben, who had been a part of Rain all this time. Rain thought so.
If Rain had to be honest, did she never realize that Ben loved her? Or Rain just doesn't care what she will and will do if Ben really loves her.
Rain sighed. "Seeing through behind a magic spell is easy, but penetrating people is difficult."
"Wow, looks like you've learned a lot about magic spells while living with that monster. We all see what we want to see!" Ben said slowly.
"No, Ben..."
Anthony returned abruptly when even Rain had not finished her words. "We have checked all four corners of the house, and there is nothing. There's no activity of shredders or anything here based on this girl's story, swarming this house."
"Weren't the shredders sent by you? You might say there isn't any when—" Rain teased Anthony.
A smell hit Rain as soon as she stepped through the front door, accompanied by Hardy's three wolves and Benjamin. The smell is almost indescribable, like stale eggs and rotting meat mixed with the scent of sea fish.
Ethan wrinkled his nose while Anthony's face looked green. They are susceptible to any scent. So that if there is a scent that is too strong, even for humans, it will be very annoying for their wolf noses.
Contrary to Benjamin's reaction. It was as if he had found a single scent like a treasure. "The devil has come here recently," he said.
Rain was surprised not to play. "How do you know? So you really are one of these wolves?"
Jonathan could be heard laughing out loud behind them. It was apparent Joe was laughing at Rain's curiosity about Benjamin's secretive and secretive attitude.
Benjamin tried to ignore Jonathan's teasing. They've never really been friends since then.
"Is that demon still here?" Rain asked nervously.
"Not!" Benjamin confirmed. "If there are still, they will definitely attack us."
"So, how many enemies are actually after my dad? Starting from the demons, the forces of darkness, werewolves, or maybe the vampires are also hunting my father out there?"
No one answered Rain's curiosity. Each of them instantly became aware of their surroundings. They're even still on the ground floor. There were still the second floor and other rooms they needed to check and visit.
"Exactly what are we looking for here?" asked Ben, who represented Rain's curiosity.
"We already know everything. There is a possibility that Markus Orwell was hidden by someone in a painting. Or maybe he's purposely hiding in there. To resurrect the witch, we must first find Mark. Because only Mark can find out who the real witch we're looking for is. The key to getting Mark is through this girl."
"I thought that painting was in Darkwood Palace? And if I were to be the key to finding my dad, then I would never work with you guys!" Rain turned to Benjamin because it was Ben who had suggested that Rain return to Darkwood and look for any paintings Jace might have used to hide Markus Orwell.
Joe sneered at Rain.
"We can do a search in both places. First, we can do a search in this place. If there is no result, we will be forced to attack the Darkwood Kingdom."
"Are you crazy, Joe?" shouted Ben.
Rain looked irritated. "I don't care what you guys talk about and want. Right now, I just want to find my dad. I wanted a lot of explanation from him, especially how my memory could be sealed in such a way. However, if I get my hands on my dad, you guys will be the first ones I will get rid of!"
"Brave girl!" quipped Joe. "So you're not worried about your dad's safety? You are more curious to restore your lost memories?" Jonathan again burst out laughing.
"Tell me, Rain, where have you seen any of those paintings in this house? Either big, small, or whatever size. Maybe that can be a clue for us to find your father's whereabouts, "said Ben.
"We shouldn't have come here!" said Rain, who suddenly stopped in the middle of the ground floor. "We have to go to Madam Adaline's house."
"Who is this, Madam Adaline?"
The girl ran from her childhood home with Hardy's three wolves and Benjamin following her. Rain crossed the porch to Adaline's door. The house looked deserted and as if it hadn't been lived in for weeks. She stepped carefully.
The house has hot air and closes tightly. Shadows loomed in front of Rain like magical herbs growing fast in the nightmare forest. Rain knocked on Madam Adaline's door. First, slow, then hard.
The door opened and poured a shower of golden light onto the foyer. Adaline stood there. She looked big and imposing in a sweeping red sweater. Today she is wearing a red turban with a zigzag cut sweater.
Rain was surprised. The girl had never seen Adaline in everyday clothes at home, and look tacky. The first and last time she met Adaline, the figure turned into a scary monster.
"Rain!" Adaline shouted, then pulled Rain into an exaggerated embrace.
Instinctively, Rain backed away in fear. She was terrified that suddenly Adaline turned into a tearing monster and pounced on her on the spot.
"Oh, Lord!" Said the witch. Adaline shook her head until her earrings swayed like the clink of the wind in a storm. "Last time I saw you, you disappeared along with the ripping monsters."
"And the last time I saw you, you turned into a tearing monster yourself," said Rain, who backed away in fear.
"Oh no! You must be mistaken, Rain. That is not me. It was indeed a ripping monster that resembled me. When I came here, they were still around, and I saw you fly with them."
"Should I believe all your fake fairy tales?" Rain spoke in a tone that was too curt. Even without realizing it, she had never talked like that to an older person.
Adaline's eyebrows shot upwards. She realized Rain didn't come with Jace Dauntess but four other men she had just met.
Adaline's house looked unchanged from the last time. Rain saw her. A crystal ball and the same tarot cards lie on the table. There are also several paintings on display in the woman's living room. Rain's fingers itched to touch some of the paintings. She wanted to check it out and inscribe the runes to see what was hidden inside.
Adaline sat gratefully in the armchair. She also offered tea and some biscuits like she had provided Rain and Jace when they came there. Adaline looked at the three Hardy brothers as well as Benjamin.
"I take it you haven't found your dad yet?" Adaline asked Rain.
Rain shook her head warily. "Not yet, but I know who kidnapped him."
Adaline's eyes moved around at that moment as if her eyeballs were ready to jump out of their sockets. She glanced from Rain to Benjamin and Hardy's three wolves in turn.
Hardy's three wolves, looking impatient, began to separate themselves and look at the paintings on display in Adaline's living room. They checked it without courtesy and without asking permission first.
Adaline was confused by their attitude. "So, who kidnapped your father?"