Chapter 120: Chapter 120

“What happened?” Edgar asked the moment he saw Ryder’s ferocious glare.

“Elena is gone.” It was only three words, but Ryder could hardly verbalize them. His voice sounded like a snarl. “The vampire we’ve been looking for attacked her and her employee while they were at work. I found the human not far from the shop. Elena fought the vampire all alone… I think we’re dealing with the person who killed her parents.”

It was a lot to take in. The vampires at first couldn’t believe it. Shocked silence spread through the room until Helen broke it. “What? Elena was… abducted? Are you serious? She must be so scared, I can’t even imagine.”

“We have to get her back,” Kelsey growled and cut to the chase. “Where could she be? Any leads?”

“Nothing. I followed her scent until she entered a car. Elena’s employee wasn’t very helpful either… she said she would recognize the vampire if she saw him, but that’s it. I don’t have a name, I have nothing.”

“So you’re now separated from Elena, and we can’t reach her,” Chump said, his panic rising like a tidal wave. “How much time do we have, Ryder?”

Ryder swallowed—he hadn’t even thought of this until now. “At most a week. I drank her blood two days ago.”

“Then you won’t last for a week,” Kelsey said ominously. “Five days… we have five days to find her.”

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The dull pain in Elena’s throat was perpetual. Her head was void of thoughts; she didn’t know what was happening to her or where she was. She couldn’t even move her body or open her eyes. Her back lay on a cold, hard surface as if she were already dead. The strange voices she heard were far away at first, and then closing in on her, circling her like a pack of wolves.

“They caught another one,” a male voice said, deep and regretful.

“Poor thing.” A female voice. Cold, reserved, sorrowful.

“Her neck looks bad.”

“Is she breathing?” another female voice panicked, “Or is she dead?”

All the noises Elena heard merged and became unintelligible chaos. Her consciousness faded in and out—was someone touching her hand? No, her arm? She didn’t know. Should she be scared? Her limp body was lifted, and the surface beneath her disappeared. Someone was holding her. At first, she thought it was Ryder since he was the only one who ever carried her like this, but it didn’t feel like Ryder. Her soulmate was far away, and the urge to reunite with him burned deep within her. Soon, her back met a much softer and more comfortable surface—it was the moment her consciousness slipped from her grasp, and she fell into a dark void.

It wasn’t until later that she finally came to, and this time, she was strong enough to stay awake. Her eyelids fluttered, and she was greeted by glaring artificial light that blinded her until she got used to it. A fluorescent tube was attached to a gray concrete ceiling, dusty spiderwebs adorning it. Elena looked around, not understanding where she was and how she had ended up here. She was surprised Jacob hadn’t killed her yet—the witch hunter was nowhere to be seen, which was a relief.

Elena spotted more empty beds next to hers, their metal frames reminding her of a prison cell. The wardrobes opposite her were made of dark wood and pushed against the wall, covering up most of the ugly concrete. There were no windows and only one door—Elena dreaded what lay beyond it. She pushed her blanket away and sat on the edge of the bed, putting her feet on the ground. Her shoes had been left there, and she considered putting them on but froze once a noise reached her ears.

She flinched, magic tingling in her fingertips when her eyes fixated on the door. It was pushed open, and a young man with wild auburn hair stuck his head into the room. He looked just as surprised as Elena when he locked eyes with her. “You’re awake,” he exclaimed, and attracted more people she had never seen before.

Two men and two women entered the bedroom, allowing Elena to sense the magic dwelling within them. They were witches and wizards, the only beings in the world capable of using magic. Eyes widening, she stared at them, never having seen so many of them in one place. Many questions arose in her mind. Why had Jacob brought her here? And why did he need so many witches and wizards?

“Are you okay?” the wizard with auburn hair asked—his magical element was fire. When Elena nodded slowly, he added, “My name is Alexander… but you can call me Alex if you want.” He seemed eager to break the ice and less reluctant than the other three, sitting on the bed opposite Elena to be closer to her. “I’ve never seen a witch like you before. Your element is nature, isn’t it?”

Elena took a deep breath and relaxed once she was sure none of them posed a threat to her. She assumed they shared the same fate and had been captured by Jacob. “That’s right. My name is Elena, nice to meet you,” she said politely.

“Well, I wish we could have met in a different place,” the second wizard chuckled without humor and moved closer. “I’m Alan.” His hair had been bleached and dyed silver at some point, but the black roots were already visible. Alan’s aura felt pleasant like summer rain when it washed over her—his element was water. Elena smiled at him, or at least she tried to. Her expression must have shown her anxiety and unease.

“I’m Wendy,” the witch with long hair said and gave a feisty grin. Her magic was like lightning in a thunderstorm. “And this is Belle.” She nodded at her silent companion, whose aura was as icy as winter.

“You’re the first witch to join us in a long time, Elena… months, if I remember correctly,” Alex mumbled. “How did they catch you?”

“Jacob found me,” Elena explained. “He’s been after me for years… the last time we met, he killed my parents, but I escaped before he could capture me. This time, he was successful.”

They were silent for a moment, looking at each other, before one of them spoke up. “He’s a cruel bastard, even for a vampire,” Wendy hissed. “It’s a wonder he didn’t harm you more than this.”