Chapter 127: Chapter 127

Violet leaned back in her chair, a strand of her black hair falling over her shoulder. She folded her dainty hands on her desk and took her time in answering him, testing his patience. It appeared like she faced a dilemma; her expression showed hesitancy. Ryder’s hand curled into a fist—he needed to convince her to tell him more.

“The knowledge you’re looking for is… strictly confidential. Only a few select people are aware of it, and you shouldn’t be one of them.”

Ryder snarled in anger, his desperation getting the best of him. This was his only clue, and he couldn’t let it slip through his fingers, for Elena’s sake.

“However,” Violet added, her features softening a tad, “Since your case is a special one and since your clan is a close ally of the council, I’m willing to make an exception for you. I can see that you’re eager to reunite with your soulmate. There’s just one condition that I have; you need to tell me exactly how you found out about the Stone. Start from the beginning.”

Ryder didn’t like this, but he didn’t have the time to argue. “As you know, my soulmate was abducted by the same clan that has been turning and killing humans in New York for the past weeks. She and other witches and wizards are being kept in a secret location, possibly the clan’s home. My soulmate was able to contact me using a spell. She told me the vampires are planning to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone,” he explained, narrowing his eyes. “The clan leader’s name is Louis, that’s all I know so far.”

A frown spread over Violet’s face at the mention of Louis. “I should have known he would seek revenge. He’s been far too quiet all these years.”

Ryder was hit by a rush of adrenaline—suddenly, the prospect of reuniting with his soulmate seemed far more realistic. “You know Louis?” he exclaimed, full of shock. This was the last thing he had expected, and it changed everything.

“I do. He used to be on the council many decades ago, before I was elected its leader, but he was expelled when he became too power-hungry and broke our laws. Louis attempted to murder our former leader because he wanted to take his place. He had loyal followers who supported him—they posed a threat to the entire council. We took precautions and forbade all of them from participating in our assemblies. In the wake of this, he became furious and disappeared abruptly. I never saw him again and assumed he eventually accepted our decision, but I was wrong.”

Violet paused and cocked her head, watching Ryder with sharp eyes, studying his reaction to her next words. “Louis is one of the few vampires who are aware of the Philosopher’s Stone and its true purpose… Since he is abducting witches, he must have already found out how the ritual works. This puts us in a precarious position.”

“He’s doing all this to get revenge on the council for expelling him and his clan?” Ryder’s anger only mounted the more he learned about Louis—Elena and her family had fallen victim to a single man’s greed and desire for revenge. He was the reason why she had suffered so much throughout her life. There was no doubt he could only be stopped once he was dead… If Louis remained alive, he would always pose a threat to Elena, and Ryder couldn’t allow this.

“Yes. He’s obsessed with power—someone like him should never obtain the Stone. We need to stop him at all costs,” Violet frowned. “In fact, nobody should ever get their hands on it. To be honest, I thought the scroll describing the ritual was destroyed long ago...”

Ryder’s fang dug into his lower lip when he scowled. “What does the Stone do? Why is it so dangerous?”

“It grants immense physical strength and immortality to its owner, among other things. In other words, Louis would be unable to die. He would survive all injuries inflicted on him; he wouldn’t even need to drink blood anymore to live. It would turn him into a god-like being,” Violet explained.

“A god-like being? No, he would become a fucking monster,” Ryder spat. “We have to prevent this—what exactly does Louis need to do to obtain the Stone?”

“The lives of seven witches or wizards have to be sacrificed and their elemental magic drained completely. All seven elements are needed for it to be successful. Nobody has ever accomplished it.”

“So that’s why he was after Elena’s family. He needed a green witch,” Ryder growled.

Violet nodded in confirmation, her fingers ceaselessly tapping on the desk. What she had learned thanks to her visitor put her in a state of unrest—it was her responsibility to maintain stability and security among the society of vampires in America, but as of right now, she was losing control, and she didn’t like this at all. A plan took shape in her mind as she was speaking to Ryder, and hopefully it would be enough to stop Louis.

“I’m afraid he will kill your soulmate and the others if we don’t interfere.”

“Do you have any idea where Louis could be right now?” Ryder asked.

“No, but I will alert every clan in America—someone has to know where he’s hiding. Someone must have seen him. Vampire clans are very defensive of their territory, and they would notice when a stranger’s clan suddenly appears in it,” Violet said and got up, gracefully smoothing the folds of her beautiful blue dress. She looked confident now, more so than before, giving Ryder new hope.

“I will notify the council members, too, and assemble a team. Please tell your clan to be ready. We need as many allies as possible to take Louis’s clan down. The Philosopher’s Stone is a forbidden artifact for a reason—it would destroy society as we know it. This man broke our laws one time too many and needs to be held accountable.”

Ryder got up as well, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He glanced at it for a moment, seeing his own reflection in the dark screen. Grim red eyes stared back at him, glowing with the desire to kill, to take down anyone who stood between him and his soulmate.

“That means anything is allowed to stop them?”

Violet’s smile didn’t reach her eyes when she answered him, her voice holding a cold edge. “Indeed, anything is allowed.”