Chapter 41: Chapter 41

“What brings you here, Steph?” the waiter asked, clearly recognizing the wizard’s face.

“I was hoping to meet Felix tonight. Is he here?” Steph asked, drumming his fingers on the counter. The bar was crowded with unsuspecting humans who did not know about the establishment's true purpose. It was a meeting spot for a group of hunters. Only the waiter, the bar owner, and a handful of other people were aware of this.

“Oh, do you have another job for him? He arrived around thirty minutes ago,” the waiter replied. “He and Sophie are in the basement; feel free to join them.”

Steph nodded at him and disappeared through a door that led down into the basement of the building. He had come here many times before when he had trouble with supernatural beings—these hunters were well acquainted with him since he paid well. And Steph was pleased with their work since they always got the job done.

The room he entered was filled with cigarette smoke. A man and a woman were already here, sitting around a table. Their conversation stopped once they heard his footsteps, and none of them was surprised to see him.

“If it isn’t Steph,” Sophie grinned. She held a cigarette in her fingers and waved at him. “What brings you here tonight? Got some work for us?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Who pissed in your drink? You look terrible,” Felix noted, painfully honest as always. “What’s up, man?”

Steph rolled his eyes at the hunter’s attitude and sat on one of the empty chairs. “I want you to kill someone for me. This time, it’s a vampire, so it will be more difficult than usual.”

“That’s going to cost you,” Sophie noted.

“I know. And I’m willing to pay double the amount if you get the job done. I already have a plan.”

“Let me guess, you want revenge,” Felix said with a growing smirk on his lips. He played with a small silver dagger, twirling it in his hand. “I wonder what the bloodsucker did to make you so angry.”

“He stole my girlfriend. We’ve been together for four years, and he ruined everything,” Steph growled. “Turns out he’s her soulmate.” An emotionless laugh escaped him.

“Well, sucks for you,” Sophie replied and shrugged. “You want us to kill him and her?”

“No, she has to survive. I want her to suffer. The little slut is attached to him.”

“Tell us what your plan is, and we will get rid of him,” Felix smirked.

“Don’t simply kill him. I want you to starve him slowly, do you understand?” Steph said with gritted teeth. “He has to face the consequences of getting in my way.”

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Elena sat in the shade of a tree with a spell book on her lap and her legs folded beneath her. The summer sun was unforgiving, so she preferred to spend time here, where it wasn’t as hot. She had been practicing a new spell, one that would allow her to grow plants within the span of seconds. It required her to focus, and since she needed large amounts of magic to accomplish it, she soon felt drained.

A green glow manifested in the palm of her hand. She concentrated on it, willing it to grow and take on a specific shape. A small stem appeared out of thin air. She watched with bated breath as it became longer and gained vibrant green leaves. A pretty camellia opened up its blossom, its silky and layered petals looking as soft as she had imagined.

She smiled as she gazed at her new creation. It was the first time she had successfully used this complex spell, and she was proud of herself. Maybe if she practiced a little every day, this would soon become second nature to her. It would be a big step for her as a green witch.

She placed the flower on the grass and closed her spell book, leaning her back against the tree. Elena had grown tired and decided to take a little nap in the garden. Since she sat in a secluded part, shielded by hedges and flowers, she doubted anyone would bother her. The only other person in the garden was Kelsey, and he was busy tending to his roses. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into a light sleep, the noises around her fading into the background.

When noon rolled around, footsteps neared her, but she didn’t notice the approaching vampire. Ryder came to stand in front of her and gazed at her with a mischievous smile on his lips. Elena looked peaceful, surrounded by blooming flowers and little butterflies. He had been searching for her, but not for long, since his soulmate’s delightful scent was easy to locate. It always stood out to him.

Because it was lunchtime, he wondered if she was hungry. He had learned much about her and her eating habits in the past week. Ryder had never gone grocery shopping before he met her, but now it had become normal to him. And on top of that, Thorny loved using this opportunity to try out all kinds of recipes since he now had a housemate who needed to eat actual food.

Ryder was relieved she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in the garden. After the incident with Avocado, he had been scared she would fall back into old habits and hide in her room, but that had not been the case.

He crouched in front of her, touching her cheek with his fingers. “Wake up, little flower,” he murmured. “It’s time for lunch.”

She blinked, scrunching her nose. “Huh?” she mumbled. The familiar face of her soulmate came into focus as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. “Ryder?”

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, amusedly.

“It was comfortable,” she answered, cocking her head when she realized he was making fun of her. Was it strange to take a nap in the garden? Maybe to a vampire, it was. “I’ve mastered a new spell, look!” She picked up the stem with the camellia and proudly held it under his nose.

“Did you make this?” he asked, fascination sparking in his blue eyes. It was a delicate little plant, undoubtedly forged by her very own magic.

“Yes,” she replied. “I practiced for a long time, and now it finally worked!” She overflowed with joy—so much that he couldn’t hold back a smile of his own.

“That’s amazing, buttercup. Is this why you were tired?”

She nodded. “It happens when I use a lot of magic. I get sleepy.”

“Then you should eat a tasty lunch now,” he decided, lending her a hand to help her up. She took her spell book and followed him through the garden.