Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Boiling with rage and determination, Elena clenched her hands into fists. If Ryder was in a place with a connection to nature, there was a chance her magic could reach him. The sudden determination brightening her eyes didn’t go unnoticed by the vampires. They followed her when she ran out of the kitchen, storming through the foyer and throwing open the front door. The weak rays of the morning sun greeted her. She entered the flower garden behind the mansion and sank on her knees. The grass was covered in dewdrops, dampening her jeans. She ignored the cold morning air.

“Elena, what’s going on?” Helen asked.

“I want to try something,” she replied. “But I don’t know if it’s going to work. I need to concentrate, please give me a moment.” The clan members watched her with questioning gazes. They didn’t speak a word and waited to see what she would do.

The young witch spread her hands on the grass and focused on the soothing magic dwelling within every plant in the vicinity. She sensed their connection to the earth and each other, their roots reaching deep into the ground. Elena would use this connection to search for Ryder. If she were successful, she would find out where he was.

The thrumming magic in her fingertips resonated with the flowers, following their roots into the ground, jumping from plant to plant with astonishing speed. This allowed her to use them as a network—and once she got the hang of it, she became even faster. Thus, she was able to search a large area for her soulmate.

Fortunately, her efforts were rewarded. She received a signal. Some plants seemed to grow very close to Ryder, allowing her to sense him. She thanked the stars he wasn’t unreachable. Her relief was immense, and while the excessive use of her magic had tired her out, the excitement about reuniting with him was much stronger.

Steph had underestimated her. He thought her to be a weak witch because she refrained from using her magic to cause damage. But her powers were strong. She had honed them and practiced continuously, becoming more attuned to the natural magic residing in every living being.

“I think I got him,” she mumbled, squinting her eyes. “He is… somewhere in the east… in a room beneath the earth. It’s a cold and dark place, and it’s located in a forest. I sense many trees nearby.”

The vampires were speechless for a moment, staring at her with newfound hope. “How far is it?” Edgar asked.

“It’s hard to tell… I’ve never used my magic like this. But I doubt it’s far from New York.”

“Can you lead us there?”

Elena didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Let’s go right now.”

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The group didn’t take their cars. They were too slow now that every second counted. Since Elena couldn’t keep up with the supernatural speed of a vampire, Chump had volunteered to carry her on his back while she told them where to go. He ran insanely fast. At first, it made her nauseous. Her surroundings blurred and became unrecognizable while a sharp wind hit her face. The ride was quite bumpy, too. She gritted her teeth and held on to his shirt for dear life while he supported her legs with his arms.

Every few minutes, they needed to stop so she could reestablish her connection to Ryder. They needed to be sure they still were on the right track. It was a nerve-wracking endeavor, especially for Elena, whose worry didn’t disappear. Her heart’s thundering beats didn’t calm down.

The group left the city behind and was now on the way to a forest, just as Elena had predicted. The closer they came, the easier it was for her to pinpoint Ryder’s location. And suddenly, the vampires were able to pick up his scent, mixed in with that of three other people.

“We’re almost there,” Chump said, slowing down. The vampires became cautious, and their fierce gazes swept over their surroundings. Since they did not know whether to expect an ambush, they carefully moved on, keeping Elena in the middle.

It was eerily quiet in this part of the woods. The birds were not singing. Everything seemed dead or frozen in time. Not a single animal dared show itself, sensing the dangerous vampires who intruded on their home.

“This must be it,” Edgar said and halted in front of a rusty metal hatch in the ground. It would have been easy to miss, had they not picked up Ryder’s scent.

Chump set Elena down and stood in front of her. They did not know what awaited them once they pulled open the hatch. She was scared for Ryder and held on to the back of Chump’s shirt, grasping it tightly.

Edgar and Dorian opened the hatch together, preparing themselves for a fight. The metal squeaked loudly when it hit the stones littering the forest ground. A dark and moldy hole awaited them with old stone steps that led into the unknown. Elena smelled the stagnant air from where she stood, so she could only imagine how disgusting it had to be for the vampires with their heightened senses.

“I will go first,” Dorian decided, descending the stairs and vanishing into the dark. They heard his footsteps and a loud bang. She flinched and moved closer to Chump, who threw her a glance. His hand came to rest on her arm, comforting her.

“Steph and the humans are not here,” Dorian called, his voice echoing creepily. “Ryder is locked behind a door. I can’t reach him because it’s sealed with magic.”

“Let me take a look,” Elena said, taking her phone and turning on its flashlight. Chump was right behind her when she descended the steps, illuminating the impenetrable blackness that awaited her. Beneath the earth, it was icy cold—a stark contrast to the warm summer temperatures outside. Shivering, she halted next to Dorian and inspected the old, rusty door. In itself, it looked decrepit and not very stable, but when her hand hovered above it, she was stung by ice magic.

She cursed and clutched her hand. “It’s a strong seal,” Elena said after she glanced at the sigil that briefly flickered over the metal. “I need to break Steph’s spell before we can open the door.”

This was bad since his magic was powerful, and depending on how elaborate and strong this particular spell was, it would be hard to undo. She didn’t have much time, though, and none of them could enter the room with the magic still in place.