Chapter 43

~Morgan Vale's~

I paced around my room, clutching my phone tightly, I waited anxiously for Elena to pick up. Finally, her voice crackled through the receiver, "Hey!"

Relieved, I wasted no time getting to the point. "Did you get her?"

Elena's voice came through, slightly muffled as she spoke from within a shop, "I brought her here safe and sound. Why didn't you tell me she has a temper?"

I sighed, a knot of worry tightening in my chest. "Did you see anyone suspicious?"

Elena glanced towards where Jade was seated and shook her head. "No, she's completely safe here. A butcher market scares away even thugs. We work with knives here." Then I told her that. "Even so, be careful. He might go there."

"Who?" Elena's words sparked my curiosity. "The other Imoogi Vampire? It's you who should be careful," Elena cautioned. "Why would he come here? By the way, when will you go to the well? You said you will reclaim your soul and lock her up there."

"Not yet," I replied, my mind racing with the newfound knowledge of another Imoogi Vampire. "It's too dangerous to become human right now. I need to find out who he is and why he's after her."

Elena's voice crackled over the phone again, filled with concern. "But how come you didn't know there was another Imoogi Vampire?"

I fell silent, the weight of centuries pressing down on me. Unable to answer, I simply hung up the call, my thoughts drifting back to a conversation with my adopted father, King Vale's long ago.

Centuries ago, King Vale's and I had ventured into the forest hunting vampires. Amidst the trees, I had posed the question, "How many Imoogi Vampires are there?" King Vale's look at me and asked, "you're asking how many Imoogi Vampire are they?"

I nodded and said, yes.

King Vale's had scoffed at my inquiry. "Don't ask me ridiculous questions. Keep your eyes on the water before any vampire jumps out and eats both our heads."

Undeterred, I pressed on, mentioning rumors of an Imoogi Vampire dwelling in the northern swamp. King Vale's had dismissed it as mere myth, but his words had struck a chord within me.

"Do you know when people first heard of Imoogi Vampires?" King Vale's had challenged. "Four hundred years ago. There was a myth that an Imoogi Vampire slaughtered everyone in a mountain village. Since then, no one has seen it again. They are only rumors, and the rumors said there was only one Imoogi Vampire."

Snap! I jolted back to the present, gripping my phone tightly. Dialing Elena's number once more, she answered with a puzzled tone, "Why did you go mute earlier?"

Ignoring her question, I blurted out, "I remember. I was told there is only one Imoogi Vampire."

Elena's voice held a hint of urgency. "But the other Imoogi Vampire is stronger than you."

I nodded grimly. "It's because he drinks human blood."

Elena let out a frustrated exhale. "You know I'm too old to get mixed up in creepy stuff like this. I want to live comfortably in my old age. What's your plan?"

Determined, I replied, "I have to find him quickly."

Elena persisted, "So you know how to kill him now? Do you have a plan?"

Annoyance bubbled up within me. "Nagging comes with your old age? Just look after her for me." I quipped, before abruptly ending the call.

Frustration etched across Elena's features as she stared at her phone in disbelief. "Hey, hello? Hey..." she trailed off, her annoyance evident as she stared at Jade, who sat in the shop, her gaze darting around nervously.

Meanwhile, Stepping into my kitchen, I was taken aback to find David attempting to fix the broken cabinet. "What are you doing? You're breaking apart my house?" I exclaimed, disbelief coloring my voice.

David turned to face me, a sheepish expression on his face. "I can explain. I just opened it, but it fell out. Maybe your house is old."

Before I could respond, the part of the cabinet that David had fixed collapsed once again. Frustration creased his brow as I waved off his attempts. "Forget it. Just leave."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You want me to leave now? But I have no place to go. You said it was okay for me to stay here."

I was momentarily rendered speechless by his persistence. He continued, unperturbed, "More importantly, you don't have any food at home. You don't even eat? What do you eat?"

My face twisted into a scowl. "People without families or friends like you."

David's expression remained unchanged, his eyes locking with mine. "Come on, that's a messed up joke."

Under his breath, he muttered, "Why would he joke about..."

Suddenly, David's demeanor shifted, and he peered at me intently. "You're not serious, right?"

"Just leave," I commanded, my tone firm.

A smile played at the corners of David's lips. "I knew it. You were joking. It was a joke."

As he approached my freezer, curiosity evident in his eyes, I tensed, anticipating his reaction to the gallons of blood stored within. "What are these canisters inside the fridge?" he inquired.

In a swift motion, I seized his clothes by the back of his neck, causing him to startle. "Seriously? You're using your power?" David's voice strained as he attempted to adjust his clothing, but my grip remained firm.

"If it weren't for me, you'd still be at the mountain with the sword in your stomach," he pointed out, his words laced with frustration.

Ignoring his remark, I continued to drag him out of the kitchen. "I can be quite useful, you know," David persisted, his voice trailing off as I tossed him down the stairs in a fit of anger.

As he scrambled to his feet, a look of fear etched across his features, David began to back away. "Okay... I won't touch anything. I'll be quiet. Not a peep from me."

I advanced toward him, my expression unreadable. David's gaze darted around nervously as he attempted to placate me. "But even if I do have to leave, I'm starving right now." His stomach grumbled loudly, punctuating his words. "I'm sure right now, the lady in the room must be hungry too."