Chapter 18 Kidnap
Rain
I groaned as I rolled out of bed, my body still stiff from the Mirror Realm ordeal and the Council’s underground chaos. Being a nanny had never felt so… dangerous.
Noah and Lia were already up, racing through the hallways like tiny tornadoes. Lia had somehow managed to grab a handful of makeup brushes and was using them as swords. Noah had his wooden sword and shield, declaring himself the protector of the estate or at least of himself.
I sighed, straightening my uniform and bracing for another day of surviving these two little disasters.
“Good morning, angels,” I said, my voice forced into a cheerfully sweet tone. “Let’s have a calm breakfast, yes?”
“No!” Noah yelled. “We are training for battle!” He charged at me immediately, sword raised.
“Wait, what?" I shouted, raising my hands in defense, but it was already too late. He knocked over a tray of cereal, sending milk and flakes everywhere.
Lia giggled maliciously, flicking a brush at my face. I yelped and spun, trying to dodge, but slipped on the wet floor.
“Rain! Calm them!” Precious, Rosee’s butler, called from the kitchen, exasperated. “They’ve been at this since sunrise!”
I groaned, muttering under my breath. “Calm… calm… sure…”
By the time breakfast was over, I was covered in sticky milk, smeared lipstick, and bruises from accidental knocks and hair pulls. Somehow, this was my job now. And it was only the first hour.
The clock struck 10 a.m., and a deep rumble echoed through the estate. I looked up to see Rosee descending the grand staircase, sharp and imposing as ever. His coat hung perfectly over his shoulders, dark leather catching the morning sun.
“Mykel,” he said to the vampire, already standing by the side entrance. “Let’s move. Hollow Ridge isn’t going to solve itself.”
Mykel bowed slightly, his expression unreadable. “As you wish.”
Rosee turned his piercing gaze toward me. “Keep your charges alive. I expect a full report when I return.”
“Yes… sir,” I muttered, still sticky from breakfast.
He smirked, almost predatory, as if reading my exhaustion and satisfaction in being at his mercy. “And Rain?”
I froze. “Yes?”
“Do not die,” he said simply, before turning to leave. The sound of his boots on the floor felt like a drumbeat of authority. Mykel followed.
I exhaled shakily. Do not die. Easier said than done, considering Noah and Lia were still plotting my early demise.
Hours passed in a blur of chaos. Noah tried to “train” me again with his wooden sword while Lia applied layers of lipstick to my uniform. At one point, they got into a shouting match over who got to “discipline” me first, resulting in me sitting on the floor, sticky and defeated, as they danced around like tiny warriors.
By mid-afternoon, the estate quieted. Precious had finally corralled the twins into a temporary corner, giving me a chance to clean up and breathe. I leaned against the cool wall, running my fingers through my hair, replaying the Mirror Realm nightmare in my mind.
Then my phone buzzed. A call. From… an unknown number.
I hesitated before answering.
“Rain,” Rosee’s voice came, calm but sharp. “I trust you are still alive?”
“Yes… sir,” I replied cautiously.
“Good. Keep the children alive. Do not wander from the estate. Hollow Ridge is volatile, and I don’t need reports of your death while I’m away.”
I swallowed hard. “Understood.
(Hollow Ridge: Rosee and Mykel)
Meanwhile, miles away, Hollow Ridge was a chaotic storm of shadows, mirrors, and unnatural energy. Rosee and Mykel moved with lethal precision. Rosee’s eyes narrowed, scanning the environment like a predator though here, he lacked his full powers, restrained by mystical wards designed to keep dragons powerless. Mykel, however, radiated raw vampire energy dark, cold, and deadly.
“Keep your eyes open,” Rosee warned, hand on the hilt of a hidden blade. “These creatures won’t hesitate. And don’t expect mercy.”
Mykel smirked faintly. “Mercy isn’t a word I know.”
They moved through the shattered remnants of what had been a house—a labyrinth of corridors warped by mirror magic. Every step triggered flashes of distorted reality: mirrors reflecting places that didn’t exist, shadows that weren’t real, whispers that made the mind twist.
Rosee paused, sensing something. “Something is close. Stay alert.”
A scream echoed, unnatural and warped, bouncing off the glass-like walls. Mykel’s eyes glowed, and with a blink, he vanished from Rosee’s side, reappearing near the source. Rosee followed, moving like liquid shadow, ever calm, ever in control—even powerless.
They burst into a chamber, finding the remnants of a struggle: overturned furniture, shattered mirrors, and traces of blood.
Then, the call came. Rosee’s phone buzzed violently. He answered immediately.
“What?" Mykel said, noticing the expression on Rosee’s face change, “what is it?”
Rosee’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowing to slits. His voice was cold, sharp, dangerous:
“Someone attacked my home. One of my children is bleeding, while Rain is missing.”
Mykel’s hand went to his blade reflexively.
“Missing?” Rosee repeated, like he didn’t want to believe it. His knuckles whitened around his phone. “How?” He asked his caller.
“I don’t know, sir,” a voice replied urgently. “We found signs of forced entry. She… she vanished. Like she was taken.”
Rosee’s eyes went cold, absolute. The arrogance and untouchable dominance that defined him turned sharp, lethal, like a blade ready to snap.
“Stay on the line. I’ll handle this.”
Mykel stepped closer, senses on high alert. “We need to go back now. They won’t hesitate to use her for leverage.”
Rosee’s lips curved in a thin, dangerous line. “I never leave unfinished business. This is… personal.”