Chapter 87 Road Trip
Chapter 87 Road Trip
Vanessa
The bond tugs at me before I even reach his door. It's subtle but persistent, like a thread wrapped around my ribs, pulling me forward whether I want it to or not.
I don’t knock, just push the door open and step inside.
Xander is already there, standing near the window like he’s been expecting me. Of course he has. There’s no hiding anything from him anymore, especially not when the bond feels like it’s turned up its volume.
His eyes snap to mine as soon as I come into view.
“Vanessa.” My name leaves his mouth like a warning.
Or a question.
Or maybe it's both...
“I...found something,” I start, not bothering with any preamble.
His eyes narrow and jaw tightens slightly. “I can tell that much.”
Well...
I step closer, pulling the folded cloth from my bag and placing it on the table between us. The sigil stares up at us, sharp and deliberate, even almost assessing.
“You remember Lyra?” I begin. “she’s connected to something way bigger.”
Xander doesn’t touch the cloth, but I see the moment he feels it. His shoulders stiffen and he crosses his arms over his chest to hide his discomfort.
The Watcher Wards must have picked up something from the item.
“What is it?” he asks quietly.
“An old coven,” I reply. “Older than the Council and they practiced original dark magic. There were no rules, no restrictions.”
His gaze flicks to mine. “That’s not something that just resurfaces randomly.”
“I know that,” I groan, swallowing. “They were wiped out. Completely. Or at least…that’s what everyone believes.”
The silence that settles between us is heavy as a rock.
“What aren’t you saying, Vanessa?” he presses, already noticing the way my eyes flicker away from his.
I take a deep breath before meeting his gaze once again.
“What if one of them survived?”
The air shifts, and Xander goes very still.
“That’s not a theory you throw around lightly, Vanessa,” he warns.
“I’m not,” I snap, more defensive than I intended. “Everything lines up too well. The symbol, the timing, the attacks,” I count.
His eyes narrow slightly, studying me.
“Alright, assuming this was actually true, what do you want to do about it?”
There it is. The question. The one I’ve already answered in my head long before I even got to his doorstep.
“There’s a location,” I say. “The last place that coven was reported to exist. I want to go there. See it for myself.”
The second the words leave my mouth, his features harden into stone. “No.”
I blink. “What?”
“No,” he repeats, his voice firmer now. “You’re not going anywhere, Vanessa. I won't let you put yourself at such risk.”
Heat flares in my chest at his tone. “I don't remember asking for permission.”
“I’m not giving it, either way,” he shoots back.
I take a step closer, lifting my chin. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”
His eyes darken. “I do when it involves something that could get you killed.”
“Everything we deal with could get us killed!” I fire back. “That hasn’t stopped me before.”
“And maybe it should have,” he snaps.
The words hang between us. Tension escalating into a thousand folds, so for a second, neither of us speaks.
Then I shake my head, turning away slightly.
“I’m going,” I say, quieter now but no less firm. “With or without you.”
A beat of silence stretches between us as I wait for his final response.
“Then I’m coming with you,” he sighs.
I turn back to him, eyes almost glittering. “Really?”
“You’re not doing this alone,” he says. “If you’re going to walk into something this dangerous, I might as well be right there to save your ass.”
A laugh escapes me at his last words.
Even though part of me still wants to argue and insist I don’t need him.
But the actual truth?
I fucking do.
And something in his expression tells me this isn’t up for debate either.
"Fine then,” I mutter, shrugging, once my laughter dies down.
The road stretches endlessly ahead of us.
Dust rises behind the car as we leave the main paths and take the narrower route that leads deeper into forgotten land.
The fields turn to forest, and forest thins into something emptier. Quieter.
I glance out the window. “This place feels so…” I trail off.
“Wrong?” Xander offers.
I nod. “Yeah. I'm not so sure if that word is right for it though.”
He grips the steering wheel, and we don’t speak much after that. It wasn't an awkward silence, neither was it comfortable.
It's like both of us are listening for something we can’t quite hear yet.
By the time we reach the village, the sun is already beginning to dip.
We find only a handful of houses, scattered unevenly, most of them worn down by time. There's no laughter, or movement. Just doors that seem to close a little tighter as we drive in.
I step out of the car slowly, noticing eyes watch from behind curtains, cracked doors, and shadows.
“They don’t like outsiders,” I murmur.
“They don’t like us,” Xander corrects quietly.
I glance at him. He’s already scanning the area, alert. Then we start walking.
The ground crunches softly beneath our feet as we move through the village. I approach the first person I see; an elderly man, standing near a small stall.
“Excuse me,” I say. “We’re looking for information about...” I hesitate before saying her name.“Sabrina.”
The man stiffens immediately, eyes wide and he runs away.
I frown.
“Sir...”
He disappears into his house, the door slamming shut behind him.
I blink.
“…Okay.”
“That wasn’t normal,” I mutter.
Xander’s expression darkens. “Let's try someone else.”
We do. Again and again, and each time, the reaction is the same.
Unmistakable fear, people avoiding eye contact, walking faster and shutting doors, .
One woman even drops the basket she’s holding when I say the name, scrambling to pick it up before rushing away.
I exhale sharply. “What the hell is going on?”
Xander steps closer to me, his voice low.
“It's obvious that name is never to be mentioned around here.”
“No kidding.” I glance around again. The village feels even quieter now, almost like it’s holding its breath because we’ve said something we weren’t supposed to.
I’m very sure of one thing though.
Whatever Sabrina was…
She didn’t just leave a mark, she left a scar.
And a very deep one.