Chapter 208: PART 2 -21 - THE FOOTAGE II
-VANCE'S POV-
Damn it!
Who knows what that shard could do? I lifted my hand and flicked it for Blayne to resume.
Assad jumped on the table and sprang to swiftly land in front of Crawley. With a small smile hanging on his lips, he took the shard from the necromancer’s hand. “How does this work?” He was captivated by the success and held it high in the palm of his hand.
“First, a drop of your blood should be added on the top of the shard.” Crawley pulled out a knife. Squiggles caught his hand and clasped claws around his neck from behind.
“Be gentle Mr. Kitty,” Crawley squealed while cringing his body.
Squiggles squeezed his grip tighter and gritted in a deep voice, “Don’t call me that.”
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Crawley cried from the pain. “Mr. King, please don’t let your second break me. I did well. I should get my reward.”
Assad finally glanced at the two. He nodded and Squiggles released the necromancer’s neck, glaring at him. Crawley curled up his nose at his assailant.
We saw Assad allowing him to slice his middle finger and dripped blood on the shard. It glowed in various colors in his hand. Crawley stepped away as the shard worked. In two seconds, that prismatic shard descended into Assad’s palm, vanishing.
My stomach stiffened.
“That can’t be good,” Blayne muttered with conceived vexation.
“Shhh!” I shushed him.
“You have become one with its power. If you could get the Athoribis Stone from the ocean, you could infuse power from the shard into your pride members.” Crawley stated. “Nonetheless, the bloodline of the witch queen, werewolf king, and vampire king is now in your body. You can harness power from within you that you were never born with. Over the coming week, those powers will surface and you can learn to control them." With his right hand across his abdomen, he did an overboard back-bending bow. "My job is concluded."
Pleased, Assad evilly cackled. Crawley rose and placed his hands behind his back. Assad walked up to him and clutched his shoulders. “Indeed. However, you will get your reward once I have seen the destruction that my new powers can do. Until then, you will stay at my side.”
“As you wish, King,” Crawley gave a nod.
“With each day that passes, the Supernatural Triad Council grows stronger. Even fucking humans have more territorial grounds than we do.” Assad’s deep, incensed voice carried, “All we need is that Egyptian goddess stone so that power can be increased and we can reclaim all that is rightfully ours.”
Crawley held up one hand like a student in class. “And they will have no choice but to give you a seat on the Supernatural Triad Council.”
Assad beckoned to Squiggles. “Message Kodjo to stay aboard with Tygart. I want to test my powers on the merfolks.” He menacingly smirked. “I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go make Mer-king Aegeus bring the Athoribis Stone to us. Because after that, we will shake up the three realms.”
“I understand my liege.” Squiggles bowed and turned on his heels.
“Prepare to go to sea,” Assad told Crawley and left the room in the opposite direction, going through two large brown doors.
The kripling returned to his master. The creature encircled him as he also danced his way from the room singing “I’m Slim Shady, yes I’m the real Shady. All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating. So won’t the real Slim Shady…….”
The footage ended there.
Disgruntled, Duke and Blayne’s questioning eyes swung to me. Simmering with rage, I found my chair immediately to sit down.
“Now’s the time to move, Vance.” Blayne’s tone was brooding and angry. He crossed his arms and widened his stance.
“I agree. We can’t wait for Assad to be able to manage whatever powers he has acquired.” Duke sat his butt on my desk, steaming.
Collectively, we recalled the way the kripling targeted our children. My hackles raised as I marinated in hatred for the enemy. My muscles tensed because I was wrestling the impulse to attack them right at this moment.
“I want Crawley dead.” Leaning back on the headrest, I placed my fingers on my temple, massing them with my eyes closed. I was at my wit's end. “And I want Assad to suffer.”
There is a tale that has been passed down for generations about the Athoribis Stone. The stone is said to be buried with Princess Naunette in her sarcophagus at an oceanic trench of the Pacific. Only merfolks could go there without much danger. Submarines would risk being imploded. The trench was too deep for divers. Hence, it was a perilous feat.
The Egyptian goddess’ body inside the anthropoid coffin, where she is wearing the amulet, is depicted by the forearms that were carved to be crossed at the breast. The myths describe it as being covered in sceneries with red-painted phrases and characters and stark blue hues that are associated with the Dead Spells, which are represented by, among other things, figures like the embalmer's tent and the horizon's lions of Bastet.
“Attacking over water is hazardous with the merfolks in their element.” Blayne began strategizing. “We will be at a disadvantage.”
“Unless we can convince them that the war is between us and the werelions.” Duke voiced, while going to the liquor cabinet and pouring three glasses of whiskey. “Maybe send a signal that we aren’t their enemy.”
“We can’t use a transponder or the ships will detect our message. We need magic.” Blayne huffed, folding his hands while looking at Duke.
I listened and at the same time stayed in my own flaming thoughts. This was worrisome. I tried to control my breathing before I tore this whole office apart.
The Supernatural Triad Council (STC) will need to be informed of this discovery. The six gatekeepers could join us in this battle. There was no way that I was going to sit and allow Assad and his pride to become more powerful.
Finally, we comprehend the purpose of the kidnapping of our children—to acquire their blood—so that the component of our royal relics would create the shard. Owlyn of the witch queen, Lucretia of the vampire king, and recently my daughter’s blood was taken. Each operation was executed simultaneously, not giving the STC any time to meet. After that, the two girls were dumped in an unconscious state in alleys in the neutral human territories. Venus would have been treated with the same disregard if Valen had not rescued her.
“Even though Assad’s brother is the one attacking the merfolks against Assad’s order, the fact remains that the pussycat plans to attack us with that shard.” Duke handed each of us a half-full glass. “We need Marlena and possibly some witches on this one.”
Once Duke mentioned that, I got on my phone and sent Marlena an update. I left the rest to her. “Marlena will get back to me and then I will finalize a battle plan.”
They both nod with worry on their faces.
In one go, I drank my premium malt whiskey. The werelion will remember the day that I took out their king. I called it a night and left my drinking buddies there.
Entering my home, many scents swarmed me. My sharpened sense hooked onto the most prominent one of roses and strawberries. Following its trail, I ran up the stairs to the master bedroom.
Maneuvering through the darkness, I found my bed empty. A tight frown settled on my lips as my heart panged from missing her. Sianna was not in the room. Worse of all, she was not in the house.
Where has my Luna disappeared?