The Malignant Flaming Crescent

46

ROWAN POV

The front door swung open and in walked Kai with Destiny, Aelia walked in behind him. I ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her, she immediately started crying. Kai went downstairs into the basement. 

"It's okay," I whispered as I rubbed her back, "you're okay now. It's okay." 

"She's gone," she cried, "he-he killed her." 

"Who?" I asked, "who was he?" 

"I don't know," she shook her head, "he-he bit her and drained her then made her drink his blood and he killed her." 

"Then she'll wake up," I nodded, "she has his blood in her system." 

"She already did," she shook her head, wiping her face, "she woke up but he forced me to drink so much vervain that when she couldn't hold it and bit me... it just... it killed her. I- I couldn't do anything. I didn't have my magic, I had nothing. I-" All I could do was bring her back into a hug. I didn't want to let her go, I felt so bad. "It was me," she shook her head, "it was me. Why couldn't I just keep her away from me long enough? Wh-" 

"None of this is your fault," I put my hands on her shoulders, "none of it." I pulled her back into a hug. Kai walked up the stairs, we made eye contact but he was quick to look at the ground. 

"Wh-why don't you head upstairs and get cleaned up?" I offered, "it might make you feel a little better. I have food made if you're hungry." She walked away without saying anything and I made my way over to Kai. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my hand against the back of his head and swaying side to side. "You okay?" I whispered in his ear, "you look like hell." 

"I feel like it," he sighed, "I was the first to find her, Jace wasn't far behind me. When I found her she was just curled up next to her, she was crying on her. It was horrible, it was so sad to see, Ro. I hated it and it's burned in my brain right now. Somehow she got away from him, she was trying to tell me but then the man that I guess took her, showed up. He was a vampire, tall, older that us for sure. I don't know his name, but he had four witches with him and he had control over them. They stopped us before we could do anything. Me, her and Jace were completely helpless, Jace almost lost his life tonight. Thank god Kira showed up, she stopped it. Ultimately she's why we got out of there, well her and Esme and Justin and Cyprus. She made me come back here though, Cyprus had taken off after them so they all went to find him. I wanted to go, I wanted to rip that guys head off but she wouldn't let me. She-" 

"She did the right thing," I nodded as I pulled back slowly, "you did  not need to go back out there and fight. You needed to bring her home, bring Destiny back here. Where are the others?" 

"Cyprus took off after them, Kira made did whatever transfer spell she knows and fucking sent me back here," he shook his head, "If anyone was going to be out there, it should have been me." 

"No," I shook my head, "it needed to be all of them. You needed to be here, Kira knew that and deep down I think you do too." He looked at me for a few seconds and I just watched his body relax. He leaned his head into my shoulder and I rubbed his back. "Fen and Lilly are sleeping upstairs," I nodded, "took them awhile, but we managed." 

"Thank you for watching them," he walked into the kitchen, "really. And I'm sorry for acting out earlier when I got that note." 

"It's understandable," I nodded, "I'm not holding anything against you hun. You did nothing wrong." He looked up at me for a split second and smiled but went back to looking at his hands. "So," I sighed, "what do we do?" 

"Have to tell the sheriff," he looked down, "it'll have to be classified as an animal attack or something." 

"Did we ever find out what that was?" I asked. 

"Nope," he shook his head, "but wait." He stood up and headed downstairs, I followed him. He turned on the lights and started to exam Destiny, more specifically, the bite on her neck. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, placing it to his ear, "I think he was the one who's responsible." I heard Kira's voice. "Hey where are you guys?" he asked, "coming back?" 

"Yes," she said, "we're coming. Be there soon." 

"Yeah I've got something I need to show you," he said, "hurry back." He pulled the phone away and looked at me. "He has been watching her," he growled, "waiting for her and then took her. I can't believe this. I can't believe I let this happen. I-"

"Hey," I walked over to him, "this isn't your fault, it is no ones fault. We can't hole her up here, she has freedoms. We just protect her to the best of our ability, we weren't there. Don't blame yourself." 

"How can I not?" he asked, "her killed Destiny, made it to where Destiny drank her blood and died. She is going to live with that on her conscience forever, forever Ro. It's a horrible feeling, I don't want her to deal with that and now... now she's most likely going to."

"This isn't your fault babe," I wrapped my arms around him, "please do not start blaming yourself for this." Just then I heard the door open and Kira was downstairs with us in .02 seconds. 

"What's up?" she asked, "how is she?" 

"She's upstairs," I nodded as I stepped back, "getting cleaned up. Dinner is in the fridge." 

"Thank you," she smiled, "Kai?" 

"Look at this," he walked over and moved Destiny's hair, revealing the bite mark, "look familiar?" I watched as she started to inspect it and then she looked up. 

"It was him?" she asked, "he was the one doing this?" 

"I think so yeah," he sighed, "it would make sense. Just started happening, maybe it was supposed to catch attention and didn't end up doing that, I don't know. He's been after her since day one I'm sure."

"Well we're gonna have to tell the sheriff," she sighed, "I can deliver news if you want. I'll tell him about that other vampire too." 

"What ended up happening out there?" he asked. 

"I don't know how Cyprus is, he was in bad shape. Justin took off with him. The witches are dead," she looked at the ground, "I laid them to rest, put their souls at ease and then came home. You said Aelia is upstairs?" Kai nodded his head, I did too. She turned and headed up while I walked over to Kai. The two of us went upstairs, Jace sat on the couch. Kira was upstairs, I watched her walk into Fen and Lillys room.