[𝟷] 𝘾𝙍𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙎, 𝘕.𝘔. [EDITING]

𝕏𝕏

20 | bloodletting

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN STIRRED, GROANING AS HER HEAD PULSED IN PAIN. A SHARP BURN TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD WAS ALL SHE COULD REMEMBER BEFORE HER VISION WENT BLACK. CLANGING ECHOED ALL AROUND HER AS SHE SHIFTED, reminiscent of metal slamming against metal.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She opened her eyes, surveying the room with some sort of apprehension. She knew where she was before she even woke, feeling the presence of her ancestors eating away at her mind.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Why am I here?" she groaned aloud, shifting her numb wrists. They ached from lack of use as she turned them.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The door on the far side of the room opened, revealing two familiar women. Valeriya, her mother, and Tatiana, her aunt. The two of them were equally cold as they entered. Stony faces were reflected back at the younger girl.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're awake, good. You don't want to miss this."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Valentine walked through the door, his flaxen hair glowing like a halo around his head as he passed the open window. He smirked at her, pulling a chain behind him like he was leading a dog.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina stumbled in behind him, her eyes drunkenly looking around the room. Blood dripped from her lips.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nina?" Wren whispered, pulling at her chains. "What did you do to her?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Valeriya watched her daughter unflinchingly, surveying the way the girl's face changed and exposed all of her deepest emotions and fears. "You've grown soft," she said calmly - quietly. "Is that what spending time with vampires will do? I expected the opposite."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren clenched her jaw. "Let us go. Klaus will be looking for us - where do you think he'll go first?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I suspect he'll pay a visit to Marcel. You see, I fed some information to one of Marcel's men about how his leader had abducted the Hybrid's little bird from her nest." Valeriya pulled up a chair, sitting down in front of her daughter. "That should keep him occupied for some time. It gives us the chance to talk."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sneered down at her mother. "We have nothing to talk about," she snapped.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"We have a few things - like how you swore an oath to me, yet you haven't held up your end of the bargain. I need the stake, Wren. The Hybrid has it."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I've looked, but I haven't found anything. He's obviously hiding it somewhere away from the house." Wren looked away stubbornly.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Obviously," Valeriya echoed with a blank expression.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths.