—Narrator's perspective—
"Hey, you okay?" Hope asked besides Raf, who just recently had a heartfelt apology to both Hope and Arabella. It was hard for the Vampire to forgive but she knew she had to at some point. Words of wisdom from Roman Sienna himself, thank god.
"Um... My mind still won't settle down. Look, I'm sorry but I can't join the fight." He said and looked over to his right to Arabella who smiled and nodded understanding.
"Don't worry, It's not just Arabella going." Hope pointed down the hall where Kaleb and Josie and Jed were strolling to get to them in a smile. "My squad answered the bat-signal."
Arabella turned to Raf. "We'll find him. Landon's grown on me so I'll kill anyone who touches a strand on his head." She whispered the last part which made Raf snicker and nod, thankful.
Both Lizzie and Josie lookef at each other and in unison said, "She's coming?" Disappointment laced their voices and tone.
"I need all the help I can get, so please put your twin war on pause." Hope retorted, Arabella gave an amused look at her before turning to the twins with an apologetic smile.
"Why is he going?" Rafael asked, gesturing to Jed in confusion and anger. "He hates Landon."
"Look, you're the Alpha. If Landon's your pack, that makes him ours." He explained, forcefully.
"Where's Mg at?" Kaleb asked, looking around their little group and could only see one more vamp other than him, Arabella.
"He's on his way. Let's load up while we wait for him. Come on." Hope said and held Arabella's hand before walking outside with the rest followed.
Arabella frowned and walked forward, using her arm to shield Hope when they saw many guarded men with security attire walking their way.
"Oh, Sorry. We were about to knock." Their Leader, the teens were guessing said in a sarcastic tone. The rest of his team was behind him with shields.
"Who the hell are you?" Lizzie spat, looking at the one who talked earlier first.
"Name's Burr. Triad Industries." When he finished Hope let go of Arabella and put her hands up.
"Propellere." She casted but nothing happened, Arabella looking at the men and grew even morr confused and protective of Hope as she stepped forward to her.
Kaleb dropped the bag on his shoulder. "Ara." He called in knowing, the two vampire was about to rush them but got pulled back when their daylight rings won't work.
"Son of a bitch." Arabella whispered harshly, Hope holding her while glaring to the men who scoffed. The blonde was still recovering, her burnt marks quickly healed but the anger she held is by a long shot not mended.
"What you don't got is magic. Which is why your daylight ring won't work. And what we have are stakes, wolfsbane... and other things." He threatened and the mercenaries pointed the weapons at them. "So, I think you should invite us inside."
Arabella glared, having to be forced to go back inside the school, making sure Hope was in front of her just in case. She looked back to the men that entered the school, wrapped her arms around Hope's waist protectively while they were gathered in the main room.
"We're looking for an artifact known as the Chalice of Arimathea. We have reason to believe it's part of your school's collection. Now, you know this place a lot better than we do, so the sooner you help us find it, the sooner we'll be gone." Burr explained and many students were either holding the picture of a chalice, or having to be forced to scowl silently. "Triad thanks you for your time."
"This is bullshit." Arabella whispered harshly, looking at Hope who cringed of her girlfriend cussing but let it go when she agreed. "We need to tell Ric." She spoke lowly to the Tribrid, her nodding discreetly.
Hope looked around, everyone was scattering to find the chalice or comforting the smaller students so they won't be scared. "Dr. Saltzman's office. Lizzie, Josie." She called and gestured to follow them.
The four were already walking in the hallways, inching closer to Alaric's office for the school or any phone at that matter. Hope opened the doors and closed the curtains making Arabella walk in without a hitch.
Hope sighed just as the doors closed when she tried pushing the phone buttons. "It's dead. We have to find the school cell." She explained and Arabella was rummaging through Ric's desk drawers.
"Check Mg's tighty-whities." Lizzie snarked and went to look as well.
"Really? This is serious." Josie said in seriousness, looking at her twin in disbelief of what she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. We can't be born with resting concerned pouty face." She countered which made Josie gasp.
"Knock it off." Arabella warned making them back down.
Hope frowned. "Didn't this shelf used to have books on it." She asked and looked over the shelf, grabbing the small red box and placed it on the desk.
"Yeah, that's weird." Josie agreed.
"Whatever they're doing to block out our magic must have knocked out a cloaking spell your dad had." Hope informed, looking over at Arabella who didn't know.
"Big shocker. Dad's hiding something from us. I bet Arabella knows what it is." Lizzie gave the blonde an eye who in which turned to look away in hurt.
"Stop it." Hope warned and continued. "Unless it has the school phone in it, it doesn't matter." She continued to search on the farther room on a cased shelf, away from the twins with Arabella.
"Sorry I don't feel like laughing while my world's falling apart." Josie crossed her arms and looked at the other siphoner in anger.
"Your world? What about my world? I'm the one who's eventually going to be absorbed by my own twin." She spoke more personally. Arabella ignored them and knocked a few books over in search for a phone.
"If you lose the merge."
Lizzie didn't break their eye contact and glared even further. "Which I'm obviously going to. I'm the weak, broken one."
"And like clockwork— victim." The brunette spat.
"Hey, guys." Hope called and showed the three the phone. "Found it." She started to dial the number, it immediately ringing.
Arabella looked at the skeptic red box for a moment, wondering where she saw it because it was familiar. The thoughts soon clouded when Hope finally got a line.
"It's Hope. Triad's here." She informed Ric.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, but our powers are gone."
"What do they want?"
"They said that the third artifact is in the school somewhere." She guessed and Arabella heard Ric scoff.
"You're kidding."
"The Chalice of Arithmetic or something? I don't know, any idea?" She turned to Arabella if it was right and she shrugged.
"Listen, I've got to find my way into the school. But Just promise me you're not gonna do anything crazy." He warned.
"We're not the only ones in danger. Landon is too. I just can't stand here and do nothing." She spoke more loudly.
"Hope for once in your life, will you please just listen to me? If Triad wants the Chalice, help them get the Chalice. You don't have your powers. You are Vulnerable. And if you try to resist, someone could get hurt. Do you understand me?"
Hope paused. "Yeah." She finished and ended the call with a disappointing look.
"So, what do we do now?" Lizzie asked in anticipation when the phone call ended.
"Now we figure out a way to get our powers back, and we kick some paramilitary ass." She informed in a spirit of anger which amused Arabella who heard all the phonecall.
"Wait, dad said not to do anything crazy." Josie held her hand up to hit a pause on their situation but Hope had other ideas.
"Me defying your dad isn't crazy. It's consistent."
The doors clicked opened making Arabella rush to get to Hope, looking at whomever was annoying enough to spot them. "Well, atleast we know where you stand." Arabella shifted her red crimson red as a warning. "You better back away before I hurt your friends."
"You're damn right we do." Hope said back and walked forward making Arabella lose her posture and walked by her side, giving the powerless tribrid a glare as a warning.
"You're not very scared of me, are you?" He pulled out his gun and pointed it at them. "How about now?"
Arabella chuckled. "Seriously? A bunch of lead bullets is not going to kill me. And you're gonna shoot kids?"
"This gun would never harm a human child. You four, however..." He pulled out a bullet. "These bullets were formed from the mud of the Malivore pit and weaponized by Triad scientists." He showed it to them for them to fear which didn't work. "They can break the skin of any supernatural like a hot knife through butter. Fester. Infect them. Disintegrated them from the inside out."
"We don't know where the Chalice is." Josie said in a cold tone, standing her ground.
"I believe you." Burr said and looked at each of them. "This is just for fun, really." When he said that Arabella sped to him but only to be shot on the side of her stomach making her fall
on the ground.
"No, Bella!" Hope shouted and dropped to floor, holding her gunshot wound in worry. The Vampire panted, groaning and tried to suppress it but was no use since it was much more painful than any weapon.
Burr hissed but nonetheless, looked at the three witches. "Brainless. Let this be a warning. Eeny..." He pointed the gun at Hope, Arabella glaring at him and prepared herself if he ever shoots, she'll just throw herself into the gunfire again. "Meeny..." He directed it to Josie, who got stiff and stood still. "Miney..." Then to Lizzie but quickly back to Josie.
Lizzie glared and acted on impulse. "Moe." She recountered and was about to go to him but Josie didn't hesitate to use block her twin and the gun fired, hitting Josie. There were two gunshots, one hit the siphoner and one hit Hope who was trying to pull her down but failed and didn't notice herself get shot.
"Damn it..." Arabella whispered, having no strength to fight back the people who pulled them down the cells. Hope trying to get to her but failed when another man was preventing her from doing so.
"Stop squirming." A mercenary warned the Vampire who laughed bittely and turned her eyes to red, veins showing.
"Bite me."
☘︎︎