Rise of the Darkness — CHAPTER 7

Flash back (night before Sophie was kidnapped.)

Ethan came back home, had his dinner. He was too tired today, looking after Calla the whole day was tiring. He didn't touch his work. He went straight to bed to get some sleep. He was a vampire but using spells to keep Calla safe takes a lot of his energy. He laid on the bed and thought about Calla. He could still sense the sweet berries scent of her body. Berries are something he couldn't avoid. He loves all kinds of berries. He closed his eyes, it didn't take him long, he fell asleep.

Ethan was sitting on a huge rock in a dark forest. He looked around, he was all alone. Then a familiar scent hit his nostrils and he knelt down on the ground. He bowed his head down in respect and smiled when the scent got stronger. It was his sire, his mentor and for him, his father figure. It was his Master Dalton, it had been a while since he saw him last. Ethan wondered what brought his sire to him. Dalton patted Ethan's back and spoke. "It's been a long time since we last talked. It's always good to see you my boy." Ethan stood up and looked at his sire. Dalton pulled him in a fatherly hug and patted his back.

Dalton had his own kids but none of them stayed by his side like Ethan. Ethan wasn't his blood, but he loved Ethan more than his own flesh and blood. Ethan stayed loyal and faithful to him till he took his last breath. Dalton broke the hug and asked Ethan, "How are you my boy?"

Ethan replied, "I am a good master. What brought you here?"

Dalton sighed and spoke again. "I gave you too much, didn't I?"

Ethan shook his head in disapproval and replied with a smile. "I'm happy to do anything for you. Tell me what is it?"

Dalton looked at the sky full of clouds and spoke. "Have you told her about the rising darkness?"

Hearing him Ethan also got serious and replied. "Yes I have. but as you know, I can't tell her details."

Dalton nodded his head and asked him again. "Is she careful now?"

Ethan also looked at the dark sky and spoke in a disappointed tone. "She is but only for her niece, not for herself. So I have to follow her everywhere to keep her safe."

Dalton looked at him and nodded his head and spoke again. "I know and I trust you. That's why I gave you her responsibility because I trust you." They sat on the rock together, staring at the dark sky which was darker than usual. Moon and stars were shining bright but still the night was dark and somewhere deep Ethan knew that it's going to be darker.

It was there thing, to sit down somewhere in silence for hours, without a word. Suddenly, Dalton stood up, his muscles were tensed. Ethan stood up with him. He patted Dalton's shoulder and asked him in a worried tone. "What is it Master?"

He replied to Ethan after a few minutes. "You need to go back to her place. Something is up and I can feel it." Ethan didn't say anything but nodded his head and started walking away.

Dalton called him from behind, he turned around and Dalton spoke. "Take care of her and yourself too." Ethan nodded again and left.

Ethan woke up in his bedroom. He quickly got up, wore his clothes and left. It took him a few seconds to get to Calla's house because of his supernatural strength. He used a spell to open the door. He quickly went to her room where both Calla and Sophie were in deep sleep. He looked around and even out of all the windows Calla had in her room. At first there was nothing but then, a strong scent hit his nostrils. It was a creature, a supernatural creature. He went out of her room and found a half turned she-wolf. She was growling, her eyes were green, they were glowing like two mini bulbs. With her sharp claws and fangs, she was ready to attack this vampire dared to enter marked territory of Mr and Mrs Luke. But Ethan wasn't here for her, he had seen her here before, he knew she's not here to harm Calla, she was doing something as Ethan.

Before Mara and Xavier left, when they learned that their sire, Master Braxton had died. They informed this she-wolf to take care of Calla and Sophie as they can't take them both with them. And Xavier could feel something was up. His senses were telling him that someone was after Calla. He had seen someone stalking her, following her everywhere. He talked to this she-wolf and ordered her to keep them safe until they return back home. Ethan had seen it in the wolf's memories, it was one of the specialities of Ethan. He could read minds and also could see the future, just like his Master Dalton. Xavier had hired a few vampires as well to keep a close eye on Calla to know about her stalker. But what Xavier never knew that, this she-wolf and the baby vampires he had hired, couldn't do anything against Ethan. He was more powerful and smarter than even Xavier.

She-wolf lunged herself on Ethan, he easily dogged her attack, then grabbed her by her neck and slammed her on the floor. He looked straight in her eyes for a few seconds, the wolf got hypnotised. Then he ordered her to turn back fully in her human form and go back home. He also made sure to remove himself from her memory, he couldn't afford to be known like this. It would be like, this never happened. He let go of her neck, she got up, turned back to human and left. He then looked at the floor, it had cracks at the spot he slammed her. He put his right palm on the floor, closed his eyes and started reciting a spell. When he opened his eyes again and removed his palm, the floor was fixed as nothing actually happened here.

He went back to Calla's room to check if all this fight had woken up Calla or Sophie, but they were still in a deep sleep. He sighed in relief and sat on the couch in her room. His stomach growled loudly with hunger. He went downstairs to get something to eat. He opened the fridge and found pasta. He always loved the way Calla cooked pasta. It wasn't the first time he had visited her, or eaten from her fridge. Since Xavier left with his wife, he has been visiting her every night to make sure she's safe. And so many times he had these small encounters with that she-wolf. But it was usual for him now, he would have killed her, but he read her memories, that she keeps Calla safe. So he controlled himself and removed himself from her memories.

Ethan warmed up the pasta and ate it quickly. It was delicious as always. He washed his plate and fork and placed them back in the dish stand. He was about to go back to her room when he saw a new shadow, it was new to him because he had never smelled that scent ever before. The lights were off and it was dark, but he could see everything clearly with his eyes. He tried to look around but no one was around, but the scent was strong and was getting stronger. Whoever it was, it was a man and he was getting closer. He zoomed upstairs and went to the roof to have a better look. He looked around from the roof and found a man, just as he thought.

The man was in his 20s, but he was older. Ethan concentrated on him more and with the help of his senses, he found out that that man isn't a human but a vampire like him. That man couldn't sense Ethan but Ethan saw him very well. He was a newly turned vampire. He could smell fear and also his hunger for blood. Ethan knew he was turned a few years ago. Before he could even touch the doorknob, Ethan jumped on him, grabbed him with his neck and in a flash, they were far away from Calla's house. Ethan took him to a safe distance from the house, he didn't ask him anything, instead he looked in his eyes and found everything he was looking for. That baby vampire was sent to keep an eye on Calla's house and on Calla too. Ethan gritted his teeth in anger. He took his sword from his back and with a single strike, the baby vampire was lying dead on the ground. He put his sword back in it's cover. He recited a spell and snapped his fingers once and the dead body of the baby vampire started burning. Ethan turned around and in a flash he was back at Calla's place. He tiredly released a sigh, stretched his muscles a bit and made his way back into the house.