Chapter 21

Stefan woke up, startled. He scanned the room and nothing was wrong. He didn't know what woke him up but he knew something was wrong. He couldn't resist the uneasiness he felt laying on the bed as if he was living a normal life. No, his life wasn't normal. His life was where vampire existed. A bloodsucking monster who needs human blood to survive. And he was a human, a vampire guardian, who was protecting a monster. Which didn't actually make sense. Another thing was, he tend to protect Elizabeth, a vampire, a powerful one too, no matter what. He knew her not long ago, but still he felt the connection between them. And currently, he felt she was not near.

Instantly, he jumped off his bed and went to the next room through the door connecting the other room. Elena was sleeping soundlessly on her bed. The other bed was empty. Stefan clutched his hand into a fist. He cursed under his breath.

" Elena, wake up! " Stefan shook Elena vigorously.

Elena's eyelids fluttered open and stared at Stefan's grey eyes. The colour of his eyes somehow seemed darker than the usual. His eyes showed he was angry. Very angry.

" What? '' Elena asked.

" Where's Elizabeth?"

" She's asle- " Elena pointed to the bed next to her's and went silent as she was pointing to an empty bed.

Stefan looked around the room and realised the french doors to the blacony wasn't fully closed. Wind was billowing from outside. " She's outside. Come on, " Stefan ordered.

They walked out the French doors and they caught sight of Elizabeth, sitting on the garden, her hair covering her whole face. There were puddles around her. Big ones. As if an iceberg, melted there. Without hesitating any longer, Stefan jumped down to the garden and ran towards Elizabeth.

" Lizzie! What are doing here in the middle of the night?" Stefan yelled, sounded angry than worried.

Elizabeth didn't reply, instead she was sobbing. Stefan then removed Elizabeth's hair away from her face. Her delicate white feature was covered with tears. Her eyes were red due to the tears she let out. Stefan's anger evaporated. She looked.. very fragile. She wasn't monster. She was just a vampire. She could even be more or less a human. A slightest word could make her shattered into million pieces.

" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. You were missing and I was angry at myself that I would let you go missing. I'm sorry. But what were you doing here? "

" The... council found us. And Will.." Elizabeth replied, shivering.

Elena only stood behind them and kept quiet.

Then, Elizabeth fainted.

Conrad entered Charlie's room with a sharp ice sticking out from his right shoulder. Blood was dripping to Charlie's thousand dollars carpet.

" What the hell happened to you?" Charlie's eyes were wide open.

" nous avons trouvé la fille, Elizabeth Davenport. "

" She's in France? Where? How?"

" Oui. " he coughed, "I saw her feed on someone. I followed her with some vampires. She's living somewhere public. So, we could't ambush her. I lured her to me last night, it worked but when we were about to catch her , shards of ice were hitting us all. And that explains this ice sticking out of me." Conrad laughed as if it was funny but then he flinched.

" But.. the weird this was, the ice came out from nowhere. I dont think it was the girl doing it. She was hit to the ground, she couldn't adjust her power that fast even though she is that powerful. I guess there is an ice element vampire with her. I dont see one though. I only see her with two vermins. Siblings, perhaps. "

" Ice element vampire? There are only few of them exist, " Charlie thought.

" Monsieur, can she really be a threat to us? The girl is weak and she doesn't even truly know about her powers. She's more like a human than a vampire." Conrad stopped talking and looked at Charlie who was seemed to be deep in thought.

Charlie absorbed all Conrad's words. Can she really be a threat to us?

" Yes she can. Don't underestimate her. Most probably, she would use her power to do what Danae did centuries ago. That will never happen again. So now we know where she is. We'll observe her every move. We can't just take her just like so just let her be first. If she does anything against vampire rule, we'll get her right away. For now, we have to be ready just in case if she... " Charlie trailed off with his plan to get Elizabeth.

" Okay, enough talk. Merci pour votre aide. Go to Melvin, he can remove that ice and heal you in seconds. He's on the second floor, " Charlie said, bowing, showing his respect to Conrad.

"... she was captured by the Ancient ones. One of them was her husband, Charlie, " Roxanne exclaimed.

" Wow. That must be hard for him. What did they do when they caught her? Did they kill her? " Jenne asked curiously.

" No, they couldn't find a way to kill her. She would use her power to fight against them if they tried to kill her. So, one of the Ancient one put her to sleep. A long one that is. They say they locked her up underground, in a tomb. The tomb was enchanted with powers of the Ancient Ones who sarcrified themselves so the their power to hold. Even if Danae is awake, she couldn't free herself because the tomb can only be open from the outside. However, that's not the only obstacle to get to her tomb. Rumors say that there is this big stone door, also enchanted with power that it needs blood to be open. It can only be open by Danae's blood from the outside. But she's inside, so it was impossible for her to be free. "

" So.. where's her tomb? "

" I don't know. The council never told anyone. It was the most very secret of the coucil that would never be revealed. "

" Damn, our kind of rumors are so awesome! How did you get all of this anyway? "

" Rumors from the council. I was lazy to hunt yesterday so I went there to get some blood and overheard them talking. Currently, they're searching for this girl named Elizabeth Davenport... " Roxanne continued her story with Jenne while jogging in the park like any human would do.

Except they weren't human.

---

His jet-black shined under the moonlight. He didn't move an inch. He only stood there, watching from the thick trees. Elizabeth shouted his name. He was stepping back, each second, he was getting farther away.

" Will! " Elizabeth shouted.

No reply.

Elizabeth ran towards the dark thick trees. Trying to catch up with Will. His eyes were still there, watching her. As Elizabeth ran further, his silhouette was disappearing. Later, she stopped. She was lost in the woods. Lost and alone.

" Will! " Elizabeth shouted again.

Elizabeth started crying. She was alone.

" You're not alone, " a voice came from behind her.

Elizabeth turned around and saw William Carstairs stood in front of her. Smiling.

" You left me. "

" No, " Will replied flatly.

He moved towards Elizabeth and hugged her.

" I missed you. "

" You left me, " she repeated again.

Elizabeth suddenly felt warm in Will's arm. Nothing matters to Elizabeth now except him.

" You love Stefan. "

Elizabeth felt her heart stopped.

" No. "

" Not a question, Lizzie. " Will smiled.

" I-"

Will shh-ed her. " love you. "

" Where are you, Will? "

Will laughed. Then, he kissed Elizabeth forehead and pointed at her left chest.

" There. "

Elizabeth blushed.

" You're not dead, right? "

Will's face changed. He didn't look happy.

" I'm not sure. "

" What do you mean?" she asked, surprised by his answer.

Will was about to say something when suddenly everything went into a blur.

There was a whisper. With Elizabeth vampire senses she heard the words clearly.

" Never take off the topaz pendant, Elizabeth. Never. "