CHAPTER 39: THE VAMPIRE

Vlad opened his eyes, his black iris now replaced by blood red ones. He was in killer mode and his senses were especially heightened now.

“It’s here.”

All around him, the clairvoyants spread out, forming a circle, each with a wand in their hands. The only people missing were Suzanne and Tom.

“Where are Suzanne and Tom?” Thomas asked nervously. He was trying hard not to tremble but was failing miserably. And even though it was cold, he was perspiring heavily. He gripped his wand so tightly his knuckles turned white, wishing he had an ounce of the twins’ bravery.

“They are coming down now,” the vampire said simply, both his eyes and ears alert. In all his years of existence, he had never met his match, and he intended for it to stay that way.

***

Moments before…

Tom could finally look at Suzanne. In place of her black eyes were now her old soft hazel brown eyes. He stared at her, and then lowered his lips to kiss her hand.

*Thank the heavens.*

“Suzanne, something happened to you.”

“Yes.”

*That’s strange….*

“Were you aware of it?”

“Yes.”

Tom hesitated, “You feel different….” She looked the same to Tom, and yet he felt as if something had changed. She was radiating some kind of energy, something ethereal. Tom could not be sure what it was but it felt good.

“I feel….strong.”

Suzanne’s head cocked to one side as if sensing something.

“It is time. Let us join the others.”

***

The figures raised their hands and set their intention in motion. Black mist leapt from behind and stormed ahead with electrifying speed, seeping the life force of everything that stood in its way and rattling the foundations of the earth. But for all its dark powers, it could not penetrate the barrier.

The hooded figures were not giving up, the fight had just begun. The mist retreated only to materialize as a cloud of incandescent black liquid above the mansion. Then in a rain of death, it fell upon the mansion, causing a tremor all throughout the building.

From within the mansion, the chandelier rattled as dust streamed down onto the foyer.

“Did you hear that?” Thomas squeaked. He could have sworn there was an earthquake happening.

The twins ignored him, they were using up all their strength to reinforce the barrier. It would only be a matter of time before the black mist forced its way through.

At that moment, Suzanne and Tom descended the staircase.

“About bloody time!” Hans shouted at them, throwing two bottles of white powder in Tom’s direction as he helped the twins to strengthen the barrier. Tom caught the tiny glass bottles at the landing. It was the shimmery white powder from the cauldron in the secret room.

Tom frowned, confused. *What am I supposed to do with them? Sprinkle them on the mist like Tinkerbell?*

“If the mist comes at you, throw it at them,” Suzanne said quietly, taking her place next to Vlad. He looked at her and gave her a silent nod. She did likewise and whipped out her wand. The metallic wand extended to more than a foot long.

“Use it wisely!” one of the twins warned Tom. “We don’t have much left, Thomas spilt most of it!”

Thomas rolled his eyes at the twins and looked sheepishly at Tom, giving him an apologetic smile. Tom gave an awkward smile back.

Another tremor, this time, stronger.

Vlad stepped out of the circle, “We should take them head-on. Who’s with me?”

Marcelino raised his hand and nudged at Thomas. Thomas winced, “Do I have a choice?”

From the centre of the circle, Suzanne sat down cross-legged and Tom immediately stood guard next to her, jamming the bottles into his pocket. Gently, she placed the wand in her lap and closed her eyes. As she did, she began to hum a song, similar to the one that the twins had chanted to, with one exception.

As she hummed, she held out her blackened hand and slashed her palm with her wand. Blood trickled onto the floor, forming a little puddle of dark red liquid. Tom quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around her palm to reduce the bleeding and Suzanne went ahead to smear her blood around her, forming a little circle.  Then she pulled out her dagger and dragged it along the circumference of the circle, scarring the marbled tiles even as she continued to hum the song.

At first, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but as Suzanne continued carving at the bloodied circle with hr dagger, a tiny dark portal began to materialize out of thin air above her head.

The size of the portal was minute, but the sounds that escaped from it was were not. From within the dark portal came sounds and shrieks that were not human. They were thick and twisted, rumbling with laughter and screams of pain. Tom could feel goosebumps just by listening to it, the sound made him feel sick in the stomach. He could only imagine what was inside.

*It must never set foot on earth. Never!*

At the sight of the emerging portal, Vlad moved towards the front door, “Let’s go.” It was time to drag the dark matter back to the abyss.

Marcelino followed from behind, dragging along at a worried Thomas who tried to squirm his way out of Marcelino’s grip.

Vlad pulled at the knob, opened the front door and stepped out into the dark, not looking back. Marcelino swiftly followed suit, Thomas turned his head briefly to look back at those remaining in the foyer and gave them a weak but brave smile. He wondered if he would ever get to see his friends again.

And with a heavy heart he stepped out and the door slammed shut behind him. There was no turning back now.