Vampire Shadows
Chapter 24

"Layla! layla!" I screamed loudly, Nathan's body was becoming pale. as white as a ghost. his eyes were slowly closing and his breath seizing from time to time.

"what's going on." Layla's voice echoed.

she gasped in horror when she saw the scene it front of her. she looked devastated.

"take him to the inner chamber now." she said. Josh, who have carrying nathan the whole time took him in and laid him on the bed.

layla called some other witches to help and we were asked to leave the chamber. we moved to the living room chamber and waited for the results. during the wait no one was able to say a word. we were all broken, owing to the fact that Nathan didn't deserve any of this.

"how did this happen?" i finally asked after summoning a lot of courage.

"The prince's men stabbed him when he was about to get to kendra. " Josh said briefly. "is she okay?" I asked, but immediately regretted my actions. his brother's life is in danger because of me, and here i was stupidly asking about my sister.

"yeah, she's fine. the prince won't hurt her. he's using her as bait, knowing that you will come after her." Josh said.

"but what the hell does he want from me." I said getting agitated. I was tired of all this mess, killing my mom, kidnapping my sister, hurting my friend, all for a reason I have no idea about. it was quite frustrating, if I knew what they wanted, then things will be way better and understandable.

"the stone" max who have been quiet all this time said.

"what?" i asked.

"the legendry stone?" josh asked.

"yes" was max's short reply.

"Is the stone with you kara" josh asked staring at me.

"i don't even know what you are talking about." i said in defence.

"the prince believes it's with you. that's why he's after you." Max said.

"well, just tell him I don't have it." i said.

"if it were that easy. he desperately needs it. it's the only way they can take over the world ." max said frightening me.

"but we all know the stone is merely just a myth. i mean, it has been lost for ages that everyone stopped believing in it. " Josh said.

"by everyone, you mean the white coven. we, the black coven members still believe in it. and the prince suspects kara's family because they were the one's the white coven king gave the ancestral crystal. he believes kara has the stone. and it's better that way. once he replaces out that the crystal is out there somewhere and not with kara, we will all be doomed. he will start taking over and destroying places and worse of all, he will start searching for the stone himself, once he replaces it, nothing can stop him." Max said in a very serious manner.

"so, you are trying to say, we should pretend that the stone is really with me, leave my sister hostage and threaten the lives of our loved ones?" I asked horrified.

"it's the only way kara, well until we figure out a way to stop this madness. and about kendra, for now she's safe at the palace. since the prince believes he needs her." Max said in the least comforting way.

"how are we supposed to stop a crazy vampire Prince max?" I asked still horrified.

"by replaceing the stone before he does." josh said.

"once we get the stone we will be stronger than the prince. that way we can bring an end to this mess." he added.

"exactly." Max said in approval.

"but how are we supposed to replace a thing that we are not sure about it's existence." I asked reasonably.

"by starting from where it all began. The white coven's empire." Josh replied.

"but it was destroyed ages ago. " Max cut in.

"yeah, but they has to be something. it's our only lead." Max said.

"Layla?" I said dragging their attention to where she was standing.

"i'm sorry guys, i'm sorry, we tried our best." she said then started crying.

NATHAN!

No! you have to save him! no!" I cried in agony. Layla sat on the floor, looking helpless. Joshua led the way and we all followed suit.

There he was, our friendly energetic nathan, looking lifeless. no, I didn't want to believe he was gone, no nathan was my everything in the past few days, and now I wish we didn't go on this rescue journey.

"he's not dead yet, but his condition is hopeless." one of the witches said and then left the chamber.

"isn't there something we can do?" I asked layla who just walked in.

"no, kara, his condition is beyond the witches. we can't do anything." layla said.

"but, there has to be someone who can help."i said trying my best to think. of something.

"I'm afraid, nothing that I know of" layla said bowing her head.

"only a vampire with the water element can help I'm afraid" the witch from earlier said. "they possess the power to heal you know."

"but prince Ardelean is the only living vampire with that element." Max said from behind. If the prince is really the last vampire with water element, then it's really hopeless. he will never help, especially not a servant who betrayed him. ohhh things just had to get from bad to worse.

.

Dinner was served but no one could eat. we all decided to go to bed. Josh and max left first, while I was in the living room thinking about how I was supposed to go and spend the night in jasmine's room. I haven't seen her since we arrived so I'm sure she wasn't home but I was still frightened.

.

“what are you doing here?" i heard a voice say after turning on the lamp.

I was already fast asleep so I couldn't tell who it was.

"I'm talking to you." the voice said again, and that's when everything made sense again. it was jasmine!