"You're doing nothing," she accused him

"I am trying my best here, Amy. It's not been easy,"

"Then use your bounty hunting skills. She's been missing for more than two weeks days now," Amy dreaded the worse. Wouldn’t she feel it though if her baby girl was gone? People said that they felt it within their bones. She felt lost and helpless. She only wished there was more she could do.

"And don't you think I haven't done that," He abruptly interjected.

"Keep calm, we are going to find her," Aiden assured her.

"First you said we shouldn't involve the police. Keep calm she would be back, we are yet to see our daughter-"

"Even with the police, the missing person poster and the community search we are yet to find her." Aiden felt like he was sounding so cold about it and it made Amy angry.

"It will be alright," he added quickly.

Amy sighed noisily.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing,"

"And who told you we are?"

"You talk like you don't care," Amy folded her arms and glared at him. She wouldn’t settle and be calm until her girl was home safe and sound.

Aiden consumed Amy's eyes in his serious gaze. He walked out of the living room, got into his car and zoomed off.

***

THE NEXT DAY, IT WAS time to return home. Apparently she wasn't ready.

Mom and Dad wouldn't be at home now She thought. There was every possibility that they would be out looking for her. Kane had kept her safe for two weeks and it wasn't against her will. There wasn't any need for a blindfold. Still, Divina didn't know where they were. One thing was for sure, they were miles away from town. They walked east for fifteen minutes before they arrived at a vacant forest of dead trees. Little chats from here and there about everything or anything except what had happened yesterday night spiced up the walk. Both continued on foot until they arrived at a particular spot beside a dead-looking but still living leafless tree.

"Now, we are here," excitement glittered his words.

"So?" Divina couldn't see anything except the obvious.

"That's our way home," He announced, like it was a special invention of his.

Divina stared confusedly at him.

Did the sex affect his brain badly? Or was he just dumb today?

Kane was pointing at the thick tree standing in what seemed to be the centre of the dingy forest.

Was he nuts?

"That's a tree," Divina stated the obvious still trying to access Kane's recent demeanor. A scientist revealing his new invention to an uninteresting audience with such gusto and enthusiasm, Kane walked up to the tree, traced a particular line and hit its dead bark in three quick successions. Immediately, a spiral, carved from the decayed wood, bordered with a rare red light elated itself from other parts of the tree trunk. Divina blinked five times in disbelief. Kane smiled, at last his uninterested audience valued his discovery.

"What's that?" she asked as she slowly walked towards the trunk. She was about to stretch her hands to feel it when Kane stopped her.

"Don't touch witch. Until you're ready,"

She turned backwards sharply to look him in the eye.

"Ready?" she asked

"Yes, ready."

"For what exactly?"

"Ready to take us home,"

Divina smiled.

"I can't do what you suggesting,"

"I haven't suggested anything,"

"That sign, the tree, I know what it is. I thought it didn't ex-"

"Exist? Well you have it there,"

"The Spriggan Spiral. It has the ability to make one dematerialize matter and transport it. Space, matter and time separated by this Spiral is what makes it so powerful. The tree would make sure the spirit, soul and body of a weak one is separated and scattered across the universe.  Only a powerful witch can control its powers. "

"And that's you,"

"I wouldn't be able to control such power, talk less of using it to get us home,"

"You have little or no choice"

"What do you mean?" Divina understood the part of getting back home now but was that the only option.

"Trust me, we are in the middle of no-where. We don't have a plane, an helicopter, a car, a horse not even a bicycle,"

"You kept assuring me that I'll leave soon when there wasn't any plan in place?"

You idiot

"Divina, you are a powerful witch. I have seen what you can do. Give it a try,"

"YOU DON'T GIVE IT A TRY STUPID! You only have one opportunity. No, two I mean,"

"Which are?"

"To get the right spell or die trying,"

A few minutes ago, Kane would have thought that his idea was the perfect one not until when she harshly delivered the truth. He was ready to stand by his idea or a now dumb-ass plan.

"This is going to work. Those magic books have a lot of threat cases and consequences, blah blah blah. It's just to scare you off the spell. Nothing-"

"Is going to happen right?" Divina shook her head pityingly.

"You know nothing about magic,"

"Yes I do. Magic acts according to your conviction right?"

"That's just a vague idea. Your belief wouldn't save you from the consequences of a wrong spell,"

Divina walked round the trunk. All other parts seemed natural except the spot of the Spriggan Spiral.

"Something isn't right yet" Divina had read all about the Spriggan Spiral and it's spells so she could spot an accidental on the sheet.

"Is it the tree?" Kane enquired.

"Not at all. The force behind the tree. The tree possessing the Sprigan Spiral is always guarded by an Al Borak. He/she could be a vamp, a wolf but not a witch and. . ." Divina turned to look Kane in the eyes. She knew something or someone existed behind those honest eyes.

"And only the Al Borak could bring the Spiral from hiding. That's you?"  Divina laughed lightly.

"Oh good-"

"It's my duty to the clan,"

"Wow, that's fine and you didn't deem it fit to tell me?"

"I am not obligated-"

"Will you shut your mouth for once!" Divina retorted.

This tree was the force behind their disappearance. Kane did create a loophole between time and space. A fortress which didn't exist on earth but did exist between the earth. Only the Al Borak could do that. But it had its rules and Kane had flaunted one.

"Why did you do it?" She asked impatiently.

"Do what?" Kane feigned ignorance.

Divina gazed at him. Her look-wrathful, her eyes red with vexation.

"You were unconscious, on the verge of death. I knew they would hunt you."

"And you didn't take the consequences into consideration?"

"The rules state that if a loophole is created an Al Borak wouldn't be able to leave if he got in with another being not if he got in with a powerful witch,"

Divina raised her left hand to cover her face in disappointment.

"How did you ever become an Al Borak? Who placed such a huge responsibility on your irresponsible shoulders?"

"My father,"

"I thought as much, the same being who killed my Pa’s mind and yo-" Divina was getting all riled up now.

"Young nephew, not my father like you think he is," Kane interjected.

Kane's family was one group of killing, power desirous and extremely vile people related by the vamp-wolf blood. Kane was the black sheep of the family. For centuries he couldn't maintain any relationship successfully. He found it hard to love someone without family intervention and attack from backstabbing friends.

"Fine, thanks for the update."

"You need to exercise your powers Divina. There are potentials in you waiting to be discovered,"

"We have no choice," A dismayed Divina stated.

"Well, I think you know we do,"

Divina was startled.

"You wouldn't mean staying here forever?"

Kane kept mute.

The only way she could get them out of the loophole was to destroy the loophole as they simultaneously dematerialize themselves to the earth realm. The spell was quite easy to articulate but the mind work was what made it difficult. First the witch had to clear her mind, bring one strong memory of the destination forward and picture herself in that memory. She would recite the spell before touching the spiral. Immediately when she touches the spiral, her spirit soul and body would become separated. That single memory with its alteration should be the only thing with the spirit. The soul would leave the loophole to earth. If the thought wasn't strong enough the spirit could be lost in the Bhairava-a galaxy existing between the physical and the spirit world. The body would arrive dead on earth. For two individuals, the witch's soul and spirit becomes the lead. Whatever happens to her happens to the other person.

Divina had to be at a complete calm before she could began the initial process.

"You do know that whatever happens to me affects you directly?"

"I guess if the worst happens we would be together in whatever realm we find ourselves," Kane answered with a sassy grin.

"And you think that is romantic?"

He wasn't trying to sound romantic but comforting. He failed. Divina had pressing matters and all thanks to him she was about doing the impossible. Amy wasn't here to put her through, she needed to trust her little instinct and build her experience on previous experiences.

Divina sat in a yoga position on the forest floor. Kane understood the process so he knew he had to be as quiet as possible any sound would be an interruption.

"You would have to do that standing," Kane stated.

Divina ignored him.

"Your hands can't reach the spiral from that position,"

He was right. She needed to start the thinking process just a few inches away from the spiral so that she could touch it easily. This meant that she would go through the thinking process on her feet. For Divina it took quite a while to entirely empty her mind. After all there was a lot riding on her success. She couldn’t fail. The only way she could do that successfully was to hold on to that particular memory on earth firmly why she emptied her mind from intruding ones. It was a method which required much concentration.

The dead silence had begun. Divina and Kane were standing side by side. Deep, dead, dim silence had prevailed for over forty minutes. Kane just kept staring at his legs, his head bent downwards. This was a perfect posture for this ritual. At the seventy-sixth minute, Divina had been able to reach ataraxia with just a single thought on her mind. Slowly, she reached for the spirals. Immediately she touched it she felt herself being carried away. Like she was falling down an unending hole.

Her world kept spinning and spinning until it arrived at a bizarre constellations were the stars, moon and the sun all co-existed beneath the grey-blue welkin.

Then everything became slow, dull and inactive. Their body which wasn't their body felt lighter than it could ever feel.

Next, they were moving round in spirals to an unknown destination till they arrived at Pa’s each particle of their body found itself in the old man's living room. But a particular one was without a spirit and a soul. Divina sat up suddenly, her vision blurred for few seconds before it cleared.

"It worked! We made it!" Divina screamed. She thought how proud her mother would be when she mentioned it to her. Then she turned sideways to find Kane's lifeless body on the wooden floor.

"No, No! This can't happen," She screamed.

In no time, tears began dripping down her eyes. In the short time they'd known each other, Kane had barged into that secret chamber in her chest.  She began to pull his shirt forcefully like she could get the spirit and soul to the body with that act.

"Hey, you going to ruin that jacket,"

"Oh, you alive," Divina tried to wipe her tears off. She thought she had killed him. It was funny how days ago she was determined to do just that.

"Was that for me?"

"No! Not at all" She lied.

"You’re not been a good liar,"

Divina gigled.

"Scared the shit out of me," she muttered giving him a little jab to the ribs.

Kane smiled. "Well, it did work, once again you've proved yourself to be a powerful witch,"

"Not so powerful to kill Blackclaw,"

"We can deal with Blackclaw later," Kane replied.

"Mom!  M-o-ur-M! Dad? Dad!" Divina called out as she walked through the house, checking each room to see if anyone was at home.

They would be out there looking for you stupid.

"That's true," she thought.

Everywhere seemed to be the same. Nothing new, nothing old. She made her way to her room. Same. She walked downstairs to see Kane heading towards the door. Someone was knocking.

Who could that be?

Divina walked up to the door and hauled it open. There she was. Divina missed her.

"Hey Melissa," She gave her a warm tight hug.

"Hey Divina, where have you been?" Melissa answered indifferently.

"We really need to talk about that later," Divina said.

It was time to attack

Melissa stepped in front of Divina. The witch observed that her eyes had completely changed hue to a red-black shadow stained her pupil. Melisa attacked her by grabbing her around the waist and dragging her away from the lamp the witch wanted to use as a weapon. This was a dangerous move, even between best friends. The next thing the witch knew was that she was on the floor and a hungry looking demon was on her. Divina couldn't launch any attack, Melissa was so strong.

"You don't have to do this," Divina pleaded.

Melissa smiled, revealing her little fangs. Then they became bigger and bigger until the length of one was almost reaching her chin. She lowered her head to Divina's neck about to cut through the veins-drink and kill.

THUMP

Melissa fell face down on Divina. The witch had to struggle to get up. Pushing Melissa's body aside was a herculean task.

"You have a hungry Mohrg on you and the best thing was to give her a heart to heart advise?"

"She's my friend, no. More than a friend-what else could I do?"

"Strike back! Strike back witch, strike back!" Kane bellowed.

What in the world warranted this? She thought.

"What-dah-hell is wrong with you?" the heat of the exasperation had reached her too.

"You are too weak, too weak,"

"I'm no killer like you!” she responded and wanted to shove the words right back into her mind as soon as they had left.

He bottled up his response walked up to where he has took down Melissa. Picked her up like she was a stack of dried hay.

"Where are you taking her?"

"To your basement"

"Why?"

"She is a threat"

"Melissa is not a threat, she is a friend,"

That was her problem. She was short-sighted. Kane wondered if she could see beyond her nose.

"I wasn't talking about you, she is a threat to any being living,"

Divina was about to say something before she became caught in the middle of her wordless but not soundless sentence. Kane gave her the now-you-see-how-dumb-you-are look.

"What can be done?"

Better, now you're thinking.

"Kill whoever converted her,"

"Must we kill all the time?"

"Any idea from you is welcomed," Kane anticipated her response.

"I thought as much. In our world there is always violence. You got any chains?"

"Yeah, you would find them there,"

"What can we do to help her?" Divina's persistence couldn't be overlooked.

Kane was becoming tired of how Divina could ignore details and the ability to make inferences.

"Obviously, Blackclaw converted her to get to you. We kill Blackclaw, we save her",

Anything leaving ends with death.

When Kane arrived she was ready to kill.

"We should leave now,"

"It would be advisable for us to leave at dusk,"

"Okay," Divina replied briefly. Then she walked into her room almost immediately.

Kane felt like hell. Actually he wanted to have some rest before any other thing could happen. He picked a room at random to sleep. When he stood up, he felt freaky. His vantage point was totally different, and everything seemed to be smaller; the furniture’s, the doors, the room. Even the ceiling looked shorter.

Did he suddenly become big?

Kane tried to take a few steps, he felt like one of those circus still-walkers; gangly loose, in danger of falling. Yes. . . he was a circus walker who had a stroke, because the commands his brain gave weren't received properly by his muscles and bones. He needed to use the bathroom. On his way to the bathroom he lurched all over the place, hanging onto drapes, the molding around windows, a dresser, and the doorjamb.

The bathroom was pitch dark. Well some humans could be creepy.

The shutters were still down for the day and he'd turned all the lights off when he was about taking his nap. He flipped on the lights but the bathroom was still dark. He blinked hard, his eyes supersensitive and way more acute than they'd been before. Some moments later, his reflection came into focus like an apparition, emerging from the glare, a ghost of himself. He was. . .

Kane shut the lights and went to the shower.

A house having rooms for all members of the family humans don't recognize what they enjoy he thought. Waiting for the hot water to get running, he settled back against the cold marble and wrapped his arms around himself. The all powerful Kane was, a strong werewolf and a rile vamp behaving like a chicken. He had an absurd need to be held at that moment. He thought of killing Blackclaw all by himself. But the thought faded as soon as it started.

He pushed the shower door and stepped inside.

Owch. The fine spray-needles going into his skin, and when he tried to soap up his arm he felt a sharp pain. He washed his face next. Though it was cool to have stubble on his jaw for the first time in recorded history, the idea of taking a razor to his puss was utterly repellent. Could be like a drawing a cheese grater down his cheeks. He started washing his body off, being as gentle as possible. When he arrived at his privates, without thinking much of it he did what he had been doing all his life, a quick sweep under his sand and then down himself. . . that was all.

The effect was different this time. He got hard. His. . . rod got hard.

Something was just so different his rod was definitely a cock now, something a man had, something a man should have-

It came to a halt. It just stopped swelling and lengthening. The curling ache in his lower belly disappeared.

Kane rinsed the soap off himself, determined not to open the can of worms about him and sex. Even though his experience with Divina was perfect. When he got out of the shower, toweling off wasn't an option. Although it was cold as hell he let himself air-dry. A disturbed Kane had taken a shower, shaved and dressed in his leathers. He walked out of his room just to meet Divina outside the door.

"Was 'bout knocking,"

"I can see that,"

Kane had thought that she would do something stupid like go to Blackclaw's compound on her own or go down the basement to release Melissa. He was wrong.

Maybe she some faith in him.

"Wait, we can't just go into the compound of the Vamp Lord with bare hands,"

"You mean?"

"Weapons. Don't you have some here?" Kane looked round the house in three quick glances.

Divina rolled her eyes. And she started walking towards the basement door.

"Like Daggers, knives, guns with silver bullets-"

"Yeah, we have all that."

Divina remembered her training days with her Mom. She showed her a secret room in Pa’s basement.

They walked down the basement's swarthy stairs. It was a wooden stair case which creaked it’s life out like it was on a wrecking verge. Each step resonated, shaking the four walls of the basement. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Divina hit the switch.

She looked round quickly.

"Where is Melissa?"

"Behind those metal barrels over there" Kane pointed.

Melissa was making her way over there when Kane held her back.

"You don't want to see this,"

Divina jerked away from his grip. He watched her disappear behind the barrels. Thirty-five seconds later she walked out inflamed, like all skin hairs where standing each apart from each other. Kane could tell. Her countenance entirely different. It was like someone else went in and another arrived. Divina's walk steps were solid and determined, her eyes- a vindictive blare. She walked over to a particular door and wrenched it open.

A large iron box sat down in the tiny room. It was locked. She used her magic to cut off the cuff and remove the locks. Silver daggers, silver knives, a crossbow, a bottle of holy water, and several bottles of wolf’s bane. On the lead of the box where two AMT AutoMag V. Below were three sets of silver bullets with six bullets per set.

Silver bullets? Wow! Kane was thrilled. It was funny how someone like him could admire what had the potency to end his life.

Kane fabricated a loud cough.

"How come you have all these?"

Divina ignored him. Took the first AutoMag, loaded the bulletin and strapped it to her left holster she repeated the same process for the second gun but this time she strapped it to her right thigh. She strapped on some knives and finished it with the enchanted sword. Divina was armed to the teeth. Kane also strapped himself up with only daggers and knives. He stayed clear off the wolf’s bane. Divina took two little bottles of wolf’s bane. She was remarkably silent, noisily malicious. Kane could tell. Before leaving the basement Kane took another look at Melissa. He reinforced the chains to still keep things in control. Divina took another look also. That was probably the last time she was going to see her. 

They walked out of the house with unwavering tenacity.