"Take care of him, my dear… Take care of all of us."
Ethan was staring out the window while Zeydana and Susie had just stepped into the kitchen to check if everything was alright.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Three short, confident raps.
Everyone froze instantly.
Flash slowly rose, but didn't reach for his weapon. He simply looked at the door with a tired yet wary expression.
"Who's there?" Flash called loudly.
From the other side came a calm, velvety voice:
"It's me. Anna."
Gideon swore under his breath. Bruno shook his head. Ethan slowly stood up, still gripping the stake.
Flash approached the door but didn't open it right away. He looked through the peephole, then finally turned the lock.
Anna stood on the threshold without any dramatic entrance.
"So you're home, and Ethan is here too. That's good," she said calmly.
"Which means everyone's gathered, and you've already completed the ritual?"
At that moment, Zeydana emerged from the living room.
The witch froze in the doorway upon seeing Anna. Her eyes narrowed instantly. Her face, previously tired and calm, hardened.
"Oh no…" she hissed.
"Not you."
Anna turned her head and also saw the witch. A faint, almost disdainful smirk appeared on her face.
"Zeydana," she said with light contempt.
"Still hiding in your little hole and smelling of dried herbs?"
"I thought they'd wiped all of you out by now."
Zeydana took a step forward, her hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
"And I thought vampires had at least learned some manners before barging into normal people's homes," she snapped.
"Or have you forgotten that we witches can still turn you into a pile of ash with a single glance?"
Anna stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
"Oh, how terrifying. You still believe in your fairy tales about ancient magic?"
"We've been walking under the sun for centuries, while you still hide in basements and fear your own shadow."
Zeydana snorted.
"You walk under the sun only because we once helped you create those very domes you now guard so jealously."
"And now you want to destroy both us and them. Typical of your kind."
Anna stepped closer, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Oh please, your kind still thinks it can command everyone? You've always been so arrogant, so self-assured, and so useless when it came to real power."
"Enough!" Flash cut in sharply.
He stepped between them, spreading his arms. At that moment, Bullet leaped out from behind his shoulder, fur bristling. She stood on her hind legs on Flash's shoulder and began squeaking loudly and indignantly, waving her tiny front paws at both women.
"Piii-piii-piiii!" she chattered furiously, as if scolding them both at once.
Flash couldn't suppress a slight smile.
"See? Even Bullet says you're both acting like children."
"Enough. We're not in a circus."
Zeydana and Anna both looked at the ferret, then at each other. For a second, an awkward pause hung between them.
Zeydana was the first to look away. She let out a heavy sigh and turned to the whole group.
"I did everything I could," she said quietly.
"The Binding Knot is in place. The rest is up to you. I can't help anymore."
"If they find me here… it will be the end for me and for Susie."
She turned to Ethan. Her gaze softened. She stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You are strong. Stronger than you think. Don't let them control you."
"And take care of Susie. She will be needed in the future…"
Ethan nodded, at a loss for words.
"Uh… alright…" he replied awkwardly.
Zeydana looked at each of them in turn, Flash, Gideon, Bruno, Susie.
"Goodbye. And… good luck to you all."
"You are all good people. Even if you sometimes act like idiots."
She took a step back. The air around her shimmered slightly. A blue haze slowly began to envelop her figure.
"And don't look for me anymore," she added more quietly.
"I've done everything you asked."
Her last words came from emptiness.
Zeydana simply vanished. Only a faint scent of wormwood and frankincense remained in the air.
The room fell silent once again.
Susie stood staring at the spot where her grandmother had been.
Ethan silently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Flash sighed and looked toward the door.
"Well then…" he said quietly.
"Looks like we're on our own."
Anna, who had been standing off to the side the whole time, added softly:
"Not entirely alone."
But no one responded to her.
Everyone was staring at the empty space where the last witch who had agreed to help them had stood.
Anna rolled her eyes sarcastically, almost as if starting a scandal.
"Oh my God, it's like someone died…" she said.
"Ethan," she said gently.
"We need to start right now. Before the darkness inside you gets used to the new knot."
Ethan looked at her. In his eyes flickered a mix of exhaustion and cautious interest. He still held the black stake tightly in his hand, as if unwilling to let it go.
"Right now?" he asked quietly.
Anna nodded.
"Yes. The sooner we begin, the better your chances of fighting vampires on your own." She turned to Flash.
"You have the basement, as we agreed. Lead us there."
Flash stared at her for a long time, weighing every word. Finally, he gave a slow nod.
"Fine. I hope no one hears what happens down there." He looked at Ethan.
"Are you ready to learn something? You've been feeling this for so long, it's time you learned how to use it."
Ethan didn't answer immediately.