Charming: Part I - 10. Chapter Ten

The drive to Violet’s home was very anxious for Lucky as the worst-case scenarios cycled in his head about what was would happen to her if she got caught, if did not get caught already. The only slight relief he felt during the fifteen-minute car ride was Zev’s hand that was placed on Lucky’s lap, comforting him. However, his anxiety peaked again when they stopped at the large gate of Violet’s home and saw several black cars crowded around the entrance.

“Shit,” Zev muttered as he put his car in park. “I didn’t think there would be this many of those vampires after Violet, and I doubt they’ll open the gate for us.”

“Me neither. And it’s more frightening that they figured out how to enter her home,” Lucky noted, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“What do you mean?” Zev asked as he turned off the engine.

“I’ll explain after we climb over that gate,” Lucky said as he got out of the car.

“I got this.” After locking his car, Zev positioned his feet firmly on the ground before puffing up his chest and blowing a powerful gust of wind that toppled the metal gate doors like they were merely placed there like toy blocks.

“Geez, and the next thing that I’ll find out is that you can fly,” Lucky said with a smirk.

“Only for a short time. Now let’s get to Violet before those vampires get to here.”

Lucky nodded and walked past the gate to the long trail with Zev by his side. “So, when I first met Violet at her mansion, I had to walk up a set of stairs that spiraled around a tower where she lived at the top. Not anyone could walk up those stairs though. A magical object was used that emitted a special light that allowed the stairs to appear. Without it, it’s just not there.”

“So, how the hell did those vampires get into her home if with that security measure?” Zev asked.

“I don’t know, and the worst part is that I don’t know any other way to get into her place without that magical object. Unless…”

“Unless what? We need a solution now if we’re going to save Violet,” Zev asserted.

“Let’s get to the tower first and we’ll see if what I have works or not,” Lucky said as he hurried his pace along the trail.

They soon made it to Violet’s mansion, which they walked around and to the back where her tower was standing erect, several stories high with a conical roof on top. Lying on the ground near the tower were a few of suited bodyguards who all had visible injuries that caused blood to stain the grassy lawn. They all looked pale, any remaining blood either on the ground or drained from their bodies all together.

“Godmother… We need to get to her now,” Zev said as he looked up from the bodies to the tower where a platform jutted halfway up.

“I hope this works,” Lucky said as he pulled out his car key and unsheathed his sword like he did back when he and Zev fought against those wolf thugs.

“What are you going to do?” Zev asked.

“Just lighting up our path,” Lucky said as his sword began to illuminate and show the first steps of the stairs that led the way up Violet’s tower. Looking at Zev with a smirk, he then said, “Stay close to me. These stairs only work when they’re not invisible. All right?”

Zev nodded and walking right behind him, Lucky led the way to the narrow stairway. It was unfortunate that his sword, despite being able to reveal the stairs, could only light the first few steps in front of them and not the entire stairway like that magical object could do. And it took a while for them to reach the final step with them stalling a few times to make sure that no one was following or watching them. But the feeling of having Zev’s firm body pressed against his back as they ventured up the steps comforted him to say the least.

When they finally made it to the platform where a door was also located, Lucky shined the light of his sword onto it, revealing the doorknob. But before he could reach for it, Zev grabbed his hand to stop him from doing so.

“Wait. There could be vampires right behind this door,” Zev warned.

“But this is the only way to enter Violet’s place,” Lucky explained. “If they’re there, we’re going to fight them.”

Zev swatted Lucky’s hand away from the doorknob. “You don’t understand, Lucky. Vampires are way stronger than they appear, and in the night, they’re close to invisible. We can’t just barge in and—”

Something soft fell on top of Lucky’s head, which startled him and caused him to draw his draw his sword again. But when he realized it was hair, Violet’s hair, hanging from a window to her bedroom, he sighed quietly with relief that they had another way to get inside after all. Zev looked relieved as well as he motioned his hand for Lucky to climb onto Violet’s hair first. And so he did, and once they both managed to get into Violet’s bedroom, Violet popped from behind the curtains with a mascara-streaked face and hugged Lucky tightly.

“Oh, thank Godmother you’re here!” Violet said.

“Are you okay, Violet,” Lucky asked as he examined her face.

“Yeah, for the most part. Those bastards killed all my security and are having a freaking banquet at the kitchen area of my tower,” Violet elaborated, her body shaking from fear. “I saw what they were doing before I ran to my bedroom and blocked the door with my dresser.”

“Well, we have a car ready to take you out of here. Just lower us back down with your hair and we’ll catch you,” Lucky explained.

“I can’t leave now,” Violet said as she walked to the dresser blocking the door of her bedroom.

“Why not?” Zev asked.

“There’s something very important that I need to get at the pool area of the tower, and I think that’s why these vampires are at my home,” Violet said as she opened a drawer of her dresser and pulled out a water bottle.

“What? A drink?” Zev said incredulously.

“No. Something much more important, but it’s too complicated to explain it now and the vampires could destroy it at any moment. Can you both help me, please?” Violet pleaded with her hands clasped together.

Looking at Zev who sighed heavily and nodded, Lucky said, “All right. We’ll get it. But you’re staying here where it’s safe.”

“Okay, I will. All you must do is get this bottle filled with water from the pool, which is just a floor below. Then we should be good to go,” Violet said as she handed Lucky the water bottle.

“All right, let’s go then,” Lucky said as he carefully pushed the dresser away from the door with Zev’s help.

“Geez, your bride-to-be sure is demanding, isn’t she?” Zev deadpanned.

Lucky did not respond. He just rolled his eyes as they quietly walked down the stairs and into the lavished indoor pool area of the tower. Statues with water pouring from their mouths and into the pool and many indoor plants made the area look both regal and tropical, especially tropical judging by the artificial sound of birds cawing and the increased humidity of the area.

Lucky quickly walked to the pool and filled the bottle with the water. He wondered if this water had any magical qualities, hence why Violet needed it before they left. The water did not look any special from tap water from a sink faucet, but he trusted Violet that she knew what she was talking about. So, screwing the bottle cap closed, he turned to Zev and showed him the filled bottle.

“Great. Now let’s go,” Zev whispered as he took the bottle of water from Lucky.

However, their mission turned dangerous when the double doors that led into the pool area opened. Zev quickly grabbed Lucky by the wrist and pulled him behind some bushes that turned out to be fake just like the tropical setting of the area. The two of them watched as vampires began entering the area with one security guard being restrained with his hands behind his back. Lucky wanted to help, but with Zev’s tight grip on his shoulder and him shaking his head, he knew that was not possible. All he could do was watch as the vampires walked closer to the pool with their mouths stained and smeared with blood.

The vampires talked and laughed as the man continued to struggle, and Lucky’s eyes widened when he saw one vampire pull out a dagger from his black suit. Gripping the man’s hair, the vampire tilted the man’s head back with the pull of his hair and silt the man’s throat. Closing his eyes, Lucky tried the block the image of the man’s life being taken away, though the gurgling sounds was clearly heard and made him shiver to his core.

Opening his eyes again, Lucky saw the man’s lifeless body fall halfway into the pool and blood clouding the water. The vampires, at least two dozen of them, were all laughing as they created their own bloody cocktail. Lucky turned his head to look at the stairs, but he knew that they could not go back up without being clearly spotted by those creatures, so hopefully they would leave, and they would not be exposed.

The laughter suddenly died out when another person entered the area. In a black blazer with puffed shoulders, a black pencil skirt and black heels, the woman walked to the pool with the vampires standing straight and quiet, the woman most likely the leader of the group. Taking off her black sunglasses and handing them to one of the bulky vampires, she bent her knees at the edge of the pool and stared directly at the water that was now tainted with blood.

“No way…” Lucky muttered.

Lucky leaned his face forward and saw the leader, this woman, was Lilith! He was so shocked to see Lilith again after all these years, looking the same as the night when she took his brother’s life away before disappearing. With his teeth grinding and his fists clenched, the shock started boiling into hate as he watched the woman who killed his eldest brother and best friend only a short distance away, ready to be confronted and killed by Lucky himself.

“So…this is the Lake of Reason, correct?” Lilith spoke as she stood back up.

“Yes, your Majesty,” the bulky vampire said, bowing to Lilith’s presence. “This supposed pool will grant you the ability to—”

“I know what it does. And do have the person needed to unlock its powers?”

“We do. I mean, we have her located, but she locked herself in her bedroom and—”

“And you all decided to have a party instead?” Lilith said coldly.

“I’m sorry, your Majesty. We’ll get her.”

“Now will be most appropriate. And make sure to bring her alive and unharmed unlike this poor fellow you so casually dumped into what is needed for my mission.”

“Yes, your Majesty. Men. Follow me.”

The bulky vampire and four others following him started walking towards their location, and Zev pulled Lucky further into the bushes. However, it was a mistake when the rustling of the plastic leaves caused the vampires to be alerted to their presence.

“Shit,” Zev muttered.

“Who’s there? May as well come out now and join your friend at the pool,” the same vampire said as he got closer to them.

Lucky, knowing that they were out of options, sprung from the bushes despite Zev trying to pull him back down and illuminated his sword. The sword, like a light bulb, shined brightly and the vampires close by were quickly blinded. And not only that, they started to burn as well from the light emitting from Lucky’s sword and left them with severe burn marks as they shouted in pain. Zev immediately pulled Lucky, making him almost drop his sword, as they ran up the stairs and back into Violet’s bedroom.

“You got it!” Violet said, oblivious to what was happening.

“Yeah, and we need to get out here! Now!” Zev exclaimed as he pulled Violet by the hand along with Lucky who was tripping on his feet just to catch up.

Pushing them both to the window, Zev raced back to the door where he pushed the dresser back against it, right before the vampires could enter. “Lower your hair down now, Violet!”

Violet, though panicking, did as ordered and lowered her hair out of the window. Zev then ran back to the window where he allowed Lucky to slide down her hair first like a firefighter going down a firepole before going down as well. Back on the platform where the stairs ended, Zev called out to Violet to jump out with his arms extended out to catch her.

Violet looked hesitant to jump out of the window, but with the loud sound of the door being busted opened being heard, she abandoned her hesitation and jumped. Zev then caught her effortlessly and he told Lucky to illuminate his sword once again to reveal the stairs. Lucky did so, and they were beginning to run down the spiral path when Violet suddenly stopped.

Screaming, Violet said, “My hair is stuck!”

Zev immediately went to Violet’s side and pulled her hair, but it did not budge, and suddenly Violet was being pulled back by her hair.

“They have my hair!” Violet cried as she tried to pull her hair back without success.

“Shit! Lucky! Help me!” Zev shouted.

Lucky went Violet’s other side to try to pull her hair back, all the while still holding the sword and activating its light, so they would not fall through to their deaths. But it was futile and as Violet continued to get pulled back to the point that her feet were lifting off the stairs, he knew that there was only one option left.

“Move your head, Violet! I need to slash your hair!” Lucky said, holding his sword with both hands.

“You can’t!” Violet screamed as she held her hair with both hands.

“It’s the only way!” Lucky exclaimed.

“But—”

Lucky did not want to argue with Violet any further as he slashed his sword through her hair, cutting it and releasing her from the vampires’ clutches. Violet screamed like Violet just severed a limb before collapsing to the ground. Zev quickly picked her up with arms, her body limp in his hold, and motioned his head for Lucky to go back down the stairs.

They ran as fast as they could down the stairs and they soon were back onto the ground. They then ran back through the front gate and they approached Zev’s car when a figure appeared from the crowd of black cars. Lucky turned to see a scruffy, blond man with a white shirt, jeans and a brown leather jacket that looked just as scuffed as the rest of his appearance.

“Ah, Zev… I should’ve known you were the one responsible for the broken gate,” the mysterious man said with a smirk.

“Ari? What the—Fuck it! Lucky get into the car!” Zev ordered as he dropped Violet at the backseat.

“You think you can save the world, Zev my boy, but deep down you’ll always be the scared puppy I know,” the man, Ari, said before laughing.

Growling, Zev pushed Lucky into the passenger’s seat before entering the other side and starting the car, reversing it quickly and doing a drastic turn before driving away from the scene. Lucky looked back and saw the man waving his hand before he quickly disappeared. He then looked back at Violet was still passed out with her hair shortened to her shoulders.

Turning to Zev who looked both pissed and scared, Lucky said, “Who was that?”

“Doesn’t matter. We got both Violet and whatever it is in that bottle, and we’re driving back to Cindi’s place. Hopefully now we can finally start the mission and end this nightmare.”

Lucky just nodded and buckled his seatbelt, not knowing who that man was and whether things were ever going to get any simpler.