Rachel: Home. You?
Dana: In PA. Where else!
Rachel: Me, too!
Dana: You’re back? When did you come back? Are you just visiting family?
Rachel: What do you mean?
Dana: It’s been a while. I’m surprised to hear from you.
Rachel: What happened last night? Do you know why I woke up in a field?
Dana: What? What are you talking about?
Rachel: What did we do last night?
Dana: IDK. I wasn’t with you.
Rachel: What do you mean? We ALWAYS go out together! Seriously, what happened?
Dana: Rachel? Are you sure this is really you?
Rachel: Yes. It’s me.
Dana: Prove it then. This is too weird.
Rachel: I’ll come over. No actually you come here. I don’t want my dad to get mad at me. He’s already a little pissed I didn’t come home last night.
Dana: It’s late, I can’t tonight. Will I see you tomorrow?
Rachel: Yeah, I’ll see you in school tomorrow. Pumped for our math class together. Ugh, Mr. Malloy is such a loser and that tupe is redic.
Dana: Gotta go my mom’s here to see me. See ya tmw.
Rachel: Bye xoxo
Rachel thought about her text conversation with Dana and thought it was a little strange, but assumed she was in on this whole joke. It was like everyone was ganging up against her to convince her that she’s been gone or missing for a long time. What a strange and odd joke to play on someone, she thought.
She continued to empty her boxes and then found her diary wrapped up inside a towel in the bottom of a box. She opened it up and realized that the lock on the side had been broken and pages were missing. There was an old entry from a few years ago about the Dutch Fair and then a big gap in pages where someone must have torn them out or something. Then, a random half page with the name Benji written on it. She didn’t know why pages were ripped out of her diary or who Benji was, but it was the second time today she’d heard his name. She thought back to the morning, waking up with a Benji, but she didn’t think it would be the same person. She didn’t know that guy. It must have been a different Benji.
It was late and this day was completely exhausting to Rachel. She couldn’t run this mystery over and over in her head one more time. She lay her head down on her soft down pillow, crawled under the covers and quickly fell asleep. She was excited to see Dana tomorrow and finally catch up about what happened to her over the weekend. She had to get to the bottom of her Saturday night antics.
CHAPTER 5
Violet sat in her chamber as all the Greslins lined up at the foot of her throne waiting for her to speak. It was a big night for her, as she finally got possession of the Varithian Bracelet. She held it up and examined it. It was dripping with sapphires and diamonds, the sapphires glowing, more blue than any gem she had ever laid her eyes upon in all the centuries. Their coven had combed the world for this bracelet for as long as she could remember, and thanks to her, they had found it.
This bracelet had allowed them entrance into the castle, a place they had been trying to enter since their origin. Now, with this bracelet and in this castle, there was nothing that could stop them. In just days, at the next new moon, the stars would be perfectly aligned for the Varithian Ritual. When it was done, the ancient vampire energy would be summoned, and her coven would be more powerful than any coven on earth. There would be nothing that could stop them from taking over the world, and she would begin by destroying Benji and the Vladdicus Coven, and everything that was theirs. Then she would turn every human left on the planet, dominate them all, and make all of mankind slaves to her. She could already taste the fresh blood, and could not wait to inflict as much pain and damage as possible.
As she looked at the bracelet, looking at her reflection in a particularly large diamond, she marveled that if only Hunter had loved her enough, maybe none of this would be. Maybe they would be living together. Maybe she would be kinder, gentler. If only Hunter had been kinder to her, had not spurned her for that little witch Penelope, maybe Violet would have joined the other coven.
But now it was all too late. Hunter had had his chance, but he had lost it. And now, she would do everything in her power to make him pay, to make all of the Vladdicus pay for his mistake. And that awful little girl Rachel most of all. She smiled wide as she imagined herself tearing her to pieces. She looked up at the huge hole in the ceiling, at the passing clouds in the moonlit sky, and could not wait for the new moon.
CHAPTER 6
Benji couldn’t believe the news when he heard it. It was impossible. He thought his ears were playing tricks on him when he heard that Violet and her coven had gained possession of the Varithian Bracelet. He sat there in the library of his castle with Matilda, Hunter and Penelope in awe. They were all stunned.Benji stood up and quickly looked out of the stained glass window towards the moon. He saw a tiny sliver of the moon lighting up the night sky. He sighed in relief knowing that he still had a little bit of time to save his coven before Violet would be able to attack and destruct all the vampire covens in the world, but he knew it would be cutting it close.
The ancient Coven Book said that the only way to stop someone who has possession of the Varithian Bracelet is to find the Waverly Mirror, which will reflect the sparkle of the bracelet back towards the coven using it, and all their harmful plans will then turn upon them.
“What are we going to do?” Matilda asked. “This is going to be the end of us. The end of EVERYONE!”
“This is awful,” Hunter said. “We haven’t heard news like this since, well…as long as I’ve been alive. It’s our biggest fear!”
“Hunter, No! Please don’t say that. Please say we’ll be ok, please!” Penelope yelled. “I don’t want to die.”
“Guys, calm down. Please. All this hysteria isn’t going to help us or change the situation. We have to come up with a plan. We still have a few days. We have to stop Violet. We can’t let her end all of the vampire covens,” Benji said, trying to act calm.
“Benji! Stop trying to pretend this isn’t a big deal,” Matilda said. “Maybe you don’t realize what a huge calamity this is going to be. THIS IS IT FOR US! Don’t you understand that?”
“Matilda, I didn’t say it’s not a big deal, but if we sit here and panic about it, it isn’t going to DO ANYTHING. We have to find the mirror. The Waverly Mirror. That is the only way we can get out of this situation and save ourselves and the other covens. We MUST DO SOMETHING!” Benji yelled.
“But where is the Waverly Mirror?” Penelope sighed. “Why must we always be on a mission to find these objects? Can we ever catch a break around here?”
“Listen, Penelope. It’s what we have to do. When you sign on to be a vampire, these are the things you must do. It’s not a choice that we have. It’s an obligation. It’s our duty to save our brothers and sister, our aunts and uncles, our ancestors. It’s the only way,” Hunter said.
“The Coven Book said that the Waverly Mirror is located off the coast of Africa, on one of the Canary Islands. I’m not sure exactly which island, the book didn’t say, but it’s on one of them,” Benji said.
“How are we ever going to find it?” Penelope said in a whiney voice.
“Don’t worry. We will do it together, the four of us,” Benji said. “Together we can accomplish anything. With all our smarts, we’re sure to find it…somewhere!”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Hunter said. “It’s probably well hidden and since nobody has gained possession of the Varithian Bracelet in thousands of years, it is probably well concealed.”
“You’re right, Brother, but we have to at least attempt to find it. We can’t just wait for Violet to attack. We have to try and stop her. Are you suggesting we do nothing?” Benji said.
“Not at all! We have to do something but we have to go together,” Hunter said.
“Well, this is not going to be an easy feat,” Matilda said. “Speaking of easy feat, you will never guess who stopped by here the other day looking for you and Rachel.”
“Who?” Benji said. “What are you talking about?”
“Remember that guy Rob? He said he know you from AHS. Well he came by desperately looking for Rachel. He said he had to find her and asked if I knew where she was,” Matilda said. “It seems like everyone is on a mission looking for something or someone these days.”
“WHAT?” Benji yelled. “What do you mean? And why did it take this long for you to tell me this news?”
“Why are you getting so angry? Isn’t he a friend of yours?” Matilda said.
“A FRIEND! NO NEVER! AN ENEMY!” Benji couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“OH GOSH, I’m sorry, Benji. I had no idea,” Matilda said.
“So, what happened? What did you tell him?” Benji asked.
“Well, he said it was an emergency. He said he had to find her to set things right. I didn’t know what he was talking about but it seemed urgent. He seemed desperate to see her so I took him to Uncle Drew’s crystal ball. I used it to pin point her location and to show him where she was,” Matilda said in shame. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was an enemy to you and Rachel. Oh gosh, what have I done?”
“This is a nightmare. Rob is after Rachel and in a few days time we are all going to die. I can’t think of anything worse!” Benji said, putting his head in his hands. “This is just awful.”
“What are you going to do?” Matilda said.
“Benji, what is he going to do to Rachel?” Hunter asked. “You know he’s always had a thing for her. At lease that’s what I heard.”
“I have to go save her. I have to stop Rob from getting to her first. She can’t be influenced by him. I can’t let this happen,” Benji said.
“But Benji, Rachel doesn’t remember you. You said it yourself. Even if you got to her before Rob, it wouldn’t make a difference. She wouldn’t know who you are or why you’d be trying to stop her from seeing Rob,” Penelope said.