Hunter turned and said, “I think I know where they might be if they are here.”
“Where?” Rachel asked.
“The wine cellar,” Hunter said. “It’s underground but we can get to it from inside.”
“Wine cellar?” Penelope questioned. “That’s a strange place to hang out.”
“It’s not just any old wine cellar, it’s more like a wine tasting room. It’s quite big actually and has chairs and everything. It’s like a family room, but for drinking wine. My parents love wine, especially when they mix it with blood from their most recent feed. It really gives them a high,” Hunter said.
“Interesting,” Rachel said.
“I’ve never tried it,” Penelope added.
“It’s actually pretty good,” Hunter said.
As the continued to spiral down the stairs, Rachel heard a noise coming from below them. It was a man’s voice, speaking softly and slowly. She couldn’t make out the words he was saying, but she knew they were not alone in that castle. There were many people around, and she wasn’t sure if this voice was the voice of Hunter’s father or the voice of a guard. She hoped it was his father speaking, but didn’t know what his voice sounded like so wasn’t sure.
As she got closer to the voice, she could hear him perfectly but realized he was speaking in another language. Could this be the old Coven Code she thought to herself? Was this her father speaking in the very language she’d come to ask about?
She thought it was too good to be true, but hoped it wasn’t. As the came to the bottom of the staircase, Hunter put up his hand and motioned for them to stop and wait again. The girls stood there waiting, as Hunter peered around the bend, looking to see if the coast was clear.
“Who goes there?” the man’s voice shouted out.
Hunter jumped back and nearly banged his body against the wall.
“Who goes there?” the man asked again, loudly.
Hunter waited, as the footsteps grew near. He quickly motioned for Rachel and Penelope to hide, so they ran back up the stairs until they were out of view. Rachel admired this about Hunter that he would take the brunt of their actions for them. He didn’t want them to get hurt and was simply trying to protect them from any danger that might be on its way.
The voice got louder and stronger as it neared the stairs and continued asking “Who goes there?”
Rachel didn’t know why Hunter wasn’t answering but figured he had a plan in doing so. Then, the man’s body appeared. He was tall, heavy set, and bald. He wore a maroon robe and plaid slippers and was holding a glass of wine.
“Hunter?” the man said. “Son? What are you doing here?”
“Hi Father,” Hunter said. “I know, I should have let you know I was coming but it was really a last minute emergency and I had to come without warning.”
“You know we don’t like surprises like this. Your mother is not happy about this,” his father said.
“Aren’t you kind of glad to see me?” Hunter asked.
“It’s been a while, Son. Your mother and I have moved on,” he said.
Rachel couldn’t believe her ears. They’ve moved on? What was that supposed to mean. Were they over him? Was this like some sort of relationship that is broken up? She couldn’t figure out how his father would say such hurtful things to him.
“Hunter? Is that you?” his mother’s voice rang out. “What are you doing here?” she asked in an angry tone.
“Mother, I’m sorry to burst in like this,” Hunter said. “I really didn’t mean to.”
“Why are you here anyway?” his mother asked. “Don’t you have better things to do than to come up here?”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Mother,” Hunter replied sarcastically.
“Don’t be snippy with me,” his mother said. “You’re the one who started this whole thing anyway, so don’t blame our resentment on us. This was your doing, Hunter.”
“Mother, stop it. Not now, we have some important things to discuss with you,” Hunter said.
Rachel watched as his mother looked around. “We?” she asked. “Who is we?”
She could see his mother’s face turn red and her skin becoming blotchy with hives. Was she that fearful of people that she broke out in rashes?
“Oh, right. I meant to tell you. I have two friends with me,” Hunter said in a calm voice.
He turned around and said, “Rachel. Penelope. Come down here and say hello.”
“Don’t tell me you brought strangers into our house,” his mother reMarced.
“You know your mother and I don’t like to be surprised like this Hunter. Just seeing you was surprise enough, but now you brought others. You should know better than to do this,” his father replied.
Rachel slowly crept down the stairs hoping to make a good impression on his parents. After all, these could be her future in laws. She was feeling a bit panicked at the thought of meeting them, especially under these circumstances. She knew this wasn’t going to go over well, especially with the news she had brought.
“Mother, Father this is Penelope and Rachel,” Hunter introduced.
“Why did you bring them?” his mother said coldly, shaking her head in disapproval.
“I had to. It’s important. It’s about Benji,” Hunter said.
“What’s so important with Benji that you came back after all these years?” his father asked.
Rachel knew she shouldn’t butt in, but she had to. It was too hard for her to listen to Hunter skirt around this pressing issue. “He’s in trouble,” Rachel said softly. “He’s dying.”
“Dying?” his father asked calmly as if he didn’t really care that much.
“Yes! He’s dying. I have to save him, but I need your help,” Rachel said, cutting to the chase.
“We can’t help you, sorry young lady,” her mother said.
“What do you mean? You can’t help me?” Rachel questioned.
“No! We can’t and we won’t!” his mother answered.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s happened between you and your sons, but something has to change here. This isn’t about a stupid argument that you got in years ago. This is your own flesh and blood we’re talking about. Benji needs you now more than ever. If you don’t help me that he is sure to die,” Rachel said.
“Young lady, come with me,” his mother said, motioning her into another room.
“Sit down,” she said to Rachel.
Rachel sat down in an oversized, overstuffed velvet chair with a matching ottoman and looked across at his mother who sat in an identical chair facing hers. The two sat in the wine cellar which smelled of oak barrels and vintage grapes.
“Who are you anyway?” his mother asked.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself properly. My name is Rachel Wood.”
“Rachel Wood, can you tell me how you know my son?” she asked.
“I met him recently and we have fallen in love,” Rachel said. She felt a little awkward telling this to his mother, especially having just met her, but she couldn’t resist. She had to lay it all out on the table for her. If she had any shot of getting them to help her they had to understand that she was coming from a good place and that she truly loved their son.
“Fallen in love with Benji?” his mother asked.
“Yes, completely. Head over heels for him.”
“So, what is the problem here? Why do you need my help?”
“I need to find the Red Amulet. I know you’ve recently been cured by it, and now I need it. I have to bring it to Benji.”
“What do you know about the Red Amulet?” his mother asked quizzically.
“I don’t know much about it except that it can heal anything,” Rachel said.
“How did you even know about it?” his mother asked.
“The last words Benji uttered was about the Red Amulet. He didn’t say much about it and then fell back unconscious. I think it’s the only thing that can save him at this point,” Rachel said.
“What happened to him anyway?” his mother asked seeming unconcerned.
“I don’t know,” Rachel said.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” his mother asked.
“I mean, I woke up next to him and saw that he was bleeding uncontrollably. There was nothing I could do to help him,” Rachel answered.
“You know what happens if we lose all our blood right?” his mother asked.
“No? What?” Rachel asked, suddenly feeling even more nervous than before.
“If we lose all our blood we die and can never be saved, no matter what we use. The Red Amulet won’t save him if he’s lost all his blood.”
“Well, I don’t know if that has happened yet, and I hope there is still time. I have to find the Red Amulet and bring it to him. Do you know where it is?” Rachel asked.
“I don’t know where it is anymore. We sent it away after we used it, and I’m not sure who has it now,” his mother answered. “Sorry, wish I could be more help to you.”
“Please tell me you know who has it!” Rachel begged. “Can’t you remember who you sent it to?”
“I’m sorry young lady, I can’t help you,” his mother replied.
“Yes you can, you’re the only one who can help me decipher the Coven Code. Hunter told me you could. Please don’t walk away now,” Rachel begged. “I need you.”
Rachel reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the folded page from the old Coven book and opened it up. She turned it around and showed it to Hunter’s mother to see.
“Where did you find that?” she asked.
“I found it in the old Coven Book at Hunter’s school. We just came from a party and nearly died trying to get it,” Rachel said. “Now that I have it, it’s useless because I can’t read it. I’ve never seen this language before in my life and Hunter says you are the only one who can help me.”