Chapter 85: Victory.

HELENA. 'Don't worry about it Luna. At least our mission here has been accomplished. Where did you find the scroll?" I would have never expected it to be found here. 'Some tiny place at that corner. The scroll's energy was pulsating, so I traced it to that little nook. The monster was just an oversight." She pointed towards one edge of the room. Could it be.. Yes, it was. The Nook I used to go to when I was little. I stared at the corner, wondering if it'd be a good idea to go there one more time. 'I'm gonna go find Aaron. Wanna come with?" She interrupted me, walking towards the door. 'Of course. I am not staying here alone." I replied nervously, grabbing my flashlight and scurrying behind her. We found Aaron sitting on the balcony at the last floor. Luna apologized, and we walked back down, and into the truck. It was like an eternal weight was lifted from my chest, making it easier to breathe. 'Phew! Never again." I said, relaxing into the seat. Luna tossed me a bottle of water. 'Actually, I have another mission I'd want you to help me with." Me and Aaron exchanged glances and echoed 'No." at the same time. Luna burst into laughter. 'Relax. No more dangerous heists. Why don't we have another barbecue night tomorrow?" She suggested, driving out of the library's compound. 'Absolutely not. I just wanna sleep tomorrow." I refused immediately, staring out the window. Not to mention I hadn't heard from Veronica yet, and I was really getting worried. 'Then we'll have a sleep-a-thon!" Luna said with amusement. She looked so…happy. Her smile was rare, especially when she was this excited. It was like she had found a long lost part of her, and was relieved to finally have it back. 'Now that is something I would be more than glad to participate in. Are you joining in, Helena?" Aaron asked, his voice a silky baritone that made me weak in the knees. 'Of course. Why not?" I smiled. 'Then it's settled. We're staying up tonight." Luna echoed, turning up the radio. They were playing old country jams, and she was really vibing to them. I laughed at her half-hearted effort at dancing. 'Hey, I'm not good at it because I haven't practiced. Give me a break." 'It's good to see you this happy you know." I couldn't help but say. She was literally glowing with amusement. 'I've gotten what I wanted. Of course I'm happy. Now all that's left is revenge. Sweet tantalizing revenge. Then, I'll head to Crescendos and start a new life as a teacher of the ancient arts." She rambled on, and I stared at her in admiration. 'Crescendos? You wanna get burned alive? That place is just for vampires. Have you forgotten?" A I glanced at Aaron through the rear view mirror, and met his gaze. He smiled softly. My pulse drummed in my ears. Things were gonna change after this. A lot. CALEB. 'I can't believe you dragged me into this." Kyle grumbled as we walked towards the park. I told him I had agreed to meet the anonymous sender, and he went nuts. 'There are a million ways this could go wrong. Can't you be logical?" 'Look who's talking about being logical." I snorted. 'Caleb." He exhaled. 'You know what, whatever. Just do what you want. I'll be the fall back guy." 'Thank you." I said, grinning. I was firm on my decision. If someone out there had the scroll, I'd pay any price to get it back. So would Uncle Kelly. ‘I'm at the park. Where are you?' I texted the anonymous number that was sent to me through the email. It was 9:30 pm. A few people were still in the park, mostly couples and people who didn't know what to do on a Friday night. Kyle walked over to the fountain, staring into the water. I sat on a bench, crossing my legs and enjoying the cool evening breeze. A mother of two who was trying to teach her children the importance of sleeping early glanced at me with a weird look. I stared back, without any emotion. She walked off, still bearing that confused and inscrutable look on her face. Weird. My phone buzzed loudly. 'Turn around." The text read. I touched my left pocket, making sure the gun was still intact. Slowly, I turned around, observing my surroundings. A flutter here, a gust of wind there. Everything seemed pretty normal. Behind me was an expanse of bushes that stretched into the woods, so I thought. Would I go in? 'What happened?" Kyle called from behind me. 'He said to turn around." 'It's just bushes." He craned his neck, walking closer. That seemed oddly obvious and dangerous. I remained put, waiting for anything else this sick idiot might say. Around five minutes passed, but there was still no text. I was starting to think I was stupid for coming out here. 'Keep going. Are you scared?" My phone buzzed again with another text. I scoffed. Like I'd ever been scared of anything in my life. 'Now he said to walk in." 'This idiot is trying to play with us." He sighed. 'Anyways, let's go." I turned around, and walked straight into the woods, following the already laid out path. Leaves and shrubs brushed past me as I walked on, a little skeptical at my decision the farther I walked. I steeled my steps. 'We have to do this." A small movement from within the bushes caught my eyes. I paused, turning on my phone's flashlight and looking around. There was no one. 'Did you see that?" I asked, glancing at him. 'Of course I did. It's a squirrel." '...." We continued walking, keeping an eye out for anything, anything at all. We had walked for a full 15 minutes, and I was on the verge of giving up when my phone buzzed yet again. 'These idiots are playing games with us." I groaned as I read the message. ‘Five more steps. Don't be a baby.' I looked ahead, and back at Kyle. 'It's a trap."