411 Last chance

Meanwhile, Alicia was busy looking into the crystal ball, methodically looking down a map of the country and surveying each area, mentally memorising the places where she was not able to see anything. Zeke merely sat on his chair, eyes closed as if he was asleep but Alicia knew that he wasn't. He was probably calculating their next move, as always.

After some time, Zeke knocked on the door to the room where Alex had taken Abi. Zeke was expecting Alex but Abigail was actually the one who came out.

With a slightly narrowed eyes, Zeke asked, "don't tell me that guy passed out?"

Abi nodded. "Mm. He fell asleep."

Zeke was speechless. Sleep was now necessary to the modern common vampires but the vampires who still drank blood, like the royal family and Alex, should be fine even without sleep. They were able to last for days without having any sleep. Sleep was just a form of relaxation for them, not to mention that Alex just slept for hours yesterday.

"What did you do to him this time for him to fall asleep so easily like that?" Zeke nonchalantly asked but Abi just walked over towards Alicia, unbothered by his words.

"I didn't do anything!" she puffed her cheeks at him.

"Are you sure? That guy seems to be doing all these unusual things whenever he's around you."

"Fine. Yes, I cast a spell on him. Happy?"

"So you want to become a witch, huh?"

"That's right. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? I also want to become powerful like you guys!"

She ranted when Alicia piped up. "It's okay, Abigail. You are powerful in your own way, believe me," she smiled so encouragingly at Abi that Abi couldn't help but feel better. Why did she feel like Zeke was riling her up for no reason sometimes?

"Thank you, Alicia," she said to Alicia before her eyes fell on the crystal ball. "Did you finally find something?"

"Mm. Almost."

Abi focused her attention on the map. She had seen the map of this country from the last time she and Alex visited this place.

"So these unmarked places are safe?"

"Hmm… for now yes. I was able to spy on these places and I couldn't find any unusual activities. The only place I can't see is here." She pointed to the easternmost part of the country. "I believe they have a hideout somewhere out there. There's also a hidden place here in this western part."

Abi's gaze zeroed on the places Alicia pointed to like she was looking for something and then she lifted her face and looked at Zeke. Gone was her relaxed expression and the lines on her forehead appeared again along with her worried expression from a while ago. Both Alicia and Zeke felt her unease and fear once again.

"Zeke… about what I said a while ago. I am really worried. I…" she stammered, causing Zeke to speak with impatience.

"Just say it, Abigail. What are you trying to say?"

"I think… it will be best if we can be sure that something like that will not happen to Alex before we go into the enemy's lair."

"We are already in the enemy's lair, Abigail."

"But they still don't know that we're here, right?"

"If they have the witch queen, they will already know we are here. And they might even be waiting for us now."

"So you are saying we are still going despite knowing that an ambush might be waiting for us?"

Zeke sat back, folded on knee over the other and rested his face on his palm.

"That's how we always work. Vampires don't play defensive wars. We are always the ones who attack," he told her as a matter of fact. "And Alex… this was how he had done things and that won't change."

"But Alex isn't in his best condition, Zeke. And you don't know what kind of enemy is waiting for us. And like I said, what if they end up taking Alex from us?"

"So you want to go back now? Retreat? And then what? Waste more time? Did you forget that Alex is running out of time, Abigail?"

"I'm not saying we should go back, Zeke. And no, I haven't forgotten. I am very well aware of that."

"Then what exactly are you planning to do?"

Their exchange of words finally paused. Abi's gaze at him was serious and her intensity actually surprised Zeke. 'Such a little brave human talking back to him so fiercely like that… how amusing', he thought.

"Speak."

"I will bring his memories back first."

Silence followed Abi's words. She had said those words with such conviction and unwavering will, but Zeke's lips simply lifted up slightly at the corners.

"You've been trying to do that for days now, Abigail, and he is still in the dark."

"But it is working, Zeke. What happened last night was a good sign. He even remembered where he threw the toys. Re-enacting the things that we did together seems to be paying off. I think that with a little bit more push, he might remember everything and once that happens, he will not be in danger anymore," Abi explained.

"But what if that won't work?" Zeke retorted. "You know that things aren't always that simple and straightforward, right?"

"I know," her voice weakened. "I know that this isn't simple or straightforward to solve. If it was, he would have his memories by now. I know there is no easy road. But…" she looked up, eyes filled with emotions. "I want to try it… one last time."

The room was once again enveloped with silence. They could feel Abi's desperation. It was almost as if she was going all in on the cards she had been dealt, giving her everything to one last gamble, as if this was her very last chance. The game was ending and she would either win big or lose everything on this bet.

"Give me a day, Zeke. Just a day…" she added. "That's all I am asking."