"Get back here and take care of her!" Hank shouted at Jacob.
His rare temper shut Jacob up effectively.
"Ann would face a much more severe punishment if this one dies." Hank added in a lower voice.
"What do I do!" Jacob turned back to Emma quickly hearing that.
"Tell me where Lilith went, please." Hank turned to Emma, who was in a lot of pain and was at the edge of losing her consciousness.
"I know you care about Lilith, and I'm the only one who can save her now." Hank fixed his eyes on Emma, "You don't want Ann to hurt her, right?"
"Sh-she is leaving town," Emma said with great hardship, "Hig-highway 18, she's bound to take that one..."
"She owns you her life." Hank nodded before he put her finger on Emma's forehead and she fell into a deep sleep.
"I have stopped the bleeding for now," Hank told Jacob briefly, "Take her back to your house and your mom will know what to do. Do NOT take her to a hospital, do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir. I do!" Jacob took Emma into his arm, who was already out cold by then, "What about Ann?"
"I'm going after her." Hank said as he took out his wand, "Just go!"
Jacob ran towards his car without another word.
It didn't take Hank too much time to hijack a car, but it was long enough for Ann to catch up with Lilith first.
Ann was driving a sports car when Lilith was only in a secondhand Audi. And it took no time for Ann to spot the lone Audi on the highway driving in zigzag.
Ann took a deep breath before she hit the gas and drove up to Lilith's side, and her foreign car brought her right next to Lilith's driver's side.
Lilith didn't even notice the car beside her, let alone the driver.
Ann didn't take a good look at Lilith earlier at Jacob's place, or rather, she didn't care enough to.
This time Ann really paid attention to this human girl who was driving in her tears as she wipes her cheeks with her sleeve from time to time.
This girl was nothing out of ordinary. Not her looks nor anything. How could this ordinary human girl be the one that would steal everything from her?!
Ann couldn't hold down the burning rage in her chest.
She didn't want to test the wand anymore. She didn't dare to. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if this girl really could waken The Shadow.
Ann hit the break and Lilith's car passed her ahead quickly. Ann took a long breath before she mumbled her spell. Light came out of her palm and reached Lilith's car slowly under the dark night.
Yet it wasn't light that Ann was bringing Lilith, but eternal darkness.
Lilith screamed when her car suddenly took a right-angle turn to the left of the road, and the car jumped into the air as the tire bumped into the curb. The car spun in the air as it flew forward still when it was already over the left side of the highway, and that was when it happened--
The car landed on its hood dashing straight into the driver's line of a convertible that was heading in the other direction of Lilith's path before Ann crashed her car.
Ann stopped her car and walked over to the remaining of the Audi as the dust finally started to fall down. She approached the two cars twisted together as she took out The Shadow from her pocket.
The deadwood slept sound in Ann's palm.
Dark smoke broke forth from the cars as Ann approached, and the trees afar only added a shade of terror to this fateful night.
All of a sudden, Ann heard a groan coming from the other side of the car.
Ann's heart sank.
She rushed over around the ruins of the cars, only to see Lilith lying on the ground with her face covered in blood. Looked like Lilith bumped her head in the crash but...
How did she survive such a crash?!
Before Ann could make out the situation, the wand in her hand moved.
Only a bit, but it moved.
The metal grain carved into the wooden body shone as if it just came to life and was flowing into the ocean blue end of itself.
The Shadow was wakened.
It flew out of Ann's hand, slowly but sternly, higher and further to the direction of Lilith.
Ann made a loud groan as she grabbed the wand back, and even though small, she felt resistance from the wand, as if it was a baby taken away from its mother.
Tears fell down Ann's cheeks.
She got what she wanted -- she finally confirmed, The Shadow belonged to the ordinary human girl who was now lying on the ground, barely alive.
But even so, the wand wanted Lilith, not her, the most talented witch of her time, but the human!
Light rose from Ann's hand.
But before she could aim her hand at Lilith, a man's voice burst out from the shadow of the cars--
"What are you doing!"
It was only then Ann realized that they weren't alone. But how?! There was no one around! Unless...
Was he on that convertible Lilith crashed in?! But, was that even possible?!
The light died away from Ann's hand fast.
"I... I saw the crash so I just came to see if I could help..." Ann stepped closer to the cars, "Are you alright?"
The man didn't answer her "concern": "What was the light from your palm?"
"What? Ohh, I had my phono's lights on. It's super dark here." Ann lied, "Are you hurt, Mr...?"
"Interesting." The man chuckled as he stepped out into the light, and with a smirk on his lips, he said: "Could you call an ambulance then?"
"Of course!" Ann answered without even knowing what she said as she couldn't move her eyes away from the man. It was as if something nailed her sight on the man's eyes.
From the look of his pants, he was in a suit, but right now he had only his shirt on, which was also ripped open.
He had one of his hand in his pocket as he stood between Ann and Lilith, and the lights of his convertible were like the spotlight of his personal show.
Ann knew the man's evil smile was yelling out danger, yet all she could think of was the perfect figure showing under the unbuttoned shirt...
"Miss? Answer me." The man laughed, but Ann didn't answer.
She barely realized it was a mock directed at her for her getting lost in staring at him.
The man's lips curved into a dangerous smirk: "You are a witch, aren't you?"
"What--?!" Ann took a step back in shock, "What are you talking about?!" "Well," The man shrugged, "I just thought it's a wand you have there in your hand, is it not?" "Ohh..." Ann looked down at her own hand with a relieved exhale, "Sorry...It's just...from a gift shop..." "I see." The man nodded with a polite smile, "A very exquisite souvenir, it seems." "It IS beautiful, isn't it?" Ann mumbled. All she could think of was how she told Jacob not too long ago about how love doesn't matter, yet she felt so powerless in front of this mysterious man smiling in front of her. "Please, we need your help." Said the man with not even a shred of hasty in his voice, "Could you call an ambulance? The girl is badly hurt." "Hmm, yes of course!" Ann pulled out her phone from her jacket and started dialing, only to see the man curve his lips at her. Damn it! Now he knew she was lying about the light from her palm because she J
"High priest!" Ann gasped as she looked down to her own hand, which was what took away Hank's breath. Because in Ann's hand, The Shadow was now glowing. Dimly, but the glow was still there. "How?! I mean... how did it happen?" Hank stammered as he started walking towards Ann. His attention was no longer on the crashing scene. "By the time I got here, she already crashed the car..." Ann started with an improvised lie. There was no one to expose her anyways. "What?! You mean Lilith?" Hank took a gasp as he blinked in confusion, "Where is she?" "She was taken to the hospital." Ann said, "I called the ambulance right away as I got here." "That's good." Hank nodded, still in shock, "So what happened to The Shadow? How was it wakened?!" "I don't know..." Ann handed The Shadow back to Hank, "I was so worried about Lilith when I saw all these, and before I knew, The Shadow was already in my hand with its whole b
"Feeling better?" A deep, rough voice rose beside Lilith, but she couldn't seem to understand it. She felt as if the whole world was twirling around her when she finally managed to move a little, and she could barely feel her own eyelids. "Don't move, you hit your head pretty hard." The man covered his palm softly on Lilith's forehead so she won't rip her wound open. "Who are you..." Lilith opened her mouth but her throat was so dry that even she could barely hear herself. "No rush on talking." The man moistened his finger with water and stroked her lips as soft as possible, "You will feel better after you drink some water." There was little struggle Lilith could put up before her world went dark again. The man pushed the button by the side of the bed: "Nurse, get Dr. Sarla, please." "Yes, Mr. Gaumond." Edmund gazed at Lilith for long before he finally closed his bloodshot eyes. He barely slept in the pa
"What's going on?!" "Shhhhhhh!" "It's boss's first mate! I want to--" "A werewolf only gets ONE mate, stupid! What do you mean by 'first'?!" "Well, I MEAN, he can reject it!" "That would hurt her!" "So?!" "Just shut up! Boss will hear you!" Edmund DID hear them. He wasn't sure whether Lilith could hear them though, or if she cared to-- Cause she was crying, quietly but with tears falling down her cheeks nonstop as if there was a snow mountain inside her head melting. How could one cry so much without drinking water...? Edmund sighed in his mind as he handed over another tissue, seeing the last one was soon soaked wet. Whispers rose like bee buzz right outside of the ward door as if someone stole their queen bee. Edmund frowned at himself when he landed on that metaphor. "So..." Lilith finally managed to slow down her tears a bit, "Are you a doctor?" "Hmm?" Edmund blinked as he tri
"What are you talking about?" Edmund dragged Buster a bit further from the ward door as he hissed under his breath. The last thing he needed right now was for Lilith to think that she was abducted! "Sir, before we stop the investigation on her," Buster started with the safest sentence he could find, "We found out that she's currently living with her friend, Emma." "I know, it was in the report." With a shred of frustration in his voice, Edmund hissed under his breath with his eyes fixed on the ward door. He gave her a command to stay put, yet he was still guarding the room like a little boy hovering over his new toy. "Yes, and by the way, it was also this woman, Emma Brown's car that Miss Hayes was driving when she crashed it." Buster continued hastily, seeing Edmund's impatience growing. "And?" Edmund closed his eyes with a deep frowning, trying to keep his temper in control. "And..." Buster hesitated and that
"I just want to know how you left the ward." Still laughing, Edmund was now again the gentle and warm man Lilith woke up to, "Is that a secret?"His sudden change of attitude made Lilith frown in confusion."Could you please indulge me of this one question?" Edmund bowed at Lilith with much earnest, "You may leave after this."Lilith's face softened at his humble gesture. The stern look was gone, but was replaced by a naughty smile: "Fair enough. No, it's not a secret."To her surprise, Edmund was not annoyed by her rebellion but instead was amused."I thought I told you to stay where you were." His hands in his pocket, Edmund leaned in with a grin."And I should obey your command because...?" Lilith asked with a polite and restrained tone."No reason! Haha..." Edmund burst into laughter again, "I'm sorry, this is just really interesting.""Sure." Lilith frowned at Edmund's sudden laughter: "Well, I'm leaving now. If you can gi
In the end, Jacob went with Ann. "Are you sure you don't want to go attend to your girlfriend?" Ann glanced at Jacob in a casual tone, but her fingers were pure white for gripping tight on the wheel of her roadster out of nervous. She didn't want him to, of course. She needed Lilith away, as far as possible. "I would understand if you go." Ann continued after Jacob answered her with silence, "You know I will. I know how much she means to you." "I called ALL the hospitals in town, and she was nowhere to be found." Jacob let out a heavy sigh, seeing that he cannot avoid this topic. "Aren't you gonna go look for her?" Asked Ann in a small voice, glancing at him cautiously. "And how do you suggest I do that?" Jacob closed his eyes tiredly, "I'm telling you, it's like she vaporized from the face of the earth." Ann remembered the evil grin of that mysterious man, Edmund Gaomond. Even if he was able to save Lilith, Jacob sould have he
"Boss. I got her for you." Buster knocked on the door and got in after he got approval from Edmund. Looking up, the first thing Edmund caught with his eyes was the pout on Lilith's face, but she didn't notice that Edmund put something in his drawer the moment they came in. "I thought we have an agreement." Edmund pushed the file in front of him a bit further away, smirking at Lilith, "I don't remember putting down 'try to escape' as part of your job description, my little maid." "I'm NOT," Lilith threw off Buster's hand on her arm, "trying to escape!" "Then why does my loyal guard has to bring you in like this?" Edmund chuckled as he came out of his desk, "Having fun playing hide and seek?" "And I don't remember losing my total freedom is part of the deal either!" Lilith protested furiously, "I wouldn't have to try to get out if I didn't lose my phone in the crash." Edmund rose his eyebrow and closed his drawer with a natural move as h