REJECTION PART 2: THE CURSED ONES

7

"Do you remember Laine? Do you recognize me?" I slowly asked but she did not even look at me and continued staring at the grapes in her hand. Ajax said that he tried to explain things even at a level of a child but she does not seem to understand anything. Like she is here but there is a wall preventing her to understand us. Or maybe, it is another way around.

"Lucy." She turned to me. She seems to understand her name and her name alone. But I can't be wrong that golden color, it was the same as that day.

"Laine. I'm sorry. If only--" I did not realize that I was reaching for her face when her hand stopped mine. Images started to flash.

A lake. A statue. A cabin overlooking it. A glowing stone. It is... beautiful. A strange yet familiar aura is coming from it and I want to reach it. I want to...

Her hand slipped away. I shook my head. What just happened? Another vision?Lucy stares at me. I thought for that one second, she can finally understand.

"Let's go."

Ajax walked in.

"We don't have time to waste. She'll be fine here."

"Ok." Did he not saw it? An exception? But why?..."You have such beatiful eyes." Ajax said to the woman behind the counter. We arrived in a pub near the lake.

"Thank you." The girl smiled putting away the glass on her hand. "And you..."

He pulled down his sunglasses. His eyes reflected on her.

"You will answer my questions, won't you?"

"Yes." She said eyes not leaving his, completely under his control. Vampires can compel humans.

"Now tell me..." I tuned down their voices as I stare at the lake.

There is a mermaid statue in the middle of the lake. I wonder of that vision I saw. Was it real? Has it something to do with skin contact? If so, why that vision when it was what we need? Does it mean that she understands us? I don't understand.

"Let's go." Ajax walked past me, exiting the pub. "It sure is frustrating." He whispered to himself. From his expression, it looks like he found nothing. "The locals doesn't seem to know anything." He said continuing to head to the waterfront.

Only the two of us went here. Since, the vampires can't exactly move in the day and I don't want to implicate any wolves right now.

"It has been 20 years. And from what we know, the seer is probably decomposed under the water now."

"Tsk. I tried to resurface their memories from 20 years, still there is nothing. Humans are useless."

"Father won't leave a trace even if something happened."

"Right. If they did something with the humans, then let's find something else." He started walking, trailing on the lakeshore. There are several tourists taking pictures with the statue, some are fishing, some by the restaurants. With this many humans it is difficult to sweep clean any trace. But then, my father is capable of many things.

There's a strange scent or scents. Someone's following us. Ajax seems to be aware as well.

"You remember the first time we met?" He asked out of nowhere.

"I remember." It was at his office, my senses were dulled for a moment.

"I think a small room is fine." He said putting away his sunglasses. "10 by 10, can you do that?" His ability can only works in an enclosed space. That's what he is implying.

"Yes." I breathed out and an ice dome rose from the ground.

*Zap* Ajax disappeared beside me. I think I heard crackling like thunder.

"You can take it down now." I turned around while the dome melts and he is now holding two... children?

"Water elves." As he said that, I noticed their pointy ears. The two are wiggling away from his hold. "Stop struggling you two." The elves are scared? They try to reach each other.

"Put them down."

He just stared at me.

"They are not a threat."

"I know. But they know something, don't you?"

"Stop!" The two stopped wriggling. I sighed. "Listen, he will let you go but promise you will not run."

I can sense their fear.

"We will not hurt you, we are guardians." The last words in my distate. "Do we have a deal?"

They looked at each other before nodding. I motioned for Ajax to let them down. He heaved a sigh before settling them. The two immediately held each others hand. One hid behind the other. I haven't seen water elves before. I know elves have pointy ears and often as tall as humans. They appear to be the young ones.

I crouched to level them. "Why are you following us?"

They tried to back away but Ajax is behind them.

"I know you can talk." He said arms crossed.

"D---don't hurt Momo." The one protecting the other said. "I talk but... don't hurt us." He said.

"We won't hurt you. We're here for something else." Their fear feels something else.

"Have you seen wolves before?" Ajax asked. "Water elves has a long lifespan, they might have seen them before."

"Memo, bad wolves." The other one said. They seem to be siblings.

"Momo shush."

"But... but..."

"Momo."

"Do you know where they went?" Their hesitation means that they were aware of the ill intentions of my father and his group. "They hurt someone, and they probably hurt someone here. We want to help."

"Momo... let's tell guardians."

"You promise not to hurt us?"

"Yes."

Momo turned to Ajax, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, I promise."

"Now, can you tell us where they went? Who they talked to?" I asked.

"Elena." He answered. The seer?

"They went to Lena's house."

"Can you tell us where is Elena's house?"

They looked at each other before nodding.

"Follow." Momo said. We followed them. Ajax said that water elves are not exactly used to walking in land. So it took as a quite some time.

"There." Memo pointed to a cabin across the water. The image of the vision flashed again. That is the same place. Then, it is true. But if her visions are true then my nightmares also are.