Chapter 39: Chapter THIRTY NINE

Frozen droplets falling on her neck caused Mia to wake up. She shivered as a cold breeze rushed through her dress. Her eyes fluttered for a moment to get used to the dim light of the room she was being transported to.

Transported?!

Panic began to invade her when she saw that she was not in her bedroom, comfortably installed in her bed, but tossed on someone's shoulder, unable to move. She was reduced to a state of dead weight, except for her eyes which fluttered wildly in their sockets. From her position, belly flat against her captor's shoulder, she could only see his legs and a dusty stone floor. A few torches lit up what looked like a hallway, but the darkness was dominant, preventing her from observing the surroundings in detail. She could make out only a few doors, some open, some closed, but no real indication of their whereabouts except for the few crates of supplies and food scattered around that she could see out of the corner of her eye in the open rooms. It looked like some sort of storage. The perfect kind of place for a murder.

Calm down, twisted imagination! I'm not going to get out of this by panicking! her mind raced.

A few seconds later, a quiet click reached her ears, and she was ushered into a dark room. Torches flashed one after another, revealing a new, antiquated storage room whose floor was covered in dust and cobwebs. If she had to guess, she was betting that it was abandoned or used very little, perfectly suited to the possible sinister design of her attacker.

Carefully, she was placed in a sitting position against an icy wall and finally able to detail the features of the man who had kidnapped her. Her eyes widened in amazement when she saw that he took on the features of a particularly familiar person: Andrei.

"Ah... You're awake," he exclaimed, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed.

He took a few steps back to grab an empty wooden crate which he dragged in front of the blonde to sit down.

"Look, I'm sorry you got into this position, but it was necessary."

Necessary ?! she said to herself, rolling her eyes, torn between fury at having been betrayed and terror at the thought of what he had in store for her.

"Something big is coming up for tomorrow's tournament, we've been working on it for months... You must be wondering what this has to do with you since you've only been here a few weeks, right? Your arrival at the Arena was absolutely unexpected, but it clearly fell on time... It didn't change our objectives but made our plans easier."

He paused, uncertain.

"Anyway, you'll see tomorrow. You have your role to play in the events of the tournament, telling you everything now would spoil the surprise... In the meantime, you will wisely stay here. I must tell you that you have no way of escaping. I've been working on this immobilization spell for days to increase its duration and test its limits. If it starts to dissipate, I'll refresh it immediately. Ah... it would have been easier if I had received sufficient funds, I had to use all my money for the scroll of invisibility... It costs a fortune, these things, when you don't know how to do it yourself."

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Mia had already closed her eyes, half listening to the wizard's monologue, her brain racing. What exactly did he want from her? And what was planned for the tournament? Knowing that something was planned didn't surprise her, but the proportions of the event seemed to exceed what they had expected.

"Ah, before you worry about Ethan, well, you don't have to worry. He must be immobilized like you while waiting for the tournament. We suspected that he would not participate willingly, even after a few threats... But it's fine like that. We need his rage, and what better than hanging around an entire night and morning not knowing what happened to you?"

They want him to fight...why? And Arry... He's the one who put her in a coma?

"Know in any case that our objective is not to hurt you. Your role is not limited to the tournament, the re-," he cut himself off abruptly, coughing, "we have big plans for you two. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new era for Istarea! This bogus peace has gone on long enough, it's time they face up to their responsibilities!"

So it wasn't just an impression... Someone really tried to stir up hatred between the races... was her first thought after the wizard's explanation. All this for what...to make everyone kill each other during the tournament? Why would they want to restart the war? And why involve us?

At the same time, Ethan was facing the same revelations as his soul mate a hundred yards away.

"I'm sorry Ethan, you'll have to wait a few more hours," Vassili apologized, sitting in his office chair, his hands going through various parchments. "I would have preferred to wait until tomorrow morning, but that would have complicated things considerably."

Needless to say, Ethan was green with rage as his body was completely immobilized. He had followed Vassili through the chateau, anxious for the news he had to deliver. Leaving Mia alone in the infirmary, while not risking much, did nothing to alleviate her anguish. He had just sat down in one of the chairs in front of the vampire's desk that Vassili had taken out a parchment of immobilization and had nailed him in his seat. Once over the surprise of being attacked by the one he considered trustworthy, an explosive fury began to gnaw at his mind.

His inner Vila, particularly unhappy with the betrayal and restriction placed on his host, roared fiercely, trying by brute force to break the spell. It was powerful, but it wasn't flawless. The magical aura of the spell was like a fishing net with some loose knots. Ethan didn't particularly like letting his Vila have control, but it seemed like he didn't really have a choice in this particular situation. As he stopped fighting the rush of raw magic coursing through his veins, his eyes darkened black and his fingernails turned into claws, digging into the armrests of the chair and tearing at the flimsy fabric. A few tens of minutes later, after having magically torn apart these flaws he had spotted, the spell finally gave way.

Vassili was paying no attention to him, too focused on what looked like a map of the castle and its surroundings. Ethan took the opportunity to leap up on the desk and close his grip on the vampire's throat, causing a few drops of blood to bead as his claws dug into his flesh. The shock propelled the professor's head a few centimeters back. There was astonishment in his eyes, but he recovered quickly, displaying an inscrutable expression.

"You better talk before I snap your neck," Ethan growled dryly, his jaw clenched.

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