The weight of the stakes in Stella's hands felt insignificant now compared to the dread filling her chest. Every shadow seemed to stretch longer, every whisper of the wind carried a hint of menace, as if the darkness itself was watching them. Mallory moved with purpose, her eyes narrowed as she accessed Marcus's mind, unraveling the compulsion that had gripped him.
She walked toward the trees, her steps deliberate. With a swift movement, she reached up to a low-hanging branch and pulled off something small. As she turned, Stella saw it—a doll, crudely made from hay, its figure twisted and unnatural.
"What is it?" Stella asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Mallory's face darkened as she studied the object in her hands. "A voodoo doll," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is your voodoo doll."
Stella's eyes widened, a chill running down her spine as Mallory continued, her voice low and foreboding. "They placed it here, hidden among the trees, hoping to capture your soul in it. But you got lucky. You escaped before they could complete the spell."
Stella glanced around, suddenly feeling exposed. "Whoever's behind this," Mallory added grimly, "has a powerful witch working with them."
The doll felt alive in Mallory's grip, a physical manifestation of the dark magic that had been cast. Stella's mind raced—why her? She had never harmed anyone, never even killed a fly. Who would want to kill her? And why?
Mallory noticed her troubled expression. "Don't worry, Stels," she said, her tone softening slightly. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."
Stella nodded, though her heart still raced. The reality of the situation pressed in on her, but Mallory's calm focus was the only thing keeping her grounded.
"But first," Mallory said, scanning the area, "we need to find something—blood, sweat, anything with their essence on it. A single drop is all we need to track them."
They searched the clearing, scanning the ground with their stakes at the ready. The piles of ash from the dead vampires were all that remained of the battle, and Stella's eyes lingered on the remains.
"Can't we collect this pile of ash?" Stella asked, her voice hesitant but determined.
Mallory paused, considering. Then she nodded. "Yes, actually, that might work."
She pulled out a small plastic bag from her jacket, quickly scooping some of the ash into it. The two of them exchanged a glance—this was a clue, a thread that could lead them to whoever had marked Stella for death.
As they made their way back to the house, the weight of the doll in Mallory's hand and the ash in the bag felt like more than just evidence—it felt like a ticking clock. Someone wanted Stella dead, and whoever it was, they had only just begun.
When they reached home, Stella opened the door, and they slipped inside, bracing themselves. Mallory quickly walked over to their grandmother, releasing the magical binds and unsealing her lips with a spell.
Elizabeth shot up from her seat, her face a storm of fury and worry. "You two think this is some kind of joke, don't you?" Her voice thundered through the room, each word laced with frustration. "Running off in the middle of the night? Locking me in here like some prisoner in my own house? What on earth were you thinking?"
Stella winced, but before she could answer, Elizabeth's tirade continued. She turned to Mallory, her eyes narrowing. "And you, Mallory. Do you think that just because you can sling a few spells, you're suddenly invincible? You're just a child! A teenager meddling in forces you barely understand!"
Elizabeth's hands trembled slightly, not with fear, but with the kind of anger that only comes from deep, bone-deep concern. "You're reckless! You're not even trained properly in half of the magic you're trying to use. One mistake and—" she stopped, swallowing her words as if the thought of something happening to Mallory was too much to bear. "You could've gotten yourself killed tonight!"
Mallory lowered her gaze, unable to meet her grandmother's furious eyes.
"And you, Stella," Elizabeth's attention shifted, her disappointment palpable. "I expected more from you. You've always been the level-headed one, the careful one. But sneaking out? Putting yourself in danger after what you just went through? What were you thinking? Do you even understand what's happening right now?"
The silence that followed was heavy, only punctuated by the soft ticking of the clock in the living room.
Elizabeth shook her head, her voice softer but no less intense. "Do you both have any idea what I went through while you had me locked in here? I was terrified, absolutely terrified that something awful had happened to you two. That I'd lost both of you in one night without being able to do anything about it."
She took a deep breath, her hands now resting on her hips as she glared at them. "You're not invincible. Magic doesn't make you invincible. I've been around long enough to know that those who mess with forces beyond their control always pay the price."
The weight of her words pressed down on them, making both Stella and Mallory feel smaller, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in.
"If you two ever pull something like this again," Elizabeth warned, her voice a dangerous whisper now, "I swear, I will personally throw you both out of this house. I can't keep worrying like this, wondering if tonight's the night you don't come home. You're all I have left, and I'm exhausted from constantly having to worry about you."
Stella's heart clenched at the raw emotion in their grandmother's voice. "Gigi," she said softly, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Elizabeth. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just so worried and confused about what happened. I wasn't thinking."
Elizabeth's arms hesitated for a moment before she returned the embrace, her expression softening slightly as she looked at Stella.
She then turned back to Mallory, who was standing there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. "And you," Elizabeth said, fixing her with a hard look. "You're always running headfirst into danger, Mallory. You're talented, yes, but that doesn't mean you're invulnerable. You have no idea how much that scares me."
Mallory sighed, her earlier confidence drained. "I'm sorry, Grams. I shouldn't have forced you into that spell, and I definitely shouldn't have locked you up."
Elizabeth's stern expression didn't falter. "And sneaking out in the middle of the night to chase after who-knows-what?"
Mallory wanted to defend herself, to say that she'd done it to protect Stella, but she knew it wouldn't make a difference. She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that too."
Elizabeth finally let out a long, tired breath. The anger that had fueled her scolding gave way to something softer—resignation, maybe, or just plain exhaustion. She sat back down on the couch, her hands resting on her knees as if the weight of worry had drained her energy.
"Listen, girls," Elizabeth said, her voice quieter now but still serious. "You can't keep throwing yourselves into danger like this. You're strong, both of you, but you're not invincible. And if something ever happens to either of you…"
Her voice cracked, and for a moment, the strong, no-nonsense woman they knew as their grandmother seemed fragile.
"I couldn't bear it," she finished quietly.
Stella and Mallory exchanged a glance, both of them realizing just how deeply their actions had affected Elizabeth.
"We'll be more careful, Grams," Mallory said softly, guilt settling in her chest like a heavy stone. "We promise."
Elizabeth nodded, though the worry didn't leave her eyes. "You'd better," she muttered. "I don't want to have to go through this again."
The room fell into an uneasy silence, the tension finally starting to fade but leaving behind a sobering reminder that danger still lurked around every corner.