Chapter 44

STEFANO. I blast fireball after fireball at the lake, but they do nothing. The vampire is already gone, and now I’m just here unsuccessfully trying to make it come out even though it probably already vanished. As to how it did that, I don’t know, but I need to stop. I take a step back on the deck, breathing hard and staring at the water, which is now emitting steam. I turn around to find Valeria standing in front of me, her eyes still fixed on my hands. I banish the flames at once. “We need to go back and check on everyone,” I say. She nods mutely, and with that, we head to the cabin. The next events flow by in a haze. All I can recall is waking up Celeste and Auric. They both jolt awake and Celeste comes up to the manor to check on her parents. I remember them saying that they would have the place surrounded by guards immediately and get the whole forest scoured for the presence of vampires. They ask no questions, they just let us into the safest part of their manor, an undergroun