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— Kill Wentworth... The future with old fairy tales...—Maria looked out the window.—So where did you meet him? And how many times are we going to kill him?—

— Over there, I think...—Christophe pointed.— I was already almost unconscious... But this is it. That place. I am that place. I'm sure of it.—Janssen stopped the car.— Are we going to take the trail now?—

There was silence.

And this silence was broken by Bjorn's laughter:

— How funny you are! But yes, we will take the trail. All together...—

Christophe snorted.

The fact that he got used to all the oddities of a vampire as white as snow does not mean that he is no longer infuriated by these oddities...

***

Bjorn was using his power again, and Christophe was sniffing every blade of grass.

Fortunately, there weren't many people here...

if there were more, someone would have called a special type of hospital long ago and asked if they had lost patients...

— Found his smell!— Christophe raises his voice, but not much - after all, he is very afraid of this hospital...— Everyone follow me!—

Skirting the houses, the company ran towards the ditch.

— What? Down?—Olga asked indignantly.

— Come on!—Christophe growled.

The mud splashed to the sides, soiling the shoes.

— But they were just going to live peacefully!— Olga said to herself psychologically on the run.

— On a tree!—Bjorn pointed out, shouting.

A huge creature, not like a wolf or a man, rushed at them.

It seemed like a crooked and smeared parody of a beastman.

Maria materialized a sword, but this vile creature dodged the blow.

It was as if the air around him was melting, the weather was by no means hot, not so far from cold, and the monster was melting like a wax candle.

Bjorn tore a sapling from the ground and pierced the monster with it.

The monster's claw stuck into Olga's leg.

The cold began to spread through my body.

— Maria, pull the claw out of your mother's leg, I'll cover you!—Michael said, thrusting his sword forward.

— How? I don't have claws!— said the vampire.

— What the hell kind of claws? Sword, pull out the claw with the sword!—The albino shouted.

He barely dodged the paw of a half-human, half-wolf. Now there are only four claws on the terrible creature's paw, but this did not reduce its attack speed.

The claws sink deep into his back when he falls from the second blow.

— I know what to do...—Michael rolled over onto his back.— Bjorn, Stefan, can you divert the monster's attention to yourself? It won't be long!— even though Michael was wheezing in pain, the wound in his back was huge, but he screamed clearly.— Maria, now all the attention is on me...— He said.—Stick your sword into the wound on my back. When the sword starts to glow,

Point it at the monster! Then the sword will do everything by itself...—

Maria looked at the huge wound on his back.

— Well... let's do it!—Maria closed her eyes.

With a love of absorbing blood, a strange feature was the dislike of stabbing the wounded.

The sword pulsed and warmed noticeably when it was in Michael's wound. Then he jumped out on his own rather than Maria pulled him out.

A burning white energy shimmered on the blade of the weapon.

— Don't delay!—Michael shouted.

When the snow-white lightning flashed and pierced the monster, the half-human half-wolf disappeared. He crumbled into pieces, became nothing.

— Wow!—Maria looked at the disappearing sword.

Olga turned her gaze to the wound, or rather, to the place where the wound was.

— That's not the word.— She whispered.

Both the daughter and the mother looked at Michael.

He was lying on the ground unconscious.

***

— I gave his wound to the monster, apparently it was very painful... I don't think waking up will be quick and pleasant...— Maria stroked the albino laid on the bed.

dyed hair.— So, Everard, were you going to explain what kind of filth almost sent us all to the next world?!—

At the end of the sentence, she almost lost her voice in a scream, and the sword sign flashed on her hander hand.

—Wentworth sent them... yes... He's looking for me... After all, he is reborn almost with my help...—Everard didn't move when Maria materialized the sword.—Maria Valdez, you'd better listen to me... His power and ability to use the split because of my amulet. During our fight in Stockholm, he cut the crystal from my neck, he cut the cord...For some reason, this gave him ownership of the crystal...—

— Of course, it gave him ownership!—Olga said calmly.—A crystal or some other pendant is an amulet of magic, and a chain or lace is a bond with the owner. Without the chain, the artifact goes wild...—

— Everard can be stupid sometimes, he doesn't understand simple things...—Bjorn said.— Ev, I'm not trying to insult you, your brain has a different format, it's sharpened by the other one...—

— Yes, I understand...—Everard sighed.—The crown stone was my amulet. No one paid attention to the fact that there was also a stone on the inside of the crown. For many years I took a moment to steal it. I don't remember very well how many years have passed... I stopped counting at the seventh hundred, I think...—

— Until this stone is destroyed, Wentfort is not destroyed... But where should I look for Wentworth?—Maria sighed.

— I'll show you...—There was a flicker of sadness in Everard's eyes.

***

— Bjorn, have you finished the sign?—Everard was watching what his brother was doing.— Great. Maria, you must cut your palm with a sword, then you will cut my palm and we will unite in deepening of this stone is our blood. Do you see a brush made of human hair? When the united blood shines, you will have to draw a sign on my back, after that, I will become a guide. Only... No, I'd rather tell you later... We need to lock ourselves in some room where no one will be.—

— You can go into the room that was given to us.—Olga said.— We'll be here for now...—

Maria took the stone and the brush from Everard's hand.

— I wanted to ask... Everard, are we going there alone?—The vampire asked.

— Your friends should be away... No one should interfere with our path.—Everard turned around.— Bjorn, do you still have your belt?—

— Yes, here it is.—Bjorn took the belt from the chair and handed it to Everard.

— Hm... Belt...—Maria said thoughtfully.

— In this case, a leash. Don't laugh! You will guide me, or rather, I will guide you like a guide dog.—Everard tightened Bjorn's belt around his neck.— Now let's go.—

When they were gone from everyone, Everard took off his shirt and turned his back to the vampire.

Muscles, like sand dunes, shuddered and rolled under the vampire's fingers.

— Stop touching me! A sign that is at the bottom of this stone... If you haven't seen it, lift the stone over your head, look and mentally mirror the rune. And remember... When you draw a rune on my back, I won't be able to tell you anymore...—

The brush made a nasty sound as it sank into the blood.

The curves of the hieroglyph wriggled like snakes.

— Ugh... Unpleasant...—Everard says softly, shuddering.— I hope so...—

Suddenly the words stopped.

Maria looked at the completed symbol.

The hieroglyph shone on Everard's back with a purple glow, and so did his eyes.

— Lead me.—Maria said, not knowing if Ev could hear her.

Everard stood up.

The leash tightened strongly and Maria jumped up hastily.

Everard walked slowly, but either because of the delay, or something happened because of magic, Maria had difficulty catching up with him.

— Mom!—She shouted.— Stay at a distance, but follow us!—

Maria did not see Olga in the hallway.

But the daughter knew that her mother could hear her.