"Rinette, no!" Leaf shouted, I already opened it. I screamed when I saw a snow-filled cave with a snow phoenix and her babies. She stood up, alerted by the intruder and got ready to blow her cold breath on me. I was suddenly pulled back and the door shut. "Are you that dumb," Elle, who closed the door, snapped. Ace was the one holding me. "I'm sorry," I apologised, still in shock. Elle sighed and walked back to Leaf. Ace's thumbs came up to my temples and slowly rubbed against them. "Calm down," he whispered. I exhaled, relaxing and getting out of the shock. "We are looking for an autumn-like or hazel-brown door with something related to books, pens or ladders," Leaf called out. "Spread out, guys. Ace, you and Leaf head North, and Gomez and I will head East. Ann, you handle South, and Rinette, West." Elle instructed. "Leave Rinette on her own?" Ace asked disapprovingly. "She's not a baby, leave her alone," Elle said harshly and dashed off to the East doors. Ann walked off to che

My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open. He tilted my head up to look into my eyes. I blinked in shock, his expression reflected his words. My throat went dry, and my voice was completely lost. He blinked slowly, steering his lips into a smirk. "Ace," I called breathlessly. "I don't…" "Let's talk about this another time, we should focus on what is going on," I exhaled with relief. Dealing with his confession wasn't that important, for now. I was glad he was kind enough to understand that. I felt something snake around my leg before I was suddenly yanked into the pool with a scream. I held my breath as the ice-block water enfolded me. Bubbles spread from my mouth, my eyes blurring. I shook my head and looked at what was holding me, a long tentacle. The tentacle was spiky, it felt like thousands of tiny pins were wrapped around my leg. The tentacle pulled me towards a coral cage. Ann must have trapped it in there. The coral reef would have been beautiful if I hadn't been dragged to my

"Ace, any ideas?" Elle asked calmly. "I can't think of anything except Ann should heal him first." "Okay," Ann whispered. Ace watched them as he stroked his chin. "I have one!" I exclaimed with a snap of my fingers and a wink. "What if Elle and I or—just I—make a spell to block out sounds? Make us deaf? Temporarily deaf?" "Bad idea, what if something big is coming and we need to hear it?" Ann asked with all her focus on Gomez. "Any other brilliant ideas, people?" Elle asked loudly. I rolled my eyes. That was my only one. "Elle, remember the time we were sent by the councils to eliminate the screeching boiled meat…" "Screeching phoenix," Elle corrected. "And yes," "What happened?" I asked curiously. "We work in a secret supernatural agency made for keeping rogue or wild myths in check. Some mythical creatures are cruel and tend to extend their madness to humans, we keep them all in check by either eliminating or imprisoning them. Elle and I are the best among the young vampires,

"If you don't want to be a slave, yes." "But what about the unjust act carried out on her? What about that?" I questioned, stretching on my toes and giving him an intense look. "Are we really going to let Dermot and his father keep walking the earth in peace?" "To protect others, some changes must be made. I know it's unfair but there's nothing we can do," "Ace, her sister was killed, her birthright and lover taken away from her. There was no one to help them. They didn't have enough power to save themselves. I know how it feels to be helpless, how it feels to want to avenge the wrongs committed on you. Do you think I haven't contemplated going back to hurt every single soul that hurt me in the past? To satisfy me with their helpless cries? To make them feel as worthless as I felt? I have, I do every single day. But I fight that thought because I know it isn't right." "What they did to Ivy is different, worse. I understand her, she saw a chance to get revenge and she took it. Ivy n

"You're kidding?" Ace asked with wide eyes. He snatched Gomez's wrist and gasped when he saw the time. "Fuck, no…" Ace ran out screaming "All You Can Eat Wednesday!" Gomez followed, screaming "Food!." "I need fresh air," Leaf sneezed, jumping down from the piano. "I need water," Ann added. "See you later, Rinette." Ann walked out, jumping over objects. Leaf waved at me before running off. "We'll conclude after school, I need to get something. Would you be okay on your own, sis?" I nodded with an assuring smile. "FWIW, you're the best sister a ghoul can ever ask for," I looked down sheepishly. "I'm proud of you, Marinette, for the lady you have grown into." "Technically, I'm still a teenager," "Heh heh, see you, Rinette," she zapped out with her speed. I exhaled weakly and jumped down from the piano. Sibyl who had been sitting there quietly sighed too. "What happened down there, I saw it all," "How?" "I saw it through your eyes, everything. Ivy is going to do something. If she