"Grandma said I have to stay close. I have to watch over you. I don't want you to be alone with this."
She finished applying the oil and took out the silver amulet. It was small, with an engraved rune. Susie carefully hung it around Ethan's neck, next to the black lines.
"This will help," she whispered.
"As long as I'm near you, the corruption will be weaker."
Ethan touched the amulet with his fingers. The metal felt cool and soothing.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
Susie smiled shyly.
"When you need it… just tell me. I'll put up a barrier and hold you as long as I can."
Ethan looked at her. Susie blushed slightly and lowered her gaze.
"Just… stay yourself," she whispered.
"That will be the best thanks."
And so Susie walked beside him, ready to use her weak spell at any moment. She had become his shield.
They didn't even make it half a block.
Anna appeared suddenly from the shadows, simply stepping out from behind the corner of an old building as if she had been standing there the whole time.
Ethan flinched in fright and nearly fell.
"Jesus Christ! Can you not appear like that?!"
She was pale, almost white, as if she hadn't slept for several days. Her face was tense, her eyes dark and exhausted. Her coat was buttoned all the way up to her throat, but even through the fabric one could feel how strained she was.
The group stopped instantly. Gideon grabbed his pistol. Bruno stepped forward, shielding Susie.
Ethan gripped the black stake tighter.
Anna raised her hand, palm up, a gesture meant to calm everyone.
"Don't shoot," she said tensely.
"I came to warn you."
Flash didn't lower his revolver, but his finger relaxed slightly on the trigger.
"Talk fast," he said.
"What happened?"
Anna took a step closer. Her gaze swept over everyone but lingered longest on Ethan.
"Gerard already knows," she said.
"He knows you have a living witch. He knows Ethan is with you. This is bad. He's put a huge bounty on everyone helping you."
"The amount is so high that even the most cautious vampires will start hunting you across the city."
Gideon cursed quietly.
"How did he find out?" Flash asked sharply.
"We were careful. Maybe you're the rat…" He started to raise his pistol.
Anna shook her head.
"What matters now is that anyone who sees you will be thinking about money. Especially those who work for Gerard."
"I won't be able to come openly anymore. It's too dangerous, and helping you right now is extremely difficult."
"If they notice me near you… I'll be branded a traitor too. And I can't afford that at the moment."
She paused for a second, gathering her strength. Her face grew even paler.
"I will still help… but only from the shadows and when I can."
"Don't look for me. I'll find you myself if needed."
Anna took another step forward and stopped right in front of Ethan. She looked at him with a long, heavy gaze. In her eyes flashed something very rare for her, almost maternal concern mixed with tired tenderness.
"Ethan…" she said softly, almost in a whisper.
"Don't let it take control. Try to hold back your anger. Gerard doesn't just want your death."
Ethan met her gaze. There was understanding in his eyes.
"I'll try," he replied.
"Thank you for the help."
Anna nodded. She looked at him for a few more seconds, as if she wanted to say something else, but in the end she simply stepped back.
"Be careful," she told everyone.
"Gerard is already furious. And when he's furious, he becomes especially dangerous."
She took a step back. The air around her shimmered slightly. This time she didn't dissolve into mist, she simply turned and quickly walked into the alley, melting among the shadows of the buildings.
The group remained standing in the street.
Gideon slowly holstered his pistol.
"She looked scared," he said quietly.
Bruno nodded.
"If even she's afraid, then things are really bad."
Ethan stared at the spot where Anna had disappeared. His fingers still gripped the weapon tightly.
"She took a risk coming here," he said.
"And she warned us. That means we need to be more careful and act faster."
Flash put a hand on his shoulder.
"We will."
"But right now we need to move. Gerard knows about the witch. That means he'll be looking for us even harder. And we still need to find one important person…"
Bruno and Gideon stood in the shadows of an old brick building opposite the parking lot. They had been watching the entrance to the underground garage of the mayor's office building for over an hour.
Max Neville, Deputy Chief of Police under Richard Hale, appeared exactly at 02:47. A tall, fit man in a dark suit and long coat exited a side door, glanced around, and quickly headed toward his black car parked in the far corner.
Gideon quietly elbowed Bruno, signaling that their target had arrived.
Bruno nodded.
"I'll take him. You cover me…" Bruno whispered.
The guys moved forward silently, using the shadows of the pillars and the element of surprise. Max had already reached his car, pressed the button on his key fob, the headlights flashed, the locks clicked. He opened the driver's door and began to get in.
At that moment, Bruno burst out of the shadows.
He moved fast for a man of his size. Max only managed to turn his head before Bruno's massive fist slammed straight into his jaw.
The punch landed on his nose with a crunch. The man didn't even realize what had happened before he blacked out.