Chapter 119-Not backing down (2)

Chapter 119: 119-Not backing down (2)

"What are you?"

Maisa’s answer was quiet. "I don’t know," she replied honestly. She had no idea why she unlocked a zing with four vampires or why she could control her mate’s elemental powers but she could. "But I’m beginning to find out."

The water vampire snarled. She swept her arm downward and water erupted beneath Maisa.

Maisa jumped. A blast of fire erupted from her free hand. The flames struck the water and turned it into a cloud of steam.

For several seconds, the entire lakeshore disappeared behind a thick white mist.

Maisa couldn’t see a single thing through the mist. So, she listened, using her heightened senses to hear her surrounding.

A splashing sound came from her left so she turned and avoided it in time. The water vampire emerged from the mist, ready to attack her again.

Maisa moved first, air propelled her forward. She crossed the distance almost instantly and struck the ground between them.

The earth cracked with a loud sound and the water vampire was thrown backward by the shockwave and landed several meters away.

She rolled and immediately rose to her feet at quick speed. Her expression had changed. The arrogance was gone and now she was cautious. Very cautious.

"You aren’t a normal redblood. Redbloods don’t command the elements and even highborns don’t command all the elements."

Maisa stared at her with a setioys expression. "No, I am not normal and, it will be in your best interest to leave."

The water vampire’s gaze flicked toward Taratoya and back at Maisa. "Then what are you?"

Maisa didn’t answer. She didn’t know how to respond to that question. Instead, she felt something strange, a pressure beneath her skin.

A faint warmth over her heart. The four elements seemed to pull toward the same point inside her, the True Heart.

For a brief moment, Maisa remembered the manual. She remembered the mysterious medicine, the instructions and the training she’d endured through lonely nights. ℯℯ𝑙.

Someone had been preparing her for this. Her eyes narrowed as she herself witnessed what she could do. ’Why?’ The thought distracted her for half a second.

It was enough for the water vampire to take advantage, she noticed Maisa spacing out and struck. A narrow spear of compressed water shot toward Maisa.

Maisa twisted aside at the last minute, it passed her shoulder but immediately another followed and then another.

Maisa moved between them with impossible speed, her body reacting almost instinctively.

One, two, three... she dodged the attacks and finally stopped. The water vampire was breathing heavily but Maisa wasn’t.

She looked down at Taratoya. The vampire was still unconscious and very much alive in her arms. She looked back at her opponent.

"I don’t want to fight you."

The water vampire laughed bitterly. "You’ve already attacked me. The audacity to say that now."

"You attacked first," Maisa claimed.

"I was finishing what I started."

"Then finish it somewhere else," Maisa changed Taratoya’s position and held her more steadily.

The water vampire’s eyes hardened. "No, I will not leave without Taratoya today."

She raised both hands and the lake behind her began to rise. Higher and higher, the entire surface of the lake appeared to be lifting into the sky.

Maisa’s expression became serious. She could feel the enormous amount of water gathering. Yhe attack would be powerful, too powerful and if she allowed it to hit the shore, Taratoya would be caught in it.

Maisa carefully lowered the unconscious vampire onto the grass. She removed her own outer robe and placed it beneath Taratoya’s head. "Rest here. I’ll take care of this and come back for you," she said and then she stood.

She turned too quickly that she failed to see the smile forming at the corner of Taratoya’s lips.

The water vampire smiled. "Now you’ll understand why you should have stayed out of this."

Maisa raised her hand, she was done with the fight. The earth beneath her feet cracked, the wind began circling her, a small flame appeared above her palm and water rippled along the shore.

Her eyes sharpened. "And you’re going to understand why you should’ve walked away."

The water vampire released the lake. A monstrous wave came crashing toward Maisa. Maisa thrust both hands forward and the earth rose, crushing the wave. The wind screamed and twisted the splashing water away from her, the fire burst across the shoreline and turned every drop of water it touched into mist and the water stopped at her command.

The wave froze in midair. Maisa’s entire body trembled from the strain. She gritted her teeth, controlling four elements at once was draining.

The water vampire stared in disbelief. "You can’t control my element!" She hated seeing a redblood control water like it was always meant for her.

Maisa struggled to hold it. "No..." she slowly lowered her hands. "But I can control mine."

The wave collapsed, not toward them but away. It crashed harmlessly back into the lake, sending a tremendous spray into the air.

Silence followed, the water vampire stood motionless. She stared at the freak of a redblood infront of her and felt completely unmatched.

Maisa was breathing heavily now. She looked exhausted, but she remained standing.

The stranger lowered her hands. For the first time, neither of them attacked. Suddenly, a voice came faintly from behind Maisa.

"Who..."

Maisa turned around and caught the unconscious vampire waking up. Taratoya’s eyes were opening. She looked confused, her gaze moved from Maisa to the water vampire and then back again.

"Who are you?"

Maisa crouched beside her. "Are you alright?"

Taratoya slowly nodded. Her eyes widened in shock. "You fought her for me?"

Maisa glanced toward the lake. "I had to."

Taratoya looked at the ruined shoreline, the scattered water, the cracked earth, the steam drifting above the lake and then she looked at Maisa again.

"You really are strange."

Maisa almost smiled. "I’ve been told. Are you sure you are alright?"

The water vampire suddenly stepped backward. Maisa’s attention returned to her, the stranger looked at her for several seconds.

"You should be careful."

Maisa frowned. "Is that a threat?"

"No... not a threat," the water vampire’s expression had become difficult to read. "It’s advice. You’ll need it," she glanced toward Taratoya. "You’re involving yourself in matters you don’t understand."

Maisa stood. "Then perhaps you should explain them and convince me why I should let you kill her."

The water vampire said nothing. Instead, she turned toward the lake, water gathered beneath her feet but before she disappeared, she looked over her shoulder. "Whatever you are..."

Her gaze lingered on Maisa. "...someone will eventually come looking for you. And you’ll rue this day for a very long time."

Then she stepped onto the water and the lake swallowed her silhouette.

Maisa watched until she disappeared beneath the mist. The forest became quiet again. She stood there for several seconds, trying to understand what had just happened.

She had left the vampire world because she thought she needed to escape everything. She had crossed into the human world hoping to find her family.

Instead, she had found hunters surrounding her aunt’s home, discovered that she couldn’t safely return to the people she loved, and now she had stumbled into a fight involving a vampire who apparently knew Varitreya.

Maisa looked at Taratoya. The unconscious vampire was slowly sitting upright.

"My cousin will compensate you," Taratoya murmured.

Maisa sighed. "Your cousin seems to be the answer to every problem you have."

Taratoya gave her a weak smile. "She’s good at solving problems."

Maisa looked away. The princess’s name still hurt. She had been trying so hard not to think about her. Yet somehow, even here, beyond the boundary separating the two worlds, the princess had found a way back into her life.

Maisa stared across the lake. She had no idea what had just happened but one thing was becoming increasingly clear.

Her quiet break was over and whatever had been waiting for her beyond the vampire world had finally found her.

"Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe," she reached her hand out to Taratoya.

Taratoya took her hand. ’Maisa Loven can control all the elements... interesting,’ she let Maisa pull her up. "Don’t worry, redblood. My cousin will definitely compensate you," she assured.

Maisa nodded, holding her up. "Looking forward to it."