Tears gathered in Isabella's eyes "it's a boy?" She asked,
The healer looked at her and nodded gently "yes it is"
They both smiled at each other.
Rafael is flustered "you need to explain better,"
"My name is Kate, a few months ago, vampires kidnapped my sister and they held on to her all these time, I worked hard to negotiate for her release but they wouldn't let her go, a week ago, she came to me in a dream…" Kate explained as she broke down in tears, Rafael wanted to hurry her to speak but Isabella hit him with an eye roll that he let her go, Isabella handed Kate a tissue for her tears and said,
"It's okay, take all the time you need"
After a while of Crying, Kate continued,
"She came to me in a dream and she told me that she's dead, they killed my sister"
"I am so sorry" Isabella exclaimed as she grabbed Kate and pulled her in for a hug
"Get on with the story" Rafael exclaimed,
"She died performing a spell, one that is over a thousand years old…the vampires made her raise the soul of a thousand year old vengeful spirit called VERMILIAN" Kate explained,
"VERMILIAN…?" Rafael asked, he looked puzzled, he had heard this name so many times in the old prophecy stories that his father would tell to him and his siblings who are now scattered across different parts of the world, he never believed the spirit really existed, he thought it was just mere folklore.
"and uh--why did they raise this spirit?" Rafael asked,
"It is said that VERMILIAN is a deity of war, that is true but one thing you must know is that this vengeful spirit wants revenge against the entire Voss bloodline and for thousands of generations, this spirit has been subdued but right now, as we speak, it is set free and it is coming for you, for all of you" Kate said "especially her, she carries your son" she added as she looks at Isabella.
"Where is this spirit now?" Rafael asked
"I don't know but I'm here because I want to help, I really do" Kate said
"Why do you want to help?" Rafael asked
"I want revenge, I NEED to avenge my sister" Kate replied,
"Why should I trust you? you healers hate werewolves " Rafael said to her
"We hate people who hurt our loved ones and upset the balance of nature a lot more" Kate responded in anger.
Hearing all that Kate had just said weakened Rafael's bravado, yes he hated the idea of falling in love with Isabella because of the blood oath curse and yes he hated the idea that she was carrying his child, he had been so blinded with anger, that is why he wanted them all killed but one thing Rafael has always lived by is FAMILY and HONOR, a vengeful spirit was now out to wipe out his entire bloodline and now for the first time, every part of him knew that he NEEDED to protect Isabella and his unborn child, he needed to protect his mother and he needed to protect all of his siblings, Rafael knew war was coming and he was getting himself ready.
While still at the diner, Rafael called Niko, he explained all that the healer had just told him and then he asked him to reach out to all of his siblings and ask them to all return to new port, to the Voss foyer, he asked Niko to reach out to his mother as well.
"can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Kate said to Rafael, Isabella looked so curious, she wondered what it was that they wanted to talk about but couldn't do in front of her.
Rafael and Kate walked outside and began to talk.
"I'm no mystic but I can sense a curse hovering all over you" Kate said to Rafael, but he kept a straight face,
"The boy, your child, he carries power far greater than anything ive ever witnessed" she added,
"with this child, you can break any curse, including the one you carry" she whispered as she leaned into Rafael.
Rafael looked like he had just seen a ghost, this was the first time he had ever heard that there was a cure for the blood oath curse and that cure was his unborn son? Now more than ever, he knew he had to protect Isabella and that child with everything in him.
The statement Kate had just made also gave him a glimmer of hope, could this mean that there could be a time where he could comfortably allow himself fall in love with Isabella and not be afraid that he'd kill her? The future was looking bright and it warmed Rafael's heart up but in a short moment, he was hit with the gruesome reality of the vengeful ghost that was loose and after the very bloodline that he had just sworn to protect.
Kate and Rafael walk back into the Diner and sit down, all three of them were silent before Rafael asked a question,
"The Vermilian, how do we get rid of it?" Rafael asked,
"There's two ways to get rid of it, it's either we allow it kill your entire bloodline or we must banish it" Kate said
"Option one is obviously not up for consideration" Rafael remarked,
"Yes, so we must banish it" Kate replied,
"And how do we banish it?" Rafael replied.
"The coven and I are still figuring it out but in the meantime, we must focus on protecting your blood line" Kate said,
"And how do we do that?" Rafael asked,
"Ghostbane" Kate said "think of it as wolfsbane but for ghosts, it'll keep the VERMILIAN spirit away from all who wear it, long enough to allow us find a solution" she added as she handed to Isabella a bag that contained seven bracelets, four for each of Rafael's siblings, one for Isabella, one for Thalia Voss (Rafael's mother) and one for Rafael.
Isabella opened the bag took one bracelet for herself and wore it, then she handed one bracelet to Rafael, he wore it as well.
Kate looked at Isabella and said "you need to be very careful "
Isabella looked at her with concern, "why?"
"You're a window" Kate said "you're not fully Voss, you only carry the bloodline, although I'm counting on the powers of the child and the ghostbane bracelet to protect you, you must still be careful to not leave room for any access, you MUST protect yourself and the child" Kate added.
"I will" Isabella replied and all she could think of was the fact that just a few weeks ago, she had a relatively normal life and now she was about to go into war with a thousand year old spirit that is after the life of her unborn child who belonged to a random werewolf that she had a one night stand with.
"I hate my life" she whispered under her breath.