BLOOD LEGACIES
Chapter 523: The Stranger Across The Road

Chapter 523: The Stranger Across The Road

GRAYSON

~

I climbed the stairs to the basement, carrying about two boxes, and setting them down on the ground. I let my eyes take in the rest of the load everywhere. I never realized how much this worked until I took over for Emma after her admission.

She asked me though and I saw no problem handling the family business for her. Emma had poured her heart and soul into this place so I was more than happy to continue the work, besides, there wasn’t much going on my side. I’m not a Venator anymore.

My weapons were already collecting dust sitting ducks somewhere. And now? I’m just trying my best to lead a normal life although not completely normal. This was our family’s legacy and we couldn’t give up on it just because of Vanessa’s demise, keeping this shop running was also honoring her memory. It might be tough to work with shipments every day but it was also fun with the perks it offered.

I never realized how much I was into history until now. Turns out it wasn’t just about selling dream catchers and other antiques, the real business line was keeping the history of witches in line, collecting artifacts that have been lost in time and could be dangerous to any human that comes in contact with it. Like Grimoires, hidden in history books, trinkets, and possessed objects, so many I couldn’t keep track of, but what also interested me was how constant it was and how connected and vast the supernatural world is.

This shop was like a museum of the supernatural world. It amazed me more that Vanessa handled something like all these years, keeping records and artifacts, to make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. It was a tough job because of how demanding it was. To have such a responsibility on your shoulders was something great, especially when it had to deal with keeping things like this at every single day.

Over one year, we expanded the building. It was bigger than it was thanks to our hard work to keep the store running and our dedication to keeping dangerous objects away from humans. If humans came in constant contact with the supernatural world it upsets the balance.

The gods may no longer be involved but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t up to us to keep the balance. Maybe that’s why they don’t show themselves anymore, the reason they are mostly forgotten is because it’s our turn to step up.

I walked to a box when my eyes caught a picture inside gathered with other things, I pulled it out and a tightening sensation found my chest. It was Vanessa in it, taken in front of the shop. It must have been years ago because she looked younger.

I sighed as I caressed the picture. I never had the chance to know more about her but the little I knew was worth it. Each time I caught a glimpse of her face I couldn’t help but feel regret. I regret every single day for not being there to protect her and Emma, maybe if I were there I could have saved her with my powers. If only... I wasn’t too far away, if only I was smarter and caught on Luther’s plan.

"Sir, you’re needed upstairs" Ginny’s voice came through.

"Coming!" I yelled back as I carried the picture along and walked upstairs.

I grabbed a towel and cleaned the frame before setting it on a shelf. I turned to Ginny, a young lady who had worked with us for over a year. She handed me a catalog.

"This is what came in today?" I asked, bringing out my pen.

"I think we need to move most of them to The Sherman’s," she explained. "Most of them are haunted"

"How haunted?"

"The windows keep shaking and we have a few broken things and my hair almost caught on fire" she explained like it was any normal thing. But that’s it, we considered something like this normal. There was a time when we had new shipments, all bizarre things kept happening. I think we were all cursed for bad luck that entire day. It was a lifesaver when we found the source of torment.

I checked the catalog and I understood what she meant. Ginny might just consider it as giving some cursed objects to the Sherman’s but it meant way more than that. Powerful artifacts were secretly kept at the Library of the Firsts for safekeeping.

"Okay," I nodded. "I’ll make the arrangements, keep checking the rest of the boxes and make sure it’s all numbered"

She nodded before heading back to work. I checked the rest of the things to tag them. So many boxes, will I make it for dinner? I shook my head like I made a bad thought. Emilia will skin me alive if I miss this.

I sighed, dropping the board on the box and marking out what I needed. But something caught my attention just at the corner of my eye. I turned my gaze to the window, curiosity found me and I walked closer to it. Just across the street some guy was standing, his arm leaning against a car, the other hand buried in his jacket pocket.

He had white hair and pale skin like he had never walked under sunlight. An inky marking tattoo covered his entire neck. His gray eyes gave some kind of strange glow. What unsettled me was that he was looking right at me, like he was watching me.

"Sir, a call"

I snapped out of it and turned to Ginny who suddenly gave me a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" I took the phone and turned back across the street but the strange guy was gone. I left the call on hold and stepped out of the shop looking around, he’s gone like he just disappeared out of thin air.

Who was he?

~

EMMA

"She’s not saying anything," I said, biting on my nail. "Should we give her time?"

"Time is what we don’t have, your hot bodyguard scared her too much" Hayden nudged her head to the kitchen where Samuel was going through the fridge for a drink.

"I think we all scared her," I said, dragging my gaze to Wendy sitting on the couch with her knees to her chest, her headset covered her ears. She hasn’t said a word since we brought her back to the house.

I observed as Sam walked to her and offered a can of soda. She glared at the drink and then at him and turned away.

Okay, time to step up.

"Sam, give us a minute?"

"Yes lioness," he said with a quick bow and stepped out of the house. Wendy observed the whole thing and I pondered her level of confusion right now.

I walked closer and sat just across from her and Hayden sat beside me.

"I’m sorry we scared you" Hayden began in a soft voice. "That was not our—"

"What are you people?" She cut Hayden off before she could finish.

"What do you think we are?" I asked and her blue eyes pinned me.

"Like them?" she replied but didn’t sound too sure of herself either.

"Like who?"

She chuckled but it was humorless because it didn’t reach her eyes. "I must have had so much to drink at the party because I was fucking seeing things"

"So you admit you went to the party then?" Hayden said with a smirk causing her to gulp hard.

"Come on Wendy, don’t tell me you aren’t driven by guilt about what happened to Tessa," I said.

"Why should I feel guilty? She was the one who..." She couldn’t finish as her lips trembled.

"Wendy" I began in a soft tone hoping to ease her but she didn’t look one bit at ease. She looked more terrified with her wide eyes.

"Why don’t you just leave me alone?" she buried her hands in her hair like she was losing her mind, murmuring unintelligent words.

I spared a look at Hayden and she did too.

"She looks traumatized," Hayden whispered and I nodded in agreement.

"Something must have happened at that party"

"You were there too though... Are you sure you can’t remember anything?"

"That’s it I can’t," I said, no matter how I tried to think deeply about everything I hit a block.

"You can’t remember because you took the drink," Wendy said.

We both turned to her simultaneously.

"I never took a drink at the party, I tried to play the responsible person because Tessa was so wild to party. That’s the more reason why I feel like I was losing my fucking mind because if I had a drink it could have been a perfect explanation for what I saw"

"What did you see?" I asked.

"I can’t," she murmured, shaking her head. "I can’t," she chanted endlessly as she squeezed her eyes shut.