CURSE OF THE MOON REBORN

“Stephan, we need to go.” Solara beckoned the rest.

Without arguing Stephan followed him out. He knew that whatever his wife said to Solara was the reason they were leaving. As soon as they were out of the fortress gates Solara huddled them together to inform them of Scarlet’s call.

“They wanted SJ!” of all the things Solara had told them that was the part he got. He had left home to find his daughter, forgetting his son could also be a target.

“Stephan you need to focus. The beach, where is that?”

“Ipanema, it’s not far from here.” He tried to push aside the problems that were at home and tried to focus on those in Rio.

“Let’s go.”

“No, I think you guys should go back home. I can handle this.”

“I don’t think so.” Solara declined.

“We all don’t need to go there. I don’t want to spook her, she had the baby and I am going to bring her back home.” Stephan knew that it was him she wanted and bringing an entourage would not help his cause.

“I agree that we should thin out but you are not going there alone. Do you think she is going to come alone?” Xavier was now putting his tactical mind to work.

“Ok fine Mathias could you and your men go back to Kings. Protect our family until we get back? And the rest of you come with me?” Stephan requested, these weren’t his soldiers they were his friends and he couldn’t compel them to make sacrifices for him.

“Your family will be protected,” Mathias reassured him and immediately headed back for the States.

“What’s the plan?” Eric asked as he leaned against a tree.

“The plan is we go to the beach, meet her demands and I take my daughter back home to her mother.” Stephan broke it down.

“That sounds good to me.” Solara put in.

“May I add not getting killed to that plan?” Vincent suggested.

“That sounds better to me.” Xavier bobbed his head in agreement.

“Let’s get to it.” Stephan headed the small group as they ran to the beach.

“This is it?” Solara asked as they stood on a cliff overlooking the sandy white beaches and the crystal blue waters.

“This is it. I was standing right here when I saw your sister. She was dancing in the water.” Stephan giggled as he pictured Sotera’s fiery hair wet and sticking on her back.

“She was the nature type.” Solara’s voice was low and nostalgic.

“She loved the water and the moon. She could dance under the star lights for hours.”

“Stephan, did you ever tell Scarlet about this place?” Solara popped his little love bubble.

“No, but I guess she knows now. That is why I need to find our baby girl. Maybe she will forgive me then.” Stephan leaped onto the sandy beach and they followed behind.

“Marquis is somewhere here.” He searched the beach for the familiar blonde hair.

They were they for a couple of minutes before Vincent broke the silence. “Do you think she played us? Maybe she went back to Kings to get a chance at snatching SJ.”

“Vincent a bit more patience.” Xavier paced around the beach.

“There she is,” Stephan grunted his voice laced with rage.

“Where?” Solara turned towards the direction he was facing when a wind of sand rose.

“Here.” Marquis appeared next to them. “Hello, my love. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Marquis. Where is my daughter?” Stephan caught her hand as she tried to stroke his cheek.

“I thought it would just be the two of us.” She looked at the others with a frown on her face.

“I guess not.” Stephan used his chin to signal a dozen vampires coming up from behind her. “Maybe next time.”

“They are just security. They will leave as soon as yours do.” She dipped her head to the left as she sucked on her pinkie finger.

“How about we keep them around. This is going to be very simple actually. You are going to tell me what you want then you are going to hand me, my daughter.” He yanked her hand.

“That’s funny. You think you are running this. My rules or no baby.”

“Fine, I’ll play along.”

“Everybody but us leaves.”

“No!” Stephan shut her down once more.

“What we are going to do doesn’t require clothes. I for one want you to be the only one to see me naked.”

“You must be crazy.”

“Unless your dead wife can give you another baby, you will obey my rules,” Marquis shouted when he turned his back to her.

Stephan thought about it for a second. There was nothing he could do at the moment that could make Scarlet any more furious at him. She was bound to forgive him once they had their baby back and their family was complete.

“What do you hope to accomplish.” He slowly turned to face her.

“I want this beach to remember me and not her. I want to desecrate her memory, their memories. I watched you make love to that vampire on this beach, then to that human in San Francisco. This seems to be where you take the women you love and I want you to treat me the same way.”

“You are crazy.” Solara hissed under his breath. He knew that it was her order that had his sister killed. He wished he could use her blonde hair to choke the death out of her but he had to put Christina first.

“My men are going to set up a picnic and a tent. We won’t eat but I want the same scene like the one you had for the dead human.” Marquis chirped.

“Did this chick just escape from the loony bin?” Vincent looked at her puzzled.

“Stephan my love I don’t like it when your friends call me crazy. Tell them to stop.”

“When the shoe fits-,” that was all Stephan had to say.

“Well, that doesn’t matter. How do you like my dress?”

Stephan looked at her appearance for the first time. She was wearing a red dress, he didn’t think much of it until he took a closer look. He grabbed her arm and hauled her towards him.

“Where did you get this dress?” he hissed.