Never Pick a Fight with a Queen

As evening blended into night, Freya watched as the humans mixed with the supernatural creatures. Freya knewthe bar was frequented by both, but had never really considered the scope of it. A groan interrupted her people watching and she turned to look at Ava who glared at her while holding her head. Freya laughed sniggering at the wince Ava gave at the sound.

"What did you expect picking a fight with a werewolf?" she asked with a smirk.

Ava scowled. "It's not like I started it." She mumbled.

"You sure ended it." Hunter said sliding into the booth.

"Come to add to my misery?" Ava asked.

Hunter smirked. "If only that was true." he said quietly before he turned serious. "Something's come up.

He jerked his head to the side. "Next door is my garage. Well technically Marcus's garage. Take the second door on the right in the hallway.

Ava straightened. "Hunter? What's this about?"

"Just go. And be careful. Just because you left the school doesn't mean we will ever stop worrying over you." Hunter reminded Ava. He put a comforting hand on Freya's shoulder. "I wish you all the best. Curses are never easily broken. It helps when you have good people on your side." he said before he walked off.

Freya and Ava exchanged a glance before they moved to the hallway and the door that led to the garage, they walked around the shiny cars that surrounded them and was surprised at who they found.

"Xander? Aline? What are you doing here?" Freya asked.

"Please don't be mad." Xander said quietly.

Freya froze her eyes narrowing. She looked at the two of them her eyes casting around for a face that was not there. "Where is Victor?" She asked her voice deathly quiet.

Xander gulped visibly. "Listen." Xander said.

"They disappeared." Aline said.

Xander turned paleat her words. "Aline!"

"They?" Ava asked.

Freya glanced at her before she returned her furious gaze to the twins. "Well? Who is they and Why is Victor with them?" she demanded.

"Charlotte she's Victor's sister. She showed up when we were looking up the final stipulations of the curse." Xander said.

Ava moved closer. "The curse appeared in the Grimoire?"

"Yes." Aline said her eyes widening at the glare Freya sent her way. "Regardless Victor was shaken at the stipulations and his sister's sudden appearance. So they went for a walk. They were at their estate. It should have been safe."

"I still haven't heard an explanation on where they are now." Freya said testily.

Aline and Xander exchanged a glance. "They were taken by magic. A magic that is not familiar to either of us." Aline said.

"Both of them?" Ava asked. "They are human, are they not? Why would something supernatural be after them?"

"Victor is part of the curse, without him it cannot be broken." Xander said.

"Who would do this?" Ava asked.

"A Demon." Rina said s she approached them sliding on a leather jacket as she did. "I just came from the estate, the place reeks of demon. She didn't bother to hide her scent."

"You know who did this?" Xander said.

"How can you be sure it's a demon?" Aline questioned.

Rina smiled. "Demons have the ability to open doorways between worlds and between time. From the magical trace that was left I determined that they were taken in an abandoned Castle in the pre-colonial era." Rina said.

"You got all of that from a trace?" Aline asked.

RIna smirked. "Demons also leave behind magical signatures. Like initially a contract." Rina moved her hands in an arc and a door began to form behind them sparks flying at the edges.

"Lucky for you I know this particular demon." Rina said as she walked into the circular space that led into a beautiful garden that framed a tall stone castle.

"You know this demon? She a friend of yours?" she demanded.

Rina smirked glancing at the tall castle that loomed in front of them. "Friend might be overstating things." Rina murmured. As they pulled the doors they finally found themselves on a platform surrounded by stairs at all corners.

Rina snorted. "I see she still has a sense of humor." Rina said looking at all of them. "Welcome to the infinite stair."

"There is no pattern to these stairs." Xander muttered.

"I think that's the point of an infinite stair." Aline pointed out.

"I did not travel all the way here to listen to the two of you arguing." Freya said in a near growl.

"Hmm. I think I know where we are." Rina mused.

"What?" Freya barked.

"What do you mean?" Ava asked.

"It's a mirage. We are probably rewalking the same stair." Rina said cracking her knuckles and making a complicated move with her fingers that revealed a shimmering circle. Rina looked behind her shoulder at the surprise on the Witches' faces before she reached into the circle and seemed to pull something. Suddenly the stairs around them disappeared revealing a hallway.

"You had to spoil my fun!" A voice said from a couple doors down.

There was a cacophony of sound and then Victor appeared through one of the doors at the end of the hallway. "Victor!" Freya said as Victor grinned widely at seeing her.

Freya ran to him and gathered him up in her arms tightly. Making him grunt. "I'm so glad you're alright." Freya said.

"The only danger I was in, was an overindulgence of sweets." Victor said his eyes narrowing on Rina as she laughed.

"It's you." he said curiously.

Rina frowned. "You know me?" she asked.

Victor pointed towards the door he vacated. "There's an oil portrait of you in the library."

Rina narrowed her eyes, walking towards the library to see for herself. The portrait took up half of the wall, Rina depicted in a old gothic like dress with a huge rounded skirt of a time long forgotten.

"Really?" Rina said.

"What?" a voice said coming out of the stacks. "I've always rather liked that portrait of you," Freya narowed her eyes at the tall lithe girl with long black hair, wearing a long black dress, looking like the wife of some vampire like creature.

"Ever the dramatic one, aren't you?" Rina said. "What are you up to now, Helena?"

"There are people who would prefer the curse never be broken." Helena said dropping into her chair.

"Since when have you cared for others?" Rina asked.

Helena's eyes glittered. "Perhaps this entire thing has been a ruse to get you here. Tell me, how is our boyfriend doing?"