59 Flora Is In Danger! (2/2)

How had the witch guessed that when she looked like a vampire?! She had no proof; it would be fine as long as she played it off. ”I have no idea what you're talking abou—”

”Cut the crap, alright? This is serious! Flora is in danger!”

All the blood drained out of her face. Blair looked deadly serious; she knew everything that went on in her territory so something terrible must have actually happened to her baby cousin while she was gone.

”What is it? What happened?” Ruby asked desperately, reaching up to grasp the arms that held onto her.

”Come with me,” she said grimly.

Blair led her back into her workshop and pulled out a memory stick, inserting it into the laptop that had been left open on top of a stack of spellbooks. A few clicks later, a video appeared on the screen consisting of a tear-stained face Ruby knew well. Flora.

She was looking at something off-screen and a cold disembodied voice said, ”Look at the camera and say hi to Ruby.”

Flora eagerly jumped up and got right in the camera's lens so she was little more than a green and brown blur. Her little voice shook with emotion and she began to sob partway through what she had to say.

”Is Ruby in there? I want to see her! Show me Ruby! You said I could see her if I was good! Ruby, where are you? Mommy and Daddy went away too so you have to come back, okay? I don't want to be all alone.”

The cold voice spoke up again as the baby fairy continued to wail and clutch her bear and blanket ever tighter.

”If you want to see your little cousin alive again you will come to the bed-and-breakfast on Rochelle Road alone. Speak of this to no one or she will die. We will be waiting.”

The video ended and Ruby couldn't do anything but stare at the screen in dread. Flora truly was in danger. There was only one person she could think of who would kidnap an innocent child to threaten her. Whoever her uncle tried to sell her to.

She rounded on the witch accusingly. ”Where did you get this?”

Blair held her hands up defensively. ”The thumb drive was left on the counter by some guy in a hood who said it was for your eyes only. Mena tried stopping him but he walked right out without another word.

”I was skeptical about this and thought it was some kind of hoax until I watched the video. I went out to your aunt and uncle's house myself to see what happened and…I'm so sorry but they're gone. There was blood on the floor near two piles of soil.”