Ookashi took the blue box with a bemused smile. The happiness on her face and the satisfaction on her face struck Adrianna. It had been ages since she had seen Ookashi so moves. 

With trembling hands Ookashi caressed the velvet of the blue box. “What is it?” she asked. 

​​

“Open it,” Niiya coaxed her with a chuckle. 

She licked her dry lips and opened the box. A small silver key glistened inside. Amazed at the content of the box, she plucked the key from its slot and brought it to her eye level. “What is this for, Niiya?” 

“This is the key to this restaurant,” Niyya said affectionately.

“What?” Okkashi put her hand to her mouth that gaped at him. 

“Yes, I wanted to give this to you for a long time. This belonged to me and Nate, but now it fully belongs to you.” 

Ookashi screamed like a child and hugged Niiya. “Oh my God!” she shouted. “Thank you, brother!” 

Along with Niiya everyone around the table laughed in their happiness.

Niiya patted her. “I love you, sis.” If possible come over to meet mother. She misses you a lot.”

There were tears in Ookashi’s eyes. She nodded. “Yes I will.” 

Adrianna stroked Ookashi’s back. This was a wonderful moment. 

“Shall we order something?” Dmitri asked. He suddenly felt very hungry. 

“Not needed. I have ordered everything according to Ookashi’s choice,” said Niiya, removing himself from her embrace. 

Ookashi laughed again. She squealed again and almost jumped in her seat. She flashed the key in front of Nate, who shook his head at her as a wide grin formed on his mouth. 

There was a rare smile on Haldir’s face. He had been waiting for Inyanga and was pretty nervous. This small incident diverted his attention. When he heard Dmitri ordering for dinner, he winced. “Should we wait for Inyanga?” 

“Oh right!” he replied. “Let us order the drinks first,” Dmitri corrected. 

— 

The Shadow followed the scent at a lightning speed. It led him to the Werewolf Realm. But the scent faded as he circled its periphery. His maroon eyes rotated looking for signs but there were none. The people in the realm were on business as usual. He went to sit on a tree near the manor where the scent was still lingering. After waiting for almost an hour, he lost patience and flew away from there. 

It had suddenly become windy and the dusk was engulfed by the dark night. The leaves on the trees susurrated fiercely in the wind. The Shadow was afraid that the scent would drift away, so he picked up the scent again and backtracked. The gust of air current was so strong that it pushed its way through the dense trees and pummeled into the ground that was covered with dry leaves and twigs and whipped them into small whirlpools. The Shadow flew in order to go back beneath the boulder cursing and hissing at its luck for missing out an opportunity when all at once, he picked the smell again and this time it was coming from the East side. Because of the strong gusts of wind the scent wafted in a crisscross manner. He followed it nonetheless. The forests cleared and he entered the Human Realm. He sniffed and found it becoming stronger and stronger as he neared it. “My Master,” he slurped. 

In less than a minute, the Shadow was on the oak trees that surrounded the restaurant. 

— 

Inyanga was hurrying up the last minute issues in her kingdom. She had to meet Haldir because he had stated that it was an urgent matter—a matter of life and death. She was worried as hell about him. So as soon as the last problem was taken care of, she went to her bedroom, took a bath, changed into a black leather pants and pale yellow shirt. She adorned a white pearl necklace made from pure Basra pearls. Feeling satisfied at her appearance, she created a portal and walked out of it. 

She protected her face with her hands as she stepped out in the blast of wind. The trees were swaying so violently that it seemed they would get uprooted. There was nothing abnormal but there was something, which made her feel dreadful. She looked inside the restaurant through the glass door and noticed Liam and Adrianna sitting and talking to others. They were laughing, perhaps on a joke. 

She closed her chest in her arms and her hands trembled. Unexpectedly Haldir appeared in front of her. He had sensed her presence and her dread while sitting inside. He embraced her shielding from the wind and said in a honeyed, “What’s it Inyanga?” 

She clutched him tightly as her guts roiled. “I can feel the presence of something horrible, something unexplainable.” 

Haldir tightened his embrace around her. He was confused. “It is the wind,” he remarked and held her shoulders. “Let us go in.” He was eager to propose to her. 

She turned her face to him and asked in a gravelly tone, “Is Ileus also here?�� 

“Yes,” Haldir replied with a jerk. “Why?” 

Before she could answer, something moaned from distance. The sound was like a chilled gust of air passing over the mountains. The sound ebbed a little before increasing again. It was like a terrible screech becoming more intense and distressed as it came closer. The lights on the street lamps flickered. Haldir and Inyanga stood there, frozen to their spots. A sensation scraped against Inyanga’s skin. Inyanga turned and immediately blasted a ball of fire in that direction. Maniacal laughter could be heard in the distance. It receded and Inyanga threw another ball of fire that side. 

Haldir became extremely alert. “What is it?” he asked her, almost shouting. His gaze shifted inside the restaurant. Everyone was still in a cheerful mood unaware of what was happening outside. 

“I don’t know!” she gritted her teeth. “Create a shield around the restaurant now!” 

Haldir forced his hands and created an electric field that covered it from all the sides. The wind turned in gale, as the clouds above became dark and threatening. More and more billowed from the north. The trees swayed dangerously in the strengthening wind. Lightning passed through them in regular intervals. The rain poured down from the clouds as if it wanted to use its hammer to pound the earth. 

For a few minutes, nothing except the sound of raindrops and strong gusts of wind was heard. 

“Let’s go in and warn others,” Haldir suggested. 

“Okay,” she nodded. 

The two of them were soaked in rain. They walked towards the door when the electric field in front of it crackled with a loud blast. 

Scared for the royal family, Haldir asked, “Has it broken the shield?”

“I don’t know!” Inyanga said. “I hope no one comes out.”

However by this time, Adrianna’s attention was already diverted. She heard the blast. Everyone else looked in that direction. “I need to go!” she got up from there. Only three people in the group were wizards. She warned, “None of you are going to come out.” She became extremely worried about Ileus and others. 

She thought of opening the door but on a second thought, she got sucked in a vortex and went out. She was stunned to see Inyanga throwing a ball of fire on her left. 

“Adrianna, go back in!” Inyanga shouted.