MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Chapter 421: Overqualified Blood

The night was still, a gentle breeze rustling through the trees surrounding the secluded house. Blake stood in the doorway of Celena's room, watching his daughter's peaceful slumber. Her small form rose and fell with each breath, unaware of the monumental task that lay ahead for her father.

Blake approached the bed silently, his vampiric grace allowing him to move without disturbing the sleeping child. He knelt beside her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. The gesture was so achingly familiar, reminding him of countless nights spent watching over both Celena and Rose.

"I'm going to bring your mummy back, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice barely audible even in the quiet room. "I promise you, I'll do whatever it takes."

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Celena's forehead. The child stirred slightly but didn't wake, lost in the depths of her dreams. Blake lingered for a moment longer, committing every detail of her face to memory. Then, with a heavy heart, he rose and left the room.

Nana was waiting for him in the hallway, her kind eyes filled with understanding and concern. "You be careful out there, Blake," she said softly. "Celena needs you to come back."

Blake nodded, unable to find the words to express his gratitude for her support. With a final glance back at Celena's room, he stepped out into the night.

The drive to the cabin in the woods was tense, the air in the car thick with anticipation. Reggie sat beside Blake, while Dumphries followed in another vehicle, laden with the equipment they would need. As they left the city limits, the roads grew darker and more winding, the forest pressing in on either side.

Finally, they arrived at the familiar clearing. The cabin stood silent and dark, a testament to the months of waiting and worry. Blake took a deep, unnecessary breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead.

"You ready for this, mate?" Reggie asked, his voice low and supportive.

Blake nodded, his jaw set with determination. "Let's bring her home."

They approached the cabin, the crunch of gravel under their feet seeming unnaturally loud in the stillness of the night. Blake hesitated for just a moment at the door, then pushed it open.

The interior was exactly as he'd left it, a snapshot frozen in time. His eyes were drawn immediately to the bedroom, where he knew Rose lay waiting. With slow, deliberate steps, he made his way to her side.

Rose lay on the bed, her features serene in her unnatural slumber. The Nemesis' hold on her was evident in the pallor of her skin, the stillness that went beyond mere sleep. Blake sat beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Rose," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here. We've found a way to bring you back, to fight this thing that's taken you from us." He squeezed her hand gently. "It's going to be dangerous, and I'm... I'm scared. But I won't give up on you.

Never."

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "We're going to face this together, my love. Just hold on a little longer."

With gentle reverence, Blake gathered Rose into his arms. Her body was light, too light, a stark reminder of how long she'd been under the Nemesis' influence. He cradled her close to his chest as he carried her out of the cabin.

Dumphries and Reggie were waiting outside, their faces solemn in the moonlight. Blake's eyes widened as he took in the array of equipment Dumphries had brought. Candles, herbs, strange symbols drawn on parchment – and most alarmingly, a sleek black coffin.

"Why the coffin?" Blake asked, his voice sharp with sudden anxiety. "I can carry her."

Dumphries stepped forward, his expression grave. "Blake, where we're going... Rose will be vulnerable. The coffin is reinforced, enchanted. It will keep her safe from the dangers we're likely to encounter."

"He's right, mate," Reggie added softly. "We need to protect her at all costs."

Blake looked down at Rose's peaceful face, then back at the coffin. Every instinct screamed at him to keep her close, but he knew they were right. With a heavy heart, he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Let's do this."

With utmost care, they placed Rose in the coffin. Blake's hand lingered on hers for a moment before he reluctantly closed the lid. Dumphries began arranging the ritual components in a wide circle, muttering incantations under his breath as he worked.

"The summoning itself isn't overly complex," Dumphries explained as he worked. "The real challenge lies in attracting a familiar powerful enough to breach the veil between worlds, yet one we can hopefully... persuade to assist us."

Blake watched intently as Dumphries completed the circle, placing candles at specific points and sprinkling herbs in intricate patterns. The air seemed to thicken, charged with an energy Blake could feel but not quite describe.

"Are you ready?" Dumphries asked, looking up at Blake.

Blake nodded, stepping forward. "What do you need me to do?"

"Your blood," Dumphries said simply. "Freely given, it will be the catalyst that draws the familiar to us."

Without hesitation, Blake bit into his own wrist. Dark blood welled up, and he held his arm out over the center of the circle. As the first drops fell, Dumphries began to chant in a language Blake didn't recognize.

The effect was immediate. The candles flared, their flames stretching unnaturally high. The herbs began to smolder, releasing tendrils of sweetly scented smoke. Blake felt a tugging sensation, as if something was pulling at the very essence of his being.

For several long moments, nothing else happened. The chanting continued, the smoke swirled, but the night remained still. Blake exchanged a worried glance with Reggie, wondering if perhaps they had failed.

Then, with a suddenness that made them all jump, a spark ignited in the air above the circle. It hung there for a heartbeat, a pinprick of impossibly bright light. Then it expanded, tearing open the very fabric of reality.

A black portal yawned before them, its edges crackling with eldritch energy. Blake's eyes widened in shock as he saw what lay beyond. Not the singular, powerful familiar they had hoped to summon, but a veritable horde.

Shapes began to emerge from the portal – twisted, otherworldly forms that defied description. Some were vaguely humanoid, others more bestial. Some seemed to be composed of living shadow, while others gleamed with an inner light that hurt to look at directly.

They poured forth in an endless stream, hundreds of familiars of varying sizes and apparent power levels. The air thrummed with their presence, filled with whispers and growls and sounds Blake had no words for.

Dumphries had stopped chanting, his face a mask of shock and growing alarm. Reggie had taken a protective stance in front of Rose's coffin, though he looked utterly out of his depth.

Blake turned to Dumphries, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of the emerging familiars. "Is this... is this supposed to be happening?"

Dumphries shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the spectacle before them. "No," he breathed. "This is unprecedented. Your blood, Blake... it seems to have over-qualified us in the extreme."

The familiars continued to emerge, their numbers growing by the second. Some regarded the assembled humans with curiosity, others with hunger. A few of the more powerful entities seemed to be assessing Blake specifically, their alien gazes boring into him.

As the night air filled with the presence of hundreds of otherworldly beings, all drawn by the power of his blood, Blake realized that their already dangerous plan had just become infinitely more complex. The journey to save Rose was off to a far more chaotic start than any of them could have anticipated.