Chapter Sixteen

That morning at the dinner table the tension was thicker than the Castle's walls. Korra did as Asami ask. She kept her distance with a heavy heart. Korra left early before breakfast and everyone noticed but said nothing. She could not stand it to be so close and yet so far.

Asami locked her out of their link. Asami sat next to Korra like she usually do. But she acted more out of habit than anything else. Their parents stared at them curiously. Korra had to retire to her old room as Asami had lock hers.

It was the last day of the full moon cycle and Korra had spent yet another night drowning in her own blood and despair.

The next day was tearing Korra up completely. She left early again, her mind was not with her work, and so she ended up on almost flattening her thumb under her relentless pounding hammer. Kai and Alex actually tried to use force before Korra really might hurt herself.

Korra was so angry that she broke Kai's nose. When the realization came clear to her what she did, she hang her head, apologized and left. The tanned hybrid walked around the town with her hands in her pockets and her head hung low.

She glanced here and there at street stalls and tuned out the merchants yelling and attempts to sell their goods. She just kept thinking what could she do, to have Asami talk to her again.

Korra was caught off-guard when she was bumped hard off the sidewalk. Just when she was about to bite off the head of her "bumper" she recognized Mako.

"Korra! Thank goodness I bumped into you. Now come on." Mako grabbed hold of her arm and before she knew it she was hastily trailing Mako to Opal's Shop. It didn't took Opal long to notice them, she waiting impatiently for them. She indicated for Jinora to take over her post and led Mako and Korra upstairs.

Opal quickly shut her door closed and gave a quick scowl at Korra. "You look like shit." Opal remarked and without waiting for a reply she continued. "This morning I found a letter address to 'The Witch of Gemstone'. She handed the letter over to Mako. As he read Opal explained.

"They gave me two lapis lazuli stones and requested that I make them daylight rings and leave my store open tonight after sundown so they can pay and collect." Opal said throwing her hands up in the air.

Both Mako and Korra had frowns upon their faces. "So… What's the problem?" Mako asked.

Opal sat down on her couch and dramatically sighed as she held her head in her left hand. "Oh my dear naïve friends. It does not work like that. Do you really think witches just make these rings on request by anyone?" She scowled the two of them. "That is why I called Asami here as well." Opal told them as if they were children.

"Asami is coming?" Korra asked excitedly and as fast the smile spread across her face it faded when she saw the very person coming into view from Opal's kitchen. Asami's face flashed a cold frown when her and Korra's eyes have met and then she ignored her and greeted Mako with an embrace.

"I am let down by you Mako, that you do not understand the problem here." Asami said as she shook her head in disapproval. "Don't worry she's disappoint a lot lately…" Korra murmured. "You would know very well, now wouldn't you?" Asami retorted as she glared ice daggers at Korra. Korra let her eyes wander to the floor and shifted her feet like a scowled child.

"The problem is Mako that request has been made without the necessarily precautions. Witches must acknowledged by their cults to perform such magic,

They must also have the approval of both the pureblood Vampire coven and head Priest or Priestess of the cult.

After they all agree they then have it written to whom the rings will be given to and signed and sealed and documented by both the party members.

We have this system in our society to ensure that all sires are responsible for their fledglings. And also to limit the overpopulation of vampires.

The maximum number of fledglings sired without consulting the Seven is five. Anything more and you will need permission from the majority of the counsel. I myself have sired a total of thirty fledglings of which Opal made only one ring and her grandmother Toph made three.

So you see, it is a problem when there are vampires created without the proper procedures. It can only mean one thing… that war is upon us." Asami explained the lengthy dilemma to her young and uninformed friend and mate.

"There was not this much fuss when making the rings for the werewolves and the bittens." Korra said exasperated. "For someone who does a lot of learning you know very little Korra." Asami retorted. "The wolves have similar laws with their sirings however for what concern the rings there are no rules of that, as it is nearly impossible to find hybrids. And we only made a hundred rings for all the wolves in our service and two extra for Iroh and Bolin. We have no intention to make one for every wolf descendant in the world." Asami explained.

Korra let out a short-lived relieved sigh, Asami noticed it and squinted her eyes at the former.

"So the question at hand is, what are we going to do now about these two?" Opal asked with her hands in her hair. They all sat there in the living room thinking of a solution. Opal is slightly nervous there is a lot of strange activity going the past few months.

With all the half transformed Camazotz and strange reports of people dead or missing is fueling her fear for the night.

"I suggest that we have a chat with these two new vampires, they even might know of the attacks on the livestock of the farms of Moieciu de Sus of Moieciu." Mako offered.

"Attacks?" All three woman ask in unison. "Yes, I know it not part of Bran, however some members of the Secret Supernatural Law keepers Association (SSLA) have informed me of a bat-like creature terrorizing some of their farms. And since we're the only commune that have records of the Camazotz, I think it might be one that came from our side." Mako explained.

"You mean there actually might be one that has transformed completely and is alive?" Opal asked terrified. Mako nodded his head grimly. "I agree with Mako then. We shall interrogate these orphaned fledglings." Asami stated and made her way to the door. "We'll meet up before sundown." Asami said and she let her hand rest upon the handle as she looked straight at the door. "Are you coming, Korra?" She asked Korra but refused to look in her direction.

Korra jumped at the emotionless tone of Asami's voice and solemnly followed the rave haired beauty out the door. There was an awkward silence that followed in the living room. "Do you think they are gone?" Mako whispered. Opal made a wave of her hand before she spoke.

"I'm not sure but we can speak freely here." She said as she stood up from the couch. "Would you like to have some tea of coffee?" She offered to the detective. Mako gave her a handsome smile. "As I would ever pass up Coffee." He answered her. Opal laughed and nodded her head.

"So what's going on between the power couple? Mako asked as he rested himself against the kitchen wall and sipped on his cup of Coffee. "Asami said that there is something Korra is hiding from her. So she is giving her the cold shoulder." Opal said.

"And for how long has been getting the cold shoulder?" Mako asked with a quirk of his brow. "Almost a bit more than a day…" She replied. "But a day isn't that long…" He scoffed and gulped down a bit of his cup. "Maybe not for you but, imagine to suddenly to be cut off from someone's constant presence you have grown fond of for four years… then even one hour can be too long." Opal explained. Mako pouted his lip and nodded his head in sympathy.

…

The wind was rushing the silent tears away from Asami's emerald eyes. Korra's heart was breaking to pieces but she could not form any words in her mouth, she could barely breathe past the sour and heavy lump in her throat. Asami did her utmost best to keep her eyes nailed to the road ahead of her as she drove in her satomobile.

"I'm sorry…" Korra said as she fumbled with her hands in her lap. No answer came Asami. The hybrid could feel her heart shatter as her mate refused to look at her. Korra's own tears started to well up in her eyes and she turned her face away. Thinking it is better not see how Asami is ignoring her.

"Asami…" Korra tried to swallow the lump growing in her throat. Her voice was breaking, her heart was breaking and she was slowly losing all her mind. "I did not wanted to burden you with this. All I want to do is love you and protect you from everything that means you harm. I cannot stand this with you acting this way. I can't live like this. It has only been one day and I cannot even think of making it through to the next minute. The whole world can fall to ruins for all I care, all I need is for you be safe and happy. And if that means that I should suffer a drowning death every night for the rest of my life then I will gladly pay it." Tears were now streaming down Korra's face.

Her blue cobalt eyes look up once again in hope to find the green emeralds but all Korra saw was Asami's stone expression as she stared at the road ahead. "Will you ever speak to me again, like you did before? Will you ever reopen the bond between us?" Korra was pleading now but no avail.

Asami kept her eyes on the road.

There was a long silence. The rest of the trip home was deafening quiet. Korra did not dare to lift her head up again. She took in deep breaths and bit her tongue and tried to will away her tears. She hated for how weak she has become and despised how she refused to ask help from anyone. Her mind was racing. And all Korra could think of is: 'Is it too late? Is it too late to ask for forgiveness and is it too late to ask for help.'