MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

As the gravity of their decision settled over them, the atmosphere in the cabin grew thick with tension. Blake cradled Rose's limp form, his eyes never leaving her face.

"How exactly does this work?" Blake asked, his voice hoarse with worry.

Reggie moved around the small space, with his hand on his chin. "If I'm not mistaken, it's an ancient vampire ritual."

Randal nodded, adding, "It's not without risk, Blake. The process will push Rose to the very brink of death. If we're not careful, we could lose her entirely."

Blake's grip on Rose tightened involuntarily. "And you're sure there's no other way?"

"I wish there was," Reggie sighed, pausing to meet Blake's gaze. "But given her weakened state and the Nemisis's growing strength, this is our best chance of keeping her alive long enough to find a solution."

As they spoke, Rose stirred slightly in Blake's arms. Her eyes fluttered open, brown for the moment, filled with pain and confusion.

"Blake?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What's happening?"

Blake swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "It's okay, my love. We're going to help you rest for a while."

Rose's brow furrowed. "Rest? I don't understand..."

Before Blake could explain further, Rose's body went rigid. Her eyes snapped open, now solid black, and a cruel laugh escaped her lips.

"Oh, how delicious," the Nemisis sneered. "You think you can trap me in slumber? Fools. I'll tear her apart from the inside out before I let that happen."

Reggie stepped forward, his face set in grim determination. "You won't have a choice, demon. The ritual will bind you as surely as it binds Rose."

The Nemesis snarled, Rose's features twisting into a mask of rage. "You underestimate my power, vampire. I've devoured souls far stronger than hers."

Blake stood abruptly, still holding Rose. "Enough! Reggie, Randal, we need to do this now. I won't let this thing hurt her anymore."

Immediately Blake said these words, Rose's eyes went brown again and her body limp.

Blake paced the small cabin, his eyes darting between Rose's unconscious form and Reggie's determined face. The weight of their situation pressed down on him, making each second feel like an eternity.

"We need Dumphries for this," Reggie said, his voice grave. "He's the only one with the knowledge and power to perform the eternal slumber ritual safely."

"Reggie," Blake said, his voice tight with anxiety, "how are we supposed to contact Dumphries? He's all the way in the vampire city, and we don't exactly have a direct line to him."

A knowing smile spread across Reggie's face, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and produced a small, multifaceted crystal. As it caught the dim light of the cabin, it seemed to glow with an inner radiance, casting dancing patterns on the walls.

"Have you forgotten this?" Reggie asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

Blake's eyes widened in recognition, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the dire circumstances. "The communication crystal," he breathed. "I can't believe I forgot about it."

Memories flooded back to Blake – of standing in the four walls of the Dumpheries home, using a similar crystal to contact Gunther a few months back. It felt like a lifetime ago, though in vampire terms, it had been merely a blink of an eye.

"How come you have it with you?" Blake asked, his brow furrowing. "Do you carry it everywhere you go?"

Reggie and Randal exchanged glances, a moment of levity passing between them. They both chuckled, the sound strange and almost out of place in the tense atmosphere of the cabin.

Randal stepped forward, placing a hand on Blake's shoulder. "It's like a mobile phone for us, Blake," he explained, his tone gentle as if speaking to a child who had forgotten a basic lesson. "Just as humans don't feel comfortable going about without their cellphones these days, we vampires tend to keep these crystals close."

Reggie nodded, turning the crystal over in his hands. "It's not strictly necessary, of course," he added. "But it's become something of a habit for many of us, especially those who travel frequently or have important connections to maintain."

Blake shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. "I guess I forgot," he admitted. "So many things have happened lately."

"No worries, my friend," Reggie said, his voice warm. "That's why you have us to remind you."

With practiced ease, Reggie began to manipulate the crystal, his fingers dancing over its facets. Each touch seemed to make the crystal's inner light pulse brighter for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked, leaning in closer to watch.

"I'm matching its energy signature to Dumphries' crystal," Reggie explained, his eyes never leaving the gem in his hands. "Each crystal has a unique signature, like a fingerprint. If we want to reach Dumphries specifically, we need to attune this crystal to his."

Randal watched with interest, his eyes narrowing slightly. "How do you know Dumphries' signature?" he asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.

Reggie looked up, a proud grin spreading across his face. "I memorized it when we used Dumphries' crystal to contact Gunther back in the vampire city," he said. "I figured it might come in handy someday. Looks like I was right."

Blake nodded, impressed. "Always thinking ahead, aren't you, Reggie?"

"Someone has to," Reggie replied with a wink.

As they watched, the crystal in Reggie's hand began to pulse with a soft blue light. Reggie's face became a mask of concentration, his fingers moving with increased precision over the facets.

The cabin fell silent, save for the faint hum emanating from the crystal. Blake found himself holding his breath, his eyes darting between the glowing gem and Rose's still form on the bed. Everything hinged on this moment – their ability to reach Dumphries, to bring him here in time to save Rose.

Randal moved closer to Rose, checking her pulse with gentle fingers. "Her heartbeat is getting weaker," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "We don't have much time."

Blake's fists clenched at his sides, a wave of helplessness washing over him. He wanted to do something, anything, to help Rose. But right now, all he could do was wait and hope that Reggie's skills with the crystal would be enough.

The seconds stretched into minutes, each one feeling like an eternity. The blue glow of the crystal pulsed rhythmically, casting eerie shadows around the cabin. Sweat beaded on Reggie's forehead as he continued to concentrate, his fingers moving in increasingly complex patterns over the crystal's surface.

Just when Blake thought he couldn't take the tension anymore, something changed. The crystal's glow suddenly steadied, its light becoming constant rather than pulsing.

Reggie's eyes snapped open, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Got it," he whispered.

Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice emanated from the crystal, filling the small cabin with its deep, resonant tones.

"Reggie," Dumphries' voice said, a mixture of surprise and concern evident in his tone. "What's happened? Why have you contacted me through the emergency channel?"