Aleksander got dressed quickly, packing only what he needed for the road.
When Lexi walked out of the bedroom, she looked incredible.
She wore a pair of tight denim jeans that perfectly showed off her curves, a simple grey top, and a sharp, red quilted leather moto jacket.
“Let’s go,” she said with a smirk, leading the way down to her building’s private garage.
She stopped in front of a sleek, black 2007 BMW Z4 and tossed the keys through the air.
Aleksander caught them without even looking.
“I’m probably going to have to change cars soon,” Lexi mentioned, walking around to the passenger side.
“I compelled it from some rich guy a while back, but the plates are probably flagged by now.”
Aleksander just nodded and got into the driver’s seat.
“Don’t worry about it.”
They pulled out of the garage and hit the city streets, quickly picking up speed.
As they drove, Aleksander casually reached up and placed his hand flat against the roof of the car.
He didn’t chant a spell or close his eyes; he just pushed his magic into the metal.
Instantly, a shimmering, liquid-like wave cascaded over the chassis of the vehicle.
It looked as though a massive volume of magical water was pouring over the car, stripping away the vintage black panels.
Because the BMW and the car Aleksander was creating had completely different body shapes, the magic adapted flawlessly.
The car’s wheels and wheelbase remained firmly anchored to the asphalt, keeping their shape and position so the car wouldn’t lose control or look like stretching rubber.
The fluid ripple did all the heavy lifting, reshaping the exterior shell while they continued driving at high speed.
A sharp chromatic shift followed the water.
The deep, solid black of the vintage BMW was instantly swallowed up, replaced by a highly reflective, metallic silver.
In seconds, the liquid washed away completely, leaving them sitting in a pristine, million-dollar Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Lexi looked around the sleek new interior, her eyes wide with absolute shock.
She stared at the hood of the car, then looked over at Aleksander, who was still casually steering with one hand.
Additionally cast and charm on licence plates too.
A delighted laugh escaped her lips.
“Well. I guess we won’t need to change cars anytime soon.”
“Told you,” Aleksander smiled, shifting gears as the McLaren’s engine roared.
But as they navigated through the outer city streets, heading for the highway, Aleksander noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
He slowed the car slightly, his gaze locking onto a massive structure taking up a whole city block.
To the mundane humans walking past it on the sidewalk, it was just an abandoned, run-down gothic cathedral.
It looked like crumbling stone, covered in dirt and old vines, completely ignored by the public.
But Aleksander didn’t have normal eyes.
He saw right through the glamour.
Beneath the magical illusion, the building was actually a towering, magnificent church.
It was pristine, heavily fortified, and practically humming with a very specific kind of ancient power.
Aleksander couldn’t help but frown, his grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel.
Shadowhunters, he thought.
This world just keeps getting more interesting.
Aleksander pulled his gaze away from the hidden cathedral, deciding to leave the Shadowhunters alone for now.
He had other places to be.
Keeping one hand comfortably on the leather steering wheel, he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket with the other.
He quickly opened his messages and typed a text to his Aunt Sheila.
Heading your way.
Should be in Mystic Falls in about 7 hours.
He hit send and tossed the phone into the center console.
Lexi watched him, leaning back comfortably in the passenger seat and enjoying the smooth, luxurious ride of the new car.
”Everything good?” she asked.
”Yeah,” Aleksander replied, a small smile returning to his face.
“Just giving the family a heads-up.”
He shifted gears, and the McLaren’s engine let out a deep, powerful roar.
The towering city buildings began to blur past them as he merged onto the highway, leaving the loud, crowded streets of New York behind.
The silver sports car cut through the traffic like a bullet, speeding straight down the open road toward the quiet town of Mystic Falls.
The sun was beginning to set by the time the silver McLaren crossed the Mystic Falls town line.
The quiet, tree-lined streets were a massive shift from the chaotic energy of New York.
Aleksander navigated the roads effortlessly, eventually pulling up to a cozy, well-kept house with a wide front porch.
He killed the engine, but before they got out, he turned to Lexi.
“Just a heads up,” Aleksander said, his tone casual but serious.
“My Aunt Sheila strongly dislikes vampires. She absolutely hates getting involved in what she calls ‘vampire business’.”
Lexi let out a dry laugh, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“A traditional witch who hates vampires. Shocking. Let me guess, she’s obsessed with the balance?”
“She has an almost religious devotion to Nature and its will,” Aleksander nodded.
“To her, your kind is a direct violation of the natural order.”
Lexi sighed, adjusting her red leather jacket.
She looked at the house, a little hesitant.
“Great. Should I just wait in the car, then?”
“No, come up to the door,” Aleksander smiled, opening his door.
“She can be a handful, but I’m used to her. I’ll get you an invite.”
They stepped out of the car and walked up the front steps together.
Aleksander opened the front door and stepped into the warm, herb-scented hallway of the Bennett house.
Lexi, however, stopped dead in her tracks at the threshold, an invisible barrier keeping her firmly outside on the porch.
“Aunt Sheila?” Aleksander called out, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet house.
“I’m back.”
A moment later, an older woman walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.
She had a stern, commanding presence, but the moment her eyes landed on Aleksander, her face broke into a massive, loving smile.
“Look at you,” Sheila breathed out, rushing forward to pull him into a tight, warm hug.
“It’s been far too long, Aleksander.”
“It’s good to see you too, Auntie,” Aleksander smiled, hugging her back.
But as Sheila pulled away, her sharp eyes shifted to the open doorway.
She instantly sensed the cold, static energy of the undead.
Her smile vanished completely as she locked eyes with the blonde woman casually leaning against the porch railing.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Sheila straightened her posture, her protective instincts immediately flaring up.
“Aleksander,” Sheila said, her voice dropping into a cold, warning tone.
“Why is there a vampire on my porch?”
Aleksander didn’t flinch at his aunt’s sharp tone.
He just kept his calm, easy demeanor.
“She’s a friend I made in New York, Aunt Sheila. And she’s good.”
Sheila crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.
“There is no such thing as a good vampire, Aleksander. They go against everything we stand for.”
“She doesn’t hunt,” Aleksander explained smoothly.
“She drinks human blood, yes, but strictly from blood bags she gets from hospital blood banks. She leaves people alone.”
Sheila’s frown deepened, her sharp eyes darting between her nephew and the vampire waiting outside.
“Besides,” Aleksander added, giving his aunt a gentle, knowing look.
“You know me. Do you really think I would befriend a vampire—let alone bring one to your house—if I wasn’t absolutely sure about her?”
Sheila stared him down for a long, heavy moment.
She hated it, but she couldn’t argue with his logic.
He wasn’t just any witch; he was the most powerful being on the planet.
Nothing could fool him.
She looked past him to Lexi, who offered a small, polite smile from the porch.
Sheila let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders dropping just a fraction.
“Fine,” she muttered, though she still didn’t look happy about it.
She locked eyes with Lexi.
“You can come in.”
Lexi smiled in relief and stepped over the threshold, the invisible barrier instantly vanishing around her.