Leopold's manor remained just how we left it before the party – locked and secure, not a single human nor vampire inside. I picked the lock on front door, just as dad had taught me to do, my hands shaking with every glance at Florence. When the lock clicked, I held the door open for Alex to carry my cousin inside.

"Where to?" he said.

I'd been burned before; a demon who liked fire a little too much. The second the monster was put to rest, dad had me submerge the wound in cool water, although it was only a small part of my arm. The burn was not nearly as bad as this.

"Bathtub," I replied.

He went without question. Panicked, I darted around the upstairs rooms, banging doors off walls until I finally found a bathroom.

Leopold kept a pristine ivory bath in the centre of his black and white tiled bathroom on the second floor, sitting in front of a large, open window offering the view of rolling hills of the countryside he could stare at while... indecent. I sneered at the image. Arrogant prick.

I had Alfie and Nathaniel scrambling around downstairs to find bandages and towels while I ran a shallow bath for Florence. The water had to be cool – not freezing – so I stuck my hand under the tap to check the temperature while Alex held onto her, offering words of reassurance.

It was ready. I nodded for Alex to bring her over.

The middle of her dress was singed, peeling away to expose a seeping, scarlet line on her burning stomach. It was too tight; the skin could swell.

She shrieked as Alex lowered her into the bath, and cried hysterically as the burn sizzled.
"I know, I know, I know," Alex soothed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks for a few agonising moments in pain until she let out a sigh of relief. The burn was visibly calming, but she needed to get her clothes off.

"Alex, could you...?" I motioned a circle and he turned around without question. "I need to get this dress off," I said quietly to Florence. "Can you turn?"

She nodded grimly, lips pressed into a fine line. She was becoming more alert now, senses returning, and managed to turn slightly to the left. A wince crept out as I unzipped and pulled off the wrecked outfit but she stopped clenching her jaw when I brought it out the water, dripping onto the tiles.

"Thank you," she croaked. "Can I—" She hissed in pain. "Can I stay here for a while?"
"Of course." I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek then headed for the sink to squeeze the ruined dress into the sink. On my way out, I tossed it into the aluminium bin by the door. "I'll just be outside, if you need anything."

Another weak nod. I tapped and led Alex out then closed the door behind us. He frowned at it, concerned.
"Will she be okay?"

The burn looked bad. I could manage it temporarily, but I was no doctor. She needed a dressing, painkillers and food to keep her strength up. The manor needed fortifying, too, then we had to get back on the road in the morning and—

"Erika." Alex clenched my shoulder. "Erika, will she be okay?"
I wasn't looking at anything in particular when I said, "I don't know."
"And will you be okay?"
So much needed doing. But all I could think about was the possibility of someone breaking into the manor and hurting my family again. "I..." My voice cracked. "I don't know."

He didn't even think twice about it when he curved his arms around my torso, holding me close in a warm hug I didn't know I needed. My shaking hands hovered in the air before finding a place on his back, burying my face in his shoulder as my eyes began to sting. I couldn't show my tears — not when I had to be strong for anyone else.

"You stay here," he said softly. "Keep her safe while I organise everything."
"The manor. It needs—"
"Fortifying, I know. I'll grab some weapons and lock everything up."
I let go of him; he held my arms to keep me reeled in. "But Florence needs—"
"The boys are getting bandages. Don't worry, she'll get them."
"And we need—"
"Blankets, food and new clothes. I'll take care of it all. Stay here."
"But—"
"Please. You said it yourself: you were... drugged." He masked a sigh with a forced smile, and dipped his chin at the bathroom door. "Stay with her."

I nodded and leaned back against the door. With an encouraging smile, he took off down the stairs. I would still check everything once finished, but I needed that moment of rest. Every inch of me hurt, and nausea twisted and turned around in my gut and throat. For a chance to recover — even for just a moment — I owed Alex.

And he was kind — kinder than I thought someone I considered a stranger days ago could ever be.

"Alex?" He came to a halt, leaning back to see over the railing. "Thank you."

His silent smile forced something in my chest to jump. I slid down the bathroom door, frowning at the feeling.

***

Florence spent over an hour in the cool water, lying almost completely still. I re-entered the bathroom three times, worried at the silence, before she swore at me and splashed cold water down my exposed legs, getting a snap in return. I sighed when I shut the door again, however — she was back to her usual self. Maybe not physically, but mentally she was her.

Nathaniel handed me a towel forty minutes before she knocked on the door, but I made no comments on her being slow as I often did.

She struggled to walk while pressing the towel against her. I insisted she took a moment to sit down before trying the stairs, but she did it anyway, almost falling halfway down if I did not grab her by the arm.

Alex did exactly what he told me he would do. All doors and windows were locked and boarded up with Leopold's furniture so no-one could see or get inside. On a small coffee table in the hallway, piles of spare clothes had been laid out for us to change into, — a set of Alfie's clothes for Nathaniel — next to plates of snacks found in the fridge and cupboards. He had brought in weapons too, including my crossbow that was left atop my own pile of clothes.

"I brought blankets and pillows into the living room," he said. "I figured it would be best if we all sleep in the same room tonight."
It was necessary. "I agree."
"I'll go change," Florence said quietly. She picked up her clothes and staggered towards the downstairs bathroom.

"Where are the boys?" I asked.
"Both in the living room setting up sleeping arrangements," Alex replied. "Alfie found some bandages and Nathaniel grabbed some antiseptic and painkillers."
"Good." I hushed my tone. "At least something's going right."
"Hey, we got the artefact, at least." He nudged my arm. "That's something, isn't it?"
It was. There was carnage in our footsteps, but we had an edge on the witches, at least. Horizon's Edge. "I needed reminding of that."

He looked to my pile of clothes. "You should get ready for bed. I grabbed whatever looked comfy so I'm sorry if it—"
"Don't be sorry," I said. He cocked his head. "You've helped us. A lot. Don't be sorry for anything from now on."
"Okay. Sorry."

I raised an eyebrow and he grinned, the sight of it enough to make me smile behind the pile of clothes while I walked away.

Once showered in the guest bathroom, my senses shocking themselves back into reality under cold water, I changed into the grey jogging bottoms and black t-shirt, then headed to join the others in the living room.

Nathaniel was wrapping a dressing over Florence's wound, smiling at something she said and putting a sparkle back in her green eyes, while Alfie set up a bed of pillows and blankets for himself in the corner of the long velvet sofa, away from anyone else.

He turned away as I approached. "Alf," I said.

His hands clutched the hem of his blanket, saying nothing. "Alf?" I repeated.

Alfie let go of the blanket and got up, rushing to the other side of the room to grab a book. "Alfie Mullein turn around right now."
He turned around and his glasses fogged. "Erika—"
"Outside," I said. "Now."

I shut the kitchen door behind us. Alfie paced the tiles, rubbing his arms. It wasn't that cold, but he was shivering, paler than I'd ever seen him.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the marble counter. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"You left your sister to the mercy of a witch." He blinked. "Tell me what made you do it." What could have possessed him to leave her like that?

His green eyes found a spot on the floor to watch. I stepped forward into it so he would look at me. "Well?"
His shoulders slumped. "I can't say."
"You can't say because...?"
"Because I don't know why I did it! I just... I panicked."
I sighed. It was a human reaction that hunters could not afford. "You almost got your sister killed. If Alex and I weren't there—"
"I know."
"Do you even care?"
"Why do you think that I don't?"

A flicker in his nettle eyes. He did care. He really did. There was pain there – a sense of shame he was reluctant to share. Fear took over him at The Collector's manor. Hunting was too much, and he was only now realising it after years of work... for nothing.

The twins carried the legacy of the Mullein's and Lupine's: two great and ancient hunting families. I found hunting so easy growing up, but I was submerged in it, taught from birth that being a hunter was my future so I worked for it. I hadn't considered that a Lupine or Mullein would have other thoughts crossing their mind — that other options could have been swimming around in there.

I brushed passed him and headed upstairs to make a phone call. When I reached the landing by the closed bathroom door, I tapped a name in my contacts.

"Erika! Is everything okay? How are the twins?" Diana; a voice I had been desperate to hear for so long.
"I can't do this, Diana. They're not ready."
A pause. "Tell me everything."

I gave her the run-down of our trip so far; meeting Alex, the witches chasing us, the hotel, The Collector, and Leopold's betrayal. She kept silent throughout the whole story, gasping as I told her of Florence's injury but I made sure to swiftly let her know she was fine. When I finished on Alfie's cowardice, she sighed.

"I was afraid this would happen."
"Florence is reckless and Alfie can't handle hunting. They're not ready."
"The best form of training is experience."
"Not when the experience gets one of us killed."
She sighed. "Give them a chance."
"I've given them chances! I told you what happened. Florence went missing at the hotel and Alfie almost got her killed tonight."
Another sigh. "They'll come around when it means the most. I know it."
I huffed. "They had better." It was dangerous, otherwise.

Diana coughed. "Anyway," she said, tone lightening, "what's that Alex like?"
I shrugged. It was hardly relevant. "He's a good hunter. What else is there to say?"
She groaned. "His personality, Erika. What's he like? How does he look?"
"He's... nice."
"Nice? That's specific."
"What do you want me to say?"
"You know, is he... cute?"
"Diana."
"Flo text me."
I rubbed my temples with my free hand. "Text you what, exactly?"
"That you and him are... friendly."
Why did she need to know that? "Because that's what we are. We're friendly. We're... friends, I think."
"Friends." She tutted. "I see."
"Yes. Friends."
"Where have I heard this before?"

Not a subject I wished to linger on. Instead, I asked, "How's Ollie?"
"Same as usual when you leave. Only, this time, more snappy."
"He's not giving you much trouble, is he?"
"No, no. Nothing I can't handle."
She could handle anything we threw at her. "Good. Tell him I miss him."
"He knows. But I will."

He needed to know I was thinking of him. Even with everything else going on around us he was entirely unaware of.

I stifled a yawn. "I should go. We all need rest before tomorrow."
"You're right. And if you need any backup—"
"Diana."
"I'm only a call away."
"I need you to take care of Ollie."
She croaked, "I've been benched since Freddie died. I feel useless just sitting here."
"You're not useless and you know it. Without you, dad and I would struggle."
"Family babysitter." She kissed her teeth, the hiss stabbing me with guilt. "That's me."
"You know I don't mean it like that."
"I know, don't worry. Now get some sleep. I'll talk to you later."
"Of course."

With a short goodbye, I ended the call. Ollie was angry with me. Again. With every new trip, my brother became more and more frustrated. It was better than not caring, at least, but his rage was getting worse.

I groaned and stepped back as the door opened.
"Oh!"

I whirred around, my hands landing on Alex's exposed, water-speckled chest, steam from the shower shadowing him.
I averted my gaze from the tightly wrapped towel. "I didn't know you were up here."
"Friends, I see."
"Sorry?"
"On the phone. You said we were friends." He cocked his head with a smile. "I didn't know we were that close."
My cheeks flushed red. "I was just saying that... my aunt was asking about you and—"
"I'm honoured."
I blinked. "You are?"
"I am. It's, uh, it's good to know we're not pointing guns at each other anymore."

I smiled. When he grinned back, his exhale made my lashes flutter closed then open. We were close. Maybe too close. Physically.

"Your hands are still on my chest."
They were— still on his chest. "Oh! Sorry, I—" I moved my hands.
"No, it's fine. You can... touch them again if you want."
"Why would I want to?"
He gestured to himself. "Why wouldn't you want to?"

True. But I tore my eyes away when I realised I had been looking for too long. "You seem like the type of man to take your shirt off on dates just to impress people."
"Actually, I bring a piano to the restaurant. Ladies love that."
I bit my lip to resist a laugh. "I'm sure they do." It seemed like he did that a lot. "What do you say when they ask about your job?"
"Musician. You?"
I shrugged. "I never have to answer."

As I moved towards the stairs, he put a wet, warm hand on my shoulder. "Hang on. You don't go on dates?"
"I don't have the time. I'm never home."
"Then how do you meet people?"
Another shrug. "Nights off. I go to bars and stuff."
"And meet different kinds of friends?" He raised a teasing eyebrow and I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, Alex. I meet many kinds of friends in bars."
"I bet you do."

I laughed. It took my mind off everything... at least for a few minutes.

"I should leave you to get changed."
"That's for the best. Oh, and Erika!"
I stopped at the head of the stairs. "As your friend, I'd like to talk to you later, if you don't mind."
I shrugged. "Sure."

I joined the others downstairs, grabbing my crossbow as I walked by the table. Alfie was snoozing in his corner, a fur blanket tucked under his chin with his glasses by his side. Florence was sitting close to Nathaniel, who had his arm draped over her.

"That's too much touching," I said.
"He's just being nice," Florence replied.
"Five inches. I want to see five inches between the two of you."
Nathaniel raised his hands in defence. "You've got nothing to worry about. This is perfectly—"
"Five seconds to move five inches."
"Erika!" Flo snapped.
"Five."
"We're staying here," she snarled.
"Four."
"Erika," said Nathaniel, "this is seriously—"
"Three. Two."

I loaded the crossbow.
"One."

Nathaniel pushed himself off the sofa quick as lightning, landing with a thud on the ground. Florence rolled her eyes.

"Thank you," I said and found a sleeping place with a good view of the doors.

Nathaniel leaned in towards Florence. "Would she have actually shot me?"

Cogs were ticking in Florence's head. Her last boyfriend – of six months – had cheated with her best friend. When I found out he had accused her of pushing him in the arms of other girls, I snapped. Three knife slashes later and the boy found himself unable to afford dates with other girls after paying for new tyres.

"It wouldn't be fatal... but yes, she would actually have shot you."

Good girl. I wouldn't have, but it was nice to know she believed it.

I plumped up a pillow. I needed sleep to drive the car but the location tomorrow was unclear. Alex and I had to discuss it at some point, but my eyes were too heavy to even watch the door.

My finger ran over the edge of my crossbow. The Collector couldn't even open it, despite me showing him how to. He recognised the design; said it was made by a 'Gamlen'. Even after thinking long and hard, I still hadn't heard of it. If we managed to save dad, I would ask him or Diana.

A warm, buttery smell drifted in from the kitchen.
"Hello, again." Alex sat down beside me, a large bowl of popcorn on his lap.
"Where did you get that?" I asked.
His eyes lit up. "Leopold has a sweet drawer. Can you believe it? This is almost as great as the vending machine breaking back at the hotel."
"How is it almost as great?"
He shrugged. "This isn't illegal."
"We've broken into someone's home, used their facilities and robbed their food. How is this not illegal?"
"That's..." He pointed at nothing in particular. With a frown, he waved his hand. "Do you want some?"
"Yes please." I took a handful. After only a few chews, a shell of a kernel wedged in my teeth and I cursed. That would take plyers to get out now.

Nathaniel picked a spot on the floor as Florence laid down on her back on the sofa. She pulled a blanket over her legs and cuddled into a pillow. In a matter of minutes, I could hear muffled snores, while Nathaniel's breathing became heavy. Only Alex and I were left awake. The teenagers were exhausted.

I popped a single piece of popcorn in my mouth while Alex stared at the ceiling, tapping his foot on the ground. He had taken off his shoes and changed into fresh, more comfortable clothes, ready for sleeping. He wanted to ask me something earlier and I would have forgotten if he hadn't sat beside me.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, conscious of the others sleeping.
He straightened up. "When you were gone – with The Collector, I mean – what happened?"
He beat us, is what happened. "He showed me his collection. He has so much, Alex. I was actually in awe of it, despite the circumstances. If we didn't have to leave, I could have studied those artefacts for hours."
Alex didn't register that. He was looking me over, brows furrowed. "Then what happened?"
"He gave me some champagne made for vampires to knock me out. I woke up in a bedroom and found that poor girl."
He rubbed his eyes. "What about your neck? You're covered in bruises."

My first reaction was to touch it and I winced. With Florence's injury, I hadn't noticed my own. "He had a hold of me for a minute. That may be where they're from."
"You're sure he didn't do anything else?"
"I'm fine, Alex. Stop worrying."

Alex dipped his head and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." He shifted to get up.

"Wait." I tapped his arm and he jumped. "It a lot that you care enough to ask. Thank you."
One side of his mouth curved. "Stop it. All this friendship is making me blush."
I groaned. "And here I was thanking you for all the concern."
"You turned this conversation to mush."
I shoved his arm with a glare. "You're the mushy one."
"I forget. You're the cold, heartless hunter aren't you?"
"The empty crevice in my chest makes men shiver."
He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm quite toasty."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course you are."

Silence filled the air. The smile he gave me almost made me forget I had met him only days earlier. He watched me intently then his eyes shifted.

"Right." Alex clapped. "On that note, I am going to sleep."

Alex draped a brown, furry blanket over himself and I did the same.
I cleared my throat. Me too. I am... getting ready. For sleeping."
He gave me a thumbs up. "Good to know."

We tucked ourselves in, Alex turning the lamp off behind him with a 'goodnight' to the others, who had already settled down as we talked.

We laid in silence for barely ten seconds before he spoke again.

"Do you think we can actually pull this thing off?"
I tore my eyes off the ceiling. "Sorry?"
"That artefact. That'll bring the Witch-Queen back to life, won't it?"
"Yeah."
"And it can also kill her if we need to."
"Maybe. Or I hope so. I just know it will help."

He rolled over to face me; an action I mirrored. "We'll have more witches than ever trying to find us; we saw that tonight. They could be anywhere. We have to be extra careful."
"I know."
"It seems ridiculous, doesn't it?" He glanced at the three younger hunters and quietened his voice. "Five young adults taking on a cult of experienced witches to save their parents, and the world. The odds are kind of..."
"Bleak?"
"Bleak."
I chuckled. "I thought you were the optimistic one."
"I try... but tonight really got to me. We knew the dangers but never saw them. Seeing the witches – that Kate – and Leopold betraying us, Robert trying to kill us... damn. I must sound so negative right now."

I shuffled closer. "It's normal to feel worried. Just don't lose your optimism. It's not you."
That smile came back. "Thank you for not leaving me alone in that apartment. I don't think I would have handled all this on my own."
"Of course you wouldn't have. The leads were in your room and I was still the one that found them."
"I like your humility, you know?"
"So do I. But, honestly, I don't think I would have coped either with just me and those two. You've saved my life, helped the twins, and if I actually did leave that hotel and someone was killed, I... I would never have forgiven myself."
"Do you think you'd be fine if you came on this hunt all by yourself? No me, no twins?"
I pursed my lip. "I... think so. I'm often alone so this isn't much different, I guess."
His eyes watched my hand barely an inch from his face. He took it with a forced smile and squeezed. "Tough shit. You're stuck with us."
His hand was warm. "That might not be so bad."

Alex's face relaxed but the smile remained. He was an attractive man – pretty eyes, strong arms and a smile of sunshine – but his soul was golden. Everything he did was to keep people safe. By all accounts, he was a bloody superhero, doing things because they were right – not because they were easy. His father would be proud. And when – if – we found them, I almost felt a sense of dread at the thought of not seeing him again.

He was becoming, as I told Diana, a good friend.

I let go. "We should get some sleep," I said.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

We rolled over, backs almost touching. I could feel his heat but, being as cold as I was, I did not move.

"Sleep well, Erika."
My chest tightened and a feeling stirred. I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders with a frown. "Goodnight... Alex."

The tips of my fingers reached out for the crossbow on the cushion beside me, but my eyes shut before I touched the handle.

After the longest night of my life, I could finally rest.

Thank you all for reading,
— Caitlin x