Lucien.

I reach out for Levi, but my hand grabs at empty air by my side. Whipping my head back to face Lucien, I find Levi standing in front of me, stance wide and predatory.

Lucien stares him down, lips curved in a triumphant smirk. Light from the exit tunnel shines into the now emptied station and outlines his silhouette. "My little fawn even brought a gift."

I'm too frightened to speak.

"She isn't yours," Levi sneers.

Lucien just laughs.

My eyes fly around, searching for one soul—anyone—to alert. But we're alone. Even the tracks are empty, the passage that's usually brimming with people is vacant. Where are the police? They should be swarming by now. This is the middle of the city. What is going on?

"Just as predictable as the rest," Lucien continues, clicking his tongue as his eyes fixate on me. "All I had to do was keep a lookout stationed at the nearest station. With some incentive, you'll be even more faithful than my little Romanian doll. Perhaps as pliable as the rest of the humans. They're all so easy to deceive."

"What have you done?" I bite out, standing despite how my legs shake beneath me. "I know about Kristi."

"Don't," Levi warns. "He'll only upset you."

Past the upper exit, my eyes latch onto an officer in uniform, strolling by as complacent as ever. His back is turned like he's preoccupied with something in the opposite direction.

Then I know. Lucien used Deception—on everyone entering the station.

Panic seeps in further. No, Anne and Hugh must be helping too.  That makes three vampires against one, and Levi will be handicapped trying to protect me. I can't let him get injured.

He may have defeated Marc, but I know Lucien must be stronger. They had him pinned before, and if I hadn't distracted them then Levi would have...they would've killed him.

That's what Lucien is going to do.

Kill Levi.

Lucien's smile widens, observing my every reaction and exposing a pair of sharp teeth. "Don't fret, little fawn. I treat my collection well."

At that, Levi launches forward.

Before I can register his movements, a terrible creak fills the space, followed by a pained grunt.

"Disposing of you isn't worth my time," Lucien growls. He has Levi by the neck, pinning him over the railing between this level and the floor below. "But I'll spare a few minutes, so behave."

Levi's feet dangle off the ground, and the metal bars of the railing are bent back around his waist. With both hands wrapped snug around Levi's throat, Lucien smiles as Levi tries to pry his hands off, but to no avail. My stomach dives to the floor. This can't be good. Why didn't Levi give me more information, even just one way to harm a vampire?

Lucien leans in to apply more pressure, and Levi squirms, face contorting. My eyes flick to the flimsy duffel bag, hoping it's big enough to cause a distraction.

As I reach for it, a howl severs my thoughts. I flick my eyes back up to see Levi's claws imbed themselves in Lucien's face, ripping deep gashes into his pristine features.

"Motherfucker," Lucien hisses, yanking back Levi's arm and sinking his own claws into Levi's shoulder with a nauseating crunch. Levi's pained shout sends a stab straight to my heart. I stumble backwards, back slamming into a wall. His bones sounded as fragile as chips.

Lucien's face has already begun to heal and return to normal, while Levi's arm hangs limp at his side. There must be a hundred broken fragments for his body to heal, so it will take more time. My hands ball into fists and I rack my brain, determined to do something. Anything.

He can't die. If I saved him once, I have to try again.

But even if this time I'm aware of the situation, I'm just as helpless.

"Worthless rogue," Lucien spits, taking advantage of Levi's weakened side to put one arm behind his neck, the other positioned at his chin.

He's going to snap Levi's head clean off.

"No, stop!" I screech, body frozen in place.

An astonished look flashes across Lucien's face, and in a flurry of motion, Levi's knee shoots out and into Lucien's groin, then his foot rams back into the railing and knocks one end of the metal bars out of place.

Grabbing the loose bar, Levi grunts, tearing the other end loose and slams it through Lucien's neck. Crimson sprays across Levi's face, speckling the station with blood as Lucien struggles to pull out the object.

This is my opening, instinct demands I run, but I can't move. Eyes torn open, I cower in the corner as Lucien falls to the floor, coughing.  Levi steps over him and brings his foot down into Lucien's knee.

Another series of sickening snaps fill my ears. The taste of blood invades my mouth and I barely recognize a pain on the tip of my tongue.

With Lucien temporarily disabled, Levi turns, a deep crease knotting his eyebrows.

"Levi," I gasp upon meeting his eyes, unable to hear myself over the pounding of my heart. "Your arm—"

"We need to go," he says, and I see a flurry of motion behind him. Then I'm being lifted and thrown on his back. There's no time to grab my bag, and I lock my arms around his neck before darkness enshrouds us as we dash straight into the subway tunnel.

After a few minutes, my muscles begin to cramp, and I realize how tight I'm holding on. No one seems to be following us, but I don't trust my own senses. Wind rushes past my ears, whipping hair around my face. The tunnel is cold and damp, and Levi's steps carry a slight echo.

I try to use him as a shield and bury my face in his neck, breathing into his skin. It smells faintly of rust, his scent buried beneath evidence from the fight. A rumble echoes through the tunnel, approaching from ahead.

The train.

My heart rate spikes again and I glance up, peaking over his shoulder at a set of lights racing towards us. Adrenaline kicks in and I curl tighter into Levi. But we're not small enough.

"Close your eyes," he rasps, voice quickly carried away by what sounds like a tornado, air funneling between us and the walls.

I duck my head, but my eyes are still trained on the tracks. Too terrified to look away.

Levi surges forward. Just as the lights consume my vision I flinch, and we lurch to the side, finding space on a service platform. A wall of wind knocks into us but Levi barrels onward, the train rambling beside us.

Soon the tunnel surfaces and pale afternoon light burns my eyes. Traveling much faster than last night, Levi maneuvers through the streets and back alleys.

I hope it's enough to lose whoever may be on our tail.

Slumping, I face the fact that there's nothing I can do. There never was. Everything rests on Levi—and my plans just got a lot more complicated.

Lucien won't let his guard down around me again.

And Levi... Watching him die would be worse than experiencing it myself. I never wanted to drag him into what was already a messy situation. I press a tender kiss to his neck. His hands tighten around my legs.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

"I'm fine," he assures.

After a few minutes we reach a pier, the shore abandoned as dusk settles over the sea. This area is usually too dangerous to visit once it gets late, but I'll take it over where we came from. Levi slows to a stop and I slide off his back.

"They won't find us here."

I quirk an eyebrow, not willing to believe it's that easy.

He turns and looks out over the water. "The last place they'll search for us is further inside their territory. I'm sure they're headed in the direction your train came from. I've had decades to learn how he tracks, and Lucien will want to ambush us on his time, not waste time on a chase. We have a few hours or so."

I let out a long breath, and feeling the world tip sideways, take a shaky seat on the wooden boards. Water laps at the edge, the gentle waves splashing up the concrete supports as they roll in at a steady pace. The pattern is soothing. My mind focuses on the rock of the sea, and I pull my knees up to my chest.

Levi crouches down and catches a cupful of water in his hands, washing off his face. His jacket is shredded on the shoulder, exposing smooth skin as if nothing happened. As I watch him, scenes from the fight come back to me, more vivid than my first encounter with Lucien, but this time not as disabling. This time I didn't let him get into my head.

"It could all be a dream," Levi says, breaking our contemplation and looking over at me. "I can help you believe that, if it's what you want."

Copper light plays across his face, a fiery sun beginning its descent on the horizon behind us. He looks tired, just like he did the morning I woke in his bed. His eyes are dark grey and weary.

"I thought I was immune to Deception."

"No one is immune if they will it to work." He turns back to face the sea. "Humans force themselves to forget even without our help. This would just make it easier."

Forget. Abandon truth, in favor of a more pleasant dream. It sounds nice in theory.

I remember how my life used to be. I never wanted for anything, save for all the affection my parents couldn't buy. Things like friends. Family bonds. Pride in overcoming struggle.

A few years ago the choice came easy to give up all that, toss it aside in search for what I wanted. To experience the darker side, to find and test my strength without a safety net. What is reality for most. The determination to carve my own path and experience life my way gave me strength. But it also made me weak.

A big part of my search was for a place, a person or community I could call home. Turns out no matter where you go, finding someone who has your back is a rare thing. It doesn't matter if you share happiness or grief, profit or loss, people turn your trust upside down. I thought if I proved I was just like everyone else, if I struggled just as much, I'd find kinship.

The only person I've felt that with is Levi.

And yet, I've never witnessed anything as gruesome or terrifying as what happened back in the station. If I'm being honest, that I would want to forget. The pain. The horrifying sounds. Feeling powerless. I've wanted to forget those things ever since that night in the parking garage.

But after today, I have things I want to remember, too. The look on Lucien's face when Levi got the upper hand. Standing up to a monster despite my hesitation. Attempting to make a difference and hold true to my values.

Then there's everything before the fight. The moment Levi and I almost had. I'd feel empty if I lost it all.

"No," I say, picking at a drop of dried blood on my jeans. "I don't want to forget."

Levi looks up, the corners of his mouth turned down. "You don't?'

I shake my head, and then stand. "I want to fight back."

Hell yeah.

❤️‍🩹 Siberia.