April, 2019

"How do you—" she started to ask, the surprise in her tone only accentuating the Australian accent. But I cut her off... again, without thinking.

"Because I am one too," I said.

When she continued to stare at me, bewildered, I turned on my heel and lifted the bottom of my shirt so that my tattoo would peek out.

"See?" I asked before lowering the cloth again. It was way too cold for me to expose my skin for too long.

"I do," she whispered, eyes going over me quickly, hesitantly, as her head tilted to the side.

Moments of silence passed without her saying anything further.

And my heart was pounding in my chest, wondering what she'd say or think. I had never met another Terra Fairy... and I was more than eager for her to like me.

I had started to think of other things to say as she seemed to be waiting for me to talk next.

But then all words left my mind as she stuck her hand out. "My name is Emma," she said, a small smile tugging at her face—though that same hesitancy lingered there.

Slipping my hand into her bronze one, I shook once before replying, "Olivia."

Though as my name left my mouth, her face dropped. And she let me go, taking a step away. "Olivia?" she repeated.

"Yes..." I mumbled, gaze wandering over her as I began to ponder if we had met before. She didn't seem familiar.

But whatever distress had been consuming her was shaken away, a smile stealing her face afterwards instead. "Well, it's lovely to meet you," she then said. "But... can you just bear with me a moment?"

"Um... yes?" I asked, head tilting to the side as I wondered what I had to bear with.

Though my confusion was quickly quelled. After spinning on her heel, she walked back over to the corpse. Kneeling down beside it, she sifted through her bag once more until she found another contraption. Then, placing a small metal device on the chest of the remnants of the Made, she gave it three taps and the body disappeared, the silver contraption clanging on the ground.

She picked up the cubed shape and threw it back into her bag before returning to my side quickly as though nothing had happened.

But I couldn't stop my eyes darting between the vacant ground and her innocent blinks.

"That was cool," Ben muttered as I exclaimed, "What the heck did you just do?"

"Hmm?" she asked, turning her head to follow my line of sight. "Oh, with the Vanisher?"

She released a laugh then pulled the metal object out of her bag once more, gently placing it in my hand. I twisted it this way and that, taking in the floral designs etched in the gunmetal grey... designs that were all too familiar.

"Don't tap it, by the way, otherwise a body will come out," she warned before going on to explain, "It's a Vanisher. I reacted just like you the first time I saw it work. My best explanation is it's like a," another giggle escaped, "Like a Pokeball."

Ben let out a snort as I continued to stare at the device, flabbergasted. "I'll say," I whispered.

"Can't be leaving bodies lying around... which reminds me... how come you're not freaking out?" she asked.

"Freaking out about what?" I questioned, handing back the device to her as I met her gaze again, slowly coming back to the conversation.

"That you just saw me kill a vampire and suck it up into the Vanisher?"

"I mean... I'm totally freaked out by the device."

"Yeah, but... not the killing?"

"It was a Made Vampire, wasn't it?" I then countered. "It had to go." But I could feel a bit of reluctance in my tone as the words exited my mouth. Even if the creature was vicious... even if it was going to kill a human... it, too, was once an innocent person before it was turned.

But instead of a tone of acceptance, she responded with shock. "You know about Mades?" she asked.

"Um... yeah. Well, I saw them when they were being developed. And once I heard the news about the Dracula killer, well... only one vampire I've ever seen had fangs. So I just assumed—"

"Huh," she responded, perplexed, throwing me off guard.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just... you're really quick-witted. For some reason I didn't expect it."

Eyes narrowing, I slowly tilted my head as I said, "Do I look slow or something?"

She was already shaking her head. "No, no, nothing like that. Just... nevermind. How about you and I go get a bite to eat? I'm sure you're dying with questions about Terra Fairies."

"I... yes. I am. How did you—"

But she cut me off once again. "I had my suspicions from the way you looked at me."

Though something about her tone didn't have me convinced. Nonetheless, I followed her out of the alley and off to the nearest cafe.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

"So how long have you been in London for?" Emma asked after taking a swig of her cappuccino.

"That's... complicated," I responded as I sipped at my frappe. It had been so long since I had relished in the taste of a Costa coffee.

"Is it?" Her brows shot up as, once again, she studied me intently.

"I lived here for a while. But I left last year to head back home after some... things happened. And I've only just returned."

"Just?" she repeated.

I breathed a humourless laugh as the dread of being back consumed me again. Then I told her, "I arrived yesterday."

"Hmm. Guess that explains it," she mumbled, voice so low that I didn't think I was meant to hear.

And, as much as I wanted to press her on the odd statement, I dropped it.

We sat in silence for a while like that, savouring our drinks. Until, once again, Emma broke the silence. "Are you here for a while?"

I heaved a reluctant sigh. "I have no clue. It depends."

"On?"

"On how long it takes to fix the Made situation."

"Is that why you returned?"

"Yeah," I grimly replied, ignoring the stares from Ben that begged me still to venture down the path of discarded friendships and memories.

Once more she was silent, eyes searching me over, as if weighing up her next words. "Well, I'm sure you're also glad to catch up with old friends again too, right? It won't be all doom, gloom, and death with the Mades."

"I... I don't intend to stop and see anyone."

"Hmm," she said again, gaze piercing through me as though she thought I was hiding something.

And, I suppose I was. But I didn't know this woman. No way was I about to unleash my most vulnerable moments to a complete stranger.

"Well," she exclaimed after another overly long pregnant pause, this time her tone filled with much more enthusiasm. "I'm glad to have another Terra Fairy to help me. We should exchange numbers and maybe patrol some time together."

"Patrol?" I followed up with. Regardless, I already started fishing my phone out of my bag to give it to her.

"Yeah," she said as she accepted my phone and punched in her number. "I walk the streets multiple times a day along with some friends to seek out Mades. Unfortunately we haven't managed to take them out faster than they procreate. Though with another Terra, it will certainly be easier."

Hands raised, I quickly blurted, "I'd be terrible help. I've only killed one vampire before and never encountered a Made, so—"

"That's why we will patrol together." Her face lit up with such warmth as she passed my phone back to me, making me feel at ease for the first time since I had arrived in London... in fact, the first time since before Ben passed. Almost in a way that he used to—

I shook away the thought before it festered. "That would be great. I could use some training."

"Us fairies have to stick together," she replied, continuing to beam at me.

But as I returned her smile, I couldn't help but see the cracks in her facade starting to form. A deep-seeded agony lurked behind her midnight eyes, as though she feared what was about to come.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

"Why are we doing this?" Ben whined as I walked the cobblestone street in the direction of the thumping music. The wind was a little chilly tonight, making me regret putting on this tight, short dress. Nonetheless, I hurried on, eager for the warmth of the building and dancing bodies.

"Because it's my birthday? I have to celebrate somehow," I replied.

He continued to prattle on about how there are better ways to celebrate, and intoxicating myself in a room with strangers was no way to spend my evening. And while, for the most part, the banter between us had me distracted from the wandering eyes of wayward men filling their lungs with smoke outside the nearby bars, as I passed a break between the buildings leading to a darkened alleyway, my feet came to a halt.

Ben kept walking on ahead as I froze, goosebumps showering my body as I slowly turned my head down the dark street.

Once more, the memory from earlier, from when I met Emma, echoed in my head.

The all-consuming terror.

The shivers.

The feeling of vulnerability and exposure.

Shaking hands and wet face, I stared ahead at the wall, wishing I'd wake up from this nightmare.

Until a familiar face filled my vision.

"Hey," he whispered as I flinched. "It's just me."

He kneeled beside me, two topaz eyes filling my sight.

"Olivia?" a voice called in my ear, dragging back to the present. "Oliviaaaa," he sang, a hand waving in front of my face.

I shook my head and before glancing around.

The sky was indigo, the stars nowhere to be seen above. The three-story shop fronts lined the street as far as I could see, and the blinking sign of the club was in my sight.

"Where did you go?" Ben whispered, concern filling his blue gaze as he took a worried step closer to me.

"No where," I breathed, glancing back down the dim street, remembering his eyes.

I don't recall ever being in an alley with Lukas... but I swear those were his eyes.

Though before I could dive back into the memory, to try to fish for signs of truth in it, Ben spoke again, dragging me back to the present.

"Okay, fine. Go to the club if you must, Olivia. But please don't stand here in the street. You'll catch a cold, and there's also some really shady guys out here."

Ripping my gaze away from the street and back to him, I mumbled, "You can't catch colds from being in the cold, Ben. You should know that."

But as he gave me a soft smile, an ounce of knowing in his face as though it weren't the point, I shook my head and continued walking, leaving whatever sense of deja-vu I had just experienced behind me.

Or at least... that was the plan.

But no matter how many drinks I downed in the club, no matter how many bodies I danced with and forgettable faces I locked lips with, his topaz eyes and the sense of fear consumed me again and again, demanding to be remembered.

Was I scared of him? I couldn't help but wonder as I walked out of the club with the last girl I had danced with.

Or was there someone else causing that fear? 

Because it almost felt like relief once I realised it was him...

Unable to recall any more, I got into the cab with the girl and we headed back to her place, my mind too lost in the unrecovered memories to realise where we were heading... or, better yet, who I was with.

Who do we think she's with? Leave your guess in the comments!