May, 2019

The siren's house was only a ten minute walk away—and at vampire speed, it was a two-minute run. But those two minutes could have been two hours, or two days, or two years because it felt like an eternity until I had finally reached their door.

With my heart drumming in my chest in anticipation, with the cloudless blue sky letting the sun rip through my flesh, with the heat lapsing over my body in heavy waves only slowing my steps, all elements were working against me in getting to her.

Though finally I did.

Forcing the locked door open, I barrelled through the hallway, searching for the first sign of somebody.

"Lukas?" a shocked voice squawked behind me. But the voice was too sharp, too low, too nasally, to be hers.

Reluctantly, I turned around and met Serena's bewildered expression.

"Where is she?" I demanded, all ability to manifest a sense of cordiality long gone from my body.

Because this house reeked of her. Notes of vanilla and hibiscus were tucked into every crevice, clouding me, consuming me, crushing me, making me wonder how I hadn't even noticed it last night, and—better yet—how long she had been here with everyone hiding her from me. That amount of fragrance doesn't fill a house in one night.

"You shouldn't be in the daylight right—" she started to counter, until I snapped.

"Where the fuck is she?" I snarled as I advanced on the siren.

Though sensing my predatory threat, one of her feet shifted backwards, her hands clenched into fight-ready fists, and her eyes began to swirl, ready to work their magic on me if need be. "You're not being the most polite visit—"

"She's in her room," a voice from the stairwell cut her off.

Both of our heads turned in unison, taking in Faye who lingered on the steps, her face marred by either wariness or anger—I couldn't tell. Her hair was sopping wet, soap suds still lingering on her hazelnut skin, and she clutched the towel wrapped around her body tightly to her chest.

Realising Faye, at least, was willing to work with me, I then forced through clenched teeth, "And which room exactly is—"

"Jade's old room. In the basement." Her gaze narrowed at me as she spoke, but I didn't linger any longer to catch the expression that followed.

Instead, I was off, pivoting down the hallway and towards the back stairwell.

All the while, echoing behind me was Serena's angry voice demanding, "Why would you tell him? You know Ollie has been dreading running into him."

Just as I turned down the steps, I caught Faye replying with, "Well, they've already encountered each other. And out of the three of us in this house right now, she's the only one with a fighting chance against a sleep-deprived vampire awake during a hot spell."

When I had reached the door—her scent wafting out in overpowering waves—I lingered momentarily, taking my opportunity to heave a long-needed deep breath. But I couldn't wait too long.

Without much thought of what I was going to say or even wondering if I should knock, I shoved open her door and stepped inside.

Sitting on the bed surrounded by piles of clothes, her hands paused in my sudden presence, the half-folded shirt dangling from her grip. Then, at once, the foreign, yet familiar, emerald flicked upwards, gaze meeting mine.

She had merely a second to study me, her face quickly overcome by horror, her mouth popping open as she started to say, "Luk—"

But before she could say any more, I had crossed the room. Hand grabbing her electrified one, I yanked her off the bed, the neat clothing piles coming with her and tumbling onto the floor.

And, just as quickly, I wrapped my arms around her, burying my head in her comforting copper locks and clenching my eyes shut as the zaps ran their course through me in shudders.

She froze for a moment, as if unsure what was going on. But as her heart began to speed up, the shocks turned down to an ever-so-faint murmur before she enveloped me in her hold.

Her hand began to rub soothing circles on my back as I gripped her even tighter, feeling the stinging begin to grow in my eyes, not taking long to leak into her.

"I'm sorry," she repeatedly whispered as I started to weep. "I'm so, so, so sorry."

Eventually I pulled back, tears still in my eyes as the desire to look at her to make sure she was real grew by the second.

But as our gazes met once more, her eyes didn't take long to flicker around my face, then all over me as she stepped away, her mouth falling agape, her brows turning down. "Lukas!" she exclaimed, before glancing up at me.

"What?" I grumbled, wondering what could be so important that she felt the need to leave my hold.

"What..." But she couldn't seem to collect her words. So, after another moment of hesitation, eventually she ran for the window, yanking the blinds shut before returning to my side. "We need to do something about this."

Following her line of sight down at my skin—now seared red and cracking open where blisters had popped—I finally realised what had her so perturbed. But I merely waved my hand and said, "I'll be fine. It will heal eventually."

"But it must hurt," she countered, hands worrying over me, though never touching me.

For the most part, I hadn't really noticed. My mind had been too occupied to fixate on the feelings of my body. But the moment the words left her mouth, the teeth-gritting agony caught up. Knives pierced all over my skin as the burning intensified. Jaw working over time, I did my best to not react, but she saw right through it.

"Come on," she then said, evidently seeing my eyes twitching.

"What are you planning—"

Though cutting my question short was the distraction of her hand slipping into mine—familiar, welcoming, though painful. And not in the electrified kind of way; those were turned all the way down that I couldn't notice. And not in the I-just-gave-myself-third-degree-burns-from-two-minutes-in-the-sun kind of way either; that seemed to disappear when she was touching me, as if her touch was some form of soothing charm.

But pulling me away from figuring out the exact feelings that haunted her hand's hold was our clear detour to the bathroom.

"What are you—" I started to ask until she turned the shower on. Then I heaved a sigh. "A shower isn't going to fix this, Olivia."

Though her eyes narrowed at me as she dropped my hand. "We can try. But step one of any burn is to rinse out the sting."

"Not third-degree ones."

"I have other tricks up my sleeves. Now strip down and get in."

"Wow... we aren't beating around the bush in our reunion."

She responded with an eye roll before pivoting on her heel and starting to walk towards the door. "I'll be back. So please keep your underwear on."

Then, just like that, she left my sight, and all weight in the room went with her, finally giving me a moment to process and breathe.

The static her presence had created in the air was almost suffocating—but that static wasn't like the one that electrified me with passion and desire when we first met. Instead, it was more like that time I found her in the alley. It was filled with warning and premonition.

As the thoughts stewed in my mind as to why I was having such a strong reaction to her—when I really should be feeling indifferent to her—I gingerly tugged off my shirt, kicked off my shoes and socks, and unbuckled my jeans before dropping them to the ground. Then I stepped into the cold stream that had been running the whole time.

I knew showers had no healing properties, but Olivia was right. It was at least soothing to the pain—an almost-replacement for her touch.

Under its therapeutic stream, I let my knees buckle as I fell to the floor, closing my eyes as I leaned my head back against the wall and let it wash over every crevice of me. I would have liked to have gotten lost in letting my mind slip away from the racing thoughts that had previously filled it, but then the door creaked back open.

I resisted every urge to look at her as I listened to her pounding heart near closer.

Why is her heart beating that fast? Is she scared of me? Serena did say she was dreading running into me...

Remembering all the hatred I had held for her whenever someone merely mentioned her name though, I could understand why others may have warned her to fear me. Even I wasn't sure how I'd react if she showed up in front of me once more. Though, I was also convinced she was gone for good and it wasn't a possibility.

I listened to the gentle swishing of her dress against her body as she crouched down by me, still keeping my eyes clamped shut. All noises coming from her were screamingly loud as they made their way over the crashing water around me.

As the moments dragged on with her near me, her sweet hibiscus scent wafting over me, I began to feel my mouth well with saliva, desperate for a taste.

And that thought had my eyes flying open.

Though before I could question too far just how tired I was that I was willing to bite a creature whose blood I knew would kill me, distracting me was the look on her face: one of shock, one of pain, and one I had seen before almost two years ago the last time we were in a bathroom together.

But it was impossible.

Shaking the thought, I forced through my dry, hungry throat, "I need blood pills."

She hesitated for a moment, as if unsure what I said. But just as quickly, she shook her head, the confident expression now returning to her face as she said, "I'll find some for you in a minute. But first, let me try something else."

Instead of asking what that something else was, I watched in silence, eyes tracking every single movement of her body as she clasped a necklace around her delicate throat. My eyes zeroed in as the charm dangling from it bounced on her pasty skin.

Some form of opal-encrusted talisman now adorned her neck, starting to glow as she closed her eyes and channelled whatever powers existed within it.

And as her eyelids flickered back open, the emerald within them now also shone as she extended a hand towards me.

I flinched slightly as her slender fingers met my skin—once again overwhelming me with foreign and familiar feelings. But at once I began to feel the burn lessen.

Glancing down at my skin, my jaw fell open in shock as I watched the rapid healing taking place before my eyes.

Then just as quickly as she began, she stopped. Hand jerking away from me, she wrapped her arms around her legs as she averted her eyes anywhere but me.

"How did you just—" I started to ask as I found my voice.

"I... met someone in Australia who knows about Terra Fairies and their magic. They trained me as best as they could in all sorts of spells the moment I decided to come back."

In awe, I rotated my arms, eyes searching every crevice of my skin now healed as if it had never been damaged. "That's amazing," I whispered before glancing at her once more.

My brows pulled together as I noticed she still had her gaze turned to her knees, a slight redness tinting her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I pressed.

Her eyes flickered upwards at me for a moment... though they then quickly swept over my body before looking back to her safe space in her lap. "I just... didn't expect meeting you again to go like this."

"To go like..." I looked down at my body, wondering what had her suddenly so shy. And as I took in only my underwear covering my body—which was also now thoroughly drenched in water and evidently showing much more than she could ever remember seeing—I realised what had her suddenly so timid.

Before I could open my mouth or even feel the flames licking my own face, she stood up and uttered, "I'll be in my room. Head out when you're ready."

Then, at once, she darted out of the bathroom, leaving me once again alone in here. Though, just like last time, the tension drained from the room in her absence as I took in necessary deep breaths.

I didn't spend much longer in the bathroom. Though I did dart over to the door and lock it not long after she left.

Turning off the shower, I stripped out of my final layer, dried myself off with the towel in the room, and then casted a drying spell over my drenched clothes.

I slipped everything back on and took a deep breath before leaving the safety of the bathroom and headed back towards her room.

My eyes were feeling heavy, desperate to close as the heat continued to drag me down with the adrenaline now fading from my body. But the moment I opened her door and our eyes locked once more, I was wide awake again.

As I closed the door behind me and took a couple of steps into the dark room, lit up by the small bedside lamp, it was hard to not notice the awkward atmosphere swarming the place.

So long had passed.

So much has been left unsaid.

Where do we begin?

Still unsure, I felt desperate to fill the room with some noise, so I started to say, "So—"

But she cut me off with a glass of water and a vial of familiar crimson pills. "I don't know how old they are," she explained. "Apparently Loren had some stored in the pantry though when Jade lived here."

Corners of my lips slightly turning up, I accepted both items from her hands and replied, "They'll do just fine. Thanks."

Though after popping a couple of pills in my mouth and downing them with water, the deafening silence returned, neither of us making much of an attempt to end it.

After moments passed with neither of us able to make eye contact, I heaved a sigh and sat on her bed. "I'm sorry for coming so suddenly. I just had to be—"

"I get it." She took a seat next to me on the bed, though put a noticeable distance between us. "I've been so drunk before that it's hard to remember if I made up the events of the night before. Though I've never really bothered to check."

I nodded as her words left her mouth. But then, "You've been that drunk?" I asked.

She breathed a humourless laugh. "I tried all sorts of coping strategies to forget the past. I really worried my mum and... Marli."

For some reason, I felt a little miffed at the fact she had paused like she was concealing something from me. But then I remembered, She's not your business, Lukas. She made sure of that when she left.

Which then had me questioning, So why is she back? And why is she being so... civil with me?

I opened my mouth to start to question her, but cutting me short was her sudden leap to her feet. "Anyway, it's day time. You need to rest."

"But—" I started to say as I watched her walk past me.

She paused, turning to face me, a warm though wary smile plastered to her face. "We can talk after you've slept," she added, as if knowing exactly what I was about to protest with. "Otherwise we're still going to be having half-lucid conversations. And, based on what everyone has been saying, I don't think the clearheaded you is going to be so cordial with me... but he's also the version of you I need to be talking with. Not the half-asleep or completely intoxicated Lukas who seems to not care how much I hurt him."

I wanted to argue with her that what happened in the past didn't matter now that she was back. But I couldn't bring myself to say that, even now. Even in this state. Further, my heavy eyes and desperate desire to fall back on this bed was inhibiting my ability to form clear sentences now.

"You can use my room. I'll be upstairs until you wake up."

My brows pulled together as I recalled her promise to be here when I woke up after she dropped me home last night. And, once again, the doubt crept in.

Though then she added, "My passport and wallet are in that bedside table. So you'll know if I'm sneaking off. Which I won't do. I promise."

Another promise fell from her mouth, and another pang resounded in my heart. Because what did her promises even mean?

But still, I couldn't bring myself to argue. I could barely think of anything anymore as the sleepiness came rolling in in waves.

"Lay down," she softly said, evidently seeing my internal battle clearly plastered on my face.

Unable to protest, I shimmied up the bed and rested my head atop her pillow. My nose flared as the watermelon and hibiscus overwhelmed me.

Nonetheless, she gently pulled the blanket out from under me before draping it over my body. And the drone of the aircon in the background became a pleasant lulling noise.

Olivia leaned down and flicked off the bedside light before turning on her heel to leave.

But as my eyes fought hard to stay open, with my last ounce of strength I reached for her unsuspecting wrist. Greeted by a thousand shocks, she apologised as she quickly turned them down.

Though I hardly cared.

Other hand reaching below the covers and into my pocket, I fished out what I had stopped her for.

Her confused brows immediately relaxed in understanding as I placed the bangle in her hand I had captured. Long slender fingers closing around the metal, she smiled as she accepted it. "Thanks for bringing this back to me. Though... I'll also leave this right here where you can see it again," she said, placing it on the bedside table next to the bottle of blood pills.

I expected her to leave after that, though this time she hesitated.

"You know," she eventually softly said, "I spent a lot of time after I returned home sifting through my memories of my time here, trying to piece everything together to make sense of all my decisions. Though I never could remember how I got that bangle. There was a time when I came here and didn't have it, then suddenly memories with it."

Her emerald eyes flashed towards me, gaze filled with determination to find answers. Though, judging by her expression, my face clearly told her all she needed to know.

Nodding, she said, "Small slip up from you I guess when you wiped my memories."

"It was never meant to be fully believable," I mumbled back, pain searing my heart as I recalled how we vowed our separation to be temporary.

Though, to my surprise, she replied with, "I know."

I opened my mouth to question her further, but she cut me off once again.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that we can discuss everything later. Get some sleep."

She started to walk away when I finally found my voice. "I made it for you."

No longer in my vision, I didn't know what her reaction was. But I heard her feet come to a pause on the floorboards.

"Not in the romantic way that Ben made that charmed necklace... But it was how I broke to you the first time that I am part-witch."

She still didn't say anything, though her breaths were louder, her heart pounding a little more quickly, and the room had grown a fraction warmer. But then she disturbed her silence with a mere, "How..."

I wasn't sure what the rest of the question she wanted to ask but couldn't get out was. Nonetheless, I explained, "It's the ring from a lamp's frame. I broke it apart and then melted the metal into the bangle in front of you."

When the silence continued again, this time I couldn't hold back. I rolled over on the bed, searching for her.

Evidently hearing my movements, she craned her head, watery eyes meeting mine in a knowing manner.

Why does she seem like she recalls it? Why is it my Ollie's eyes looking at me right now?

Though just as quickly, she took a deep breath and shook the glisten from her gaze. "I have so many things to ask you as well. But I'm going to hold back and let you sleep."

I gave her a tired smile as I realised we were both being as bad as each other now, not wanting to wait any longer to pour out all the built-up questions. But I bit my tongue, just as she did. "See you when the sun is down," I whispered.

"Sleep well, Lukas," she replied.

I didn't close my eyes until she left my sight this time.