June, 2019

The clouds were thick in the sky as I drove through the busy streets in search of the small store. I was going off my memory at this point because it's not like it was on Google Maps.

It was only once I turned down a cobblestone road and the car began to bump and jostle over every rock that Olivia finally lifted her head, eyes slowly blinking open.

"Where..." she started to mumble, but was clearly not awake enough to form sentences yet.

"Prague," I answered.

"Already?" she yawned, sitting up straight as she glanced around at the landscape. "Hmm."

"What?"

"It's... not as pretty as I thought it would be."

"It has its areas that are nicer. And Prague is certainly one of the most well-kept cities in all of Czechia. It did go through two hot wars before going through the Cold War. And its economy hasn't been as affluent as other countries, so they've directed their income where they saw fit. It doesn't help that during Soviet Rule, so many concrete apartments were erected across the Eastern Bloc to accommodate everyone," I explained. Though, when I realised I was waffling with information she didn't ask for, I added, "They're quite the eyesores."

"I'll say," she muttered as we drove past another. Yet her eyes curiously took in every crevice of this place as we wound around the streets.

She didn't seem to notice I was lost though. Or, if she did, she never said anything.

Eventually I turned down the familiar street and parked the car the moment I recognised the nearby shops.

"It's somewhere down here," I mumbled as we unbuckled ourselves and exited the car.

We walked only a couple of minutes down the shaded, cobblestone road, glancing at the shopfronts in silence as we sought out The Cursed Cauldron.

And when it finally came into view as we crossed the street onto the next block, my heart pounded in my chest for a few beats. Until my gaze zeroed in on the sign.

I didn't say anything.

I waited until we were standing in front of its doors and Olivia could see for herself.

The shop was only a couple of metres wide. Almost like any other brick-faced outlet on this street, The Cursed Cauldron blended into its surroundings as if it were merely a tarot reading shop or something so insignificant that it required limited space for its business.

However, while its exterior was deceivingly small, hidden within which the windows did not show was an emporium that stretched inwards for almost an eternity. And every corner and shelf were packed with trinkets and oddities, crystals and potions, books and cauldrons.

Olivia paid its appearance no mind though. Instead, her face marred with anger as she demanded, "What holidays?" shortly after reading the sign: Closed for the Holidays.

"Their holidays," I mumbled.

"They have holidays?" she turned on me, like this was information I already knew and was hiding from her.

But I merely shrugged. "I assume they do, based on the sign."

"This is... I can't believe... We came all this way and—"

"It's fine, Olivia," I said, reaching to place a hand on her shoulder, though thinking otherwise just before our skin touched. Given her current mood, there was no guarantee I wouldn't be flat on my arse due to her shocks.

"It's not fine."

"It is. We can come back next month. Focus instead on going back to London, dealing with the—"

"No. I'm not taking this holiday crap. I want to know where they went." And then she started to bang on the glass-panelled door.

"They're not here. Did you not read the sign?" I pointed to it again.

"Surely it's not just them though, right? Like who leaves their shop unattended—" she spoke, not ceasing her knocking all the while.

"A witch who can cast a pretty good security spell," I cut her off, as I leaned against the shop front, waiting for her to end her tirade. Knowing Olivia, eventually she'd blow off all the steam and then we could go.

To kill time, I slipped my phone out of my pocket and started to search for our accommodation for the night. All the while, I nodded as the fairy ranted.

"I don't believe a spell would do. There's no way they'd trust that alone. Because if they were that strong, surely your uncle would have snatched them up. And many witches could just unlock their shop and steal stuff. That means there's got to be someone in... Aha!"

My thumb stopped scrolling at her exclamation of joy. Glancing up just in time, I watched as the familiar sauntered towards the door. "Why are you excited about a cat?" I mocked, trying to pretend that the creature was nothing more than a house pet. Because the sooner we dropped this quest, the sooner we could go back to London, get rid of the Mades, and maybe put Ben behind us.

Though she turned to me with a disbelieving stare as she said, "Don't tell me I feel its magical presence and you don't."

"What do you mean?" I replied, upholding my act.

Yet, to my dismay, the black cat jumped up to a shelf right by the door, its paw nudging at the lock before it pried the door open and stuck its head around the corner.

"What do you want?" the familiar hissed, its piercing green eyes glaring at Olivia.

"To see your... boss?" she replied, mystified by the talking animal as she tilted her head this way and that to inspect it.

The cat's eyes narrowed before replying, "Master isn't here. They're on holidays."

"I read the sign," she sniped back. "Where did they go?"

"Away. Master will be back in a couple of weeks."

"My matter is urgent."

This time, I had to intrude. "How is this urg—"

"Shut up," she threatened before facing the familiar once more. "So if you could please tell me where they went, I can meet up with them and—"

"Holidays are when people take a break from work. If I tell you where they are, how am I allowing Master to complete what they—"

"I'm trying to bring someone back from the dead, but he's been gone for months now. I might run out of time if I don't do this soon."

The cat went silent for a moment before asking with less hostility, "How long has it been?"

"Almost a whole year..."

The cat shook its head. "You're too late."

Then it started to nudge the door closed, but Olivia's hand shot out, keeping it open a fraction as she pleaded, "I'm not too late. I can feel he's still here somewhere... just. But I don't have long."

"What was this person's relationship to you?" the familiar replied, ceasing to push the door.

"We were bonded."

The cat heaved a sigh. Then it left the door open a smidge as it jumped off the shelf and ventured into the store.

"It... we... do we follow it?" she whispered to me.

Though before I could reply, the furry creature trotted back towards us, this time with a card in its mouth.

After jumping back onto the perch by the door, it then waved the card at Olivia.

With hesitant hands, the fairy pried the paper from the familiar's mouth, about to ask what it was most likely.

Yet the cat already began to explain, "That's a summoning card. You have to be in the same country to call Master. Master also has to accept your summon, which they may not because they are on holiday."

"I understand," Olivia replied with a small smile slipping onto her face. "Where did they go?"

"Italy. Last I heard from Master, they were in Venice."

"Thank you," she got in just before the familiar slammed the door shut.

The fairy pivoted on her heel, smiling as she held the card up in victory.

"You're not seriously going to Venice, are you?" I demanded, trying to sound nonchalant. Though I could taste the venom in my mouth.

"Of course I am. Did you not hear that whole exchange?"

"Are you forgetting we have more pressing matters in—"

"Firstly, no I'm not forgetting the issue with the Mades. Secondly, it will only take me a couple of days to get there and back. But thirdly, and finally, this is pressing too."

"One dead person over dozens more?"

She grimaced at me, taking a deep breath before she explained, "We don't even know if I can heal them yet, Lukas. It could still take a while for me to figure that out, if it's even possible. So dozens more are going to die. However, I might only have days left to bring Ben back before my opportunity is gone forever."

I knew we were at an impasse here. She wasn't going to budge, and I couldn't bring myself to agree with her. Nor could I find the ability to calm the anger bubbling inside me. So rather than snapping something at her that I'd regret later, I did the next best thing.

I turned on my heel and started walking away.

"Lukas," she called behind me after I had already made it to the end of the block. "Don't be like this."

Though I said nothing back.

I just kept walking towards the car, refusing to look at her. Not allowing myself to say anything. Because I knew anything that came out of my mouth now would be laced with hurt... and I didn't want her to see any more of that.

Olivia continued to call my name, begging me to stop and talk to her.

And I had almost made it to the car without giving in.

Until suddenly she stopped trying to get my attention.

A few steps from the vehicle, I reluctantly turned around to see what expression I had caused on her face now.

Yet she wasn't as close as I thought she was.

In fact, she wasn't even on the same block anymore.

At least a hundred metres down the street, she had come to a standstill.

Even from this far away though, I could see the myriad of emotions consuming her—none of them good. Her shoulders slumped. Her knees trembled. And fear lit up every nerve of her as she stared not at me, but down the gap between the buildings.

At once, I began closing the distance, my legs working overtime to keep a human-like pace as I tried to get to her.

The closer I got to her, the clearer her expression became.

Dread. Panic. Terror.

Confusion. Recollection. Regret.

I finally reached her, my brain already realising what had her so perturbed as I followed her line of sight. But I still breathed, "Olivia... what's wrong?"

"The alleyway," she breathed before breaking her fixation on the backstreet and meeting my gaze with curiosity and remorse, "What happened?"

It was a question I feared her ever asking me. Which was why I couldn't help but reply, "Please tell me you don't remember anything?"

Her brows pulled together in shock for a moment. Then apprehension clouded her gaze. "Why?"

"Because I never want you to relive that night."

Once again, confusion marred her face. This time, in desperation—though not in accusation—she demanded, "What happened, Lukas? Why is it that every time I pass an alley, I freeze in fear?"

"If you don't remember anything, then let's not—"

"Did you do something to me?" she cut me off.

I took a step back as the words I never expected to hear came out of her mouth.

Though I could see she regretted it as her eyes dropped to my chest, unable to meet my gaze anymore. She knew the answer to that already. "You were there," she whispered. "I know you were there..."

"Is that all you remember?"

"I recall feeling more scared than I ever have... But then you showed up. And I felt relieved."

"I'm sorry, Ollie," I breathed. "I should have removed that night entirely."

She glanced back at me again, taking a step closer as she peered at me searchingly. "What do you mean by that? Did you not take all my memories at once?"

I shook my head. "We experimented with a few before I took them all."

"We did?" she repeated, though I could see the recollection on her face.

Explaining further, I reached down for her wrist, pausing before I touched her so that she could pull away or at least de-electrify herself. And when she didn't seem to want to do the former, I picked up her arm and traced a finger down the inside of her wrist, not saying anything as I let my eyes trail up her arm and to her face.

Tears pooled in her gaze as she whispered, "My scar."

I nodded. "That was the first. I got rid of the scar and then I took your memory of that to see if I could do it..."

"And then I asked you to take that night..." she filled in.

I made a small sound of agreement.

"And the rest?" she whispered, making no hurry to pull her arm from my grip. Just as I made no movement to let her go.

"I took those a while later... After we got your life set up again."

"Set up for what?"

"For me to not be in it."

I gave her a moment, watching as she seemed to struggle with the wave of memories coming at her. I wasn't sure how much she recalled, but it seemed to be enough to overwhelm her.

Which was why I started to say, "Let's go find our rooms for tonight and we can continue this conv—"

"I want to know what happened that night."

"Ollie," I whispered, hating how much I was already falling for the plea in her eyes.

"Please, Lukas," she said, her arm slipping out of my grip... though her own hand replaced her wrist as her fingers gripped my palm.

"Why do you want to know? It will only bring pain."

"I'm sure I've had worse pain."

My lips pressed together as I wondered if losing Ben really was worse than what she went through that night.

Though then she whispered, "I lost you twice. I doubt anything will compare to that."