Spell for the day :

Confringo
Explodes objects into flames

**Lilia's POV**

We head home after a tiring and stressful day. The enemy was closer than we expected.

The ride home is silent, and Kylian is still missing. I realised he slipped out when Ingrid said a stranger helped us and my dad went tense when he heard that. But he soon covered it up.

We reach home and I stumble on my way upstairs and somehow reach my bedroom. I lay on my bed wondering what more is to come.

Any sane person would have fallen asleep after such a tiring day, but I was overthinking every little aspect and was tossing and turning over.

Who is this monster? How does he look like? What does he want?

I was flooded with too many questions and was lost in my thoughts.

I suddenly hear some sound by the window and open it to be greeted by a small stone hitting me right on my forehead.

"Ouch!" I yelp in pain.

"Sorry." comes a whisper from below.

I peer down to see Kylian with a hand on his ear mouthing sorry.

"What are you doing here this late?" I ask. The wind carrying my voice over in the silent night.

"Well, couldn't sleep and I saw that the light in your room was still on, so I figured even you weren't able to sleep." he says now approaching the pipe which passed by my window.

"Kyle, what are you planning to do?" I ask, laughing at his epic fail to climb the pipe.

"Well, climb this pipe so I can be a little closer, maybe."

"Oh, Kylian." I laugh at his antics and turn around looking for something that might help him. I see a skipping rope lying in my treasure chest.

Well, the treasure chest contained all my stuff from when I was a kid.

"Kyle, would this help?" I ask, approaching the window, only to see him sitting by the windowsill.

"How did you?" I say shocked at how fast he came up here. I mean, didn't he like fall down the first time?

"Lili, that fall was to make you laugh. I like it when you laugh." He says with a charming smile, that would have any girl fall at his feet. I could feel the heat rise in my body. I'm sure I was blushing and my heart was throbbing.

"Why are you still outside ?"

"You know I can't come in unless invited right ?"

"Oh yeah, come on in." I say casually. Something in my gut tells me I shouldn't have done it, I mean Ingrid, and I agreed to only invite him in after we all decided.

"How is your dad?" He asks. He sounds genuine.

"Um fine. He wasn't really hurt. But where did you disappear?" I ask, making my way to the bed.

"I couldn't control myself around so much blood. I had to get out of there before I did something I'd regret."

"Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting that you are a vampire."

So that is why he was acting weird in the car.

"It's okay." he says and a calm silence fills the room. The silence like the one in the forest. I couldn't forget that image I saw in the fog.

Lili. Lili. Lili.

"Lili everything all right?" he says shaking me.

I take in a huge breath and shakily whisper out a yes.

"What is it now?" he asks, not having my lie.

"Well." I tell him what I saw by the woods tonight .

"Oh no, he struck even faster than I anticipated. We have to be on high alert. Call all members of the circle tomorrow and we will arrange a meeting. Everyone is to stay in groups and lookout for even the smallest change you see around." he says, in a serious tone.

"Okay but I don't think everyone would come. I mean we have Kevin, Jake, Em, Ingrid, you and me but we sti--"

"Me? Lili, I'm not part of the circle. Remember, if was formed to keep me out of this town. I am not a part of it ."

"Then the ring? Where did you get that ring?" I ask pointing to the ring which was sitting on his left hand. I guess he always wears it.

"Oh this? Do you know what they initially called my kind?"

"Mmm, Dracula?" I say. I mean, that was the only other name I heard of vampires.

"No, in my early days we were called 'Nightwalkers' meaning someone who could come out only in the night. The sun wouldn't literally kill us, but would cause light burns sometimes it can be very dangerous. So this ring helps me come on in the morning too, it acts like a shield."

"Why is it so similar to mine?" I say placing mine right next to his.

"Maybe the same witch crafted it. Or could be from the same era. Do you know who does it belong to ?"

"Not sure, Em found it but it belonged to the original member I guess. Em has her grandmother's ring and maybe everyone has one ring of the members of the previous circle. There was an extra ring, which I took."

So if he wasn't the last member of the circle, who is?

He was lost in his thoughts and me in his eyes.

"I guess someone is coming," he blurts.

"I better get going, don't forget about the meeting. See you tomorrow." he says, winking at me and leaving through the window.

A few seconds later I hear someone knock at my door. It was Ingrid.

"Yes, Iddy?" I ask, feigning innocent.

"Nothing, I thought I heard something." she says, turning back after a quick glance at my room.

Next day, on the way to school after we pickup Em, I share my plans about this monster and about arranging a meeting, but skipping the part about Kylian telling me so.

They agree to it. Em and I were still hesitant about letting Kevin anywhere near Ingrid.

"I can manage it. I'm more in control of myself than I was before." she says trying to prove herself.

We reluctantly agree because we need to work as a team for what is coming.

"But how are we so sure he is the enemy? It could be Kylian!" Em says.

"Em remember he didn't steal blood, and he was staying with us the whole time and did nothing fishy. Also, he helped us yesterday when we went looking for our dad."

"Yeah, my mom was telling about that. I'm so glad it wasn't your dad."

"Same here and let's invite Kevin and Jake to our place after school and discuss this."

"What if Kevin says no?" Em asks.

"Let's convince Jake first. He will get Kevin. They are best friends." Ingrid says.

I go ahead with Em, looking for Jake and proposing a meeting tonight. Kylian promises to monitor Ingrid and not let her close to Kevin.

"Jake." I yell, spotting him amidst the crowd.

"Hey." he says turning around. I'm sure he wasn't sure if I was Ingrid or not. For a second I was tempted to pretend to be Ingrid. That would be fun.

"Yes, Lili." he answers. Wow, how did he know it was me?

"Umm. Well. There is something I need to tell, but not here." I say and drag him with me towards an empty classroom.

"You know this looks very weird right!?"

"I didn't even think of it that way. Anyway..," I say, dismissing it and closing the door behind.

"... we have worse things at hand." I say, finishing my sentence.

"What things?"

"Come home tonight, there is a meeting. Get Kevin too, we will talk about it."

"Talk about what?" he asks, genuinely confused.

"About all the weird things happening in town," I say.

"What weird stuff?"

"Come home and we will tell you."

"This looks like your plan to get Kevin and Ingrid together."

"Jake, trust me it isn't. It's about va--"

"Vampires." says another voice, cutting me off.

Kylian?

"Aren't you the new kid?"

"Yes, and I am a nightwalker." he says flashing his fangs.

"Shit!" yells Jake, running helter-skelter looking for a place to hide. He ends up hiding behind the podium.

"Relax Jake. I won't hurt you. Just be there at the meeting this evening." he says, gently taking my hand in his and walking out.

"Oh, and don't forget to bring Kevin." Kyle says, before closing the door.

Poor Jake.

"Did you really have to show him your fangs? Poor Jake, it has scarred him for life. "

"Well, there was only one way he would agree and if he fears this, how will he cope up with the monster we are set to face." he says giving me a stern look.

I see Em waiting for me by my locker and I part ways with Kylian. He looked disappointed seeing Em.

And so was I. I wanted to spend time with Kyle.

We walk to class and she tells Kylian asked her to switch places. She teases me, and I could do nothing about it. I liked him.

The day went by uneventfully and we were all sitting by our place waiting for them.

The tension in the room was evident, and we were hoping Jake and Kevin would attend the meeting. It's high time we discuss this.

Tringg, went our doorbell.

"Finally." sighs Ingrid going to open the door.

We see Jake and Kevin standing there. Jake was literally quivering.

"Not here. Let's go to the outhouse," says Ingrid, and we all make our way to the outhouse.

I see Kylian waiting for us by the door. Jake takes a step back, but Kevin drags him there.

Oh man, will they be able to face the monster.

"Is what Jake saying true?" he asks me.

I nod my head in confirmation.

"Then why the hell are we going to him instead of running away?" he asks panicking.

"Let's go in. You will understand everything."

They both take tiny steps and were definitely hesitant about being close to him.

"I have a knife on me, don't do anything funny," Jake warns.

Kylian just rolls his eyes at them.

"So why are we here?" Kevin asks after everyone settles down.

"You probably already know about the blood that was stolen from the hospital and that they found a man dead yesterday."

"Yeah. My mom is the doctor at the hospital where the blood went missing, and I heard her talk something about this." Jake says.

"So who would need so much blood?"

"A vampire." they both whisper, turning to look at Kylian.

"Not him. He was with us that day. There is another one in town that we haven't yet seen. It is that vampire." I say.

"We should tell our parents. We are no match for it." Jake tells.

"No. We all are part of the Secret Circle. We all have powers."

"You mean you also have powers?" Kevin says.

"You also do?" Ingrid asks.

"Not sure, but I can control things." Kevin says, hesitantly.

"I can feel everything that you feel." Em chimes in.

"I am a witch. I can do magic." Ingrid says.

"I can kind of read minds," Jake says.

"Guys you are all witches and wizards. You all can do magic, but Ingrid is your ring leader and has more power than you guys." Kylian says.

"How do you know this?"

"Because the coven who cursed me were all witches. You all can do magic, you didn't realise it yet. All these powers you told are your speciality."

"Coooolll"

"Wow. Awesome!"

I hear a string of words like this but it left me wondering where do I fit in?

"How did we get these powers?" Kevin questions.

"I was wondering the same too." Em comments. 

"I guess, when Ingrid did that spell which I believe the ancient souls made her do, she might have activated the circle and you guys also ended up with powers, since you are the descendants of the original coven." Kylian answers.

"What? How do you know all this?" Jake questions suspiciously.

"I've lived long enough to figure things out," he says with a sigh. 

"But what does this monster want?" Em asks.

"And why are you even telling us this?" Kevin questions, not really buying his tale.

"Why did you even come to this town?" questions after question pour out all directed to Kylian.

"I'm here to break my curse and I need your support for it. I need the same blood that Iryll does. Lilia's blood." he turns to look at me with a sad glint in his eyes.

Is he going to kill me? Is this why he was being so nice to me?

It was my BLOOD that could break his curse?

Author's note:

Hey, readers. How do you think this chapter was?

I hope you all liked it.

Please vote( the little star at the bottom), comment your thoughts on this, and share this story.

Until the next update.

Lots of love
~Vaishnavi.