Spell for the day :

Literarium Terrarium.

Spell used to transfer someone inside a book.

**Lilia's POV**

Is this why he was so close to me?

I was shocked. Was he playing with me all the while? Is this what I was to him, a cure?

"Lili. Please don't overthink."

I run out of the room before he could give a justification. I was in no mood to listen to his story and another tale he fabricated. It would probably be another lie to woo me.

"Lili, stop. Listen, please." He yells, following me.

I run back to the house and see Mrs. Potts sitting by the windows. He was the one with Mrs Potts. I tested how honest he is.

"Okay, I have one question to ask you. Let's see."

"Anything, you can ask me anything. I'll answer it."

"You were the one staying with Mrs. Potts, weren't you ?"

"Ye-ah," he answers hesitantly.

"How did you convince her to let you in?"

"Oh. It was-s- um-um simple. She agreed to let me in."

"Does she know you are a vampire?"

"Y-yes."

"And she let you in?" I ask, shocked at how bluntly he is lying.

"Urgh. Fine. I hypnotized her and convinced her to let me in. She knows who I am but she won't be able to tell it to someone else."

I stare at him in shock, maybe he is the monster. How could he just do this?

"I did it because I had to get close to you guys."

"Yeah, so you could kill me and break your curse."

"I need not kill you."

"Whatever. I'm done talking," I state and run towards my place.

'He is a liar ' echoes in my head and I couldn't think of anything else.

I go to my room, lock it, and hit the bed. My dear sleep wasn't anywhere near me today, I am tossing and turning around wondering why did he do this.

I couldn't believe that this is why he came close to me, just so he could use me.

My pillow soon turns wet and I clutch my blanket tightly. Ingrid comes to my room after a while to console me.

"Shzz baby. It will be okay. I will not let him anywhere near you," she says rubbing circle on my back.

"But why do things like this happen only with me?" I ask as I wipe the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Maybe he isn't all that bad," she says hugging me.

"I think not," I say and hug her back, hoping all this pain just passes away.

"Yeah, well after you left he also confessed to have hypnotized Kevin that day in the forest."

"He did what?"

"Yeah, that's why he was acting so weird about it and doesn't remember a thing."

"He-hic- even hypnotized Mrs. Potts-hic- and convinced her to let-hic- him stay," I add through a series of hits. My tears died down, but my hiccups didn't.

"Oh, my god! He isn't what he says he is." Ingrid exclaims, all the while rubbing circles on my back.

I calm down and the hiccups slowed down. My thoughts drifted to him and his eyes come into picture. Why did his eyes have so many emotions in them? Why did they reflect his thoughts?

"And to think I learned my lessons after watching the whole Vampire Diaries," she mumbles to herself. 

Is this the person I like, is this whom I trusted?

Ingrid held me close, and I slept in her arms. It brought me comfort and warmth that I yearned for.

"Li, come on... Lili." I hear someone whispering.

I stretch my hands, and I hit something. Luckily, it wasn't something hard.  I slowly open my eyes to see that Ingrid is still beside me.

"Come on. We need to get ready to school"

"I'm not in the mood to go to school. I don't even want to see his face." I say, slipping under my blankets again.

"Come on, it won't be so bad. I promise I'll stay beside you," she says, yanking my arm.

"No Iddy. Not today. I don't want to get out." I say, refusing to budge, wrapping the blankets around me.

"What's going on here?" comes a deep voice from my bedroom door.

"Dad, I'm sick. I don't want to go to school." I say, hoping he believes me.

"Here, let me check." he goes to get the thermometer from my cupboard.

"Daddy not that sick," I yell, hoping this distraction works.

"Oh--umm, well. Take a day off. You need to test. It's okay."

"Dad she is lying." Ingrid accuses me and blows my cover.

I give him my best puppy dog face and he sighs.

"Lilia..." he says, giving me a pointed glare.

"Yes, daddy," I answer sweetly.

"You are going to school."

"But I don't want to," I say, agitated.

"Lili, take a half-day. But you are going. That's it." he insists, leaving the room.

"Ingrid... you are dead," I speak in a low voice, giving her my best death glare.

"Pffftt. Whatever. Now get up and get ready."

"I can come late. Dad said so." I say, falling back on my bed.

"Okay, but be there before lunch," she says and leaves me at peace.

I snuggle into my bed and get up when I hear the sound of a car in the driveway, which is becoming distant with every passing second. It looks like my dad just left.

I brush and go downstairs to see a stack of pancakes on the table. I stack a few on my plate and go sit by the courtyard having a quiet breakfast. I was lost in my thoughts until I hear a small buzz. I look around to figure out what it was when I realize it was coming from my phone.

"Yes Ingrid," I answer in a bored tone.

She probably called to remind me to come to school.

"We have a problem," she states in a huffed voice.

"What is it now?" I ask. I am tired of all the surprises and twists life threw at me lately.

"That monster, Iryll is at school," she says and the line disconnects the minute she tells that.

I hear my phone chime and see a message from her.

Iddy: Come to school, but stay out don't step in. We are trying to access the situation.

I quickly text her to find out what is going on, she replies with a come soon.

I immediately dress up and take my mom's car to school. Had it not been for the situation, I'd have enjoyed this ride and how smooth it felt driving it.

Me: I'm here.

Iddy: Good, stay by the parking. He is outside in the football court.

I park my car by the court and was on the lookout for anyone strange. I spot a new face amidst a few football jocks and this guy looked like one fine specimen with his built body and the way his shirt fits him snugly. 

It didn't look like his first day here. He was enjoying himself, and he even showed the guys a few football tricks. I spot Iddy and Em on the other side of the court. The minute they stepped on the court, Iryll spots them and he discreetly eyes their movement. Had I not been stalking all these years, I'd not be able to tell this. He was looking for ways to have them in his sight and even changed places to be able to keep an eye on them. 

I texted Ingrid not to come towards me as that could give away my location. She takes a last-minute turn and trust me it looked so weird even from such a distance. I'm sure he'd have caught it. Lucky for her Kevin just gets up from the stands and comes to her. He whispers something in her ear, and she sighs. I skip classes that day and concentrate on our prey for the day - Iryll.

He does nothing suspicious, but the way he moves with such grace mesmerizes me. And I am stuck wondering how did he make friends so easily, I wish I could also make friends that quickly.

We all keep our guard up, but he does nothing weird or odd. I drive away when I hear the school bell ring, signaling the end of classes for that day. The four of them follow me home.

"Okay, who is this new guy. I don't like him and something seems fishy about him." Kevin says.

"He is the one who stole the blood from the hospital and the one who killed those people," Em says.

I just nod in agreement. They all went to ask Kylian for help and I didn't want to see his face so I stay back while Em leaves to her place and promises to get more information from her grandmother about all this.

The orange hues of the sky soon turn black and I go to the West Wing to spend a quiet evening. I was confused and was wondering if I should go to Kylian and ask for his help or sit and ponder why did he do all that he just confessed to doing.

"Li, Lil, Lilia."

"Oh, there you are Lilia, come on, it's almost time for dinner." my dad says, stepping into the balcony and signaling me to come in with his head.

"Daddy, I'm not hungry," I say and sit back on the easy chair.

"What? You never say this. What has gotten into you?" he says, coming and sitting beside me.

"Nothing. Things have been weird lately."

"Tell me about weird. Did you know there were some unusual sightings here in town? I wanted to have a talk about this with Ingrid and you to make sure you are safe."

Shit! Dad also knew about this. Maybe Kylian is in much more danger than I expected.

I try hard to keep my face as shocked as possible, trying not to give away that I already knew about this.

"Well, I'm going down. Come on in some time, it's getting dark here." He says looking at the pitch-black night and the Outhouse which is still lit signally Ingrid and the others were still there.

We have a silent dinner as dad left in a hurry because he had a meeting to attend. What meeting at this hour? I'm not sure.

I keep to myself the whole evening and go to my bed early, waiting for the clock to strike twelve.

I almost fall asleep but am woken up by the buzzing of my phone. Yeah, I set up an alarm for midnight in case I fell asleep, like I just did.

I get up and see Kylian already standing in my bedroom by the window. He has a sly grin plastered on his face.

"Didn't know you already came," I say getting up.

"I was here for quite some time and it feels nice to know you think of me in your sleep too," he says, winking at me.

Shit! Did I talk in my sleep?

"Haha, relax Lil. I am pulling your leg."

Uff, thank god. I sure think of him, there just was no need of him knowing that.

"So what do you think of it?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"You deserve an Oscar for that acting, Lili." he chuckles.

A/N:

So guys, how was this chapter? Why do you think she was acting? Any clue what is happening here?

Until the next update.

Lots of love,
~Vaishnavi.