Justin's P.O.V

I cried uncontrollably as I held her head in my hands. I couldn't believe what had happened. What was I going to tell Bob and Mirabel? That I had mistakenly killed their blood daughter? I was screwed!

I prayed silently in my head that she would come back to life somehow. I hadn't prayed with such faith and urgency for a long time now. I really needed that miracle to happen.

Her face was pale and her lips, unusually bright pink. I couldn't feel her breath, neither could I, her heartbeat. It was hopeless.

I kept on crying and blabbering senseless things in regret that I wondered if my tears were ever going to get cried up. They didn't. My eyes were shut as I uttered uncontrollably, "Please don't die... I never meant for this to happen. What am I going to do without you...?"

Just then, I heard a faint feminine voice say, "Hey," It sounded so much like Lisa's that I thought it was coming from my head. I had been going through the memories we made together—our crazy adventures that I could hardly fathom had come to an end.

When I opened my eyes slightly, I saw another pair staring right back at me. It was unbelievable—she was alive! My heart jumped with utmost joy as I smiled genially. Her eyes were worse than exhausted still, my joy knew no bounds.

"What happened? My head is pounding." She said with the same faint voice.

"I'll explain everything later. I promise. I'm just so glad you're alive." I then held her by the sides and embraced her affectionately.

"Ouch!" She winced in excruciating pain. "My whole body's throbbing."

"I'm sorry... you need to rest." I said before picking her off the ground. "Let's go back home."

**********

I lay her on her bed before running downstairs to fetch the First Aid Kit Mirabel always kept in a cupboard in the living room just in case something like this happens. Though I don't think she'd have ever predicted what happened today.

As I nursed her open wounds, she groaned softly, desperately suppressing the urge to scream her lungs out. I felt guilty about what had happened. The damage I had caused was practically immeasurable. Only God knows how we were going to explain everything tomorrow to her parents when they see her.

"I'm truly sorry," her face was red with bruises and contusions.

"What happened?" She asked. Turns out she was absolutely clueless about what had transpired. Seems like she had actually lost her senses.

I explained everything to her and in the end, she was left confounded by my words.

"No way would I have done all that."

"Well you did." Unamused, she convulsed into a hysterical laughter.

"You had a seizure again. I kinda did too."

She face-palmed in displeasure. "This was all my fault—" she began.

"Shh..." I verbalized as softly as the wind. "The fault is mine and I'm incredibly sorry. I shouldn't have led you on. I should have just—" I couldn't go on. My eyes were filled with tears and that was when I realized all the cruel things I had done to her.

"No, it's all on me—You showed me the red lights but I refused to take heed. It's not your fault I'm this dogged." She said as a kind of joke. I cracked a slight smile.

"Just promise me you'll get well."

"Don't like making promises about things I don't have control of. But there's one promise I'm gonna make."

"Which is?"

"I thought over it and have decided to leave you to Anastasia." She confided. "It's a lost cause. Besides, you guys are perfect for each other. Honestly. I had just been unnecessarily jealous." I would have been elated but for the fact that right now, what was that news going to help?

I chuckled slightly then said, "I really don't think that's going to change anything; she's already broken up with me."

Lisa didn't show any sign of surprise.

"I think I can help."

"Nah... She probably hates you more than she does me so there's hardly anything you can do to help. Thanks though."

"I almost forgot that bit." And then she paused, pondering while she concentrated on the ceiling. "My case is worse than yours. She's never gonna forgive me."

"Don't think too much about it. You need to rest and it's almost three. We haven't destroyed school yet." She laughed. It was difficult to believe that someone I had thought was dead few moments ago was now laughing at my boring jokes. If she had died, I swear, I would have never forgiven myself.

"What if I don't wake up?"
"You're Lisa Cole—you're definitely gonna wake up." I encouraged and held her hand affectionately. I covered up her last visible injury which was on her abdomen with a bandage.

"Just kidding. Goodnight."

I tucked her in. "Love you, sis." It was real. We were far better as siblings than lovers. Why didn't we figure all this earlier? This mess would never have happened.

"Love you too." Now I was left with Ana to deal with.

**********

Lisa's P.O.V

Waking up the next morning, I couldn't help but believe that everything that had happened yesterday was just part of a convincing nightmare. I could feel no pain at all anywhere. It was insane!

But it wasn't a nightmare—there were plasters and bandages all over my body and my bed was in a mess with the blood and all. Remembering what happened yesterday, I was pretty surprised that I could sit up without singing out a melody of agony. I walked up to the full length mirror that stood at a corner in my room and looked into it. My ruined face had been restored. That was weird.

Peeling off the plaster on my left arm, I discovered nothing under it. Not even the tiniest of scratches from one of the injuries that had made me bleed like a gallon of blood.

Of course I was elated about the mysterious powers despite this, I was beyond puzzled. Was I unlocking new powers or something?

I picked up a pocket knife from one of my drawers then I used it to cut my left palm slightly—I felt the need to understand these newfound powers. Before the blood could trickle down my palm, ice covered the injury. When it melted, the injury was gone. Sweet! I couldn't even feel a thing.

I peeled up all the other plasters and unwrapped all the bandages and by the time I looked into the mirror again, I was good as new. Maybe even better.

As I strode to the bathroom, I thanked God for the timely miracle. However it happened, it saved me from having to think up an unbelievable lie to tell Mom and Dad.

When Justin saw me at table, he asked me what had happened. I told him I was going to explain everything later. But as for Mum and Dad, I owed them no explanation.

**********

Anastasia's P.O.V

Dad was definitely going to feel what I was about to do was thoughtless. Okay, it was actually pretty stupid and probably dangerous however, I felt it was something I had to do. Everyone deserves a chance to be heard out. Even Dad had his so why should Justin be denied that? Plus, we were at the school library which was filled with a bunch of students. What could possibly go wrong?

I paced briskly to the library and when I got in, I spotted Justin sitting alone on a table, waiting for me. I remembered the first time we met here. Damn, a lot has changed. And it all sucks considering the fact that the guy of my dreams wants to end my life.

"I reserved this table for us."

I said nothing and sat down adjacent to him. For some reason, he was smiling.

"I'm glad you could make it." He stated, probably trying to get me to say something.

"I'm not," I replied rudely. "Listen, I know your parents may not care but mine will be worried if I get home late so please be snappy." I shot, turning his pleasant smile upside down.

"Okay..." he said, masking his hurt, and took in a deep breath. "What I'm going to say may be shocking to you but it's the truth."

"Got it." I said with an obviously uninterested tone. What more was there to know that wasn't already clear to me? In the end, it changes nothing. Well, except he explains his relationship with Lisa. No—that wasn't going to change anything either.

"I don't even know where to start from..." he muttered under his breath.

"Maybe you can start by explaining how Lisa has supernatural powers and can create and manipulate ice. And why her pupils turn blue when she's mad. Who are you guys anyways?" His face betrayed no emotions. He was probably expecting this.

"To be honest, I don't know why. We just discovered it sometime ago when—" He couldn't continue for some reason. "Even I have such powers. Look." And for a split second, his pupils glowed bright red. "I guess it's in our lineage or something."

"That's really scary." I said, pretending not to have known formerly. I was aware of his powers and the ugly things he chose to do with them.

"Sometimes when we can't control them, we lose our minds. That was why the incident at the beach occurred. The only way I could save you was to..."

I interjected, "Kiss her?"

"Yeah." He chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry it happened in front of you but it had to be done."

"Sure," I said sarcastically.

"Look, I know there's hardly any chance that we were gonna make up. Don't get me wrong; I only want to clear these misunderstandings."

"Yeah, you're right—there's no way we can make up." I snarled. "How many times did you kiss Lisa by the way?"

"I wasn't counting but she told me thirty-two." He paused, waiting for his heavy words to sink in. "Most times, I was caught up in situations like that."

"Other times?"

"I wasn't." He gazed into my eyes for a brief moment before continuing his fairytale. "I once liked Lisa but when I found out that you liked me, things changed. It was quite difficult for Lisa to accept that."

"That there is what makes it so difficult for me to even believe that you guys are cousins."

"But we are. We were just lost in our— you know what? You don't have to believe me. But I'll tell you this: when my parents died, her parents took me in. When I needed them the most, they were always there for me." He sounded so bereft that it was saddening.

He went on to tell me about his great-grandfather who used black magic to try and take over his kingdom. It sounded quite incredible, even fictitious. Still, a part of me wanted so bad to believe him.

"So why didn't you tell me earlier on."

"Well, because..." he spluttered.

"Because you didn't trust me. I get it." I was pretty astonished that he trusted me enough to tell me all this. Now I was convinced that he wasn't playing games. If he was, he's a hardcore amateur. Revealing all this to me would've been a pretty dumb move if it mattered to him.

"You're right—I hadn't known you well enough yet. It would've been reckless of me." He paused. "Just so we're on the same page... I'm not here for you to criticize me or tell me my life's flaws or anything. I know you have the right to be mad at me because I cheated on you but I didn't. In case you never thought of this, if it wasn't for what I did, you would have been dead by now."

"Of course. Thank you master." I said with contempt.

"There you go again with your fucking sarcasm. Since we got into this screwed relationship, I never for once kissed her. Still, you think I'm a cheat." He ended, almost boiling with rage.

"Hey, calm down." I said and placed my hand on his. He withdrew like I was fire. Well, if we weren't careful, the librarian was going to send us out and that will be the end of our amicable chat. But why was he furious? I'm the one who's supposed to be furious yet he's yelling at me. Like it wasn't he and his stupid impostor cousin that tried to murder me.

"I'm not gonna calm down. You're here acting all drama queen meanwhile you have not the slightest idea what I've lost because of—"

Right then, the librarian came to the rescue and kicked us out of her fortress. At least that was going to be the end of that ugly conversation.