When you read this, we are no longer together.

You must be confused. This book will not even give you comfort because I cannot write the answers here. You'll have to find them on your own.

Remember the last day we spent together? How honest our words were?

If you remember nothing, at least remember what I told you.

You must.

I flipped through the rest of the book and found nothing past the first page.

"What in the bloody hell does this mean?" I asked aloud. Bellatrix sashayed behind me as I took the book to my room. "Bella," I called to her when she stopped to sniff around Akira's dog still waiting outside his room.

Locking the door, I went to my repertory.

There must be something else in this book.

Pushing aside bottles and old potions, I found the small silver vial. I then laid the book on the floor and opened a blank page. With black powder from the vial, I created a circle around it. Bellatrix hid under the bed, yellow eyes glowing with caution as I cursed under my breath, scrambling to my feet to return to my repertory. "Where's the bloody dagger?"

Bellatrix was licking her paw when I settled back in front of the book. But as soon as I touched the sharp edge of the dagger against my palm, she whined. I scowled at her. "I still know how to do this."

Gritting my teeth, I sliced my hand and made a fist over the mark. Murmuring a spell, I watched as my blood burned the powder. As soon as black smoke rose from the ashes, I pulled my hand back and watched as the ember traveled the full circle. The smoke swept down the book and disappeared, revealing nothing.

"Tarnation!" I cursed and kicked the book. Jumping to my feet, I wrapped a cloth around my shaking hand and fished Evensen's gold case from my pocket. I popped a pill into my mouth and fell into bed, closing my eyes, relishing the instant relief I felt.

Suddenly, I was tired. The internal torture had been taking all of my strength, and now I just wanted to sleep. Rest. Not think. I never liked mysteries, and yet here I was, living one.

My eyes opened.

Remember the last day we spent together? How honest our words were?

If you remember nothing, at least remember what I told you.

The last day I spent with Brie had been tumultuous. That day started like any other. I had just graduated then, and was looking forward to the winter solstice ball. Mother was busy making last-minute preparations with the housekeeper, and Father went for a ride with two of his friends to escape the commotion. Brie had found me in my room and asked if I had a moment. We went for a walk to the woods, taking our usual path.

That's when she told me she made her choice.

"I love him, Aster. He would do anything for me, and I him."

I told her it was impossible. That he was a vampire.

"Love has got nothing to do with what we are," Brie had told me. She touched my cheek, and I turned away, angry tears hot down my cheek. "Someday, you'll understand."

I pushed away. "He's an Evensen."

"Oh, Aster," Brie tearfully said. "You're blinded by hatred."

"No. You're blinded by love!"

"They are good people, Aster. Can you not look beyond what they are and see them for who they are?"

"They're bloodsuckers. They'll feed off you until you have nothing left to give."

Brie smiled mildly. "I can say the same for witches. For humans." She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. "The Evensens accept me for who I am. I trust them with all my heart."

I trust them with all my heart.

My jaw clenched. Did she expect me to do the same?

She had told me we would always be together. Sisters forever. Yet she left me anyway.

And now she wanted me I trust her words? To trust Harald Evensen, a vampire who also left his own family?

***

"Aster," Brenna greeted with a big smile as I crossed the corridor toward her.

"There's our girl," Spinett said, hands clasped tightly over his chest.

"Welcome back, Aster," Akiko replied, gaze jumping to her brother standing behind me. Akira ignored her, eyes straight ahead.

"This way, Aster," Brenna told me, walking away.

"You can stay somewhere," I told my apostles. "I'm sure Akiko have a place to offer?"

"Certainly," Akiko eagerly said, smiling at her brother. "Anything for the apostles. Please follow me."

"Have you had any fever or headaches?" Spinett asked, following me and Brenna.

"No," I said, half-lying. Since I got the pills, I had been feeling wonderful. The noise my apostles and their familiars were creating around the penthouse was far more tolerable than their sleeping heartbeats when I didn't have the pills.

"We're so glad you took the time to grant us this small favor," Brenna said, leading me down another corridor.

"Of course." I let the echoes of our footsteps linger for a while. "This is for your Aster Project?"

"Yes," Spinett replied, walking beside me.

"Then, am I your Aster Project?"

The two of them laughed. "Oh, no. The project is only named after you."

"Inspired by you," Brenna corrected, stopping outside a door. The camera on the ceiling moved and scanned her halo.

The room was white, the walls lined with test tubes perfectly placed in lines. In the middle of the room was a chair.

"Please," Brenna said, while Spinett turned on monitors. "I'll make this quick," he said, holding up an apparatus I knew too well.

"Have you gotten an assignment yet?" Brenna asked.

"No. Although I am expecting one soon." I looked around as Spinett read my temperature. "How big is this place?"

"Big," Brenna said, sighing. "Getting bigger with another project thrown our way."

I grinned at her. "Because your team is the best."

She rolled her eyes. "We are, but the new assignment is quite challenging."

"What is it about?"

"Your spell."

I blinked at her.

"I requested it, to be honest. After seeing the journals you gave me, I'm intrigued. I know you barely remember anything, so we're starting from scratch. I don't personally get involved, of course, but I've selected the best people to deal with it."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"It's fine. That's actually a good thing. We'll start fresh." She smiled when Spinett announced he was finished. As I stood, Brenna led me to the door. "But we wouldn't mind if you share anything—anything you might remember. And if you have any more notes."

No. There was none they could use, nor was there anything that would help them solve my immortality spell. Whatever I did, however I managed to survive for two-hundred years, it was not witchcraft.

"Of course," I said, nodding.

Spinett stayed behind in the laboratory and I walked back alone with Brenna. "Have you adjusted to your new home?"

"Quite. The apostles are of tremendous help."

"I'm sure."

"Brenna," I said after a few steps. "What is the Aster Project all about?" When she hesitated, I said, "I wouldn't mind if you do not tell me, of course. I'm sorry for prying."

"No, it's fine. It's not a big secret." We walked past the door to my old room and I wondered what it held inside now. Then, another familiar corridor, and another door named Ancient Artifact 3060. "By understanding your gift and how it works, we're hoping to upgrade the halos. At the moment, we can only put people to sleep and analyze their day through their recorded emotions—the firing of their neurons, the chemical reactions in the brain—which we sync with time and location. However, we cannot record images. We can't capture faces. But with your gift, we're hoping to understand how the mind can create images like they do in their dreams. With this, we can find more ferals and erase more threats to the society."

I slowly shook my head. "I don't know what to say. That's a rather...complicated feat."

Brenna laughed. "I somehow knew you'd say that. However, with your grasp of technological advancement, I can understand." She stopped outside a double door. "The Aster Project is completely separate from you, Aster. I want you to understand that. You have no obligation to it or to us. You are now an Astral of the Saint Society and you are free to live the life you were deprived of for two centuries."

Now, why did I find that hard to believe?

"But we will still highly appreciate your contributions," Brenna continued. "Like today."

"Anytime," I said, facing the door.

It opened to what I assumed was a parlor of some sort, which was currently occupied by two forces that were apparently on the brink of war. On one side stood my apostles, their faces grim as they stiffened at our entrance. On the other part of the room, standing like they were made to stand on a pedestal, were Mertha's three apostles.

I studied Tiff's stern face and Lexie's flushed one. Akira, who was perhaps amongst the most composed people I knew, looked like he would rather eat with his new dog than share one more moment with the three men on the opposite side.

"I didn't know Mertha is here," I said to Brenna as I motioned for my apostles.

"She was assigned to help us with the Aster Project," was all Brenna said.

I nodded as my apostles stiffly filed out of the room. Giving Mertha's apostles a parting look that made one of them look away, I smiled at Brenna and bid her good day.

Moments later, when our vehicle doors closed, I asked, "What happened?"

And instantly, the three of them burst out three different sentences.

"They called us overrated!" Lexie said, eyes wide.

"Azziz is the most obnoxious witch I had ever met in my entire life and that says a lot considering my large family!" Tiff growled, hand flying around.

"Cansu said I have a vampire obsession, which I don't. I just know a lot about them like I do other subjects," Akira said with a scoff. "I heard he cheated on his Elemental finals. Only passed because his mother is in the Council."

"Vivec only called you that because you turned him down twice," Tiff told Lexie.

"For obvious reasons!" She groaned. "Oh, if he's not my brother's best friend, I'd—" She made a motion with her hands. "I'd report him!"

"Report him where?" I asked.

"The Apostles Assembly," Akira said. "They make sure we all live by the guidelines."

"And they obviously don't," Tiff heatedly said.

"Hypocrites," Lexie murmured.

"And how did it start?" I asked. "The fight."

"We didn't fight," said Lexie.

"That's against the guidelines," Akira pointed out.

"But there are certain loopholes," Tiff provided. "Comments indirectly addressed cannot be considered an attack."

"And what did they comment on?"

"Our familiars. They heard us talking about them."

I blinked. "Oh, I see." The silence lingered for a moment as the three of them fumed. "But to be clear—they started the comments?"

"Of course!" they burst out.

I stared out the window, fighting a smile. Astrals, apostles, the Council... They were too perfect after all. Just a bunch of hypocrites living by stupid norms. Interesting.

***

I taught them how to purify the ritual room, which was the first step for our full moon ritual. And by taught, I meant doing it myself to show my three ignorant apostles how to use the incense and water.

Our familiars lingered on one side, watching as I walked around the room with a burning incense and with Akira sprinkling water with his fingers, dragging his feet as he did so. Tiff and Lexie drew a circle in the middle of the room. Unlike Akira, they were eager to perform the ritual.

I told them to sit in the circle. With our legs folded under, I explained how we were now separated from ordinary time and space. "With this circle, we can also hold the energy we'll gather during the ritual."

Throughout the rite, Akira looked like he was about to say something that would ruin the moment, but I guess he cared enough not to spoil Tiff and Lexie's excitement. I told them what to chant, mostly in Latin, and they performed perfectly. Nothing miraculous happened until the last moment when I closed my eyes and urged them to link hands.

With my crux heavy in my pocket, I summoned the spirits around us, at least those I could conjure. Having done this rite many times in the past, the physical manifestations of the spirits were natural to me. Apparently, not for my apostles.

When the wind gushed around us, not strong, but obviously there, I felt Tiff and Lexie's hands tighten around mine. "Don't let go," I warned, eyes still closed. "Let the spirits bless you. Feel their presence in the air you breathe. Let the heat they blow seep through your skin and warm your flesh. Feel the particles of water with each breath."

Their hold relaxed, and I opened my eyes. Akira had his eyes open, staring at me like he had never before. I smiled at the undeniable wonder in his gaze.

It was curious, really, how they called themselves witches, and yet they flinched at the most basic ritual known to our kind. No wonder they considered Mertha Krall powerful. They had not witnessed in the flesh what a simple elemental magic could do.

I closed my eyes again and thanked the spirits, adding a last-minute wish that, if possible, it might heal me from whatever I was suffering from. Although they rarely granted wishes, a witch could still wish.

Freeing my hands, I rested them on my lap. "And now, we feast."

Moments later, we ate the food we ordered from a nearby restaurant around the circle.

Bellatrix walked over to rest her head on my lap while Tiff and Lexie kept telling Akira what they had experienced. "For the nth time, I know," he groaned. "I was there."

Lexie's familiar, Ogle, landed in the middle of the circle. She caught it before it could peck on our food. Miles, the cat, slept beside Tiff. "You should name the dog," she told Akira.

The young man just stole the white dog sitting in the corner with a look. "It's not mine."

"It's your familiar," Tiff said.

There were witches who would at first refuse their familiars, and there were familiars who would do the same. But always, they would eventually make the connection. When that happens, it would be instant. And it would be powerful. For now, however, we could not force Akira to accept his familiar.

"I didn't choose it," Akira shot back at Tiff.

Sensing another argument about the dog coming, I cleared my throat and looked at Lexie. "When Mertha's apostles called you overrated, did that include me?"

Her lips pursed. "Yes."

My eyes narrowed and my hand stilled over Bellatrix's head.

"You're not going to report them, are you?" Tiff asked, concern in her voice. "Because if they learn we told on them..."

"Fret not," I said, lifting my chin with a smile. "I plan for no such thing."

Akira warily looked at me, Tiff, and Lexie, mentally reading the room. "I don't think I feel comfortable about this."

"About what?" I asked, innocently blinking.

His eyes narrowed at me with slight suspicion. "You're planning something."

I gasped. "I certainly am not."

"You are our Astral."

"And?"

"You should act like one," he pointed out, looking at Tiff and Lexie. "And we should act as her apostles."

"Exactly. Make sure I don't get in trouble," I said.

"No! Make sure you do your duties as an Astral and nothing else."

"We're not doing anything," Lexie said.

"Not yet," I murmured.

"What?" Akira asked.

"Stop fussing, Akira," I said, smiling at him sweetly as I stood. I could feel another fever brewing.

"You're turning out to be different from what everyone thinks you are," Akira said.

I stared down at them still sitting around the circle. "And what does everyone think I am?"

"Graceful," Tiff said. "Akiko said so."

I chuckled. "What else?"

"Sweet, smart, and innocent," Lexie said.

"I'm all those and more." I gestured at the remains of our ritual. "But I'm also a witch. And in my time, witches were a little different."

"You act like these two." Akira pointed at Tiff and Lexie. "And you shouldn't."

"I've only lived a mere year older than the three of you two-hundred years ago, the rest I spent sleeping," I said. "How else am I supposed to act?" Before he could say more, I added, "However, I assure you I've lived enough years to prove my worth as an Astral."

Akira sighed. "Good, because I don't really want to be the sensible adult here. It's not what I signed up for."

"We didn't ask to be babysat by you either," Tiff said, leaning back on her hand.

I looked at them for a while. "Very well. Now that we've done our full moon ritual, I think we're ready to accept assignments, or whatever you call them."

"We don't just get assignments. They're assigned to us," Akira corrected.

"Azziz said we haven't gotten one because they had not yet found one we can do," Lexie said.

"Let's not talk about them, Lexie. I don't think it's safe to trigger her," Akira said, pointing at me.

"We'll get an assignment soon," Tiff said. "It's gonna be a big one and Aster will prove them wrong."

"Of course, I will." As I walked to the door with Bellatrix in tow, I stopped. "Anything indirectly addressed cannot be considered an attack, yes?"

"Yes," Tiff and Lexie replied with a naughty smile.

"For Saints' sake, drop it!" Akira exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Clean up once you're done," I ordered, reaching for the door.

"Wait," Lexie called, rising to her knees. "Tell us about the blood pact."

"A blood pact is only done if you trust each other completely, Lexie." I looked at each of them, certain we were thinking the same thing. "It's a powerful ritual and one we cannot do out of whim." My smile gentled. "Now is not the time."

Back in my room, I dressed for bed and popped another pill. Then I stilled as my own words echoed in my head.

A blood pact is only done if you trust each other completely...

"Bloody hell," I growled, opening my repertory. I took out Brie's book and gritted my teeth.

Brie was only one of the four people I made a blood pact with. If she hid the rest of the contents with blood magic, then we're doomed because the very night she left, I sliced my palm and reversed our pact.

"Stupid!" I cursed, throwing the book into the repertory and slammed the closet door closed.

Breathless with fury directed at my old, impetuous self, I stared at the ceiling.

"Now, what do I do?" I asked aloud. Well, of course, I should trust my sister. But she didn't give me enough to convince me to do it blindly.

I sighed. Evensen had not yet appeared in my dream, and I was not yet ready to summon him.

I closed my eyes, ready for another dreamless sleep.

When I opened them again, it was another day. I was drenched in sweat and burning with fever. Cursing under my breath, I reached for the gold case.

"Good morning," Celine greeted. "Cedric Corey requests for your presence in Good Blood."

I swallowed a pill down my dry throat. "What is it about?"

"Your first Astral assignment."