(Song of the chapter: 'Last Night' - The Vamps)

AVALON

I awoke with a dull throb in my head.

The sensation wasn't overwhelming, but it was annoying and foreign enough to cause my body to go on alert.

I carefully peeled my eyes open a fraction. Moving too fast seemed like a bad idea for some reason. My blinds, which were a deep dark black like most of the décor in my monochromatic room, were drawn and preventing most of the morning light from coming into the room. But even the little that peeked through made want to burrow beneath my blankets and never resurface.

Groaning, I pushed past the burning in my eyes and sat up. I blinked, willing the rest of the room to come into focus. Slowly, it did. I was lying on my bed, wearing my usual sleepwear of a long-sleeved, oversized merch t-shirt that stopped mid-thigh with little black shorts underneath.

On the opposite wall hung my vinyl collection, a poster of the artist plastered beside each one. Beside my bed was my bookshelf, all my books neatly catalogued according to genre. In fact, my entire room was neatly arranged – more than usual. There was a tingle in my forehead, one not caused by my current mysterious headache, when I looked at my clean floor.

I could have sworn there was a mess there before.

My eyes caught on my bedside table. My glasses rested on top of it, alongside a glass of water that still showed signs of condensation. I picked up the cool glass and drank. My headache automatically subsided once I drained it, which perked me up. I moved to set it back down and paused when I saw a dollar bill lying in its former spot. It must have been right underneath it.

Curious, I picked up the money and put on my glasses. They functioned more as reading glasses than anything, since I didn't really have any problem with my eyes. I counted the number of zeros on the dollar and frowned. When did I get $100 in cash and why was it on my bedside table?

I replaced it, my mind brewing. The glass of water tipped me off that one of my parents was either currently home or had left a short while ago. Maybe this was my allowance. I shrugged to myself and made a beeline for the bathroom. I'll ask later, right now I needed to get rid of the funky taste in my mouth.

After brushing my teeth and splashing water on my face, I headed for the door. My nose was immediately assaulted with wonderful smells coming from downstairs. So one of them was still home, probably my mother. My mouth watered. I absolutely adored my mother's cooking.

"Mom?" I called out, descending the stairs.

"In the kitchen!" Came her reply. There was some chatter coming from downstairs, I noticed as I got closer. She probably had the television on, she liked watching Hell's Kitchen whenever she was making food.

My feet touched the landing, and I padded through the corridor that led to our dining area. Once I turned the corner, I froze.

Brandon, Jasper and Rhys sat at my dining table, helping themselves to the breakfast spread. There was a bread basket, a fruit bowl, cereal boxes, jars of milk and jam, a crap ton of omelettes, sausage links, pancakes, hash browns, and many more. Their heads swiveled around to face me when I came into view.

I stared. They stared back at me, calmly chewing their food. I must still be dreaming, I thought, though the scene didn't change when I blinked.

"THE DUCK'S BURNT! YOU'RE COOKING IN A BURNT PAN, YOU FUCKING DICK!!" Gordon Ramsay bellowed from the screen in the corner. Okay, no way was that part of my dream, or any dreams I had for that matter.

I unhinged my jaws. "Why are you in my house?"

Jasper was the first to swallow. "Well, good morning to you too, Sunshine," he said, waving a plastic fork at me. It actually looked more like a spork, and he was using it to eat Cheerios cereal.

"YOU FUCKING DONKEY!!" Gordon swore some more.

I blinked some more.

My mom came out of the kitchen then, holding a plate and a mug. She beamed once she saw me.

"Oh hey, you're up! These guys showed up while you were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you 'cause you seemed really tired," she informed me, setting down the plate. It was filled with waffles.

Her eyes twinkled when she turned back to me. "Anyways, I invited them in for breakfast in the meantime." She looked over at them now.

"How are you all liking the food?"

Brandon swallowed his pancake, which he'd cut up in meticulous slices all over his plate.

"It's divine," he answered sincerely, his hazel-brown eyes gleaming with enjoyment. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"May I ask why the angry man in the TV keeps screaming?"

My mom shrugged, taking a sip from her mug. "Who knows?" she replied sagely.

Rhys buttered a piece of toast, looking amused. "You enjoy Gordon Ramsay yelling while you cook?"

My mom laughed. "Yeah, I do, actually. It keeps me on my toes. Oh, to be insulted by that man..." Her voice trailed off dreamily.

Jasper's eyes lit on the plate of waffles she'd just brought in. "Hey, have you ever thought of putting something else in the waffle iron? Like, what would waffled toast taste like? Ooh, or a waffled taco!"

Rhys and Brandon looked at Jasper with resignation, but my mother actually looked thoughtful.

"No, I've never thought of that, Jasper. But now you've given me the idea, I might just run mad with power. I could waffle my lunch from now on. Waffled pesto sandwiches!" She waved her hand in front of her face like she was picturing it. My eyes bugged out of my head. My mother...was actually on the same wavelength as Jasper?

Fucking hell.

"Waffled nacho dip with guacamole. Or waffled roasted turkey. There's so many possibilities." She swiveled her head towards the TV.

"What do you think of that, Gordon?"

"I'M, I'M, I'M – I'M DYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING THROUGH YOUR FUCKING MIND!"

Jasper burst out laughing. Rhys snorted, munching on his toast. Even Brandon chuckled quietly.

My mom turned back to me, her lips pursed in amusement. "I'm counting that as an official insult from him," she told me. I gaped at her. I felt a wind-up toy that somebody had suddenly plucked the screw out of.

My mom frowned at me with concern. "Hey, you okay? Sit, eat some breakfast."

My mind was still sluggish. I looked from her, to the Horsemen sitting at my table, then back to her, trying to process it all.

"Did you find them begging at the door like vagrants?" I voiced. 

"Is that why you let them in? 'Cause no one would have held it against you if you'd just called the cops."

My mother's mouth fell open. Oops. I forgot they usually bore the brunt of my sharp tongue in private.

"Avalon!" She scolded me. "How can you say such a thing? These guys are your friends!"

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "How would you know that? You've never met them before."

It was her turn to look confused. Rhys, however, was the picture of amusement as he looked at me. It was way too early for this.

"Ugh, I need coffee," I groaned, scenting the sweet smell of roast coming from my mom's mug. I made to pick up the pot from the table.

"Hey, take this one." My mom took a big sip then handed her cup to me. "I'm supposed to be putting in hours in Oncology this week, and..." she checked her watch "...I'm already late. I gotta go."

She gave me a pat on the cheek, grabbed her keys, then waved at the guys.

"See ya! Have fun."

They waved enthusiastically. "Bye!"

The door slammed. And then there were four.

I shoved the cup into my lips, draining the contents in big gulps. Hmmm, I thought as I wiped my lips on my sleeve. Needed a little sugar.

I sat down and poured more coffee from the pot, then put a single cube of sugar into the brew. I stirred then drank more slowly. Much better.

When I finally looked up, the three guys were all staring at me. I scowled.

"What?"

Jasper leaned back exaggeratedly. "You're particularly Sunshine-y this morning, Sunshine."

"Mm-hmm," Brandon nodded in assent, shoveling more sausage links into his mouth.

I rolled my eyes at them. Rhys threaded his fingers under his chin and was regarding me with the most disturbing glimmer in his eye. I did not like it one bit.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" My brows rose. I looked to the side, wondering what had caught his eye. My eyes snagged on the coffee pot.

"What, you want coffee?" I asked him.

"I wouldn't mind," he replied, still seeming very amused.

I glared at him. "Interesting." I pointedly filled another cup, this time to the brim, then drank it all.

His amusement grew. "What did you do last night after school?"

My brows furrowed. Why was he asking this? I set my cup down and thought.

"Well, I usually take a nap, so I might've done that. Ate some pizza, watched Netflix..." I shrugged. Surely nothing out of the ordinary.

"Why?"

Rhys smiled like the cat that stole the cream and blamed it on Jerry. He said nothing, just continued regarding me with those infuriatingly blue eyes.

"You don't remember the party?" Brandon asked me, diverting my attention away from Rhys.

My face scrunched up. "Party? There was a party?"

"My sister's party," Rhys told me. My eyes snapped back to him. "We talked about it on Thursday, in the coffee shop, remember?" His eyes twinkled. "You seemed pretty enthusiastic about going."

I blinked, trying to grasp what he was saying. "So we went? Last night?"

"Yup," Jasper accentuated the 'p'.

"Then why can't I remember going?" My first impulse was to dismiss them, thinking they were trying to prank me somehow. But when I went to pick up my fork, I noticed my nails.

They were electric blue. I'd never painted them that color.

My head snapped up with a gasp. "I'm missing something! Why am I missing something?" I was in full-on panic mode. The only time I had ever lost gaps in my memory was when Vixen first started taking over. If she'd done something around these guys without me knowing, I was so screwed.

Inside my mind, I barreled towards the bars that separated us and grabbed some in my fists.

What did you do? I screamed at her.

Vixen opened an eye. I usually pictured Vixen as one of three things. She either wore my face, but with eyes so pitch-black it seemed they were sucking in all the darkness that surrounded us. Or she wore the wolf mask and full Vixen regalia I put on whenever we had a target to hunt. The last shape she assumed was that of a large, hulking wolf, with deadly long claws and haunting amber eyes.

Now, those amber eyes were enveloped in red. She gave me a look of extreme disdain.

Excuse me? She asked, sounding very insulted.

What did I do? What did I do? LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME! She bellowed in outrage, then cringed and dropped back down to the floor. She raised her paw and placed it on her skull, wincing in pain.

I was stunned. Vixen, are you...hungover, right now?

Her canines bared as she growled at me. Well, give the bitch a prize, she snarked sarcastically.

My focus returned to the outside world when I heard Jasper speak.

"We got pretty drunk yesterday. I don't even remember everything myself." He shrugged, unbothered by his own memory gaps. I blinked.

"But," He dropped his utensil and pulled out his phone. "There were a lot of people at the party, and some people recorded it on their phone. One video even started trending on YouTube, and you're in it. Wanna see?"

He held out the screen. The video, which hadn't started yet, was titled 'Sunshine Chick Totally Slays at Riley's Party'. I gulped. That did not sound good at all.

Jasper had told me the news mildly enough, but I was still apprehensive. I tapped 'pause' once the screen loaded and nervously twisted a napkin. I knew I would be sitting in a jail cell and not at my own dining table if I had, but...

"I-I didn't kill someone, did I?" I held my breath and waited for their reply.

Brandon, Rhys and Jasper turned to face one another. One second of silence passed.

Then, as one, they all burst into peals of raucous laughter. Rhys's head was tilted backwards, mouth wide open, his throat working as he cracked up. Sharp croaks were coming out of his mouth like he'd already run out of air from laughing. He looked so happy. Brandon's hands were holding his stomach like it hurt, his eyes squeezed so tightly I thought he might actually cry. Jasper's face fell forward into his cereal bowl, and all I could see were his shoulders shaking vigorously. The idiot could have been drowning for all I knew.

It was at least an affirmation that I hadn't committed any crimes. I took my consolation in stride and waited for them to collect themselves. They continued laughing without pause, looking like they were never going to stop.

My patience wore thin.

I slammed my fist on the table. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME!"

Jasper dragged his head up from his cereal. There was milk on his nose and a white rim of it around his face. And the fool had the audacity to look at me like he was about to crack up all over again, like my face was the clownish one.

I gave them my death stare. They immediately sobered up, clearing their throats. Crossly, I snatched the phone out of Jasper's hand and pressed 'play'.

I soon found myself wishing I had actually killed someone. Anything but what I saw I had actually done.

The video showed a room with dim lighting, and the quality wasn't the best but I could still make out which figure I was. It was horrifyingly easy, since I recognized my own voice. I was...singing. In front of dozens of people.

I wanted to slit my own throat.

And it only got worse from there. My hand rose to cover my mouth when I started rapping. I recognized it was a song by Eminem, but I didn't understand why I was performing it in front of multiple people. Did I have delusions of grandeur?

On the screen, I saw myself take in a deep breath. I mirrored my movements, unable to take my eyes away. It was like watching a train wreck in action.

My burp rang out, a loud, clear sound that vibrated the phone in my hands. I abruptly stopped the video.

"Bitch, what the fuck!" It came out sounding like a squeak.

The guys dissolved into laughter again. Agonized, I checked the number of hits on the video. Almost 1 million views in less than a day. This could not be happening.

I hurled the phone across the table.

"Hey!" Jasper wailed.

Brandon caught it with his plate. "Goal!" he whisper-screamed. I ignored both of them and stood up, starting to pace. I gnawed on my thumb with my teeth. There must be a reasonable explanation for this, I just needed to find it.

I found none.

"Alright, fine," I collapsed heavily into my seat. "You got me. I'm flipping out like you want, right? You've stashed hidden cameras somewhere in this room, I'm guessing. Well, you've got your reaction, so just tell me the truth because that," I pointed at the phone, "cannot be me. I deny that person."

They stared silently for a minute.

"Do you have, like, an evil doppelganger?" Brandon inquired. If only he knew.

I raked my hands through my hair in frustration.

"But it doesn't make sense. Why would I let myself get drunk around you guys? I don't even like you people!"

The smirk returned to Rhys' face. He looked like he found something very, very satisfying.

I glowered at him. "What is up with that smile on your face? Do you find this funny?"

His amusement only grew. "Why wouldn't I?" He leaned back and steppled his fingers.

"I'm a Disney prince," he said smugly.

I looked at him with dismay. I didn't even want to know where the sick bastard had gotten that idea.

"There was someone you knew at the party, who you were familiar with."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrows at Brandon. "Who?"

"You called him Archer," Jasper told me, examining his phone.

The world stopped.

"Archer was at the party?" I spoke slowly, afraid of the answer. "My Archer? Way tall, Chinese-Indonesian dude, looks at you like he's contemplating killing you?"

"That would be him," Rhys replied. His voice sounded cool.

I blinked once, twice, stupidly. There was no way they could know who I was talking about unless...unless they were telling the truth.

My eyes widened.

"Porca puttana!"

The guys jumped as I slammed a fist on the table. I was too busy bugging to care.

"Zut, zut, zut, damn, zut, damn, zut!" Saying 'damn' made my swearing in French redundant, but my brain was too busy glitching to be concerned about semantics. Finally, I landed on the part that contained my actual dialect and started swearing furiously in Spanish. Most of it must've been jargon, but I'm sure the guys recognized 'diablo' and 'estupido' and caught onto my tangent.

Archer, explain yourself!

I could sense that he was awake, but he made no reply, giving me all the confirmation that I needed.

You're a dead man! I fired down our bond.

Vixen looked at me crossly. Oh, shut it. Your foolishness was your own fault. You owe me, she growled, still mightily pissed.

I supposed I now did. Fuck.

I slowly wound down, folding myself back into my seat. I placed a palm on my face and breathed slowly.

No one spoke for a few moments. Then...

"Take. It. Down," I hissed at Jasper through gritted teeth.

He edged away from me. "I can't. It's not my video."

"What do you mean it's not your video?!"

He actually had the gall to look insulted.

"What, this toaster-quality? Of course not. The thing looks like it was shot on Android."

He brightened. "Hey, at least people who don't know you won't be able to make out that its you. That's good, right?" He nodded like it was all solved.

"Maybe we should be grateful for the toaster phone."

My eyes narrowed. Reaching over, I fisted his shirt roughly, getting all up in his face.

"Look here, Strawberry Shortcake."

"Oh, so we're back to the redhead jokes, are we?" He muttered mulishly.

"Shut up." I shook him a little. "If you do not do something to get that video deleted, I will put you into a toaster. In fact, I will waffle you," I seethed.

He gulped, throat bobbing.

"I –" he licked his lips nervously. "I might be able to message to the content creator and ask them to. Nicely, of course, 'cause being kind is great." He looked pointedly at my hands in his shirt.

I glared at him a few more seconds for sassing me, then slowly released him.

Rhys was watching us like we were his favorite reality show.

"Maybe we should start vlogging, 'cause this is absolutely hilarious."

I gave him my death stare.

"Wanna know what Jasper does whenever he goes viral from embarrassing himself?" Brandon piped up.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it happens from time to time," Jasper shrugged nonchalantly.

"I eat ice cream until I get sick. There should be some in the kitchen. Ooh, you can even eat it with those waffles."

He hopped up and skipped over to my kitchen, looking happy to be alive.

I let my head flop facedown into my plate.

"ITS RAW!!" Gordon Ramsay roared.

_

LILITH

I dumped the duffel bag at his feet.

"Here," I bit out, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm even though I was wearing a trench coat. I could barely restrain myself from stomping my feet. It was cold because it was late. He was late. The little shithead had kept me waiting way past the time we'd agreed upon.

"It's all in there, just like you asked for." You fucking dick, I barely kept myself from snarling.

Mario's eyes narrowed. He clearly didn't care for my tone, but I could give two shits about it. I just wanted him gone, out of me and my friends' lives completely.

He harrumphed, muttering something sharp under his breath that did not sound kind. I watched him impassively.

He bent down and unzipped the duffel bag. I watched in satisfaction as he froze at the sight of the multicolored money.

"What iz this?" He said in a thick accent, glaring at me blearily.

I smiled sweetly. "Your money." And it was, but instead of stacks of green, what was inside the bag were groups of notes in currencies all over the world. I'd included the Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, Nigerian naira, British euros...even Italian pounds. He should at least be grateful for the last bit.

"Its all there, just like we promised." My voice could have been syrup on a pancake. "You should probably count it though, just to be sure."

He continued to glare at me, so angry he was speechless.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that not convenient for you?" My own anger was starting to creep to the surface.

"You know what's actually not convenient? The fact that you and your stupid mafia keeps giving me the run around. 'Let's meet this day, Lilith. No, let's meet today'. I have been waiting and waiting for you and your useless band of gits to come collect the money you've been harassing us for months over, and you lot keep dragging your feet like gormless cows. I haven't seen my friends in two weeks, but that means nothing to you nutters! And now you show up fucking late! I understand English isn't your fucking language, but for God's sake, get your acts together you prick!"

Mario's eyes darkened. Okay, so he definitely understood what I was saying. Or most of it.

"You have a whore's mouth," he spat at me. "Never have I heard such foulness in all my life."

"Cry me a fucking river, cuntface."

Hot air flared out of his nostrils like a bull.

"In my community, women are seen and not heard," he seethed.

"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well, have I got news for you, wanker. It's the 21st century. I don't care if you've got a dick. In all honesty, I wish I could cut it off and toss it down the sewer. Now, are you going to take your money and go, or would you prefer not being able to take a piss tomorrow?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

His eyes glittered dangerously. He started to step towards me.

"I will teach you humility," he promised.

"You can try." I'd been dying to kick somebody's arse for a while. "But you won't like how this ends."

I cracked my knuckles and squared my fists in front of my face. I meant it – I was used to holding my own. I'd given my former foster brothers enough injuries that their scars still remained. Not that I looked it. I stood at 5'3, and my heels didn't do enough to level the height difference between me and the gargantuan mountain standing before me. Anyone watching would have thought it was ridiculous for me to even think about fighting him.

That was probably what he thought too when he attacked.

He charged at me with a roar. I smirked and quickly sidestepped. He was a big guy, and that size worked against him and in my favor. In a flash I was behind him, and I kicked at one of his knee caps with my pointed leather boot.

He bellowed in pain and turned around to grab me. I was ready for him. I hammered two punches into his face before he'd even realised it. His face swung from side to side as I bashed it. I was really getting it all out- all my fear and frustration that had been caused by these men.

His arms crept out and surrounded me, planning to crush me in a bear hug now that I was so close. I couldn't move away quickly enough. Thinking fast, I hiked my knee up and slammed it in right into his family jewels.

His yell could've been heard all the way back in England. He crumpled down to his knees, then fell flat on his face. I brushed off my palms, giving myself a well-deserved pat on the back. He'd never even stood a chance against me.

"Right, now take your bills and leave." I dragged the duffel bag over with my feet, then crouched so he could hear me loud and clear.

"I never want to see your stupid mustache around again. You and your friends just leave us alone from now on, capiche?"

Job done, I rose and turned to walk away. That's when I felt a hand reach out and clamp around my ankle.

It yanked me down. I screamed helplessly as I fell. Mario continued to drag me mercilessly, then pinned me down with his weight.

"Porca troia," he hissed inches from my face, making me gag on the putrid smell of his breath.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? You tried to break mio pene." His eyes were like two infernos.

"It is only right that you help me find out if it still works."

I howled in outrage and tried to claw off his face. My face suddenly slammed to the side with so much force I nearly broke my jaw. I blacked out for a second, then firmly shut my eyes and opened them. When I tried to shake my head, my cheek bit into the gravel so painfully I knew it was bleeding.

Mario retracted his hand then roamed both around my coat, fumbling for the buttons. I coughed once, a painful wheeze, tasting copper in my mouth. While Mario busied himself with my buttons, my hand crept slowly towards my pocket where I'd stored a knife. Killing him would have consequences, and I knew I'd be letting Rhys and the guys down if I didn't complete the drop. But there were worse things to worry about right now.

My hand wrapped around the hilt. I carefully pulled it out. Mario still hadn't noticed. Steeling myself, I was just about to stab the knife into his neck when his weight abruptly disappeared.

"Ah ah ah," I heard a feminine voice tsk.

Following the voice with my eyes, I looked up to see a black clothed figure with a face concealed by what looked like a wolf mask, gripping Mario in a headlock. He was struggling against her lithe figure, trying to break away with his bulk, but she held onto him as easily as if he were a Boots coupon.

I stared.

Her lips widened in my direction, and I saw that her canines gleamed like they were metal.

"If you're going to kill someone on the basis of sexual assault, you gotta make it look like an accident. Not something those pussies in uniform can bring you in for." She clucked her tongue at me, seemingly disappointed.

"Amateur."

Mario's face was turning red, but she gave him no notice. "I mean, I'm sure you know what they're gonna ask, even if you claim self-defense." Her eyes ran up and down my form, and she smirked like something was funny.

"'What were you wearing?' 'Did you lead him on?'"

Again that creepy smile. "'Did you even say 'no'?'"

She giggled, and I felt cold all over. Mario was still thrashing, but she didn't even seem to notice. I didn't dare make any sudden movements.

She finally turned to acknowledge the choking man in her hold. "Now, what happened was that, completely by accident, he broke his neck." She sounded cheerful. Mario redoubled his efforts, but it made no difference to her. Lazily, like she did this all the time, she reached out and gave the side of his head a little shove.

There was a sound like a twig snapping, chilling the blood in my veins. All of a sudden, I was staring into Mario's lifeless eyes.

I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

"Poor chap must've fallen." She let him go and he fell to the floor, neck angled in an unnatural direction. Unmoving.

"Sad. He really should've been less clumsy." Her eyes rose from his body, and I saw disgust and anger swirling within them.

"What he should've done was die screaming," she snarled. I swallowed quietly. 

Then she sighed.

"But alas, I have other places to be. Maybe I'll take my time with the next one," she said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. I'd never wanted to be anywhere else as much as I did then.

She turned her full attention to me and saw the expression on my face. She smiled. Casually, she stepped over Mario's body and crouched beside me, staring straight into my eyes. I met hers for one split second before mine flittered away. Something wild and feral lurked in their depths. Self-preservation told me that I needed to look away if I wanted to live.

"Who- who are you?" I stammered. I saw her smile again.

"The name's Vixen. Don't crap your pants now." She sounded so chipper, like there wasn't a dead body lying a few feet away.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed my face. I shivered at having to meet her gaze again, but her eyes were fixed on the side of my face where I'd grazed my cheek.

"No, no, no. This wouldn't do." She made some humming noises as she reached into some kind of holster strapped around her thigh and pulled out a small vial. The liquid within it was clear. She popped the top then grinned at me gleefully.

"Bottoms up," she called out before pushing the container forcefully between my lips.

"Mmph!" I tried to scream around the thing she'd shoved in my mouth, but she gripped my hair and held me in place. Struggling against her arm was about as useful as fighting a steel door. The liquid ran down my throat, and I had to swallow or choke.

My throat bobbed twice before she let me go. I spluttered, coughing a bit.

"What was that?" I scrambled away from her, not caring about showing my fear anymore.

"Just a little something to fully set this up as an accident." Her canines burned into my brain as she replaced the vial. I rubbed my arms, feeling cold.

She stood. "I guess we're done here. Let's keep what happened here between us, shall we? What's that thing they say, 'Two can keep a secret if someone's dead?'"

"It's 'If one of them is dead'," I unconsciously corrected, sitting up. She looked down at me and smiled.

I froze.

"B-but I actually like your version better pleasedon'tkillme," I spluttered out.

She chuckled. "Of course you do." She tossed a knife I hadn't noticed till right then into the air and caught it. I swallowed.

"Just try not to let this get out. If it does, well, they wouldn't be able to find me. But I'll be able to find you, Lilith," she threatened casually.

My heart thudded against my ribs. "My lips are sealed," I swore.

"Wonderful," she laughed, a sound that was oddly beautiful, then turned and walked away, humming Rihanna's 'S&M' under her breath. She practically blended in the shadows. Even though I had my eyes fixed on her, the next second she was gone, disappearing into thin air.

I sat still for a long time, just to be on the safe side. Then, I stood up and walked over to Mario. I stared at the dead body, feeling dazed. What had just happened?

My hands shook as I reached for my phone. I needed to call someone. Rhys had a fix for everything, I could call him...

I abruptly snapped out of it. Rhys had counted on me. I couldn't pile this on him. I contemplated for a moment then reached another decision, albeit a more dangerous and untrustworthy one.

"Black?" I said after he picked up. "There's a problem. Could you meet me?"

With the assurance that he would, I hung up. My eyes snagged on my reflection in my phone screen. I blinked once, then twice in disbelief.

The skin of my face where he'd backhanded me was unblemished. As clear as it'd been when I'd woken up this morning. There was no mark or cut to be seen anywhere...

...Almost as if it had never even happened.

************************************************************************

"Porca troia" means whore in Italian. Happy Valentines Day!

Love,

Lulu.

P.S- I actually use a Samsung Android. Its the S9, and its covered with some Game of Thrones phone case I bought from Etsy 🤭 Its of House Lannister, naturally.