Sneaking into the storeroom of Cain’s bar, I already had an idea where what I wanted was hiding. Shifting aside some cartons of imported beer, the hiding place wasn’t really a hiding place so if he didn’t want people knowing about what was here, he should have spelled it or-

“Elissse!” Alfie hissed.

“Ssh! We don’t want anyone to know we’re here!” I whispered, grabbing the bottle of whisky that was older than even V. “Got it!”

“Have you?” Cain asked calmly and spinning around, I nearly drop it. “What are you doing, Hunter?”

Alfie is cautiously watching the demon god creature, and I feel the tip of his tail wrapping around my ankle. I shake my head slightly, and he gets the message.

“Shopping?” It comes out like a question and internally I cringe.

“For?” He steps closer and inspects the bottle, wiping his hand over the dusty label. “Elise, I think you have a problem if you're now 'shopping' in my store room before opening hours.”

“I do not, and besides this isn’t for me.” Not a total lie. “Logan is back soon, and I was wanting to, celebrate, with him.”

Cains face goes blank, and as his eyes meet mine, I pray he doesn’t ask anymore questions. If he says no, I’ll go peacefully, and then plan to do an even quicker grab and go now I know exactly where this stuff is kept. Or maybe I’ll wait until he’s busy, distract him myself  while Alfie does it. I need this bottle, that part isn’t negotiable.

“And you chose that? I fear this would be wasted on you two.”

“I doubt it.”

“What are you up to?” He steps closer, so our faces are barely inches apart now and the warmth of his breath tickles my skin. I don’t back down, not even as I’m positive he is trying to somehow read every single thought going around and around in my brain. Too bad I’m desperate enough for this to work, I don’t give much else away; at least I don’t think I do.

“Me? Nothing. Just looking to have a bit of, expensive, fun with my boyfriend later.” I smile. "What other possible reason do you have for me to try pinching a bottle of the good stuff?"

That last question was slightly rhetorical, I just hope he knows that.

Frowning, Cain snatches the bottle and tucks it away, before reaching up to the next shelf and passes over some champagne instead. “Enjoy. Now get out.”

There is a warning there, and I can feel a storm brewing around us. It is time to go, but I’m not giving  up.

“Thanks!” I nod at Alfie and we’re back in the forest near my parents house instantly. “Ok, new plan. I need you to get what I want Alfie, drop me off out front first and I’ll distract him.”

Alfie nods, but I have no idea how to distract him. So, I get Annipe involved and tell her to go inside and play with the jukebox. She seems happy to be included this time and vanishes, while I get Alfie to drop me off out the front. Inside I already hear Cain cursing, so knocking on the door, I smile as he opens it ignoring how furious he looks.

“I actually came with two snakes, but one is a terrible look out if you came by. Have you-” The Spice Girls are suddenly screaming from inside the dark, silent bar and we both jump in surprise at the blast of music. “Seen her?”

“Get your demon and get out of here! Contrary to what you seem to think, this is still my business and I have shit to do!” He snaps.

“Okay, calm your farm.” But I’m not quite done yet. “But what are you going to do if I don’t anyway? Kill me? Doubt it. Make up missions to send everyone away again? Please do, that’ll give me and Logan some proper alone time.”

I pat his shoulder as I enter, trying to stir him up in case he manages to sense Alfie. Instead he grabs my arm, his grip nearly at bone crushing point.

“What did you say?”

Talk about over-reaction.

“Proper alone time?” Stirring him up seems like a bad idea right now.

“No, before that. Sending everyone away?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m not stupid, Cain. It was either you and Portia, or just her, but then I doubt she does much without your permission.”

“What are you talking about!” He yells.

He’s too agitated to be playing the part of pissed off business owner; even if I had just tried, and have succeeded in, permanently borrowing, from him. Something else has him angry and I’m pretty sure he’s only letting me think it’s me and my companions because I’m all thats here for him to yell at.

“The sudden vip missions that had Logan and Jordan disappearing as well keeping V and Ailin busy and then my parents and Zane and everyone so I was left at home alone. I really thought you guys were like planning an attack or something, but they’re all back now so yeah. Fail!”

“Elise, I never sent anyone away. Neither did Portia. What ever that all was, wasn’t us. It could have just been a coincidence.” He sounds calmer now, but not any less deadly.

Annipe has come over now and Alfie should have been and gone. “Okay, I guess I’m just super paranoid.”

Cain lets my arm go and says nothing.

“Well there’s my snake, so ah, talk to you later?” I quickly finish, reaching out to her.

I don’t think he even realises we’re leaving, and seeing Alfie I shake of the dizziness from so much teleporting around the place. He hands me over the bottle and I hug it against my chest. We did it!

“Thanks guys, who wants some bubble water?” The both smile at that.

An hour later, I tell my parents I’m heading to the gym and instead sneak out towards that field again. I make easily, and positive no one is around I settle down to wait, dusting off the bottle of alcohol. I’m not sure why this was declared as payment, but I’m not one to really care about the finer details either. Right on time, the dark fae arrives.

“Hello Hunter!” She opens her arms and I get up, actually giving her a hug.

She went all out for this little visit; her robes as black as her hair, with her gothic style makeup adding the finishing touch. Her wrists jingled from the assortment of bangles and trinkets that covered them and it wasn’t until we parted that I noticed the dark wet patch around the hemline. Was that blood?

“Hazel.” I greet calmly, glancing around once more just in case she’s decided to screw me over.

She holds out her hand, revealing two woven bracelets that if not for the black and white leather used - resemble the brightly coloured friendship ones we used to make in our earlier years at the Academy. Nostalgia makes me smile, before what they represent sinks in and then there is no stopping my grin. This is actually happening, I made a deal with a dark fae - something rather frowned upon in our society, especially since it’s pretty much all for personal gain. It was one the reasons she agreed to it; that and the precious bottle of whisky she’d declared the only payment she needed. If we didn’t have a friendly past, I would be regretting all of this by now.

“We had to kill Gavin as a sacrifice, I hope you’ve held up your end of the deal.” Hazel raises an eyebrow, spying the bottle at my feet.

“Gavin?” Sure she was a dark fae and well, the odd human sacrifice wasn’t unheard of with these guys despite it being more a witch thing. This was big magic, so it shouldn’t surprise me, but now I felt the first pang of guilt.

“The Goat!” She laughed. “I’ll tell you a secret, human sacrifices are only so powerful because of the attachment and value bestowed upon another life. The same thing applies to pets, most just choose to ignore that fact. I know how badly you wanted this when you asked, but I also know you can’t change the fact you’re a Hunter and wouldn’t want the blood on your conscious. Plus we’d have to source a human, you might change your mind and end up hunting us down, it can get messy.”

“You killed your pet goat in sacrifice of, those?” I point at the bracelets.

“It wasn’t my pet goat, it was Echo’s.” She sighs like she’s already gone over this a hundred times. “We always keep a few pets around in case of a sudden request that we haven’t managed to store enough magic for.”

“Good to know.” We exchange items. “And these will work?”

“Hunter, of course they will. We don’t like to use our powers for good, so this suits us just fine. And don’t beat yourself up over Gavin. That thing destroyed one of my kins ancient scrolls; he was on borrowed time. If anything, that wretched creature should thank you for making his death meaningful since he was only going to end up as a curry.” She smiles and disappears as quickly as she had come.

I honestly didn’t care about the goat; I cared about the bracelets and whether or not they could work. A lot of my trust was going into Hazel and her coven, and if they screwed me over I wouldn’t hold back. Too much was at risk, but my options were limited.

                                                                ) O (

It was nearly dark when I finally saw the headlights coming down the Academy drive. Instantly I was on my feet, leaving Penny with Annipe as they went through all my holiday photos from Fiji. Eventually I’d find somewhere like that only a hell of a lot more secluded for her and Alfie to get away to, but for now she can scroll through photos and endless internet pages of tropical destinations. Plus I was enjoying the wistful looks on Penny’s face and the sighs as she swooned over my vacation.

Hitting the gravel of the driveway, I was considering a run down to meet them, but instead started pacing around the carpark area. The second the two cars pulled up I held my breath, and it wasn’t Logan I saw first, but V.

“V!” I hadn’t seen him for far too long and launched myself at him in a hug.

He stumbled back against the side of the car, a sound I think was a laugh leaving him. “Hello, darling girl.”

“Really, the vamp before me?” Jordan teased, getting out from the drivers seat.

I move close to him and he drops an arm over my shoulders as I slip mine around his waist, but my attention is still on V.  “How long are you here for?”

“A couple of days.” He shrugs.

He turns back to the back seat and grabs his bag as Chris comes round the side of the car. “Sup Ellie?”

“I’m glad you guys have come back safe. Mum will be happy.” I look around the car, expecting Logan behind Chris but he isn’t there. “Where’s Logan?”

“He was on his bike, I thought he was actually ahead of us.” Jordan frowns.

Some people I don’t know nod and wave as they finish getting out the other car; all of them giving Annipe a bit of space as she comes over with Penny. I don’t listen the small talk taking place, staring into the dark as i wait for Logan to show up only he doesn’t. A thud at my feet gets my attention and Jordan doesn’t hide his smile.

“That’s his gear, you can carry it.”

I lift the bag and it isn’t exactly light, so turn to Annipe. “Take this home, please?”

She nods, her tail wrapping around the handle and just like that she vanishes. Jordan snorts, unimpressed.

“Could have got her to do all our stuff.” He mumbles, before heading inside with Chris and the pair start to discuss whether or not they would have missed dinner yet.

I keep pace with V at the back of the group, not willing to go until Logan is here. The whole situation feels weird, for one, our time apart is starting to really bother me - I miss the jerk. We’ve gone from not talking, to starting something to weeks away on our private island and now this. I have so much I need to tell him, plus I just really missed him. I can’t cuddle up to Zane in the same way I do with Logan and Alfie hogs the bed. I wonder if he knows how much I’m missing him and it’s why he’s taking so damn long to come back; making me sweat it to get more of a reaction out of me. With that thought alone, I start to get pissed off. If he is, well, he better stay away.

Stopping on the steps, V simply closes the door behind everyone else and takes up a position beside me so we’re practically shoulder to shoulder. We sit in silence, but I know it’s not going to last; he’s looking at me too intently, like he’s trying to read my mind simply by staring.

“How are you?” He finally asks.

“I’m good.” I tell him simply, nudging his side slightly as I offer a smile. “You?”

“Tired. I think all of  this was nothing more than a waste of our time.”

“I think so too. I’m glad you’ve come back okay.”

“You were worried about us Hunter, worried about me?” There is a hint of amusement there.

“Of course. We’ve been through a lot, you know we’re friends now.”

“I know. It is, strange, as you said, after everything to just sitting here, no games or plots to kill the ohter. We’re actually on the same team. One hundred percent.” V muses.

“Are we?” I ask.

He thinks this over, the faintest trace of a frown curling his lips down. “What has been going here darling girl? I heard of your adventures through time.”

“I wish I knew, but-” I stop.

While my memory had been a little foggy over a few details regarding the original curse talk, it wasn’t anymore; not once it seemed to find it’s trigger. I remember it all now, what happened after we left that meeting before I ran off to talk to Cain about it. V had known Portia’s magic hadn’t worked, it didn’t apply to him or Ailin either and he’d come after me. Closing my eyes, I could see it all.

“You didn’t forget did you?” V asked me; his voice so low I struggled to hear him.

“Forget what?” I played dumb.

“Exactly darling girl.”

He’d left after that, so this whole time he had still known and not said anything; on the same team are we?

“But?” He prompted.

“What do you know about, curses? More specifically, my curse?” I wonder, giving him time to answer.

V sighed, wiping his face with his hand before looking very tired as he turned my way. “Not a lot. Ailin and I have been working on it for months, it one of the reasons why I even accepted the role at the Council with her.”

“Really?”

“Really. You know how I feel about you, and not all my intentions were as pure as one would expect of a Council member. Though we may not have always had this, trust, between us, I have your back. And your little Trackers. Twice I saved his head, and your brothers. You’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” I say it even though I feel like I don’t have to.

He nodded. “We know Huntington guards the treaty, that she is connected to Cain. We haven’t been able to find much out about him, or where he has disappeared to. She says she knows nothing, but I know she is lying. Did your trip back in time help at all?”

He was simply repeating things mentioned at that meeting and with Ailin as our President, of course she would know about Huntington guarding the Treaty. He wasn’t giving me anything new to work with, and so I kept quiet; yet the bracelets in the pocket of my jeans felt like they were burning a hole in them.

“No, nothing at all. At least nothing we didn’t already know.” Again he looked at me like I was some kind of puzzle, and I knew that would be hard to believe. So I threw him something. “But Cain had told me the curse was lifted, that I didn’t need to worry about it anymore. My going back in time seems to have undone his good work.”

“What do you mean?” V’s tone hardened then, no longer keeping this as a nice little chit chat.

“After I came back, I got a tattoo; on my wrist. It vanished after a couple of days, but from what P- Huntington could tell me, it was connected.”

“What did it look like?” He asked eagerly.

“Ah, two crescent moons either side of a full one.”

V thought about that, his face evening out into a blank canvas - giving little away about what was going on in that head of his. Just when I was about to try and break the sudden and rather awkward silence, he stood up.

“What do you know?” I instantly stood too, and wasn’t fooled by his lack of interest. “V! Tell me!”

“Not a lot unfortunately, but I have seen that marking represent many things. Some call it the Triple Goddess. Others say it’s the mark of the Fates. It is nearly always linked to a high priestess, or deity, and represents the past, the present and future or in those goddess cases, the maiden, the mother and the crone.”

I vaguely remember something about this in a history class, very vaguely. Why hadn’t I seen it show up in any of the books I’d been going through?

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry Hunter, I am tired and although it is night, I seek to conquer my thirst and sleep.” V actually yawns.

“No worries, I’m just going to wait here for Logan.” I tell him as he starts for the stairs.

“That never ceases to amuse me.” He laughed.

“What?”

“You and the Tracker. You are happy, yes?”

“Very.” I confirm.

“Good!” He opens the door, and pauses as he looks back. “Good night, darling girl.”

“Good night, vampire.”

V shakes his head and disappears, letting me forget this curse business as I only start to grow anxious for Logan's return. Why wasn’t he back yet?

I just sit down again when Alfie appears, the tip of his tail wagging with excitement as he see’s me. I force a smile for his sake, and a squeak of surprise leaves me as I’m hoisted into the air. The front of the Academy disappears and instead I find myself in my parents backyard where Logan is waiting.

“You’re here!” I stumble from Alfie, my legs not quite solid underneath me and throw my arms around Logan’s neck as his arms wrap around me.

“Hey Bunny, miss me?”

I don’t really care why or how he is already back at the house; not right in this moment anyway. No those questions will come once we’re completely breathless and I’ve worked out how much he has missed me. Judging by how tightly I can feel his fingers digging into my sides as I’m trapped against him, and the fact I’m struggling to remember the last time I took a decent breath - he missed me a lot.

My Dad’s awkward cough does little to break us up, yet Logan does lift his head; blushing. “Hello, Mr. Bunting.”

Oh, now he’s all formalities.

“Logan. The others are back now?” Dad asks seriously.

“Yes sir.” He answers, and I’m surprised he hasn’t put the length of the school oval between us yet. Even if he tried, I wouldn’t let him go. I keep my face against his chest, breathing in that all too familiar smell that is just Logan; my arms still linked around his neck.

“Right.” Dad mumbles, the sound of the back-door closing.

From inside I can hear the muffled sound of him talking to Mum, her laugh and the rustle of the kitchen blinds being opened before being closed again. I still don’t let him go.

“You know you don’t have to be scared of my Dad, Loges.”

“I know, doesn’t mean I’m not. I’m just glad I didn’t have my hands on your ass.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ve missed you.”

“Wanna go somewhere so you can show me how much?”

I squeal as he leans over me, catching my legs at the back of my thighs to lift me. “Heck, yes.”

“We’re going up the Academy to see your brother!” Mum calls out, and Logan nearly drops me as my parents come outside. “Behave you two!”

Logan nods, already looking guilty.

“We could be back at any time, and the snakes are staying.” Dad growls, following Mum to the path that will take them back to the Academy.

I waste no time in shoving Logan into the house. “Your Dad will kill me one day, I’m sure of it.”

“Relax, he’s all talk. Hey, I can kill demons and save the world, but god forbid I have a boy in my room!” I mock. Thing is, I know my Dad. “Hungry?”

Logan gives me a look that makes me wish I was still in my own place, with no one to interupt us or at least back in that villa. “For food.”

I head to the fridge, and find something leftover from one of the meals Mums done this week and play the domestic housewife role of serving it to him. It’s nothing major, just a small square of lasagne I didn’t eat at lunch and I set up the TV for the demons - just as Dad comes back in.

He looks at Logan sitting at the dining table suspiciously, and then over at me where I give a ‘really?’ look. “Forget something?”

“Yeah, I had some training schedules I wants to update on the gym board.” He lies, disappearing into his office to come out a second later with a folder. “We’ll be back, soon.”

“Okay.” I sit down next to Anni, smiling at him as if I believed that was what was happening right now.

The second he’s outside, I can hear Mum scolding him and only once I’m positive they’re actually gone, do I point in the direction of my bedroom and Logan’s there before I can even think of getting my shoes off.

“So, why weren’t you with the others?” I ask him.

“I was hoping to find you here and surprise you, since we weren’t due back until after dark. I took a shower first, your Mum insisted as apparently it’s nice to make an effort now and then. Once I was done, I got Alfie to go get you.” His lips barely brush over my forehead before they’re on my cheek, my jaw and instinctively I roll my head back as he moves onto my neck.

“So much as happened Logan.” I sigh; suddenly feeling more content than I have in weeks.

“Oh?” My top is off, and before I know it, so is his and we’re spread out on my bed. Then he stops. “Tell me.”

“After, I’ll tell you everything, just, don’t stop now.” I’ve missed him, all of him and this, god have I missed this.

I pull his face back down to mine and with a roll of my hips against his, he gets the message and we start catching up in other areas of business. Much too soon, we end up sitting outside on the tyre swing and curled up in his lap while he lazily rocks as back and forth, I pull out the bracelets.

“What are those?” He asks, curiously taking the one I offer to him.

“The only way I can tell you anything. Here.” I tie his on and he helps me with mine. As soon as it’s tied, a shiver runs through both of us at the same time. “Um, I think that was a good thing.”

“What do they do?” Logan doesn’t hide his suspicion as he rubs a finger over the black and white pattern.

“You can’t take it off. I needed something that will help keep our secrets safe, and I got Hazel to-”

“Hazel? That dark fae?” He snaps.

“Yeah.”

“What about asking Sonia next time? A light fae, who isn’t likely to screw us over or claim we owe her a ridiculous debt later? This is against the rules Elise!” I kind of forgot about the fae that had aligned herself with his family.

“Um, well, because of the secret aspect, it can come under deceit so, it kind of falls more on the dark side of the line. She might not have been powerful enough to do it anyway and I paid my debt. She won’t tell and neither will you!”

Logan groans, closing his eyes for a second. “Okay, well it’s done now. What secrets are we keeping, apart from that? Oh shit, they didn’t kill anyone over this did they? Is that why they agreed?”

“Just a goat, relax. It’s fine. You know I have a good thing with her coven. They like you too.” None of this seems to make him any happier. “Okay, so where do I start?”

I go back, back to the mermaid fiasco and tell him the truth about Cain’s involvement. I tell him everything, praying these bracelets are ensuring that everything that is currently being said is silent to any eavesdroppers, that Logan will be safe with knowing everything I do. A few times he looks like he wants to say something, but lets me keep talking, never interrupting and once I’m done - right up to stealing Hazel’s payment, he lets out a big breath, as if he’d been holding it the whole time I had been talking.

Behind us in the forest, insects chirp in their own song of the night and I dare to look at Logan. He still doesn’t react, doesn’t say a word so I do. “I have an idea on what to do next.”

“Just. Give me a minute.” Logan closes his eyes again and the hand he had on my thigh clenches tightly on my leg. Without warning, he shifted his position slightly and I was practically crushed into his chest. “Not again. I’m not losing you again.”

I give Logan the minute he wanted, and then a couple more. “I have an idea on what to do next.”

“I’m listening.”

“Portia became an Oracle by force, at that temple. Apollo I think it was.” Logan nodded. “He called Cain brother. What if we go to the temple and see if we can, I dunno, summon him or something?”

“You want to summon a god from greek mythology?” There was no missing the doubt in his voice or the disbelief on his face.

“You sound pretty closed minded for a Tracker, who has killed many a creature from various mythologies.” I point out.

“Okay, so we go and summon this Apollo, your last run in with a god didn’t go so great. What makes you think he’ll help? What if he makes everything worse?”

“The only one who can tell me everything is Cain and maybe Portia, but they’re not and I’m sick of their games. We could go back to Sobek, but I think he’d more likely to kill me on sight now and I think he kind of got destroyed when his temple crumbled. I also don’t know how many people we can ask or get involved, trust wise or if we’re putting them at risk.”

“This is so, fucked up.” Logan groaned, starting to swing us again. “I really know how to pick a girlfriend. I had to find the girl that trouble seems to follow around like a shadow. You couldn't just be, normal?”

I try and look offended. “Pretty sure that's why you love me.”

“I know, but-” He paused. “We can try it your way, but what if there was someone else we could ask?”

“Oh, who?” I thought I had thought over all the possibilities. “V and Ailin are out, and they’re the oldest beings I know.”

Logan grins a little sheepishly. “He might want to try taming you, but I’m willing to defend your honour.”

“Paytah!” Of course!

It’s then my family return and seeing us just sitting out there has them all heading inside. Dad looks happy and Mum gushes over us silently as she passes. Jordan and Chris look exhausted and go by without any teasing. A closer look at Logan and he looks the same as they do. I’m too comfortable to move, but after offloading all of that and with him having been away, Logan probably needs sleep too.

“How about you go to bed, one night isn’t going to change anything and we can start fresh in the morning. You’ve had a long day and need some sleep.” I kiss his chin, and go to move.

“No. I’m happy right where I am.” He yawns; proving my point. “Okay, but think you can sneak into my room later? I want you with me.”

Stupid Dad.

Stupid rules.

Since when do I follow his rules?

“Done.”

Mum is the only one still around when we go inside, and as Logan heads into his room, I grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how pissed will Dad be if I forget to sneak back into my room before he wakes up?”

She shakes her head. “He doesn’t care, you’ve been joined at the hip since you got together anyway. He just enjoys making the Tracker squirm. It’s all the power he has over you these days.”

Now I just feel uncomfortable.

“Mum, it’s just sleeping. Honest.”

“I know and I do not need to know anything more than that, as long as you know, you’re being safe and-”

“And I do not need you to finish any of that sentence. Good night Mum.” I give her a hug as I pass.

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

I change and go into Logan's room, curling up against his side. He’s already on his way to being out of it and he mumbles something that I think is ‘love you’ before his breathing completely evens out. My creepy level goes up a notch as I just enjoy feeling him beside him; listening to each breath he takes until finally I fall asleep too.