The fog hung low in the air as we forwarded out the next morning, car packed and ready to head to the stop of all stops: Donegal. But even if the sky was dreary, the green rolling hills were a spectacle to see, glistening in the sunbeams that struggled to shine through the misty air.

We had a place booked right by the castle ruins for a whole week in case it took a while to figure out how the activation works. I just hoped it was enough time... Figuring out magic without a handbook was more than difficult.

But as I threw the final bag into the boot of the car—Ben still inside doing a final sweep of the place for any missed belongings—I couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her exposed collarbone. A new, large bruise adorned her skin. And either Ben had resorted to violence in the wake of their fight or... they had already made up.

Based on the lovey dovey looks they were sharing, I already knew it was the latter.

"What?" Ollie demanded after the millionth glare I shot at her neck.

"You didn't take long to forgive him," I grumbled, as though she owed me anything. As though she owed us anything...

She started tying her scarf around her neck as her cheeks flushed crimson. "He apologised," she mumbled.

"How's he going to learn?" I snapped at her. She always knew how to hold her ground on a silent treatment with me. Like that time Ben called... before we made up and she took my towel off...

Lukas! Don't go there, my mind warned.

"He said he's going to do better," Ollie said, avoiding eye contact with me as though she too didn't believe his promise.

Scoffing at her and knowing if I continued to stand there talking I would say something I regret, I walked away from her, climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

As I washed the dishes after dinner while Jayce, Ben, and Ollie forwarded off for showers and the retreat of their quiet bedrooms, Erica quietly approached me in the kitchen.

"Hungry?" she asked me.

Brows furrowing, I looked down to the dishes I was currently washing with remnants of our meals still intact. "No?" I said.

"I mean for blood," she said.

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"Lukas," she said. "It's been three days since your last feed."

"I'm fine."

"Don't starve yourself. That will make it worse."

Sighing, I dropped the plate I was scrubbing in the sink, wiping my hands before I turned to her. "Come with me," I whispered. 

Grabbing her hand, I pulledher out onto the balcony, away from the others who may be listening in. 

With the door closed behind us and the frigid air our only eavesdropper, I said, "I know what you saw that night concerned you, but I assure you it was a one-off thing."

"One-off things lead to two-off. I know you've been really agitated lately, and I can't have you have a death on your hands, Lukas. It would destroy you and—"

I cut her off with a held up hand. Little did she know, I already had multiple deaths on my hands destroying me. Anja being the one I still carried in my heart. "Ben is feeding from Ollie these days. So I'm going to feed from the animals."

"But—"

I held my hand up again. "You said only one vampire can terrorise livestock. Considering Ben isn't, I will."

"What if you decide it's not enough?"

"I'm not going to feed from a human again, Ri-ri," I said softly, the old term of endearment slipping off my tongue.

Her eyes softened at its mention, her hands grabbing mine earnestly. "I'm just worried."

"It was a one-off, I assure you."

"But you don't know that."

"I do."

"How?"

"Because that fucking arsehole tried to hurt Ollie. And looking at his disgusting face made me want to see him suffer to think he could do that to her."

Erica dropped her hold of me, taking a cautious step back as she cocked her head to the side. "We still barely know Ollie. Why would you do something so drastic for her?"

Shit. I've revealed too much. "Just... just because we barely know her doesn't mean I can't worry about someone unjustly laying their hands on her."

"But you wouldn't even do this for any of our actual friends." What she didn't say was 'you never would do this for me.' "You always say we have two legs, two arms, and a heartbeat so we can fight our own battles. You say—"

"I know what I say, but Ollie is different."

"How?"

"She's... Not familiar with her powers yet."

Erica's eyes narrowed even further as she crossed her arms over her chest. Goosebumps were starting to trail over her skin as the frosty air caressed us with its gusts, but she was not backing out of this conversation no matter how cold she was. When Erica was on a mission for information, she wouldn't stop. "Now you're sounding like Ben."

I scoffed at her and folded my own arms over my chest. "I do not. This is different. I believe with the right training, Ollie can—"

"Do you hear yourself? You're saying she can take on the strongest vampire in the world but not a human?"

She got me there. Pressing my lips together, I muttered, "She doesn't have built-in zaps for humans."

"And your uncle could easily throw a weapon at her in the blink of an eye. Humans can't do that."

I had run out of excuses. 

Erica took another step closer to me, leaning in as her eyes studied my face. 

But then she let out a small gasp, causing me to meet her obsidian gaze. 

Quickly, she blurted, "Do you... Do you have feelings for—"

I immediately closed the distance between us, slapping a hand on her mouth. "Careful of what accusations you so loudly make," I hissed at her.

Erica's eyes went wide with fear in my grasp as I threateningly glared at her. 

Eventually, she nodded slowly. 

Then, I hesitantly removed my hand, staying close though just in case she blurted something else out.

"We barely know her," Erica whispered, eyes still locked on mine. "It would be impossible for you to have feelings for her."

"Exactly," I breathed, feeling the acidic taste of dishonesty in my mouth.

"Unless..." she said softly, eyes growing impossibly wider as she stared at my chest. "Unless you knew her before."

This time I completely released her, stepping away. "What stupid nonsense are you making up now?" I asked, hoping she'd believe the lie I was trying to build through my reaction.

But her eyes turned up, finally meeting mine. "That girl had orange hair. I remember it now. Exactly the shade of—"

I pulled the magic to my eyes, locking Erica in my trance, her body going limp. "That girl you saw me with was some random human and she did not have orange hair and it was not Ollie," I said.

"It wasn't," she agreed.

I dropped her from my hold.

"I'm sorry for assuming things, Lukas. I think..." Erica's eyes began to cloud over. "I think I'm just still a little bitter that I lost you."

Softly placing a hand on her shoulder, I said, "It's okay Ri-ri. But you should go to bed now. I'll be back soon after I feed."

And with that, I jumped off the balcony, running as fast as I could away from the house, hating myself for having bewitched Erica now.

But that's the thing about lies.

All it takes is one to set off a catalyst of lies as you try to evade owning up to your first act of dishonesty.

If only I had never wiped her memory the day before they cemented their bond.

If only I had told her about us the day before she met Ben.

If only I had never wiped her memory in the first place.