I waved goodbye to Harv from my front porch, smiling to myself as he pulled away. The night air was crisp and clear. I tilted my head back and inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. We were just far enough outside of the city for it to be quiet, but not far enough to see the stars, unfortunately. One of the many things I missed about my home in Italy was looking up at the canopy of twinkling lights unfurled in the sky above. It made the worries and trials seem a little more insignificant. It was comforting, in a way. 

My smile slipped a bit as I realized that I'd probably never have that experience again. Instead, I'd now have to settle for the dazzle of man-made lights that lit the city all hours of the night. No longer would I hear the laughter of my sisters as we caught lantern bugs near the bluff, the waves crashing against the rocks constant in the background. Even though I was truly happier here in America, there were moments where this overwhelming sadness would envelope me. It usually came when I saw something or had an experience that reminded me of my family and home. That feeling was only heightened by the sobering thought that I would more than likely never set foot on my homeland ever again. 

I jolted when the door opened behind me, the sound abrupt in the peaceful night. 

"Oh, (Y/N). Sorry to scare you," my uncle said, closing the door behind him. 

I smiled at him as I ascended the stairs and joined him on the porch. "It's alright. I was lost in thought and didn't hear you until you opened the door." 

He nodded, sitting on the porch steps and patting the spot next to him. I smiled again at the invitation and obliged, setting my purse next to me. He lit one of the skinny, small cigars I had seen before - I would learn they were called "cigarettes" - and blew out a puff of smoke. He held out the cigarette, offering it to me. I blinked at him. 

"Really?" 

He nodded. "We're in America, now, (Y/N)." 

I took the rolled tobacco and put the end in my mouth. I inhaled, immediately coughing and sputtering as the smoke filled my lungs and caught in my throat. My eyes watered as I quickly handed the cigarette back to my uncle, who was chuckling good-naturedly. He gently patted my back as I continued to cough. 

"It takes some getting used to," he told me, inhaling more smoke. 

I wiped at my eyes and cleared my throat, the tickle in my airways lesser now, but still present. "I can see that," I said hoarsely. 

"How was your evening with your friend... What was her name, again?" 

"Melody?" 

"Ah, yes! How was your evening with Melody?" he asked me curiously. 

"I had a wonderful time! I've even been asked to dinner this week by a man!" 

My uncle's eyebrows raised a bit. "You don't say?" 

I grinned and nodded. "We're planning to go out this Thursday evening. I'm very excited, but also a bit nervous," I admitted. 

My uncle smiled a small, encouraging smile over at me. "I can understand that. I know I was a bundle of nerves when I finally started seeing your aunt." 

"Really?" I asked, propping my elbow on my knee and chin in my hand. 

He nodded, looking back out into the night, a faraway look in his eyes. "We were close friends for many years, but I always admired her and secretly desired something more.

"I pursued her for a long while, rejected enough to let sleeping dogs lie. I was simply thankful she continued being a friend to me. Even though I wanted more, just being able to spend time with her was enough. It was difficult, but I wanted to see her happy, more than anything else. And if I couldn't bring that to her, who was I to stand in her way?" 

I watched him as he inhaled and blew out another long puff of smoke. 

"But then, on a night not entirely unlike this one, your aunt told me that she had fallen in love with me." A small smile came to his face as he no doubt saw the scene in his mind's eye. 

I smiled over at him. "Did you know she was the one for you immediately?" 

He laughed a bit. "I knew Romelda was the one for me before we finally began seeing each other. Her kindness, the way she carried herself, and her boldness immediately endeared her to me." His attention turned back to me. "What are your thoughts on the man who you're going with?" 

I wasn't expecting that question. "Oh. Well, I like him a lot, actually. He's kind to me and makes me laugh." I felt a smile creeping onto my face. "I... I want this to go somewhere. I don't want it to be just some sort of... fling." 

"Then don't let it be." 

I considered my uncle, once more. "What?"

"Don't let it be some 'fling'. If you truly find yourself falling in love with him, don't let it go. Don't let fear draw you back into yourself. Be purposeful, and make the most of it." 

"Thanks, Uncle Vincenzo," I said gratefully. 

"Of course, (Y/N/N). Now, it's getting late; you should get some rest." 

I nodded in agreement, standing and picking up my purse next to me. "Good night."

My uncle blew out another smoke cloud. "Good night to you, as well." 

Dark clouds gathered in my periphery, my skirts dancing about my ankles in the tumultuous winds. A storm was coming. Something like lead settled in the pit of my stomach as an all-encompassing dread swept over me. As I stood at the edge of the bluff, I knew. 

I knew I wasn't alone. 

"I thought you'd finally forgotten about me," I said above the roar of the wind, not turning. 

I felt her cold, long fingers glide over my shoulders. "Forget about my favorite little Scarab? I could never." I could practically hear the smirk on her wine-red lips, her tone dripping with faux affection. 

Even after all these years she still managed to shoot ice into my heart. 

She moved to my side and I turned slightly toward her. I took in the tall, slim woman before me. She was exactly as I remembered her: long, white hair that trailed to the ground, dead, grey eyes, and slender figure wrapped in layers of flowing, slightly translucent black silk. Nothing had changed. 

She first appeared in my dreams when I was ten. 

I never knew much about her, only that she told me to call her "Lilith". It wasn't until I turned fourteen that Lilith told me why she had been infrequently visiting my dreams for the past four years. 

"Do you know, (Y/N), why I call you 'Scarab'?"

I had turned to her as we sat at the table in one of my parents' large, glass greenhouses. I had studied her in the low light filtering through the panes, the soft tap of raindrops on the glass ever-present. I had shaken my head in reply. 

She had rested her elbow on the table between us, considering me in that cold, curious way of hers. 

"The Egyptians viewed the Scarab as a symbol of regeneration, rebirth, and resurrection in connection to their sun god, Ra." 

My brow had furrowed. "What does that have to do with me?" I had asked in confusion. 

A dangerous smirk had tugged at the corners of her lips. "I know about your curse, child." 

Something icy had gripped my heart as I stared at her. 

"You've managed to cheat death, little Scarab. But I'm here to observe. To do everything in my power to make sure the Reaper catches up with you, in the end. To put your soul where it rightfully belongs." A pause. "With me." 

I was dragged back to the moment at hand when I felt her lift my chin. She searched my face. 

"What troubles you, child?" 

I wrenched myself from her touch, turning back to the choppy waves below the bluff. 

"What do you want, Lilith?" 

She made a disapproving noise as she once again considered me. "Come now! I just want what's best for my little Scarab." 

I felt myself frown at the honey-laced poison dripping from her words. "Since when have you cared for my wellbeing?" She opened her mouth to reply, but I continued before she could. "You and I both know you're only here to figure out a loophole in my immortality so I'll die." 

She seemed a bit taken aback by my blunt speech. She recovered, her matronly mask falling away to be replaced by an expression of cold neutrality. 

"One day, (Y/N), you will grow tired of this little game. And then you will stop running and beg me to end you."